Follow overseas laws when abroad, MFA urges S'poreans

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) took the unprecedented step of issuing a travel note on Wednesday (Oct 19) to remind Singaporeans to observe the laws and regulations of countries they visit or reside in, following a recent spate of reports of citizens arrested overseas for drug- and immigration-related offences.

Violating foreign laws could lead to immediate arrest and detention, and the judicial process can take months, with penalties including heavy fines or long prison terms, said the MFA in its note — its first asking Singaporeans to abide by the law of countries they travel to. For drug offences, offenders may face capital punishment, the ministry added.

The MFA said it will provide appropriate consular assistance — such as informing next-of-kin and providing a list of local lawyers to contact — to Singaporeans arrested and detained overseas, but it cannot intervene in legitimate law enforcement and the judicial processes of another country.

“Therefore, Singaporeans should exercise due care and personal responsibility when travelling overseas, including respecting and abiding by local laws and regulations,” it said.

The ministry did not provide statistics of cases it has encountered in recent months. But recent reports of Singaporeans getting into trouble overseas include a woman and her children being detained in August at a Johor Baru checkpoint after she hurled vulgarities at a Malaysian immigration officer and refused an order to wind down the tinted rear windows of her car. 

Last month, a Singaporean working illegally as a deejay in Bali was arrested for drug trafficking after he picked up two packages at a post office in Denpasar. And this month, another Singaporean man was arrested in Bali for alleged illegal possession of drugs — methamphetamine and ecstasy.

TODAY understands that the travel note was the ministry’s initiative, and not from any feedback received from foreign counterparts.