A 67-year-old Singaporean man has been sentenced to one year and five months in prison after authorities uncovered that he had maintained a second marriage and an entire hidden family in Sarawak for three decades, despite being legally married in Singapore.
The man, Ng Teong Min, had been married to his first wife since 1980. The couple met during their youth in Singapore and raised two children together. Unknown to her, Ng began travelling frequently to Sarawak for business between 1985 and 1995, where he started a relationship with another woman. He arranged housing for her and stayed with her during his visits. She was aware of his existing marriage in Singapore.
In 1995, at the age of 37, Ng underwent a traditional Chinese tea ceremony with the second woman at her family home in Sarawak. Although the ceremony was not formally registered, both parties treated it as a marriage based on custom. They deliberately avoided official registration, fearing that Malaysian authorities might discover that Ng was already legally married.
Ng later fathered two children with the second woman. She submitted statutory declarations regarding their marriage so that the children could obtain Malaysian birth certificates. Meanwhile, Ng continued living with his first wife whenever he was in Singapore, maintaining the appearance of a normal family life. She remained unaware of his double life until earlier this year.
The secret began to unravel in August when an anonymous individual alerted the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority by email, triggering an investigation. As the inquiry progressed, Ng’s first wife learned of his actions and has since initiated divorce proceedings.
During court proceedings, Ng expressed regret and acknowledged the harm caused to both families, saying he accepted full responsibility for the years of deception. He stated that he hoped to spend his remaining years demonstrating better values to his children and grandchildren.
However, the prosecution sought a stiff sentence, arguing that Ng had engaged in a prolonged, calculated deception spanning 30 years. The Deputy Public Prosecutor noted that his first wife continued contributing to the marriage while being kept entirely unaware of his second family. Ng’s ability to navigate different jurisdictions allowed him to conceal his actions for decades.
The court observed that Ng had effectively lived both marriages fully, fathering children in both households. The judge remarked that the only mitigating factor was that Ng had not deceived his second wife in the same manner.
Bigamy is an offence under Singapore’s Women’s Charter, which prohibits entering into any form of marriage—whether civil, religious, or customary—while still legally married. Convictions can carry penalties of up to seven years in prison and a fine.
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