A Little iWicked

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

I was very tired last night and so I retired to bed early, around 11pm. However, I could not fall asleep. So I read some magazines but it still did not put me to sleep. I dun feel like watching TV so I took out my PSP.

I am presently playing PSP, Justice League. The game was quite fun. it was okay, but not as great as compared to God of War.

I have played for about a few hours till 3am when I went to the kitchen to get a drink. And that reminded me of Gin. She used to follow me into the kitchen if I got up at night. And this time, she was not there.

She just was not there! Then it dawned on me that she is no more. She is now only a pile of ashes and dust. And I would never see or hold her again.

The fact struck me like a tonne of bricks and tears started to fall. By the time, I got back to bed, I was crying and crying and I just could not stop.

Frankly, I thought I was over this. That I had no more tears. I had told me myself that I would not cry anymore. And the last few days, I didn't. But last night, I just cried and cried. Tears keep coming out of my eyes. Tears I thought I dun have.

SO was next in bed, sleeping. He slept like a pig and did not hear a thing. I must have cried for about half an hour or so. I could not sleep. So I continued playing my psp game. On and off, I could not quite focus on the game. My thoughts occasionally drifted to Gin and tears just fell.

With Gin gone, I felt no one love me anymore. I never felt so alone and unloved. I used to busk in the warmth of Gin's love and now I felt nothing.

I simply felt so pathetic and sorry for myself.

I have been with SO for so many years, over ten years. When you have been in a relationship for that long, you dun fall in love, you simply loved. Sometimes, I can't feel SO love for me. The way I felt Gin's love.

As I am typing this, I am crying again. Not big sobs like last night. Just a little crying.

Someone just paged me!

This morning someone paged me. Yeah...I am still holding a pager. One of the last few person still holding a pager until the paging system ends this month.

I also owned a handphone but pagers have been with me since I was a late teen. The only person who pages me these days is my mother. I have not given her my handphone number yet. She is the type who would call and call if you did not answer the phone. So that's why she only got my pager number. I have not seen a unfamilar number paging me for a long long time.

Who could it be? A wrong number? An old friend?

I returned the call. The number 9808 8808 was so nice looking. So auspicious and easy to remember. It was from Singtel, an automated message, telling me the paging system ends on 10 July 2008.

Good bye, pager. You have been useful but is now obsolete.

That reminds me, I have to call my mother and tell her that my pager number is no more and that Gin is dead.

Twisted and The Yawara stick

I was watching the movie "Twisted" on TV the other day. The movie starred Ashley Judd, Samuel L. Jackson, Andy Garcia, David Strathairn, Russell Wong. With such stellar cast, you would have think the movie would be a hit.

Nope. It was simply a bored fest. Ashley Judd was the lead character, a police officer whose former lovers/one-night stands start to die mysteriously.

Frankly, I was sort of expecting some great finale climax and when it finally came, it was more of an anti-climax!

Anyway, the thing I was more interested in was the Yawara stick that Judd used in the movie. The Yawara is a japanese form of self defence, which uses a short handsize stick to disable the opponents by attacking the nerve points.

That was the most interesting part of the movie for me!

Now I now trying to see if I can unearth some instructional manual for the yawara and learn myself some self defence skills.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Would you buy a Kidney? Would you sell your kidney?

To be continued

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The New Paper
30 June 2008

KIDNEY QUESTION: ALLOW SALE, OR... ...BAN SALE?

Aussie doc: SELL ORGANS TO GOVT, SAVE LIVES

IT is the first case of its kind in Singapore, where two Indonesian men have pleaded guilty to organ trading. And it throws open the door for debate again, on the issue of legalising organ trading.

Organ trading is banned in Singapore for a variety of reasons, including ethical ones. But some have argued that lifting such bans could save lives. Last month, an Australian kidney specialist sparked national debate by suggesting the government should pay up to A$50,000 ($65,450) for kidney donations to overcome a chronic shortage.

Dr Gavin Carney said eliminating a law that prohibits the selling of organs would save thousands of lives and billions of dollars (euros) in care for patients on organ waiting lists. He also said it would stop people from going to Third World countries and paying for black-market organs and risky, unregulated surgeries.

