Woman jailed for bribery at Woodlands Checkpoint, claims she mistook Singapore officer for Malaysian police

SINGAPORE, Nov 17 — A Singaporean was sentenced to three weeks in jail on Friday after pleading guilty to attempting to bribe an auxiliary police officer at Woodlands Checkpoint on July 17.

According to Shin Min Daily News, Wang Xiping, 42, had been driving towards Johor Baru when she entered the bus lane at the checkpoint, violating traffic regulations.

When an officer noticed her, he instructed her to return to the checkpoint and use the correct lane for cars.

In response, Wang offered the officer RM50 and later S$50 (RM166), hoping to avoid punishment and continue her journey.

The officer immediately rejected the bribe, asked for her passport, and informed her that the interaction was being recorded by his body-worn camera.

Wang was then arrested at the checkpoint at 11:30am the same day. She was subsequently released on bail.

During investigations, Shin Min Daily News reported Wang as claiming she had mistakenly thought the auxiliary police officer was a Malaysian police officer and that she had offered the bribe out of anxiety and poor language skills.

She also explained that she believed the officer had rejected her first bribe because he wanted more money.

Despite Wang’s claims, the prosecution pointed out that she attempted to bribe the officer twice, both of which took place within Singapore’s borders, and recommended a sentence of three to four weeks.

In court, Wang pleaded for leniency, citing her responsibility to care for her four children, the youngest of whom is under one year old.

As her husband is overseas for business and would not be returning soon, Wang requested a postponement of her sentence until November 18 to make arrangements for her children, which the district judge granted.