Married man kept second wife and kids a secret for 30 years, gets jail for bigamy

SINGAPORE: A man who had been married for 15 years secretly wed again in Sarawak and fathered two more children, all the while keeping this second family from his wife and two kids in Singapore.

Ng Teong Min's deception lasted 30 years from 1995 until August this year, when a whistleblower exposed his double life in an email to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.

The 67-year-old pleaded guilty to the offence of bigamy and was sentenced to one year and five months' jail on Tuesday (Dec 2).

Ng, now a grandfather, shed tears while telling the judge he took "full responsibility for the pain, confusion and harm" he had caused.

"I have reflected deeply on the choice I made. I understand that I have broken the trust of my family and the law. This has been a painful lesson that I will carry for the rest of my life," he said.

"I promise to uphold the law and to be a better father, grandparent and family member. I want to spend the rest of my years setting a proper example for my children and grandchildren – one built on modesty, integrity and responsibility."

The court heard that Ng and his first wife, now 66, met as adolescents and got married in Singapore in 1980. They have two children together.

Between 1985 and 1995, Ng frequented Sarawak for business. There, he met and started a relationship with another woman.

Ng found housing for the second woman and would live with her whenever he visited Sarawak. She knew that he was married.

In 1995, when Ng was 37, he and the woman wed according to Chinese customs at her parents' home in Sarawak.

"The union was formalised through a tea ceremony, at the close of which parties were deemed husband and wife in accordance with the traditional customs," said Deputy Public Prosecutor Jini Pillai.

The couple decided not to register their marriage as they knew that Malaysian authorities might make a check with Singaporean authorities and find out Ng was already married.

Ng and his second wife went on to have two children together.

Ng's first wife was unaware of his second family until she learnt about it in the course of investigations this year.

During their marriage, Ng and his first wife lived together whenever he was in Singapore, and she took care of their two children.

Ms Pillai said that Ng's first wife now intends to dissolve their marriage and has started the proceedings to do this.

The prosecutor sought one-and-a-half to two years' jail for Ng, pointing out his prolonged and premeditated deception.

"His first wife was kept in the dark for three decades and continued to participate in the marriage, bearing and raising two children with the accused," Ms Pillai said in written submissions.

Ng's actions put his offence of bigamy "far in excess" of previous cases, and he was able to "capitalise on the jurisdictional barrier to keep his first spouse insulated from his ceaseless betrayal", she said.

She added in court that Ng was able to experience both marriages to their "full extent", having fathered children with both women.

In sentencing, District Judge Eddy Tham said the "only saving grace" of Ng's actions was that he did not similarly deceive his second wife.

Ng could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined for bigamy.