The Tanjong Pagar Railway Station will be relocated to Woodlands Train Checkpoint. The train services would cease on 1 July. There is a huge surge in passenger load as Singaporeans rush to take the train for the last time.
I took the train recently and felt that it was a one-of-a-kind experience. When I entered the Railway Station, I was greeted with old paintings and grey walls. The Railway Station is not very well maintained and cleaned. At the platform, the chairs and fans were mostly spoilt. The train was old and rusty.
Before I entered the train, my passport was stamped by the Immigration Officers at the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. The stamp said that I had arrived in Malaysia. The train ride is a trilling one. The grass and weeds at the sides of the tracks were considerably tall, some reaching up to a meter. The trees, unlike those you see along the roads of Singapore, were bent towards the train track. The train ride was a long one, and finally the train arrived at the Woodlands Checkpoint. There, the Singapore authorities officially states that I am leaving Singapore. Then, I boarded the train and left for Johor Bahru.
Now, what happens if someone commits a crime on the train while it is still in Singapore? Would he or she be prosecuted under Singapore or Malaysian law? Physically, the culprit is in Singapore, but according to the passport he has already arrived in Malaysia. I feel that the culprit, in this case, should be prosecuted under Singapore law. Although Malaysia authorities acknowledged his arrival in Malaysia, the Singapore Government did not acknowledge his departure. Since the Singapore Government did not acknowledge his departure, and there is no stamp or record of him leaving Singapore yet, he should be prosecuted under Singapore law. After all, he is still within Singapore. However, if the crime were committed after the Singapore Government acknowledged that he has left Singapore, he should be prosecuted under Malaysian law.
