[h=1]Passengers fleeced at immigration checkpoint[/h]
Lianhe Wanbao - 2 days 27 mins ago
<cite>A passenger, Mr Chen, was “fined” for not taking his luggage down the bus at the immigration checkpoint. (Pic / China Press)</cite>
A busload of 20 passengers were stopped at the Malaysian checkpoint and made to give money to Malaysian immigration officials.
They got into a scuffle with the officials, who extorted 100 ringgit (S$40) from each passenger – all for not taking their luggage with them when they alighted.
One of the passengers affected was driver, Mr Chen, 34, who has been working in Singapore for the past 15 years. He is now a permanent resident together with his Malaysian wife, 32, a clerk.
His two-year-old son is cared for by relatives in his hometown, leading to the couple's frequent shuttling between Malaysia and Singapore.
The extortion occurred at 9am on 9 August, when Chen boarded a bus from Kedah to Singapore with his wife – currently seven months pregnant – and 20 other passengers.
Chen revealed that five officials hauled their luggage off the bus at the immigration checkpoint. The officials "fined" the passengers 100 ringgit (S$40) each for not taking their luggage with them.
The passengers had no choice but to pay up, or risk being stranded at the checkpoint.
Source: Lianhe Wanbao, 12 August 2011.
Lianhe Wanbao - 2 days 27 mins ago
A busload of 20 passengers were stopped at the Malaysian checkpoint and made to give money to Malaysian immigration officials.
They got into a scuffle with the officials, who extorted 100 ringgit (S$40) from each passenger – all for not taking their luggage with them when they alighted.
One of the passengers affected was driver, Mr Chen, 34, who has been working in Singapore for the past 15 years. He is now a permanent resident together with his Malaysian wife, 32, a clerk.
His two-year-old son is cared for by relatives in his hometown, leading to the couple's frequent shuttling between Malaysia and Singapore.
The extortion occurred at 9am on 9 August, when Chen boarded a bus from Kedah to Singapore with his wife – currently seven months pregnant – and 20 other passengers.
Chen revealed that five officials hauled their luggage off the bus at the immigration checkpoint. The officials "fined" the passengers 100 ringgit (S$40) each for not taking their luggage with them.
The passengers had no choice but to pay up, or risk being stranded at the checkpoint.
Source: Lianhe Wanbao, 12 August 2011.
