The Anthony Ler case

In 2001, 34-year-old Anthony Ler Wee Teang made headlines in Singapore for hiring a youth to assassinate his wife, 30-year-old Annie Leong Wai Mun, who was in the midst of divorcing him, so that he can become the sole owner of their flat and himself gain custody of their then-4-year-old daughter. Ler approached four youths and offered them a reward of S$100,000 to kill Leong. A 15-year-old boy whom Ler had known for five years accepted the offer. Ler threatened and manipulated the youth to carry out the deed and after several failed attempts, the youth fatally stabbed Leong with a knife given to him by Ler. The boy, in view of his age, was not named to protect his identity. Ler, who was seen smiling throughout the court proceedings and in the media, was in the end convicted of masterminding the murder and executed after he lost his appeal and clemency plea, while the youth, due to his age, was spared the hangman's noose and he was consequently indefinitely detained for 17 years for Leong's murder.[1][2][3]

The Anthony Ler case

Date	14 May 2001 (2001-05-14)
Location	Hougang, Singapore
Motive	To gain full ownership of the Lers' flat and custody of daughter
Deaths	1
Suspects	• Anthony Ler Wee Teang • "Z", the 15-year-old hired killer

Background and murder

Anthony Ler's early life and marriage

Anthony Ler Wee Teang (Traditional Chinese: 呂偉添; Simplified Chinese: 吕伟添; Pinyin: lǚ wěitiān), who was born sometime in 1967, was the youngest of four children in his family. It was stated that he had an unhappy childhood, and his parents divorced when he was young. Ler, who was not close to his two brothers and one sister, later completed his primary and secondary education at River Valley English School and Thomson Secondary School (later renamed as North Vista Secondary School from December 2000 onwards) respectively before moving on to study in a polytechnic. However, Ler dropped out in his first year after his father refused to continue paying for his education.[4]

After completing his National Service and pursuing a five-year long army career, Anthony Ler moved on to establish several businesses but all ended in bankruptcy and failure. At the time of his arrest, Ler was working as a graphic designer. Ler first met his wife Annie Leong Wai Mun (Traditional Chinese: 梁慧敏; Simplified Chinese: 梁慧敏; Pinyin: liáng huìmǐn) in a church when he was 19 years old. At that time, Leong was 15 years old. They later on began a relationship, which lasted for five years before their marriage in 1995. The couple's first and only child, a daughter named Avelyn Ler,[5] was born on 13 April 1997.[6]

Ler's affairs and debts: divorce proceedings

After his marriage to Annie Leong, Anthony Ler slowly began to be unfaithful to his wife. While he was married to Leong, he had an affair with a woman named Belinda Ho Wei Lynn, who later found out about his marital status as a married husband and father. Later, Anthony Ler even allowed Ho into his flat to live with him and his wife and daughter. Leong subsequently found out about the illicit love affair between her husband and Ho. This affair was riddled with the financial problems racked up from Ler's failed business ventures, and ended three and a half years later. This affair became the main factor of Leong's decision to separate from him, with their daughter. Ler had another affair with another woman named Marilyn Tan Su Fen, with whom he shared a sexual relationship and engaged in business. This business ended in financial trouble, as did their affair.

Apart from the affairs her huband engaged in, the soft-spoken Leong had to also cope with her husband's financial difficulties by using savings to settle his debts. She had quit her job from the bank to help her husband to set up a business, but later returned to work after their daughter was born. In October 1999, Leong, together with Avelyn, left her husband to live in her mother's home. In August 2000, Ler nearly faced bankruptcy because of a failing publishing business. As a result, he attempted suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills and was hospitalised for this. Leong returned to help him, and for Ler, it was a sign that their marriage could be reconciled. However, that was not to be, as Leong began to file for divorce in February 2001, and was pending custody of their daughter. It was also informally agreed that Ler would visit Avelyn in weekends.

Plotting of wife's murder

For the then-debt-ridden Anthony Ler, he knew to himself that given his precarious financial situation, he would be at a disadvantage in gaining custody of his daughter because he did not have the ability to raise her well. Another factor was because of his debts incurred from all the failed businesses he engaged in and the pending sale of their flat. For this, Ler began to contemplate the most cold-hearted intention motivated from the darkest depths of his heart by money - murder. He planned to murder his wife, in order to gain custody of their daughter and the full ownership of his flat; so that his debts will ultimately be paid off from the proceeds promised by the sale of the flat.[7]

Anthony Ler would begin his first move by meeting a group of five teenage boys gathering outside a McDonald's restaurant in Pasir Ris in April 2001. He befriended the group of boys and act as a mentor figure to them, and even went on meeting them a few times (there are some occasions where a few girls known to the boys would be present). After they first met, Ler asked the boys if they dared to kill people and when one of them asked how much he was willing to pay, Ler asked them to name their price. One of the boys, a 15-year-old youth whom Ler known for five years, replied S$1 million; another boy, a 16-year-old school drop-out named Gavin Ng Jin Wei (黄敬伟), said S$100,000; the others gave unknown prices. Ler agreed to Gavin's price, and asked them to name a target. That was when Ler expressed that his target will be his wife, whom he said he hated for not allowing her to visit his daughter frequently and everything. He said he would pay that amount to any boy who dared to do it, as well as treat them to some pretty girls. All boys perceived it as a joke.

