$2,000 fine for Taoist temple chief master who organised unlawful public procession
Shaffiq Alkhatib
The Straits Times
Jan 22, 2026
The chief master of Tien Sen Hua Taoist temple in Paya Lebar Road organised an unlawful public procession in October 2024, and the event caused inconvenience to motorists in the vicinity.
Lim Tong San, 62, was fined $2,000 on Jan 22 after admitting that he had organised the procession without a permit from the authorities.
Court documents stated that he had planned an annual celebration involving the God of Justice, also known as Baogong, the temple's chief deity.
As part of the two-day event, Lim and devotees started visiting temples in the western part of Singapore on Oct 23, 2024.
They managed to visit 80 to 90 places of worship before they took chartered buses and private vehicles to Tien Sen Tua Temple the next day.
"Towards the end of the event at about 9pm... the devotees and volunteers of the temple participated in a foot procession organised and led by the accused," said Deputy Public Prosecutor Maximilian Chew.
"The purpose of the procession was to welcome the 'Jade Emperor' – the Supreme Ruler of Heaven in Taoism – to the temple."
The court heard that during the procession, Lim as well as the devotees and volunteers occupied the leftmost lane of Paya Lebar Road towards Ubi Avenue 2.
After that, they used the left filter lane turning into Ubi Avenue 2.
The DPP said they walked around 400m, and the event was live-streamed on YouTube.
Taking part in a public procession without a police permit is illegal, the police had said earlier in a statement.
A spokesperson for the agency said: "Our laws and policies balance the need to provide adequate space for the conduct of public assemblies and processions, with the need to maintain public order and peace in Singapore."
A first-time offender can be fined up to $5,000.
A repeat offender can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000.