FEW DONORS Australia has one of the lowest rates of organ donation in the developed world, about 10 donors per 1 million people, according to a federal health task force. 'We've tried everything to drum up support for organ donation and the rates have not risen in 10 years,' Dr Carney was quoted as saying in Fairfax newspapers. 'People just don't seem to be willing to give their organs away for free... 'Let's pay people some money for a new car or a house deposit and those waiting lists will be halved within about five years.'

Dr Carney, a professor at the Australian National University, could not immediately be reached by The Associated Press. Dr Carney's proposal was immediately criticised by transplant groups, who fear it would exploit poor people.

QUASHED

The idea was quashed by Health Minister Nicola Roxon, who said Australians would not be allowed to market their organs. 'But we do know that we need urgent action in this area of organ donation,' Ms Roxon told Australia Broadcasting Corp. radio. Rather than paying people for organs, Ms Roxon said her ministry would act on some of the recommendations of a federal task force that recently completed a review of the organ donation system.

The task force attributed Australia's low organ donor rate to a decrease in road accidents and strokes, lack of public awareness, and poor identification of donors in hospitals, among other factors. In comparison, Germany has 15 donors per 1million people, the Netherlands has25, the United States has 27, and Spain has 35, it said.

Selling or buying organs is illegal in Australia, as in most countries, and carries a penalty of six months in jail and a fine of up to A$4,400. More than 1,800 people are waiting for kidney transplants in the country but only 343 kidneys were donated last year, Fairfax reported. Transplant Australia said the average wait for a kidney transplant is four years.

Transplant Australia chief executive Chris Thomas said his organization rejects paying for organs and instead is working with the government to change the donation system. He said Dr Carney's proposal would leave poor people vulnerable. 'It really focuses on the poor and people who are least able to pay for things in society. They get attracted to these types of things,' he told ABC Radio. 'We'd reject that.' Kidney Health Australia also rejected Dr Carney's proposal, saying it would be open to 'many ethical issues and abuse.' - AP

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The New Paper
30 June 2008

TIME FOR S'PORE TO RETHINK ISSUE

By Ng Wan Ching

WOULD I pay for a kidney if I were dying, there were no donor kidneys available and there was a willing seller?

At this point in my life, I want to see my children grow up. And I want to live this sweet life a little longer. So my answer would be yes, with certain caveats.

First, the seller must be informed of the risks of the procedure and be educated on what it means to be a kidney donor. He must undergo careful medical and psychological evaluation and receive follow-up care. That said, the reality is still that such a course is illegal here. But might we not examine the feasibility of a kidney market?

The way the Iranian government does it is to provide a fixed compensation to the seller of about $1,500 as well as limited health insurance coverage. Second, he also receives separate remuneration either from the recipient or, if the recipient is poor, from a designated charitable organisation; this amount is usually between $3,000 and $6,000. In Iran, there is no longer a queue for donor kidneys.

One idea, which has been mooted elsewhere, is to take the money spent to provide dialysis and use it to fund programmes aimed at helping lower-income people buy kidneys. The rich will be able to take care of themselves.

It was reported last December that Singapore's National Kidney Foundation had spent $17.5 million on dialysis and kidney failure prevention services for about 2,000 kidney patients in 18 months. If this money were used to set up a kidney bank, which would buy kidneys, at $20,000 a kidney, 875patients every 18 months would be freed from the need for dialysis. Over time, the numbers would get better, as kidney patients here wait an average of seven years before they get a donor kidney.

What about the risk of surgery to the donor? Doctors I spoke to said that the most significant risks were those associated with anaesthesia and surgery which, at 0.03 per cent mortality, was comparable to any other operation. Long-term risks are also low. A 1997 study from Norway that followed 1,332 kidney donors for an average of 32 years found no difference in mortality rates between kidney donors and the general population.

A 25-year follow-up of 70donors conducted by the Cleveland Clinic found that the renal function is 'well-preserved' and that the overall incidence of hypertension was comparable to that of non-donors.

