Sham marriage: Married on the day they met to prolong her stay

[Untouchables]

Sham marriage: Married on the day they met to prolong her stay

Published on Jun 26, 2014 6:57 AM

SHAM MARRIAGE: Tan and Huang (above) were each jailed for six months.

SHAM MARRIAGE: Tan (above) and Huang were each jailed for six months.

'MATCHMAKER': Soh planned it all.

On the eve of Valentine's Day last year, local odd-job worker Tan Hee Huat met Chinese national Huang Liyun for the first time.

That very day, they got hitched in a no-frills solemnisation ceremony at a ground-floor Housing Board flat in North Bridge Road.

The quick-fire wedding was arranged for the sole purpose of giving Huang, 41, a leg up in prolonging her stay here so that she could secure a job, reports The Straits Times.

Their "matchmaker", Singaporean Soh Leong Soon, 62, who also goes by the alias Sim Kok Eng, attended the ceremony.

Tan and Huang were each jailed for six months. For arranging the sham marriage, Soh was sentenced to eight months in jail.