41-year-old Malaysian bus driver, Muinuddin Mohamed, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Immigration Act and was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment on Wednesday (8 March).
He had smuggled his Singaporean friend into Malaysia by hiding him in the engine compartment of his bus, after the friend told him that he was facing a very long jail term in Singapore.
Muinuddin said he helped his friend, 41-year-old Feroz Akthar Husain, because he felt pity for him, with the latter also telling him that it was because he missed his family in Malaysia.
What happened?
On 4 January 2023, Muinudding was resting in his bus near Hougang when Feroz approached him, asking for his help at about 3am.
Feroz then hid inside the engine compartment of the bus, before Muinudden set off to pick up his passengers to head to Malaysia.
At about 7am, the bus cleared the Tuas Checkpoint and reached the Johor Checkpoint, and the passengers alighted from the bus to clear immigration
Muinuddin then opened the engine compartment to let Feroz out and into the bus, before leaving the checkpoint where Feroz later alighted from the bus in Johor.
It was not disclosed in court how the offences were found out or if Feroz is still at large at the moment, but the ICA prosecutor said that Muinuddin was arrested on 5 January last week and was charged in a Singapore court.