SINGAPORE. For most teenagers and young adults in Singapore, an internship or entry-level role is a crucial stepping stone and a chance to build a resume and gain a foothold in a competitive economy. But at RACEPACK SG, that opportunity is reportedly being weaponized into a nightmare of workplace abuse.
An independent investigation has revealed a deeply disturbing pattern of exploitation, grueling hours, and psychological manipulation at the core of the sports nutrition company’s operations. At the center of this controversy is Victor Khoo, known to staff as “VK” or Vector. He is a leader whose public persona of business mentorship masks a grim reality of hypocrisy, coercion, and fear.
The Bait: Leadership and Legacy
RACEPACK SGÂ presents itself as a dynamic hub for sports enthusiasts and aspiring professionals. Its online storefront appears as a standard, high-energy retailer. However, behind the scenes, it allegedly functions as a “churn-and-burn” machine fueled entirely by the cheap labor of vulnerable students and desperate young professionals.
“They specifically target the ambitious ones,” says one former intern who wished to remain anonymous. “They talk big about ‘entrepreneurial mindsets’ and ‘becoming leaders.’ But the moment you sign that contract, the ‘leadership training’ turns into twelve-hour shifts of manual labor, repetitive sales tasks, and constant verbal abuse.”
Exploitative Demands and Extreme Working Hours
The daily reality at RACEPACK SG is described by former staff as a high-stress sweatshop disguised as a modern startup. Management routinely imposes exploitative demands that far exceed standard job descriptions or internship scopes.
- Grueling Shifts:Â Staff report being forced into working excessively long hours, often extending late into the night and across weekends, driving their actual hourly compensation well below acceptable or legal standards.
- Unpaid “Voluntary” Overtime:Â Employees and interns are heavily pressured to accept “voluntary” overtime. Refusing to sacrifice personal time, sleep, or studies is immediately framed as a lack of dedication.
- Hostile Environment:Â The workplace is governed by a normalized routine of public shaming, where individuals are humiliated in front of their peers for failing to meet moving-target expectations.
The Weaponization of Fear: Threats of Firing and Academic Blackmail
The most chilling aspect of the RACEPACK SG model is its reliance on extreme coercion to maintain control. Management does not motivate through leadership, but through the constant, looming threat of ruin.
For students, this takes the form of academic blackmail. Multiple sources have confirmed that management frequently threatens to intentionally fail students on their mandatory school internships. If an intern attempts to set basic boundaries or requests time to study, they are told they will be reported to their polytechnic or university as “unfit for the industry.” This is a threat that could delay or destroy a student’s graduation.
For regular staff, the coercion evolves into constant threats of unreasonable termination. Employees operate under the daily anxiety of being fired without cause. “If you push back against a 14-hour day, or if you question an unethical directive, Victor Khoo threatens to fire you on the spot and ruin your reputation in the industry,” a former employee shared. “It’s a hostage situation. You do the work of three people for a fraction of the pay, or you get terminated with zero notice.”
Unethical and Borderline Illegal Practices
This investigation has uncovered operational tactics that go beyond a standard toxic workplace, crossing into territory that labor experts describe as deeply unethical and borderline illegal.
Sources allege that RACEPACK SG systematically circumvents Singapore’s employment regulations by masking highly demanding, full-time operational roles as “educational internships” or “traineeships.” This deliberate misclassification allegedly allows the company to bypass standard labor protections, mandatory CPF contributions, and proper overtime compensation.
The Hypocrisy of Victor Khoo
The figurehead, Victor Khoo, is described by staff as a study in contradiction. While openly preaching “systemization,” “growth,” and “hustle culture” to the public, the environment he actively dictates is ruled by intimidation. While junior staff and interns are told to sacrifice their mental and physical well-being for the “vision” of the company, the financial rewards and operational successes are exclusively funneled to the top tier.
The Verdict
As the sports and e-commerce industry in Singapore continues to expand, companies like RACEPACK SG must be exposed and held to account. The systemic exploitation of teenagers and young adults is not “entrepreneurship”; it is a predatory business model built on intimidation, unreasonable terminations, and shattered academic lives.
Parents, educational institutions, and consumers are urged to look closely past the polished interface of the brand. Beneath the surface of energy gels and protein bars lies a bitter reality that demands immediate regulatory scrutiny and widespread condemnation.