One young life lost each month last year to suicide:

New Paper
31 July 2009

One young life lost each month last year to suicide:

What could have pushed them over the edge?

By Liew Hanqing

TWELVE youngsters in the 10 to 19 age group took their lives last year.

That makes it one young life lost every month, according to statistics released by Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), a suicide prevention and support group.

Of course, it's just a small fraction of the pool of thousands in this age group here.

But even one life lost this way is one too many, prompting observers to once again try to make sense of something that is ultimately senseless.

The latest casualties: Two second-year students from a junior college in the west.

What could have triggered these events?

Study/exam pressure or a relationship issue? Was it over a struggle over identity and belonging?

The New Paper understands that the two students were classmates. The first death occurred on 3 Jul, and the second, on 20 Jul.

The principal of the junior college said: 'They were good students who did not have any problems with their studies.'

She added that the students' classmates are being counselled.

Over the last few years, other lives have been lost in the same way. Several were from junior colleges. (See report on facing page.)

To catch such problems early, schools have, over the years, introduced measures to reach out to students, including a tiered referral system to identify troubled students.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Education said teachers who notice anything amiss with a student can provide support by referring students to trained teacher-counsellors, part-time school counsellors or full-time school counsellors.

'The common issues that have been referred for counselling are relationship issues with family and peers, and motivation issues, for example, the lack or loss of interest in studies and goal-oriented direction,' the spokesman said.

One teacher, who spoke to The New Paper on condition of anonymity, makes his teenage students keep journals to get to know them better.

He works at a secondary school in the East and teaches mainly students in the Normal (Technical) Stream.

He said the journals provide an outlet for students who find it difficult to voice their personal problems.

He said: 'Through their journals, they are able to write reflections on the problems that they may face.

Trust needed

'But first, teachers must win their students' trust. Students must believe that their teachers will not show their journals to anybody.'

Tell-tale signs of depression, he said, may not be apparent even to those closest to them.

Through his student's journals, the teacher said he has managed to identify certain problems that needed urgent attention.

'I found out that one of them had actually attempted suicide when she was in primary school,' he said.

Unplanned pregnancies and troubled families are other situations he has also come across in reading students' journals.

'The problem is that teenagers are not willing to speak up about their problems, and sometimes we don't find out until it's too late,' he said.

Child psychiatrist Brian Yeo agreed, adding that suicides by teenagers often take their families by surprise.

He said: 'A lot of communication is done online - on MSN Messenger, through text messages, and Facebook.

'A teenager may look okay superficially, but there are issues which only close friends they communicate online with may be aware of.'

Red flags often surface in messages youths send to each other through these platforms, Dr Yeo said.

He cited relationship problems as a factor that often triggers suicide attempts by youths.

School-related stress is also common.

Dr Yeo added that he usually sees a spike in the number of patients who see him for school-related stress issues in the months leading up to major exams such as the A Levels.

He said: 'These days, I have started seeing the numbers spike even earlier, because the stress begins even before the preliminary examinations.'

Ms Christine Wong, executive director of SOS, said most teenage boys who called the SOS hotline spoke about issues relating to identity.

'Many shared their difficulties coping with stresses and the challenges of everyday life, and some experienced symptoms such as feeling down, anxious or lethargic.

'Female teenagers expressed concerns relating to studies, exams or needing someone to talk to.'

What's more, parents whose children are in junior colleges and polytechnics often find it difficult to communicate with their children, much less keep track of what their children are going through.

Said Dr Yeo: 'At this age, teenagers are often closer to their peers than to their parents.

'Parents may be less involved in their childrens' lives during these years, and may find it difficult to pick up the warning signs.'

He stressed the importance of properly debriefing those who have lost friends to suicide, especially if there is more than one case from a single group.

Said Dr Yeo: 'There could be problems endemic to a particular class or cohort. It is important for these problems to be identified, and for affected students to be informed about where they can go to for help.'

Looking at the big picture in Singapore, the total number of suicides (all age groups) last year fell to 364, a five-year low.

But that's still about one suicide a day.

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SUICIDE WARNING SIGN

Signs of depression


1 Signs of depression or feelings of hopelessness

2 Restlessness, lack of interest or energy

3 Changes in eating habits, sleep patterns, or personal appearance

4 Any dramatic changes in behaviour, actions, or attitude

5 Preoccupation with death or dying

6 Bad grades, failing exams, dropping out of hobbies, sports, school or job

# Youths should call the SOS hotline at 1800-221-4444 or e-mail pat@samaritans.org.sg if they are in crisis or feeling suicidal.

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THEY FELL TO THEIR DEATHS

31 July 2009

Sec 3 student falls to death from a block of flats in Sengkang. Student was healthy and had no known relationship problems.

13 Sep 2006

First-year junior college student from China falls to death from a block of flats in Woodlands.

28 Aug 2006

Second-year junior college student, a recipient of the prestigious Asean scholarship, falls to death from a block of flats in Balestier.

7 Mar 2006

First-year junior college student fell to death from a HDB block at Sims Avenue.

3 Mar 2006

Second-year student from a top junior college fell to death from a HDB block in Bedok.

Putting spotlight on suicide

AS PART of the SOS Suicide Awareness Week from 7 to 13 Sep, SOS is organising a photography contest and exhibition for the public.

The contest, based on the theme 'Life's Caring Moments', aims to increase community awareness on suicide-related issues.

You can take part in the contest by sending in photographs that reflect empathy, understanding and care.

The top three entries stand to win $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 respectively in cash prizes.

The closing date for submission of photographs is 14 Aug. The contest form can be downloaded from http://samaritansofsingapore. blogspot.com.

Sudden shock, so they can't accept truth

New Paper
31 July 2009

NTU Student's Death

Sudden shock, so they can't accept truth

WHY is it so hard for David Hartanto Widjaja's family to accept the truth about his death?

Psychiatrists contacted by The New Paper said their emotions are typical of a grieving family.

Dr Danny Ng, a clinical psychologist with Raffles Hospital, said a family would find it easier to accept the truth if the person had died from a prolonged illness or old age rather than from sudden tragic circumstances.

In cases of death from sickness and old age, family members have time to prepare themselves emotionally and to rationalise the death, Dr Ng added.

Natural

But David's death was a sudden shock to his family, he said.

'The fact that David's family is finding it hard to accept the ruling that he is responsible for his own death is highly natural,' he said.

'Whether or not it be the case, it is normal and human tendency that the family will choose to believe that their flesh and blood was a victim rather than the one responsible for his own death.'

Dr Tan Chue Tin, a consultant psychiatrist with Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, agreed.

'It's one thing to say that he died but another to say that he committed suicide. There's a negative connotation when we mention the latter,' he said.

The family is still in denial, Dr Tan noted.

'From a psychological standpoint, I understand why the family reacted this way. But I guess it's a question of preserving good memories of the deceased,' he said.

He added that it normally takes at least six months for a grieving family in denial to finally accept the truth. It has been 51/2months since David died.

Psychologist Daniel Koh said the time a family takes to heal depends on how close they are to the deceased and how much the deceased means to them.

Support is also important, he added.

Ervina Mohd Jamil, newsroom intern

ASHES ARE FOREVER

New Paper
10 July 2009

Want to remember your loved ones in death? Turn their remains into a diamond

By Ng Tze Yong


WHEN funeral director Victor Hoo shows you the diamonds, they are sparkling 1-carat babies, but you'll likely not want to touch them, thank you very much.

Instead, you'll probably admire them from afar with a morbid curiosity.

'Erm... so who's this guy?' you'll try asking.

In a Singapore that is growing in affluence - and ageing rapidly - a local funeral home, Singapore Funeral Services (SFS), is offering these perfect fusion of death and beauty, convinced they will catch on.

Cremate your loved ones - and instead of leaving the ashes in a hard-to-find niche in the temple - send it to a lab in Switzerland.

A few months later, welcome Grandpa home as a precious stone - complete with a certificate from the Gemological Institute of America listing his cut, carat, clarity and colour.

The service is provided by a Swiss-based company Algordanza, which was founded in 2003 and now operates in 20 countries.

A Chicago-based company, LifeGem, has been offering a similar service.

For what is believed to be the first time in Singapore, SFS is offering this service in partnership with Algordanza.

Cost will range between $6,999 for a 0.25-carat diamond and $33,999 for a 1-carat diamond.

The waiting period will range from three months to a year.

'Our society is now at a stage where we want the finer things in life - even until the last step,' said Mr Hoo.

But it's not about being extravagant, he explained. It's about moving with the times.

'Many people feel guilty when they have a tablet or an urn for their parents, because they're not sure the future generations will continue to visit it,' said Mr Hoo.

'If you have a ring, you can pass it down from generation to generation. Your loved one will be with you every minute, every second.'

Preserve memories

Many families these days also have members living in different countries, he pointed out. 'They may not be able to come back every year to pay their respects. Making a diamond helps them preserve the memories,' said Mr Hoo.

In a land-scarce Singapore, it also encourages cremation, 'in line with government policy'.

'People already associate diamonds with love and eternity. For a widow, for example, it can provide a lot of comfort,' said Mr Hoo.

Singaporeans, however, may need a bit more convincing.

'We should just let the dead rest in peace,' said 37-year-old manager Yvonne Wong.

Miss Pearl Chia, a 46-year-old manager, wonders what will happen if future generations run into financial difficulties.

'What if they pawn off Grandpa?' she asked.

But diamonds, however they come, retain their allure for some.

'I don't mind a diamond, real or otherwise,' gushed Stacey Kelly, a 20-year-old student. 'It will give family heirlom a new meaning.'

Mr Raymond Xiao, a 69-year-old retiree, doesn't mind being turned into a diamond.

