S'pore company surprises migrant worker by flying his wife & children to S'pore, had not met in 4 years

Most employees at a dinner and dance (D&D) event look forward to cash prizes or other lucky draw benefits.

However, a migrant worker in Singapore got something different — a reunion with his family members whom he had not seen in four years.

At the annual D&D event organised by mechanical crane company Pollisum, Russel Jagathesh, 47, was invited on stage to receive a prize.

Unbeknownst to him, his company had secretly flown out his wife and two children from India.

Ahead of the D&D event, the company selected Jagathesh through a lucky draw among employees whose families had submitted videos to express their appreciation for their loved ones working abroad.

During the event, selected employees were invited on stage to view the videos that their families had recorded for them.

However, for Jagathesh, the event emcee instructed him to close his eyes and turn around.

When he looked back, he saw that his family had entered the hall and walked on stage.

"Couldn't believe" it

Jagathesh, who works as a mechanic for Pollisum, has been with the company for 14 years.

Speaking to Mothership, he said that he "couldn't believe [his] eyes" when he saw his family walking on stage, adding that being away from them was one of the hardest parts of working abroad.

When his family was contacted, they initially thought the invitation was a scam.

At the time, his son did not even have a passport, and had to apply for one without his father's knowledge.

“Having them here, even for a few days, meant more to me than any cash prize. It was a moment I will never forget.”

The company sponsored not just their flight tickets, but their accommodation and expenses for a four-day, three-night stay.

Jagathesh was also given four days off to spend time with his family, and a S$500 allowance to spend on their trip.

He took them to visit the Merlion, the Singapore Oceanarium, and the Singapore Zoo.

Other prizes

While other employees at the event did not receive such prizes, Pollisum allocated a sum of S$150,000 for cash rewards for approximately 400 employees.

Every employee received a cash reward, with more opportunities to win larger prizes in various activities.

First-prize winner Lee Kar Yoong, 34, won S$13,810 after successfully completing a cash-counting challenge.

Lee, a Malaysian who had been working in operations for Pollisum for the past five years, recently obtained his Singapore permanent residency (PR).

He said that he has been saving up for a HDB flat for the past three years, and that the money would go towards that goal.

"I am very grateful for this opportunity," he added.