Lim Tean’s bailor Leong Sze Hian forfeits S$45,000 after lawyer allegedly absconds to Malaysia

Lim Tean’s bailor Leong Sze Hian forfeits S$45,000 after lawyer allegedly absconds to Malaysia "I had no reason to believe that he was going to run away," said Mr Leong Sze Hian. SINGAPORE: Socio-political blogger Leong Sze Hian, who acted as bailor for lawyer Lim Tean, had the full S$45,000 (US$35,300) bail amount forfeited on Thursday (Sep 17), after Lim allegedly absconded to Malaysia. Mr Leong, 72, argued against the forfeiture, saying he had tried his best to fulfil his duties as a bailor and had contacted Lim the day before the lawyer was due to surrender. "We told Mr Lim that we would send him off. He then messaged me to say there was no need, as he would be making a statement about jobs the next day in the morning before he reported for jail," said Mr Leong. Mr Leong added that on the day Lim was due to surrender, Lim's lawyer contacted him and said Lim had transferred two cases to him. "So given the circumstances, I had no reason to believe that he was going to run away," said Mr Leong. Mr Leong asked the court to consider his personal circumstances, saying he had a slipped disc and high blood pressure. His wife had also undergone two major cancer operations and had other health conditions, he said. He added that he had tried to follow the requirements as bailor for the last six years, keeping in "constant contact" with Lim every time the lawyer went to court or to the police station. He said the prosecution had shown only call logs and messages on WhatsApp, when there were other communications between himself and Lim. The month before Lim was to report for jail, Mr Leong said he was contacting him "almost daily" if not at least once in two days. Deputy Public Prosecutor Bryan Wong called for the full sum to be forfeited. He said Mr Leong had failed to communicate daily with Lim as required, and did not contact him on the day he was due to surrender, doing so only after the investigation officer contacted Mr Leong. District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt agreed with the prosecutor that the full sum of S$45,000, comprising S$30,000 in monetary security for one case and S$15,000 in non-monetary security for another, should be forfeited as Mr Leong had failed to fulfil his obligations as surety. Monetary bail refers to cash or cash equivalents, while non-monetary bail can be put up by pledging property such as luxury goods, jewellery and watches. Judge Chay told Mr Leong that when he stood bail for Lim, he took on certain duties and responsibilities and agreed to certain conditions. Two of these are fundamental: To ensure Lim complied with all bail conditions, including not leaving Singapore without the permission of the court, and to have the bail sum forfeited if Mr Leong failed to faithfully discharge his duties as bailor. Lim, 61, was due to surrender at the State Courts on Aug 3 to begin serving a jail term of three months and one week for practising law without a valid certificate. Instead, Lim left Singapore while on court bail furnished by Mr Leong and a warrant of arrest was issued against him. Lim was arrested by the Royal Malaysia Police on Aug 6 and handed over to the Singapore Police Force on Aug 11. He has since begun serving his jail term and has not yet been charged with any offence relating to the alleged abscondment. Lim was convicted in July 2024 for practising as a lawyer for about two months in 2021 when he did not have a valid certificate. He had attended court hearings on behalf of clients on 32 occasions during the period when he did not have a valid practising certificate. A district court sentenced him in February 2025 to six weeks' jail and a S$1,000 fine. The High Court later increased his sentence to three months and one week's jail after a judge agreed with the prosecution that it was "manifestly inadequate". Lim was declared bankrupt in April 2026. In the same month, he was also fined S$30,000 over his conduct in handling a former client's money. Two men were charged last month with conspiring to arrange for Lim to leave Singapore illegally. They are remanded and due to return to court later this month. Lim is the founder of Peoples Voice and secretary-general of the People's Alliance for Reform, an alliance of opposition parties. At the 2025 General Election, he contested Potong Pasir SMC in a three-way fight and came third behind the People's Action Party's Alex Yeo and Singapore People's Party candidate Williamson Lee. Lim had represented Mr Leong in a defamation suit brought by then-prime minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2020. Mr Leong lost and was ordered to pay Mr Lee S$133,000 in damages. More recently in 2024, Mr Leong was issued a Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) correction direction for a Facebook post about housing grants.