PUBLISHED ONAugust 11, 2026 12:57 PMUPDATEDAugust 11, 2026 2:10 PMBYSean LerLim Tean has been arrested by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) upon his return on Tuesday (Aug 11), the police said.
The 61-year-old was arrested by the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) in Johor Bahru on Aug 6, after an arrest warrant was issued for him on Aug 3 for failing to surrender to the State Courts to begin his jail term the same day.
@asiaone Lim Tean, 61, was handed over to the Singapore Police Force by the Royal Malaysia Police on Tuesday (Aug 11). #sgnews #Singapore #Malaysia #Police #Lawyer ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
Lim was originally supposed to surrender on July 20, but had asked for an adjournment so that he could settle his personal affairs.
He was convicted in July 2024 of three charges under the Legal Profession Act and was sentenced to six weeks’ jail and a fine of $1,000 by a district judge in February 2025.
But that was increased to three months and one week after a judge agreed with the prosecution that his original sentence was "manifestly inadequate".
The opposition politician was declared bankrupt in April, and was also fined $30,000 over his conduct in handling a former client's money.
Peggy Pao, director of the Commercial Affairs Department, reiterated the police's resolve to pursue and bring to justice those who commit crimes in Singapore.
"We will continue to work closely with our wide network of overseas law enforcement partners to locate, arrest and secure the return of criminals to face justice in Singapore."
The director also thanked the RMP for their prompt assistance.
Police investigations into the circumstances of his illegal departure are ongoing, with two men charged on Aug 8 for allegedly having conspired to make arrangements for Lim Tean to illegally depart Singapore for Malaysia.
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