SINGAPORE – Four foreigners have been charged with 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 with 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.
The other Singaporean, 35-year-old Low Kim Soon, allegedly lent his Deliveroo account to his former 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.
Catch up on the news that everyone’s talking about
Thank you!
Sign up
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and T&Cs.
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 on 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.
Food delivery riders offering illegal hitch rides on messaging platforms
MOM probes social enterprise Red Crowns for potentially flouting the law in hiring foreign maids
Dive deeper into ST at $9.90/month Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month. Start paying $9.90/month from Nov 1.
ST One Digital $9.90/month No contract
ST app access on one mobile device
Subscribe now
Unlock these benefits All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on one mobile device
E-paper with two-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Singapore crime Crime Ministry of Manpower Foreign workers
Facebook WhatsApp Twitter More Whatsapp Linkedin FB Messenger Telegram Reddit WeChat Pinterest Print Purchase Article Copy permalink https://str.sg/iqjE
Read this subscriber-only article for free!
Just sign up for a free account and log in to continue reading.
Four foreigners charged with working illegally as food delivery riders
Sign up
Already have an account? Log in.
All done! This article is now fully available for you
Four foreigners charged with working illegally as food delivery riders
Read now
Please verify your e-mail to read this subscriber-only article in full
Four foreigners charged with working illegally as food delivery riders
Resend verification e-mail
The gift link for this subscriber-only article has expired.
Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month for the first 3 months.
Subscribe now
You have reached your limit of subscriber-only articles this month.
Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month for the first 3 months.
Subscribe now
Read and win!
Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards
Let's go! Terms & conditions apply
Frequently asked questions
Good job, you've read 3 articles today!
Spin the wheel now
Let's go! Terms & conditions apply
Frequently asked questions