http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,190169,00.html?
Woman's body discovered due to foul smell
Neighbours didn't know her name or age
By Ho Lian-Yi
January 19, 2009
TOA PAYOH DEATH: A neighbour called the police when the smell became unbearable. TNP PICTURE: CHOO CHWEE HUA
BY all accounts, she seemed mentally disturbed - and alone.
Yesterday, she was found dead in her two-room flat. In death, as in life, she was alone - her body was only discovered four days after neighbours detected a foul smell from her flat.
Her death sharpens the focus on whether the mentally ill should be left to fend for themselves.
The attack on Yio Chu Kang MP, Mr Seng Han Thong, first turned the spotlight on the issue.
Mr Seng was allegedly set on fire by Ong Kah Chua, 70, a former cabby on 11 Jan. Ong was said to have been in and out of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).
In a recent statement, the IMH said that it does not believe in institutionalising mentally ill patients. It added that periodic checks are done on such ex-patients, especially to ensure they take their medication.
Yesterday, at Blk 161 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, neighbours said the unidentified woman seemed disturbed. But no one knew much about her, not her name or even her age.
One neighbour said she looked like she was in her late 20s; another said she was in her 40s or 50s, and another said she was in her 60s.
No one befriended her. But all agreed that she behaved oddly.
They only knew she was dead when the police cordoned off her flat yesterday.
The first inkling anyone had that something was amiss was when the nightly screams from her second floor two-room flat abruptly stopped.
It was her next door neighbour, Mr Mohd Razif, 27, a pest control specialist, who called the police at around 4.20pm yesterday.
'We heard screams and yelling, and her banging her head against a wall nearly every night, usually after midnight, from 2am to 4am,' he said.
About 10 days ago, it all stopped. But Mr Razif, who lives with his mother, a 45-year-old saleswoman, didn't think anything of it then.
Four days ago, they detected a foul smell that got stronger and stronger.
His mum thought it could be a dead animal but MrRazif, who is no stranger to animal carcasses as a pest control specialist, knew better.
He had been stationed in a morgue before, he said, and the smell was familiar. He said he didn't want to think that the woman was dead - and only called the police when the smell became unbearable.
'I've lived here for one year and I've only seen her once,' he said. According to Mr Razif, she looked to be in her late 20s or 30s and had long hair.
The windows in her flat were permanently shuttered, and she rarely received visitors. He and his mother have only seen an elderly lady and a man in his late 30s visit her.
The only time he and his mum heard her speak was when a grassroots leader doing community work knocked on her door last year.
'She spoke fluent English,' said Mr Razif's mother.
'Mental problem'
Another neighbour, Ms Hamidah, 22, a home helper, said the woman wasn't likely to befriend anyone.
'She had a mental problem,' she said, and referred to the screaming she heard at night.
She described the woman as Chinese, with long hair, and who always wore a T-shirt.
She said that the woman had lived with her mum at first. But the mum, who also looked like she was mentally ill, died. She couldn't recall when it happened.
Mr Sidney Roberts, 73, a retired security guard who lives further down the corridor, said: 'She used to go to NTUC to buy food to cook. I would stand here at my door, smoking, and I'd see her coming back.'
She usually returned around 11am and only went shopping once every one or two weeks. He last saw her 10 days ago.
'I told my wife, this woman will die inside and nobody will know it,' he said, shaking his head.
Why didn't they try to get to know her? He replied that it was because she looked like she could take care of herself.
Madam Nor, 44, a healthcare assistant and single mum living with her five children, said: 'We don't interact with people around here. We don't want to get into any problems.'
Mr David Teo, 53, who is unemployed, lives on the floor above the dead woman's flat. 'Old people, living alone, it's what happens,' he said.
He had walked around the undertaker's black van parked downstairs and, pointing to another old woman below, said: 'I thought it was for her at first.'
'There's a lot of old people staying here. A lot commit suicide also. There's also a blind man living here. Lots of poor people in these two blocks,' he said.
A police spokesman said a body of a woman in her 60s was found in the unit. They are investigating the case as unnatural death.