EXPLOITATION

But the potential for exploiting donors - especially low-income ones - is always there, for they will be the ones most likely to find monetary incentives attractive. Protecting them is of utmost importance. That is why any plan for compensation should be regulated by the government.

Legal scholar Richard Epstein puts it in his own special way (The Wall Street Journal, May 2006): 'Only a bioethicist could prefer a world in which we have 1,000altruists per annum and over 6,500 excess deaths over one in which we have no altruists and no excess deaths.'

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The New Paper
30 June 2008

Health Minister: It won't be legal any time soon because...

UNDER the Human Organ Transplant Act (Hota) here, it is a criminal offence for any person to 'enter into a contract or arrangement under which a person agrees, for valuable consideration, to the sale or supply of any organ or blood'.

The penalties are a jail term of up to a year, or a fine of up to $10,000, or both. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan has said that there was no possibility of legalising organ trading any time soon. He has argued that such a move raises difficult ethical problems, and would also encourage the wrong types of people to become donors, such as the poor.

It is also an idea that many here and elsewhere find 'degrading' and 'repulsive', he was reported to have said last year. Efforts to increase the supply of organs for transplant should focus on greater public education instead.

Mr Khaw noted that countries which have tried organ trading attracted the 'wrong' type of donors - drug addicts, for example. Apart from the moral issues, ophthalmologist Lam Pin Min, now deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health, also pointed out the medical risks to donors in a report last year.

Kidney donors face less than 0.1per cent risk of death, but it is more dangerous for liver donors who have a 1-3 per cent chance of dying and a 25per cent chance of problems from surgery.

There has been one kidney donor-death in Singapore. A woman who donated her kidney to her husband died shortly after the surgery in 2005. The cause of her death is still not known.

Blog Awards 2008

MSN email prank scam

Recently I received an email about MSN and hotmail charging for its usage.

Yeah, I panicked.....But something gave it away...That only 578 names were left. How can that be? Only an idiot would believe that! There are millions of possible variations of email addresses. By adding numbers to emails, the possibilities are simply unlimited and infinite.

Another giveaway is the BBC link attached. It looked real but look at the date! It was published on Sunday, 25 February, 2001. That was 7 years ago! So have they started charging yet? Would they even dare to think of charging in face of such stiff competition from Yahoo and Google?

I did further research and found it to be a total scam! One that has been crculating for years and years. Below is the recent link from BBC on 8th march 2006, confirming that it was a scam.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4778046.stm

So if you received the following email and is someone whose fingers are trigger happy, without checking on the source of the email, you have just scammed 18 of your contacts.

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Sorry to break the news, but looks like all of those warnings were real!
The use of MSN and e-mail will cost money from Summer 2008 onwards.

If you send this message to 18 different people from your list, your little MSN icon will turn blue and that will make it free for you. If you don't believe me, go on to (www.msn.com) and see it yourself.

Don't forward this message, but copy and paste it so that people will actually read it. MSN is really closing down. This is because too many inconsiderate people are taking up all the names (eg. making up lots of different accounts for just one person), and we are only left with 578 names.

If you would like to close your account, DO NOT SEND THIS MESSAGE ON. But, if you would like to keep your account, then SEND THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE ON YOUR CONTACT LIST. This is no joke, as we will be shutting down the servers. Send it on, thanks.

WHOEVER DOES NOT SEND THIS MESSAGE, YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE CLOSED AND IT
WILL COST YOU $100.00 (pending) A MONTH TO USE. SEND THIS TO EVERYONE ON OUR CONTACT LIST. NOW YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. PLEASE DO NOT FORWARD THIS OR REPLAY. COPY THE WHOLE E-MAIL. RETURN TO YOUR INBOX AND CLICK ON NEW. THEN PASTE 'THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION'.

Hey everyone, i don't normally send this sort of stuff out, but I had a look on the Internet and its actually true that by the 30th November, we will have to pay for the use of our MSN and e-mail account(s), unless we send this message to at least 18 contacts on our contact list.

It's no joke, but if yo u don't believe me, then you can see for yourself - go to the site (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1189119.stm) - and see for yourself.

Anyway, once you've sent this message to at least 18 contacts, your MSN icon will turn blue. Please copy and paste, but don't forward it, as people won't take notice of it

A gay movie starring Adrian Pang!

