SINGAPORE: An Indonesian domestic helper who married a Singaporean man despite already having a husband and six children back home has been sentenced to two months’ jail for bigamy.
The woman, 51-year-old Aminan Sidauruk, pleaded guilty to one charge of bigamy. Another charge of falsely declaring that she was single was taken into consideration during sentencing.
Court records showed that Aminan married her husband in a Catholic ceremony in Indonesia on Aug 6, 1992. The couple never divorced and were still legally married. Between 2010 and 2012, she left Indonesia to work overseas, while her husband cared for their six children, Shin Min Daily News reported.
Online romance led to marriage in Singapore
In early 2025, while working as a domestic helper in Singapore, Aminan met a Singaporean man through the internet.
Their friendship turned into a romantic relationship after they met in person. They later decided they wanted to build a future together.
On Jul 25, 2025, the Singaporean man submitted a marriage application to the Registry of Marriages (ROM). Court documents stated that he declared Aminan was single even though he knew she was already married.
The pair later appeared before ROM on Sep 2, 2025, to make a statutory declaration. During the process, Aminan falsely stated that she had never been married. Their marriage was officially registered on Oct 27, 2025.
False declaration triggered a criminal investigation
The marriage didn’t stay under the radar for long. ROM later alerted the police after suspecting a possible case of bigamy. Investigations followed, and Aminan was arrested on Apr 15, 2026.
The prosecution said the offence was not a spur-of-the-moment mistake. Instead, it pointed to repeated false declarations made during both the marriage application and the statutory declaration.
Prosecutors also said her actions affected her legal husband and six children in Indonesia, and sought a jail sentence of between three and four months. Her lawyer said she married because she genuinely loved the Singaporean man.
The defence also noted that the marriage lasted only a few months before the offence was exposed. Aminan admitted what she had done and pleaded guilty, asking the court for a lighter sentence of one to two months. The court eventually imposed a two-month jail term.
Bigamy is a criminal offence in Singapore
Bigamy is a criminal offence in Singapore because the law recognises only one valid marriage at a time. The case also shows that false declarations made during official marriage applications can carry serious legal consequences.
Marriage documents are legal declarations, not just paperwork that can be overlooked. Love may begin with good intentions, but honesty is what keeps a marriage lawful.
Read related: Singaporean man who married Indonesian maid jailed for bigamy
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