Woman's body discovered due to foul smell
Neighbours didn't know her name or age
By Ho Lian-Yi
January 19, 2009
TOA PAYOH DEATH: A neighbour called the police when the smell became unbearable. TNP PICTURE: CHOO CHWEE HUA
BY all accounts, she seemed mentally disturbed - and alone.
Yesterday, she was found dead in her two-room flat. In death, as in life, she was alone - her body was only discovered four days after neighbours detected a foul smell from her flat.
Her death sharpens the focus on whether the mentally ill should be left to fend for themselves.
The attack on Yio Chu Kang MP, Mr Seng Han Thong, first turned the spotlight on the issue.
Mr Seng was allegedly set on fire by Ong Kah Chua, 70, a former cabby on 11 Jan. Ong was said to have been in and out of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).
In a recent statement, the IMH said that it does not believe in institutionalising mentally ill patients. It added that periodic checks are done on such ex-patients, especially to ensure they take their medication.
Yesterday, at Blk 161 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, neighbours said the unidentified woman seemed disturbed. But no one knew much about her, not her name or even her age.
One neighbour said she looked like she was in her late 20s; another said she was in her 40s or 50s, and another said she was in her 60s.
No one befriended her. But all agreed that she behaved oddly.
They only knew she was dead when the police cordoned off her flat yesterday.
The first inkling anyone had that something was amiss was when the nightly screams from her second floor two-room flat abruptly stopped.
It was her next door neighbour, Mr Mohd Razif, 27, a pest control specialist, who called the police at around 4.20pm yesterday.
'We heard screams and yelling, and her banging her head against a wall nearly every night, usually after midnight, from 2am to 4am,' he said.
About 10 days ago, it all stopped. But Mr Razif, who lives with his mother, a 45-year-old saleswoman, didn't think anything of it then.
Four days ago, they detected a foul smell that got stronger and stronger.
His mum thought it could be a dead animal but MrRazif, who is no stranger to animal carcasses as a pest control specialist, knew better.
He had been stationed in a morgue before, he said, and the smell was familiar. He said he didn't want to think that the woman was dead - and only called the police when the smell became unbearable.
'I've lived here for one year and I've only seen her once,' he said. According to Mr Razif, she looked to be in her late 20s or 30s and had long hair.
The windows in her flat were permanently shuttered, and she rarely received visitors. He and his mother have only seen an elderly lady and a man in his late 30s visit her.
The only time he and his mum heard her speak was when a grassroots leader doing community work knocked on her door last year.
'She spoke fluent English,' said Mr Razif's mother.
'Mental problem'
Another neighbour, Ms Hamidah, 22, a home helper, said the woman wasn't likely to befriend anyone.
'She had a mental problem,' she said, and referred to the screaming she heard at night.
She described the woman as Chinese, with long hair, and who always wore a T-shirt.
She said that the woman had lived with her mum at first. But the mum, who also looked like she was mentally ill, died. She couldn't recall when it happened.
Mr Sidney Roberts, 73, a retired security guard who lives further down the corridor, said: 'She used to go to NTUC to buy food to cook. I would stand here at my door, smoking, and I'd see her coming back.'
She usually returned around 11am and only went shopping once every one or two weeks. He last saw her 10 days ago.
'I told my wife, this woman will die inside and nobody will know it,' he said, shaking his head.
Why didn't they try to get to know her? He replied that it was because she looked like she could take care of herself.
Madam Nor, 44, a healthcare assistant and single mum living with her five children, said: 'We don't interact with people around here. We don't want to get into any problems.'
Mr David Teo, 53, who is unemployed, lives on the floor above the dead woman's flat. 'Old people, living alone, it's what happens,' he said.
He had walked around the undertaker's black van parked downstairs and, pointing to another old woman below, said: 'I thought it was for her at first.'
'There's a lot of old people staying here. A lot commit suicide also. There's also a blind man living here. Lots of poor people in these two blocks,' he said.
A police spokesman said a body of a woman in her 60s was found in the unit. They are investigating the case as unnatural death.
