THREE days after Mr Cheng Wei Pak died, his sister remains in the dark over his death.

She continues to believe he has gone off to run an errand.

A police spokesman said they received a call on 23 Jan, and a Chinese man was found lying face up on the floor.

He was pronounced dead by paramedics at 12pm.

Yesterday morning, police officers and medical attendants were at the flat trying to move the woman to a hospital.

HELP: Police officers were at the woman's flat yesterday morning, trying to persuade her to leave with them.

But Mr Cheng's sister refused to leave with them. She wanted to wait for her brother.

It took them a while, said the woman neighbour.

She added: "I helped to coax her too, and I kept telling her that she needed to go for a check-up at the hospital first. And that only after she had done so, they would be sending her to her other brother."

It was only then that the woman finally relented and agreed to let them take her away.

It is believed that the woman has another two younger brothers and a sister.

Said neighbour Hong Ah Hong: "When I called the younger sister earlier, she told me to mind my own business."

When he tried to explain that her sister was alone and helpless now, she cut him off and slammed down the phone.

Mr Hong said: "I discussed the matter with the neighbours and we decided we had no choice but to call the police."

When this reporter called the given number last night, a woman who answered the phone confirmed she was "Ah Heong". But when she heard that we were calling about "Mr Cheng's sister", the phone line went dead. Subsequent calls to the same number were not successful.

maureenk@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The New Paper.