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Singapore police chief visits Kovan murder victims' wake; more details emerge

[UPDATE 15 July 8:40am]

Police commissioner Ng Joo Hee visited the wake of the Kovan murder victims at the Teochew Funeral Parlour at Ubi late on Sunday as grieving family relatives began their official mourning period.

Workshop owner Tan Boon Sin, 67, and his son, Chee Heong, 42,were found dead last Wednesday, less than one kilometre apart in the Kovan area. Chee Heong's body had been dragged under a car along Upper Serangoon Road while Boon Sin's dead body was discovered in his Hillside Drive home.

Police chief Ng was accompanied by Alvin Moh, the commander of the Bedok Police Division where double murder suspect, Sergeant Iskandar Rahmat, was stationed before he was suspended from duty for financial troubles, reported the Today newspaper.

While it's not clear what the possible double murder motive is, The Straits Times reported that the suspect -- who was officially declared a bankrupt on Thursday with a S$62,000 debt -- was in regular touch with the elder Tan over the theft of his safe deposit box at the Certis Cisco building which he reported last November.

This even though Iskandar, 34, and a police veteran of 14 years, was not the investigating officer assigned to the case.

Meanwhile, as the Tan family grieves, “honest”, “family-oriented”, “generous” and “nice” were the impressions relatives and neighbours had of the younger 42-year-old Chee Heong.
 
Ong Boon Kok, 49, the brother-in-law of the older victim and the uncle of the younger victim, told Yahoo! Singapore on Sunday that his nephew was “like a brother to him”.

Ong, who is the owner of a production house, also said the younger victim, the older victim’s eldest son, cared a lot for his family, even beyond his nuclear family (his wife and his sons, one 10 years old and the other 3 years old).
 
When the family first broke the news to the children on Friday, they cried a lot, said Ong. But he said with the family’s support and close-knit bond, the children are coping better and have started to turn their sorrows to tributes for their father and grandfather.
 
“The kids have been drawing and making cards for their father and grandfather, writing ‘Daddy, I miss you’,” said Ong.


The younger son coloured this dragon picture for his father. The two always spent time playing dragon games.


The older son drew this sofa for his father. Their family home was undergoing renovation prior to the tragedy and they were waiting for a new sofa to be delivered.

Ong also revealed that the younger victim’s compassion was not only for his family.
 
Ong said his nephew was “generous”, citing an example of him donating money to build roads in the Fujian province in China, which is also his hometown.
 
One of his neighbours, who declined to be named, chimed in, saying the younger Tan was “a nice guy just like his dad”.
 
The neighbour added that their families have known each other for more than ten years.
 
He also said that their children know each other well too.
 
Not involved in disputes, financial difficulties
 
The neighbour said that he did not witness the younger Tan being involved in any disputes.

Ong also revealed that the family had not seen or known of the suspect prior to his arrest.
 
A report by the Straits Times said that the younger Tan was a director and shareholder at Aspern Singapore, an electronics products company.

According to a sales executive at the firm, who gave her name as Vivian, and the firm which does Aspern’s bookkeeping, the company was not in any financial trouble and its business was “healthy”.

Ong also took the opportunity to thank the public for providing information to the police quickly so that they can proceed with the case.
 
He also thanked the children's school for their support, saying the teachers and counselors have gone down to visit them.

Related stories:
UPDATE: 34-year-old man arrested in connection with Kovan double murder
Elder victim in suspected Kovan double murder was hardworking, kind: employee
Kovan murder suspect: from model policeman to bankrupt cop