In Singapore, concerns have been raised regarding illegal foreign delivery riders working without valid work passes. These concerns prompted a parliamentary reply from Manpower Minister Tan See Leng on November 7, 2023.
According to the Minister, from 2018 to October 18, 2023, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) received a total of 163 complaints about suspected illegal foreign delivery riders.
The Ministry of Manpower’s Response
It turns out that most of the complaints filed were “unsubstantiated.” MOM discovered that many of the foreigners in question were legitimate work pass holders employed by food and beverage establishments as in-house delivery personnel. This finding raises questions about the legitimacy of these complaints.
In several cases, there was a lack of sufficient information or evidence to warrant further action. Only 10 of the foreigners received enforcement action.
Relying on Complaints for Detection
Member of Parliament Yip Hon Weng inquired about the measures taken to identify illegal foreign delivery riders.
Manpower Minister Tan replied that, given the decentralized and mobile nature of food delivery work, MOM heavily relies on complaints to detect such instances. T
Illegal foreign employment is a serious issue, and the penalties for such actions are substantial. Both the foreigners working illegally and any party found abetting such illegal employment can face severe consequences. This includes fines of up to S$20,000 and/or a jail term for up to two years.
Recent incidents
Three individuals convicted for working as food delivery riders without a valid work pass and two individuals convicted for abetting them
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On 10 October 2023, three individuals were convicted for working as self-employed foreigners without a valid work pass. They worked illegally as food delivery riders. One Singaporean and one Permanent Resident (PR) were also convicted for abetting the said offence under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 (EFMA).
2 Following their convictions, the three foreigners will be permanently barred from working in Singapore. The charges and sentences imposed on the five individuals are as follows:
| S/N | Name of individual | Charges | Sentence imposed |
| 1 | Ng Teik Chuan (“Ng”), 36-year-old foreigner | One charge under the EFMA for being a self-employed foreigner without having a valid work pass. | Fine of $10,000 |
| 2 | Amanullah Faizal Navas (“Amanullah”), 37-year-old foreigner | One charge under the EFMA for being a self-employed foreigner without having a valid work pass. | Fine of $3,800 |
| 3 | Chaw Soon Yaw (“Soon Yaw”), 28-year-old foreigner | One charge under the EFMA for being a self-employed foreigner without having a valid work pass. | Fine of $5,000 |
| 4 | Muhammad Mubeen Muthibbi Bin Sahul Hameed (“Mubeen”), 47-year-old Singapore Citizen | One charge under the EFMA for abetting the illegal self-employment of a foreigner who does not have a valid work pass. | Fine of $3,800 |
| 5 | Chaw Soon Song (“Soon Song”), 23-year-old Singapore Permanent Resident | One charge under the EFMA for abetting the illegal self-employment of a foreigner who does not have a valid work pass. | Fine of $5,000 |
Case Details
3 Investigations by the Ministry of Manpower (“MOM”) revealed that:
- Between May 2022 and March 2023, 36-year-old Ng worked as a food delivery rider using the MilkRun and LiveExpress applications. He made over 1,300 deliveries and earned around $17,000 from his work.
- In March 2023, 37-year-old Amanullah worked as a food delivery rider for four days using the FoodPanda account belonging to his friend Mubeen, a 47-year-old Singaporean. Mubeen agreed to share the use of his account despite being fully aware that Amanullah was a foreigner and that it was illegal for Amanullah to work as a food delivery rider. Amanullah earned around $540 from his work.
- Between December 2022 and March 2023, 28-year-old Soon Yaw worked as a food delivery rider using the Deliveroo account of his brother, Soon Song, a 23 year old Singapore PR. Soon Song had offered to share his account with Soon Yaw to supplement Soon Yaw’s income, despite being fully aware that it was illegal for Soon Yaw to work as a food delivery rider without a valid work pass. Soon Yaw earned more than $2,000 from his work.
4 Court proceedings against foreigner Muhammad Syazuwan Bin Sharil for being a self-employed foreigner without having a valid work pass, and Singaporean, Low Kim Soon for allegedly abetting the illegal self-employment are ongoing.
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Advisory on undertaking employment
5 MOM takes a serious view of illegal employment and will take action against any individual involved in these acts. Under the EFMA, only foreigners with valid work passes are allowed to work in Singapore, in the occupation as stated in their work passes. Foreigners who are self-employed without a valid work pass may be liable to a fine not exceeding $20,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both. Upon conviction, their work pass privileges would also be suspended, and they will be permanently barred from working in Singapore.
6 Local delivery platform workers who are found to have allowed foreigners to use their accounts may face the same penalties as the latter.
7 Members of the public who come across suspicious employment activities such as companies employing foreigners without valid work passes or know of persons or employers who contravene the EFMA are encouraged to report the matter to MOM at 64385122 or [email protected]. All information that is shared will be kept strictly confidential.