Ex-S'pore Idol judge Ken Lim appeals conviction & 13-month jail sentence

Ken Lim Chih Chiang, the former "Singapore Idol" judge who was found guilty of molesting a woman in 2021, appealed against his conviction and 13-month jail term in the High Court on Sep. 11, CNA reported.

The 62-year-old was sentenced to jail for molesting a 25-year-old woman at his Hype Records office.

The State Court district judge convicted Lim on one count of molest on Sep. 26, 2025.

He was sentenced on Nov. 18, 2025.

The judge found Lim "untruthful".

Lim was represented by a senior counsel.

The appeal argued that the victim made up accounts and that the court should scrutinise her statements.

Justice Hoo Sheau Peng reserved her judgment on the appeal.

She will give her decision at a later date.

Lim was previously acquitted on Dec. 11, 2024 of making sexual comments to a woman in 2012.

A district judge had found the woman not to be a credible witness as she did not have a clear recollection of the meeting's material aspects.

Focus of appeal

During trial, the court heard that the victim met Lim for three interviews in 2021.

It was at the third meeting at Lim's Hype Records office that she was molested.

Lim's lawyer said the victim had given inconsistent accounts of the second meeting on Nov. 18, 2021, where allegedly obscene topics were discussed.

The victim was not consistent with what she understood "F for change" meant, Lim's lawyers argued.

The victim had apparently interpreted the phrase to mean the complexity of the characters she had to play, and then taking it as a literal proposition for sex from Lim.

Lim's lawyer argued that the trial judge had not addressed these discrepancies sufficiently and the meanings were hard to reconcile.

The victim subsequently told others close to her that Lim was "relaxed" and "chilled out", as well as describe him as a "father figure", Lim's lawyer said.

The lawyer added that it was impossible for her to have this impression after they had a discussion on obscene topics.

How Lim allegedly molested the woman

The molestation apparently took place on Nov. 23, 2021 at the third meeting.

The woman said Lim asked her to kiss him as a test and she did, but reacted with a disgusted face.

She said Lim asked her to kiss him again, passionately, and that she should not make that face.

She said Lim groped her breast inside her clothing for a few seconds when they kissed, before removing his hand, the court heard.

Lim's lawyer said these actions were difficult to carry out in a few seconds.

"We have tried this many times in our office and we found it was impossible for the act to be done," the lawyer said, according to CNA.

The victim had admitted the act was awkward, but added that a person intending to molest would find a way.

Nothing amiss post-molest

Lim's lawyer also highlighted that the woman chatted with Lim for 10 minutes after the alleged molestation and walked together, which was captured in CCTV footage.

She also offered him a hug before she left.

According to the victim, she was not thinking clearly and only gave hugs to people she was close to, but later said she gave hugs to friends.

Lim's lawyer questioned the consistency of the victim's statements and said the accused cannot defend himself if all her discrepancies are dismissed.

Prosecution: Witness "highly consistent"

The prosecution argued that the victim had been "highly consistent" and that Lim's lawyer was trying to raise as many inconsistencies as possible.

The prosecution added that the victim went ahead with the third meeting as there was nothing so alarming about the second meeting.

Moreover, she was looking to break into the industry and was seeking a mentor.

The prosecution also argued that there was no evidence to show that the act of molestation was impossible, even though it could have been awkward, in response to the defence's argument that the act was not possible to carry out in a few seconds.

The prosecution added that the victim was in shock and on autopilot, and her hug was more like placing an arm on Lim's back, which was what she did to act normal.

The prosecution said the woman subsequently met her boyfriend but did not join him at the venue.

She remained quiet and appeared bothered, he had testified in court.

She only let him know what had happened the next day in an emotional manner, the court heard.

The prosecution added that the district court judge got it right and the woman had nothing to gain from lying about Lim.