Gosh, I just discovered this short film starring Adrian Pang and Ivan Heng! I think it was made many years ago cos the actors just looked so young and wrinkles free.

If any one is looking for any sex scenes, you would be disappointed. The short movie is eh....rather sex free and amateurish.

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/hR-TugNpbrk/

Me and a transsexual called Ms M

Reading about aging transsexuals in the papers reminded me of a certain transsexual called Ms M.

When I was still working many years ago, Ms M was one of my staff. She was a male to female transsexual who worked in a clerical position in the same organisation. Since mine was a rather senior position, I was given supervision of certain junior staff like interns, temps, admin staff, drivers and even cleaners.

Yeah...I did noticed that Ms M looked kinda strange at first sight. She was this mature aunty in her 50s, wrinkles on her face. But this aunty was taller than 1.85m. She was not muscular nor manly in stature but she sure towered over me by half a head.

I am a rather easy going person. I dun discriminate. As long as you did your work well, dun hanky panky in office, I am very friendly. Ms M was not quite a diva. She was only diva-ish. Around 50s, how diva can you still get?

Ms M was not very highly educated. She was actually sent by her company to work for us. In other words, her job was outsourced. Actually Ms M's responsiblities were rather simple and mechanical. Her pay was, I think $1000 or less. Frankly, at her age, that's pretty low income.

Ms M was quite friendly. But as she did not hide the fact she was a transsexual but out and proud, not many people in the office associated with her. I suppose she got along better with those younger staff, below 30, cos they were more open-minded. Those older, more senior or in her age group, were more conservative and some maybe did not approve of her life decision did not socialise much with her. Or maybe she was so low on the office hierarchy system, there was no need for interaction with her.

My cubicle was just outside the big boss office. And Ms M had her own small room very near to my cubicle. And when Ms M was free, she liked to pop over and chat. Sometimes we had long chats. About life and love and the men in her life.

I dun like to talk about myself. That's why I always directed my conversation to the other person. When Ms M and I talked, we always talked about her. And she liked it. Here was someone, young, normal, talking and listening to her.

Thinking back, maybe I should not have chatted so much with her. During my last few weeks with the company, I realised that some of the conversations outside the boss office could be heard quite clearly inside his office. And my voice can be rather loud at times and thus I wondered how much my boss heard. But he never said anything.

Ms M always came to work in tops/shirts and pants. I dun think I have ever seen her in any dress or skirts before. She only worn some lipstick and light makeup. Her dressing and makeup were not too over the top or outrighteously flamboyant, like some drag queens. She was simple. Like some aunty that we all knew. Except this aunty was once a man.

Ms M at 50s was still looking for a man and a companion. She had relationships before but they did not quite last. Some were a few years or months and some a few days. And as she got older, she found it more difficult to get a male companion who truly liked her for what she was, a transsexual. Now that she was aging, her competition were those who were younger and of course, naturally born females.

She told me once, she was looking for a man who only likes women. Not gay men who like men. Some of the guys she dated and had relationships were gay guys, guys who liked her cos she was once a man. She only wanted guys who wanted her cos she is a woman, not someone who had a sex change from man to woman.

I advised her many times not to be fussy. I told her....to be frank, look at your age. Can you still do the choosing? You are not a spring chicken anymore. Just go for someone who truly likes you. That is already a very high task and such a person difficult to find.

She told me, she could not do it. She only wanted a man who loves women. Which was quite impossible, I told her. There's no hiding the fact, that you were once a man. And if a man can have a real woman, why would he settle for a fake woman? I told her if she is any fussy, she is probably going to die alone, an old maid!

Then I asked her....would you want a fake diamond? She said no.....I told her...you are akin to a fake diamond. If you are still searching for a someone who wants a real diamond, you would never find that someone special. Instead, go for someone who appreciates you for who you are.

She seemed to understand then. She said that then maybe she would rather be alone all her life. But who knows what may happen in the future?

