SPF appeals for help to find the families of Singaporean seniors who died alone

Singapore—Three elderly Singaporean males have passed away recently and authorities are trying to find their next-of-kin.

According to a news advisory from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) Mr Goh Taw Hwa (Goh Teo Seng) passed away on August 16 at Sengkang General Hospital. The 80-year-old Mr Goh had lived at Grace Lodge Nursing Home. The SPF issued an appeal for the deceased’s next-of-kin to come forward.

Similarly, a Mr Ng Kim Siew, passed away two days later, on August 18. He had been a resident of Blk 3 Jalan Bukit Merah, and the police were looking for the relatives of Mr Ng, or anyone with any information on the matter, to come forward.

The relatives of a third senior citizen, Mr Haji A Latib Ahamad, are also being sought by the police, according to BeritaMediacorp. The 92-year-old also passed away on August 16 at the Changi General Hospital, and on August 25 the police issued an appeal for the deceased’s next-of-kin to come forward. Mr Ahamad had been a resident at Jamiyah Home For The Aged (Darul Takrim).

The Police Hotline is 1800-255-0000. Alternatively, information on the two gentlemen may be submitted online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

The SPF said that the information given will be kept strictly confidential.

In similar news, earlier this month, one netizen took to social media to appeal for the next of kin of a man named David Lim to come forward. On August 15, netizen Alvin Ng wrote that one of his close family friends, who had stood as an uncle to him, had passed away alone in his rented room. And while it seemed that Mr Ng had known Mr Lim for many years, he believed that the older man had no next of kin or relatives, or that he had lost contact with them a long time ago.

On August 15 he wrote, “The police is not releasing his body to me till they exhaust all means to locate his NOK or relatives. He is currently kept in a morgue and will be in it for awhile.

Hence, i am humbly appealing to seek assistance from this social media circle to share this around and hope it reaches his NOK or relatives or anyone who knows about my uncle. Please drop me a pm.”

It is likely that someone had come forward, fortunately, as Mr Ng updated his post sometime later, writing that the remains of “Uncle David” would be released to him and that cremation had been scheduled for August 22. —/TISG