48-year-old Kang Lihong, a woman from China, was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment on 8 August for overstaying in Singapore for over seven years. She was also fined $2,000 in lieu of caning because she can’t be caned as a woman, under Singapore’s laws, according to Channel NewsAsia.
She said that she did so because of her son’s education, and added that it was worth it.
Overstaying in Singapore
Kang’s journey began when she was last issued a long-term visit pass in March 2015, valid until April 2016. Following its expiration, she was granted a 62-day visit pass to facilitate her departure from Singapore.
However, Kang chose to remain in the country illegally, to support her son who was still studying in Singapore.
The weight of Kang’s decision became evident on August 1 of this year when she was arrested by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority at her residence.
Standing before the court via video-link, Kang faced her fate without legal representation, choosing to speak through a Mandarin interpreter.
Kang’s motive for overstaying became the centerpiece of her defense. She explained that her decision was rooted in her desire to ensure her son’s educational journey remained uninterrupted.
She revealed that her son was still in secondary school when her visit pass expired, and she feared that his education would be compromised if she returned to China.
Despite her son’s graduation, Kang remained in Singapore due to the emergence the COVID-19 pandemic. She shared that her intentions to surrender were cut short by her arrest by the ICA.
During her court appearance, the judge questioned Kang’s rationale, particularly the timeline of her son’s education. The judge’s inquiry revealed that her son, currently 25 years old, had been in secondary school when she first overstayed. This revelation led to further scrutiny of her decision to remain in Singapore.
Kang explained that her son’s education had extended beyond secondary school, encompassing five years in polytechnic. She emphasized that during this time, no one was financially supporting her son’s education, and her presence in Singapore was essential to ensure his academic journey continued.
She acknowledged her mistake in overstaying but asserted that the sacrifices she made were “worth it.”