Help me get justice

Hi, my name is Fadzli Al Edrus, and I am a 51 year old living in Singapore.

I am currently a sole breadwinner working as a GRAB driver providing for my family of 4 children whom are still studying. My wife isn’t working as she has to care for her ailing mother who is living with us and also our youngest 9 year old child.

I am a diabetic and also with a ‘ticking time-bomb’ in my head, an unruptured brain aneurysm.

I lost job in the private sector in the manufacturing industry in 2004. I couldn’t land a job for many months. I somehow ended up with a low paying job in a Singapore public agency in 2005. Still, I was seeking for a better paying job then to support my family.

Probably given my age and the lack of academic qualifications, despite my experience in IT and QMS, I was still unable to get myself a respectable job that pays enough.My family was struggling and struggling still.

The more I stayed in the low paying public service job, I realized that I became irrelevant to the private sector due to the rapid developments. In 2012, I was diagnosed with unruptured brain aneurysm.

Sometime during my employment with the public agency, it had advertised for a position which is of 5 pay scale higher for a totally fresh department. I applied and was deemed successful but there was no change in my salary nor rank/position. I was exploited into doing a higher graded job without any additional benefits. I invoked the agencies grievance procedures but to no success. It went on for about 40 months.

To cut the story short, I had to leave the job in 2016 and pursued claims for arrears of salary in the States Court. I was a litigant-in-person. I actively seeked for other jobs but due to health declaration and me having an unruptured brain aneurysm, one can imagine the difficulties of getting a job. Such I ended up as a GRAB driver but with my diabetes and brain aneurysm I have to limit myself from overworking with long hours, thus income is low.

Current situation

As of today 12 July 2019, despite all evidences showing there were breach of policies and exploitation, the State Courts ruled in the agency’s favor. I have now 14 days to appeal the judge’s decision.

But appealing to the Singapore High Court is absurdly costly. In 2013, the Honorable Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon observed that, in “the pathway to justice for most litigants..” the “…first and probably the most critical hurdle is the high cost of litigation.”

In my research, I think that to appeal in High Court I’d have to put a security deposit of S$20,000 3,000. And to hire a lawyer would cost more.

My involvement

I am determined to seek justice, not just for me. But for those low waged employees in public services that are currently being exploited the same way, and have fear or have no means to take necessary action.

The security deposit of S$20,000 3,000 will be lost if I fail in the appeal. Should I succeed, the monies returned shall be donated to those in need in GoGetFunding. For transparency, all expenses for the purpose of the court appeal will be updated in this campaign.

But in order to get started I need your help. 14 days is a short period of time.

Please donate, and even if you don’t have any money to donate, please share this with others who may be willing to help! I would also greatly appreciate any help or advise on legal matters,