| Unwavering
in the face of temptation |
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| Mr
Lim refused to compromise his
integrity by accepting a bribe.
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Red packets are normally received with
appreciation, but Mr Lim Geok Kwee flatly
turned down one that was given to him. Find
out what happened in this story.
Mr Lim, who has been working in the
Small Claims Tribunals (SCT) for the
last 20 years, is a process server.
He personally serves the Tribunals’ notices to
parties who need to go for a mediation session or
hearing at the SCT.
Many of the Tribunals’ customers are tourists
who have bought defective goods or who have
been misled into purchasing products by retailers.
SCT has a 24-hour timeline that enables tourists
to swiftly seek redress against unscrupulous
retailers. A mediation session will be fixed within
24 hours from the time a case is filed. This special
service also applies to urgent local cases.
Mr Lim’s role is to accompany the tourist to
the retailer’s premises where he will encourage
an amicable settlement between the tourist and
the retailer. If a settlement is reached, the parties
need not attend the mediation session at SCT.
In most cases, when faced with the prospect
of having to go to Court, retailers are more inclined
to settle the matter privately.
However, on one
occasion, a retailer
attempted another
form of “negotiation”
which treaded on the
wrong side of the law.
The incident happened
in 1997. At about noon
one day, an Australian
tourist lodged a claim
against a retailer for
overcharging him for a
video camera. Mr Lim
accompanied the tourist
to the shop to serve the
Tribunals’ notice.
While the sales
assistants were trying
to settle the matter
with the tourist, Mr Lim
waited in the shop.
Suddenly, he felt a movement in his left trouser
pocket. When he drew out the item, he realised
that the shop owner had slipped a red packet for
him.
“I felt very shocked and angry and immediately
returned it,” said Mr Lim. “He kept pushing me to
accept it, but I insisted I could not.”
When Mr Lim got back to his office, he reported
the case to his registrar. The shop owner was
subsequently charged in court and fined $10,000
for trying to bribe a public officer.
In the course of his work, Mr Lim has met all sorts
of people. Some retailers get nasty when they
realise that the tourists have filed a case against
them. When that happens, Mr Lim would try to
calm the retailer down before serving the Tribunals’
notice, and give the tourist an opportunity to
negotiate settlement.
Many tourists appreciate Mr Lim’s
professionalism and excellent service. He has
bagged many compliments from satisfied tourists
who have returned home greatly impressed with
the Singapore judiciary as well as the Public
Service as a whole.
When asked what gives him the greatest satisfaction
at work, Mr Lim simply said: “When the tourists
are happy, I am happy.” He also gave some practical
advice for younger civil servants: “Be nice to people
and be careful in whatever you do.” |
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By
Seeto Wei Peng, Subordinate Courts
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