Coroner's inquiry opens into death of man whose body was found at SingPost Centre

A 78-year-old man left his Haig Road home for a wake on the night of Aug 27, 2021, and it was the last time his family saw him.

- Nadine Chua

When his daughter called him on the phone the next morning, Mr Soh Eng Thong told her he was at SingPost Centre, a mall in Paya Lebar, and said in Hokkien that "the door cannot open".

Over the next four days, his family, police officers and security guards at the mall searched for him there and its surrounding areas. They distributed fliers to members of the public to help find him.

The search ended when his body was found on Aug 31, 2021, in a stairwell at SingPost Centre.

On March 28, 2025, a coroner's inquiry opened into Mr Soh's death.

The cause of death was hypertensive heart disease and the police said they do not suspect foul play.

The inquiry began with State Coroner Adam Nakhoda giving his condolences to Mr Soh's family members, who were in court.

He said a coroner's inquiry is generally not called when an individual dies from natural causes. But he noted there were some concerns raised on the circumstances leading to Mr Soh's death and that investigations were focused on trying to address them.