Singapore blogger and financial adviser Leong Sze Hian has been ordered to forfeit S$45,000 in bail that he posted for lawyer Lim Tean after a court found that he had failed to fulfil his responsibilities as a bailor.
The 72-year-old had provided S$30,000 in monetary security and S$15,000 in non-monetary security for Lim, 61, who was released on bail while awaiting the start of his jail sentence.
Lim was supposed to surrender at the State Courts on Aug 3 to begin serving a three-month-and-one-week jail term for practising as a lawyer without a valid practising certificate. Instead, he failed to turn up, prompting the court to issue a warrant for his arrest.
Lim subsequently left Singapore and was arrested by Malaysian authorities in Johor Bahru on Aug 6. He was handed over to Singapore police on Aug 11 and has since begun serving his jail sentence.
During Thursday’s hearing, Leong argued against the forfeiture, saying he had done his best to fulfil his duties as surety.
He told the court that he had maintained regular contact with Lim and had contacted him on Aug 2, the day before he was due to surrender. Leong said he had no reason to believe Lim would leave Singapore without permission.
Leong also said Lim had remained in contact with his lawyer and had been communicating with him until the day he was supposed to report to court.
The prosecution argued that Leong had failed to maintain the required daily communication with Lim. Deputy Public Prosecutor Bryan Wong said Leong also did not contact Lim on the day he was due to surrender and only did so after an investigation officer contacted him.
Under Singapore’s bail conditions, a bailor is required to maintain daily communication with the person on bail and take steps to ensure that the person complies with the conditions imposed by the court.
District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt ruled that Leong had failed to fulfil those responsibilities. The judge said that by agreeing to act as bailor, Leong had accepted duties including ensuring that Lim remained in Singapore unless he had permission to leave.
The court therefore ordered the full S$45,000 bail to be forfeited.
Lim was convicted in July 2024 of three charges under the Legal Profession Act after he represented clients in court and carried out legal work while he did not have a valid practising certificate.
He was initially sentenced to six weeks’ jail and fined S$1,000, but the High Court later increased the prison term to three months and one week after allowing the prosecution’s appeal.
Lim was also declared bankrupt in April 2026 and was fined S$30,000 in a separate disciplinary case involving his handling of a former client’s money.
Following his failure to surrender, two Singaporean men were charged over an alleged conspiracy to help Lim leave Singapore for Malaysia. Lim has not been charged in relation to the alleged abscondment.
The forfeiture means Leong will bear the full financial consequence of the bail arrangement after the court found that he had not met the obligations attached to acting as Lim’s surety.
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