How are exhumation in Singapore usually done?
Well, the National Environmental Agency will first post Notices of its intention to exhume. Then after a period of waiting, the grave would either have been acknowledged by its descendants and exhumed, or if unclaimed, it will be exhumed by the Government.
API Raymond found a tomb belonging to the 2nd wife of a once infamous gangster somewhere near Upper Thomson Rd… The strange thing is… it appears to have been robbed of its coffin!
A secret society chief 2nd wife grave was mysteriously dug out, leaving only the tombstone!
This secret society chief Chua Moh Choon who was once Singapore biggest secret society Yi Heng supreme commander, in charge of more than 10,000 followers. Besides having companies, he also managed cinemas and prostitute dens, and was a famous personality in Singapore.
Chuan died in 1879, and when 2 of his wives died, all three of them were buried in an area between Ang Mio Kio Ave 1 and Upper Thomson Road, not far from Jalan Batai. In the past, this area was known as Choon Kok Hill.
Chua Moh Choon and his first wife tombs stood for a hundred years before being demolished years ago, leaving only Chua Moh Choon 2nd wife tomb.
Recently API senior researcher Raymond brought the reporter to visit this grave when they discovered that her grave was dug up, forming a large rectangular pit. Her coffin was no longer there. From the grass grown in the pit, it was deduced that the grave was only recently dug up.
Raymond was surprised at what he discovered.
If this is done by the authorities, they would dug up the whole grave, and not leave the tombstone behind.
The reporter found that Chua 2nd wife tomb was in the middle of a slope, well hidden behind some trees and not easily discovered. The area where the coffin was originally laid has been dug and formed a rectangular pit, leaving behind a tombstone with the engraving:
Ming Lady Moh Long Siok Hui Chua Family Mdm Tan, buried in 1889. This means that this tomb has been in existence for 118 years.
The remaining tombstone. Arrow denoted the unique Ming dynasty character instead of the usual Qing.
Raymond explained, “Ming Lady Moh Long means that she is from the Ming dynasty period, and is a deceased mother coming from Moh Long. The grave is that of Mdm Tan Siok Hui who married into the Chua Family.
This tomb is unique in that it was erected in the Qing Dynasty, and yet use Ming Lady. It symbolised that at that time, the anti Qing pro Ming sentiments among certain groups of people.
The reporter also found that there was an urn and a flower pot there. But from the grave desolate condition, it was believed that no people has come to pray for a long time there.
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Singapore Land Authority in an interview said that they know about the existence of the grave, but the authorities has not done any exhumation work there and did not have any knowledge that someone has dug out the grave.
The spokeman said that their authority has no intention to exhume the grave yet.
If they were to do any exhumation work, here they would advertise it on the newspapers, notify the related parties to come to claim the grave. And when they do the exhumation, they wuold remove the tombstone together with the graves.
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Chua Moh Choon was involved in many secret societies gang fight, and was once even sent to jail by the colonial authorities.
Born in 1819 in Chaozhou Chaoyang, he came to Singapore when he was 20, and joined the largest Secret Society Yi Heng subsidiary Yi Hock. He later became leader of Yi Hock and subsequently General Manager of Yi Heng.
In 1864, Chua Moh Choon applied to the government to become an British citizen, and hope to take up long term residence in Singapore and conduct legitimate business. His application was approved and he started an import/export business at Singapore River. Besides this he also managed prostitution dens and cinemas
Chua brought a large piece of land (where he was buried) and this piece of land became one of Singapore earliest rubber plantation (that is many years after he had died). He died in 1879 at the age of 61 years.
As for his 5 wives, little was known. Nobody also know whether the second wife Mdm Tan has any valuables buried with her.
Chua has 5 wives during his lifetime, and when he died, all the 5 wives names were listed.
This is qutie rare for Chinese tradition. However, this unique tombstone was lost in
1987 Jul when the news about the discovery of Chua’s grave was reported.
So who dug out the grave? Do you know anything? Please call our hotline (API insert: 98788669)
Do discuss this strange exhumation in our forums.