Leaving ISD detention and going to Tanah Merah Prison

Article #32

In early 2020, Iqbal told me about the COVID pandemic. Since then, whenever we met, he would begin by giving me updates on the situation. The pandemic affected my detention in several ways.

The yard time was changed from 30 minutes each morning and afternoon to 1 hour once a day. I was also not allowed to go to the library. Iqbal would pick some books from the library, and I would be allowed to choose three. By then, I had read almost every book in the library and had to re-read the books I had read earlier. The reason for the change for yard and library arrangements was to minimise contact between detainees and officers.

I did not meet Iqbal in interrogation rooms anymore but in the family visit rooms with the glass wall.

What was more crucial was the change in family visits. My mother was not allowed to visit me in person. For several weeks, she was not allowed to visit me at all. When we were finally allowed to meet, we had to speak to each other via videoconference. Instead of coming to Changi for the visits, she would go to ISD’s office at Onraet Road for the videoconferencing session. Iqbal told me to write a letter to the Director stating I understood the reasons for the change.

Ustadz Feisal did not visit me for several months too. And even the psychologists’ visits became irregular. When we did meet, Roslinda and Hafiz would use the family visit rooms with the glass partitions too. The last couple of times they met with me prior to the AB meeting in 2020, rather than coming as a pair, they met with me alone.

I believe the last time I met with Hafiz was in early May. He told me it was about time I left the detention.

“You have been free-riding in here” he said, with no trace of irony.

I decided to test Hafiz. “According to Roslinda, she gave me a positive report last year. But I know you have been giving me negative reports.” (Read what Roslinda said)

He looked annoyed. “If Roslinda had given you a positive report last year. You would not still be here.”

Hafiz admitted that he did not want me to be released earlier. I asked him why.

“Because I think you would still have criticised the government. Now I am confident you won’t criticise the government.”

Shortly before the AB meeting in May, I met with the lawyers again. Throughout the detention, I met with them once or twice before the AB and once after. Eugene had repeatedly told me there was not much he could do to represent me.

“The ISD don’t give us anything” he said. “I don’t get any documents, any reports.” He said he could not really represent me when there was nothing to work with.

I assured him that I knew there was not much he could do. But that was not the reason I needed his help. What was important was to know I had someone in my corner who knew what went on and could advise me on the process. They gave me that.

About a year before, Iqbal and Krishnan showed me a Straits Times write up about Eugene and his firm.

“He is getting a lot of big cases” Krishnan said. “He won’t have time to help you.”

I played along.

During the AB meeting, Eugene repeated the difficulties he faced in trying to represent me. There was nothing for him to work with when the ISD did not share any information. It was an impossible job.

I was hopeful that I would be released in June. It would have still been part of the Eid season. The month came and went.

Singapore’s General Elections was on Friday, 10th July 2020. On Tuesday 14th July, Krishnan came to visit me with Iqbal. He asked me if I was interested in the election’s results. I told him I was not.

Krishnan told me that he had good and bad news. I was told the Singapore immigration was interested in me.

“You made a false declaration when you applied for Singapore passport. You said you were not a citizen of any other country. They will send an investigator to talk to you. If they charge you, we will release you to them. You will be told to renounce your Singapore citizenship or it will be revoked. Then you will serve whatever prison term. I think it is 1 or 2 months. After that they will deport you.”

I did not remember making any false declarations but I accepted the possibility. I was more keen to learn about the release.

“What happens if they don’t charge me?”

“Then we will still deport you. If you are not a Singaporean, we don’t keep you in ISA.”

Listening to Krishnan, I was reminded of the privileges of Singapore citizenship. I learned that ISA was only for Singaporeans or those who acted in Singapore. Krishnan said that they did not know how to release me earlier. They found a solution by revoking my citizenship and deporting me.

In the months leading to the AB, Iqbal asked how much money I had in CPF (Singapore government owned superannuation funds). I am sure they knew the amount better than I did. He asked me to get me to think about my CPF money. Hafiz and I talked about my citizenship and if I would be politically active if I was no longer a Singaporean.

After telling me about the immigration authority’s interest to charge me, Krishnan told me that my detention was extended for 2 more years. But with the immigration charge, I could be released in 4-6 months.

“We could have been bastards and let them charge you in 2 years’ time. But we allow them to take over now” he said.

Of course, they did not have to detain me at all 4 years earlier. But I let that slide.

On 17th July, 2 police officers from the immigration authority came to interrogate me. I had decided to plead guilty and get it over with. As is any Singapore police interrogation, I did not have the right to a lawyer during interrogation.

They showed me screenshots of the immigration website I used to apply for the passport. At the end of the application form, there were 3 points of declarations. One of the statements was that I did not have citizenship of any other country. I had clicked that I agreed with the 3 declarations. One of the officers typed the statement and told me to read and if I agreed, to sign it. He covered the top of the statement that would have showed his name.

I waited for what else would happen. Next, two immigration officers from the citizenship department came to visit me. I was told to renounce my Singapore citizenship. I asked what would happen if I did not renounce.

“We will revoke your citizenship but it will take more time.”

I decided to get it over with. On 25th August, my mother was told to take my Australian passport to the immigration department. They already had my Singapore passport and identification card from my arrest. On 26th August, my renunciation was completed.

