<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Dream of a better life turns into a tragedy
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Zhang Meng, 42, and daughter Feng Jianyu, 17, were in Singapore for less than a year before they were murdered. Their flatmates, another mother-daughter pair from China, were also attacked. The only survivor, a 14-year-old, is recovering in hospital. The Sunday Times recaps the events and looks at the five people involved, including Wang Zhijian, who has been charged with murder. </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Mavis Toh
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->In November last year, Madam Zhang Meng and her daughter Feng Jianyu flew to Singapore from their home in Tianjin in northern China.
They were in high spirits.
Jianyu was going to be enrolled in a school here and Madam Zhang, whose husband is a policeman, would look after her.
Last Friday, the mother- and-daughter pair were 'sent off' by about 10 weeping family members and friends at the Mandai Crematorium. Their coffins were placed side by side.
The two were victims of what has been dubbed the Yishun Triple Deaths.
On Sept 19, Madam Zhang, 42, and Jianyu, 17, were found dead with stab wounds in the bedroom of their rented five-room flat in Block 349, Yishun Avenue 11.
The body of their flatmate, Madam Yang Jie, 36, also a China national, was found at the foot of the same block.
Madam Yang's daughter, a 14-year-old student, was found with serious stab wounds in the toilet. She was in an intensive care unit for five days and is now in a general ward. She is said to be blind in one eye and badly scarred.
A man who lived in the flat, China national Wang Zhijian, 42, has been charged with the murder of Madam Zhang. He was inside the unit when the police arrived. The other deaths and the stabbing of the 14-year-old girl are still being investigated.
Both mothers were what is known as peidu mamas or study mamas - Chinese women who move to Singapore with their children who attend schools here.
According to Madam Zhang's friends, Madam Zhang wanted Jianyu to improve her command of English and thought Singapore would be the best place for this.
Soon after they arrived, they rented a room in a four-room HDB flat in Yishun. But Madam Zhang found it too noisy and moved to a sixth-floor corner unit in Block 349, where the crimes took place.
Back home in Tianjin, Madam Zhang, a graduate, worked in the freight industry.
A close friend of hers, who would give her name only as Serene, told The Sunday Times: 'She took care of her daughter and made sure she got home-cooked meals every day.'
Serene, a Singaporean, described Madam Zhang as an introverted person who was sincere and soft-spoken. Serene got to know the China-born woman through her boss, who is also from Tianjin.
A few months back, Serene said, she accompanied the mother- daughter pair to CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School to ask about a transfer. Jianyu was due to go for an interview next month, she said.
The girl was a Secondary 2 student in Northview Secondary School and did well there. Her report card for the mid-year exams showed a string of As except in English, for which she scored a B3.
Principal Yeo Teck Cheng said that Jianyu was the leader of the school's Chinese dance group. 'She was very mature and showed a lot of potential. If not for her weaker English, she would have been the top student,' he added.
=> 17-year-old and studying in Sec 2 and still dare to praise her as mature and clever. WTF!
When news of the killings broke, Madam Zhang's younger sister and brother, together with six other relatives, flew to Singapore. Her policeman husband remained back home.
One of Madam Zhang's friends, a China-born businessman who would give his name only as Mr Fang, explained: 'Her husband is still devastated. It's better that he waits for the ashes back home.'
Madam Zhang's elderly parents are unaware of what happened.
Early this year, Madam Zhang decided to sublet a room to Madam Yang and her 14-year-old daughter.
Reports said that Madam Yang, originally a property agent from Shenyang in north-east China, had come to Singapore early this year.
The 14-year-old girl was from her first marriage. Madam Yang also had an eight-year-old daughter with her second husband. They live in Dalian in north-east China.
The older girl attended Northland Secondary School in Yishun.
Madam Yang's body has yet to be collected. Her husband, Mr Li Wen Ge, 39, is planning to fly here. He told reporters that the girl is now blind in her right eye and that her face is badly scarred.
Serene said that the two mother- daughter pairs got along well.
Early this year, she visited the flat. Madam Zhang was out, but Madam Yang and her daughter asked her in. 'They were very nice and even offered me cookies and drinks,' said Serene. 'Everything seemed fine.'
Reports have speculated that Madam Yang worked as a personal assistant to a Singaporean man in his 60s and that they might have been romantically involved.
She was reportedly paid $2,000 a month to do administrative jobs and to prepare his meals.
=> Administer his KKJ?
Reports also said that Wang, the murder suspect, is believed to have been on close terms with Madam Yang.
Neighbours said they often saw the good-looking, well-built man in the flat and with Madam Yang. Little is known about him. He has made two court appearances and is in remand for another week.
The ashes of Madam Zhang and her daughter were collected by family members yesterday morning and they will be flying home this morning.
At the cremations last Friday, Northview's principal Yeo handed a scrapbook, titled We Will Always Remember Her, to the family. It was done by Jianyu's classmates.
An envelope containing a letter and $3,000 from a grassroots leader of Yishun East was also handed over to the family.
=> Sporns die is their own biz? And the money comes from donations meant to help poor Sporns?
Relatives said that a proper wake would be held for the mother and daughter in Tianjin.
Asked if they would return for Wang's hearing, the family said they were not sure.
But family friend Mr Fang added: 'The court outcome won't matter to the family. After all, both mother and daughter are dead.'
