Hougang knife attack: Dispute over medical claim reportedly leads to mother of three’s death

SINGAPORE: A dispute over an alleged medical claim may have led to the tragic death of a woman in a knife attack at a hardware store in Hougang.

According to local Chinese media, Lianhe Zaobao, the suspect allegedly claimed that the victim had hit his leg with a cart, which sparked the conflict.

The victim has been identified as Dao Thi Hong (Ah Hong), a 34-year-old Vietnamese mother of three young children.

On Tuesday (10 December), Ah Hong, who worked at Quan Long Nippon Paint hardware store at Block 210, Hougang Street 21, was repeatedly stabbed by a 42-year-old man, who is said to be a former employee of the store.

The incident occurred at about 11am before shocked onlookers.

Witnesses reported hearing a woman screaming and seeing the suspect brandishing a knife.

A 26-year-old man, another worker at the store, tried to intervene and was injured.

The suspect, Du Zaixing, has been charged with murder on Thursday. His case is expected back in court on 19 December. According to Section 302(1) of the Penal Code, murder is punishable by death if convicted.

Nguyen Trong Vinh (A Yong), a 32-year-old assistant chef who shared a unit with Ah Hong and two other roommates, revealed to the media that he had heard from the branch staff that the deceased had mentioned having a grudge against the suspect.

According to A Yong, the victim had accidentally hit the suspect with a trolley one or two months ago.

Although the suspect did not sustain obvious injuries, he was dissatisfied and repeatedly demanded substantial compensation from Ah Hong.

A Yong mentioned that the suspect had been delivering goods for the hardware store but was unsure if he was an employee.

Suspect Allegedly Demanded Nearly S$100,000 Compensation Following Cart Incident

He added that about a month ago, the suspect had allegedly asked Ah Hong to pay nearly S$100,000 in compensation after the incident with the cart.

A Yong told reporters that Ah Hong had left her hometown to work in Singapore because her family was in debt, making her the breadwinner.

Her husband, who is ten years her senior, stayed home to care for their children.

“She has been in Singapore for about three years. During the one year she worked at Quan Long, Hougang, she hardly took any vacations, just to earn more money,” said A Yong.

Ah Hong and her husband have three children, with the oldest daughter being 10 years old and the youngest 7 years old.

She reportedly video-chatted with her children almost every night and recently bought toys and snacks to be sent to them through a friend returning to Vietnam.

Family Grieving

Ah Hong’s husband initially wanted to fly to Singapore upon receiving the devastating news but was unable to do so due to a lack of necessary documents.

Her sister purchased a plane ticket on short notice and arrived at the crime scene around 7pm, overwhelmed with grief.

Sally, a 40-year-old salesperson and friend of the deceased, mentioned that she had no impression of the suspect but knew that the 26-year-old male employee who tried to save Ah Hong was Chinese.

It is understood that this male employee suffered liver damage and underwent surgery after being admitted to the hospital.

He is not in life-threatening condition; neighbours praised him for his helpful nature and bravery in trying to save Ah Hong.

The hardware store owner is currently assisting the police with the investigation and helping to arrange Ah Hong’s funeral.

According to VietnamPlus, the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore is coordinating with local authorities to clarify the cause of the tragic knife attack. Additionally, the embassy has contacted the victim’s family to assist with funeral arrangements.