In a tough job market, many Singaporeans work as food delivery riders to earn a living.
However, it seems that some foreigners are also doing these jobs even though it’s illegal for them to do so.
One man took it upon himself to name and shame alleged non-Singaporeans for working as food delivery riders.
But after he posted their videos on the Internet, he received backlash from netizens.
In a series of videos circulated over social media sites, including Instagram, a man is seen confronting alleged non-Singaporeans doing food delivery.
The first video showed him aggressively questioning a terrified-looking man holding packs of food, asking, “You take your friend’s account, yes or no?”
Accusing him of using a Singaporean friend’s account to deliver food, he demands that the man look into the camera and answer, “yes or no?”
The accuser then reads out his order number and grabs onto his phone to bring it close to the camera.
This is seemingly so that his friend’s full name can be shown to the camera. The accuser also reads the name aloud for good measure.
He then continues pressing the hapless man, repeatedly making him answer “yes or no” to the camera.
In the second video, the man behind the camera interrogates another man.
Panning down to the bags he’s holding, he asks if the motorbike next to him — which has a Johor licence plate — is his ride, to which he replies in the affirmative.
The accuser then pans to the motorbike and asks his target, “Illegal biker, right?”
Remarkably calmly, the second man answers yes and nods his head.
His accuser then makes him repeat his admission a little louder to the camera before he’s satisfied.
In the third video posted by SG Road Vigilante on Facebook, the first man is now covering part of his face with his arm in an apparent bid to conceal his identity.
However, the man behind the camera is relentless, demanding that he hand over a receipt in his hand. If not, he’ll call the police.
When he gets the receipt, he shows it to the camera, and it’s revealed to be a Foodpanda order made out to Pizza Express in Scotts Square on 6 Mar at 3.48pm.
The man reads out the order number and notes the food that was collected.
He then points the camera at his target and asks where he’s from.
At this point, the poor man starts whimpering, apparently reduced to tears.
The man then squats down and holds his hands in a praying gesture, as if to beg for mercy.
Unmoved, his accuser scolds, “You’re not supposed to come to Singapore do this ah”, adding,
Our jobs getting lesser because of people like you.
Ostensibly, this reveals the accuser to be a food delivery rider himself, peeved at non-Singaporeans “taking their jobs”.
He then demands to see the man’s delivery app, again threatening to call the police.
The target complies, promising never to do it again.
After taking note of the account holder’s name, the accuser berates the man for daring to come to Orchard, saying that he’s been working there for four years.
It’s illegal for foreigners to work as self-employed delivery riders for food delivery apps like Deliveroo, foodpanda and GrabFood in Singapore.
That was confirmed in Parliament by Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad in 2019.
Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, those who flout this rule can be fined up to S$20,000 and/or jailed up to two years, or both.
Nevertheless, netizens were sympathetic towards the men and called out their accuser instead for his behaviour.
Though most acknowledged that it was wrong to go against the rules, they also felt that the OP should have reported it to the authorities. It was widely thought that shaming and posting them online was needless cruelty.
Questioning the OP’s motive in posting the video, some also described him as a bully lacking sympathy and humanity.
Ultimately, foreigners who deliver food are doing it because they aren’t paid enough and need money, so some believe we should close one eye.
After all, they reasoned, they’re “not causing problems”, and it’s better that they’re spending their free time constructively.
However, one netizen said that whatever work is done needs to be done legally.
He blamed the Singaporeans who allowed foreigners to use their accounts to deliver food, calling them “greedy” and “spoil own market”.
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Featured image adapted from @sgnewsdaily on Instagram and SG Road Vigilante on Facebook.
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