M. Ravi out, Lim Tean in: Bus drivers appoint new lawyer in SBS Transit lawsuit

A day after discharging their lawyer M. Ravi, the bus drivers suing SBS Transit have appointed Lim Tean to represent them.

In a media statement on Wednesday (Nov 24), lead plaintiff Chua Qwong Meng and other bus drivers thanked Lim for "taking the case at short notice despite his heavy caseload", and with "no demand as to fees."

"We are confident that he will be able to plead our case effectively in court and help us achieve the desired outcome," Chua said.

Lim confirmed in a Facebook post that he was taking the case, saying it involves "legal issues which have enormous ramifications not only for the economic interest of SBS Transit drivers but also many other workers in Singapore".

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesVoiceSingapore/posts/447354593426450[/embed]

In a court hearing on Monday, Ravi accused High Court judge Audrey Lim of being biased and told her to disqualify herself from hearing the case.

He told SBS Transit's lawyer Davinder Singh "don't be a clown, just email" during a discussion, and said that he'd call "Dr Mahathir" for help on the case as the majority of the bus drivers involved are Malaysian.

On Tuesday, the bus drivers said that Ravi's behaviour during the court proceedings shocked and embarrassed them.

"He has let us down very badly and hurt our case immeasurably," Chua said in a statement.

They asked Ravi for a refund of balance fees, adding that they had paid Ravi over $55,000 which was raised via crowdfunding.

In 2019 and 2020, the 13 bus drivers filed lawsuits against the bus operator over overtime pay and working hours.

lamminlee@asiaone.com