29-2-2024 (SINGAPORE) A man who was deported from Singapore to Batam, Indonesia, for immigration offenses has been handed a jail sentence and caning after he paid a boatman to smuggle him back into Singapore by swimming. Yusoff Ishak, a 37-year-old Indonesian national, pleaded guilty to entering Singapore without a valid pass under the Immigration Act, with another count of illegally returning to Singapore taken into consideration. On Thursday (Feb 29), he was sentenced to four months in jail and five strokes of the cane.
Yusoff had previously been sentenced to jail, caning, and a fine in January 2022 for illegally entering Singapore and customs-related offenses. After serving his sentence, he was deported to Indonesia via a ferry. However, in December 2023, Yusoff decided to reenter Singapore illegally to seek employment, despite knowing that he required written permission to do so.
To achieve his goal, Yusoff paid a boatman 6 million rupiah (approximately S$513) to transport him on a sampan. However, halfway through the journey, he jumped off the boat and swam to the shoreline in Changi. This marked Yusoff’s third conviction for illegally entering Singapore, as he had previously been sentenced for similar immigration offenses in December 2016.
The judge presiding over the case labeled Yusoff a recalcitrant offender due to his repeated violations of immigration laws. Two other Indonesian men were also sentenced on the same day for illegally entering Singapore. La Haji, a 31-year-old man, received a sentence of one year and five months in jail, along with five strokes of the cane, for swimming into Singapore using a black trash bag as a flotation device. Cimun, a 25-year-old man, was given a one-year jail term and six strokes of the cane for taking a speedboat from Batam and swimming towards Changi after transferring to a barge.
None of the convicted individuals were represented by legal counsel during the trial. They requested leniency and shorter sentences but did not provide any explanation for their unlawful actions. Under Singaporean law, entering the country illegally without a valid pass can result in a jail term of up to six months and a minimum of three strokes of the cane. Alternatively, if caning is not feasible, a fine of up to S$6,000 may be imposed.
