MFA trespasser slips past ICA checkpoint in serious lapse in security

SINGAPORE — In what has been described as a very serious lapse in border security, a 27-year-old Malaysian woman drove past the Woodlands Checkpoint last Friday afternoon in a Malaysia-registered red Perodua without being stopped by the immigration authorities and gave them the slip despite a lockdown of the car arrival zone.

Three days later, police officers failed to recognise the woman or her car despite an islandwide alert, when they encountered her while helping a taxi driver whom she tailgated all the way to the Police Cantonment Complex. Barely an hour later on the same day, the woman drove her car into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Sherwood Road premises and drove around the compound without authorisation, after slipping past the security post by tailgating a vehicle in front.

She was stopped when her car was boxed in by two vehicles driven by MFA security officers.

The woman, who is said to be a teacher from Kuala Lumpur, was arrested on Monday for criminal trespass after the MFA called the police.

In a joint statement yesterday, the police and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said the woman is also being investigated for not having cleared immigration. They added that the woman, whose name was not revealed by the authorities, has a history of mental illness.

She is in police custody and investigations are in progress. “With the assistance of the Malaysian High Commission and the Royal Malaysia Police, we have contacted her next of kin in Malaysia, who are on their way to Singapore to assist in our investigation,” said the police and ICA.

In a press statement, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean made clear his unhappiness with the breach, which he noted could have had more serious consequences. “This case should have been prevented and dealt with more urgently and decisively. I have expressed my dissatisfaction to the Commissioner of ICA and Commissioner of Police over the breach at the Woodlands Checkpoint and the subsequent response actions,” he said.

Mr Teo also directed the Commissioners of Police and ICA to report to him the corrective measures and recommend appropriate action against officers who did not discharge their duties properly. The police and ICA said they will review the incident and take steps to prevent a recurrence. In particular, the security systems and work processes at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints will be reviewed.

Based on preliminary investigations, the woman entered Singapore at about 1.58pm on Friday by tailgating a car in front. Her vehicle was not stopped and, by the time the alarm was raised two minutes later, “efforts to locate the car at the Woodlands Checkpoint were unsuccessful despite an immediate lockdown of the arrival car zone”, said the police and ICA.

After the 30-minute lockdown, the police issued an islandwide alert to its officers to keep a lookout for the vehicle and reviewed closed-circuit television footage from the Land Transport Authority to trace it.

On Monday, at 1.32pm, the police received a call from a taxi driver who reported that a woman was tailgating him. The police advised him to drive to the Police Cantonment Complex and the woman followed him. At the complex, police officers tried to talk to her, but she drove away. About an hour later, she was arrested at the MFA compound after the ministry called the police. The woman was “unresponsive” when nabbed, the police added.

ICA Deputy Commissioner Aw Kum Cheong said: “This is a very serious lapse in our border security and we are disappointed by the incident.”

The authorities said between 2011 and 2013, a total of 26 motorists were arrested for trying to evade immigration clearance. 

Correction: The original article stated that about 68 million vehicles passed through the checkpoints every day. This is incorrect. This article was edited at 11.00am on Jan 22, 2014.