'It is a good idea to recycle, so to speak,' he said.

'People will get used to the idea. Look at Bishan. It used to be a cemetery. Now, it's a HDB estate.'

Leaders from Singapore's two main religions were not keen on the idea.

Mr Lee Bock Guan, president of the Singapore Buddhist Lodge, said that 'there is nothing in Buddhism that forbids this'.

'But if you have the ring, people may not want to shake your hand. It may not be nice to wear it to someone's wedding,' he said. 'Worse still, what if you lose it?'

Rev Dr Daniel Koh, an ordained minister of the Methodist Church of Singapore, said in his personal capacity: 'It does not seem to gel with the Christian faith at all.

'It may be better to remember a loved one through the lessons they taught us. It is things like these, not diamonds, which last forever.'

Fellow undertakers also have their doubts.

'Singaporeans may feel uneasy about passing on the remains of their loves ones to strangers halfway across the world,' said Mr Roland Tay, 62, the director of Direct Singapore Funeral Services.

Mr Darren Tan, 31, the operations manager of a memorial services firm, worries that the diamonds may have a reverse effect, making it hard for mourners to find closure, especially in cases where the death occurred unexpectedly.

'I don't think it will be popular in an Asian society,' he said.

1. An average person leaves behind 2kg in ash after cremation. 500g of this is sent by air to the Swiss Alps, where the headquarters of Algordanza is located.

2. Upon arrival, the ash is marked with a serial number to prevent any mix-up.

3. The ash undergoes an analysis in the lab to determine its chemical composition.

4. Potassium and calcium, which make up 85 per cent of the ash, are extracted from the carbon using strong acids.

5. The remaining carbon is compressed into graphite under high pressure and temperature. Waste gases are generated and removed immediately.

6. A tiny diamond is added into the graphite. Crystalisation takes place around it and the diamond grows in size. The duration of the crystalisation depends on the size of the diamond desired. It can last anything from three months to a year. When the desired size is reached, the diamond introduced at the start of the process is cut off.

7. The remaining chunk of diamond is cut and polished. Engraving can be done upon request.

8. Your loved one comes home as a precious stone - accompanied by a certificate from the Gemological Institute of America listing his cut, carat, clarity and colour.

Becoming a recluse

I had just read a blog in which the author mentioned a friend's facebook status.

The thing that struck me was this...that he was
tired of people in general... that he's just feeling more and more reclusive, and that the less he go out and interact with people, the more relax and peaceful he'll feel...

Gosh, I felt the same way too.

I am just so tired of people. All sorts of people. Strangers and even people I know.

And I cannot help it!

I am some sort of a recluse. It has been ages since I have met up with some one I know, besides SO.

But recently, I am plagued with anxiety when I have to interact with anyone else. Like the supermarket cashier or those hawkers that sells rice or noodles.

Frankly, I preferred to hole up at home with my TV, my mobile phone and my laptop.

Everything else is simply redundant to me.

If SO were to die before me, I think I would probably end up like those elderly who lived alone and died alone, unknown.

That is my plight, my status.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and Mood Swings

I am so tired these days. So weary and worn out. Not from work or housework or anything like that.

Besides that my shoulders are aching and I have mild chest pains.

I just felt so and I simply cannot help it. I think I am suffering from Chronic fatigue syndrome.

CFS as defined by Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Symptoms of CFS include widespread muscle and joint pain, cognitive difficulties, chronic, often severe mental and physical exhaustion and other characteristic symptoms in a previously healthy and active person.

I am also feeling a bit depressed. Sometimes, I even find myself on the verge of tears for no reasons at all.

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For those of you who dun have such issues, it is easy to say, "Snap out of it!".

Oh please, you just DUN understand! Talk is CHEAP. Dirt Cheap! It is so easy to just mouth off! It is so simple to say Snap out of it when it does not happen to you. It is not as easy as that!

Walk a mile in my shoes and maybe you will understand. If you have some sort of compassion.

Mostly I dun like to voice out aloud all these personal "issues" cos when it is verbally expressed or expressed in whatever manner, it just seems so foolish and petty.

This is not just being in the right state of mind as I had read in some blog. This has something to do with the chemical imbalance in the brain. It has not been scientifully proven what sort of chemical imbalances that causes emotion distress or anxiety, but it is definitely NOT just trying to get attention from people.

And it is not some imaginary thing as some people thought.

Imagine Allan Ooi telling his friends or family in confidence, " I am depressed over my present job and I see no future at all. Just feel like ending it all."

Half of the people who heard this would probably think he was just stressed and joking. Most of the rest would just think it is a silly, ridiculous and stupid idea, bore out of boredom and frustrations. How many can actually empathise with what he was going through at that point in time.

Yeah, when such "suicidal concepts" are expressed out, they just sounded so .... minor and petty. Nothing to die for.

Until it is too late and the person attempted suicide or end up dead.

I had an experience some time back. I was seeing this counsellor cos I was depressed. I was foolish to think that the counsellor would help me in some way so I did voiced out all my "concerns". Naively and innocently. I was young then. And stupid to think people would understand.

After the so called "confessions", she told me I was just seeking attention and a perfectionist. She said I was not happy cos things did not go my way.

In other words, I dun think she believed me at all. Why? Cos I had no previous attempts at suicide.

Maybe to her, my life and death issues were just too minor, too petty, too stupid. This is what she made me felt after my "confessions". And I regretted telling her.

My depression worsened and within the next few weeks, I attempted suicide.

Luckily or unluckily, I survived.

I was "forced" back to the counselling center a few weeks after that. This time under another new counsellor.

However, I had lost faith in counselling by then. And the first and last words I said to the new counsellor was, Save it. You wun believe me. You dun believe it. What's the point then?

And I kept my big fat mouth shut after that.

I attended a few sessions after that and I was not very open to counselling any more. I was just sitting there, wasting my time.

The new counsellor said he was sorry with what happened to me and the prior counsellor. And that he would try to win my trust back.

But it was too late. I had lost my faith, respect and trust in all these counselling help agencies.

At around the same time, I was also seeing this psychiatrist.

I dun think he believed in me either. Maybe it was just me. I wasn't very believable?

In fact, he told me in one of the session to just go and jump or do whatever to die and he would not give a damn. Why? Cos he simply dun care.

And he was NOT a newbie. He was this old man in his 40s or 50s.And a senior psychiatrist.

Well, I dun know if it was reverse psychology or whatever. But I did thought of dying that week then. And taking him along for the ride.

I stopped seeling him soon after that and a few months later, another attempt.

Anyway, this post is NOT to lament about how suicidal I am now. I am NOT suicidal NOW.

Actually this post is suppose to be under another topic, but somehow, the feel and words just flowed. So yeah, it is a bit off topic here.

----------------------------

Anyway, I was feeling so exhausted these few days and slept for an average of 14-16 hours a day. But even after all these hours of sleep, I still felt so worn out and tired.

And I really dun have the energy or strength to deal with any form of stress and drama.

I have this blood test on friday and a medical appointment on saturday.

But I just dun have that energy to discuss with the doctor any of my medical condition. This blood test and medical consultation are part of my quarterly every 4 months regular routine going on for years to monitor my uric acid level as well as my liver, kidney etc.

So I told SO that I wanted to change the appointment to another date. Preferably a day next month.

SO was just adamant that I go this week. He even threatened to die. That bitch! He thought I was just going though some bitchy tantrums.

I was really really worn out. I just told him NO. I told him not to force me or I would take drastic actions. What I was thinking was that if he simply refuse, I would just book myself into some hotel alone and disappear for a few days.

I just need that calm and peace. I could not deal with anyone at this point of time. I am NOT ready.To see a doctor or anything like that!

Well, he finally relented. And helped to change the appointment to middle of May.

I am still tired but also relieved. I dun know why I felt so. It is as if a huge load had been lifted off my back and chest.

Frankly, now I am still very tired but also just a tiny teeny bit happier.

Goodbye Rich

I dun know Richard Stanley, the late CEO of DBS.

I had read of his rare cancer which was diagnosed in late January. I was a bit shocked cos he was still quite young and it was a bit too suddenly.

I know people get cancer and all sorts of diseases all the time. But I am still shocked whenever that happen.

And then 2 and a half months later, Richard died. It was much too sudden.

Yeah, healthy young people died all the time but I was still shocked by this facts of life. It was just 2 months plus. So soon? Too soon?

As someone who was quite financially well off, he can afford to have the best treatments and doctors available. And yet, he ended up dead.

Life is so unpredictable.

I dun think Richard or his family would ever think he would die so young and so early in life.

One day, Richard was suffering from flu symptoms and the next few days, he was diagnosed with leukemia. And less than 3 months later, he was dead.

Life is a joke. A cruel bitter joke sometimes. One moment he was at the top of the world and the next, he was just ashes.

That's what life is all about. All fragility. Easy huffed out in just moments! Here one moment and gone the next.

Frankly, if something similar were to happen to SO, I dun think I can handle it.

I dun know how I would react or handle the situation. I would probably collapse and crack. Into many pieces. Or I would probably become stark raving mad.

But then if I would be the one to get a terminal disease, I would not be surprised at all.

My health has not always in the best state.

I have gotten gout and cataracts some years back. Doctors have told me it was quite rare for some one my age but not that impossible. They have seen young patients with similar conditions. But in small numbers.

Anyway, when someone died in their prime, it is very diificult for the family get over, cos it happen so unexpectedly. So suddenly.

It was too unexpected and sudden, even for me. A total stranger.

So, Rest in peace, Rich and goodbye. You have lived a good life.

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Straits Times
12 April 2009

DBS CEO dies of cancer

By Gabriel Chen

FRIENDS and family on Saturday night flocked to the wake of DBS Group Holdings chief executive Richard Stanley, who died on Saturday morning after a short battle with leukaemia.


