SINGAPORE - An Indonesian man was sentenced to two years in prison and three strokes of the cane for helping an overstayer leave Singapore.

The man, Hasan Maksum, 48, was charged and convicted on Thursday.

He tried to help Sofyan Soeb, a 41-year-old Indonesian, leave Singapore via the Woodlands Checkpoint on May 21 by hiding him in the car boot, said Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a statement.

ICA officers found Sofyan in the boot of the Malaysian-registered car driven by Hasan when they checked the car.

Sofyan was sentenced to three months' jail and three strokes of the cane for overstaying in Singapore and failing to present his passport to an immigration officer when leaving Singapore.

Under the Immigration Act (Cap 133), the penalties for overstaying or illegal entry are a jail term of up to six months and a minimum of three strokes of the cane.

If convicted of engaging in the business of conveying prohibited immigrant into and out of Singapore, one can face a jail term of not less than two years and not more than five years, and caning of not less than three strokes.