S'porean woman, 20, limps into Woodlands Checkpoint after fall in JB, ICA gets her to hospital after clearing customs in 20 mins

UPDATE on May 15 at 6:15pm: This article has been updated with a statement from ICA.

On the evening of May 3, a 20-year-old Singaporean woman who dislocated her kneecap following a bad fall in Johor Bahru limped into Woodlands Checkpoint.

Thankfully, an officer stationed at Woodlands was quick to notice her predicament, and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) team made arrangements for her and her friend to clear immigration within 20 minutes and to be ferried to hospital.

Assisted to clear immigration in 20 minutes

According to Lianhe Zaobao, an auxiliary police officer Michael Insik, who was on duty at the arrival bus hall of Woodlands Checkpoint spotted the pair of young women moving slowly towards immigration, with one of them limping.

When Insik approached them to offer assistance, one of the women said her friend, Nurafiza, got injured in a fall in JB, and had struggled to make her way back to Singapore.

Insik told Zaobao that the victim's friend initially asked for a wheelchair so she could bring the victim to the taxi stand.

An ICA spokesperson told Mothership that Insik offered the injured woman a chair to rest, before notifying an ICA officer of the situation.

But after coming over and assessing the situation, the ICA officer contacted the Integrated Command Centre at Woodlands to call an ambulance for her as her injuries were serious.

He also requested a female colleague to stay by the woman's side in case she needed more help.

The ICA spokesperson said that their team, which included a few ICA officers, expedited immigration clearance for the injured woman and her friend, and managed traffic so the ambulance could enter Woodlands Checkpoint quickly.

"The ambulance was able to stop where the injured woman was resting and she did not have to walk further. The officers also assisted to contact the woman’s next-of-kin to inform them of the situation," said the spokesperson.

Nurafiza and her friend were subsequently able to depart Woodlands Checkpoint within 20 minutes, added the spokesperson.

Stark contrast to the Malaysia side: Father

The girl's father, Imran, said Nurafiza was discharged at around 5am the next day, Stomp reported.

She was also given 14 days of medical leave for a dislocated patella (kneecap).

Imran expressed his gratitude to the ICA officers' swift action, compassion and attentiveness, adding that this was a "stark contrast" to what they experienced on the Malaysia side.

The father said his daughter had injured herself in a fall while shopping at JB City Square and limped in pain to JB CIQ with the help of her friend.

Imran claimed, however, that the Malaysia immigration officers denied her request for help, even though she was unable to walk on her own at that point.

He further claimed that when his daughter asked a public bus driver for help, she was instead asked for "a doctor's letter to prove her injury".

"As a parent, this experience highlights the stark difference in treatment across the border. It made us truly appreciate the strong support and care provided by the ICA team here in Singapore," Imran told Stomp.

Top image from Lianhe Zaobao