Forty years later, the wounds still look fresh. Two murders. One year apart. One woman. One man. Both torn apart by affairs, jealousy and choices that spiraled into violence. This is the story of Khor Gek Hong and Tan Tik Siah — Frankie — and the messy human things that led to their deaths.
Khor Gek Hong — a midday attack on Kim Seng Road (24 Oct 1983)
Khor Gek Hong, 24, was the seventh of eight children. She had a husband who worked at sea and a two-year-old son. For years she had an affair with a neighbour-turned-lover, Wong Foot Ling (called Ah Beng). They knew each other since 1973. They traveled. They were intimate. Yet Khor could not decide whether to leave her husband or stay.
Then, at noon, things turned violent. While waiting near Block 91 Kim Seng Road, she refused a lift from Wong. He pulled a knife from his car and stabbed her multiple times. One wound pierced deep into her chest — about six centimetres — and hit her lungs. In pain, she crawled to the grocery below her flat and called her mother. By the time help arrived she was in critical condition. She died that same day.
Frankie Tan — plotted ambush in Laguna Park (24 Oct 1984)
A year later, on the same date, another violent ending played out. Frankie Tan, 39, a banker, was attacked in his own study. The plan was not a blind rage. It was plotted. Three men — including two Thai construction workers — ambushed him. They were recruited by Frankie’s adopted brother, Vavasan Sathiadew. Lee Chee Poh, Frankie’s wife, was involved too.
Lee’s story is complicated and tragic. She met Frankie in the 1960s when she worked at a cabaret. She loved him. She supported him. She even raised money to help him through financial trouble. Yet Frankie had an 11-year affair, fathered a child with his mistress, and regularly abused Lee. He brought his mistress home and treated Lee like a second-class resident in her own house.
After years of humiliation and repeated abuse, Lee snapped — or rather, she agreed to a plot hatched by Vavasan. Two days before the killing, Lee fetched Frankie from the airport. He abused her again. That was the last straw. The attack in Laguna Park turned fatal when the conspirators strangled and beat him.
Parallels — What links the two cases?
First, both cases grew from relationships gone toxic. Second, betrayal played a starring role. Third, both deaths were violent and final. But the ways they happened differ:
- Khor’s death was a sudden, personal rage — a direct stabbing by a lover. It felt raw and immediate.
- Frankie’s death was premeditated and organised. It involved conspirators, recruitment and planning.
Still, both show how love, sex and power can mutate into something deadly when combined with jealousy, shame and a refusal to heal.
Why these stories still matter
Because they’re not just crime headlines. They’re cautionary tales about human costs. They show how far people can fall when relationships are allowed to rot. They show victims beyond the one who died: children left without parents, families haunted by shame, and survivors carrying the long-term scars of violence.
Also, these cases highlight issues that remain relevant: domestic abuse, toxic masculinity, revenge culture, and how desperation can push people to conspire. These are not ancient problems. They’re still with us.
My take — blunt, but honest
People keep pretending heartbreak is tidy. It’s not. It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s bone-deep. In both stories, basic things were ignored: communication, accountability, and help. When one person cheats or hurts another, the ripple doesn’t stop at hearts. It goes to homes, jobs, kids, and sometimes into bloodshed.
Here’s the kicker: neither murder solved anything. They ended hopes, stopped courts from fixing wrongs constructively, and left families in ruin. If you’re reading this and thinking, “That could never be me,” cool. But if you’ve ever stayed in a toxic relationship out of shame or fear, don’t sleepwalk into resentment. Get help. Talk to someone. Walk away if you must. Violence is never the answer.
Small lessons tucked in the tragedy
- Infidelity often hides deeper problems. Don’t treat affairs like discrete events. They signal damage.
- Abuse escalates if unchecked. Early intervention matters.
- Revenge rarely fixes pain. It multiplies it.
- When emotions run hot, pause. Seek counsel. Legal help. Safe spaces. There are options beyond violence.
Final thought
Forty years on, names haven’t healed and scars haven’t faded. Khor and Frankie are reminders that love can quickly flip into something lethal when people refuse to repair what’s broken. These tales aren’t just about murder. They are about choices — and the cost of making the wrong ones.
