Kovan Double Murders: One Night, Two Lives Lost
- Jun 26
- 9 min read
To this day, the Kovan Double Murders remain one of Singapore’s most shocking murder cases.
These murders occurred on July 10th 2013 at 14J Hillside Drive, Singapore, at the home of the deceased, Tan Boon Sin, a 67-year-old owner of a motor workshop. His son, Tan Chee Heong, aged 42, was also killed during the incident.
Both bodies were dragged under a car for over 1km before being dropped at Kovan MRT Station.
The case shocked Singapore not only because of the brutal nature of the murders, but also because the accused, Iskandar bin Rahmat, was a serving Senior Staff Sergeant with the Singapore Police Force at the time.
Background Information
Tan Boon Sin, aged 67, was a businessman and the owner of a motor repair workshop.
He was known to be a hardworking and dedicated family man who had spent many years building up his business.
Through his work, he was able to provide financial stability for his family and was regarded as someone who was careful with money. This was reflected in the fact that he kept large sums of cash in a safe deposit box, which he believed would be secure.
According to his former business partner, Chong Hoy Song, who had known Tan since 1965:
"He did not drink, smoke, gamble or womanise. The only thing he liked doing was fishing."
Tan lived with his family at their Hillside Drive home in Kovan, where the murders eventually took place.
His son, Tan Chee Heong, was 42 years old at the time of his death.
Tan Chee Heong was a university graduate and married with two children.
He was also the Director and a shareholder of Aspern Singapore, an electronics products company.
He worked closely with his father in the family business, and was described as a devoted son who maintained a strong relationship with his family.
The accused, Iskandar bin Rahmat, was 34 years old when the murders occurred.
He was a Senior Staff Sergeant with the Singapore Police Force and had served for approximately fourteen years.
Throughout his career, he was entrusted with responsibilities that required integrity, professionalism, and access to confidential information.
Prior to the murders, he was attached to the Bedok Police Division and was considered an experienced officer.
However, despite maintaining the appearance of a stable life, Iskandar was experiencing severe financial difficulties behind the scenes.
Court proceedings later revealed that he had accumulated debts of approximately S$65,000 and was facing bankruptcy.
He had borrowed money from multiple sources and was under pressure to make substantial repayments, fearful of bankruptcy.
In addition to his financial troubles, Iskandar as a police officer was required to declare his financial difficulties to his superiors, but he failed to do so, placing his career at risk.
Iskandar also got married in 2003. However, financial and marital problems lead to his divorce in 2005.
What Happened That Led to the Murders
Iskandar first came into contact with Tan Boon Sin through his work as a police officer.
In November 2012, Iskandar was assigned to investigate a police report involving money of around S$35,000 missing from Tan's safe deposit box.
Iskandar had been the Investigating Officer in charge of Tan’s case.
During this investigation, he became aware that Tan possessed large amounts of cash.
Prosecutors later argued that this knowledge formed the basis of Iskandar's plan to rob Tan in order to solve his financial problems.
Faced with mounting debts and desperate for money, Iskandar devised a plan to rob Tan Boon Sin.
On 10 July 2013, Iskandar, posing as an officer from the Police Intelligence Department, called Tan from a payphone.
Iskandar had told Tan that he had received notice that his safe deposit box was going to be broken into. As a result, he needed Tan to empty the box and place a CCTV camera in the box.
Tan agreed to Iskandar’s plan.
On the day of the murders, Iskandar accompanied Tan to retrieve money from the safe deposit box before following him back to his home on Hillside Drive.
Upon arriving, Iskandar originally planned to “take the bag and run”
However, once inside the house, the situation escalated violently.
During the robbery, Iskandar attacked Tan with a knife, inflicting numerous stab wounds.
The situation became even more complicated when Tan's son, Tan Chee Heong, unexpectedly arrived home.
As he entered the house, he encountered the ongoing attack and became a witness to the crime.
Fearing that he would be identified and arrested, Iskandar also attacked Tan Chee Heong.
Both father and son suffered multiple stab wounds and died from their injuries.
Escape Attempt
Following the murders, Iskandar attempted to flee the scene using Tan Boon Sin's silver Toyota Camry.
