SINGAPORE: An illegal moneylender who fatally stabbed a debtor in a dispute in 1990 fled Singapore for Malaysia and was only deported more than three decades later.
Ng Kwang Keng, originally charged with murder, was 45 at the time of the offence.
Now 80, he pleaded guilty in Singapore’s State Courts to a downgraded charge of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon on Tuesday (Nov 11).
Ng was an illegal moneylender known as Tai Kong at the time of the incident, while the victim, Mr Lim Kim Leng, 27, had owed Ng about S$22,000 (US$16,900).
On Nov 6, 1990, Ng picked up two men in a car and informed them he was collecting some debts. He then headed to the block where Mr Lim lived.
At around 4.45pm, Mr Lim received a call at his home and later went to the void deck of his block, where he met Ng and a man known as “Pui Kia”, who accompanied Ng.
Ng and Mr Lim then began arguing. Mr Lim’s nephew, who stayed with him, heard shouts coming from the ground floor.
During an ensuing scuffle, Ng punched Mr Lim, who then chased Ng upstairs to a staircase landing between the first and second floors of the block.
Ng, who was holding a knife, then lunged forward and thrust the knife into Mr Lim’s upper thigh. Mr Lim grabbed the blade with both hands, and the pair struggled to take control of the weapon.
Ng fled with the knife shortly after, driving away in his car with the two men he had picked up. The weapon was not recovered.
Mr Lim, who was bleeding profusely, was later found by his brother at a lift lobby trying to press the lift button. His brother brought him to the fourth floor, where Mr Lim collapsed and said that “Tai Kong” had assaulted him.
His condition deteriorated and he was unable to talk subsequently, losing consciousness before an ambulance arrived.
After 5.21pm, Mr Lim was admitted to Alexandra Hospital in a coma and with multiple stab wounds to the backs of his legs and right hand. He was resuscitated and admitted to the intensive care unit. While there, he identified Ng as the person who had stabbed him.
A medical report issued shortly after the incident stated that the wound on the right thigh had cut Mr Lim’s right anterior tibial artery and deep
peroneal nerve. A month after his assault, Mr Lim developed renal failure and was transferred to Singapore General Hospital on Dec 3, 1990.
He died on Dec 8, 1990, with an autopsy report certifying the cause of death as multiple organ failure following shock and haemorrhaging due to the stab wound on his right leg.
A clarificatory report by the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore dated Sep 13, 2024, stated that Mr Lim had developed complications including acute renal failure requiring dialysis, hepatic failure and disseminated intravascular coagulation.
He also had a fever during his hospitalisation, likely due to an underlying infection. The report said that the complications of the initial injury caused death.
ACCUSED LEFT FOR MALAYSIA ON DAY OF STABBING
Meanwhile, after fleeing, Ng called a friend over the phone and told him that he had stabbed Mr Lim, and that he was leaving for Johor Bahru.
Ng also called his son and instructed him to bring him some clothing to a block along Bukit Merah View. That night, he called his son again with instructions to pack the clothing into a bag and hand it over to his friend.
At around 11pm that night, Ng met the friend in Johor Bahru and admitted again that he had stabbed Mr Lim.
Ng remained in Malaysia until he was charged and detained in Johor Bahru for an offence under Malaysia’s Immigration Act. Court documents did not state when he was first detained in Johor Bahru.
As Ng declared himself a Singapore citizen, the Malaysian authorities requested assistance from Singapore for his deportation on Apr 21, 2022.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) was notified by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority on May 24, 2023, that Ng had been detained in Malaysia.
Ng’s identity was verified and he was deported to Singapore on Dec 21, 2023. He was found to be wanted and SPF took custody of him at Woodlands Checkpoint, placing him under arrest on the same day.
Ng was charged in court a day later. While in custody, Ng was diagnosed with scabies and received treatment for the condition.
The prosecution sought a jail term of six-and-a-half years to eight years for Ng. It also asked for an additional six months’ jail in lieu of 12 strokes of the cane. Ng cannot be caned as he is above 50.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Terence Chua and Emily Koh said that Ng had shown a degree of premeditation as he had brought a knife along with him.
“The accused fled the scene, absconded and was out of the jurisdiction for an extended period of time of 33 years,” said the prosecutors.
“This was not the case of a voluntary surrender, and the accused would not have returned to Singapore but for the fact that he had been charged, detained by the Malaysian police for an offence in Malaysia, and thereafter deported to Singapore.”
Ng must now answer for his crime, they said.
Ng, represented by lawyers Prakash Otharam from Ashvin Law Corporation and Rohit Kumar Singh from Regal Law, asked for a jail term of no more than five years. The defence lawyers also asked for an additional jail term of one month in lieu of 12 strokes of the cane.
“The accused has shown genuine remorse by pleading guilty and has not wasted the honourable court’s and learned prosecutor’s resources by claiming trial,” they said.
Detailing Ng’s personal circumstances, the lawyers said he had lost contact with all his family members when he fled to Malaysia.
“His family is currently waiting for him to return home. They are anxious that they may not be able to spend more time with him, given his elderly age,” they added.
They also listed Ng’s multiple medical conditions, including chronic back and leg pain, and persistent itchiness due to skin conditions.
Ng has also been experiencing frequent dizzy spells and fainting due to low blood pressure.
“We are instructed that the accused has been informed by his doctor that should he experience another fainting spell causing a fall, he is at a high risk of experiencing a stroke due to his old age and diminished health,” the lawyers said, noting that the most recent fainting spell was on Oct 22, 2025.
A lengthy custodial term will be a “significant hardship” to Ng, exposing him to an increased risk of falls and a stroke if he is not able to receive adequate healthcare or the close care of his family members, the lawyers said.
The court adjourned sentencing after seeking more information on his remand period in Johor Bahru, and on Ng’s health conditions.
Ng will return to court for sentencing on Dec 30.
For voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon likely to cause death, Ng faces life imprisonment or a jail term of up to 10 years, and may also be fined.
