Lim Tean arrested in Johor Bahru days after failing to surrender in Singapore to begin jail term
The Singapore Police Force is working closely with Malaysian police to secure the lawyer's return to Singapore.
Lawyer and politician Lim Tean outside the State Courts on May 12, 2022. (File photo: CNA/Gaya Chandramohan)
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SINGAPORE: Lawyer Lim Tean was arrested by the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) in Johor Bahru on Thursday (Aug 6), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Friday.
His arrest came three days after he was supposed to surrender to serve jail time for practising law without a valid certificate.
"As Lim Tean has an outstanding court warrant for arrest in Singapore for failing to surrender to court, the SPF is working closely with the RMP to secure his return to Singapore," SPF said.
"The SPF expresses appreciation to the Malaysian authorities for their prompt assistance."
Authorities in Singapore had issued an arrest warrant for Lim after he failed to report for the start of his jail term.
The 61-year-old Singaporean was supposed to surrender on Aug 3 to serve a jail term of three months and one week.
However, he did not show up. Mr Revi Shanker, Lim's lawyer, told CNA that he tried contacting Lim, but he was uncontactable. He also said Lim's bailor was unable to contact Lim, adding that this was "very unlike him".
A spokesperson from the Singapore courts earlier told CNA that Lim had originally been directed to surrender at 12pm on Jul 20 to begin his jail term.
However, on Jul 17, the Court of Appeal approved a request from Lim to defer his sentence and ordered him to surrender at 12pm on Aug 3 instead.
Lim was convicted in July 2024 by Senior District Judge Ong Hian Sun after a trial.
His original sentence was six weeks' jail and a S$1,000 (US$780) fine, but that was increased to three months and one week after a judge agreed with the prosecution that his original sentence was "manifestly inadequate".
Lim was declared bankrupt in April. In the same month, he was also fined S$30,000 over his conduct in handling a former client's money.
Lim is the founder of Peoples Voice (PV) and secretary-general of the People's Alliance for Reform, an alliance of opposition parties.
At last year's General Election, Lim came third in a three-cornered contest in Potong Pasir SMC, behind the People's Action Party's Alex Yeo and the Singapore People's Party's Williamson Lee.
