bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

The Star

A 46-year-old man from Perak in Malaysia sneaked out of the country to visit his pregnant second wife without his first wife’s knowledge.
He landed in hot water when he was arrested while returning from Indonesia via an illegal route. His passport was being held by his first wife.
The man, a lorry driver, who just arrived from Tanjung Balai in Indonesia, told officers he had travelled to Medan to visit his pregnant second wife.
“My second wife was pregnant and in critical condition, which is why I decided to take an illegal route to Medan,” he said.
He could not travel by air as his passport was held by the first wife.
“I didn’t want my first wife to know about my second marriage. This is the first time I used the back route because she held my passport,” he said.
He had to make a long journey back, with several stops along the way, after spending four to five days in Indonesia.
He was among two local men and 26 undocumented migrants detained aboard an unregistered fibreglass boat during a special operation conducted by the Selangor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in the early hours of Monday.
Another man, a single father from Aceh, Indonesia, risked his life crossing the sea with his three-month-old daughter after his wife disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only a note.
“I have no one in Malaysia. My baby is only three months old. I just want to go home,” the 32-year-old man, who wanted to be known only as Raja, told MMEA officers.
He had borrowed money to return to Aceh as both his parents are dead and his only remaining family is a married sister.
Raja was found on a pom-pom boat that had yet to depart.
Selangor MMEA director Maritime Captain Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh said that by detaining the two boats, his team had successfully thwarted attempts to smuggle undocumented immigrants into and out of the country via Selangor waters.
The fibreglass boat without a registration number was detained at about 12.30am, roughly 1.5 nautical miles (2.7km) southwest of Bagan Nakhoda Omar, Sabak Bernam.
It was operated by a 36-year-old Myanmar skipper and had 26 Indonesian undocumented immigrants on board, specifically 17 men and nine women.
The pom-pom boat was stopped at around 2am about two nautical miles southwest of the same area.
“The boat was operated by a skipper and two Indonesian crew members. There were 24 illegal migrants, comprising 19 men and five women aged between 22 and 64, and a three-month-old baby girl,” Abdul Muhaimin said.
This story was first published by The Star


12 Malaysian police arrested over Chinese nationals’ missing crypto

The silent crisis facing Malaysian women stranded in Indonesia

Building Asean ties puts Hong Kong on path to long-term growth

Chinese tourists escaping cold flock to Malaysia for Lunar New Year festivities

Malaysia

Malaysian man arrested after illegal sea crossing to see pregnant second wife in Indonesia

Several people were detained aboard an unregistered boat during an operation conducted by Malaysia’s Maritime Enforcement Agency on Monday. Photo: Facebook/maritimmalaysia

As Malaysian ringgit strengthens, Singapore shoppers in Johor reap less savings

A woman counting several notes of the Malaysian ringgit. The currency has risen against the Singapore dollar in recent trading sessions. Photo: Shutterstock 

Vehicles travel across the causeway link from Malaysia’s southern state of Johor to the Woodlands immigration checkpoint in Singapore. Photo: AFP

Malaysia aims to be sustainable aviation fuel hub, but what about low Asian demand?

A technician filling a plane with sustainable aviation fuel. Malaysia has two SAF production plants. Photo: Handout

EcoCeres CEO Matti Lievonen speaking at a media conference on sustainable aviation fuel in Hong Kong in 2024. Photo: Sun Yeung

Planes at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The European Union has mandated airlines to use more sustainable fuels in recent years. Photo: AP

Malaysia clarifies cash aid rules for frequent commuters to Singapore

Motorists coming from Malaysia’s state of Johor form a queue as they approach the immigration checkpoint to enter Singapore. Photo: AFP

Malaysia’s Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong says affected Malaysians can still file appeals that are open throughout the year. Photo: May Tse

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

The 46-year-old told officers that he could not travel by air as his passport was held by the first wife


The 46-year-old told officers that he could not travel by air as his passport was held by the first wife.


Indonesia

Myanmar

Malaysian man arrested after illegal sea crossing to see pregnant second wife in Indonesia

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The 46-year-old told officers that he could not travel by air as his passport was held by the first wife

The 46-year-old told officers that he could not travel by air as his passport was held by the first wife