My relationship with Ms M was rather strange. She can be quite stubborn at times. And I have to do a certain amount of kind "scoldings" on things I find "naive" about her. She is more than twice my age then and her life experiences were definitely richer than mine. But her thoughts can be quite naive and overly simple at times.

Once I went on leave for 2 weeks, she came to me after I returned, telling me how much she missed me and my "scoldings". She said her ears felt itchy without me "insulting" her. My colleagues even told me sometimes they found her in my chair, sitting there dreaming. She even wore my furry slippers cos it reminded her of me. (I gave them to her. I am some sort of cleanliness freak who dun like others to wear my stuff.)

I left the company a few months after that. We did not exchange contact numbers. In the 2 years that we worked together, we talked only in the office, not outside office hours. We were friendly only at work. And I did returned once to the office after that, she came to me with a sad face, telling me that she was so sad, no one scolded her like I did, and after I left, the office seemed a much duller place to work in.

I heard a few months after I left, her company posted her elsewhere.

I saw Ms M last year. She was working in a shopping mall. She was at a distance. I did not say hello. I sometimes meet people I worked with before but I dun initiate greetings unless the other person did so first. The reason was cos I did not know what to say. And I hated having to condense my present life in 5-10 mins.

But I did missed chatting with Ms M. Maybe next time, I meet Ms M on the street, I just might say hello to her.

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The New Paper
30 June 2008

DEATH OF AN AUNTY 'LADYBOY'

HOW DO BUGIS DIVAS GROW OLD?

We rely on one another, say transvestites

By Mindy Tan

IN the mid-1980s, she was a model, and then a fashion coordinator, and later, she took the stage as a performer at the Boom Boom Room. Now, at 42, she says: 'Darling, those days are over.'

Miss Amy Tashiana, a transsexual, looks you in the eye and is perfectly open about discussing her life. She said: 'We have gone through the extremes to get to who we are, fight to live as who we feel we should be. So it is natural that we grow over the years to become very tough and fiercely independent. 'In order for a man to come along to match that and share companionship, you need someone who is really, really big.' Does that mean loneliness as they grow older?

Some of the first generation Bugis street transsexuals and transvestites are in their 60s today, like Mr Abdul Khalid Othman, the 61-year-old who was murdered, allegedly by a lover less than half his age.

One transsexual in her mid-50s said: 'When you grow older, sex is no longer important. Like normal people, we seek companionship.' Some from Bugis Street left to open clothing and jewellery shops, but return occasionally to visit the 'sisters'.

When this reporter first met MissTashiana in 2001, it was at a talent management company. Then, everyone called her a diva. But when The New Paper on Sunday met her again last week at a hawker stall, she looked very different. She was tidying up the food stall, pushing a cart, with curry stains on her white T-shirt. When asked how come she looked so different from her days of glamour, she replied: 'No lah, just helping my friend out at her stall for a few days. 'Still glam!' She laughed, pulling at her cream-coloured shorts. And she added: 'This is Prada, leh.'

So, was she once the queen of Orchard Towers? She explained: 'Orchard Towers is a beginning for many of us. Everyone has a beginning when they learn to be a woman. 'Some were teenage girls in secondary school having crushes on boys, learning how to wear heels and put on make-up, and slowly maturing to become a woman.

'We don't have that luxury of time. So we jumpstart our lives at Orchard Towers, dressing flamboyantly, wearing every accessory we can, eager to show breasts and other assets. But that is just the beginning. Nobody wants to be there their whole lives.' Where, then? With a man? 'After all the people I met in my life, I would find typical Singaporean men extremely boring,' she said. 'We would have nothing to talk about. I need someone bordering towards the extreme.'

There are those who find love. Said Madam Fiona, 55, (not her real name), a transsexual happily married to a Singaporean: 'The men have to be very strong to stand for his right to love whom he wants.' Some have gone overseas. In Europe, for instance, they find more acceptance in society.

