⚰️ Summary

Singapore is an island nation known for its order and safety. In 1981, a disturbing crime shook the country. It was one of the most unsettling in its history.

Adrian Lim, a self-styled spiritual medium, along with two female accomplices, Catherine Tan and Hoe Kum Yin, lured and murdered two children in what they claimed were ritual sacrifices.

The case horrified the public not just because of its brutality. It also pierced the illusion that such evil couldn’t exist in a place so controlled, devout, and modern.

🔑 Key Facts

    •    Date: February 1981

    •    Location: Toa Payoh, Singapore

    •    Victims: Agnes Ng (9) and Ghazali bin Marzuki (10)

    •    Perpetrators: Adrian Lim, Catherine Tan, Hoe Kum Yin

    •    Motive: Ritualistic killings tied to distorted spiritual beliefs

    •    Verdict: All three convicted of murder and executed in 1988

🩸 The Crimes

Adrian Lim presented himself as a healer and spiritual medium, claiming he can lift curses and cure illnesses. Behind the façade, he manipulated and abused vulnerable women. He convinced two of them — Catherine Tan and Hoe Kum Yin — that he was divinely chosen.

When investigations into earlier fraud and abuse cases began closing in, Lim insisted a blood sacrifice would “cleanse their spirits.” He claimed it would protect them from punishment.

He chose two innocent neighborhood children — Agnes and Ghazali — who trusted him. Their deaths sent shockwaves across Singapore, exposing the darkest side of blind faith and manipulation.

🕯️ The Aftermath

Singapore had never seen a crime like this before. The case ignited a national outcry. People were outraged over the brutality. They were also angered by the idea that superstition and control masquerade as spirituality.

All three were sentenced to death and hanged in 1988.

For many, their names became synonymous with betrayal and blasphemy. This serves as proof that evil can hide behind the most convincing masks.

🌹 Reflection

Childhood is supposed to be a delightful and lighthearted experience. It’s supposed to feel like you always have magic right at your fingertips — because you do. When you’re a kid, the possibilities are endless.

Agnes and Ghazali never got to see all the versions of themselves they have become. Their light was stolen too soon. It still lingers in every reminder. Children deserve a world that protects their wonder. It should not exploit it.

Kids should grow up and still have their light in the world.

💬 “He promised salvation. What he delivered was horror.”

✍🏾 Author’s Note

This entry continues my Short n Sweet series — concise yet powerful stories that explore humanity’s extremes.

If Argentina’s story was about passion, and Ireland’s about solitude, Singapore’s is about corruption of belief. It explores how power and fear can twist faith into something monstrous.

🧡 Luna