Indonesian Man, 49, Gets Jail, Caning for Illegal Swim into Singapore from Batam

A 49-year-old Indonesian man was sentenced to six weeks' jail and three strokes of the cane on Tuesday, September 16.

Jamaludin Taipabu, who faced financial difficulties at home, decided to Singapore illegally to work. Thus, he took a speedboat from Batam before jumping into the sea to swim to Singapore in September last year. He was caught last month, after having stayed in Singapore for around 11 months.

He entered Singapore without a valid and legally issued pass, and he entered a guilty plea to the Immigration Act charge.

According to the court, Jamaludin found it difficult to provide for his family in Indonesia with his salary, so he made the decision to enter Singapore illegally in order to make money.

He asked his friend, who was simply referred to as "Azwar" in court documents, for help. To enable his unauthorized entry, he consented to pay Azwar 5 million rupiah (US$305).

Last September, Jamaludin and Azwar met on a Batam beach at approximately 11 p.m. Azwar led him onto a speedboat, and for roughly an hour and a half, he stayed in a crouched position as the speedboat headed for Singapore.

Azwar later told Jamaludin to jump into the sea after telling him they were in Singaporean waters.

Jamaludin used an improvised flotation device and swam in the direction of Singapore. About an hour later, he arrived at an unidentified shoreline in Singapore and made his covert entry.

To make money in Singapore, Jamaludin sold illegal cigarettes and performed odd jobs. On August 12 of this year, he was taken into custody in the Woodlands district, close to Sungei Kadut.

He lacked a travel document and was unable to provide any proof that he was in Singapore lawfully when he was taken into custody by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers.

Jamaludin's fingerprints were linked to a person with his name, but there were no movement records to prove that he had entered Singapore lawfully.

In court, Jamaludin expressed regret for his actions and begged for a reduced sentence while speaking through an interpreter.

ICA stated in a statement to CNA that it takes a strong stand against people who enter Singapore unlawfully.

ICA said, as quoted by CNA, "Under the provisions of the Immigration Act, any person who enters Singapore without possession of a valid pass issued to him (or) her shall be guilty of an offence."

If found guilty of the crime, a person could spend up to six months behind bars.

Female offenders may receive a fine of up to S$6,000, while male offenders may receive at least three cane strokes.