In his nine-month stint as CEO, Mr Richard Stanley not only made his mark professionally by seeing DBS through one of its most trying times, but he will also be fondly remembered for his warm, personable leadership style. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

His body is resting at the Singapore Casket and his funeral will be held tomorrow at the Church of St Teresa in Kampong Bahru Road.

In a statement, the bank said Mr Stanley, 48, died at 8.36am.

His family 'kept vigil all night long and were by his side as he slipped away peacefully', added the statement. He is survived by his wife, Ms Koh Li Peng, and three children.

Mr Stanley was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukaemia in late January and had been responding well to treatment.

After two rounds of chemotherapy, his doctors believed that his cancer was in remission. But his weakened immune system made him susceptible to infection, said the bank. His condition rapidly deteriorated over the last 48 hours and he succumbed to the infection.

DBS chairman Koh Boon Hwee said that DBS staff are deeply saddened by the loss.

'We will miss Rich and our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this time of bereavement,' he said.

DBS also said that Mr Koh will continue to oversee management, a role he took on after Mr Stanley's diagnosis. 'There will be no change in the bank's strategic direction,' it said. 'It will announce succession plans in due course.

Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who spoke to reporters at a constituency event in Marine Parade, said he was very saddened by the death of Mr Stanley, and extended his condolences to his wife and family.

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Infection after chemotherapy led to death

HOW do you deal with a cancer that attacks blood?

Early diagnosis and treatment improve the odds of beating this fast-spreading blood cancer, or acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML).

But it was an infection, soon after his latest round of chemotherapy, that led to the sudden death of DBS chief Richard Stanley yesterday.

In fact, doctors had felt that Mr Stanley's AML was treatable when it was diagnosed in late January. Mr Stanley, 48, went to see a doctor when he had flu-like symptoms, including fever and a cough, over the Chinese New Year holidays.

Tests over the next three days confirmed he had AML.

The bad news came just nine months after he became chief executive of Singapore's biggest bank. He took leave, for up to six months, and began chemotherapy treatment at once.

In a staff memo then, DBS chairman Koh Boon Hwee said doctors felt Mr Stanley's condition was treatable and full remission was possible.

Haematologists who spoke to The Sunday Times yesterday explained that AML is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes abnormal white blood cells. These leukaemia cells build up in the bone marrow and blood, so there is less room for healthy cells. The causes of AML are mostly unknown.

It is a very serious illness and the cancer can worsen very quickly if not treated. Dr Benjamin Mow, consultant haematologist at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, said: 'If it is not treated, the person can die within three months.'

Patients have even died within two to three weeks of diagnosis due to complications from the disease or during treatment, said Dr Koh Liang Piu, senior consultant at the National University Cancer Institute.

Even with treatment, chances of recovering fully come with caveats. A normal, healthy person might have a 40 per cent to 50 per cent chance of recovery. But the elderly or sickly will have less than a 10 per cent chance, said DrKoh.

A relapse is common, occurring in three or four out of every 10 'cured' AML patients, he said.

In the less serious cases, the patient will have to go through four cycles of chemotherapy as treatment. The more serious and risky cases will need both chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, said doctors.

Because AML patients lack white blood cells needed to fight infection and disease, they have to be isolated during treatment to minimise the risk of infection.

Their single-bed isolation wards are specially cleaned. The few visitors who see them have to wash their hands and wear a face mask before entering the room. Such care is needed because, often, it is infections which lead to death among AML patients - especially after chemotherapy treatment.

Said Dr Koh: 'After chemotherapy, the patient's immunity is very low for the next two to three weeks. This is when the risk of infection is very high. Usually, death happens during this period.'

In a statement yesterday, DBS said Mr Stanley contracted an infection after chemotherapy, after which his condition 'deteriorated rapidly' in the last 48 hours.

Mr Stanley was treated at Mount Elizabeth Hospital. His doctor, consultant haematologist Dr Freddy Teo Cheng Peng, could not be contacted yesterday.

Infections can come from anywhere - from airborne bacteria to the pre-existing bacteria carried by the patients themselves. In very serious infections, such as blood or lung infection, the patient can die within hours, said Dr Koh.

Internal bleeding is also a common cause of death among AML patients, the worst being bleeding in the brain. This can happen suddenly and results from a lack of healthy platelets which help to form blood clots.

Said Dr Mow: 'Usually when the patient no longer responds to chemotherapy or becomes very sick, it might be too late to do anything else.'

End of the World in 2012!!

oohm...end of the world.

Did not think it would happen in my generation or even the next generation.

And if this doomsday solar storm really is to come in 2o12, I hope to be among the first to die.

After all with no electricity, no power, no water and then hunger, thirst and diseases.

Life would just be suffering as mankind adjust to primitive life without modern electricity.

Will modern technology help evade this event?

Well, only time will tell.

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New Paper
9 April 2009

A solar storm coming?

Space scientists warn of possible disaster in three years' time

By Ng Tze Yong

A GRIM prediction of a world teetering on the edge of apocalypse has come, not from the lips of soothsayers or lunatics, but from space scientists.

In a report funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) and issued by the US National Academy of Sciences earlier this year, space scientists warned of a massive solar storm wreaking havoc on Earth in 2012.

A solar storm - essentially plasma balls spewing from the surface of the sun - can distort the Earth's magnetic field.

A particularly big one can destroy the tens of thousands of expensive and hard-to-build transformers in power grids worldwide.

This will plunge major cities like Singapore into blackouts, which are expected to last months, or even years, as new transformers are painstakingly manufactured.

Standstill

Meanwhile, with no power, modern life grinds to a standstill.

In the first moments of this catastrophe, trains will collide and planes will crash, as their communications systems fail.

Satellites will crash back to Earth like meteors.

Hospitals, with their life-sustaining support systems, will see some of the most urgent needs at first.

But eventually, millions may die from hunger and thirst.

With no power, food cannot be processed or delivered. Water cannot be pumped from reservoirs into homes.

Back-up generators will help, but only for a few days before their fuel runs out.

As sewage systems fail, diseases will break out.

Horses will replace cars, the financial system will collapse and, in a silver lining of sorts, there will certainly be no more e-mails for you to clear.

Unsurprisingly, the report has generated much buzz.

Some accuse Nasa of scare-mongering in a bid to draw more funding.

But some independent experts have also praised the report as 'fair', 'balanced' and 'thoughtful'.

In an e-mail interview with The New Paper, Dr Mike Hapgood, who chairs the European Space Agency's space weather team, wrote: 'The report brought in expertise from a diverse range of organisations in academia, government and industry...and the ideas were tested by debate in the best traditions of the science and technology community.'

The report is not controversial for its subject, but for its conclusions.

Solar storms are, after all, nothing new. Several hit the Earth every year but most are harmless, resulting only in auroras, the spectacular light shows usually seen in the night sky over the polar regions.

But mankind's increasing reliance on technology has made us vulnerable in unprecedented ways.

Just how exactly does a storm 150 million kilometres away make your bedside lamp go kaput?

A solar storm comes in three parts (see graphics right), harmful in various ways.

It is the third and main force, a sledgehammer of an electrified gas cloud called the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), that delivers the killer punch.

By upsetting the Earth's magnetic field, the CME induces currents in the long wires of power grids.

The grids were not built to handle this kind of destructive overload.

So disaster will strike at transformers in power grids worldwide - where voltage is converted up or down for the transport and consumer use of electricity respectively.

The increased currents create strong magnetic fields that saturate the transformers' magnetic cores.

This gives rise to runaway current in the transformers' copper wiring, which rapidly heats up and melts.

Replacing a fried transformer is not like replacing a spark plug on a car engine. They are expensive machines, and no one keeps a spare transformer around the house in case a solar storm hits.

It will take years before the transformers are painstakingly rebuilt, and the world fully recovers.

Hope may lie in an ageing satellite named Ace.

Short for Advanced Composition Explorer, Ace is a space probe positioned directly between the sun and the Earth, built precisely to study solar storms.

Ace plays a crucial role because no matter how large the solar storm approaching Earth is, we can only predict the potential damage it causes once we know its polarity.

Just like a magnet, a solar storm has either a north or south polarity. If it's north, the storm may bounce off the Earth's magnetic field harmlessly.

But if it's south, we'll have to brace for fried transformers.

There is one way to save these transformers - shut them down before the storm arrives. But that will be a big gamble.

Ace is able to provide between 15 and 45 minutes of warning. But a power station needs about an hour to shut down.

This means the decision to shut down a power station must be taken before the destructive nature of the storm is known.

At stake are billions of dollars in lost business and millions of saved lives.

The sun goes through a 22-year cycle of fluctuating solar activity. The next peak is expected in 2012.

What if the perfect storm arrives then?

The report does not offer solutions. It is intended to spark a discussion but even that is an uphill task.

'It is hard for people to worry about solar storms when there are empty stomachs to feed,' said Mr Ang Poon Seng, vice-president of The Astronomical Society of Singapore (Tasos).

Mr Hapgood agrees that it is hard to prepare for Low Frequency High Impact Events (lingo for catastrophic but rare events like solar storms), but it would be foolish not to.

Apocalypse may be near. But it is perhaps also necessary to maintain some perspective in matters of such colossal nature.

Said Mr Albert Lim, president of Tasos, half in jest: 'You have a higher chance of getting knocked down crossing the road than getting fried in a solar storm.'

Suicidal blogs may not mean suicidal kids

The Sunday Times
5 April 2009

Suicidal blogs may not mean suicidal kids

Parents urged to look for tell-tale symptoms before seeking help
By Nur Dianah Suhaimi

Children and teens blog about just anything, even suicidal thoughts, but this does not necessarily mean they want to kill themselves, say psychiatrists.

