The owner of the eatery Sumo Salad, Ms. Jane Lee, has sadly passed away. Her death occurred on Saturday, after she had made two public Facebook posts detailing what she believed was a fraudulent work injury claim made against her company by an employee. Following these developments, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced on Monday, July 21, that it is looking into the alleged fraudulent claim against EatGreen, the company that operates Sumo Salad. Separately, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed that investigations are ongoing into Ms. Lee’s unnatural death. Ms. Lee was in her 40s and a mother of two.
In one of her Facebook posts, she wrote, “Just two days before her contract ended, she staged an incident – claiming to have slipped and fallen while taking the escalator to dispose of rubbish.” Ms. Lee expressed her strong belief that this was not an accident, stating, “On that day, she was supposed to leave work early, but she deliberately stayed back. It became clear to me that the accident was premeditated, likely as an attempt to file a false work injury claim.” She added that she believed this was “a carefully orchestrated scheme” that the employee had planned with her husband.
She also said, “I feel miserable to have encountered this situation. I am deeply saddened – for myself, my husband and our dedicated staff – that because of an unfortunate gap in our insurance coverage, we are now being targeted by what I believe to be a fraudulent scheme.” She maintained that she had video footage that contradicted the employee’s claim about being injured, stating she had seen the woman moving around normally. However, Ms. Lee noted that “her behaviour changes dramatically in the presence of others, especially doctors, where she exaggerates her condition and limps to feign serious injury.”
In another post published shortly after, Ms. Lee directly urged MOM and the police to investigate the matter thoroughly. She voiced a fear that extended beyond her own business, writing, “I fear that I will not be the last victim, and these individuals may continue to exploit other unsuspecting small businesses in similar ways.” In that same post, she apologized to her employees for the difficult situation and mentioned that she had transferred some funds to them. She concluded her final post with a deeply personal and heartbreaking message to her family: “To my beloved family and children, I’m truly sorry that I couldn’t find the strength to face this battle on my own.”
The Ministry clarified that the worker involved in the claim was covered under the Work Injury Compensation (WIC) Act. MOM is currently working with the employee’s insurer to “assess the validity of the case.” The Ministry also issued a strong warning against any abuse of the system, stating, “MOM will not hesitate to take parties found culpable for abusing the WIC system to task. Employers can approach MOM for help if they have concerns over fraudulent claims by their employees.” MOM also extended its sincere condolences to Ms. Lee’s family.
Sumo Salad, which is now known as Sumo Well, has outlets in places like Holland Village and Marina One. When CNA visited the Holland Village outlet on Monday afternoon following the news, staff confirmed that the eatery had opened for business as usual that day.
Mourners who attended her wake at St Joseph’s Church in Bukit Timah described her as unfailingly kind and helpful. Ms. Karen Loh, 52, who knew Ms. Lee from church, said, “She always came across as a very friendly, joyful person. Very kind-hearted. Always very eager to help.” Ms. Loh also highlighted Ms. Lee’s hardworking and hospitable nature and how well she treated her staff. Irene Ho, 46, a former colleague, lovingly described Ms. Lee as “a sunshine girl.” Ms. Ho recalled calling Ms. Lee on Friday night out of concern after reading her Facebook posts, and their brief conversation left her thinking Ms. Lee was “okay.” Ms. Ho expressed her shock that this tragedy occurred, admitting she might have pressed more if Ms. Lee had sounded less okay.
Mr. Kenneth Tan, another former colleague, 59, noted that Ms. Lee’s final Facebook posts showed her still caring for her employees despite the immense stress she was under. He said, “She’s basically carrying everybody’s load and has a heart for everybody else first.” Mr. Tan, a company director, also spoke about the significant stress faced by owners of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to rising costs, expressing hope that more in such “hidden type of situation” would receive support. Mr. Zak Lo, a member of Singapore Tenants United for Fairness (SGTUFF), though not knowing Ms. Lee personally, attended the wake to express condolences as a fellow business owner, stating that the SGTUFF community was deeply saddened. Hawker Melvin Chew, 47, who knew Ms. Lee from the Hawkers United – Dabao 2020 Facebook group, described her as an “extremely helpful lady” who often gave anonymous donations to F&B businesses in need. He recounted her frequent worries about rent and manpower issues in the F&B industry and her concern for her employees’ livelihoods. Mr. Chew remembered Ms. Lee’s kindness during the pandemic, where she would send him salad and check on him almost daily when he was in quarantine, calling her “one of the kindest human beings” he had ever met.
