Lawyer Lim Tean, 61, was arrested in Singapore on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, after Malaysian authorities handed him over following his arrest in Johor Bahru last week. Lim had failed to surrender to the Singapore State Courts on August 3 to begin serving a jail term of three months and one week for practising law without a valid certificate.

Lim was convicted in July 2024 for practising as a lawyer for about two months in 2021 without a valid practising certificate. During that period, he attended court hearings on behalf of clients on 32 occasions. The High Court increased his sentence on February 23, 2026, after a judge agreed with the prosecution that the original sentence was "manifestly inadequate."

Lim left Singapore illegally while on court bail, prompting investigations into the circumstances of his departure, which are ongoing. Two Singaporean men have already been charged in connection with his alleged escape.

The Royal Malaysia Police arrested Lim on August 6, 2026, and handed him over to the Singapore Police Force on August 11, according to a police media release.

Peggy Pao, director of the Singapore Police Force's Commercial Affairs Department, said, “The police are resolved to pursue and bring to justice those who commit crimes in Singapore, regardless of where they flee to.”