However, during the escape, Tan Chee Heong's body became trapped underneath the vehicle.
As Iskandar drove away from Hillside Drive and onto Upper Serangoon Road, the body remained lodged beneath the car and was dragged for more than one kilometre through a busy public area.
Several motorists and pedestrians noticed what was happening and attempted to alert him by honking, waving, and trying to get his attention.
Despite this, Iskandar continued driving.
Eventually, the body became dislodged near Kovan MRT Station, where shocked members of the public discovered it.
After abandoning the vehicle, Iskandar attempted to cover his tracks by disposing the evidence and changing his appearance.
Later that evening, he left Singapore via the Woodlands Causeway and entered Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
The Arrest
The discovery of Tan Chee Heong's body near Kovan MRT Station immediately triggered a major police investigation. Investigators followed a trail of blood where the body was found back to the Hillside Drive residence.
Upon entering the house, officers discovered the body of Tan Boon Sin, confirming that two murders had taken place.
As investigations progressed, police quickly identified Iskandar as a key suspect. His previous involvement in Tan's police case provided a clear link between him and the victim.
Investigators also discovered that he possessed detailed knowledge about Tan's finances and safe deposit box, information that very few people would have known.
Additional forensic evidence, witness statements, and surveillance footage further connected Iskandar to the crime. When police attempted to locate him, they discovered that he had already fled Singapore, making him the subject of an international manhunt.
Eyewitness reports helped to identify the silver Toyota Camry that served as the getaway car.
The police could not initially identify the driver but they found the vehicle in Eunos a day later.
The abandoned car was parked outside Block 1084, Eunos Avenue 7A, just a kilometre away from Tan Boon Sin’s former workshop.
The police arrived after receiving a call from Francis Yeo, a carpenter, regarding a blood-stained car that matched the description given from eyewitnesses.
Working together with the Royal Malaysia Police, Singapore investigators tracked Iskandar to a restaurant in Danga Bay, Johor Bahru.
'On 12 July 2013, approximately 54 hours after the murders had taken place, Malaysian police arrested him.
He was subsequently extradited back to Singapore to face criminal charges.
Trial & Legal Proceedings
The trial commenced in the High Court of Singapore on 20 October 2015 before Justice Tay Yong Kwang.
Due to the high-profile nature of the case, the proceedings attracted significant media attention and public interest.
Throughout the trial, the prosecution argued that Iskandar had carefully planned the robbery and had intentionally murdered both victims when the situation became complicated.
They presented extensive forensic evidence, witness testimony, medical reports, and crime scene analysis to demonstrate that the attacks were deliberate and not acts of self-defence.
The prosecution also emphasised the number and severity of the stab wounds inflicted on both victims. Medical experts testified that the injuries were consistent with sustained and intentional attacks rather than a spontaneous struggle.
In contrast, Iskandar's defence team argued that he had not intended to kill either victim.
Iskandar claimed that Tan Boon Sin had attacked him first and that he acted in self-defence during a violent confrontation. According to his version of events, the deaths occurred as a result of a struggle that spiralled out of control.
In his words, he stated that, "If I had the intention to kill, I would have done it the moment I arrived at the house."
According to Iskandar, Tan aggressively initiated the struggle with the knife and eventually, Iskandar grabbed the knife and accidentally stabbed him.
When Tan Chee Heong entered the house, he lunged at Iskandar. When Iskandar punched him back, he “did not realise that he still had the knife in his hand”.
However, the prosecution fought back.
It was revealed in court that Tan Boon Sin was stabbed more than 20 times on “vulnerable areas”, such as his neck and face.
Similarly, Tan Chee Heong was stabbed at least 11 times on his scalp, face and neck.
The prosecution used these key pieces of evidence to argue that Iskandar’s actions contradicted his self-defence claims.
After reviewing all the evidence, Justice Tay rejected Iskandar's account.
He found that the forensic evidence was inconsistent with his version of events and concluded that both victims had been attacked "cruelly and relentlessly."
The court ruled that Iskandar had intentionally caused the deaths of both men.