After that, in the first week of May 2001, Gavin and the 15-year-old youth, with whom Gavin were childhood friends of 11 years, once again met up with Ler. Ler then once again brought up the issue of wanting his wife dead, and even asked if Gavin would do it, even asking him to kill his wife by covering her mouth with one hand and slit her throat with a knife from behind. It was then Gavin Ng realised that Ler was dead serious about killing Annie Leong. Gavin was later brought to Ler's flat to practice killing by using a newspaper and knife, and being shown the photos of Leong and Avelyn. Gavin later backed out of the plan after talking to a female friend about this incident, and tried to warn his 15-year-old friend to not do the job.

Another youth, 22-year-old Seah Tze Howe (佘子豪), was approached by Anthony Ler to kill his wife. Like Gavin, Tze Howe also realised that Ler was serious about it when he was invited to Ler's flat one night, where he was offered $100,000 to commit the murder. Ler also said he would sold the flat and get the money from the proceeds to pay him. Tze Howe then made a suggestion to Ler, which is to hire a professional killer to carry out the murder. He later told the persistent Ler that he could not find anyone to do it.

Similarly, the remaining two of the five youths, 19-year-old Kong Ka Cheong (江家聪) and 17-year-old Vickneswaran Krishnan, felt that Ler was joking and disturbed at Ler's constant mentioning of the issue of desiring his wife's death respectively. Vickneswaran, who is also known as Vick to his friends, told the court that, "I found it strange that he should mention the subject of killing his wife every time we met. I thought he was crazy". On the other hand, the 15-year-old youth, who was described as simple-minded and being too trusting by Gavin, agreed with Ler's requests to kill his wife.[8]

The first failed attempts on Annie Leong's life

The first attempt was on 10 May 2001. The youth was brought to Hougang by Anthony Ler, near the flat where Annie Leong lived in. On the instructions of Ler, the youth wore a helmet to prevent facial identification, and armed himself with a long steak knife given to him by Ler. After seeing a woman alighting the taxi, the youth, from what he said in his police statements, asked Ler by phone about Leong's facial description. After being told that Leong has long, straight hair but was not pretty, which matched the description of the woman whom the youth seen, the boy began to make his move but he missed Leong after reaching the fourth floor (the floor where Leong lived in). Later, the boy then saw Leong coming out with her daughter to go to the playground. The 15-year-old, upon seeing Avelyn, could not bring himself to attack Leong in the presence of the little girl despite Ler's insistence to do so.

The second attempt was on 11 May the next day. However, the youth had second thoughts and considered backing out of the plan. Before he could even raise a finger, he placed the helmet on a parked motorcycle in a nearby carpark. Just then, a phone call from Anthony Ler came, and this compelled him into obeying Ler's orders to carry out the killing again. Once again, by the time he reached the lift lobby of the fourth floor, he missed Leong. And later, the youth saw her, together with Anthony Ler and their daughter, playing in the playground. It was then the boy realised that he did not want to murder Annie Leong.[9]

An accomplice's reluctance

After the second failed attempt, an angry Ler refused to let the boy back out of the plan. It was then, the boy stated, Ler threatened to take his life if he did not help kill Ler's wife. Not only that, Ler even went as far as to make a threat on the lives of the boy's parents and two other siblings.

On his visit to Anthony Ler's home on 13 May, the boy was given a Japanese samurai sword as a gift from Ler, and the boy liked it. Ler told him, he wanted the boy to use the sword to kill Leong. The boy refused to do it and asked to return the weapon to Ler, who in return, told him that he would use the sword to kill him if so. Still not wanting to do the deed, after he went home with the sword, the boy then stayed out for a whole day after going on a fishing session and spent the night in his girlfriend Joanne's flat. The boy was deliberately avoiding the phone calls from Ler until much later, when he took it, Ler told him to go to Hougang. The boy then went to Ler's flat with the steak knife, which Ler gave to him at first, and his school textbook (to create an excuse that he went out studying). Once he reached there, they prepared and practised the killing, with Ler telling him specifically where he should stab Annie Leong with the knife. After they left the flat, the final and fatal attempt begun.[10]

14 May 2001: Murder of Annie Leong

Taking with him some papers, Anthony Ler went to visit his wife late in night, and asked to meet out in the playground with their daughter. After they met up, Ler asked Leong to sign some papers regarding the unsettled mortgage of their flat, in which they would ask for the mortgage to be settled in monthly installments. Leong agreed to, and asked Ler if he had a pen. Ler said no. Hence, Leong decided to go up to her mother's flat to get a pen, while Ler stayed behind to accompany 4-year-old Avelyn in the playground. Unknown to Leong, she was lured into a lethal trap set by her own husband.

