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Yishun murder: Resident who allegedly killed neighbour returns to scene with police escort
Published Oct 06, 2025, 11:28 AM
Updated Oct 06, 2025, 11:39 AM
www.straitstimes.com
SINGAPORE - The man who allegedly murdered his Yishun neighbour, a mother of two young children, was taken back to the scene on Oct 6.
Koh Ah Hwee, 66, is accused of killing Vietnamese national Nguyen Phuong Tra outside a unit on the sixth floor of Block 323 Yishun Central on Sept 24.
The 30-year-old victim was stabbed during the attack.
On Oct 6, Koh was taken back to the block by the police.
He arrived in a black van at about 10am escorted by several officers in plainclothes.
Koh, who was clad in a red top and blue shorts, was in restraints as he was led to his unit on the fifth floor.
After almost an hour, he was taken to the corridor on the sixth floor where the attack allegedly happened.
He was seen nodding as officers spoke to him.
Koh was taken away in the van at around 11.25am.
Koh Ah Hwee during a scene at Block 323 Yishun Central on Oct 6.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Residents previously said the victim and her husband were assaulted on the sixth floor of the block, where they lived with their two young children.
Koh has a unit on the fifth floor of the same block.
The couple and Koh were said to have been in a dispute over noise when he attacked them with a knife that morning.
Court documents stated that the Singaporean stabbed Ms Tra in the chest.
Her 33-year-old husband also suffered serious injuries, sustained allegedly while trying to stop Koh.
All three were taken to hospital, where Ms Tra later died.
Photos of the scene at the time showed a bloodstained common corridor and other neighbours attending to the trio.
Koh was charged on Sept 25.
A knife, a watch, a mobile phone, a set of car keys and a slipper lying on the bloodstained floor on Sept 24.
PHOTO: ST FILE
The Ministry of Law and Ministry of National Development said in a joint statement on Sept 27 that Ms Tra had applied for mediation with her neighbour in June.
But it did not proceed because Koh did not respond.
Government agencies received an average of 2,500 noise complaints per month in the first half of 2025.
The ministries said that the Government’s approach towards such disputes is to “facilitate dialogue and communication between neighbours as far as possible”.
Residents are advised to talk things out with their neighbours, and seek help from grassroots leaders or apply for mediation at the Community Mediation Centre (CMC) if necessary.
The CMC has an about 80 per cent success rate of mediation.
But less than a third of mediation applications actually go through, as one of the parties involved would not wish to participate.
From January to August, there were a total of 1,106 cases registered at the CMC, averaging about 138 a month.
Only 166 cases were actually mediated, with 129 of those resulting in a settlement.
Published Oct 06, 2025, 11:28 AM
Updated Oct 06, 2025, 11:39 AM
www.straitstimes.com
SINGAPORE - The man who allegedly murdered his Yishun neighbour, a mother of two young children, was taken back to the scene on Oct 6.
Koh Ah Hwee, 66, is accused of killing Vietnamese national Nguyen Phuong Tra outside a unit on the sixth floor of Block 323 Yishun Central on Sept 24.
The 30-year-old victim was stabbed during the attack.
On Oct 6, Koh was taken back to the block by the police.
He arrived in a black van at about 10am escorted by several officers in plainclothes.
Koh, who was clad in a red top and blue shorts, was in restraints as he was led to his unit on the fifth floor.
After almost an hour, he was taken to the corridor on the sixth floor where the attack allegedly happened.
He was seen nodding as officers spoke to him.
Koh was taken away in the van at around 11.25am.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Residents previously said the victim and her husband were assaulted on the sixth floor of the block, where they lived with their two young children.
Koh has a unit on the fifth floor of the same block.
The couple and Koh were said to have been in a dispute over noise when he attacked them with a knife that morning.
Court documents stated that the Singaporean stabbed Ms Tra in the chest.
Her 33-year-old husband also suffered serious injuries, sustained allegedly while trying to stop Koh.
All three were taken to hospital, where Ms Tra later died.
Photos of the scene at the time showed a bloodstained common corridor and other neighbours attending to the trio.
Koh was charged on Sept 25.
PHOTO: ST FILE
The Ministry of Law and Ministry of National Development said in a joint statement on Sept 27 that Ms Tra had applied for mediation with her neighbour in June.
But it did not proceed because Koh did not respond.
Government agencies received an average of 2,500 noise complaints per month in the first half of 2025.
The ministries said that the Government’s approach towards such disputes is to “facilitate dialogue and communication between neighbours as far as possible”.
Residents are advised to talk things out with their neighbours, and seek help from grassroots leaders or apply for mediation at the Community Mediation Centre (CMC) if necessary.
The CMC has an about 80 per cent success rate of mediation.
But less than a third of mediation applications actually go through, as one of the parties involved would not wish to participate.
From January to August, there were a total of 1,106 cases registered at the CMC, averaging about 138 a month.
Only 166 cases were actually mediated, with 129 of those resulting in a settlement.
