Police said in a news release yesterday that the 26-year-old suspect, originally from Sabah, had 'no fixed place of residence' here. He was arrested in a hotel in Geylang.

The victim was Singapore permanent resident Abdul Khalid Othman, who was said by neighbours to be a transvestite.

The 61-year-old was found dead on Saturday in the bedroom of the two-room flat in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8. He had no visible injuries and was wearing only his undergarments.

He was known to share the ninth-floor flat with a man in his early 30s and a woman in her 60s, who were seen leaving the scene of the crime with the police on Saturday night.

Yesterday, neighbours tried to make sense of why the man whom they regarded as a 'good neighbour' had been killed.

They said that Mr Abdul had moved in about five years ago and was usually seen wearing dresses and fashion accessories.

Mr Danny Tan, 66, a retiree who lives in the flat next door, said that his wife had heard two loud shouts from Mr Abdul's flat on Thursday at about 9.15pm.

'I did not hear from him after Thursday but I didn't expect this,' said Mr Tan.

He added that he had not heard quarrelling in Mr Abdul's flat recently, although Mr Abdul was known to have male visitors stay over occasionally.

Mr Abdul is believed to be the owner of the flat and slept in the bedroom while his two other tenants slept in the living room. Neighbours said that they are friends.

Mr Abdul, who worked as a contracted cleaner at the SMRT Clubhouse in Bishan, had not reported for work since Thursday.

The assistant manager of the clubhouse told The Straits Times that Mr Abdul was known to staff and club members as 'Bibi'.

'His contract manager informed me...that he was murdered and we were all taken aback,' he said.

He said that Mr Abdul's son lived in Australia and was on his way back for the funeral.

Police officers interviewed the assistant manager yesterday morning and collected closed-circuit TV footage from the clubhouse.

'As a colleague, he was always caring. He would even feed the stray cats in the neighbourhood,' said the assistant manager.

sujint@sph.com.sg