It's now Friday, Oct 26, 1990 in Singapore. 30 year old transgender female of Chinese descent Lan Yao Chow was rocking out to Janet Jackson's Black Hat which had just became number one throughout the entire world. She was recovering from the day after spending time with a gentleman the night before. My audience, as it would unfold, it would leave the city begging for justice. Welcome my audience to Season 7 Episode 5 the Murder of Lim Yao Chuan A killing on Queen street fifth case embodies survivor sex work gender affirming procedures an encounter that would have been typical for most clients. But on the morning of Friday, October 26, 19901990 as Black Hat was playing throughout the radios of Singapore, a gentleman wanted his jewelry back. He discovered that it was missing. He wakes up that day determined to find the woman who had stolen from him. The night before that Thursday, October 25, when Lam met Leo Chen Wong who a Malaysian man at the hotel he patches out and his gold chain which was a wedding gift, was missing. He believed that because he didn't remember exactly what happened that he was drugged. And so on that Friday, October 26, he reaches out to his friend Susena Pen, a 23 year old unemployed Malaysian individual. He was also a member of the secret society Ang Sun Tong and my audience. Welcome. Welcome. As we continue to go through this case, it's important to understand that Liu Chin Wangku had basically conspired with Suse and also Kupia Sarabad, a 21 year old trainee prison warden. He wanted them to find Lim Yeon Chow and get his property back and he meant to do whatever by all means necessary to get his property back. Leo Chin Wong was engaged to get married and if this wedding gift as well as cash and other items was not returned then he would have some explaining to do. He may not even be able to get married as his wife would want an clear explanation and before Leo would let that happen, he would lure Lynn over on Johor Road in Google, a transient area known for survivor sex work, to assure that he got his property back. It was around midnight on that Friday, October 26th. Leo, Zuse and Copia go over to Jewel Road where they encounter Lim. Copia initially approaches Lim pretending to seek services. The two head over to a nearby alley at cross Queen street where Copia then demands stolen items. Lim and Copia begin to argue where Lim instantly denies the theft. As the two continue to dispute, the escalation leads to where Lym, fearing for her life, brandishes the knife from her handbag and threatens not only Copia but then also Suse and Leo. Back away, she said, get away. Despite her warning, the two, Zuse and Copia all of a sudden disarms Lynn by kicking her and taking the knife. And despite initial wound, Liam who was cornered in this alley on Queen street, kept trying to get away and was repeatedly stabbed multiple times throughout the back, abdomen and area. This altercation continued for over 180 yards about 165 meters before Lim collapsed and subsequently bled out. The two would flee Susa and Copia by taxi, leaving the scene in Lam's body clad over in a black dress. Lim Yao Chun, this beautiful Malaysian Chinese transgender woman born in Pontian District Johor to parents of the farming industry. She had secondary education before leaving Malaysia for the Singapore in circa 1986. As she began her gender journey, she was in the line of work as a fashion designer. But as Lim's need to be in her true being the youngest of eight children and had this sense of being able to be more herself than her other siblings, Lim embraced her truth, resigned as a fashion designer and began working as a survivor sex worker over in Singapore in the Puget area, she completely began her social and medical journey and was providing survivor sex worker services over in that red light district including the area of Queen Street. Due to her already natural beauty and her feminine features, Lim was easily able to apply makeup and wear women's clothing early on before her medical transition. Described as having an outgoing personality that led oftentimes to a solitary life and residing alone in a rented room in Balustere without close family or partner, Lam confided feelings of dissatisfaction with her gender journey at times hoping to save enough money by having a checking and Savings account. In 1990, just several days before Halloween, Lamb was looking forward to obtaining her gender firm and surgery in Germany. And truly been in her journey through and through. But around Midnight on Friday, October 26, 1990, the 30 year old Malaysian Chinese transgender survivor, sex worker and fashion designer was stabbed multiple times over an alleged robbery. These three gentlemen wanted these gifts back. And within the next few hours, as Lamb laid over in that alley and the day continued, her body was not identified or even noticed until the early morning hours of Saturday, October 27, 1990. A scream is heard and the authorities are notified. Lim is rushed