T

he family of Singaporean Lim Yong Nam has criticized a decision by President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo to approve a trial into the possible extradition of Lim to the US, saying it was discriminatory.

Lim'€™s lawyer Zevrijn Boy Kanu said Jokowi'€™s decision to approve the trial against Lim, 40, after the superpower requested he be extradited was deemed by Lim'€™s family as discriminatory as the decision was based solely on the consideration of the good ties Indonesia had with the US but ignored its good relations with Singapore.

'€œIndonesia and the US have no extradition treaty so there is no obligation. Is the President doing this based on the consideration that the US is a great and powerful nation?'€ Boy told The Jakarta Post after Lim'€™s third pretrial hearing against his detention in Batam on Tuesday.

He said Jokowi had obviously approved the extradition trial, despite there being no extradition treaty with the US.

Lim is only assisted by his church community without support from the Singaporean government, he added.

'€œIdeally, Indonesia should deport Lim to Singapore and hand the matter over to Singapore in regard to the extradition request by the US,'€ said Boy.

Lim'€™s wife, May Lim, wanted the Indonesian government to release her husband, who was arrested in Batam five months ago, and immediately deport him to Singapore.

Boy also said that the Singapore government had not extended maximum assistance to Lim, but had left him to fight for himself in seeking justice.

'€œSingapore has done nothing. We requested that the Singaporean Consulate in Batam be a defense witness in court regarding the Singapore High Court'€™s decision stating that Lim was innocent of the US charge, but it refused. Lim'€™s family is fighting alone in seeking justice,'€ said Boy, adding that the legal expenses were being completely covered by Lim and his family.

According to Boy, assistance provided by the Singaporean government comprised communicating with the Indonesian Foreign Ministry in Jakarta and requesting that Lim be deported to Singapore.

Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore Andri Hadi said on Tuesday that Singapore had yet to officially respond to Jokowi'€™s decision to approve the extradition trial against Lim.

'€œI'€™m in Surabaya to attend an Investment Coordinating Board event. I must check on the latest information to find out whether or not Singapore has responded to the matter,'€ said Andri via text message.

Separately, the Singaporean consul general in Batam, Gavin Chay, has repeatedly declined to comment on the case since the commencement of the pretrial hearings against Lim'€™s detention.

'€œYes, I am present but I'€™ve no comment,'€ said Gavin at the Batam District Court'€™s cafeteria as he engaged in discussion with May Lim.

Riau Islands Police General Crimes and Intelligence Sub-directorate head Adj. Sr. Comr. Armaini expressed optimism that the sole judge, Budiman Sitorus, would not be influenced in deciding on a ruling. Armaini said the US was determined that Lim be extradited to the US because he had committed a dire mistake.

Lim is one of four Singaporeans accused of illegally exporting US-made radio modules as part of bomb components from the US to Iran.

They were accused of smuggling the devices to Iran through Singapore.

The case came to light in October 2011, when two of the Singaporeans were extradited to the US. Since Singapore regarded Lim innocent, he was not extradited.