Man found dead in Teck Whye temple on Sunday morning

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Man found dead in Teck Whye temple on Sunday morning

Police investigators examining the body of Mr Tan Poh Huat inside the Chua Chu Kang Lian Sing Keng temple. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN

Published Feb 14, 2016, 4:24 pm SGT
Yuen Sin

SINGAPORE - Pest control worker Tan Kui Seng, 68, had entered the Chua Chu Kang Lian Sing Keng temple on Teck Whye Lane to unlock the gates on Sunday (Feb 14) morning as usual. But he got a rude shock when he saw a 2m trail of blood outside the prayer hall, with a body lying motionless on the ground.

The man, Mr Tan Poh Huat, 53, was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene at 7.09am.It is understood that he had sustained a head injury.

The police have classified the case as an unnatural death and are investigating the cause. Foul play has not yet been ruled out.

The dead man, who was unemployed, had been living in the temple for the past five years, said Mr Tan Kui Seng, who is on the temple's executive committee. The unemployed man was known to have kidney problems and was receiving dialysis treatment and social assistance.

His sister, Madam Tan Sui Kee, 60, a part-time sales worker, said that he was not known to have been involved in any disputes.

 

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Temple death classified as murder

Police officers and undertakers removing the body of Mr Tan Poh Huat from the temple in Teck Whye Lane on Sunday. The victim's sister, Madam Tan Sui Kee, believes her brother had been carrying more than $10,000, as people had seen him exchanging notes at a nearby coffee shop. But later, no money was found on him.TNP FILE PHOTO

Published Feb 16, 2016, 5:00 am SGT
Melissa Lin

The police yesterday classified the case of a 53-year-old man found dead in a temple along Teck Whye Lane as murder.

A pest control worker had found Mr Tan Poh Huat lying motionless in Chua Chu Kang Lian Sing Keng temple on Sunday morning.

The worker had also seen a 2m trail of blood outside the prayer hall. Paramedics at the scene pronounced Mr Tan dead at 7.09am. It is understood that he had sustained a head injury.

The police initially classified the case as an unnatural death, but did not rule out foul play.

Investigations are ongoing.

Mr Tan's sister, Madam Tan Sui Kee, yesterday said footage from the temple's two closed circuit television cameras showed a masked, tattooed man climbing into the temple in the middle of the night.

The part-time sales worker believes her brother had been carrying more than $10,000, as people had seen him exchanging notes at a nearby coffee shop. But later, no money was found on him.

The 60-year-old had told reporters earlier that her brother was not known to have been involved in any disputes.

One of the victim's two brothers, Mr Tan Seng Hock, 59, said he did not know what happened and declined to comment further when contacted.

Mr Tan, who was divorced and unemployed, had been living in the temple for the past five years. He had three children.

 

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Investigators take Teck Whye Lane murder suspect to 'crime scenes'


Published 9 hours ago

Ng Huiwen

SINGAPORE - The suspect in the Teck Whye Lane temple murder case was taken by police investigators to three locations in Marsiling and Choa Chu Kang on Wednesday morning (March 2).

Loh Suan Lit, 47, is accused of killing Mr Tan Poh Huat, 53, at Chin Long Kong Chinese Temple in the early hours of Feb 14.

A 2m trail of blood was seen outside the prayer hall, while Mr Tan's body lay motionless on the ground.

Loh arrived in a grey unmarked van just after 10am at Block 15 Marsiling Lane, where he lives in a rented flat on the 12th storey.

Mr Tan's sister believes he was killed for his money. She said CCTV footage showed a masked man climbing into the temple at night.

Dressed in a red polo shirt and navy shorts, he first led police investigators to an area at the void deck, where he is believed to have disposed of the tools used to commit the murder.

Loh wore a grim expression as he tried to recall the sequence of events. At times, he spoke quietly to a police investigator through a Hokkien translator.

He was also seen gesturing towards the ground next to a kindergarten.

Later, Loh was taken inside a three-room HDB flat on the 12th storey. Police officers spent more than 20 minutes searching the unit.

At 11am, Loh was taken to Yong Heng Hardware Engineering at Block 18, where he combed through several aisles, before a hammer and a saw were identified by police.

Mr Tan, who was jobless and had been living in the temple for the past two years, was reported to have been struck on the back of his head with a hammer.

Finally, at around noon, Loh arrived at the Chinese temple along Teck Whye Lane.

He was taken to each prayer hall and finally to the back of the temple. He was seen pointing at an area next to a short metal gate, where he is believed to have climbed into the compound.
Loh Suan Lit standing where Mr Tan's body was found.

Loh, who was arrested on Feb 24, was remanded for a week for further investigation. His case will be mentioned on March 4.

He faces the death penalty if convicted of murder.