SINGAPORE, Aug 7 — Singapore Opposition politician and lawyer Lim Tean has been arrested in Johor Bahru after failing to surrender to serve a jail sentence, with Singapore police now working to bring him back.
Malaysian police arrested Lim yesterday after a Singapore court issued a warrant for his arrest when he failed to report on August 3 to begin serving his sentence, The Straits Times reported.
“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 Royal Malaysia Police to secure his return to Singapore,” a Singapore police official was quoted as saying.
Lim, secretary-general of the People’s Alliance for Reform and founder of Peoples Voice, was convicted in July 2024 of practising law without a valid practising certificate.
He was originally sentenced to six weeks’ jail and fined S$1,000 (RM3,500) in February 2025.
However, the High Court increased his sentence to three months and one week in February this year after allowing prosecutors’ appeal for a stiffer punishment.
The case stemmed from Lim appearing in court and filing documents on 32 occasions between April and June 2021 despite not holding a valid practising certificate.
In a separate disciplinary case, Lim was fined S$30,000 (RM105,000) in April over his handling of a cheque meant for a client.
The Law Society of Singapore had sought to have him struck off the legal roll, but the court instead imposed the heavier financial penalty, citing his handling of clients’ money and his experience as a senior lawyer with more than 25 years in practice.