over to Singapore's General Hospital where ultimately she is pronounced dead on that Saturday, October 27, 1990 due to multiple sharp force injuries throughout the upper and lower torso. Her friend who discovered her named Michelle said that Liam had a gold chain and her handbag was missing. And as detectives and law investigators began looking into this case, this killing on Queen street over in the Bugis area, this red light district on Jador Road, they began to ask questions. Detective Trong of the Singapore Detective Agency was on the case. As Detective Trom enters the scene confirming that this is a hateful homicide and the body is taken to the corner and family notifications remain. Back in Malaysia, the investigation begins. Other survivor sex workers, colleagues Lim were interviewed and questioned. And there was a conversation that Lynn had shared with her friend Michelle regarding a man named Leo, a guy who was here for his bachelor party and met Lim and found her very beautiful and the two went back to his hotel and engaged in sex were Lamb confided in Michelle that she felt uneasy, that I guess he was too intoxicated and passed out as she left. She found the interaction to be suspicious and weird and that was the only information that active Trong had a lead. Who was this Leo? There was no last name and they weren't quite sure where the hotel was. And as this investigation was going, this police inquiry interviews that are being conducted, people who had knew two individuals who were in the area who were known for picking up some of the girls, engaging with them. One of them had had a conversation with one of the women that he hung out with. 20 year old Lucy Chu was hanging out with 23 year old Susei Sinopin. He's unemployed and he begins to discuss a crime that he committed. Lucy Chu, who was also a trans survivor sex worker and had dealings with Zuse and more of a serious connection was also in this love triangle with Kupia, the 21 year old training prisoner officer. And they began to brag to Lucy, boasting, almost saying I'm the better man. You Lucy, I killed L Y Chong. She Lucy witnessed this information just before Thanksgiving in 1990. Police was investigating but please note my audience because of the era and because of Liam being a survivor sex worker. Detective T.R. investigated but whether to the best of his abilities. But when Lucy Truth went to the Singapore Police Department and reported what she heard from her two paramours who fought over her. The 20 year old who was fearful for her life and worried that these two men that she had an on again sexual relationship with, sometimes it was paid, sometimes it was unpaid. She was worried, worried for her safety and for her life. Detective Truong vowed to keep her safe and in a type of protection program. And on December 1, 1990, just over a month after the hateful homicide of Lim Yao Chuon, Kupia and Suse are brought in for questioning. And what they revealed to Detective Tron will leave Singapore fighting for more justice for the trans community for many decades to come. They revealed that with an attack and subsequently murdered for hire to kill 30 year old trans Malaysian Chinese sex worker and fashion designer Lim Yao Chuun on the early morning hours of Friday, October, October 26, 1990 after she had allegedly stolen a wedding gift and money from Leo. Now this name had already been brought up before and Detective Tron wanted to know exactly who was Leo. And the friends admitted that this was none other than 2025 year old Leo Chen Wang. He was set to get married and he needed to get his wedding gift back and the money for the wedding and the honeymoon. And the only person according to Leo that he had been with was Lam Yao Chong. And because the two had spent some time talking and getting know each other and he did, admitting that he knew her as Susan Lim. As Susan, but he never forgot a face. And because he had met her over in the Johor Road area, the Bu area, that he knew that most likely that's where she would be at again, all of this was starting to make sense to Detective T.R. so on December 5, 1990, 21 year old Singaporean prisoner officer Kupia Saravanat, 23 year old Malaysian unemployed criminal Susei Sinapan and 25 year old Malaysian and Chinese Bachelor in IT tech guru Leo Yuan were all arrested for the hateful homicide of 30 year old Lam Yao Chuan, a killing that happened on Queen Street. And as they're arrested and the case continues, it is important to understand that Lim was just wanting to have a good life, a beautiful life, when all of a sudden her life was snuffed out for no reason other than just try to be herself. And as we continue to go through this case, my audience, it's really important to understand a little bit more of the context around this hateful homicide, this killing on Queen Street. You're about to lose $50,000 for your car. This case will twisted and the trial of Copia, Sarabaduna and Zuse as well as Leo would all begin in January of 1991.