The 15-year-old youth, who was in the ground floor watching the family of three in secrecy, upon seeing Leong about to go up on the lift, made his move as instructed by Ler. He quickly ran up the stairs and reached the 4th floor on time to see Leong stepping out of the lift. From behind, the teenager immediately set upon Leong, covering the screaming woman's mouth with a red cloth on one hand while wielding the knife on the other hand to stab Leong on the neck and chest. After that, the teen murderer fled the scene, leaving a mortally wounded Leong staggering to the outside of her mother's flat and collapsed in front of her shocked mother and brother. At the same time, Ler heard his wife's screams from downstairs and quickly, together with his daughter, got up to his mother-in-law's flat (with the knowledge that the boy had done his job). In front of neighbours and family members, Ler put up a shocked expression, repeatedly telling his wife to not sleep while calling her name.

An ambulance arrived and brought Leong to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. A few hours later, on the midnight of 15 May 2001, 30-year-old Annie Leong Wai Mun died from her injuries, much to the grief of family members and to the glee of Ler, who pretended to be grieving for his murdered wife. An autopsy had certified that Leong had died from "acute haemorrhage due to stab wounds of heart and lung". The neck and chest wounds were measured 6cm and 15cm long respectively.[11]

Anthony Ler's arrest

The police investigations, led by ASP Richard Lim Beng Gee, were conducted as soon as they took the case. The police scouraged the crime scene and found no clues, except one. The only clue found was a torn front page of a newspaper, which the 15-year-old used to wrap up the knife. The police immediately suspected Anthony Ler as their prime suspect. During their interrogation of Ler, Ler was uncooperative and aggressive, denying any involvement in the murder of his wife, much to the police's surprise and suspicion, as normally when one's spouse was killed, the other should have been cooperative and ensure the killer be brought to justice. Still, it was insufficient for them to suspect Ler's involvement in the crime. As for Anthony Ler, he made a charade in front of the mourning family members and friends at his wife's funeral, pretending to be sorrowful and teary towards the death of his wife. Before his treachery was known to the public, Ler once told reporters that he himself was a bad husband, confessing that he was being unfaithful and debt-ridden; he even described himself as a "devil" while calling his wife an "angel".

After his police interview, Ler agreed to allow police to search his flat and there, police found out that one of the newspapers in Ler's home had its front page torn out. When asked about this, Ler lied that he did not know where is the torn page. The police also collected some evidence from Anthony Ler's home for investigation purposes. On 18 May 2001, 4 days after Annie Leong's murder, the police officers also brought in two of Ler's known acquaintances for questioning. One of them was Gavin Ng and the other was the 15-year-old himself; earlier on, the 15-year-old teenager had told Gavin that he had killed Annie Leong (he said "Anthony’s wife, I do already"), much to the shock and anger of Gavin, who also informed the other boys about it. When it comes to questioning the teenager, the police received shocking answers from the boy, who confessed to the killing out of guilt, and confessed that he did it under the orders of Anthony Ler. This ultimately led to the arrest of Ler, who was charged with abetment of murder, which warrants the mandatory sentence of death like murder. The 15-year-old youth, who appeared as a lanky and bespectacled teenager, was also placed under arrest and charged with murder. His unknown identity was withheld from the media due to his age.[12]

The youth's written confession

The below section was the handwritten confession of the 15-year-old boy who killed for Anthony Ler.

