An elderly Malaysian man was ordered to pay a fine and serve time in jail after he was found to have stayed illegally in Singapore for almost two decades.
The accused, 72-year-old Lim Kwet Fah, was charged under the Immigration Act and sentenced to six months in prison and fined S$2,000 (approx. RM6,300).
Came to S’pore in 2006 & never left
According to the case facts as reported by Lianhe Zaobao, Lim first stepped foot into Singapore in 2006 with a social visit pass via the Woodlands Checkpoint.
He then quietly remained in the country for the next 15 years and earned a living as a karang guni, where he collected old and discarded items.
On Nov 27 of this year, Lim was caught by authorities at an industrial building in the MacPherson area after he was unable to produce documents proving he resided legally in Singapore.
He was then handed over to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), where it was found that he last left Singapore back in June 2006.
However, it’s not disclosed how Lim’s overstay was revealed.
Pleaded to spend final days at nursing home
Lim appeared in court via video link on Dec 11 and pleaded guilty to the offense.
Seated in a wheelchair with a haggard look on his face, Lim begged for leniency, saying his legs had become weak and that walking and standing were a difficult task.
He also said he only had “one or two years left to live” and wished to spend his final years at a nursing home in Johor Bahru.
Lim was eventually jailed and fined but was spared of caning due to his age.
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