3 Foreigners Fined Between $3,800 to $10,000 for Working as Food Delivery Riders in Singapore

As the saying goes, you can never run from the Singapore Government. 

The Government has a knack for discovering everything sooner or later, no matter how sneaky you try to be.

That’s what happened to three foreigners who thought they could get away with working in Singapore without holding valid work permits.

What did they work as?

Food delivery riders.

3 Foreigners Fined Between $3,800 to $10,000 for Working as Food Delivery Riders in Singapore

On Tuesday (10 October), three foreigners faced fines ranging from $3,800 to $10,000. 

Their offense? Illegally taking on the role of food delivery riders in Singapore without the required work permits.

In case you weren’t aware, only Singaporeans and PRs can legally work as riders for food delivery platforms in Singapore.

It wasn’t just the foreigners who had to deal with the fines.

Those who helped these foreigners illegally work as food delivery riders in Singapore also faced hefty fines.

Turns out, these foreigners got their foot in the door with a bit of help from a Singaporean and a Permanent Resident (PR). 

The first foreigner caught was Malaysian national Ng Teik Chuan. He was fined $10,000 after being caught working as a food delivery rider on the MilkRun and LiveExpress platforms from May 2022 to March 2023.

Before the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) enforcement officers caught him in March during one of his delivery runs, he managed to rack up earnings of approximately $13,700.

That same month, the MOM caught another individual, Amanullah Faizal Navas, a 37-year-old Indian national. 

He had taken the liberty of borrowing his Singaporean friend’s Foodpanda account.

Interestingly, these two, who were fined $3,800 on Tuesday, are good friends.

His friend, Muhammad Mubeen Muthibbi Sahul Hameed, 47, handed over his email credentials and password to Amanullah, assisting him in reactivating his Foodpanda account through facial recognition.

As reported by The Straits Times, Amanullah, with a 12-year work history in Singapore, was between jobs when he began working as a food delivery rider.

Four days into using Mubeen’s account, Amanullah encountered public scrutiny for his unauthorised stint as a foreign food delivery rider.

Following the incident, Amanullah stopped his activities as a rider, opting not to claim his earnings of $540 from Mubeen’s account.

Malaysian national Chaw Soon Yaw is the third foreigner caught for breaching the law of working in Singapore illegally without a valid work pass.

Interestingly, the 28-year-old, who had been working as a cook in Singapore and, for a stretch from December 2022 to March 2023, borrowed his younger brother’s Deliveroo account.

His younger brother, Soon Song, 23, possesses a Permanent Residency in Singapore.

It was on 10 March when Soon Yaw found out that his brother’s Deliveroo account had been suspended. 

A public member had warned him that it is illegal for foreigners to work as food delivery riders in Singapore.

By that point, his earnings as a rider had already piled up to approximately $2,090.

Both of them received fines of $5,000 each during the Tuesday proceedings.

In light of these incidents, the MOM joined these food delivery platforms to disseminate educational messages discouraging riders from sharing their food delivery accounts with foreigners.

It’s worth noting that self-employed foreigners operating without a valid work pass could face severe consequences, including imprisonment for up to two years, fines of up to $20,000, or a combination of both penalties.

Convicted individuals may also face permanent expulsion from working in Singapore.

Additionally, local delivery platform workers who are found to have allowed foreigners to use their accounts may be subject to similar legal penalties.

What Happens if You Know of an Illegal Food Delivery Arrangement?

First and foremost, it’s crucial to refrain from trying to ruin someone’s social life online.

This comes after a recent incident where an individual took it upon themselves to publicly shame foreigners using their Singaporean friends’ accounts to pursue food delivery to earn a living.

While it’s crucial to discourage and prevent such illegal activities, resorting to bullying is unnecessary and unproductive.

Instead, call the hotline at 6438-5122 or email [email protected].