The whole Singapore Police Force was reported to be looking for a missing detective by the name of Toh Keng Hua, 26 years of the Beach Road Station. He was last seen talking to a woman in Maude Road on 12 August 1954 but it was reported that the woman had no connection to his disappearance. Missing with the detective are his service revolver, 12 rounds of ammunition and a pair of handcuffs. Toh Keng Hua lived with his wife, Madam Lee Tan Moi in Carpmael Road, Katong and he joined the force in May 1950.
Detective Toh was listed as a deserter as a result of a policy where all police officers who fail to report for duty at the end 30 days was classified as so.. The skeletal remains of detective Toh Keng Hua was found in a lallang patch at Paya Lebar (beyond the perimeter fence of the Shell Sports Club) on 1 March 1955 after reported missing for 6 months. It was a Sikh surveyor by the name of Kartar Singh who stumbled upon the remains while surveying the land. The police, while searching found a purse containing the warrant card of Detective Toh Keng Hua, fragments of police document, police belt and fragments of his trousers and a pair of shoes.
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| Detective Toh Keng Hua |
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| Detective Toh Keng Hua skeletal remains found (source: NewspaperSG) |
Exonerated and Vindicated
Ever since, Toh Keng Hua was listed as a deserter, his wife, Madam Lee Tan Moi was steadfast in insisting that his husband is not a deserter and that he was likely murdered. She even challenged the Singapore Police to find him. She even consulted several mediums who told her her husband is "far away". When she sought for financial assistance, she was rejected on the reason that she was not eligible as her husband had been listed as a deserter. With the discovery of his remains, the Police made immediate restitution to the widow of Detective Toh who has since move in with her 3 children to her father's (Mr. Lee Khim Eng) home in Queen Street.
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| Madam Lee Tan Moi and her 3 children (source: NewspaperSG) |
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| Madam Lee Tan Moi seeking to exonerate her husband (source: NewspaperSG) |
Funeral procession to Bukit Brown?
On 20 March 1955, the late Detective Toh Keng Hua was interred in Bukit Brown with full Police honors. Before the cortege left the house of the late detective in Queen Street, top Police Officials including the Commissioner, Mr. Nigel Morris, Assistant Commissioners, Mr. W.J. Parks and Mr. A. R. Anderson laid wreaths.
However, i am not able to find a burial entry of him in the Bukit Brown burial registrar. The mystery of the actual location of his tomb remains.
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| The scene in Queen Street in front of Detective Toh's house (source: NewspaperSG) |
Roll of Honour
Detective Toh Keng Hua together with 3 other police officers killed in the course of duty were added in April 1955 in the Roll of Honour maintained by the Singapore Police. The other 3 listed were Detective Sub-Inspector Tan Ah Seng and Detectives Johnson Lee and Wong Siew Wah. Inspector Tan and Detective Lee were shot dead by Communist gunmen outside their homes and their guns stolen while Detective Wong was kill in a gun duel between police and an armed thug.
References
Hunt for missing detective (and gun). (1954, August 17). The Straits Times, page 1
Family Appeals for Help. (1954, November 20). Singapore Standard, page 5
Full benefits for widow of detective. (1955, March 2). The Singapore Free Press, page 1
His skeleton found in bush. (1955, March 2). Singapore Standard, page 1
Police Funeral. (1955, March 17). The Straits Times, page 8
Police Pay last respects to murdered detective. (1955, March 21). Singapore Standard, page 2
Detective Toh is in Roll of Honour. (1955, April 27). Singapore Standard, page 8
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