Man, 67, jailed for bigamy after leading double life for 30 years, had 2nd family in Sarawak

He was already married for 15 years when he secretly wed a woman in Sarawak in 1995. He also fathered two children with her.

Singaporean Ng Teong Min, 67, was sentenced to one year and five months' jail on Tuesday (Dec 2) for bigamy.

He had managed to keep his second family a secret from his first wife and two children for the past 30 years, according to court documents.

His ruse was uncovered only in August this year, when a whistleblower revealed his double life to the Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority in an email. 

The case was handed over to the police on Aug 10 and Ng was arrested on Oct 17 following investigations.

Ng pleaded guilty to the charge of bigamy and reportedly broke down in court on Tuesday (Dec 3) during sentencing, CNA reported.

Now a grandfather, Ng told the court that he took "full responsibility for the pain, confusion and harm" he had caused due to his actions and vowed 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."

He also expressed remorse for breaking "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.

According to court documents obtained by AsiaOne, Ng had wed his first wife, now 66, in 1980 after meeting as teenagers.

Between 1985 and 1995, Ng travelled to Sarawak frequently for his business. It was there that he met and started a relationship with a woman. 

He bought her a home and stayed with her whenever he was in Sarawak. Ng subsequently told her that he was married, but the pair still went ahead with a Chinese customary marriage in 1995, when Ng was 37.

They held a tea ceremony at her parents' home in Sarawak, formalising their union, court documents read. 

However, they did not register their marriage in Malaysia, for fear that Ng's status as a married man would be found out.

Their children, who are both Malaysian, currently live and work in Singapore.

Wife discovered Ng's 2nd marriage only this year

Ng's first wife only discovered that he had another family this year during the course of investigations.

According to court documents, Ng would stay with her and their children whenever he was in Singapore and she was the one who took care of the kids and their education.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jini Pillai, who sought a one-and-a-half to two-year jail sentence for Ng, told the court that the first wife intends to begin divorce proceedings, reported CNA.

"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," said DPP Pillai in written submissions.

She also called his offence "far in excess" of previous cases.

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

For the offence of bigamy, Ng could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined.

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candicecai@asiaone.com