Indonesian man swims to Singapore from Malaysia using inflated trash bag

An Indonesian man was caught months after he swam from Malaysia to Singapore using a trash bag filled with air as a flotation device, CNA reported.

Muhammad Izal, 34, was sentenced on Thursday (Nov 2) to 15 months' jail and seven strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to one charge each of entering Singapore without a valid pass and entering Singapore without permission following his deportation in May last year.

During his mitigation plea, he apologised for his wrongdoings and explained that he has children and sick parents, and illegally entered Singapore to find a job.

Izal had set his plan in motion towards the end of 2022, boarding a ferry from Batam, Indonesia to Stulang Laut in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

The man then swam from a beach in Johor Bahru to Pulau Ubin while clutching onto an inflated trash bag that he used to stay afloat.

At Pulau Ubin, he took a 30-minute break before he dived into the waters once more, swimming to Changi Beach.

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The illegal immigrant then lived in Singapore for about 10 months until Oct 23.

He was arrested at Woodlands by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers after he was unable to produce legal documentation of his stay in Singapore.

His fingerprints matched a person with "an adverse record" by name of Muhammad Izal, according to CNA.

This "record" included a charge in August 2021 for entering Singapore without a valid pass and for illegally returning to Singapore following his removal from the country.

Prior to this aforementioned charge, Izal also had three other instances of immigration offences.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com