Mirza Abdul Halim (policeman)

His father was former politician Mirza Abdul Majid, who first co-founded the now-defunct Labour Party with Malaysian politician Lim Yew Hock, before it was merged with another party as the Labour Front (1954 – 1960).

Mirza Abdul Halim, the youngest of ten children, was born in 1966.

Abdul Halim's father died in 1973 when Abdul Halim was only seven, while his mother died in October 1981 during a pilgrimage trip to Mecca.

Abdul Halim was also the brother-in-law of Sidek Saniff, who was then senior Parliamentary secretary (Education) and married to one of Abdul Halim's sisters.

In May 1985, 18-year-old Abdul Halim first joined the Singapore Police Force after his graduation from secondary school.

According to his brother, Abdul Halim's "sudden" decision to join the police force would be something which his late mother would have objected to if she was alive.

After completing his six-year primary school education, Abdul Halim went on to further his studies at Malay-medium school Tun Seri Lanang Secondary School (now defunct since 1988), where he completed his GCE O-levels in November 1984.

He was known to be a student who was dedicated to his work and conscientious while in both his studies and co-curricular activities as a member of the National Cadet Corps.

On 15 February 1989, Mirza Abdul Halim bin Mirza Abdul Majid, a 23-year-old Singaporean and police constable (PC), was shot in the head by a suspected burglar who stabbed him in the neck and snatched his service revolver before using it to shoot PC Abdul Halim.

PC Abdul Halim, who was later promoted to Corporal during his hospitalization, went into a coma and died 33 hours later.

Prior to his death in February 1989, Abdul Halim planned to get married with his childhood sweetheart sometime in 1990 after Hari Raya Puasa.

On the early morning of 15 February 1989, five weeks after his release from prison, 29-year-old Singaporean hairstylist Ong Yeow Tian, who was previously convicted for housebreaking and drug-related offences, partnered with his 26-year-old unemployed friend and secret society member Chua Gin Boon to commit housebreaking at Tampines.

Both men, who brought along chisels and a knife, attempted to break into two shops, including a hair salon, with Ong trying to enter the shops while Chua acted as a lookout.

However, both men failed to do so, and they were caught red-handed by two police constables (PC) Chua Yew Hua and Mirza Abdul Halim bin Mirza Abdul Majid, who responded to a police report lodged at 1.47am about the sighting of the robbers behaving suspiciously.

Both the policemen gave chase, with PC Chua managing to arrest one of the suspects Chua, while PC Abdul Halim alone gave chase after Ong, and both got into a scuffle.

During the struggle, Ong used the knife to stab PC Abdul Halim on the neck before he snatched PC Abdul Halim's Smith & Wesson revolver (which the policeman attempted to use for self-defence), which he used to shoot at PC Abdul Halim in the head.

After critically injuring PC Abdul Halim, Ong then fled the scene with the revolver he stole from the fallen cop.

Afterwards, a police manhunt was conducted to search for Ong.

Later, between 2am and 3am, upon the tip-off of a witness named Lachumana Govindasamy, a 40-year-old taxi driver who witnessed Ong entering another taxi (driven by a Mohamed Syed), the police arrived at Tampines Street 22, where Ong just alighted the taxi.

When confronted by Sergeant Omar bin Amin and his partner PC Goh Soon Wan (alias Benny Goh; ), Ong fired at one of the officers, PC Goh, who remained unharmed and fired back another shot.

Ong, who sustained a gunshot wound on the abdomen, escaped and he hid in the bushes within the area itself, before he was spotted by PC Ang Chai Hai (also spelt as Ang Chye Hai; ).

Ong fired at PC Ang in the chest, but since PC Ang was wearing a bulletproof vest, he survived the gunshot but became unconscious as a result of the force impact inflicted by the bullet.

After a subsequent exchange of gunfire between Ong and the other officers, Ong finally surrendered after being wounded seven times on the abdomen and arms, and he was arrested.

Lachumana was later commended by the police for helping them to capture Ong, and both PC Goh and PC Ang were promoted to Corporal for their bravery and contribution to the successful arrest of Ong.

Meanwhile, PC Abdul Halim was rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he was operated on but was still in critical condition and entered a comatose state.

For his actions of trying to arrest Ong, PC Abdul Halim was given the rare field promotion to the rank of Corporal by Police Commissioner Goh Yong Hong while he was still in a coma.

But after this promotion, Corporal Abdul Halim died at the age of 23 the next day on 16 February 1989, 33 hours after he was stabbed and shot.

He was survived by five sisters and four brothers.

According to Dr Ong Peck Leong, the neurosurgeon who performed a surgery on Corporal Abdul Halim, he stated that the bullet had caused damage to both the skull and brain as it entered and got stuck between the scalp and skull, and was situated close to a vital blood vessel which supplied arterial blood to the brain, and the stab wound to the neck also caused his lungs to be flooding with blood, and a respiratory tube had to be inserted into the windpipe to allow Corporal Abdul Halim to breathe.

These above factors were crucial to eventually lead to Corporal Abdul Halim's death despite the doctors' utmost efforts to treat him.

Many Singaporeans offered condolences and donations to Abdul Halim's family and remembered him as a hero for his dedication to maintain public safety as a police officer.

Over 400 people attended his funeral (held by police) at Pusara Aman Mosque and he was buried with full police honours.

Corporal Abdul Halim's killer Ong Yeow Tian, who was also hospitalized at Tan Tock Seng Hospital for his multiple gunshot wounds, was charged with murder on 17 February 1989.

Under the Penal Code, the death penalty was mandatory for murder upon conviction.

The killer Ong Yeow Tian (c. 1960 – 25 November 1994), who was an ex-convict and one of the two suspects involved in a prior housebreaking case, was subsequently engaged in a shoot-out with several other policemen but was finally arrested.

Ong's accomplice was also caught and later sentenced to incarceration and caning for the burglary.

Ong, meanwhile, was charged with murdering Corporal Abdul Halim under the Penal Code and also faced charges of illegally discharging a firearm with intent to cause hurt under the Arms Offences Act, and the said charges under either which legislation warrant the death penalty if found guilty.

Ong was eventually sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for a reduced charge of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Corporal Abdul Halim, but he returned to court for a second trial and sentenced to death for shooting at two other police officers (who both survived), and he was sent to the gallows on 25 November 1994.

The murder of Corporal Abdul Halim remained as one of the last few cases where officers of the Singapore Police Force were murdered while in line of duty.

The last case took place on 30 November 1994 (five days after Ong's execution), when Senior Staff Sergeant Boo Tiang Huat (posthumously promoted to Station Inspector) was struck to death with an axe by 29-year-old Zainal Abidin Abdul Malik, who was convicted and later hanged for murder on 30 August 1996.