I got to know Anthony Ler when I was about the age of 10. I used to bring my hamster down to the stone chairs and play with it. Anthony had a dog, so that was roughly how I got to know him. Anthony shifted away from Blk 109 Pasir Ris St 11, so I lost contact with him. But he did tell me that he was going to shift to Blk 116 Pasir Ris St 11. It was until recently that I found out that he had shifted to Blk 116 Pasir Ris St 11. Then I saw him almost every night when I went down to the coffeeshop or Macdonald. He meet my friends Gavin, Vick, Ka Cheong and Zhi Hao (Tze Howe). At first, my friends did not like his company but after sometime they accepted him. He started telling us about his wife and even asked us if we would like to kill her. In return he would give us a sum of $100,000. All of us rejected, but later on he came and asked me to do it. He told me that nothing would happen to me and asked me to imagine that Im getting paid $2,000 or more per month for the next four years. Anthony told me that nothing would happen to me if I went according to his plan, he said that he had thought and planned this whole thing out for a very long time. He threatened to kill me if I dont want to do it after knowing so much things about him. I believed him and agreed to help him because he told me that he killed for a living and until now he did not get caught. He also mentioned that his graphic-designing job was just a cover-up. After that he gave me $100 to get two M-cards so that he could contact me without people knowing then he told me to get a knife, a sharp pointed one. After he told me that, I went to a Handphone kiosk at Pasir Ris Dr 6 to get two SIM cards, then I got a knife from the hardware shop beside the kiosk. Then I meet him at the bus stop across the road so that he could show me the place where his ex-wife stays. He brought me to Blk 923 Hougang Ave 9. After that we went back to his place together with him, there he taught me how to murder his wife. He told me to practise it, so that when the time comes I would not be afraid. On 13 May 2001, Anthony told me that he had a fight with a Singh and that the Singh had threaten to kill him. He told me that before he came down to Macdonalds he had gone to meet his wife and to see his daughter. He also said that during that time he had tried to kill his wife but did not have the chance because his daughter was around. I was quite happy when I heard this because I did not want to do this. I was forced to do it by Anthony. I followed Anthony back to his house because he asked me to practise on how to kill his wife. On 14 May at about 9 plus at night, I went to Anthonys house to practise some more because he kept calling me on my handphone. At Anthony's house, after practising, he wraped the knife in newspapers and passed it to me. I tucked the knife in my jeans. We then took a bus over to his wifes place. After alighting from the bus, we went our separte ways, I went to his ex-wifes voiddeck while he went to the nearby coffeeshop. After that he called me on my handphone and told me to wait for his wife to return home, so I waited. At ten plus, he called me to say that his wife was home already and he asked me to wait for his wife at the fifth storey. I did not kill her because their daughter was with her at that time. I then called Anthony to tell him I did not do it because his daughter was present, he told me that his wife would be going up alone and he asked me to take that chance. I attacked her from behind, I slash her neck and stabbed her in the chest. After that I ran down the stairs and walked to the bus-stop where I took a cab to dispose the weapon. On the way to the beach to dispose the knife, I really regreted doing it even at this point of the time while writing this. How I wished that I had never known Anthony. I have let my parents down and all those people around me. I do not know how would people think of me. I feel very lost and confused. Anthony did not call me on my handphone only until the morning of 17 May 2001. He asked me to get newspapers for him so that he could know what the reporters wrote about him. He also asked me to get the New Paper for him and lunch. Anthony told me the police had looked for him and he would pass me some of the money later on. He also asked me if I had thrown away the knife and the SIM cards. Anthony told me that I had done a good job.[13]

Trial

On 19 November 2001, both Anthony Ler and the 15-year-old boy stood trial together in the High Court of Singapore for the murder of Annie Leong. The case was heard before Judicial Commissioner Tay Yong Kwang of the High Court. The prosecution consisted of Deputy Public Prosecutors (DPPs) Low Cheong Yeow and Edwin San Ong Kyar, while for the two defendants, Anthony Ler was represented by veteran lawyer Subhas Anandan and his assistant Anand Nalachandran, while the youth was represented by lawyers Edwin Seah Li Ming and Peter Ong Lip Cheng. Additionally, to protect his identity due to his age, the teenager was renamed "Z" in the court documents and the media.

As for Ler, despite facing the gallows, he kept wearing a strange smile on his face throughout the court proceedings and in the media. Subhas, in his memoir The Best I Could, he stated that in fact, he was not keen to take the case in the first place, having followed the case in the news. But when Ler's mother and sister came to him and wanted him to defend Ler, he could not bring himself to reject it seeing Ler's mother's tears and her desperation to help her son (as he thought of his mother's feelings if he himself was in Ler's situation by scenario). He expressed that he, like members of the public, wondered about the smile which Anthony Ler made, speculating that it could be a sneer or security blanket.[14]

The prosecution's case against Anthony Ler was largely based on the statements and confession made by Z. They call for witnesses like Gavin Ng, Seah Tze Howe and the other boys and girls present whenever Ler meets up with the boys. All verified that Anthony Ler did frequently brought up the subject of wanting his wife dead. Additionally, the ex-lovers of Ler - Belinda Ho and Marilyn Tan - also took the stand, telling the court that Ler had also told them on some occasions that he thirsted for the blood and death of his wife. The prosecution also obtained evidence from Ler's computer, where police found and recovered the deleted emails which Ler used to communicate with Z after the death of Annie Leong; this, together with the matching of the torn front page to Ler's newspaper, had clearly made inference to Ler's guilt of the crime, as what Z claimed in his statements. Once again, in his memoir, Subhas wrote that when he met Ler in the prison where he was remanded and showed him the retrieved files of his computer (detailing his conversation with the boy about his wife's murder), Ler's signature smile faded; that was the only time, from Subhas's words, he saw Ler's smile disappearing.

