Many Singaporeans work as food delivery riders to make ends meet.
Though it is illegal, some foreigners have also turned to food delivery to earn a living.
This man decided to shame non-Singaporean food delivery riders, filming himself interrogating such riders and uploading the videos onto social media.
However, his plan backfired, earning the ridicule of netizens instead.
Series of Videos Shaming Non-Singaporean Food Delivery Riders
A series of videos depicting the man questioning alleged non-Singaporean food delivery riders have been circulating on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
The videos were reposted by Instagram account sgnewsdaily.
The first clip shows the accuser filming another man holding packets of food, aggressively questioning him if he was using a Singaporean friend’s account to deliver food.
He asked the man, “You take your friend’s account, yes or no?”
The man holding the food evidently looks terrified in the video, not knowing how to respond.
The accuser then demands the man to look into the camera and answer, “yes or no?”
He proceeds to read out the order number and the name of the man’s friend, bringing the phone close to the camera to display the account’s name clearly.
The accuser continues questioning the man, repeatedly making him answer “yes or no” while grabbing his shoulder to nudge the man to look into the camera.
The third clip depicts the same man in the first video.
The accuser is heard berating the man harshly, demanding the order’s receipt.
He even threatened to call the police if the man didn’t hand over the receipt.
The man behind the camera pushes to be shown the food delivery account and even reads out the order on the receipt.
The accuser also notes that the man is “trying to cover his face”, presumably to conceal his identity.
However, the man is heard whimpering behind his arm, seemingly crying.
Towards the end of the video, he even sinks to the floor and clasps his hands in a begging gesture.
However, the accuser continuously asks the man about his country of origin, unmoved by the man’s apparent fear.
The accuser scolded, “You’re not supposed to come to Singapore to do this ah. Our jobs are getting lesser because of people like you.”
The accuser also scolds the man for coming to Orchard, saying he’s been working there for four years.
Another Target
The accuser also took it upon himself to target another alleged non-Singaporean.
In the video, the accuser points his camera towards the man’s bags.
He proceeds to ask if the motorbike beside the man belongs to him.
The man nods his head, saying that it is his motorbike.
Notably, the motorbike has a Johor licence plate, prompting the accuser to ask him, “Illegal biker, right?”
The man was surprisingly calm as he said yes, nodding his head.
The accuser then asks him to admit this to the camera in a louder voice.
Netizen Backlash
The man behind the camera has received heaps of backlash from netizens.
Most were appalled by the authoritative behaviour of the accuser, calling him a bully.
Others acknowledged that while it is illegal for foreigners to be food delivery riders in Singapore, the accuser went too far in reducing one of his victims to tears.
Many netizens sympathised with the accuser’s targets, suggesting that such illegal food delivery riders probably have a reason for doing what they do.
Some comments suggested that though it is illegal for foreigners to be food delivery riders, at least they are making an honest living and not resorting to worse means like selling drugs.
Netizens were disgusted and questioned the motivations of the accuser.
Others felt the accuser should have reported these incidents to the relevant authorities instead of humiliating them.
Some netizens pointed out that not censoring the faces of the targets in the video could also be illegal.
Notably, a handful of comments didn’t ridicule the accuser or the alleged non-Singaporean food delivery riders in the video but blamed other factors instead.
One comment blamed the Singaporeans who allowed foreigners to use their accounts on food delivery apps.
Suggesting that foreigners should do work legally, the netizen called such Singaporeans “greedy” and “spoil own market”.
The Legality of Non-Singaporean Food Delivery Riders
In short, it is illegal for foreigners to work as self-employed delivery riders for food delivery apps.
This was confirmed by Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad in 2019.
He noted, “Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, they [non-Singaporean food delivery riders] can be fined a maximum of $20,000, or subjected to imprisonment of up to two years, or both. Anyone with information on such illegal workers should report this to MOM.”
In the last video, the accuser suggested that illegal non-Singaporean food delivery riders were why the number of food delivery jobs available to locals were dwindling.
Unfortunately, similar incidents have occurred before.
In 2022, a man insulted two foreign workers with xenophobic insults when they were taking shelter from the rain.
In a video recorded by one of the workers, the man can be heard saying, “You enter my country is wrong… This government is also illegal. We will get you out.”
The man, Lee Poh Kian, apparently felt entitled to insult the workers because of the “crime situation” and “overcrowding in Singapore caused by foreign nationals”, according to Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh.
In 2021, Law and Homes Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam suggested that groups have been capitalising on the anxiety over Singapore’s job market to promote xenophobia and racism.
He said, “The majority of Singaporeans are decent and not racist, but if we continue to fan the flames of racism, we will get to a more uncomfortable position.”