They had lived in the block for close to 30 years, but some neighbours did not even know that Madam Koh Eng, 66, and Mr Ong Chai Seng, 63, were married to each other.
Their relationship had been on the rocks for a long time and they were due to appear in court on Wednesday to undergo divorce proceedings, a neighbour told Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao. But a heated quarrel between the couple at dawn that day ended in tragedy at their home at Block 737, Yishun Street 72.
Just before 6am, they got into a huge argument, reported Lianhe Wanbao.
Shouts were heard before Madam Koh, who had head injuries, ran out of their 12th-storey unit and headed to their daughter’s flat on the seventh storey.
Mr Ong did not chase after his wife.
Their daughter called the police, but when they arrived, Mr Ong was found dead at the foot of the block.
Lianhe Wanbao said Madam Koh found out about her husband’s death only after the police arrived.
He was believed to have fallen from the kitchen window of the flat.
Neighbours told Wanbao that the couple, who had lived in the block for more than 30 years, had a stormy relationship and were often heard having heated arguments.
They said that 13 years ago, Mr Ong had to quit his job as a taxi driver after a stroke.
A woman who lives on the 10th storey told The New Paper that she recognised the couple, but did not know that they were married because she had never seen them together.
The neighbour, who declined to be named, added: “In all my 10 years living here, I’ve never seen them take the lift together. I didn’t know them well, but I always saw the man going for early morning walks in the nearby park.”
Neighbours told TNP that they had seen Mr Ong moving about with the help of a walking stick.
WALKING STICK
He is believed to have hit Madam Koh with the walking stick during their fight on Wednesday, Wanbao reported.
When TNP visited Mr Ong’s wake yesterday evening, his family declined to be interviewed.
Two women who identified themselves as Mr Ong’s sisters told Wanbao at the void deck of the block yesterday morning that he was the sixth of nine siblings.
One sister said that they seldom talked after he got married more than 30 years ago. The last time she saw him was two years ago, Mr Ong had diabetes and high blood pressure and had lost a lot of weight in recent years, she added.
A police spokesman told TNP they were alerted to the incident at 5.57am on Wednesday.
A 63-year-old man was found motionless at the foot of Block 737, Yishun Street 72.
A 66-year-old woman connected to the case was found injured in a unit in the block, the spokesman said.
Investigations are ongoing.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force told TNP it sent an ambulance to the scene.
The man was pronounced dead by paramedics and the woman was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
Aside from her head injuries, Madam Koh had bruises on both eyes and was experiencing dizzy spells, reported Wanbao.
Doctors suspected she might have a brain injury and transferred her to the intensive care unit for further examination.
| HELPLINES | |
| Samaritans of Singapore (SOS): | 1800-2214444 |
| Singapore Association for Mental Health: | 1800-2837019 |
| Sage Counselling Centre: | 1800-5555555 |
| Care Corner Mandarin Counselling: | 1800-3535800 |
This article was first published on November 18, 2016.
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