S’porean sings Indonesia’s national anthem at Batam court to prove love for the country

Singaporean sings Indonesia’s national anthem during trial for illegal entry to Batam

A 38-year-old Singaporean man who appeared in court in Batam for illegal entry and overstaying, was asked to sing Indonesia’s national anthem.

He obliged, doing it to prove that he loved the country and wanted to become an Indonesian citizen.

Singaporean entered Batam illegally & stayed for more than three years

Nur Faisal Shah entered Batam illegally from Singapore in July 2021, reported Indonesian news outlet BatamPos.

He did this by taking a boat from the waters near Changi Airport.

He lived in Batam for more than three years and was discovered after a tip-off from the public.

A raid by the authorities found Faisal living in rented premises with his wife.

He had reportedly been moving from place to place.

No excuse for defendant’s actions: Judge

During Faisal’s trial at the Batam District Court on Thursday (24 Oct), a judge stated that his actions had “no excuse or justification,” noting that the situation was worsened by his entry and stay in Indonesia without a permit.

In mitigation, however, the court considered his polite demeanor and the fact that he has a baby.

Singaporean jailed for five months & fined

While the prosecution sought an eight-month prison term, the panel of judges sentenced him to five months, which he accepted readily.

He was also fined 25 million rupiah (S$2,100) which would be replaced with an additional month in prison if unpaid.

Although the sentence was three months shorter than requested, the prosecution accepted the outcome.

Batam judge asks Singaporean to sing Indonesian national anthem

Before the verdict, the panel of judges asked Faisal to do something unusual — sing the Indonesian national anthem and recite the Pancasila, the country’s five guiding principles.

This request came after Faisal expressed his love for Indonesia and his desire to become an Indonesian citizen.

He passed the test with flying colours, even saluting the judges as he sang the anthem.

He also rattled off the Pancasila without hesitation.

Possibly impressed by this, the judge asked the prosecutor to help Faisal become an Indonesian citizen.

For his offences, he could have been given a prison sentence of up to five years or fined 500 million rupiah (S$42,000).

Also read: S’porean man allegedly raped teenage stepdaughter in Batam for 2 years, gets arrested

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Featured image adapted from BatamPos on Facebook.