SINGAPORE, Sept. 17 -- Socio-political blogger Leong Sze Hian has been ordered by a district court to forfeit the entire S$45,000 (RM145,000) bail sum he posted for lawyer Lim Tean, after Lim fled to Malaysia to evade a custodial sentence.

Appearing before the State Courts on Thursday, the 72-year-old blogger contested the forfeiture application, arguing that he had made every effort to discharge his responsibilities as a bailor and had communicated with Lim just 24 hours before the lawyer was due to surrender to prison authorities, CNA reported.

"We told Mr Lim that we would send him off. He then messaged me to say there was no need, as he would be making a statement about jobs the next day in the morning before he reported for jail," ...