---
title: "Indonesian woman searching for S’porean dad after 17 years: ‘He went to the harbour and never came back’"
url: "/singapore-seen/indonesian-woman-searching-sporean-dad-after-17-years-he-went-harbour-and-never-came-back"
published: "2026-11-03T04:57:15.000Z"
updated: "2026-11-03T04:57:15.000Z"
section: "Singapore Seen"
authors: ["Farah Daley"]
tags: ["looking for","family","father","daughter","Indonesia","Singapore Seen"]
---

# Indonesian woman searching for S’porean dad after 17 years: ‘He went to the harbour and never came back’

A 22-year-old Indonesian woman is appealing for help to find her Singaporean father, whom she has not seen since he left about 17 years ago and never returned.

Stomper Cecilia, who lives in Tanjung Pinang, Indonesia, was just five years old when her father, Lim Tiong Lip, disappeared from her life in 2009.

“All I remember is that one day, he went to the harbour, and after that, he never came back home,” she told Stomp.

“I was still young at the time, so I didn’t really understand what was happening or why he left.”

Her father, who is Singaporean, would be 83 this year.

## Never stopped searching

Cecilia said she had been searching for him since junior high school, hoping to find out what happened to him.

“As the years went by, I kept wondering where he was and what happened to him,” she reflected.

“I’ve never stopped hoping that one day I would be able to find him and finally know the truth about what happened.”

Cecilia’s memories of her father are limited, but she recalled that he had suffered a stroke and was undergoing rehabilitation around the time she last saw him.

He had been taking morning walks and relearning how to carry out everyday activities.

“I’m not sure if he ever fully recovered,” she said.

She also remembers that her father was not present when her maternal grandmother died in 2010.

According to Cecilia, her mother has been reluctant to discuss her father’s disappearance, although she has always described him as a kind and gentle man who loved his daughter dearly.

Cecilia still has her father’s wallet, along with copies of his identity card, driving licence and swimming instructor identification card.

She also hopes to reconnect with her father’s side of the family, including three half-siblings whom she remembers from childhood.

She recalled meeting an older half-brother during a visit to Singapore when she was about three or four years old.

However, Cecilia has little information about her half-siblings and does not know their current whereabouts.

“I also miss the family I have on my father’s side,” she said.

“I wish I could meet them, get to know them and reconnect with the family I’ve been missing for so long.”

Explaining why she decided to contact Stomp, Cecilia said the news platform was the first result that appeared when she searched online.

“I became curious and decided to look into it, hoping I might find some information about him,” she said.

“I’ve been searching for my father for many years, so I thought this could be a chance to finally learn something about him.”

## ‘I just want to know his story’

Despite the years that have passed, Cecilia remains determined to find answers.

“I don’t have many memories of him, but I really want to know more about my father and hopefully reconnect with him or his family someday,” she said.

“Even if he has passed away, I still want to know where he is buried and what happened to him. I just want to know his story and finally have some answers after all these years.”

Anyone with information about Lim Tiong Lip or his family can contact Stomp at stomp@sph.com.sg or WhatsApp 9384 3761.