PUBLISHED ONAugust 21, 2026 10:22 AMBYKoh Xing YingFor one man, decades of friendship are not erased by a conviction or sentence, but live on through the memories and good times they have shared.
Local chef Benny Se Teo paid an emotional tribute to a friend, Amos Tan Yew Kuan, 68, who was sent to the gallows for drug trafficking today (Aug 21).
"It was painful to see someone intelligent, curious and full of conversation remain trapped in something that had such a hold on his life," said the 66-year-old.
"There was much more to him."
A 68-year-old Singaporean and a 34-year-old Malaysian, who were convicted for trafficking in controlled drugs, had their capital sentences carried out on Aug 21, according to a Central Narcotics Bureau statement on Friday.
In an obituary notice shared by Se Teo, it says that Tan's wake is at the Singapore Casket till Aug 22, where he will be cremated at Mandai Crematorium.
Tan was arrested in 2020 for the possession of 37.95 grams of diamorphine (pure heroin) for the purpose of trafficking and was convicted in 2023. He was hung in the early hours on Friday.
Speaking to AsiaOne on Friday, Se Teo said he first met Tan at Jalan Awan Centre in 1984, when the latter had been recalled to prison and Se Teo had recently been transferred from another drug rehabilitation centre.
A former drug offender, Se Teo is one of the co-founders of the Eighteen Chefs chain of restaurants before retiring in 2021.
Se Teo said that although they did not have much in common when they first met, they bonded over their shared love of guitars. He recalled being impressed by Tan's guitar skills when he played a song by rock band Fleetwood Mac.
After serving his one-year stint, Se Teo left the centre and the two went their separate ways.
They found themselves meeting again in 1989, this time in a prison cell following an incident involving the smuggling of Chinese tobacco.
It was during their confinement that their friendship deepened, as conversations stretched through the day and into the night.
"We spoke about music, the different genres and events happening around the world. It was during those conversations that I realised he (Tan) was actually very well-read," said Se Teo.
Despite eventually being released a year later, Se Teo said Tan continued to struggle with drug addiction.
"It was painful to see someone intelligent, curious and full of conversation remain trapped in something that had such a hold on his life. There was much more to him," said Se Teo.
He added that although he was worried for his friend's future, he felt there was little he could do.
The dreaded day came in 2020, when Se Teo received news from a mutual friend that Tan had been sentenced to capital punishment over his drug trafficking offence.
Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, trafficking more than 15g of diamorphine (pure heroin) carries the death penalty upon conviction.
"It was shocking and I wasn't allowed to visit him as visits were restricted to his family members. It was not until a few days before his execution that I was permitted to see him one last time," said Se Teo.
Reminiscing about their last meeting, Se Teo said the encounter was bittersweet, but remembered Tan being calm and composed.
"He has been inside for six years, so he was mentally prepared for it. When I saw him, he was collected and I was actually more emotional than him," said Se Teo.
"I guess I was just really hurt, and it was painful to see someone facing death."
Se Teo added that although their friendship ended sooner than he had hoped, the memories they shared over the decades remain with him.
"I will remember him through the old days, when we bonded over music and the person he was," he said.
"Behind the crime, the conviction and the sentence is still a human being - someone with a family, regrets, hopes and fears."
On March 21, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam said Singapore's approach to drug control remains firmly rooted despite a rise in drug use globally.
Speaking at the Community Resilience Against Drug Abuse Roundtable then, Shanmugam said despite criticism of Singapore's strict drug laws, public support for the country's tough approach remains strong, citing findings from a recent survey.
"Nearly 93 per cent of youth respondents and more than 96 per cent of adult respondents said Singapore should continue to maintain our tough laws to keep drugs out of Singapore," he said.
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xingying.koh@asiaone.com