Anthony Ler's defence

In his defence on 26 November 2001, Ler stated that he was innocent, and that he did not mastermind the murder of his wife or told Z to kill his wife. He stated all those talks of wanting his wife dead, were all a "joke". When he was asked why he did not bring a pen beforehand, Ler claimed that he had no habit to bring a pen (though he was being told that he could have borrowed the pen from the nearest coffee shop, which is just a 10-minute walk away from the playground). When asked why he stayed behind with his daughter instead of accompanying his wife up the 4th floor, Ler said that he just wanted to spend more time with his daughter Avelyn, whom he loved very much. He showed no remorse throughout the trial for his heinous crime and only smiled.

Z's defence

Z took the stand after Anthony Ler on 28 November 2001 to put up his defence. On the stand, he said essentially the same thing as what he told the police. He also stated that he was forced and manipulated by Anthony Ler to do the killing, for which he claimed that his actions as a result of the manipulation did not amount to the crime of murder, but of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. When it was Ler's lawyer Subhas Anandan's turn to cross-examine Z, he strongly pointed out why did Z not tell the police in his first statement that he was forced to kill Annie Leong by Ler, furthermore, why did Z not tell Ler in the first place that he did not want to do it if he himself did not want to, like Gavin did. The youth replied that he did not know what to do and was confused when he was asked by Anthony Ler to murder Leong. The lawyer went on to put it to Z that he was lying about Anthony Ler instigating him to commit the murder and even sought to paint the teenager as a cold hearted murderer who was vicious enough to implicate an innocent person (Ler) in the murder, much to Z's adamant denials on the stand. When asked if he was hurt that Ler compared him to Gavin as inferior in terms of maturity and guts (which Ler did in their meetings) and wanted Ler to look up to him, Z concede that he did, and agreed that he would do anything to prove people wrong but not by murdering Ler's wife.[15]

Verdict: Death for Anthony Ler

At the end of the trial on 5 December 2001, nearly seven months after the tragic death of Annie Leong, JC Tay Yong Kwang delivered his judgement. He rejected Ler's claims of innocence and determined that he solicited the murder based on the review of evidence in court. He stated that what Ler did was not a joke but “a serious death match on the chess board of reality where the young men were to be his pawns and he as ‘king’ would direct the demise of his ‘queen’. ”, and that he was not playing a game of bluff when broaching about the matter of wanting his wife dead, especially from his attempts on Gavin, Tze Howe and Z to get them involved. JC Tay also conclude that Ler had every motive to kill his wife from what the prosecution presented, as he stood to gain from his wife's death by becoming the sole surviving parent of Avelyn and the sole surviving joint owner of the flat. He addtionally stating that though it may be true that Ler dearly loved his daughter, but that love was clearly "eclipsed by his financial and matrimonial problems" from his actions of abetting the murder of his own beloved daughter's mother (Annie Leong). He described Anthony Ler, in his own words, "The expression of shock, the seeming concern for the dying Annie and the tears at the funeral were nothing more than rehearsed acts performed by an accomplished actor".

As for 15-year-old Z, JC Tay believed that he was not a cold blooded killer as what Subhas Anandan argued about. In his own words, he said of the teenager, "I see no mean miniature monster in Z. I detect no vengeful or vicious spirit in this 15 year old boy before me. I see instead a morose and mortified teenager who is still trying to come to terms with the cataclysmic events of the last seven months. He is not capable of concocting such an elaborate and consistent yarn. He does not have the presence of mind nor the mental agility to utilize and corrupt information to his own advantage or to the detriment of others". He accepted that Z was telling the truth about Ler's heinous act and his experiences with Ler, as well as the testimonies of Z's friends (in particular, Tze Howe and Gavin), finding them as truthful witnesses. He said that the boy would not have been able to describe his ordeal so clearly had it not been the truth. He said that the only fault of Z was that he was naive and simple-minded, saying that "he was manipulated skilfully by a man experienced in the ways of the world, tempted with easy money, enthused by dreams of glamour and sex, enticed with an ornamental sword that he craved and steered psychologically and persistently down the path of self destruction. In the end, he was given the ultimatum kill or be killed". In his words once again, "Z appears to be a rather simple-minded and mild-mannered boy ensnared haplessly way out of season in adult intrigue and machinations". Nearing the end of his 57-page-long written verdict, JC Tay summarised the case in six words, "Murder Anthony wrote, murder Z wrought."[16]

