60-year-old Singaporean evaded NSman cycle but used fake Malaysian passports to enter and exit Singapore
A 60-year-old Singaporean man was jailed after evading his Operationally Ready National Serviceman (NSman) obligations since the 1990s.
Despite living in Malaysia, he managed to enter and exit Singapore a total of 876 times using fake Malaysian passports.
Source: The Singapore Army on Facebook. Photo for illustration purposes only.
Singaporean left in early 1990s, passport expired
Low Eng Kheng left Singapore for Malaysia sometime in the early 1990s, according to court proceedings quoted by The Straits Times (ST).
He did this because he did not want to fulfil his reservist cycle.
As he did not come back to Singapore, his Singapore passport expired in June 2000.
Photo for illustration purposes only.
NSman bought and used four fake passports to avoid being caught
However, in 2006, Low’s mother’s health started to decline, so he wanted to visit his family in Singapore.
As he was afraid of being caught for not completing his NSman obligations, he decided to purchase a fake Malaysian passport for RM45,000 (S$13,500).
It had his photo but stated his name as “Chong Poh Yin” and a different birthdate.
He used this passport to enter Singapore on 7 Aug 2006.
Subsequently, he bought three more fake passports between 2008 and 2010, paying RM10,000 (S$3,000) for each one.
He used the four fake passports 876 times across various checkpoints in Singapore.
From March to May 2011, he also made false statements, including his name, date of birth, and country of birth, on 59 occasions in his immigration forms.
Arrested in 2024 after ICA investigation
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) began investigating Low in September 2023 after it discovered that he had multiple identities.
ICA told ST on Friday (11 July) that multimodal biometric clearance systems have been installed at Singapore’s checkpoints since July 2020, which scan the iris, face, and fingerprints.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
They are better at detecting individuals with multiple or impersonated identities, it added.
Low was eventually arrested in August 2024.
He entered Singapore numerous times as he worked as a driver: Lawyer
In court on Friday, ICA said Low made a “conscious decision” to evade his NSman obligations by leaving Singapore and hiding his identity.
But Low’s lawyer said he did not use the fake passports to commit crimes but had entered Singapore while working as a driver to support his wife and children, adding:
The sheer number of times he used the passports was because of the nature of his job as a driver.
On the same day, he pleaded guilty to five charges under the Immigration Act and was sentenced to eight months and 18 weeks’ imprisonment.
Also read: Man Defaults National Service & Returns After 10 Years Following Failed Business, Jailed 6 Months
Man Defaults National Service & Returns After 10 Years Following Failed Business, Jailed 6 Months
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Featured image adapted from The Singapore Army on Facebook. Photo for illustration purposes only.
