Indonesian man, 22, in M'sia illegally, got lost in JB & ended up at Woodlands Checkpoint, jailed 10 weeks for not presenting passport

A 22-year-old Indonesian man, who was in Malaysia illegally to look for work, ended up in Singapore after getting lost on his way to meet a friend.

The man, Mardiansah, who goes by one name, rode into Woodlands Checkpoint and forced his way past a barrier arm without presenting a passport.

He then continued riding towards the exit, intending to find a way to return to Malaysia.

However, his actions triggered the checkpoint’s alarm system.

Law enforcement officers quickly located and arrested him.

He was later sentenced to 10 weeks’ jail and fined S$600 for failing to produce a valid passport or travel document and for failing to stop at an authorised point of entry before entering Singapore.

He was also disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences and banned from driving any motor vehicle in Singapore for two years, with effect from his release date.

According to court records, the fine was not paid, which indicates he will in default serve three additional days in jail.

Passport impounded after deportation

Court documents showed that Mardiansah’s Indonesia passport had been impounded by his country's authorities after he was deported from Malaysia in January 2025.

He had earlier been convicted of remaining in Malaysia unlawfully.

He re-entered Malaysia illegally in May 2025 to seek employment and remained there.

On Jan. 19, 2026, at about 6:30pm, Mardiansah left his residence in Skudai, Johor, and headed towards Johor Bahru Sentral to meet a friend.

While navigating using a mobile application, he was caught in heavy traffic and eventually became lost.

After losing internet connection on his phone — which was connected to a Malaysian network — he realised he was no longer in Malaysia and was approaching Woodlands Checkpoint in Singapore.

Forced past exit barrier

At about 7pm, he arrived at the motorcycle arrival zone at Woodlands Checkpoint and proceeded into one of the motorcycle lanes equipped with an automated clearance system.

He rode past the first drop-arm barrier, which lifted automatically to allow him entry.

The entry barrier then lowered behind him, but the exit barrier in front of him remained down.

Although he was required to present his Indonesia passport to the automated clearance system, he instead repeatedly attempted to lift the exit barrier.

He eventually lifted the barrier forcefully over his head and rode underneath it.

He then continued towards the exit of Woodlands Checkpoint, intending to find a way to turn back to Malaysia.

His actions were captured on closed-circuit television cameras at the checkpoint.

Alarm triggered

Mardiansah’s actions triggered the checkpoint’s alarm system, and Woodlands Checkpoint was immediately placed on lockdown.

Traffic at all zones came to a standstill.

About four minutes later, he was detected by the authorities, and operations at the other zones resumed.

Another four minutes later, operations at the motorcycle arrival zone resumed after he was arrested and detained by ICA officers on duty.

The exit barrier was damaged and visibly bent, the prosecution said.

The damage was assessed at S$480.14, inclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Top photos from ICA/Facebook and Google Photos (for illustration purposes)