The 70-year-old victim of a fatal stabbing in Geylang on March 9 has been identified as Eric Chow, who played Five Ji in the 2022 crime thriller Geylang.
Armed with a short knife, a 48-year-old man stabbed Chow along Lorong 16 Geylang, leaving him lying in a pool of blood. Police later confirmed that the victim was sent to the hospital unconscious and later died from his injuries.
When Shin Min reporters visited the scene on the night of March 9, friends who had known the victim for decades had gathered at the scene of the attack.
A source who has reportedly known Chow for many years told the Chinese daily that he was the victim involved in the incident.
The contributor also explained that Chow had a mole on his chin with five hairs growing from it, which led to his nickname “Five Strands”.
The source added that Chow had appeared in the local crime thriller Geylang, essentially playing himself.
In the film, he portrayed a brothel operator and appeared in a scene opposite veteran actor Steven Woon. In the one-minute scene, Chow appeared wearing a gold chain and riding a bicycle, inviting Woon’s character to visit his newly opened brothel.
Director of Geylang shocked by Chou’s passing
When contacted by Shin Min reporters, Boi Kwong, director of Geylang, said he was shocked and saddened to hear of Chow’s passing. He revealed that Chow had provided a lot of help during the filming.
“Back then, I walked through the streets of Geylang one by one and got to know Chow. He was very chatty, and I learned a lot about the area from him,” said Mr Kwong.
“During filming, he was a huge help and even helped speak to other people for us. His appearance in the film was something we deliberately arranged — more like a small touch or cameo, since he had lived in Geylang for decades.”
Mr Kwong also said that Chow had appeared in many movies and television dramas, often in small roles. After filming wrapped, he kept in touch with Chow and described him as a kind father figure. The last time the pair met was about nine months ago.
Veteran Actor Mark Lee, who played the leading role of Fatty in Geylang, told reporters he had once accompanied Mr Kwong to Geylang to learn about the area from Chow. However, he had only met the victim once and did not keep in contact afterwards.
