SINGAPORE: A 61-year-old Singaporean man has been jailed for two months after entering a second marriage while still legally married to his first wife.
The case centres on a relationship that began years earlier and ended with a ceremony in Batam that should never have taken place.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) flagged the case, leading to a police investigation and arrests. The man, Low Kok Peng, pleaded guilty to bigamy under the Women’s Charter. Prosecutors argued that jail time was needed for the man to deter similar conduct by others, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reports (April 24, 2026).
A second marriage hidden from his first wife
Low had been married since 1992. His marriage remained valid, and the couple have a daughter.
In 2016, he met Komariah, an Indonesian domestic helper working in Singapore on a valid work permit. Their relationship grew over time.
In 2024, they travelled to Batam and went through a religious marriage ceremony. At that point, Low was aware that his first marriage was still intact. There was no divorce, no legal separation.
After the ceremony, both returned to Singapore. Low continued living with his first wife, who was unaware of the second marriage.
Prosecutor says it was a prolonged act of deception
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ryan Lim described the case as a prolonged act of deception. The conduct was not impulsive. It stretched over years and involved deliberate steps to avoid scrutiny in Singapore.
The court heard that such offences can carry serious fallout, even if no immediate harm was recorded here. The law allows for up to seven years’ jail and a fine of up to S$10,000.
Low did not present any defence in court.
Maid claims she didn’t know Low was married
Komariah’s case hasn’t been concluded just yet, as she claimed she didn’t know Low was married at the time of the Batam ceremony.
The prosecution disputes this and maintains she was aware. Her case will proceed to a pre-trial conference.
She also faces a separate charge for breaching work pass conditions. Domestic helpers in Singapore must obtain approval before marrying a Singaporean citizen or permanent resident.
The case of consent, awareness, and compliance
The case points to two larger issues: first, enforcement, as the marriage took place overseas, shows how cross-border actions can complicate oversight.
Second, vulnerability as domestic helpers operates under strict rules tied to their employment, but when personal relationships cross into legal territory, the power balance becomes uneven, so now, consent, awareness, and compliance all come into question.
The law states one marriage at a time
Cases like this are messy because they sit at the intersection of law, relationships, and responsibility. The current rules are one marriage at a time, and full disclosure matters.
For individuals, the lesson is that if something requires secrecy to exist, it usually comes with consequences later.
Read related: Singaporean man jailed after secretly marrying second wife in the US
