Four foreigners charged with working illegally as food delivery riders
Four foreigners have been charged with allegedly working illegally as food delivery riders in Singapore without valid work passes, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Tuesday.
Two Singaporeans and one permanent resident (PR) were also charged for allegedly abetting these offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
According to the ministry, the trio had allegedly provided the foreigners with access to their accounts on various food delivery platforms, despite being aware that the foreigners did not have valid work passes to work as food delivery riders.
Singaporean Muhammad Mubeen Muthibbi Sahul Hameed, 47, had in March lent his FoodPanda account to his friend, foreigner Amanullah Faizal Navas. This allowed Amanullah, 37, to allegedly work as a food delivery rider.
Another Singaporean, 35-year-old Low Kim Soon, allegedly lent his Deliveroo account to his ex-colleague Muhammad Syazuwan Sharil, allowing the 27-year-old foreigner to allegedly work as a food delivery rider on the platform from November 2022 to March 2023.
Chaw Soon Song, a 23-year-old PR, allegedly lent his Deliveroo account to his 28-year-old brother, Soon Yaw, from December 2022 to March 2023. This allowed Soon Yaw, a foreigner, to work as a food delivery rider during the same period.
The remaining foreigner charged on Tuesday, 36-year-old Ng Teik Chuan, had allegedly worked from May 2022 to March 2023 as a food delivery rider through the MilkRun and LiveExpress platforms.
MOM did not disclose the nationalities of the foreigners and the PR charged.
Foreigners who wish to work in Singapore must first obtain valid work passes.
Those caught working without a valid work pass, and others found allowing foreigners to use their accounts, will face a fine of up to $20,000 or imprisonment of up to two years, or both.
Foreigners found guilty will also be barred from entering and working in Singapore.
MOM said that members of the public who are aware of suspicious employment activities such as companies employing foreigners without valid work passes, or know of people or employers who flout the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act should report the matter to it at 6438-5122 or mom_fmmd@mom.gov.sg. All information shared will be kept strictly confidential, the ministry said.
It added that it has been engaging the major food delivery platforms to enhance their processes and prevent the misuse of accounts by unauthorised parties, as well as disseminating educational messages to advise riders against allowing foreigners to use or share their food delivery accounts.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
