2 Singaporeans face charges for alleged plot to help lawyer Lim Tean illegally escape to Malaysia

Summary

• Two Singaporeans were charged on Aug 8 over an alleged conspiracy to help lawyer Lim Tean leave Singapore illegally for Malaysia.

• Lim Tean was arrested in Johor Bahru on Aug 6 after failing to surrender for a three-month-and-one-week jail sentence.

• The alleged offence carries up to seven years’ jail, a fine, or both, with the case returning to court on Aug 14.

SINGAPORE: Singapore police have taken two men to court over alleged efforts to help lawyer Lim Tean leave Singapore illegally. Sulaiman Muhammad Firdaus, 37, and Mohammad Adam Abd Karim, 44, were each charged on Saturday, Aug 8.

Both men are accused of taking part in a conspiracy that could defeat the course of justice. The offence carries up to seven years’ jail, a fine, or both.

The charges add another layer to the case involving Lim, who was arrested in Johor Bahru after failing to surrender in Singapore for his jail sentence, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported (Aug 8).

Two men accused of helping Lim leave Singapore

Court documents allege that Adam eventually made arrangements for Lim to leave Singapore illegally. The documents don’t state how Lim left the country. They also don’t set out the full nature of the alleged arrangements.

Sulaiman and Adam each face one charge linked to the alleged conspiracy. The Singapore Police Force said it takes a firm stance against people who help others evade justice.

Police said offenders who assist such acts will face prosecution under the law. The case is scheduled to return to court on Aug 14.

Lim failed to surrender after his sentence was deferred

Lim, 61, was supposed to report to the State Courts on Aug 3 to begin serving his jail sentence. He failed to appear, and his lawyer and bailor were unable to contact him. An arrest warrant was then issued for him in Singapore.

Lim was later arrested by the Royal Malaysia Police in Johor Bahru on Thursday, Aug 6. The Singapore Police Force said it is working with Malaysian authorities to secure his return to Singapore.

The Singapore courts had earlier directed Lim to surrender at noon on July 20. On July 17, however, the Court of Appeal granted his request to defer the sentence. He was then ordered to surrender at noon on Aug 3.

Lim’s original jail term was later increased

Lim was convicted in July 2024 after a trial before Senior District Judge Ong Hian Sun. His original sentence was six weeks’ jail and a S$1,000 fine for practising law without a valid certificate.

That sentence was later increased to three months and one week after a judge accepted the prosecution’s view that the original punishment was inadequate.

Lim was also declared bankrupt in April. That same month, he was fined S$30,000 over his conduct in handling money belonging to a former client.

The latest charges against the two men are separate from Lim’s earlier convictions and penalties. They concern the alleged arrangements made to help him illegally leave Singapore.

The case also draws attention to Lim’s political roles

Lim, the founder of Peoples Voice and secretary-general of the People’s Alliance for Reform, an alliance of opposition parties, contested Potong Pasir SMC at last year’s General Election in a three-cornered contest.

Lim finished third, behind People’s Action Party candidate Alex Yeo and Singapore People’s Party candidate Williamson Lee. Those political roles add a public-interest dimension to a case that is, at its core, now before the courts.

The immediate question is whether the two men can be proven to have participated in the alleged arrangements, which will be addressed through the legal process.

The police warning also makes a point that helping someone avoid a court sentence can itself lead to serious criminal consequences.

Once a court order has been made, helping someone evade it can create another legal problem for everyone involved. The next step is the court hearing on Aug 14. Until then, the allegations against Sulaiman and Adam remain allegations.