Really suicidal children would be withdrawn and display symptoms such as not eating or sleeping well, and refusing to go to school, they say. Thus, they urge parents to look out for the tell-tale signs before calling up for an appointment.

The Institute of Mental Health sees about 2,000 to 3,000 young patients each year. But in each of the past two years, it has been seeing more than 3,000 children and teens, said Dr Daniel Fung, chief of the hospital's department of child and adolescent psychiatry.

Those in private practice are also seeing a spike in child and teenage patients. These numbers do not necessarily mean there has been a spike in mental illnesses among the young, the psychiatrists emphasise.

While greater public awareness and better outreach play a role, other factors include children of busy parents becoming lonelier.

Last week, consultant psychiatrist Brian Yeo wrote in The Straits Times' health supplement, Mind Your Body, that more parents are taking their children to his clinic after reading their troubled blog postings.

'These children mainly write about suicide and, sometimes, even homicide. Their postings can be so scary that their friends will alert their teachers,' he told The Sunday Times.

Psychiatrists explain that it is quite common for children to harbour suicidal thoughts. Dr Fung cited a recent survey on suicidal thinking showing that 30 to 40 per cent of children have had suicidal thoughts at one point or other.

But most of the time, they are not serious about taking their own lives. They are just seeking attention, he said. 'Parents are very busy with work and don't have time to talk to their children. The convenient way out is to send them to a psychiatrist.'

Psychiatrist Ang Yong Guan, who has his own practice, used to see a new child or teen about once a month. Now, he sees a new one every week. He said: 'Most of them have some form of anxiety problem. But many of these cases do not even need psychiatric help. They need their parents' attention.'

The Tinkle Friend children's counselling helpline has also seen a sharp increase in the number of calls it received. Last year, it received over 4,000 calls from children, a four-year high. Said Ms Yap Lee Lan, the helpline's coordinator: 'The majority are lonely... They just want someone to chat with.'

Psychiatrists say that if a child is not really withdrawn or showing tell-tale symptoms, dragging him off to a psychiatrist might further jeopardise parent-child relations.

Said Dr Fung: 'Seeing a psychiatrist should be the last resort. It's better for the parents to talk to their children and find out what the problem is.'

ndianah@sph.com.sg


WHEN TO START WORRYING
Don't panic if your child's blog contains morbid thoughts, say psychiatrists. It could just be that he is trying to get some attention from friends. These are the signs that show a child is really suicidal:

# Not eating and sleeping well

# Refuses to go to school for no reason

# Socially withdrawn and keeps to his room

# Frequently crouches in a foetal position

# Has a habit of punching his fist or banging his head against the wall

# Talks negatively - like saying that life has no meaning - not just in blog postings but in daily conversations with others as well


HELPLINES

# Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444

# Family Service Centre: 1800-838-0100

# Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

# Care Corner Mandarin Counselling Centre: 1800-353-5800

# Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788

# Touchline (Touch Youth Service): 1800-377-2252

More about David Hartanto Widjaja

New Paper
8 April 2009

Dad of Indonesian student who fell to death after allegedly stabbing NTU prof says...

When he said he lost his scholarship, I said: No problem

By Crystal Chan

THE family of Indonesian student David Hartanto Widjaja has finally spoken out to clarify that they knew about his school problems.

Speaking to The New Paper yesterday, Mr Hartono Widjaja, 56, dismissed earlier reports that his son had kept his family in the dark about the termination of his Asean scholarship.

David Widjaja, 21, fell to his death after allegedly stabbing his professor in Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on 2Mar.

'Last year, NTU began sending us letters, warning us that David's grades had slipped. He was scoring mostly Cs and Ds,' Mr Widjaja said in Mandarin over the phone from Jakarta.

'Of course, as parents, we scolded him for playing too much computer games, and we tried telling him to pay more attention to his studies.'

Just two weeks before the tragedy, he phoned his parents with the news that his scholarship had been revoked.

Mr Widjaja said: 'My son sounded normal when he told us. He knew it was coming as he had been playful and had neglected his studies.

'When David signed the agreement for the scholarship, he knew he was required to maintain good grades but I guess he was addicted to computer games.

'My wife and I told him: 'No problem. It's only one semester before you graduate and we can afford the fees'.'

The outstanding fees came to only a few thousand dollars, said Mr Widjaja.

Though the scholarship was terminated, his son still had to work in Singapore for three years, as the Singapore Government had already paid his school fees for the last three years.

His son had hoped to work in the electronics sector here, said Mr Widjaja.

Autopsy report

He said the family received the autopsy report on Sunday and asked an Indonesian doctor to explain it to them as it was written in English.

'We're not fluent in English and we needed someone to help explain the many medical terms. 'When asked about the contents of the autopsy report, Mr Widjaja said: 'It said my son had many injuries that were caused by stabbing and slashing. It does not say whether my son had committed suicide or not.'

Mr Widjaja and his wife, Madam Huang Lixian, 49, claimed they did not see any injuries on their son's wrists when they collected his body on 3 Mar.

'His wrists were bandaged so we didn't see the supposed wounds,' he said.

'But we asked the investigating officer and he said there were no injuries on David's wrists.'

However, The New Paper understands that the report did mention incisive wounds on David Widjaja's arms, including those on his wrists. It is understood that the cut on one wrist was deeper than the other.

The student had gone to see Associate Professor Chan Kap Luk, 45, in his office, and later allegedly pulled out a knife and attacked him.

After the injured Prof Chan fled, the student was seen by students climbing over a ledge along a common corridor one floor below Prof Chan's office. Minutes later, he fell to his death.

Said Mr Widjaja: 'It's very difficult for us to accept that our child could have behaved like a thug, taking a knife with him to attack his professor.'

The family also refuse to accept that he could have committed suicide.

Describing his son as an obedient boy, Mr Widjaja felt it was out of his character to attack anyone.

He said: 'He never gave us problems. He was a very polite and helpful boy. If his classmates had problems in their schoolwork, he would help them.'

Mr Widjaja also dismissed talk that his son was struggling with his final-year project, which Prof Chan was supervising.

He said: 'Every time we asked about his studies, he would say he was coping fine. He never mentioned problems.'

Mr Widjaja, who works in the electronics line, said his younger son was bright but addicted to computer games.

He and his homemaker wife had pinned their hopes on him, hoping he would graduate and get a good job.

They have another son, William, 24, a technician.

Mr Widjaja said: 'David did exceptionally well in maths but he also loved playing computer games since his Secondary 2 days.

'He wanted to study in NTU as he heard it was a world-class university in engineering.'

No meeting with prof

The parents had wanted to see Prof Chan to find out what happened, but said that NTU rejected their request.

An NTU spokesman said the Widjajas wanted to see Prof Chan on the day of the incident, but it was not possible as he had just undergone surgery.

The university said it tried to arrange a meeting the next day, but it fell through as the Widjajas were busy collecting their son's ashes and had to fly back to Jakarta.

But Mr Widjaja denies this.

He said: 'NTU certainly did not promise to arrange a meeting with Prof Chan.'

The family intends to return to Singapore for the coroner's inquiry.

'We have to know the truth. My wife still cries when she thinks about David. It's very hard for parents to bury their child,' said Mr Widjaja.

'Prof Chan is recovering but our son will never come back.'

-------------------------

Indonesian police won't investigate death as it took place in S'pore

INDONESIAN police have rejected a request by David Hartanto Widjaja's parents to look into his death.

The Jakarta Post quoted national police spokesman Abu Bakar Nataprawira as saying they were not able to investigate, as the death occurred in Singapore.

He added that the request should be addressed to the Singapore police.

The Jakarta Globe reported last Wednesday that Widjaja's family did not believe the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) student took his own life.

They held a press conference on 1 Apr in Jakarta where they also claimed that they were informed by a Singaporean police officer that 'there were no cuts on his wrists', the newspaper reported.

The Singapore police have denied this.

'Our officer, Soh Chee Eng, did not make any comments on the deceased's injuries to his next-of-kin, as erroneously reported by the Jakarta Globe,' said police spokesman Liu Xiangling.

The newspaper also reported that according to NTU, an Iranian student had seen Widjaja cut his wrists but requests to meet the witness were denied.

It said that according to NTU, David had stabbed the professor while the latter was sitting in his chair in his office.

An NTU spokesman has denied the reports.

He said: 'In the media statements issued by NTU with regard to the 2 Mar incident involving David Hartanto Widjaja, the university did not make any reference to whether there had been cuts on David's wrists or that David stabbed Professor Chan Kap Luk while the professor was sitting in his chair in his office.'

The New Paper understands that Widjaja's autopsy report mentioned incisive wounds to his arms, including the wrists.

His older brother, William Widjaja, confirmed that the family has received a certified copy of the autopsy report from NTU via courier.

The NTU spokesman said that it had been authorised by the parents to collect the autopsy report on 2 Apr afternoon. It was sent to the family the next day.

Ms Liu said the autopsy was conducted by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on 3 Mar as required by Singapore law.

'The HSA is responsible for all forensic post-mortem examinations in Singapore and it is an independent authority from the Singapore Police Force,' she said.

Another Indonesian newspaper, Kompas, reported on its website that it was announced at the press conference that a verification team would leave for Singapore this week.

The team, led by Mr Iwan Piliang, a citizen journalist, comprises bloggers and citizen reporters.

'There will be 12 bloggers from Indonesia and the Indonesian citizen journalist association,' Mr Piliang said.

The team plans to meet key witnesses, including Widjaja's friends and those they believe have information about his death.

Mr Piliang added: 'We are only a verification team, instead of an investigation team. We are trying to verify what was really going on.'

