Elderly cleaner found dead in Bukit Merah flat; case highlights growing concern over seniors living alone
A 65-year-old cleaner was found dead in his Bukit Merah flat after failing to show up for work. Neighbours said they noticed a foul odour before his body was discovered. Authorities ruled out foul play, but the incident has reignited concerns about elderly isolation in Singapore.
- A 65-year-old cleaner was found dead in his Bukit Merah flat after failing to show up for work.
- Police ruled out foul play; the man had been living alone since his sister’s death.
- The case renews debate over elderly isolation and the lack of national tracking for solitary deaths.
SINGAPORE: A 65-year-old cleaner was found dead in his Bukit Merah flat on 21 July 2025 after his employer became worried when he did not show up for work.
The employer went to the man’s unit at Block 3 Telok Blangah Crescent and knocked repeatedly but received no response.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the employer arrived at around 10am and later sought help from a neighbour named Hong, who lived opposite the flat. Hong said he had not seen the cleaner for two to three days and only noticed a faint odour after it was pointed out to him.
Concerned, the employer contacted the police, who arrived at the unit at around noon. By 5pm, multiple police cars were at the scene as officers entered and exited the flat to conduct investigations.
At about 6pm, the man’s body was removed from the unit and taken away in a hearse.
Chen, a 70-year-old neighbour living directly above the flat, said she first noticed a strong smell the day before. “It smelled like something was decaying. I nearly vomited from the stench,” she told Shin Min. She added that the odour worsened the next morning, prompting her to shut all her windows.
Neighbours said the cleaner had lived alone since his sister’s death two years ago. The pair had previously shared the flat after their father passed away.
Another resident, Mohamad Shah, a 65-year-old security guard, described him as a quiet man who mostly kept to himself. “He wasn’t very talkative, but we would greet each other whenever we met. Every time I saw him, he would have one or two cans of beer in his hands,” said Shah, who last saw him the Thursday before his death.
Police have ruled out foul play. The cause of death remains under investigation.
String of solitary deaths raises alarm over elderly isolation
This case adds to a series of similar incidents involving seniors who died alone at home, sparking renewed concerns about elderly isolation in Singapore’s urban environment.
In Parliament, MPs have raised questions about the lack of national data on such cases. While the Ministry of Health does not track elderly people who die alone, the Health Sciences Authority handles fewer than 100 unclaimed bodies each year.
Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam confirmed in August 2024 that the police do not maintain specific statistics on these deaths. However, he said officers refer isolated seniors encountered during patrols to social services.
In 2023, MP Yip Hon Weng proposed closer monitoring of seniors who resist community engagement and stressed that better data could prevent future tragedies. Then-Minister of State for National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim highlighted outreach programmes like the Live Well, Age Well initiative and efforts by Silver Generation Ambassadors, but acknowledged that more community involvement was needed.
Workers’ Party MP Dennis Tan has since called for greater funding for Active Ageing Centres and stronger support for their staff to reach vulnerable seniors.
The Online Citizen has also begun documenting solitary deaths in Singapore through its politicalsg wiki, creating a public resource to track such incidents and raise awareness of the issue.
