The month of June is just round the corner. I have plans to visit my childhood neighbourhood at Geylang Bahru because that was where I got my first guitar- it was a cheap classical model, a present from my mum who laboured for that $30 to reward me for my efforts in the exams. I love you mum. Always...
However, the mere mention of Geylang Bahru would never fail to invoke the memory of my neighbours. We lived at Blk 58, an apartment made up of 1-room rental units. One fateful morning in 1979, my neighbours (the 4 kids you see above) were hacked to death & their bodies piled up in the toilet. This crime remains unsolved till this day.
Two days ago, I dreamt of playing with them like we used to back then- Snake & Ladders, while my mum fed us plain rice laced with soya sauce & fried egg in the mix, nevermind if we were not of the same race. We were like family.
My slain neighbours- RIP.
To be continued...
29 comments:
"...plain rice laced with soya sauce & fried egg in the mix"
the same stuff bro, same... this brings back some old memories
yep my mom used to nag abt her generation of ppl having to eat that all the time cos her family was not too well off. lucky i touched down on earth when spore was alr booming lol
the murderer must be a psycho
that's sad to hear bout what happen to them.. :(
sad to read about the brutal murder of these 4 innocent children.. and very angry about the killer who to this day still walks the earth free... hope that justice will be served 1 day..
Hope youre not annoyed by this question mr Sub,btw im the one whom asked you are u chinese or malay, (damn tis Gtab touch pad )
he he... if you are into the details of this post, i did mention i was not of the same race as my neighbours...
he was elvish! those with pointy ears...
another unsolved 19 year murder case was cracked recently http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/19-old-bt-batok-murder-mystery-cracked-020959779.html
hope that this case can be cracked too, and the vicious mad killer or killers brought to justice.
reminds me of this TV series called Cold Case...
Hi... They were my neighbours too. Which means you and me were the 5th Floor neighbours as well? How can we link up?
And... I rmbr all the neighbours were all so close-knitted those days. Was really upset of my lost neighbours.
hi bro- which unit were you at?
3539... those days we used D, instead of #05.
Btw... i'm a SHE!
Hey... somehow i've roughly guessed who u are. Cos that floor like only 1 non-chinese family? The unit nx to u makes Pandan cakes, rite? Lol.. How did i rmbr all these? Amazing!
apologies... shouldn't have generalized anyone's gender.
there were other Malay families there:
*Mak Edah- lives at the further end, very easy access to the common balcony overlooking the playground & block 59 (there's a coffee shop there)
*Mak Ju- brief tenure at the unit next to the stairs. subsequently, another Malay family moved in, one of the sons worked as a golf caddy
*there's also Mr. Anwari's family at the other end, just diagonally across that Ah Soh's shop- remember there's this old chinese lady who operated a shop at home selling candy, crackers, chocolcates, soft drinks... those were the days :-)
Hey hey...
How did u rmbr their names?
Yes... the one u mentioned Mak-Edah (which i didn't knw this name) has 4 daughters, rite?
Well... my unit was at that stretch, the first on the left (if u are facing Blk 59) nx to the stairs... My elder bro was notoriously knwn for being hyper-active. Hmmm.... His name is Teck. We always played with Tee-tee and Eng.. who were staying v near you (like just opposite?) Most of us owned a BMW's bro those days... the BMX, i mean! :)
Anyway, i've no impression who were the other Malay familes u've mentioned. But i certainly rmbr u... U were very cute n looked very sweet those days. I heard fm my mom (prolly fm ur mom) that u went VS, rite?
And yes.. i hv nvr forgot that "micro"-mart... I guess u must hv missed her home-made SNG-PAO (ice-packs) as much as I did!!
VS? no, i've never been there...
oh so you are Ah Teck's sister- i remember bumping into Ah Teck at McPerson estate, i think that's your subsequent residence, i was living across the highway, over at Aljunied. there's this year i think Ah Teck failed in school (PSLE if i'm not wrong) & he got a shelling from your mum- back then if your mum blew her top- that's it... we could all hear it reverberating through the corridor...
my regards to your brother :-) how's he doing now? wonder how many kids... say hi to your mum for me, tell her i can still hear her scolding Ah Teck, he he...
i was at second floor....if you look at second picture my house was the 3rd one with small plastic bathtub hanging outside the kitchen window...i hardly remember the case cause i was 6 years old at that time...i remember, i was at the staircase landing when they bring the body one by one...almost every floor was crouded...
Ali
bro! 2nd floor... meaning you were Cik Leha's neighbour?
yes...maybe i know you.... :-)
Cik Leha had a burger stall at one of the void decks- can't remember which coffee shop- one of the best!
do you have any photo while staying there...i really miss those time...i grew up there till im 12 years old...then move to Ang mo kio...if i got the chance to meet all my friends it would be nice....anyway my facebook acc is ( ali valentino ) you all can add me...maybe looking at the picture then i can remember... :-)
I read about the case n the police said there was no sign of forced entry into the flat. The parents were out driving their sch bus at the time. .. Really crazy person to do this to innocent kids. Is the old block still there now?
Is the block 58 still there to this day? The killer may have known the kids as there was no sign of forced entry... Really crazy
Hi Hi..Just came across this blog as lately I was thinking of my carefree childhood days. I hope all of you will read this. I am staying at the same level as Annie. The late Annie is my best playing friend.Though I was only 5 years old, I can remember the brutal killings which left me and my sisters devastated. My mom is Farida so I m not sure whether the Mak Eda you are referring is my mum. I am so delighted to find this blog and hope to interact with you. The other end of my unit, used to have another malay family and their children are Maya, Mus and cant remember the other one. Mak Ju or Cik Ju has passed away btw. If anyone of you is reading this, please please keep in touch. My email is orinhan@gmail.com
To Gynyaz
Are you Susan? Was your brother most time outside the gate?
Dear Rin Han, Gynyaz and Guitar Addict,
I represent a small grp of volunteer investigators looking into this unsolved case.
Over the past few weeks we have dug out microfilm records of all information given to journalists of 7 newspapers from the family, neighbours and SPF between Jan 1979 and mid 1980s.
At the time of the incident, one of the units adjacent to 3557D (the victims) had been empty for a few months.
Using the orientation of yourself standing at the double-loaded corridor and facing unit 3557D, is this the unit to your left or to your right?
We actually have a lot of other questions for u guys and have emailed u before.
We will put up a mega-archive of all known information and dispelled rumors abt this case in the public domain soon.
If u have old pics of ur rental flat it will be helpful too ( we hope to get a pic of the rubbish chute hopper )
Would u also be able to tell me if the below HDB one room layout is the same as those in the old Block 58 ( that has since been demolished and rebuilt )
http://www.teoalida.com/singapore/HDB-1967-1978-1I-double-corridor-33sqm.jpg
Much thanks !
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