As such, Ler was found guilty and convicted of soliciting and abetting the murder of his wife, and he was sentenced to death. Z was found guilty of murder, however, as he was below 18 years old at the time of the offence, Z was spared the gallows and he was ordered to be detained indefinitely at the President's Pleasure.[17]

Appeal and execution

After the original trial, Subhas appeals the verdict on behalf of his client Anthony Ler (who still smiled even after he was sentenced to death), and it was heard before three judges - Chief Justice Yong Pung How, Judge of Appeal Chao Hick Tin and High Court judge Tan Lee Meng - in the Court of Appeal of Singapore. However, the appeal was rejected on 19 April 2002.[18] The clemency plea to President S. R. Nathan, which Ler submitted in hope of having his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment was also dismissed. Eventually, the morning of 13 December 2002 marked the hanging of 35-year-old Anthony Ler Wee Teang in the state gallows of Changi Prison for soliciting the heinous murder of his wife Annie Leong.

Before his client was hanged, Subhas wrote in his memoir that when he came to see Anthony Ler one last time, Ler thanked him for his efforts in defending him, and having knew that Subhas lost a kidney to cancer, Ler offered to donate his kidneys to him as a sign of gratitude. Despite his gratitude and appreciation of Ler's offer, Subhas politely turned down Ler's sincere offer, he felt that he should not accept it by ethical means because it would make everyone misinterpret that he defended Ler just for his kidneys. He speculated that Ler's wishes to donate his organs could have possibly be atonement for his crime. He added that Ler initially did not want to sign the clemency petition but he did it for the sake of his mother. In his memoir he wrote, only Ler's brother was present at the funeral and before his execution, Anthony Ler said that he could not stop worrying about his daughter.[19]

The President's Pleasure (TPP)

Explanation of the TPP

The President's Pleasure (TPP) in Singapore was a practice of indefinite imprisonment applied to offenders who were convicted of capital offences (most notably murder and drug trafficking) but were aged under 18 years old at the time of their crimes. Such offenders will not be sentenced to death in accordance to the death penalty laws in Singapore. Under this measure, the normal length of detention would be between 10 to 20 years. The detainees under this measure will be periodically reviewed in every 4 years up till the 10th year, when they are annually reviewed and would be considered for release after serving at least 13 years. The President can direct their release, based on a recommendation, if they are found suitable for release.[20] So far, from 1971 to 2008, in a period of 37 years, there were seven known offenders imprisoned under this legal practice due to them aged below 18 at the time of the commission of their offences; all of them were male and they were all convicted of murder. At the time of his sentencing and conviction (not to mention Anthony Ler's), 15-year-old Z was the sixth known person to be sentenced to serve time under the TPP at the time of his crime.

In 2010, the law had changed and under the amended law, offenders who were convicted of capital offences but were under 18 years old at the time of the commission of their crimes, would be sentenced to life imprisonment instead of the President's Pleasure. They would be required to serve at least 20 years before they can be reviewed for possible release.[21]

Other cases of people detained at the TPP

The first two known detainees were 16-year-old Stephen Lee Hock Khoon and 16-year-old Ringo Lee Chiew Chwee, who were both involved in the 1971 Gold Bars Triple Murders case, where they robbed and killed 3 people for 120 gold bars together with 8 other men; seven of the other 8 were hanged while one was sentenced to indefinite detention. The two boys were released since 2002.[22]

The third was 16-year-old Rathakrishnan Ramasamy, who helped his 22-year-old friend Ramu Annadavascan to murder 45-year-old boilerman Kalingam Mariappan by assaulting him with a rake and burning him alive; Ramu was hanged on 19 September 1986 for the murder (which occurred on 20 September 1981) while Rathakrishnan went on to spend nearly 20 years in prison under the TPP before his release in September 2001.[23]

The next two were Allan Ong and Kyaneth Soo, who were convicted of murder in 1999 for a 1994 gang-related killing; both were the fellow inmates of Z in the same prison before both their releases in 2012 after receiving clemency from President Tony Tan; after their releases, Allan Ong was reportedly married in 2016 and working as a technician while Kyaneth Soo was self-employed in a restaurant.[24]

The seventh and last inmate serving time under the TPP was 17-year-old Muhammad Nasir bin Abdul Aziz, who murdered 29-year-old disc jockey Manap bin Sarlip under the manipulation of his lover and Manap's husband, 24-year-old Aniza bte Essa (whom Muhammad Nasir loved very much, from his point of view), in 2007. Aniza was sentenced to 9 years' imprisonment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder instead of murder because she was diagnosed to be suffering from depression at the time of her abetment of causing her abusive husband's death.[25][26] Muhammad Nasir, who was represented by Subhas Anandan (Anthony Ler's former lawyer), was convicted of murder in 2008 after pleading guilty.[27] He is currently in prison serving his sentence.[28][29][30]

