SINGAPORE: Four foreigners have been charged with working illegally as food delivery riders for platforms, including foodpanda and Deliveroo, without valid work passes.
Another three men, who are Singaporean or permanent residents here, were charged with abetting these acts.
The four foreigners who were charged are Malaysians Ng Teik Chuan, 36, Chaw Soon Yaw, 28, and Muhammad Syazuwan Sharil, 27, along with 38-year-old Indian national Amanullah Faizal Navas.
They each received one charge under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act for being a self-employed foreigner without a valid work pass, and intend to plead guilty.
According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a release on Tuesday (Sep 26), Ng allegedly worked as a food delivery rider through the MilkRun and LiveExpress platforms from May 2022 to March this year.
Amanullah allegedly delivered food for foodpanda in March this year using an account belonging to his friend.
Chaw is accused of delivering food for Deliveroo using his brother’s account from December 2022 to March this year.
Syazuwan allegedly used an account belonging to his ex-colleague to work as a food delivery rider for Deliveroo from November 2022 to March this year.
The men whose accounts were used were also charged for abetting the respective offences.
Muhammad Mubeen Muthibbi Sahul Hameed, a 47-year-old Singaporean, was charged with lending his foodpanda account to Amanullah.
Chaw Soon Song, a 23-year-old permanent resident, was charged with lending his Deliveroo account to his brother.
Low Kim Soon, a 35-year-old Singaporean, is accused of lending his Deliveroo account to his ex-colleague, Syazuwan.
According to checks by CNA earlier this year, Deliveroo and foodpanda rider accounts were being offered for sale on Carousell.
MOM said it had been speaking to the major food delivery platforms to enhance their processes and prevent misuse of accounts.
Both sides have also been working on educational messages to advise riders against allowing foreigners to use or share food delivery accounts. These messages have been disseminated on the various platforms’ communication channels.
Foreigners who are self-employed without a valid work pass can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$20,000 (US$14,620), or both.
On conviction, they will be permanently barred from working in Singapore, said MOM.
Local delivery platform workers who are found to have allowed foreigners to use their accounts may face similar penalties.
In 2020, a Singaporean man was fined S$5,000 for letting a Malaysian man use his foodpanda and Deliveroo rider accounts.
MOM encouraged members of the public who know of suspicious employment activities to report it to the ministry, assuring that such information will be kept strictly confidential.