Ken Lim takes the stand, calls allegations against him 'a blatant lie'

Former Singapore Idol judge Ken Lim called the allegations of him asking sexually inappropriate questions “a blatant lie”, as he took the stand for the first time in the trial.

- Christine Tan

In his testimony on July 22, which lasted more than four hours, Lim, 60, denied asking a woman, then 26, “Are you a virgin?” and “What if I have sex with you right now?” on July 25, 2012.

Lim, a music producer known for his record label Hype Records, said he had criticised only the woman’s ability to succeed in the music industry, which made her upset.

When asked by his lawyer, Senior Counsel Tan Chee Meng, to respond to the allegations, Lim said: “I am already an established music executive. I’ve been in the business for three decades. I will not leave the fate of my reputation in the hands of a 26-, 27-year-old who cannot (differentiate) between having a future and having none.”

The woman, who cannot be identified due to a gag order, had testified against Lim in May in court proceedings that were closed to the media. She is one of five women who claim to be Lim’s victims. Lim, who faces seven charges – one count of molestation and six counts of insulting modesty – will go through a trial for each victim.

On the stand, Lim said he had arranged to meet the woman in 2012 as a favour for his close friend, who was family friends with her. The friend knew she wanted to join the music industry and hoped Lim could help her.