A 42-year-old Singaporean woman was sentenced to three weeks in jail on Friday (November 15) after pleading guilty to violating Section 6(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The case arose after the woman, caught driving illegally in the bus lane at the Causeway towards Johor Bahru, attempted to bribe a Singaporean auxiliary police officer with RM217.

According to Lianhe Zaobao, the incident occurred on Wednesday (July 17) when the woman decided to visit Johor Bahru to show a friend around and collect a medical report. After passing through Singapore immigration, she used the bus and lorry lane, which is not permitted for private vehicles.

An officer stopped her, explained the rules, and instructed her to make a U-turn to the Woodlands Checkpoint to re-enter Malaysia. Instead, she offered the officer RM50 to let her proceed. The officer refused and requested her passport.

The woman then handed over her passport along with a SG$50 (equivalent to RM167) note, once again asking the officer to accept the bribe. She also mentioned needing to visit a hospital. The officer firmly rejected the bribe, and she was subsequently arrested at the Woodlands Checkpoint.

In court, the woman claimed her poor English caused a misunderstanding. She stated that she believed the officer, who is Malay, was part of the Malaysian authorities, not Singaporean. She further alleged that she thought the officer wanted a larger bribe, which led her to increase her offer.