Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) has dealt with a case involving a route inspector, Ruzdiman Salhan Mohamed Salim, who landed himself in hot water for soliciting money from employees under a cleaning service provider for personal use. The 44-year-old inspector was sentenced to 24 weeks in jail on May 22, along with a fine of S$2,420. Ruzdiman targeted the cleaning staff, well aware that they would feel pressured to comply with his requests due to his position of authority as their inspector.
Abusing his role as a route inspector, Ruzdiman was responsible for overseeing the cleaning of public areas by service providers engaged by NEA. These providers submitted their cleaning schedules, and route inspectors like Ruzdiman were tasked with inspecting the routes to ensure proper cleaning within four hours of a session. Any issues found would result in defect notices being issued, leading to default points and financial penalties for the service providers. In the case of YS Yong Services, where Ruzdiman conducted inspections, default points directly impacted the employees’ monthly bonuses, creating a direct link between his actions and the workers’ livelihoods.
The situation took a turn for the worse when Ruzdiman began asking for loans from the employees of YS Yong Services, citing various reasons such as divorce fees, telco bills, and even Hari Raya clothes for his children. The operations manager, operations executive, and cleaning supervisor all found themselves in uncomfortable positions, feeling compelled to lend Ruzdiman money to avoid potential trouble. Despite initial refusals and reservations, they eventually succumbed to his requests, with the operations executive even acting as a guarantor for a loan. Ruzdiman’s manipulative tactics and exploitation of his position led to his guilty plea on multiple corruption charges, highlighting the impact of his actions on those around him.
