Lim Tean, 61, left clothes, books & unfinished tea in JB rental apartment after arrest

Singaporean lawyer and politician Lim Tean reportedly left behind clothes, books and an unfinished cup of tea at a rental apartment in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, after he was arrested there earlier this month.

Deported to Singapore and arrested

The 61-year-old had been due to begin serving a three-month-and-one-week jail sentence on Aug. 3 for practising law without a valid practising certificate.

However, he failed to surrender as required, prompting the court to issue an arrest warrant against him.

According to a tip-off received by Shin Min Daily News, Lim had crossed into Malaysia by land before hiding in a rental apartment in Johor Bahru.

He was arrested by Malaysian police on Aug. 6, a day before he was due to check out of the apartment.

He was subsequently deported to Singapore and arrested by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Aug. 11, 2026.

Apartment booked under another man's name

In an interview with Shin Min, the owner of the guesthouse said the apartment had been booked, paid for, and checked in under the name of Mohammad Adam.

A 44-year-old man, Mohammad Adam Abd Karim, and another man, 47-year-old Sulaiman Muhammad Firdaus, were previously charged in Singapore on Aug. 8 with allegedly conspiring to make arrangements for Lim to leave Singapore illegally for Malaysia.

The guesthouse owner said she was surprised when police contacted her about the case.

At the police's request, she checked the guesthouse's records and found that only Mohammad Adam had registered for a stay from Aug. 3 to 7.

However, after security guards reviewed CCTV footage, they determined that Lim was the person who had actually checked into the apartment after the room key and access card were collected.

"I didn’t know [Lim] was a wanted criminal," said the guesthouse owner. "He looked like an ordinary middle-aged man, not at all menacing. All I knew was that he was Singaporean."

Clothes and books left behind

According to Shin Min, the one-bedroom apartment costs more than RM100 (S$31) a night.

It was furnished with a double bed, television, dining table, sofa, Wi-Fi, washing machine and refrigerator, among other amenities.

The guesthouse owner said police had instructed them not to enter or touch anything in the apartment until the following day, when Lim was due to check out.

According to her, Lim left several English-language books and items of clothing in the apartment.

These included a grey shirt, a blue shirt, a pair of black trousers, and two pairs of underwear.

"I believe he brought some books to read in order to pass the time," the owner said.

She added that the guesthouse was unable to contact the person who made the reservation, whom she believed had also been arrested.

"We didn't think he would come back to collect them, so we threw everything away," she said.

Despite the circumstances, the owner said the apartment was relatively tidy when staff entered to clean it.

"When we cleaned, there was actually not much rubbish in the room. He was a pretty clean and good tenant," she said.

An unfinished cup of tea was also left in the apartment.

The owner speculated that this was due to the arrest:

"He probably wanted to drink tea that day, but when the police arrived, he was no longer in the mood."

Apartment complex has strict security measures

When Shin Min visited the apartment complex, it found that residents were required to scan a QR code to enter and exit the building.

Room cards could also only be used to access the resident's own floor and a common area on the seventh floor.

The owner added that there are CCTV cameras on every floor.

"Even if there are criminals, they can be found very quickly, so we are not too worried," she said, adding that homeowners in the development also maintained close relationships with the security guards.

The owner also said she was unable to retrieve the unit's room key and access card after Lim's arrest.

She contacted the police, who told her they would look into the matter, but she said she eventually had to replace the lock and access card for RM200 (S$62).

She added that she was unable to open the door to the unit that day and had to hire a locksmith for about RM120 (S$37).

The owner said guests book the rental apartments through an online platform, making it difficult for property owners to know in advance whether they may be involved in a criminal case.

"We follow the required procedures, and the management will request information from the guests," she said.