A few days after my renunciation was completed, I was told that I would be meeting with representatives of the Australian consulate. I felt such relief when I saw Mark and Nicholas walk through the family visit room door. It was a cordial meeting. I met them again a month later when I was sent to Tanah Merah Prison.

They asked me if I had any messages to share with my family. One of their concerns was whether I would be able to function in society again after almost five years in solitary confinement. I told them I was sure I could. However, I was concerned whether I could communicate and feel at ease with strangers.

The immigration investigators visited me again about a month later. I was charged for the offence. I was told that if I wanted to raise anything to the court, I should tell them first. If I did not and I brought it up with the court, it would carry less weight and could be used against me.

On 8th October, I was brought to the court for the case to be heard. I had hoped to be sentenced that day and start serving my time. If they adjourned, then it would only prolong my detention.

The judge suggested 22nd October for the case to be heard. I was disappointed. That would mean 2 more weeks of detention. Zhi Rong, from Eugene’s firm represented me. Eugene told me they would help me all the way to my release. When I heard Zhi Rong asked for a later date, I was worried. Every day the hearing was delayed was an extra day I would be in detention. I asked to speak with him. He said he needed to go through my case files but agreed to take the earlier date.

Iqbal met with me as usual. But in the month preceding my release, he kept saying he will miss me. “We had been meeting regularly for three years” he said.

“I can meet you outside. I’d rather meet you at Starbucks.”

“But it won’t be like this. Not this meeting.”

“Only if you want to be on my side and I’m on yours.”

My case was heard on 22nd October 2020. My mother attended the hearing and looked on from the public gallery on the upper level. The prosecutor argued I used my Singapore passport more than 10 times since obtaining it with false declaration.

When I was finally released and about to be deported, Tim used that statement to argue it was a terrible offence.

“You make it sound as though I travelled out of Australia into Singapore 10 times” I told him. “That was in 2014 when I was in Singapore for 6 months and my mother was in Johor. I visited her every few days.”

The judge handed me a 6-week term. I had hoped for 3-4 weeks. But he backdated it to 8th October which meant, I only had 4 weeks to serve. He did not have to backdate it, especially since the detention was not a prison term. But I appreciate his decision.

Zhi Rong reminded me that there was a one-third remission, which meant that was another 2-weeks off. I would only have to serve 2 weeks.

2 weeks before I was released. 2 weeks before I go home to my family. I had done 4 years 4 months. 2 weeks was nothing.

I was immediately taken to the holding cell at the court where I was told to change to the prison uniform: white T-shirt and blue shorts. About half an hour later, I was taken to another room for processing.

I was not blindfolded. No ankle cuffs. No chain. Just handcuffs. I was giddy with excitement. I could see my surroundings. The officers did not hold my arms for me to move. No more penguin steps.

The officers spoke nicely with me. We joked. It was such a different experience.

I was handcuffed and felt so free.

When I was finally transported to Prison, I was made to sit in a cage in a van. But I could see outside the van, through its backscreen. I looked at Singapore, at the buildings, the people, the signs.

I soaked it all in. It was a different world. Men, women, children, were walking, crossing the streets, talking.

It was like what I saw in videos. I had not seen trees or roads or the outside of buildings for more than four years. It was a lot to take in.

I was brought to Tanah Merah Prison. The immigration investigators told me they expected me to be sent to Cluster C, which was a prison for minor offences. They said, the worst would be Tanah Merah Prison (TMP). That was where hardcore criminals were sent. Iqbal told me I would be sent to TMP.

But I would be in solitary confinement. I asked if I could be with the general population. He said it was better if I was not since there were violent offenders and I would be safer alone.

I told him I would rather meet others. In the end, it did not matter since any prisoner would be in Covid quarantine for the first two weeks. But if I had served more than 2 weeks, I would still be in solitary confinement.

Iqbal assured me that I would be allowed to read books and the ISD would organise it for me.

When I arrived at TMP, I was brought to meet with two officers from the Prison intelligence unit, El-Hanani and Bryan Chong. I was told prison would be very noisy. I told them that was not a problem. I was used to constant loud airplane noises. They warned me against speaking to other prisoners.

“The food door can only be opened from outside. But these guys have figured out how to open from inside. Make sure you don’t open it. If you open it from inside, that is vandalism, and we will charge you for it. And don’t tell them anything. They will know your name but don’t talk to them.”

I asked El-Hanani how the other prisoners would know my name and was told they had their ways. He said he would get instructions from ISD whether I was allowed any books.

I was then escorted by several officers to my new cell at E block. As we entered the corridor, the officers shouted “close the door! close the door!”

Suddenly, one food vent, which was at the bottom of the door flipped open and a hand jutted out, holding a cup. The hand flicked the water in the cup in our direction and several officers and I were covered with water.

“Report him! Report him!” shouted the ASP escorting me. I was brought to my cell. It was similar to the first cell I was in at the ISD detention, though older. There was no stone bench. I was given a tub with a mug, toothbrush, toothpaste, several pairs of uniform and a couple of blankets. A closed circuit camera was on the wall.

Once the officers departed, the shoutings began. All over the corridor, I heard the prisoners screaming and shouting at each other. It was loud, maniacal. It was overwhelming.

I was shaken. I took my ablution and prayed. I seek God’s forgiveness for my arrogance. I thought I could handle the noise and the screaming.

I could not.

Continued in the next article.