JOHOR BARU: Every Wednesday, a 66-year-old man spends an hour riding his old motorcycle across the Causeway just so he can see his son, who is in a Singapore jail, for about 15 minutes.
This has been his routine for almost 10 years.
The night before, Cheong Kah Pin, who is a pasar malam trader, wraps up his business to head home and rest for a few hours before beginning his journey at around 2am.
“I choose to travel in the odd hours of the morning to avoid the morning crowd as the traffic of Malaysian motorists heading into Singapore for work usually starts around 4am,” said Kah Pin.
Precious moments: Kah Pin rides his old motorcycle into Singapore to visit his son, who is serving a life sentence, for 15 minutes.
The single father wants to avoid mishaps, too.
“I am old and my motorcycle is not in a great condition.
“So I am worried that I may knock into someone or get into an accident.
“When I arrive in Singapore about an hour later, I will park at a petrol station to rest and wait for the coffeeshop to open for breakfast, before making my way to the prison.
“Although the visiting period is short, the trip is worth it as I still get to see and speak to my son, who was previously placed on death row,” he said when interviewed by The Star.
A joint Singapore High Court trial in 2010 sentenced Kah Pin’s son Cheong Chun Yin and one Pang Siew Fum to death – the mandatory penalty at the time for offenders trafficking more than 15g of drugs.
The court heard that Chun Yin arrived at Changi Airport from Myanmar on June 16, 2008, with a black trolley bag which he handed to Pang before the two parted ways.
They were arrested separately later that day. The bag was found to contain 2,726g of heroin.
In 2015, the high court re-sentenced them to life in prison following amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act, which came into effect on Jan 1, 2013.
After visiting his now 39-year-old son, the senior citizen then makes his way back to Johor Baru at around 10am.
Kah Pin said he was thankful for being able to visit his son again as he was unable to do so when the Malaysia-Singapore border was closed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
After the border travel restrictions were lifted in April last year, Kah Pin resumed his weekly routine.
“It is tiring because I still have to set up my stall when I return from my trip, but I am used to the routine. I have been selling fruits and vegetables at night markets for more than 20 years and I use the same motorcycle everywhere as it is my only mode of transport.”
“Despite the circumstances, I am glad to see my son doing well.
“He has the chance to study and do some work while in prison,” Kah Pin added.
Kah Pin voiced his gratitude to Johor Jaya assemblyman Liow Cai Tung because every Tuesday before his trip, a staff member at her service centre would help submit his arrival card, a requirement for those entering Singapore, which is done digitally.
He also said that he would seek the help of local lawmakers to write to the Singapore government in hopes of reducing his son’s prison sentence.
