{
  "id": 7976239,
  "title": "Lim Tean’s bailor Leong Sze Hian forfeits S$45,000 after lawyer allegedly absconds to Malaysia",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/lim-teans-bailor-leong-sze-hian-forfeits-s-45-000-after-lawyer",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T07:32:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/lim-tean-bailor-leong-sze-hian-bail-abscond-malaysia-6391211"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mr Leong Sze Hian, a socio-political blogger and lawyer Lim Tean's bailor, faced the forfeiture of the full S$45,000 bail amount (US$35,300) on Thursday, September 17, 2023, after Lim allegedly absconded to Malaysia. Mr Leong, 72, had previously argued against the forfeiture, stating that he had tried his best to fulfill his duties as a bailor and had contacted Lim the day prior to the lawyer's scheduled surrender. However, on the day Lim was due to surrender, Lim's lawyer informed Mr Leong that Lim had transferred two cases to him, leading Mr Leong to have no reason to believe Lim would abscond. Despite Mr Leong's personal health issues, including a slipped disc and high blood pressure, as well as his wife's recent cancer operations, District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt agreed with the prosecutor that the entire bail sum should be forfeited, as Mr Leong had failed to meet his obligations as surety.",
  "summary": "\"I had no reason to believe that he was going to run away,\" said Mr Leong Sze Hian.",
  "key_points": [
    "Lim Tean's bailor Leong Sze Hian loses S$45,000 bail",
    "Lawyer Lim Tean allegedly absconds to Malaysia",
    "Judge Chay Yuen Fatt upholds full bail forfeiture"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CNA - Singapore",
        "title": "Lim Tean’s bailor Leong Sze Hian forfeits S$45,000 after lawyer allegedly absconds to Malaysia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/lim-teans-bailor-leong-sze-hian-forfeits-s-45-000-after-lawyer-7978069",
        "published": "2026-09-17T07:32:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Singapore blogger out S$45,000 after lawyer Lim Tean flees to Malaysia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/singapore-blogger-out-s-45-000-after-lawyer-lim-tean-flees-to-malaysia",
        "published": "2026-09-17T08:47:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}