Pastor Dead, Son Held

[Key Guy]

From Singapore

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_413658.html

Quote:

A LATE-night fire at a flat in McNair Road sent more than 100 residents scurrying for cover. As they fled from Block 110 on Wednesday, Mr Michael Ho Shiong Chun's lifeless body lay face-down in the master bedroom's toilet in his flat on the 11th floor.

The 58-year-old pastor from the Chuan Hoe Seventh Day Adventist Church at Yio Chu Kang Road had been murdered. Firefighters, who had to break into the blazing apartment, found him with burns to his limbs but no other visible injuries.

The next morning, the police arrested a man for his murder - Mr Ho's 29-year-old son, Wei Yi. It also turned out that the flat could have been deliberately set on fire and the Singapore Civil Defence Force is now investigating.

Mr Ho had been staying at the executive flat with his wife, in her 50s, another son in his 30s, and Wei Yi, for more than 20 years. Neighbours said Wei Yi was on long-term medication although they did not know his exact medical condition. It was also not known if the pastor was alone in the flat when the fire broke out at about 10pm.

Neighbours and residents were shocked on Thursday as news of Mr Ho's murder blazed through the quiet community. By all accounts, the Hos were 'good, decent people' although they 'kept to themselves'.

But recently, cracks began to show. Quarrels between Mr Ho and his younger son got so violent that the police had to be called in.

Mr Siva Kumaran, 27, who lives on the 10th floor, said that he heard a commotion from the Hos' flat last month and saw policemen outside their flat.

When he saw the pastor the next day, he was sporting a cut above his right eyebrow. 'He said he had quarrelled with his younger son after advising him to go to the mental hospital to get medication. He was worried about his son's addiction to computer games and the son hit him,' he said.

Another neighbour, who gave her name as Ms Jayanthy, said she heard someone shouting for help from the Hos' flat shortly before the fire broke out.

Another neighbour, who gave his name as Mr Lau, described the fire as 'terrible'. The man in his 60s was among those whom police evacuated from the sixth to 11th floors. 'I could feel the heat and smell the smoke even from the flat. The glass in the windows broke and fell down to the foot of the block because of the heat and pressure from the huge fire,' he said.

(photo online)

[olger]

Not good.

Much prayer.

g

[Woody]

God is Good. He can turn bad to good.

[olger]

Excess circumlocution.

Brevity appreciated.

g