Former professor ordered to pay A-G Chambers S$14,000

SINGAPORE — Former law professor Tey Tsun Hang, who had failed in his bid to retain his permanent residency status, was ordered to pay the Attorney-General’s Chambers S$14,000 in costs for legal fees and related expenses for that case.

The hearing on costs for Mr Tey’s appeal was heard behind closed doors by High Court judge Quentin Loh yesterday morning.

In throwing out the case last December, Justice Loh said Mr Tey’s application for the court to get the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to review his PR status — which was revoked in 2013 when he left the country without a re-entry permit — and to renew his re-entry permit was an abuse of the court process.

Describing Mr Tey’s conduct as “highly unsatisfactory”, the judge also noted Mr Tey’s lengthy delay in filing the application and how he had skipped the normal procedure of appealing to the Home Affairs Minister.

He also noted Mr Tey’s drastic change in position “at the eleventh hour”, claiming only in November last year that he was unaware of ICA’s decision on the earlier cancellation of his re-entry permit. KELLY NG