Murder of Mirza Abdul Halim

On the early morning of 15 February 1989, five weeks after his release from prison, 29-year-old Singaporean and hairstylist Ong Yeow Tian, who was previously convicted for housebreaking and drug-related offences, partnered with his 26-year-old unemployed friend and secret society member Chua Gin Boon (蔡锦文 Cài Jǐnwén) to commit housebreaking at Tampines. Both men, who brought along chisels and a knife, attempted to break into two shops, including a hair salon, with Ong trying to enter the shops while Chua acted as a lookout.

However, both men failed to do so, and they were caught red-handed by two police constables (PC) Chua Yew Hua (蔡耀华 Cài Yàohuá) and Mirza Abdul Halim bin Mirza Abdul Majid, who responded to a police report lodged at 1.47am about the sighting of the robbers behaving suspiciously. Both the policemen gave chase, with PC Chua managing to arrest one of the suspects Chua, while PC Abdul Halim alone gave chase after Ong, and both got into a scuffle. During the struggle, Ong used the knife to stab PC Abdul Halim on the neck before he snatched PC Abdul Halim's Smith & Wesson revolver (which the policeman attempted to use for self-defence), which he used to shoot at PC Abdul Halim in the head. After critically injuring PC Abdul Halim, Ong then fled the scene with the revolver he stole from the fallen cop. Afterwards, a police manhunt was conducted to search for Ong.[11]

Later, between 2am and 3am, upon the tip-off of a witness named Lachumana Govindasamy, a 40-year-old taxi driver who witnessed Ong entering another taxi (driven by a Mohamed Syed), the police arrived at Tampines Street 22, where Ong just alighted the taxi. Wheen confronted by Sergeant Omar bin Amin and his partner PC Goh Soon Wan (alias Benny Goh; 吴顺源 Wú Shùnyuán), Ong fired at one of the officers, PC Goh, who remained unharmed and fired back another shot. Ong, who sustained a gunshot wound on the abdomen, escaped and he hid in the bushes within the area itself, before he was spotted by PC Ang Chai Hai (also spelt as Ang Chye Hai; 洪财海 Hóng Cáihǎi). Ong fired at PC Ang in the chest, but since PC Ang was wearing a bulletproof vest, he survived the gunshot but became unconscious as a result of the force impact inflicted by the bullet. After a subsequent exchange of gunfire between Ong and the other officers, Ong finally surrendered after being wounded seven times on the abdomen and arms, and he was arrested.[12][13][14][15][16] Lachumana was later commended by the police for helping them to capture Ong,[17][18] and both PC Goh and PC Ang were promoted to Corporal for their bravery and contribution to the successful arrest of Ong.[19][20]

Meanwhile, PC Abdul Halim was rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he was operated on but was still in critical condition and entered a comatose state. For his actions of trying to arrest Ong, PC Abdul Halim was given the rare field promotion to the rank of Corporal by Police Commissioner Goh Yong Hong while he was still in a coma. But after this promotion, Corporal Abdul Halim died at the age of 23 the next day on 16 February 1989, 33 hours after he was stabbed and shot. He was survived by five sisters and four brothers.[21][22][23]

According to Dr Ong Peck Leong, the neurosurgeon who performed a surgery on Corporal Abdul Halim, he stated that the bullet had caused damage to both the skull and brain as it entered and got stuck between the scalp and skull, and was situated close to a vital blood vessel which supplied arterial blood to the brain, and the stab wound to the neck also caused his lungs to be flooding with blood, and a respiratory tube had to be inserted into the windpipe to allow Corporal Abdul Halim to breathe. These above factors were crucial to eventually lead to Corporal Abdul Halim'a death despite the doctors' utmost efforts to treat him.[24]

Many Singaporeans offered condolences and donations to Abdul Halim's family and remembered him as a hero for his dedication to maintain public safety as a police officer. Over 400 people attended his funeral (held by police) at Pusara Aman Mosque and he was buried with full police honours.[25][26][27]

On 3 August 1992, the prosecution amended the original charge of murder against 32-year-old Ong Yeow Tian, reducing the charge to one of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with dangerous weapons to Corporal Abdul Halim, in relation to using a knife to stab the police officer on the neck. Ong pleaded guilty to the charge in his first trial, and was accordingly convicted by Justice S. Rajendran of the High Court. Under Section 326 of the Penal Code, the maximum sentence for the lower charge was life imprisonment, in addition to possible caning.

However, sentencing was postponed pending Ong's second trial for the two charges of discharging a revolver at Sergeant Goh Soon Wan (promoted from Corporal before Ong's trial) and Corporal Ang Chai Hai. Ong's lawyer N. Ganesan sought the adjournment from Justice Rajendran due to the defence counsel's need to prepare the relevant documents and arguments for the upcoming trial, which would be complicated if Ong was held as a convict at Changi Prison. The judge approved the application and allowed the sentencing to be reserved until the end of Ong's second trial.[35]

On 20 October 1992, for the two charges of firing a revolver at the police, Ong stood trial at the High Court before veteran judge T. S. Sinnathuray, who formerly heard the case of notorious child murderer Adrian Lim. Sergeant Goh and Corporal Ang both appeared as witnesses for the prosecution, who also admitted the witness statements made by the taxi driver Lachumana Govindasamy, who died of natural causes sometime before Ong's trial. While the prosecution argued that Ong fired two shots at the cops with the intention to cause injury or death, Ong, who was called to make his defence, argued that he only fired the shots because he wanted to buy more time for himself to escape the pursuit by the police, and these shots were not meant to be aimed at the two officers to cause any harm to them.[36][37]

On 22 October 1992, the same day when both sides made their final submissions, Justice Sinnathuray accepted the prosecution's case based on the evidence presented and therefore found Ong guilty of the two counts of unlawfully discharging the stolen revolver at Sergeant Goh and Corporal Ang under the intent of causing injury. Automatically, 32-year-old Ong Yeow Tian received two death sentences for both capital firearm charges.[38]

On 10 November 1992, barely a month after Ong was sentenced to death, the sentencing phase for Ong's first trial for killing Corporal Abdul Halim took place. Justice S. Rajendran sentenced Ong to ten years' imprisonment for the charge of using a knife to cause serious hurt to Corporal Abdul Halim. However, under the relevant laws, Ong's ten-year sentence would not take effect while he was on death row, and it could only be served should Ong be successful in overturning his two death sentences by appeal.[39] Although caning is mandatory for the charge of intentionally causing serious harm, Justice Rajendran did not impose caning on Ong since it was decreed by law that offenders who received the death sentence should not be caned.[40]