Aftermath

Z's prison life and two clemency petitions

When they received the news of their son's arrest and involvement in the crime, Z's parents expressed their shock towards it. Z was said to be a good and caring boy, which made them not able to understand why he would something so violent. As for Z, he remained in prison for the next 17 years of his life; in prison, Z studied for his O-levels and A-levels, and he topped both exams in the prison school. He also enrolled in a university, majoring in English and Business studies, for which he earned a degree. He was said to have model behaviour during his period of incarceration and had inspired other inmates to do so. Z also reportedly learnt how to play a guitar and harmonica in prison.[31] In addition, consultant psychiatrist Dr Lim Yun Chin, who counselled Z after his crime, stated that Z was remorseful for what he had done, and he acknowledged that this would be something he will have to struggle with for the rest of his life. Dr Lim had also went onto the stand at the original trial to testify on behalf of Z, that the boy's IQ of 93 made him prone to adult manipulation (in this case, Anthony Ler's) and confirming to the court that Z did not have any abnormality of mind.[32][33]

In 2013, Z filed for clemency, but it was turned down by President Tony Tan. 4 years later, in November 2017, through his original lawyer Peter Ong Lip Cheng, Z once again appealed for clemency, this time to President Halimah Yacob, garnering widespread media coverage and public attention in Singapore.[34][35] Mr Ong also spoke to reporters on 6 January 2018 about his client, who celebrated his 32nd birthday just a week before (between 24 to 30 December), stating that there were testimonials backing his model behaviour and maturity in prison, and that Z was hopeful to be given a chance to return to society and reunite with his parents.[36] In April 2018, Z's 60-year-old mother, reportedly named "Mrs Docras Lee", spoke publicly for the first time, expressing her hope for a positive outcome from the clemency petition. Mrs Lee, who visited her son twice a month throughout his time of imprisonment and encouraged him to do his best in every visit, revealed a vivid conversation with her son, who told her he dreamed of the deceased Annie Leong asking him why he killed her; he also told his mother that Leong forgave him after he told her that he was manipulated by Anthony Ler to kill her before breaking down. She said that she could not imagine her son would done such a thing, as in the past, he brought back a sick bird to be treated until it recovered and he also cried for a few days when his hamster died.

Mrs Lee also said that her son had once asked an ex-inmate to bring her a birthday cake on her doorstep, surprising her. She also told the media that her son was likeable and sociable, even making a lot of friends and never forget their birthdays, at times she was entrusted to send birthday cards to those who gained release. She unfailingly went back and forth from prison to the university campus, helping him to submit his assignments and exam papers to mark or bringing him materials to study. She even represented him in university orientation and school briefing sessions to inform him of what he need to know.[37] Two of Z's former fellow detainees, 42-year-old Allan Ong and 42-year-old Kyaneth Soo, also spoke publicly in newspapers, citing examples of their current stable and clean lives and jobs in support of Z to allow him be given a second chance to reintegrate into society.[38]

Z's release

Eventually, on 2 November 2018, President Halimah Yacob decided to, on the advice of the Cabinet, grant Z clemency and remitted the remaining part of his sentence. Z was released on 13 December 2018, more than 17 years after he killed Annie Leong (this day happened to be Anthony Ler's 16th death anniversary). He was also told to adhere to special conditions like such as curfew hours and electronic monitoring, and he would continue to receive rehabilative support to ensure his reintegration into society. In addition, a gag order remains in force to protect his identity due to his age at the time of the murder.[39]

At the time of his application for clemency, Z was one of the last two detainees serving time at the President's Pleasure (TPP). The other detainee was Muhammad Nasir bin Abdul Aziz. Z's release in December 2018 left Muhammad Nasir himself as the last detainee still imprisoned at the TPP at that point of time since the 2010 abolition of the TPP. He is currently in prison serving his sentence.[40][41][42]

The fates of Annie Leong's family and Z's friends

An article from The Straits Times on 16 December 2018, 3 days after Z's release, reported that Annie Leong's family still reside in the Hougang flat. Madam Chin Chooi Ling, Leong's mother (who was in her seventies), said that she did not feel bitter despite the tragedy and memories that manifested in the corridor where her daughter was stabbed. A friend of the family stated that through her Christian faith, Mdm Chin moved on with her life while raising her granddaughter Avelyn, who was reportedly an university undergraduate, together with other family members.

