THE car in front of you is moving so slowly at the immigration checkpoint in Singapore.

Impatient, you blare your horn.

Bad mistake.

That can get you a fine or even three months in jail.

And if you are Malaysian, you can be barred from entering Singapore.

Under the Road Traffic Act, those who blare their horns while their vehicles are stationary can be given a $70 compound fine or be charged in court and face up to $1,000 fine and three months' jail.

To date, a handful of Malaysian motorists at immigration checkpoints have already been slapped with a ban for honking, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said.

Responding to queries from The New Paper on Sunday, a spokesman for both the ICA and the Singapore police confirmed that the authorities are cracking down on incessant honking by motorists at the checkpoints.

She said: 'Incessant honking causes disturbance to other travellers and residents in the vicinity, especially in the early hours in the morning.

'Signs prohibiting honking have been in place all along and additional signs were put up a few months ago, following complaints from the nearby residents about the noise pollution caused by motorists.'

She added that motorists cannot claim that they are ignorant of the prohibition.

One motorist who learnt about this the hard way is Malaysian Richard Appukuttan, 48.

He was banned from entering Singapore for six months after he was caught honking near the Causeway checkpoint on 17 May.

Mr Appukuttan, who had been working as a security guard in Singapore for a year, claimed he just wanted to warn other motorcyclists who were trying to cut into his lane.

However, his action cost him dearly when an ICA officer stamped a 'W2' on his passport, which meant he was denied entry into Singapore for six months.

Mr Appukuttan's passport was stamped after ICA officers told him it was an offence to honk unnecessarily.

In this case, an ICA spokesman said that at about 6.30am that day, Mr Appukuttan was observed to have honked loudly and continuously for more than eight seconds at an arrival motorcycle lane at the Woodlands Checkpoint while awaiting immigration clearance.

The spokesman said: 'When asked, he did not deny that he honked. He was unable to give a satisfactory explanation of why he was honking continuously while in the queue.'

Apart from Mr Appukuttan, several other Malaysian motorists had also been denied entry into Singapore for honking, but the number of such offenders is not available.

In Mr Appukuttan's case, his six-month ban was cut to 20 days after his employer, security services firm Apro-Asian Protection, appealed to ICA, which subsequently lifted the ban on 6 Jun.

When contacted by The New Paper on Sunday, an administrator at the security firm said: 'We had treated his absence from work as unpaid leave. But now, we're happy the matter has been resolved.'

Mr Appukuttan said the incident was an expensive lesson for him because his monthly salary of $2,000 for May and June will be deducted, since he could not enter Singapore during the period of the ban.

He claimed he did not notice the signboards stating that honking was not allowed.

He said: 'I had honked along the Causeway on previous trips, but nobody penalised me in the past. Last year, I didn't have that many problems along the Causeway because the jam lasted only an hour at most.

'Now, with the manhunt for (escaped terrorist) Mas Selamat still on, the jams last two hours and motorists tend to cut queues.'

He also felt it was harsh to ban him over something that he considers trivial.

He said: 'If I were caught for smuggling drugs or cigarettes, it's different. But this is something minor and it almost cost me my livelihood.

'Now, I avoid honking even when I see other motorcyclists trying to cut into my path. I can't afford to be punished again.'

UNAWARE OF RULE

When interviewed, other Malaysians such as Mr D Revindran, 40, a security guard who rides his motorcycle into Singapore every day, also said that he was unaware that they could be denied entry if they honked at others.

He said: 'We honk not because we enjoy doing so. It's so easy for other motorcyclists to weave in and out of the line, so we have to honk to warn them not to cut queue.'

There were some Singaporean motorists who knew about the honking ban, such as Mr SH Lee, 40, an accountant.

He said: 'There are signs along the Causeway stating that honking is banned. How can anyone not know?'

Ultimately, it is the residents living near the Causeway who welcome the clampdown on honking most, saying that inconsiderate motorists who blare their horn at wee hours of the day have been driving them up the wall.

For these residents, the good news is that the authorities say that they will continue to take action against motorists who disobey the traffic rules, in order to maintain orderliness and minimise noise pollution at the checkpoints.