Kompas also reported that a female cleaner in NTU had told Widjaja's father, Mr Hartono Widjaja, that she had heard screams of 'They want to kill me, they want to kill me...'

Mr Widjaja claimed to have spoken to her when he visited NTU on 2 Mar, the day his son died.

Under Singapore law, the State Coroner has the power to hold an inquiry into all unnatural deaths unless it is later found to be due to natural causes.

The Coroner's Inquiry is held in open court and looks into the full circumstances of the death, including whether any person is criminally involved in the cause of the death.

Police investigations are presented fully to the Coroner for this purpose.

Ms Liu said: 'While the date of the Coroner's Inquiry has not been fixed, the case has been fixed for further court mention on 17 Apr.

'The mention will be via video-link between the State Coroner and police investigators and no other witnesses or persons will be present.'

This is to ascertain the progress of investigations as of the date of the mention.

Ms Liu added: 'Police investigations are continuing and the police will be thorough in their investigations to establish what actually happened.

'The family of David Widjaja will be kept informed of further developments on the case.'

Pearly Tan, newsroom intern

Moral vs Legal Obligations - Allan Ooi

Mindef has responded to the letter that family of Allan Ooi wrote in to the forum.

And in it, they talked about moral vs legal obligation. In other words. they are using the guilt card. And why? Cos the government spend "substantial funds and time". And that money spent on training them came from tax payers money.

How much "funds"? From what I heard, its about 1-2 million per medical student.

That's why they expect medical graduates to have this "moral obligation" to repay the government by being bonded for a certain number of years.

And for those "black sheep" who break their bonds, well they are labelled ungrateful to the nation. Something of a betrayal and disloyalty to the country. Something similar to treason.

As for the inquiry the family was asking for? Well, Mindef has already "convened a Board of Inquiry" which" concluded that "matters .... had been managed appropriately".

And what does that mean? That SAF has done nothing wrong in its dealing with Allan?
Who are the members? Senior SAF officers? How long did it take for them to come to a conclusion? What is that outcome? How were matters managed appropriately?

And if they had made known this Inquiry to the family, the family would not have to resort to writing in to the papers forum to request for one.

I dun think the general public would ever find out about the detailed findings of this Inquiry.

What the findings suggested is that it cleared Allan's superiors of any wrongdoings in handling the matter.

So would the family probe further? Definitely! But in private, I think. After all, they do not want to drag Allan's reputation through the mud further.

When Allan died, one of his wishes was that through his death, he hoped to expose this issue of unhappy scholars wanting to break free of government scholarship bonds. And by example of his death, maybe he was hoping that the authorities would make significant amendments so that other similar tragedy could be averted by other promising scholars who are unhappy in their bonds.

Frankly speaking, Allan's death could very well be in vain if nothing has changed in the scholarship bond system.

--------------------------

Straits Times
8 Apr 2009

Mindef responds to family of Dr Allan Ooi

Ministry provided some factual clarifications to the issue of his bond to Mindef.

We refer to the letter published in the media between 31 Mar and 2 Apr from the family of the late CPT (Dr) Allan Ooi. MINDEF would have preferred to keep these exchanges private out of respect for the late CPT (Dr) Ooi and his family. Nonetheless, as the letter has raised several issues, it is necessary for MINDEF to provide some factual clarifications.

The six-month Aviation Medicine course that CPT (Dr) Ooi attended in the United Kingdom (UK) from Jan to Jul 2008 had a three-year bond, which was to be served concurrently with his 12-year Local Study Award (Medicine) bond. This was explained to CPT (Dr) Ooi when he and his two sureties signed the deed for the course on 19 Dec 2007 before he left for the UK.

On the same day, MINDEF also sent an email to confirm this with CPT (Dr) Ooi. He acknowledged receiving the email and thanked MINDEF for the clarification. The three-year bond is completely within his 12-year Local Study Award (Medicine) bond. It is thus untrue that his 12-year bond would be "prolonged by another three years for one six-month course".

CPT (Dr) Ooi returned on 7 Jul 2008 from his course in the UK. Sixteen days later, on 23 Jul 2008, while serving at the Aeromedical Centre, he informed his superior that he was unhappy at work and was considering leaving the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). According to MINDEF's records, CPT (Dr) Ooi wrote to Head of Manpower at Headquarters Medical Corps on 12 Aug 2008 (not "Jul 2008" as stated in the family's letter), expressing his wish to resign from the SAF. The Head of Manpower replied on 20 Aug 2008, informing him how he could obtain the application form for early release, and explaining the process involved. But CPT (Dr) Ooi did not apply for early release.

On 3 Oct 2008, CPT (Dr) Ooi's superior interviewed him, and offered him the option of a posting to an appointment which would interest him. He asked CPT (Dr) Ooi to indicate what posting he would like. CPT (Dr) Ooi thanked his superior and promised to respond in two weeks' time. However, instead of doing so, CPT (Dr) Ooi went Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) on 15 Oct 2008.

All officers who join the SAF and take up sponsorship know that they have a moral obligation to serve out the full period of their bonds, beyond their legal obligation to pay the liquidated damages if they do not fulfil the bond. The SAF invests substantial public funds and time to train these officers. Officers can serve in a wide range of leadership and specialist roles that cater to their different interests and aptitudes while fulfilling the SAF's needs. On their part, officers are expected to do their best to fulfil their obligations to the organisation, unless there are strong extenuating circumstances like medical reasons that prevent them from doing so.

CPT (Dr) Ooi's family asked for an inquiry into MINDEF's policies and processes, on the premise that this would avert a similar tragedy. MINDEF had convened a Board of Inquiry on 11 Mar 2009, which concluded that matters related to the late CPT (Dr) Ooi's service with the SAF had been managed appropriately. While the late CPT (Dr) Ooi had expressed unhappiness with his job in the Aeromedical Centre and stated his wish to resign, he had subsequently gone AWOL despite being informed about other job options.

MINDEF expresses its sympathies to the family of the late CPT (Dr) Ooi, and will continue to be as open and helpful as possible to them. MINDEF will also provide the facts of the case to the public while respecting the privacy of the family.

Colonel Darius Lim
Director Public Affairs
Ministry of Defence

Let's talk about Death!

Channel NewsAsia
3 Apr 2009

Being a burden to one's family, medical cost and pain -- these are Singapore residents' top three fears about death, as revealed in a first ever survey on death attitudes in Singapore.

Commissioned by the Lien Foundation, the island-wide survey polled 800 people between the ages of 25 and 59 from October 2008 to January 2009.

The survey was conducted by Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

When asked about the top three most important things when one is dying or at the last stages of a terminal illness, the respondents said they want to be free from pain, surrounded by loved ones and to be conscious and able to communicate.

Eight in 10 respondents said they knew that hospices provide care for the terminally ill, but half of them did not know that hospices also provide daycare services and care in the homes of the terminally ill.

Only two in 10 are open to the idea of being in a hospice so that they can receive adequate care.

Six in 10 respondents said they are comfortable talking about their own death or dying.

But they are not comfortable talking about death or dying to someone who is terminally ill.

Paper Wealth for the Dead

----------------------------

New Paper
2 April 2009

PAPER WEALTH

Buying unusual items to burn for the dead during Qing Ming Festival

THE dead want to be fashionable.

They want matching lacy bra and panty sets, fashionable bikinis, and the latest designer-styled handbags and wallet sets.

They want treadmills to keep them fit, and heavily padded massage chairs to relax them and keep them pampered.

The young and the young-at-heart want their fast-food meals.


HOT ITEMS: (Above) A designer-styled bag, a massage chair and a treadmill, all made of paper. (Below) A fast food meal minus the food. TNP PICTURES: PEARLY TAN

These are some of the mind-boggling things people buy to burn at this year's Qing Ming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, which falls on Saturday.

Mr Ang Chee Kiong, 52, owner of It Tian Heong, an incense shop at Geylang Lorong 7, said that there are more customers today looking for uncommon items.

'Clothes and food are still the most popular but we have more requests for things like yachts and aeroplanes,' said Mr Ang.



Another example is firearms, which are hot this year.

From hand pistols to machine guns, customers can choose whatever weapon they would like to equip their dead with.



Price

Prices range from less than $5 to the most expensive item - the karaoke set, which costs $60.

He said in Mandarin: 'These (guns) are our new items. People have been requesting for them for a long time, but no one has dared to bring them in so far.

'Most people buy them for their relatives who were in the army or who were policemen.'

Customers also often ask Mr Ang for recommendations to the latest fashion available.

Mrs Pauline Leck, 45, who was buying some accessories and shirts for her late husband at the store when The New Paper visited, sought his opinion.

Said Mrs Leck, whose husband died two months ago: 'I want to get the latest clothes for him. It must be the best.'

With higher standards of living, more people are seeking ways to help their relatives enjoy the same luxury.

To meet the entertainment needs of the dead, billiard tables, basketballs and mahjong sets are also available.

For some, ready-made items are insufficient.

Shopowners told The New Paper that there have been customers who have made requests for unusual items.

'We allow orders for custom-made things like jackpot machines,' said Mr P K Lim, in his 50s, owner of Lim Sam Seng incense shop.

At another incense shop in Chinatown, requests had been made for life-sized items.

Shop owner Mr Teo Bee Kim, 58, said: 'We have had customers asking for big aeroplanes, but we told them to just buy the ready-made ones.

'Most of the things we sell are manufactured and imported from China. I don't think anyone in Singapore has the skills to make them anymore.'

Mr Lim said that the strangest request they had from a customer was an order for a tractor.

'He (the customer) explained that his relative was a construction worker before and he wanted him to be able to do what he knew in the afterlife.'

But it appears that the recession has hit the industry, too.