[email protected] Send your comments to [email protected]
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Zhang Meng, 42, and daughter Feng Jianyu, 17, were in Singapore for less than a year before they were murdered. Their flatmates, another mother-daughter pair from China, were also attacked. The only survivor, a 14-year-old, is recovering in hospital. The Sunday Times recaps the events and looks at the five people involved, including Wang Zhijian, who has been charged with murder. </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Mavis Toh
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->In November last year, Madam Zhang Meng and her daughter Feng Jianyu flew to Singapore from their home in Tianjin in northern China.
They were in high spirits.
Jianyu was going to be enrolled in a school here and Madam Zhang, whose husband is a policeman, would look after her.
Last Friday, the mother- and-daughter pair were 'sent off' by about 10 weeping family members and friends at the Mandai Crematorium. Their coffins were placed side by side.
The two were victims of what has been dubbed the Yishun Triple Deaths.
On Sept 19, Madam Zhang, 42, and Jianyu, 17, were found dead with stab wounds in the bedroom of their rented five-room flat in Block 349, Yishun Avenue 11.
The body of their flatmate, Madam Yang Jie, 36, also a China national, was found at the foot of the same block.
Madam Yang's daughter, a 14-year-old student, was found with serious stab wounds in the toilet. She was in an intensive care unit for five days and is now in a general ward. She is said to be blind in one eye and badly scarred.
A man who lived in the flat, China national Wang Zhijian, 42, has been charged with the murder of Madam Zhang. He was inside the unit when the police arrived. The other deaths and the stabbing of the 14-year-old girl are still being investigated.
Both mothers were what is known as peidu mamas or study mamas - Chinese women who move to Singapore with their children who attend schools here.
According to Madam Zhang's friends, Madam Zhang wanted Jianyu to improve her command of English and thought Singapore would be the best place for this.
Soon after they arrived, they rented a room in a four-room HDB flat in Yishun. But Madam Zhang found it too noisy and moved to a sixth-floor corner unit in Block 349, where the crimes took place.
Back home in Tianjin, Madam Zhang, a graduate, worked in the freight industry.
A close friend of hers, who would give her name only as Serene, told The Sunday Times: 'She took care of her daughter and made sure she got home-cooked meals every day.'
Serene, a Singaporean, described Madam Zhang as an introverted person who was sincere and soft-spoken. Serene got to know the China-born woman through her boss, who is also from Tianjin.
A few months back, Serene said, she accompanied the mother- daughter pair to CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School to ask about a transfer. Jianyu was due to go for an interview next month, she said.
The girl was a Secondary 2 student in Northview Secondary School and did well there. Her report card for the mid-year exams showed a string of As except in English, for which she scored a B3.
Principal Yeo Teck Cheng said that Jianyu was the leader of the school's Chinese dance group. 'She was very mature and showed a lot of potential. If not for her weaker English, she would have been the top student,' he added.
=> 17-year-old and studying in Sec 2 and still dare to praise her as mature and clever. WTF!
When news of the killings broke, Madam Zhang's younger sister and brother, together with six other relatives, flew to Singapore. Her policeman husband remained back home.
One of Madam Zhang's friends, a China-born businessman who would give his name only as Mr Fang, explained: 'Her husband is still devastated. It's better that he waits for the ashes back home.'
Madam Zhang's elderly parents are unaware of what happened.
Early this year, Madam Zhang decided to sublet a room to Madam Yang and her 14-year-old daughter.
Reports said that Madam Yang, originally a property agent from Shenyang in north-east China, had come to Singapore early this year.
The 14-year-old girl was from her first marriage. Madam Yang also had an eight-year-old daughter with her second husband. They live in Dalian in north-east China.
The older girl attended Northland Secondary School in Yishun.
Madam Yang's body has yet to be collected. Her husband, Mr Li Wen Ge, 39, is planning to fly here. He told reporters that the girl is now blind in her right eye and that her face is badly scarred.
Serene said that the two mother- daughter pairs got along well.
Early this year, she visited the flat. Madam Zhang was out, but Madam Yang and her daughter asked her in. 'They were very nice and even offered me cookies and drinks,' said Serene. 'Everything seemed fine.'
Reports have speculated that Madam Yang worked as a personal assistant to a Singaporean man in his 60s and that they might have been romantically involved.
She was reportedly paid $2,000 a month to do administrative jobs and to prepare his meals.
=> Administer his KKJ?
Reports also said that Wang, the murder suspect, is believed to have been on close terms with Madam Yang.
Neighbours said they often saw the good-looking, well-built man in the flat and with Madam Yang. Little is known about him. He has made two court appearances and is in remand for another week.
The ashes of Madam Zhang and her daughter were collected by family members yesterday morning and they will be flying home this morning.
At the cremations last Friday, Northview's principal Yeo handed a scrapbook, titled We Will Always Remember Her, to the family. It was done by Jianyu's classmates.
An envelope containing a letter and $3,000 from a grassroots leader of Yishun East was also handed over to the family.
=> Sporns die is their own biz? And the money comes from donations meant to help poor Sporns?
Relatives said that a proper wake would be held for the mother and daughter in Tianjin.
Asked if they would return for Wang's hearing, the family said they were not sure.
But family friend Mr Fang added: 'The court outcome won't matter to the family. After all, both mother and daughter are dead.'
[email protected] Send your comments to [email protected]
