Chronology of Farida Nurhan Imprisoned in Hong Kong for Fake Documents

"At that time I wanted to work as a migrant worker but I was one year short of the required age. So my passport was changed from 1982 to 1981," said Farida Nurhan as quoted from the podcast Close The Door with Deddy Corbuzier, Tuesday (21/1/2025).

New problems arose when Farida intended to work in Hong Kong again and updated her passport using personal data that matched her birth certificate. The inconsistency in that information immediately raised suspicions from the immigration authorities. "As soon as I was checked at the airport, the officers were suspicious because the birth year on the passport was different," she said.

In the trial, Omay emphasized that his actions were solely to be able to work and survive. Nevertheless, the panel of judges still imposed a prison sentence of four months, which was later reduced to two and a half months.

During her detention, Farida was placed separately from prisoners with serious criminal cases. There, she met many Indonesian migrant workers who faced similar issues. Behind those conditions, she admitted that she could still breathe a little easier because her work had already reached her family. "On the prison uniform, there is a label saying false document. The prison is clean, but it still feels uncomfortable," she said.

Not long before being sent back to Indonesia, Farida was moved to Victoria Prison, a detention facility known for having a harsher atmosphere compared to the previous place. "I was handcuffed together with others. There were many mosquitoes, the room was small, and the conditions were tougher," she revealed.

The bitter experience left a deep mark on Farida Nurhan. The trauma she felt made her reluctant to return to Hong Kong, even though it was still administratively possible to manage a re-application. "My passport is stamped red, I am blacklisted. I am too lazy to take care of it, I don’t want to go back there," she concluded.