All the incense shops visited by The New Paper reported a 10 to 20 per cent fall in sales compared to last year.

Mr Ang said: 'People have not stopped buying, but most are buying less. We also cannot set prices too high, if not people will not buy.'

Pearly Tan and Bernice Huang, newsroom interns

Remembering Daniel

It has been about 6 years (2003?) since Daniel passed on.

As usual, I was looking forward to the obituary page for his death anniversary notice.

Frankly, I am not sure it would be there this year.

I saw it in the papers on the 1st 3 or 4 years after his death. And then when the death anniversay fell on weekends during the past few years, there wasn't any memorial notices.

This year, the day fell on a weekday.

I opened the papers. It wasn't there.

Had Daniel loved one forgottten him after so many years?

Hmmmm....I am sure I am not the only one who remembered Daniel. He got friends!

SO said that he dun believed in placing all these memorial notices in the papers during all these death anniversaries. He said there is no point in doing so cos he felt that remembering some one so openly and publicly is a bit fake and hypocritical.

He said that remembering someone did not need putting an ad in the papers, you just remember them in your heart.

Frankly, I think it's his crap. That bitch is just too lazy to do so.

It is easy to talk and pay lip service. The time, effort and money spent in putting an death memorial ad in the papers cannot simply be dismissed or denied.

So I can forget about an anniversary ad in the papers after I died.

Oh well!

-----------------------------

This song, Daniel by Wilson Philips reminded me of Daniel everything I hear it,

Letter from the family of the late Dr Allan Ooi

Allan Ooi's family has wrote in to the forum. They are seeking "an inquiry by an independent panel with oversight powers" to find out the truth about his death.

And should the truth ever be uncovered in years and years to come, would the public be notified?

Nope, I dun think so. This is the military and it deals with the issue of national defence security. And the truth could very well unravel the image and reputation of the SAF which the government has been trying so hard to protect.

And so the public is waiting to see what sort of response SAF would have towards this demand of an inquiry. Would they set up an independent panel or would they just try to sweep the dust under their feet?

Anyway, do you know that SAF spent millions on advertising each year. They are one of the top 3 advertisers in the country.

And the purpose of such military advertisements?

As quoted....
In today's uncertain security environment, having a strong defence force and maintaining the public's confidence in the defence and security of our country are important. There is a need to continually assure the public of the operational readiness of the SAF as well as to attract the best to join the organisation through corporate advertising and communications.

Advertisements that showcase the SAF'ss commitment, varied capabilities and technological advancements serve dual objectives: confidence building of Singaporeans on our military capability and readiness and recruitment.

-------------------------

SAF doctor's family responds to MINDEF's statement.

AsiaOne
31 March, 2009

We write in response to MINDEF's ST Forum statement on 23 March regarding Cpt (Dr) Allan Ooi Seng Teik, who ended his life on 3 March 2009.

Allan was proud of his SAF study award and pursued his studies and housemanship enthusiastically. His 12-year bond was to include two specialisation courses, and that it could be terminated, subject to liquidated damages.

The following is an excerpt of his last email:

"My job was terrible - no joy, no satisfaction, 10-14 hours a day of nothing. A prison. One of my own forging, perhaps, by signing a contract with the SAF at the age of 18. Youth was not an excuse, yes, but I refused to accept being deceived into believing things about the nature of my employment that were simply untrue. 12 years of bonded service became potentially 15 or 16, became unbreakable. How can a bond be unbreakable? How can it be extended at will by an administration, simply by passing a paper?

And how can the people subject to this bond not even question it, but instead sit in silent resentment and ultimate dissatisfaction?

I was angry, so angry, which stemmed ultimately from a sense of waste and imprisonment so profound that I had no choice but to leave it entirely. To the people within this system, please change it to better benefit yourselves and future generations, instead of creating a self-perpetuating cycle of, at best, painful obligation, and at worst, utter despair.

That was certainly the main cause for my severing of ties."

Other speculative reasons have appeared detracting from the real reasons for his drastic action so plaintively explained by Allan himself.

We ask for details of Allan's discussions with his superiors and how a contract is subject to policy changes, including prolonging his bond by three years for one six-month specialist course.

Importantly, why would a bond be breakable only in "strong, extenuating circumstances" when this was not stated in his contract? What are these? We now know Allan wrote to HQMC Manpower in July 2008 with the intention of breaking his bond. What was the outcome?

We feel Allan's concerns can only be addressed effectively via an inquiry by an independent panel with oversight powers. We hope to help bring possible deficiencies to light in order to avert a similar tragedy and pain to other families.

Family of the late Cpt (Dr.) Allan Ooi

A must watch move about Death

Went to watch the Japanese movie "Departures" today at GV.

I had heard some rather good reviews about this "death" movie. About how it was almost full house on weekdays afternoons when most movies play to empty halls. Heard about the laughter in the first part of the movie and the tears of the audience that flowed towards the end of the movie.

And I was truly intrigued! I really wanted to see people walking out of cinemas, eyes red, crying after a movie. That I have never seen!

So I dragged SO, who normally dun like foreign films, to the cinemas. Not our usual chain of movie theatres, which offered a 50% discount on the 2nd movie ticket on Sunday, simply by flashing our handphone operator logo.

We paid for 2 full price weekend tickets! And that's a rarity! That's how much we wanted to watch this movie!



"Departures" was truly one of the best shows I have seen this year ...so far. Even better than "Push" of 2 weeks ago or even "Watchmen" last week. Those were 2 truly boring movies!

Frankly, the story of the "Departures" was so simple and there were no great special effects or drama. The movie captured the audience with the subject of death.

This musician, Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) became unemployed after the symphony orchestra he was working for, disbanded. So he moved back to his hometown with his wife.

There he cluelessly took on the job of that of the ceremonial “encoffination” (is there even such a word?) of corpses prior to cremation.

And from there and then Daigo developed "a deep respect for life in all its variations, and a profound empathy for people trying to make peace with the finality of death". (as quoted from the official movie website)

There was this scene in the movie where an old lady was about to be cremated and her adult son wanted to watch his mother's cremation. And as she was cremated in the furnace (not actually shown), the son was crying and calling out to his mother.

I turned to my side and I saw SO crying. Softly. Eyes red, trying to control his tears. And I am sure that quite a few audience in the cinema were tearing softly too. That's how emotional it was.

Well, as for me, yeah, I did felt the sadness and there were times when I was very near to tears. Especially when the living bade farewell to the dead. But I held myself back. It was difficult.

It was a really touching movie, worthy of the Oscar foreign film award 2009. The show had its great moments of brilliance, comic and sadness and at about 2 hours and 30 mins (150 mins total) felt just right.

And when the movie finally ended, well, the audience seemed reluctant to leave.

Normally when movies ended, audience would just rushed out. But not for this movie.

We were only of those who left after the end credits rolled for about 3 minutes. I think that quite a few of the audience were too embarrassed to be seen with red eyes and eyes tearing. So as the final credits rolled, they just sat there, trying to get over a hold over themselves.

After the movie, I confronted SO about his tears and that Bitch simply denied it. He simply refused to talk about it. He said it never happened. He claimed that he never cried. And then he gave a sheepish, guilty laugh.

Well, I am sure the movie touched quite a few people.

To me, it's sad, but not that sad. But yet, this is one of the sadder movies I have watched so far. I think few movies are this sad. But for a movie, dealing with the sensitive subject of death, sadness and tears are to be expected. All of us can identified with Death.

After all, all of us have to die some time or another. No one is truly immortal. And I am sure, we all knew someone who had passed away, be it a friend, a family, a relative or someone we know etc.

I rate this movie a 8.5 out of 10! A must watch! Especially when there is this surge of stupid movies this time of the year like "Street fighter - Chun li" and "Dragon ball revolution".

And when "Departures" the VCD or DVD comes out, I am going to get my hands on a copy.

MINDEF's Forum Letter on CPT(Dr) Allan Ooi

Mindef has finally responded to the media news of death of Allan Ooi.

Frankly, when such shit hit government agencies, they have to do an investigation and then sugar coated whatever could be real. The public must never know the truth!

If the truth is out, who dare to sign up for SAF scholarship in the future?

Well, what the letter did is that it explained the chain of facts that happened. It did not quite fleshed out the story behind the story.

I dun suppose we would ever know what happened to make Allan want to take his life.

-------------------------

MINDEF's Forum Letter on CPT(Dr) Allan Ooi

Posted: 20 Mar 2009, 1200 hours (Time is GMT +8 hours)

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) extend our deepest condolences to the family of the late CPT (Dr) Ooi Seng Teik Allan.

MINDEF wishes to clarify certain facts regarding media reports on CPT (Dr) Ooi's service in the SAF and his scholarship bond.

CPT (Dr) Ooi joined the SAF in Jan 2000 and was sponsored under the Local Study Award (Medicine) for his medical studies at the National University of Singapore, and completed his housemanship in Apr 2006. Thereafter, he completed the SAF's Medical Officer Cadet Course and was commissioned in Aug 2006. He then served for one and a half years in the Air Force Medical Service.

He was sponsored by the SAF for further specialist training in Aviation Medicine in the United Kingdom in Jan 2008. Upon completing this course in Jul 2008, he was posted to the Aeromedical Centre to perform clinical and staff work. CPT (Dr) Ooi was scheduled to go for his hospital posting at the end of 2009.

While serving at the Aeromedical Centre CPT (Dr) Ooi informed his superior that he was unhappy at work and was considering leaving the SAF. On 3 Oct 2008, his superior offered him the option of posting to an appointment which he would be interested in.

CPT (Dr) Ooi agreed to consider this option and to get back to his superior in two weeks' time. However, he did not do so. He also did not submit any application to leave the SAF. CPT (Dr) Ooi went Absent Without Official Leave on 15 Oct 2008.

