TAKING the stand on Tuesday (Nov 28) to testify in the criminal trial of Lim Oon Kuin, psychiatrist Yeo Seem Huat said that the founder of oil trader Hin Leong had a number of conditions including severe depression, anxiety and poor concentration. 

These conditions were brought about chiefly by the problems brewing at Hin Leong, Dr Yeo told a district court. Dr Yeo is the only other witness, apart from Lim, in the trial that has been called upon by the defence counsel to take the stand.

Lim, who is better known as OK Lim, first saw the doctor on May 13, 2020. Prior to the first consultation, Dr Yeo said he did not know who Lim was.

In response to a question from one of Lim’s lawyers, Navin Thevar of Davinder Singh Chambers, Dr Yeo said that he knew Lim was suffering from depression as soon as he had walked into the clinic’s consultation room. He recalled that Lim “looked sad” and walked slowly. “As an experienced psychiatrist, whenever patients come to my consultation room, the first three minutes (are the) most critical,” he explained. 

Dr Yeo said that he asked Lim an “open-ended question” about how he was feeling. In response, Lim said that he was feeling sad, and had been sleeping poorly for the month and a half. The court heard that Lim would wake up at 2 am or 3 am after going to bed at 11.30 pm or midnight. When Lim was well, Dr Yeo said that his usual waking time was 6 am or 7am. Dr Yeo added that the police investigations that were being carried out against Hin Leong caused Lim to worry “excessively”. This early morning awakening, he said, was also a sign of major depression. 

Based on his initial clinical exam and consultation, Dr Yeo said that Lim had at least six out of the 11 symptoms listed in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 

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Lim also spoke of fatigue and poor appetite. Dr Yeo noted that Lim was also “very slow” in responding to questions, and would begin to feel anxious after 10 minutes. “(Lim) said his company (has been) under investigation since early April, then he became worried about this. He said he’s doing oil trading, then the business became poor because of Covid-19 and oil price.” 

Dr Yeo noted that Lim was “very different” from his ordinary patients. “He is a very outstanding businessman. At the age of 80, (to) have to face these problems, actually I feel sad for him.”

In order to test a person’s memory, Dr Yeo said that he would place five objects – such as a pen, a book or a bottle – in front of the person, and ask him or her to repeat what they saw in front of them. He would then continue the conversation, and then ask the person after five minutes if they remembered the items. 

When he did this exercise with Lim, Lim was only able to remember one of the five items. “I consider this poor memory,” Dr Yeo said. 

Dr Yeo had prescribed Lim with medications such as Lexapro, which was an antidepressant, as well as Nordazepam, an anti-anxiety medication. He also gave him a supplement to help with his sleeping problems. 

During Lim’s second appointment with Dr Yeo on May 30, 2020, his dosages for Lexapro and the sleep supplement were doubled. 

When questioned by Thevar on the reason behind the increase, Dr Yeo referred to this as “titration”. “This is my usual practice for elderly depression, I don’t want to start with a higher dosage, (because) I don’t know the response,” he said, adding that it was safer for elderly patients to start with a smaller dosage. 

The court heard that Dr Yeo received two degrees – Bachelor’s Degrees in medicine and surgery – from the University of Singapore in 1973. Upon completing his studies, he went to New Zealand to complete his housemanship, and then returned to Singapore at the end of 1982 to work in Woodbridge Hospital, which is now known as the Institute of Mental Health. 

Following that, Dr Yeo worked at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. In 1988, he started his own clinic at Mount Elizabeth Hospital. He has been running his own clinic, Yeo Seem Huat Psychiatric Clinic, at Paragon Shopping Centre since 2004. Dr Yeo said that he has a total of 40 years of experience in psychiatry.

The trial resumes on Wednesday with Judge Toh Han Li presiding over the case.

Dr Yeo is expected to remain on the stand till the end of the week, and is likely to be subject to a cross-examination next by prosecutors led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Christopher Ong.