2 months’ jail for maid who married already-wedded Singaporean man in Batam

SINGAPORE: On May 6 (Wednesday), a 50-year-old Indonesian woman who worked in Singapore as a domestic worker was given a jail sentence of two months for marrying a local man who already had a wife. 

She married the Singaporean man in Batam because it would allow her to obtain a housing loan on the island.

The helper, who only goes by the single name Komariah, together with 61-year-old Low Kok Peng, travelled to Batam in 2024 for a Muslim marriage ceremony, according to a report in CNA. On April 24, Low, who had entered a guilty plea to one charge of bigamy under the Women’s Charter, had similarly been given a two-month jail sentence. 

Komariah entered a guilty plea to one count of abetting bigamy under the Women’s Charter. Another charge of contravening a condition of her work pass by marrying a Singaporean without prior approval was considered for her sentencing.

Backstory to bigamy

After Komariah met Low through a friend in 2016, the two became romantically involved. At the time of their meeting, Komariah had a permit to work in Singapore as a domestic helper.

Low has been married to a Singaporean woman, now 55, since 1992, with whom he has a daughter.

In 2024, Low and Komariah travelled to Batam and had a Muslim marriage solemnised by a religious leader who had been contacted by Komariah’s relatives. The pair did this since they could not legally get married in Singapore.

Additionally, the helper is said to have failed to obtain permission for the marriage from the controller of work passes, which violates her work pass.

When they returned to Singapore, Loh went back to live with his legal wife.

Loh’s wife was unaware of her husband’s second marriage ceremony. Komariah, however, knew that Loh’s first wife was still alive, but pushed through with the ceremony to obtain a housing loan.

In January, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) received information about a case of suspected bigamy, and later that month, a police report was filed in relation to the case.

A representative from MOM told CNA that the helper’s work permit has since been cancelled.

Her marriage to Loh, however, has not been annulled.

The helper asked for a sentence lighter than the two months’ jail sought by the prosecution, saying that she is the only person supporting her elderly parents. 

Komariah could have been made to pay a fine of as much as S$10,000, been jailed for a maximum of 12 months, or both, for the offence of abetting bigamy. /TISG

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