SINGAPORE - A man who let a foreigner use his Deliveroo account to work as a food delivery rider, even though the foreigner did not hold a valid work pass to do so, was fined $5,000.

Low Kim Soon, 36, pleaded guilty to one charge under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act on Thursday.

The court heard that in November 2022, Muhammad Syazuwan Sharil, 27, asked Low if he could use Low’s account with online food delivery company Deliveroo to do additional work as a food delivery rider, to supplement his income.

The two men are former colleagues, but their previous place of employment was not mentioned in court.

At the time, Syazuwan had a work permit under Hanbaobao – the Singapore licensee of McDonald’s – to work as a food delivery rider for that company.

Syazuwan, a Malaysian, was unable to create his own Deliveroo account as Deliveroo allows only Singaporeans and Singapore permanent residents to sign up.

Despite being aware that Syazuwan did not possess a valid work pass for this, Low agreed to help him, and gave Syazuwan his e-mail address and password to log into his own Deliveroo account.

Low would receive a one-time password from Deliveroo each time his account was logged into, and forward it to Syazuwan.

For around 3½ months between late November 2022 and mid-March 2023, Syazuwan worked six days a week for around an hour daily, and earned about $2,200 in total.

After Low received the earnings in his bank account, he would send the money to Syazuwan.

In sentencing Low, District Judge Lorraine Ho noted that Low did not have any financial gain from this arrangement, but just wanted to aid Syazuwan.

Syazuwan was fined $5,000 on Oct 19 after admitting to working as a food delivery rider for the purpose of gain when he did not have a valid work pass to do so.

He was one of four foreigners the Ministry of Manpower charged in September with working illegally as food delivery riders here without valid work passes.

The ministry also charged three individuals, including Low, with abetting these offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.