Another transsexual, Madam Shanu Rekha, who is also in her 50s, is married to a European man 20 years younger. They live in Denmark with two adopted children. Miss Tashiana herself has been single since 2005, after two serious relationships of three years with a Singaporean and an English man. Around the time of her last breakup, she bought herself a three-room flat in Eunos. Owning her own place is a dream come true. It's a neat and cozy place, with dark wood furniture, where she lives with at least two well-fed cats. She has paid off her breast implants and sex-change operation. And now, she is gaining in years gracefully. Discos don't gel with her lifestyle any more. She said: 'I don't hit Zouk. I stay home and relax, go to photo exhibitions and art galleries. My health is the most important. I do intend to have a boyfriend but I am more fussy about letting a person into my life.' There is no such thing as 'auntiehood' according to MissTashiana.

'I live my life to the best of my ability. Depression can hit anyone, even married women. If you go along with it, you will age,' she said. She does not crave having her own family but thrives on the support of a tightly-knit group of middle-aged transsexual friends, much like how the characters from Sex And The City lean on each other and value their friendships as they near 50. 'And I am thankful I don't have to deal with things like pregnancy, menstrual cycles and menopause,' she said.

But like so many of the Bugis Street transsexuals who have gone overseas, she too is planning to venture abroad for love, perhaps when she hits 50. 'I just have to give myself a chic, short crop and I will look younger than most people my age in a European city. Singapore is too small,' she said.

'Look at the older Singaporean men looking for China women or going to Batam to look for mistresses. 'What about me? I can go to Europe, find someone younger than me by 20 years.' Referring to Mr Abdul's murder, she added: 'Don't isolate him in his situation. The chee ko pek (Hokkien for dirty old man) exists in everyone. Not just transvestites and transsexuals. 'People mix with those who are younger to make themselves feel younger. You want to buy a product that's better than yourself.'

The writer is a freelance correspondent.

Would you vote for someone wearing slippers?

Firstly, this is not a post about politics. Politics made me fall asleep. This is a post about humor in politics.

So would you vote for someone wearing a pair of slippers at the election?

In our local political area, there is this "politician" who wore slippers to the elections. The media dubbed him the "Slipper man" after he turned up on Nomination Day at the 1997 General Election wearing slippers. He lost in Kampong Glam. Four years later, he contested in Ayer Rajah and lost again.

Of all the new politicians contesting the elections, he was one of the more memorable ones. Why? Cos he wore slippers when he turned up on Nomination Day. I mean can you believe it, Slippers? Frankly, this guy is simply a joke then. Did he even realise how stupid he looked coming in on an important day wearing slippers? Was he like what, 13 years old? Was he even aware of the importance of that day itself?

He was not only an embarrassment to himself but also to his political party. I mean, how could the party field such a fella to contest the elections? Are they aware that he was going to wear slippers?

Apparently, when they issue the dress code, his political party forgot to inform him...NO slippers. I think I remembered reading that he said he wore slippers cos they were comfortable and also he thought the common people would identify with slippers.

How can people respect someone wearing slippers on Nomination day? By wearing improper footwear, he was not giving himself respect, he was also not giving respect to supporters and voters? How can some one vote for a politician wearing slippers? Sorry, I am NOT snobbish at all but I dun think someone wearing a pair of slippers can represent my constituent well at all. Nor could someone wearing singlets or bermudas or tanktop or shorts. Theses are NO NOs on Nomination day! Show us and your self a little respect, please!

Imagine if you are invited for an interview for an executive position? Would you wear a pair of slippers to the interview? Not unless you want to have potential employers snubbed you! Not unless you want career suicide! Not unless you are interviewing for a post in a fish market. Even in a fish market, they would require you to wear close end shoes!

Nomination day is not some fashion show day. One don't have to be togged out in the lastest fashion but slippers are really the extreme! Just wear some sports shoes. Even a pair of cheap fake leather shoes that costs $10 would not attract that much attention or negative publicity!

Where on earth did this totally clueless guy came from? How can a guy like this contest for political elections? How naive can he be? What a joke he was. What a joker he was.

There was no news of him after that. He was a joke only comes election times. And after that, he just disappeared from the spotlight.

Now there is news that his brother was murdered and his wife is a prime suspect. Neighbours have started to gossip that the family likes to quarrel and there was always screaming and shouting from their house. Even before the brothers were married till they were married.

Now that the Slipper man's dirty laundry has been aired in public, he can say bye bye to thoughts of any political career.