There were no other details about the daughter of Anthony Ler and Annie Leong; it is not known if she had changed her name or what are her emotions towards the cold blooded murder of her mother and/or her father's treachery. Seah Tze Howe, one of Z's friends, was married and working as a restaurant owner at the time of the article's publication; he said that he had moved on with his life and he could not cope with the case's impact on him (which lasted for five to six years), especially when he was recognised by members of the public from the published photos of himself in the newspapers.[43]

Re-enactments

The case was re-enacted in Crimewatch in 2002.[44] Similarly, the case was re-enacted in the second season of True Files, a Singapore crime show; the re-enactment, which covers the court proceedings of Anthony Ler and Z, first aired as the season's first episode on 26 August 2003. In the episode, Z was renamed as "Steven" by the producers of the show to protect the boy's identity. Z's friends who were featured in the show, notably Gavin and Tze Howe, also had their names changed to "Michael" and "George" respectively to protect their identities.[45]

This case was also recorded in Anthony Ler's lawyer Subhas Anandan's memoir The Best I Could, which features his early life, career and his notable cases. The memoir was adapted into a TV show of the same name, which runs for two seasons. The case was re-enacted and aired as the first episode of the show's first season; in the episode, Z was renamed as "Daniel".[46]

References

1. "Most Daring Crimes Of Singapore - Anthony Ler". YouTube. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
2. "One of the most Daring Crimes Of Singapore: Anthony Ler". YouTube. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
3. "Guilty As Charged: Anthony Ler lured teen into killing his wife". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
4. "Anthony Ler: Criminal Case (2001)". Wiki.sg. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
5. "Mummy's girl no more". National Library Board. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
6. "Public Prosecutor v Anthony Ler Wee Teang and Another" (PDF). Supreme Court Judgements. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
7. "悬赏杀妻". FaceBook (in Chinese). Retrieved 24 July 2020.
8. "Guilty As Charged: Anthony Ler lured teen into killing his wife". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
9. "True Files S2". meWATCH. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
10. "True Files S2". meWATCH. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
11. "Public Prosecutor v Anthony Ler Wee Teang and Another" (PDF). Supreme Court Judgements. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
12. "Guilty As Charged: Anthony Ler lured teen into killing his wife". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
13. "Public Prosecutor v Anthony Ler Wee Teang and Another" (PDF). Supreme Court Judgements. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
14. "The Best I Could S1". meWATCH. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
15. "True Files S2". meWATCH. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
16. "Public Prosecutor v Anthony Ler Wee Teang and Another" (PDF). Supreme Court Judgements. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
17. "悬赏杀妻". FaceBook (in Chinese). Retrieved 24 July 2020.
18. "Ler Wee Teang Anthony v Public Prosecutor" (PDF). Supreme Court Judgements. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
19. "The Best I Could S1". meWATCH. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
20. Lum, Selina (2008-04-15). "Teen, 17, pleads guilty but won't be hanged". www.asiaone.com. Archived from the original on 2008-06-10. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
21. "The last 2 detainees serving time at the President's pleasure". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
22. "True Files S1". meWATCH. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
23. "True Files S1". meWATCH. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
24. "Challenge is to stay sane amid the uncertainty, say ex-offenders". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
25. Lum, Selina (7 April 2008). "9 years jail for woman who abetted teen lover to kill husband". Asiaone. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
26. "Teen detained under the President's pleasure for murder of lover's husband". www.asiaone.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-23. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
27. Lum, Selina (2008-04-15). "Teen, 17, pleads guilty but won't be hanged". www.asiaone.com. Archived from the original on 2008-06-10. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
28. "The last 2 detainees serving time at the President's pleasure". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
29. "The Best I Could S2". meWATCH. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
30. "Crimewatch 2010". meWATCH. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
31. "A boy who killed for Anthony Ler and a mother's anguish". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
32. "True Files S2". meWATCH. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
33. "Public Prosecutor v Anthony Ler Wee Teang and Another" (PDF). Supreme Court Judgements. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
34. "Teen who killed Anthony Ler's wife in 2001 appeals for clemency after 16 years behind bars". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
35. "Anthony Ler's hired teen killer seeks release after 16 years behind bars". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
36. "The last 2 detainees serving time at the President's pleasure". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
37. "A boy who killed for Anthony Ler and a mother's anguish". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
38. "Challenge is to stay sane amid the uncertainty, say ex-offenders". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
39. "Teen who killed Anthony Ler's wife gets clemency after 17 years in jail". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
40. "The last 2 detainees serving time at the President's pleasure". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
41. "The Best I Could S2". meWATCH. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
42. "Crimewatch 2010". meWATCH. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
43. "Case of Anthony Ler: Victim Annie Leong's mum not bitter, says family friend". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
44. "Crimewatch 2002". meWATCH. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
45. "True Files S2". meWATCH. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
46. "The Best I Could S1". meWATCH. Retrieved 25 July 2020.