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span class="caption">Suhardi Tan, alias Achui, 26, died after being stabbed in the chest during a robbery just a few moments after leaving a money changer in Raffles Place mall.(JP/Fadli)The Riau Islands branch of the Association of Money Changers (APVA) has expressed disappointment over the slow handling by the Singaporean authorities of an investigation into the robbery and murder of an Indonesian citizen.

Suhardi Tan, alias Achui, 26, died after being stabbed in the chest during a robbery just a few moments after leaving a money changer in Raffles Place mall, The Arcade, Singapore, on Firday at around 7 p.m. local time.

Chairman of the branch’s supervisory council, Amat Tantoso, alias Ahai, said that a moment after being stabbed Achui managed to call his younger brother Afao, an employee of PT Citra Niaga money changers, with whom he travelled to Singapore.

The Singaporean criminal investigations department (CID), was already on the scene when Achui’s brother got there, did not allow Afao to approach his dying brother as he struggled for his life. They argued the case was under their investigation.

“Why didn’t they take the victim to the hospital first, instead of prioritizing the investigation?” Ahai told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

Achui and Afao were in Singapore to change non-rupiah currencies at The Arcade which is renowned as a center of money changing services. The currencies they changed were worth nearly US$100,000 in total.

Quoting information from Afao and the owner of the money changer he worked for, Ahai said that Achui was stabbed and robbed on the 6th floor of Raffles Place Mall. A number of witnesses, he added, said they saw Achui was still moving at 4:30 p.m. He was declared dead at 5 p.m. by Singaporean paramedics.

“We really regret the slow treatment of the victim and that his life could not be saved,” Ahai said.

He added Achui’s body had not yet been transported home to Batam because it was still undergoing an autopsy.

The repatriation of the body could be a problem because the victim’s passport was in the stolen bag and the Indonesian embassy in Singapore is still closed for Idul Fitri.

“We urge the Singaporean police to explain the case. This is the first time such an incident has occurred to a member of our association in a country known for its security,” Ahai said.

He added that some 80 percent of money changers in Batam change money in Singapore on daily basis thanks to their geographical proximity and competitive rates on offer.

“We are afraid the robbery may have been conducted by a syndicate,” said Ahai who is himself an owner of a money changing business and deputy chairman of the Riau Islands province branch of the Indonesian Chamber of Trade and Commerce (Kadin).

Separately, a spokesperson of the Singaporean Embassy, Simon D.I Soekarno, told the Post on Saturday that his office had been informed of the incident. “The case is being investigated by local police,” he said.

Simon also said that before being sent home, Achui’s body would undergo a postmortem examination. He could not yet give an exact date for the return of the body.