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The New Paper
30 June 2008

TRAGEDY AT SLIPPER MAN'S HOUSE

Brother killed
China wife arrested
Sis-in-law badly hurt

FIGHTS, SHOUTS OFTEN HEARD

Dad moved out of this house after sons married China women

By Crystal Chan

RESIDENTS living near opposition politician Tan Lead Shake - better known as the 'Slipper Man' for his trademark footwear during elections - were used to hearing loud quarrels from his house in Tai Keng Gardens, Paya Lebar.

But yesterday, the fights took a tragic turn when Mr Tan's younger brother, Lead Sane, 34, died from multiple stab wounds. Lead Shake's China-born wife Wu Yun Yun, 26, was arrested in Victoria Street at about 1pm, after a blood-stained knife was found in the family's two-storey house. She will be charged with murder tomorrow. If found guilty, she faces the death penalty.

Lead Sane's wife, who is also from China, is still in critical condition in Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) after suffering neck injuries, believed to be slash wounds. Family members had found the injured couple in a bedroom and called the police.

One of the Tans' neighbours, Mr Andre Frois, 23, a freelance writer, saw Lead Sane on a stretcher as he was taken to an ambulance around 6amyesterday. Mr Frois said: 'I woke up at 5.30am as I wasn't feeling well. Just as I was about to go back to sleep, I heard shouts from the Tans' house.

'I didn't think anything was amiss as the family sometimes argued. 'I then heard someone shouting 'leng jing, leng jing' (Mandarin for stay calm) and the children in the house were crying. ' After that, I saw the family members walking up and down to get cloth to stop the bleeding. There were blood stains on the porch.'

Lead Sane, who was found bare-bodied, was sent to TTSH but died at 7am. When reporters arrived at their house in Paya Lebar Crescent, several police cars had lined the road and the area outside the house was cordoned off. A white Mercedes car and a red Renault Kangoo van were parked out front. While more than 10 neighbours went over to gawk at the commotion, the Tans remained reticent.

When one of Mr Tan's brothers left the house with two young children in his arms, he warned reporters not to follow him. Before driving away in a black Toyota, he said: 'Don't follow me or I'll turn nasty.' At about 1.20pm, Lead Shake, a member of the National Solidarity Party, followed police officers out of the house to give his statement.

Wearing the same footwear that earned him his nickname, he remained tight-lipped and grim-faced as cameras clicked away. His mother emerged from the house at 1.40pm, carrying an infant in cloth diapers. Her voice breaking, she said in Hainanese: 'My son was a good man.' She declined to comment further and left under police escort.

The only family member who was missing was Mr Tan's father, Mr Tan Soo Phuan, 72, who did not contest the last elections in 2006. Father and son were election candidates in 1997 and 2001 but the senior Mr Tan, the former chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party, did not contest in 2006. Lead Shake, who was then a senior network administrator in a multi-national corporation, had told reporters then that his father was disillusioned with the way elections were run.

Lead Shake, who contested under the Singapore Democratic Alliance at Tampines GRC, lost in the polls. It seemed that the Tan family was not too popular around its neighbourhood. One 50-year-old neighbour, who asked to be known only as Madam Tan, said: 'The family wasn't close to neighbours. We would only nod when we saw them. Nobody would want to associate with quarrelsome people.'

Mr Frois and another resident, teacher Lin Yan Ping, who is in her 30s, said Mr Tan and his brothers often quarrelled with their parents. Ms Lin said: 'They have been living here for more than 20 years and even before they were married, the brothers had frequent shouting matches with their parents. '

A few years ago, their father moved out of the house after they married the mainland Chinese women. I heard from other residents that he didn't get along with his daughters-in-law.' The loud arguments continued anyway, even after the brothers had children, Ms Lin said. Lead Shake has a son, 5, and a daughter, 2.

Ms Lin added: 'It seemed that quarrelling was a way of life in the family. There were even times when they fought in the middle of the night and it was not uncommon for neighbours to find it hard to sleep. 'Last week, I saw the wife of one of the brothers taking the children for a walk and she seemed unhappy. 'The next thing we knew, a tragedy had happened.'

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