4 weeks’ jail for Malaysian man who tried to enter Singapore illegally

SINGAPORE: In a statement on Tuesday (Jan 6), the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said that a Malaysian man has been sentenced to four weeks’ imprisonment for attempting to enter Singapore illegally at the bus hall of Tuas Checkpoint.

The man has been identified by ICA as 42-year-old  Yusman Bin Yusoff. He was charged with failure to present a passport for clearance under Section 5A(1)(b) of the Immigration Act 1959.

Illegal entry

Yusman sought to enter Singapore on Dec 22, 2025, at around 12:00 p.m. through an attempt to tailgate a traveller going through immigration clearance at an automated lane of the bus hall.

The statement from ICA says that he followed behind the other traveller closely and tried to pass the automated lanes without showing his passport. This was detected by the automated lanes, and an officer was alerted, who then stopped both the traveller and Yusman.

Both individuals underwent checks and interviews, and the authorities were able to determine that the traveller and Yusman did not know each other.

More importantly, it was discovered that Yusman had no travel documents and that he had intentionally followed the other traveller closely, trying to slip through and enter Singapore illegally.

He was then arrested by officers from the ICA.

“This detection is a testament to ICA’s effectiveness in keeping Singapore’s borders safe and secure, while providing a convenient and seamless immigration clearance experience,” the authority said.

The statement reminded the public that the automated lanes at Singapore’s checkpoints are able to detect anomalous behaviour, which includes tailgating, resulting in officers getting alerted so they can intervene at once.

“This ensures that attempts to enter or depart Singapore illegally are quickly detected and prevented, safeguarding Singapore’s borders,” ICA added.

People who do not present a valid travel document to an immigration officer while entering Singapore face a maximum fine of S$2,000, a jail term of six months, or both, under the Immigration Act 1959.

Attempts to illegally enter Singapore are not uncommon. One day before Yusman was caught, the Police arrested six men from Indonesia for unlawful entry into Singapore. At 12:35 a.m., the Police Coast Guard saw a wooden craft with six men aboard within Singapore Territorial Waters off Tanah Merah.

The men are between the ages of 23 and 29 and had come to Singapore to seek employment, the Police said. /TISG

Read also: Man from Johor Bahru says he had a toilet emergency at Singapore immigration, ends up accused of illegal entry