80-year-old charged with murder of daughter-in-law

SINGAPORE — The 80-year-old man suspected of killing his daughter-in-law on Thursday morning was charged with murder in the State Courts yesterday.

Char Chin Fah — one of the oldest murder suspects Singapore has seen — is accused of causing the death of Madam Ong Guat Leng between 9am and 10.04am that day in the Tampines Street 43 flat they share.

Court documents did not state how he caused the 54-year-old victim’s death.

Mdm Ong was discovered lying in a pool of blood in her home by one of her two daughters and pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Among the items seized by the police was a metre-long metal rod with multiple dents and a bloodstained T-shirt that had been thrown down the rubbish chute.

Char was arrested when he turned himself in at Bedok North Neighbourhood Police Centre, shortly after the police received a call about the case.

Yesterday, Char, who has close-cropped grey hair and was dressed in a fresh red polo shirt, fidgeted in the dock as his charge was read out to him in Mandarin. He also glanced around the courtroom, seemingly looking for his family members.

The court granted the police’s request to hold Char for another week at Central Police Division to conduct further investigations.

His case will be mentioned again on Aug 29. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

After the brief hearing ended, two men, believed to be Char’s relatives, left the courtroom hurriedly.

When approached by reporters, one of them said in Mandarin that the family is not in a state to talk about the tragedy and declined to comment any further.

When TODAY visited Mdm Ong’s five-room flat on the third storey of Block 440 last night, a handful of her relatives were seen busying themselves with funeral arrangements, but Mdm Ong’s husband and children did not seem to be around. None wanted to be interviewed.

At the void deck, preparations for her wake had begun, with a tent and altars being set up, although Mdm Ong’s coffin had not been brought home.

Neighbours TODAY spoke to said they barely knew Mdm Ong — whom they addressed as Jennie — but described the housewife as friendly and someone who always wore a smile.

A neighbour, who wanted to be known as Ms Chen, said she would sometimes bump into Mdm Ong.

“When I see her, I’ll say ‘Hello’ and just smile. She’s always smiling,” said the housewife, who is in her 70s.

Another resident, who declined to be named, added that Mdm Ong always greeted her.

One of her neighbours, who wanted to be known as Mrs Lee, added: “I’ll miss her smiles.”