Recipients of the Local Study Award (Medicine) are required to serve a 12-year bond after completing their housemanship. Of these 12 years, 6 years will be spent in hospitals to acquire clinical competency in fields needed by the SAF. The other 6 years will be spent in command and staff positions with the SAF Medical Corps performing duties such as the clinical care of SAF servicemen, and professional development of military medicine.

SAF officers who take up sponsorship have a responsibility to serve the full period of their bonds as substantial resources and time have been devoted to training them. Otherwise they will leave gaps in key positions in the SAF. Nevertheless, if an officer wishes to leave the service early, he can submit an application through a proper process. Approval to leave the service will be granted only under strong and extenuating circumstances.

Colonel Darius Lim
Director Public Affairs
Ministry of Defence

Allan Ooi farewell email

The chinese papers, Sin Ming Daily has published a translation of Allan Ooi's supposedly last farewell email on 12 March 2009.

However, according to information on the Blogosphere, the papers also has omitted certain "sensitive" portion of the original letter because it involves the military and the government.

Below is the newspaper article, from Sin Ming 12 Mar 2009.

Is the letter really authentic? Really from Allan Ooi ? Or is it just an elaborated hoax cooked up to tarnish Allan Ooi 's reputation?

I reserved my comments for this post for the time being.

Just read and judge for yourself.

----------------------------



-----------------------------

Below is the supposedly last farewell that is circulating around. Rumors are that it MAY be published in part or full by the main English papers in the next few days.








Source: The Wayang Party Club

Another NTU stabbing Facebook group

There is another NTU stabbing Face Book Group, Investigate The Death of DAVID WIDJAJA Thoroughly - USUT TUNTAS KEMATIANNYA.

This group has even more members than the other group, 1420 at present day. And quite a large number of the members are Indonesians or have indonesian sounding names.

What is the world coming to?

And below is the group description statement:

--------------------------

I am one of David Hartanto's close friend and I am here to give you some facts, assumptions, possibilities about this case

Facts:

1. Lok Tat Seng: Dean of Student of NTU gathered all Indonesian students in International Student Center on evening after incident and he just said there was witness on the spot who saw David's body lying on the ground, dead. Dean did not said that witness saw David jumped from balcony. And that is, according to him, all he has saw.

2. The only official statement from police is: David was found dead at the crime scene, they did not mention whether he commited suicide.

The link: http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIM...20at%20NTU.pdf

They also just mention 'The professor was believed to be stabbed'. The police did not say that 'the professor was stabbed'. Where this assumption come from? Why they did not say about it?

3. I and some Indonesian students gather tonight, 3 March 2009, at 8 pm, at International Student Center and talked to David's parent. They have seen his body. There was NO WOUND whatsoever on his wrists and police also has confirmed it.

I assumed that his parent would not lie it means that all media news about 'David slashed his wrist' was FAKE.

4. The wounds found on David's body, according to his parents, were on his head (It is assumed due to fall injury), and slash wound on his neck. The wound on his neck is very suspicious, in my opinion. How he received that wound?? Again, according to his parent, police guessed that it may be happened when the bottom part of his head smashed the ground. In that case, his chin will have broken and it did not.

My question is: WHERE DOES THAT SLASH WOUND ON HIS NECK CAME FROM?


Assumptions:
1. David stabbed professor. How did you know? The crime scene is closed room, only David and that professor. No one see what has happened. Eye-witness only saw David run out from that room.

2. David commited suicide. How could someone who commited suicide drop himself into glassed roof, instead of directly drop himself to ground.

3. David slashed his wrist. I do not know where this news came from...

4. David's motivation.

4.1. He pissed off since his prof did not give satisfactory grade
The grade has not been released and he even has not submitted the report. It is also NTu policy not to inform the student about the grade which they got before release of the result.

4.2. He has mental problem
No record in Student Counselling Centre about his attendance. For bright student as him, I did not believe that he did not attend counseling if he has some problems. Also, he still brought bag with usual daily stuff, on incident day, such as drink bottle, towel, etc. If David planned to kill someone why would he prepare to bring such things. It is easier for him to just bring one knife and stab his prof on spot.

4.3. He pissed off because his scholarship has been revoked
I knew David since I was his roommate for 2 consecutive years during Mathematical Olympiad training camp. He almost did not qualify for IMO, only managed to get at 14th rank from 15 people selected. He still joked and laughed to me at that time. He also did not get anything from IMO and still fine, not seemed depressed whatsoever, and according to his parents, he said 'At least, I managed to represent Indonesia at IMO' .

He also still play Hammerfall game in Facebook at 2 am on the incident day. My friend saw his Facebook account online. How come a murderer played game in the night before incident? If I was him, I will seriously think how would I prepare myself tomorrow


Possibilities:
1. Professor attacked David. I deduced this thing for several key points.
According to many reports, David's cloth was soaked on blood. If the blood is the result from slashing his wrist, it should not soak his cloth since wrist is far from body. If the wound is from neck, it is easier.

2. David tried to run from Professor. After he realized that he was attacked, he resisted and run from that room, with wound on his neck.

3. David falled because of unconsciousness. He became panic and probably lose his common sense because of terrible bleeding, drop himself down into glassed roof to escape from his Professor.

I am responsible for what I have written here, and contact me at kaminari.no.me@gmail.com if you need any clarification.

"NTU stabbing" conspiracy Face book group

I was reading about the NTU stabbing when I came across this Facebook group, For the Truth Behind the NTU Stabbing Incident.

The group currently has 887 members and is founded by this seemingly creepy looking guy Aen. Aen strongly felt there is more than meets the eye and that David Hartanto Widjadja may not have been the aggressor in the stabbing incident .

I am definitely NOT promoting or joining this group. The concept behind the group smacks too much of some media-police conspiracy cover up theory.

The the fact that such a group can even manage to gather 887 members is scary. Either that guy Aen has a lot of friends out there or there are that many crazy people out there who actually shared the belief that there is a conspiracy against a foreign student's death.

Anyway, below is the description statement of the Face Book group. Read at your own risk!

-----------------------------

I was not eager to name this group based on the "stabbing" incdent in NTU because nobody can be sure what really happened. Police investigations are underway and the media has been doing a lousy job with their rotten, biased and sensationalist reports. Nonetheless, I have chosen to name as such because everybody had come to know of this news as such.

Like myself a few days ago, many of you might not have been fully aware of what had happened in NTU on March 02 morning. The gist of it is, unlike what the media has vividly but groundlessly reported, a bloodied David Hartanto Widjadja, an NTU student from Indonesia had been seen running out from NTU Professor Chan Kap Luk's office and subsequently jumped onto a linkway between two blocks from the fifth storey and then falling off the linkway to his death. Any details in between are currently all speculation, some realistic, some biased and some ridiculous. But all of them raise questions. Questions that begs us people to police the media and the authorities. What we want is the truth and the truth can only be told with utmost transparency and honesty. As a united group of people who have confidence in the Singapore justice system, we demand no less than transparency and honesty. This group has been set up to question if the need arises. We will not accuse but we will aggressively question.

__________________________________________
What Has the Media Done?
Shortly after the incident happened, the media was quick to report as vividly as they could what they think have happened, that David stabbed Professor Chan and then slit his wrists and jumped off a building to his death, based on "witness" accounts, even though doors of the office where it happened were closed. They published the biased stories anyway, and many have guess, possibly as an attempt to shift the blame to David Hartanto Widjadja, portraying him as a deranged, depressed, vengeful, suicidal and murderous loner while victimizing Professor Chan Kap Luk. The fact could be very far from what is reported as David's family has reported no slit wounds on his wrists.

__________________________________________
What Can You Do?
Don't believe what the media says and help to ensure the correct informations gets circulated. Combat the biased and unfair reports by telling people around you what are facts and what are not. You should also spread the word by recruiting more members to this group. The more voices we have, the stronger our message. You can do this by inviting ALL your friends to the group and posting the group on your profile by using the "share" feature. You can also blog about the group and mention it to people. Your help is needed in our campaign. We will be a voice to be reckoned with should the time comes for us to speak up.

__________________________________________
The Next Step
have a thing to say? Thoughts on this matter? More speculation? Have an idea that would improve the system? Go to the forums and join a discussion, or even start one. We are getting bigger and stronger. Let's put our numbers to good use.

Death of a Golden Boy

No, I dun personally know Allan Ooi. In fact, I was not even aware of his existence till 6 march 2009, when I saw his name and photo splashed across the papers.

Allan was what some of us would termed "triple threat" or what others would called "triple blessed"; good looking, rich and smart. A lethal combination of the perfect guy. He was the crème de la crème of high society.

But it seemed that he was also unhappy and depressed.

He seemed to have everything going for him until his tragic death.

The papers wrote that he was found dead under a bridge in Melbourne. Suicide? Murder?

Suicide, more likely? Since he went AWOL from work since last October and did not contact his family or friends since then. Running away? From life? Work? Family? Relationship?

Was it stress? Depression? Work? Relationship? Gambling debt? Did he contact some terminal disease?

Who knows?

I have been reading online about the conspiracy cover-up theory regarding David, the dead foreign student in the NTU stabbing.

What about Allan? Maybe there was some conspiracy somewhere out there?

Maybe he was abducted by Aliens and zapped to Melbourne? Or maybe he joined some religious cult?

Allan was a SAF doctor. He was working for the government military. Maybe he discovered some dark apalling secrets and ran away. And.........make your own conspiracy theory.

Blah! Some of things are just conspiracy theories. Created by people who could not believe that Allan would do the tragic thing he did. People trying to explain what could have happened. People trying to make sense of the final days of a beloved, trying to piece together using what knowledge they had of him.