On 4 December 2015, Iskandar was found guilty of both counts of murder and sentenced to death.
Afterwards, Iskandar’s lawyers filed an appeal against the sentence.
They argued that “the murder convictions should be overturned and replaced with reduced charges.”
According to a pathology report that was brought up afterwards, Iskandar did suffer defensive injuries. This suggested that Tan Boon Sin was the aggressor, supporting Iskandar's self-defence claims.
A new psychiatric report also revealed that Iskandar was suffering from two mental illnesses at the time of the murders.
However, the prosecution called the reports “unreliable” and “self-serving” as they were produced more than 3 years after the killings.
Therefore, his appeal was rejected.
Following that, Iskandar petitioned to President Halimah Yacob for clemency but was rejected.
On 5 February 2025, two days after his 46th birthday, Iskandar was hanged in Changi Prison.
Aftermath
The deaths of both father and son left a significant impact on their surviving family members, who lost two generations of the family in a single incident.
The Tan family was generally regarded as private and hardworking. Following the murders, relatives spoke about the immense emotional trauma they experienced, with the loss affecting multiple generations of the family.
The case attracted significant public sympathy due to the devastating consequences for the victims' loved ones.
Furthermore, Tan Boon Sin's daughter also claimed that she ran her father's shop as a way to continue her father's legacy, and she also became a parental figure to Tan Chee Heong's two sons after her brother died.
Psychological Factors of the Case
Financial Pressures
Court evidence indicated that Iskandar was facing financial problems and debt
He allegedly believed that the victims possessed a large amount of cash
Financial strain may have increased feelings of desperation and motivated the decision to commit the robbery
Strain Theory: Individuals under financial pressure may turn to illegal methods when they perceive legitimate solutions as insufficient or unavailable
Witness Elimination Mentality
Iskandar was known to the Tan family due to his previous involvement in the theft investigation
When Tan Chee Heong arrived home, he became someone who could identify Iskandar as the attacker and report the crime
The victims may have been viewed as threats rather than people in relation to the robbery
Psychological shift where avoiding detection becomes more important tan the original goal of obtaining money
Escalation of Crime
Iskandar originally went to the victims’ home intending to steal money
The situation escalated when violence was used against Tan Boon Sin
When Tan Chee Heong returned home unexpectedly, the crime became more complicated and risky
Rather than abandoning the plan, Iskandar escalated his actions by attacking a second victim
Demonstrates how offenders become increasingly committed to a criminal act, leading them to commit more serious crimes in attempt to maintain control of the situation
Police Identity
Iskandar had insider knowledge of criminal investigations and police procedures from being a police officer
This knowledge may have increased his confidence in carrying out the robbery
His previous professional contact with the victims also gave him information that an ordinary offender would not have had
Timeline
November 2012
Iskandar bin Rahmat investigates a report by Tan Boon Sin regarding S$35,000 missing from his safe deposit box. During the investigation, he learns that Tan keeps large amounts of cash.
10 July 2013 (Morning)
Iskandar phones Tan while pretending to be an officer from the Police Intelligence Department. He convinces Tan to empty his safe deposit box after claiming it may be targeted by thieves.
10 July 2013 (Evening)
Iskandar accompanies Tan back to his home, intending to rob him.
Inside the house, the robbery turns violent. Iskandar fatally stabs Tan Boon Sin. When Tan's son, Tan Chee Heong, arrives home unexpectedly, Iskandar also kills him.
Iskandar flees in Tan's car. Tan Chee Heong's body becomes trapped underneath the car and is dragged for over 1 km before being dislodged near Kovan MRT Station.
After abandoning the car, Iskandar escapes to Johor Bahru, Malaysia, via the Woodlands Causeway.
12 July 2013
Around 54 hours after the murders, Malaysian police arrest Iskandar in Johor Bahru. He is extradited to Singapore.
20 October 2015
Iskandar's murder trial begins in the High Court of Singapore.
4 December 2015
He is found guilty of two counts of murder and sentenced to death.
After 2015
Iskandar's appeals and clemency petition are rejected.
5 February 2025
Iskandar is executed by hanging at Changi Prison.
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