November 6, 2025
SINGAPORE – The lapses by two police officers who did not follow operating procedure in Megan Khung’s case were a serious breach that resulted in tragedy.
Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming said this in Parliament on Nov 5, while noting that demands on police officers continue to increase.
Mr Goh said police officers often have to make difficult judgment calls every day, and mistakes can happen under pressure.
He said: “In this case, the lapse arose because two officers, who were under pressure, did not follow the established operating procedure.”
Mr Goh’s statement was in response to questions filed by four MPs for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the police processes in Megan’s case.
Four-year-old Megan died in February 2020 after suffering a year of abuse at the hands of her mother, Foo Li Ping, and the woman’s boyfriend, Wong Shi Xiang. Her body was burned and never found. The case involving the couple’s friend, Nouvelle Chua Ruoshi, 35, is pending.
A review panel’s report released on Oct 23 detailed lapses by various agencies, including the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s (MSF) Child Protective Service and the police.
The police investigation officer (IO) who handled the first report relating to Megan’s case and her supervisor failed to follow procedures to escalate the case for monitoring and guidance.
Both officers were investigated for neglect of duty. The IO later resigned, while her supervisor was given a financial penalty.
In Parliament, Mr Gabriel Lam (Sembawang GRC) asked about MHA’s steps to review police IOs’ follow-up requirements for cases of missing vulnerable persons. Mr Jackson Lam (Nee Soon GRC) asked whether police risk-assessment tools will be recalibrated to prioritise cases involving missing children.
Elaborating on police procedures for missing person reports, Mr Goh said priority is given to missing vulnerable persons, including young children, regardless of the duration they have been missing.
He said cases of missing vulnerable persons are also escalated to regular case review sessions with supervisors.
Mr Goh added that the police work with other government agencies to find missing persons, including sharing the persons’ data. The police may also issue appeals for information to seek public assistance.
Ms Valerie Lee (Pasir Ris-Changi GRC) asked about the average duration taken by IOs to close cases in each of the past five years.
Mr Goh said the police do not track the duration taken to close a case, adding that there are many factors that can affect the length of an investigation, such as the wide range of offences with varying complexities.
Noting that there are internal controls in place to ensure cases are followed up promptly, Mr Goh said the police have continued to strengthen these processes and systems.
Ms Diana Pang (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC) asked whether the police will mandate that all child-related cases be handled by specialist investigation officers with child protection training.
Mr Goh said that in 2022, the police introduced a family violence training package for all front-line officers and IOs to recognise and escalate high-risk cases to MSF.
In 2023, the police formed family violence teams (FVTs) at all its land divisions. FVT officers receive specialised training on how to engage victims sensitively and work with other agencies.
When a suspected child abuse case emerges, or when MSF receives an urgent report on a high-risk case, the police will work with MSF’s Child Protective Service for safety planning and social intervention for the family and child.
Mr Goh said this may include activating MSF’s Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team (DVERT), a 24-hour service launched in 2023 to provide help in high-risk domestic violence cases with immediate safety concerns.
DVERT officers will respond on-site to assess the situation and make urgent arrangements for victims to be relocated for their safety, if necessary.
Mr Goh said the police have used technology to strengthen the IOs’ capabilities, such as automatic notifications to IOs and their supervisors to complete time-sensitive tasks promptly.
He added: “The police will learn from this (Megan’s case), and reinforce procedures and training for its officers.”