Mothership understands that Zeng Guoyuan, the former businessman and political hopeful, has died.

STOMP reported on Nov. 17, following a tip-off by a contributor, that a dead body was found at the foot of Block 68 Geylang Bahru on the night of Nov. 16.

The contributor, who claimed to be Zeng's neighbour, said she saw a stain on the ground near the block.

In response to a Mothership query, the Police said:

"On 16 November 2019 at 9.54pm, the Police were alerted to a case of unnatural death at Blk 68 Geylang Bahru.

A 66-year-old man was found lying motionless at the foot of the said block and was pronounced dead at scene by a paramedic. Police investigations are ongoing."

Selling tissue with his parrot

Zeng and his parrot was a familiar sight to people in Orchard Road, where he would sell packets of tissue paper at the underground walkway between Wisma Atria and Ngee Ann City.

This landed him in hot water with the management of Ngee Ann City, who viewed his activities as inconveniencing their shoppers.

In Aug. 2018, Zeng was arrested outside Mandarin Gallery in Orchard Road.

However, he appeared at the same spot a few days later.

Political candidate

Zeng was previously involved in local politics, having stood as a candidate for the Workers' Party in the 1991 General Election.

However, he lost to the PAP's Wang Kai Yuen in Bukit Timah.

Zeng was fined in 2009 for putting up unapproved banners displaying a picture of wanted terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari.

He applied to contest in the 2011 General Election and Presidential Election, as well as the 2012 by-elections in Hougang and Punggol East.

In 2015, Zeng also tried to stand as a candidate in the General Election that year, but was unsuccessful.

According to the Straits Times, he was diagnosed with nose cancer in 2014, which led to surgery leaving him with a hole in his face.

At that time, Zeng said, "Doctors said there is no cure left for me. So I’m just going wherever I want to go and trying to do good wherever I go."

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Top image by Ng Yi-Shu.