MSF's Masagos apologises over Megan Khung case lapse; police disciplined, CPS officer probed

SINGAPORE: On 23 October 2025, Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli publicly apologised for lapses by government and partner agencies in the handling of four-year-old Megan Khung’s fatal abuse case, acknowledging that more could have been done to protect the child.

“As the lead for the national child protection system, I would like to say that we are sorry for the outcome,” he said. “We cannot eradicate every risk of a child loss. But our resolve is absolute. We will do everything possible to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.”

Masagos pledged that every link in the child protection ecosystem — including professionals and partner agencies — would do its utmost to safeguard vulnerable children.

The background: months of abuse before Megan’s death

Megan Khung died in February 2020 after months of sustained abuse by her mother, Foo Li Ping, and Foo’s then-boyfriend, Brian Wong. The abuse culminated in Wong fatally punching the four-year-old.

Foo was later sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment for abusing her daughter and for helping to burn her remains.

Wong was jailed for 30 years and sentenced to 17 strokes of the cane for his role in Megan’s death, along with other drug-related offences.

Review panel finds gaps in agency coordination

Masagos’ apology followed the release of findings by an independent review panel examining how agencies had handled Megan’s case.

The agencies involved were the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s Child Protective Service (CPS), the Singapore Police Force (SPF), Beyond Social Services, Healthy Start Child Development Centre, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), and the HEART@Fei Yue Child Protection Specialist Centre.

The panel concluded that while agencies took appropriate action in some areas, lapses and communication gaps were also evident. A lack of shared understanding between agencies hindered effective intervention.

All agencies accepted the findings in full.

Masagos Zulkifli assumed office as MSF Minister in July 2020, succeeding Desmond Lee, who held the portfolio from September 2017 to 2020. Lee currently serves as Minister for Education.

Two police officers disciplined for procedural failures

Two SPF officers were disciplined internally after the panel found they had failed to follow established processes when Megan’s grandmother first lodged a police report in January 2020, just a month before the child’s death.

The investigation officer initially assessed the matter as a case of child discipline with low safety concern and did not escalate it for supervisor review.

Attempts to locate Foo and Megan over the following weeks were unsuccessful, and the officer was later redeployed to COVID-19 duties.

According to the review, these missteps “prevented timely and appropriate action on the first report”.

SPF’s Deputy Commissioner of Investigation and Intelligence, Zhang Weihan, said that the force had strengthened procedures to ensure reports are assessed with the “right level of attention” and followed up promptly.

MSF investigates CPS officer for handling of case

The Ministry of Social and Family Development has launched a disciplinary investigation into one CPS officer’s handling of Megan’s case.

The panel found that the officer could have been more sensitive to warning signs raised by Beyond Social Services, including Megan’s injuries, her mother’s drug involvement, and concerns flagged by community workers.

Furthermore, the officer failed to register a call from Beyond Social Services, contrary to standard CPS processes. The oversight meant that the call was not discussed with supervisors, delaying further assessment.

MSF said the officer remains employed and is receiving emotional support during the investigation. Depending on findings, disciplinary actions could range from counselling to financial penalties and adjustments to performance assessments.

Social service agencies respond to review findings

Beyond Social Services said its staff had acted within professional judgement and existing protocols at the time but accepted responsibility for improvement.

“This does not take away from our responsibility to do better,” the agency stated.

Since the incident, the organisation has retrained staff, strengthened supervision, and introduced new safeguards to ensure that every child under its care is better protected.

HEART@Fei Yue stated that no disciplinary action would be taken against its officer as the issues related to procedural rather than personal shortcomings.

It has since tightened its protocols to ensure higher consistency in child protection cases.

Agencies pledge reforms and improved coordination

Representatives from the involved agencies addressed the media on 23 October, affirming their commitment to learning from the case and detailing steps taken to enhance protection systems.

Carmelia Nathan, director of protective services at MSF, said CPS has implemented automatic recording, transcription, and case logging of all incoming calls to the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline.

“This ensures accountability and allows periodic reviews to strengthen frontline services,” she said.

SPF reaffirmed that processes and technology enhancements have been introduced to improve case oversight and supervision.

ECDA also stated that it would continue improving preschool training and workflows to ensure suspected abuse cases are promptly reported.

Strengthening training and emotional resilience in staff

Alvin Yapp, president of Beyond Social Services, described the case as deeply painful for his organisation.

“Our incident report should be more timely and complete, and for this, we are deeply sorry,” he said.

He noted that staff members continue to carry the emotional weight of the tragedy, but the agency is focused on supporting them while translating lessons into stronger protection for children.

Fei Yue Community Services chief executive Arthur Ling also said the organisation had reinforced collaboration protocols with protective services and police.

In situations where access to a child is blocked or concerns persist, reports must now be lodged within 24 hours.

“Child protection is a complex and demanding area of work that calls for continuous learning and strong collaboration among partners,” Ling said.

Twelve system improvements since 2020

The review panel highlighted 12 key improvements made since Megan’s death to strengthen Singapore’s child protection framework:

1. MSF expanded public education and simplified abuse reporting.
2. ECDA introduced clear reporting procedures for preschools.
3. Beyond Social Services enhanced detection and case management protocols.
4. MSF and ECDA improved coordination with police on missing children.
5. Both agencies expanded staff competency training to better detect abuse.
6. MSF improved screening tools for more accurate case assessment.
7. Amendments to the Children and Young Persons Act clarified information-sharing rules and extended legal powers to more agencies.
8. HEART@Fei Yue strengthened internal protocols and communication procedures.
9. MSF tightened procedures for child assessments, including video calls.
10. SPF enhanced oversight and training for officers handling family violence.
11. Technology adoption improved case tracking and supervision.
12. Broader inter-agency collaboration was embedded into routine case management.

Renewed commitment to child protection

Masagos acknowledged that the panel recognised “concerted efforts” made since 2020 to strengthen child protection systems.

“We have drawn on lessons from past cases, including Megan’s, to improve coordination capability and vigilance across the sector,” he said.

The panel also made seven new recommendations to improve role clarity among professionals, cultivate a stronger learning culture, and enhance well-being support for front-line child protection practitioners.

Recognising frontline officers’ challenges

Masagos highlighted the difficult nature of child protection work, urging society to support officers who operate in highly complex emotional environments.

“I hope that as a society, we recognise and appreciate our protection officers for their successful interventions in many cases,” he said.

“If and when they do not succeed, as in Megan’s case, I hope we continue to support them — just as they support the children and families under their care.”

He reaffirmed that MSF would continue engaging closely with professionals, social service agencies and preschools to strengthen systems and communication.

“With Singapore’s support, we will strengthen our internal systems,” he concluded. “We will work together to improve how agencies communicate, learn from this incident, and do better.”