On 16 January, a 22-year-old Malaysian woman by the name of Ms Khoo Yee Joo went missing, as she was nowhere to be seen after she got off from work that day.
After trying futilely to find Ms Khoo, her aunt Ms Huang Yan Ying made a missing person police report to the police at 2am on 17 January,
On 18 January, her body was found in the Sungei Api Api river in Pasir Ris.
During an inquest on Monday (1 Aug), State Coroner Adam Nakhoda gave an open verdict.
He stated, “Circumstances would suggest suicidal ideation but, in this case, other reasons for her death cannot be conclusively excluded.”
The coroner also added that her body was found among the mangrove forests and that there were no external injuries on Ms Khoo, according to the autopsy report.
A statement from the Investigation Officer (IO) Ling Junxian corroborates with his observations, as the IO said that there was no indication of foul play as a cause of death.
The Day Ms Khoo Was Found
Sergeant Ling spoke before the court, stating that the police were alerted to the discovery of Ms Khoo’s body along Sungei Api Api at around 7:20pm on 18 January.
She was spotted by several witnesses, including a mangrove surveyor, before she went missing on 16 January.
A witness that met Ms Khoo the day she went missing, said that Ms Khoo had inquired about the depth of the river water.
Ms Khoo allegedly told the witness – who is believed to be the last person who saw her – that she was not sure if they would meet again in the future.
It must have felt terrible for the last witness when they came to the terrible realisation that the stranger they spoke to is now gone.
Ms Khoo was last sighted on the security cameras walking to Pasir Ris Park alone at 6:45pm. She was wearing the same outfit when her body was found.
The IO also mentioned that a relative and a friend of Ms Khoo both remarked that she had been depressed during her stay in Singapore due to the stress from work, and thus had suicidal thoughts.
In Remembrance of Ms Khoo
According to Lianhe Zaobao, Ms Khoo came from Kedah, Malaysia.
After graduating from university, she passed an interview to become a Chinese teacher at a local student care in November 2021 and subsequently moved to Singapore.
She had been staying with her 41-year-old aunt in a Toa Payoh flat.
Ms Khoo’s sister, Ms Khoo Zhi Shuang, later wrote in an Instagram post that her younger sibling had sent a “distress signal” and “chose to end her pain in her own way”.
During their last phone call, the older sister remembers Ms Khoo saying that maybe one day she will be gone.
Ms Khoo Zhi Shuang described her younger sister as a kind and warm person, who would always give her utmost effort for others.
Featured Image: Rent in Singapire & Sin Chew Daily