‘The answers are all uncertain’: True Singapore ex-employees in limbo over salaries, CPF contributions for September

[SINGAPORE] The payment of September salaries and Central Provident Fund contributions to former employees of the abruptly shuttered True Singapore is still uncertain, following their meeting with the fitness chain’s liquidators on Friday (Sep 11).

An e-mail had been sent out to the staff at about 10.30 pm on Thursday, notifying them that the company’s subsidiaries, True Fitness and True Yoga, were winding up, and that provisional liquidators had already been appointed.

True Fitness and True Yoga are, in turn, the Singapore companies behind the gym True Fitness, TFX and Yoga Edition brands. The three brands operated 10 outlets in the city-state.

Members of the appointed liquidator RSM SG Corporate Advisory met former True employees in three batches – at 1.30 pm, 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm on Friday, at True’s corporate headquarters at 8 Claymore Hill.

The Business Times estimates that about 50 ex-employees were present for the first meeting, and that about a 100 of them in total showed up.

Each former employee received a handout regarding their next steps, with contact e-mails of the liquidator for future correspondence.

However, no representatives of the company or its human resources department were present to answer the questions these ex-workers had.

Those who spoke to BT said they were still unsure about the recourse they had at this point, even after the meeting with the liquidators.

Little consensus, all ‘hanging on’

An ex-worker noted after his meeting that he understood how there was a “hierarchy” among the areas to be settled.

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This is because a company’s assets must first be used to pay the costs and expenses of the winding up – taking precedence over even employees’ salaries and CPF contributions, BT found after speaking to insolvency and employment lawyers for a prior case.

For the month of September, salaries and CPF contributions have not been received, some ex-contract staff of True Yoga told BT.

They said their salaries typically land in their bank accounts at the end of the month; freelancers said they are paid each month’s salary about midway into the following month.

The ex-employees of True are not entitled to severance packages, according to a contract document seen by BT.

BT has contacted the Ministry of Manpower and NTUC for a statement on this issue.

Arivinthan Rajanthran, 33, project executive for the Singapore Armed Forces project under True Singapore, said the company director was “unable to handle the liabilities” incurred by the group, which resulted in its liquidation.

The SAF Project is a consortium led by True Singapore, Surbana Jurong and the Academy of Sports and Exercise Science, and is responsible for SAF’s physical training contract.

No information was shared by the liquidators on the aspects of the chain that suffered the most losses – or what led to the final closure, said Rajanthran.

A group of ex-employees have tried unsuccessfully to contact members of True’s upper management.

“The answers are all uncertain,” a former True worker said in an interview at 8 Claymore Hill. “They didn’t give us (any support) on where this is going, what’s the direction. They just told us to hang on.

“It is really disappointing.”

Even some management-level employees were kept in the dark. Adrian Pratab, 42, said he was kept unaware. Also a full-time trainer with True Fitness for 10 years, he said the ex-workers deserved more clarity about the liquidation process.

Such treatment by the business felt “unfair” to him, given that the chain was shut down in such “drastic” fashion.

BT had noticed that, at True Fitness’ Velocity outlet in Novena on Thursday afternoon – before the news broke about the winding up – that white barricades and notices had been put up.

Pratab said that his concern now – as a Malaysian holding a work permit – was to find another job soon, in order for him to continue living in Singapore. Rajanthran, on his part, is seeking a transfer to consortium partner Surbana Jurong.

Among the clients of True Fitness still holding physical training packages was a woman who posted a TikTok video about her remaining 24 training sessions, valued at S$3,000.

Pratab the former trainer understood her being upset, as his clients have “spent a lot of money on personal training sessions...which they are unlikely to get back (now)”.

As of Friday, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) had received 241 complaints from consumers with unutilised memberships, pre-paid packages and services.

CASE indicated that the consumers have reported losses totalling S$609,000 in these unused memberships and services.

The president of the consumer watchdog Melvin Yong said in an updated post on Facebook at 6 pm on Friday: “CASE has reached out to the provisional liquidator and will continue to seek clarification on the arrangements for affected consumers, including information required for consumers to lodge their claims.”

He said CASE is concerned about the impact of sudden business closures on consumers, particularly where consumers have paid upfront for long-term memberships or packages.

Consumers with such memberships or prepaid packages with True Fitness or True Yoga may approach CASE for assistance at 6277 5100 or visit www.case.org.sg. 

CASE will continue to engage the government and industry on measures to strengthen consumer protection against prepayment losses.

Financial situation

The fitness chain’s financial plight had been clear in the last few years.

Hong Kong-listed Kontafarma China, the parent company of True Group, said in a bourse filing that the Singapore operations have been loss-making in this financial year.

For the eight months ended Aug 31, 2026, the group recorded a loss of HK$19.1 million (US$2.4 million), with a total liability of HK$429.3 million.

This follows the group’s difficulties in the financial year ended Dec 31, 2025, when it recorded a loss of about HK$34.3 million.

Additional reporting by Young Zhan Heng