A postman who was arrested in January for tossing unopened letters and packages into a rubbish bin in Ang Mo Kio has been issued with an advisory following investigations, said the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).
The postman has special needs, the authority added.
In a statement yesterday, the IMDA said it had also given a stern warning to Singapore Post for allowing mail integrity and security to be compromised.
The 29-year-old postman, who served 17 Housing Board blocks in Ang Mo Kio, was arrested on Jan 29, after a Facebook user by the name of Alyce Kathlyn shared images of the discarded mail in the bin.
Among them was official mail from the Land Transport Authority, the National University of Singapore and the Community Health Assist Scheme, among others.
SingPost conducted internal investigations and later referred the case to the police.
Yesterday, the IMDA said the postman had expressed remorse for his actions and was fully cooperative during its investigations, but was found in breach of the Postal Services Act.
The IMDA said it decided to issue an advisory to the postman "in view of the facts and circumstances".
In response to media queries, SingPost said the postman had been working satisfactorily for over three years before committing the offence. He had worked without major incident, including during festive periods, and SingPost had not been aware of his condition.
SingPost said that given the severity of the offence, it had dismissed the postman in accordance with its disciplinary guidelines. But it later offered him re-employment, after it was informed of the IMDA's findings. The Straits Times understands that although he accepted another role in SingPost, he has since left.
The postal agency said that, as a firm believer in equal opportunity employment, it will continue to offer jobs to suitable candidates who meet the job requirements, as well as provide comprehensive training and support for its employees.
"SingPost remains deeply committed to its responsibility as Singapore's national postal agency," it said, as it urged the public to be patient while changes to its processes are being implemented.
The IMDA said it noted SingPost's commitment and ongoing efforts to improve its employee engagement and human resources practices.
