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Elena Chong

The Straits Times

Publication Date : 06-03-2013

SINGAPORE: A maid agency boss could not resist the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Volvo when he spotted the keys in the armrest compartment of an unlocked XC90 in a condominium carpark. Philip Lim Chee Shong, 34, then set off across the Causeway on a six-hour, 500km joyride to his home in Ipoh - stopping en route to Kuala Lumpur to throw away divorce papers and two child seats belonging to the S$200,000 (US$160,500) car's lawyer owner. Yesterday, the Malaysian was jailed for 14 months and banned from driving for 18 months after admitting to the theft. Deputy Public Prosecutor Sanjiv Vaswani said victim Lim Meng Ern, 35, forgot to lock his vehicle when he returned to his Southaven II condo in Upper Bukit Timah on January 10 last year.

A maid agency boss could not resist the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Volvo when he spotted the keys in the armrest compartment of an unlocked XC90 in a condominium carpark.

Philip Lim Chee Shong, 34, then set off across the Causeway on a six-hour, 500km joyride to his home in Ipoh - stopping en route to Kuala Lumpur to throw away divorce papers and two child seats belonging to the S$200,000 (US$160,500) car's lawyer owner.

Yesterday, the Malaysian was jailed for 14 months and banned from driving for 18 months after admitting to the theft.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sanjiv Vaswani said victim Lim Meng Ern, 35, forgot to lock his vehicle when he returned to his Southaven II condo in Upper Bukit Timah on January 10 last year.

Investigations showed Philip Lim was parking his Proton near the basement lift lobby to drop off a friend when he noticed that the black Volvo's door appeared to be unlocked. After his friend left, he walked over to it - his suspicions were confirmed; he also noticed the keys inside.

DPP Vaswani said: "The accused saw an opportunity to take the Volvo and decided to drive it to Malaysia for fun as he had never driven a Volvo vehicle before."

He drove across the Causeway via Woodlands checkpoint, back to Ipoh where he lives with his parents and younger sister.

Lim continued driving the Volvo in Ipoh until some time in February when he had an accident. He sent the car for repairs.

On February 27, he took a bus to Singapore to retrieve his Proton. The Straits Times understands that he was arrested by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority on May 12 while trying to extend his social visit pass.

Court papers did not state how the authorities linked him to the car theft. The victim received S$76,000 in compensation from an insurance company.

Lim admitted that he had intended to keep the stolen Volvo for his use in Malaysia. The car, which costs more than $200,000 (US$61,000) brand new, has been seized by the Royal Malaysian Police.

District Judge Eddy Tham said Lim had not learnt from a 2007 theft conviction when he was fined. He said Lim "used the car more than for a joyride".

Lim said through his counsel Patrick Chow that he had a row with his Singaporean wife, who lives in Yishun, before taking the car but the court found no causal link between the two.