Lim Tean faces seven charges after fleeing to Malaysia without passport to avoid prison

SINGAPORE: Former lawyer Lim Tean has been charged with three additional offences on Oct 9, 2026, for failing to surrender to serve his prison sentence and subsequently fleeing to Malaysia without a passport, bringing his total number of charges to seven.

The Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) charged him with knowingly failing to surrender to custody at the State Courts on Aug 3, 2026, as ordered by the Court of Appeal, leaving Singapore via Tuas Checkpoint on Aug 4, 2026, without presenting a valid passport or any evidence of identity and citizenship, and doing an act with a tendency to defeat the course of justice by leaving Singapore unlawfully to avoid serving his sentence.

The sequence of events

Lim Tean’s legal troubles date to charges filed between May and September 2022, including two counts of criminal breach of trust as an attorney, unlawful stalking, refusing to answer a public servant, and three counts of acting as an advocate or solicitor while being an unauthorised person. His passport was surrendered to CAD as a bail condition.

On Jul 26, 2024, he was convicted of the three Legal Profession Act charges and sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment and a S$1,000 fine. Following appeals by both sides, the High Court enhanced his sentence on Feb 23, 2026 to three months’ and one week’s imprisonment.

Lim Tean subsequently filed a criminal motion to the Court of Appeal to refer questions of law of public interest. The Court of Appeal dismissed his application on Jul 6, 2026 and ordered him to surrender on July 20, 2026. He applied for a deferment, which was granted, with a new surrender date of Aug 3, 2026.

He failed to appear on Aug 3. A warrant of arrest was issued the same day, and CAD commenced investigations. He was arrested by the Royal Malaysia Police on Aug 6, 2026, and handed over to the SPF on Aug 11, 2026, through collaboration between the two forces.

At the time of his departure, Lim Tean was not in possession of his passport, which had been surrendered to CAD, and did not have the Court’s permission to leave Singapore. Two other men, aged 38 and 45, have been separately charged for their involvement in arranging his illegal departure. Their court proceedings are ongoing.

The failure to surrender charge carries a fine or imprisonment of up to three years, or both. The Immigration Act charge carries a fine of up to S$2,000 or imprisonment of up to six months, or both. The charge of doing an act to defeat the course of justice carries a fine or imprisonment of up to seven years, or both.