Pasir Ris deaths: Neighbours say man was loving father to daughter with special needs

On Sunday (Aug 20) afternoon, Mr Tang was found dead at the foot of Block 560, Pasir Ris Street 51, where he and Ms Tang, 27, lived. ST PHOTO: SEAH KWANG PENG

SINGAPORE - Neighbours often saw Mr Tang Soh Ha and his daughter Tang Hui Yee go on walks together near their flat, and the 70-year-old man would also accompany her wherever she went.

On Sunday (Aug 20) afternoon, Mr Tang was found dead at the foot of Block 560, Pasir Ris Street 51, where he and Ms Tang, 27, lived.

Police found her dead in their second floor flat, with stab wounds on her body, including the neck.

Ms Tang, the younger of Mr Tang's two daughters, was a client of the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore or Minds.

Mr Tang is believed to have lived in the flat with his wife, their three children, son-in-law, and two grandchildren.

A section of the corridor on the eighth floor was cordoned off by the police on Sunday. This was where the man is believed to have fallen from, The Straits Times understands.

Neighbours who knew the family said they were shocked.

A 51-year-old housewife, who wanted to be known only as Madam Faridah, said:"Their relationship was very good. I've never seen a father who is so doting towards his daughter."

The young woman was independent and friendly, she added, but "wherever she went, her father would accompany her".

She said they also had an active lifestyle, and the man would often go cycling or swimming.

Madam Faridah, who has lived in the same block as the Tangs for four years, said her sister, who has lived in the same street for about 17 years, has seen the father take the daughter out for strolls since she was a little girl.

"My sister told me that when Ms Tang was young, the two of them always went to the park together," she said.

Mr Tang would even ask the girl to greet Madam Faridah's sister when they saw her.

Said Madam Faridah: "He was very courteous... He never showed any signs of stress, and would often be smiling." She said he had told her that he worked part-time, and she saw him around during the day.

On Sunday, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, she added.

At about 1.25pm, her husband went to downstairs to throw away a vacuum cleaner and that is when he saw Mr Tang on the ground. He had heard a loud noise earlier but he thought someone had thrown out a piece of furniture from their flat.

Neighbours later heard the man's wife wailing.

According to records from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, Mr Tang once owned five businesses, including one that sold toys and another that sold gifts.

Four of them have since been cancelled, terminated, or have ceased registration between 2012 and 2014.

Another neighbour, who wanted to be known only as Mr Cheah, said he saw Mr Tang's elder daughter and son-in-law going out with their children earlier that day.

The 66-year-old retiree added that he did not know if anyone else was home at the time of the incident. He said: "We were very sad when we heard the news because Mr Tang was always a very nice man, and the main caregiver for his daughter."

The case has been classified as unnatural death, and police investigations are ongoing.

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.