Murder of Lee Kim Lai

The last of the three, a school drop-out at age 12 after repeatedly failing his Entrance Examination in 1972, had worked as a painter and an odd job labourer.

He has been involved in petty crimes with other members of the "18 group" of Sio Kun Tong, a secret society.

He was placed under police supervision for a year in February 1974 for involvement with the group and was jailed for two years in 1973 for consorting with another police supervisee.

He was subsequently under police supervision for another year upon his release.

In 1976, he robbed a Malay man for his watch and cash with Chin Hock and another friend.

In April 1977, he was detained in the Telok Pakau Drug Rehabilitation Centre for six months for smoking heroin.

The second-oldest child in a family of five siblings, Lee Kim Lai, aged 18, was attached to the Police Reserve Unit 1 at Mount Vernon for his National Service.

On 25 April 1978, Lee Kim Lai, a Singaporean police officer, was robbed and murdered by three men for his service revolver.

A serving Police National Serviceman, he was performing sentry duty at the Police Reserve Unit 1 base of the Singapore Police Force at Mount Vernon when he was abducted from the front gate and forced into a taxi.

His body was later found with multiple stab wounds in the abandoned taxi, whose driver, 60-year-old Chew Theng Hin, had also been killed earlier.

Ong Chin Hock, Yeo Ching Boon , and Ong Hwee Kuan , all aged 20, were childhood friends since their days in Tu Li Primary School.

The former left school in primary three, and began working three jobs: an odd job labourer, a hawker assistant, and a construction worker, until his enlistment for National Service in the army.

Yeo was expelled from Tu Li Secondary School when he was in Secondary Three after a fight and worked as a stock handler for three months before he was again sacked for fighting.

He then worked as a fitter and a wireman before he was enlisted with the Singapore Police Force for his National Service, where he was posted to the Police Reserve Unit 1 base.

On the night of 21 April 1978, the three friends gathered at a playground in Geylang Bahru to discuss a solution to the economic hardship that the three were experiencing.

Ong Hwee Kuan proposed that they could rob illegal lottery operators.

Because the other two did not protest, Hwee Kuan went on to suggest that a gun would be needed for such an act, although firearms were outlawed in Singapore.

Yeo recalled his days serving as a police sentry at the PRU base and proposed stealing the gun from the sentry posted there.

They could not come up with a feasible idea to commit the crime without attracting attention, however.

The following day when the three met again, Yeo suggested approaching the sentry while dressed in his police uniform, with Chin Hock in his military attire and to threaten the sentry with ice picks.

Chin Hock, however, felt the uniforms would only attract the attention of the camp guard, but none could think of a way to commit the act without anyone noticing.

Yeo felt that the risk was worth taking using his plan and proposed to carry it out at 2:00 am on 25 April when the sentries are likely to be less alert.

On 24 April, they proceeded to pawn Chin Hock's watch in exchange for cash to buy two kitchen knives at about 9:00 pm, which Hwee Kuan felt was necessary to threaten the policemen.

Yeo, particularly wary that they may be searched by patrolling policemen, brought the knives home, where he packed them together with four yellow nylon ropes, an ice pick and a pair of gloves in a traveling bag belonging to his brother.

At 11:45 pm, they met for a final meal at Kallang Bahru, where Yeo proposed an alternative plan to steal a taxi.

The taxi driver would be tied up with the nylon rope and the taxi would be driven to the PRU base by Chin Hock.

Hwee Kuan would pretend to be drunk in the backseat while Yeo would approach the sentry for help and lure him to the taxi, whereupon they would seize the policeman, drive the taxi to a secluded spot and rob him of his service revolver.

Hwee Kuan expressed concern that he may be recognised after the act by the abducted policeman or the taxi driver as he had a police record.

Yeo suggested killing both men, to which Hwee Kuan was relieved and Chin Hock expressed no comment.

They also abandoned the idea of wearing the uniforms.

At about 1:30 am on 25 April 1978, the three men left the coffee shop and Yeo went home to change and collect the traveling bag.

Dressed in a red T-shirt, he tucked the ice pick into his dark blue pants.

Chin Hock was dressed in a white long sleeved top and dark blue pants, while Hwee Kuan was in a beige long sleeve top and blue jeans.

The trio waited along Kallang Bahru near Block 66 for a taxi.

Soon, a Yellow Top taxi stopped for them, driven by Chew Theng Hin, aged 60.

Yeo got into the front seat and instructed the driver to go to the PRU base.

Hwee Kuan sat behind the driver, and Chin Hock behind Yeo.

The taxi proceeded via Bendemeer Road, Whampoa East Road, Serangoon Road, and Upper Aljunied Road.

Chew was instructed to stop the taxi near the rear gate of the PRU base at a dark and secluded stretch of the road.

Suddenly, Hwee Kuan restrained Chew from behind and placed a knife to his neck.