But frankly, only Allan would know what really happened from Oct last year to Mar this year.

What could drive a seemingly perfect guy over the edge?

If someone like Allan Ooi could ever be depressed and unhappy despite all that he had, in spite of what he was, then what hopes did we mere mortals have?

I am not just talking about Allan Ooi materialistic wealth, background and possessions. He was also said to be charming, charismatic, sociable, intelligent, brilliant and humorous. He was also sporty and competitive. Everything every man wanted to be and the man every woman wanted to be with.

Did you know Allan Ooi has 563 friends on Facebook? How could some one with 563 friends on Facebook, not have someone close to talk to in real life?

Not even 5 close friends in real life that he could confide in? That's only about 1% of those friends in Face Book. Were they really his friends or just blind stats figures in Facebook? Did he really personally know, met or spoke to all 563 friends before? Or were more than half, just strangers and acquaintances?

Frankly, whats the use of so many friends in Facebook then, if you not find even one to really talk to?

Personally, I have only about 5 % or even less number of friends on face book compared to Allan. If someone like him could not find someone to turn to, what hope did I have with less 10 friends on facebook?

Again, I say, if someone like Allan Ooi lost hope at times, what hopes does it hold for mere, ordinary mortals like us out there?


I was depressed once. In fact, more than once. I attempted suicide a few times. I just couldn't shake it off.

An elderly fellow once told me after my suicide, "Please do not be stupid anymore, and please dun do any more of those stupid things."

So suicide is stupid? Frankly, I felt that he could not understand. If you feel that suicidal thoughts and the very act of suicide itself are just plain stupid, then you definitely DO NOT really understand what I was going through. The pain. The emptiness. The vast sadness. All inside, eating you up.

Few people could understand THAT kind of internal pain. Pain and sadness that permeate the very being of life existence, down to the very pores and right into the minute cells. Unless one went through similar things before.

I could said to also have a cushy life, but I just could not drag myself out of the deep hole of abyss I was in then. It took me years and years to just shake that sadness and emptiness off. Till now, I am still haunted by that indescribable feeling of pain sometimes.

So yeah, I may not be in the same league as Allan the doctor, but I could sure understand SOME of the things he could have been through. The sadness, the depression, the thoughts of death, the pain etc.


Rest in peace, Allan. I hope you are at peace finally.

-------------------------

The Straits Times
6 Mar 2009

SAF doc dead in Melbourne

Body under a bridge; he was absent without leave from SAF from Oct

By Jermyn Chow

A 27-YEAR-OLD Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) doctor, absent without official leave since last October, has been found dead in Melbourne.

The body of Captain (Dr) Allan Ooi was found under the Westgate Bridge in the south Australian city on Tuesday, police from the state of Victoria told The Straits Times.

The 2,600m long bridge across the Yarra River is a vital link between the city centre and Melbourne's western suburbs.

A police spokesman there said the young man was seen getting out of his car on the bridge before 4am that day, and that the police did not believe anyone else was involved in the incident.

She added that witnesses were still being interviewed and that a report was being prepared for the Coroner's Court.

Capt (Dr) Ooi had not been to work since last October and the SAF had been trying - unsuccessfully - to get in touch with him, said Mindef spokesman Colonel Darius Lim.



Capt (Dr) Ooi was believed to have been in Melbourne all this while, though it is not known where in the city he was, nor with whom he was staying.

In a statement issued to The Straits Times from Melbourne, his brother Adrian said: 'He was a gifted doctor and a kind and respected friend. But to us, he was and always will be our beloved son and brother.'

It is unclear when the family will be returning home with the body, but Adrian said the family hoped to 'celebrate Allan's 27 years of achievements and life with us with very fond memories of a remarkable person'.

-------------------------

The Straits Times
6 Mar 2009

An all-rounder, go-getter

AN ALL-ROUNDER who excelled at everything, the death of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) doctor Allan Ooi shocked all who knew him.

The 28-year-old was found dead below a busy bridge in Melbourne on Tuesday. He had disappeared for months, including having gone AWOL (absent without official leave) from the army since October last year. The SAF had tried unsuccessfully to contact him, according to a spokesman.



A friend who went to medical school with Capt Ooi, speaking to The New Paper on condition of anonymity, said that Capt Ooi was the 'most brilliant' person he knew and 'excelled at everything he put his mind to'.

He recalled that Capt Ooi picked up the popular game 'Warcraft' really quickly, and in a short time, became one of the top 10 Warcraft players in Singapore and was among the top 100 in the world. The friend added that, unlike most medical school students he knew, Capt Ooi had a 'rich life' outside of school. 'He was a sportsman - he swam competitively, and was an excellent pool player. He was also really funny, with a great sense of humour,' the friend added.

An alumnus of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Anglo-Chinese Junior College, Capt Ooi was a school water polo player and swimmer. TNP reported that he was a go-getter who also took part in pageants such as the International Man Singapore pageant where he was crowned Mr Continents in 2001, and the Mr Singapore pageant, which he won the same year.

Capt Ooi also emerged near the top of his cohort in Officer Cadet School and then Medical Officers Cadet Corps.

It is believed that Capt Ooi had suddenly left home and flown to Melbourne, but it is not known who he had been living with there.

A family friend, who declined to be named, said it was known that Capt Ooi had been unhappy at work 'for a long time'. He had been serving his bond with the SAF and left friends and family bewildered when he left without a word. It is not known how many years of his bond he had served.

Melbourne police are still speaking to witnesses and are preparing a report that will be sent to the Melbourne Coroner's Court, TNP reported. A spokesman for the Melbourne police said Capt Ooi was seen getting out of his car on the bridge before 4am on Tuesday.

'Allan had a magnetic personality and loved his family deeply,' said a friend. A poignant statement, as his family is in Melbourne, making arrangements for his body to be flown back to Singapore.

-------------------------


The New Paper
8 Mar 2009

S'PORE DOC FOUND DEAD IN MELBOURNE

He was stylish, well-connected

SAF captain was popular with high society

HE WAS featured in society magazine Singapore Tatler and was said to have dated celebrity blogger Dawn Yang.

By Crystal Chan


HE WAS featured in society magazine Singapore Tatler and was said to have dated celebrity blogger Dawn Yang.

Then, Singapore Armed Forces doctor Allan Ooi Seng Teik, 28, went Awol (absent without official leave) and left for Australia.

Captain (Dr) Ooi, who was found dead under the Westgate Bridge in Melbourne on Tuesday, came from a family of doctors and had friends in high society.

One of his friends, who declined to be named, told The New Paper that she was shocked to hear about his death.'I knew him and his brother, Adrian,' she said.

'I can't believe he died so suddenly. He was always cheerful when I saw him.'

She got to know Capt Ooi through mutual friends and often saw him at parties.

In 2007, a Singapore Tatler writer approached CaptOoi.

Said the friend: 'The magazine was looking to feature good-looking and stylish personalities and he fit the bill. He was quite 'on' about it as he had an outgoing personality.

'During the interview, he was asked about his relationships and he said that an ex-girlfriend had let him down, but didn't elaborate.'

She described Capt Ooi as a metrosexual who dressed in Paul Smith and designer clothes.

She said: 'He certainly looked like a rich boy, a stylish guy. He drove a Mazda MX5 then and liked Calvin Klein clothes.'

Around that time, there were several postings on Internet forums which claimed that Capt Ooi had courted Ms Yang, 23.

The friend said: 'I sent Allan an SMS, asking if the rumours were true but all he would say was that he knew Dawn.'

Capt Ooi's account on social networking site Facebook lists Ms Yang as one of his friends.

Ms Yang, who is studying in New York University, could not be reached for comment.

Allegedly unhappy at work

The last time the friend was in touch with Capt Ooi was late last year, when she sent him an SMS asking after him.

She said: 'Before that, he had asked me to go clubbing, but I didn't as I'm not into it. He was an avid clubber and often went to Zouk.'

Capt Ooi had told her that he was unhappy at his job in SAF.

SAF had given him a study award that required him to be bonded after graduation.

She said: 'He talked about leaving SAF but he didn't say why.

'Even then, I didn't think there would be any problems. Even if he wanted to break the bond, he could have easily paid it off as his family is rich.'

The friend does not know when and why CaptOoi went to Melbourne, but said he had friends who work there.

Capt Ooi's Facebook account lists four friends who studied at the RMIT University in Melbourne.

Former MTV veejay Nadya Hutagalung and rapper Sheikh Haikel were also listed as Capt Ooi's friends on Facebook.

It is not known how many years of his bond CaptOoi had served.

Capt Ooi's father, Dr Alex Ooi, 58, is a well-known gynaecologist and former president of the Tanglin Club.

His mother, Dr Lucy Ooi, 56, was a vice-president of the Society of Aesthetic Medicine and founding president of the Association of Women Doctors (Singapore).

Capt Ooi's elder brother, Adrian, is a doctor at the Singapore General Hospital.

His friend said he enjoyed card games and played bridge and poker with his friends.

One of his friends, Dr Elaine Neo, daughter of Dr Lily Neo, a Member of Parliament for Jalan Besar GRC, was too distraught to talk about her friend's death when The New Paper called her.

All she would say was: 'It's not the time to talk about this.'

But there was apparently another side to Capt Ooi.

Some of his friends said he also played poker for money.

A clip on video-sharing website YouTube showing Capt Ooi losing money to one of his friends after a poker game has been removed.

Capt Ooi's untimely death has prompted some bloggers to pen entries in his memory.

Mr Garry Huang, who was in the same basic military training (BMT) batch as Capt Ooi, wrote: 'It was quite a shock when I read in the papers today about the Awol and demise of Allan, especially in such unusual circumstances.

'He was a good pal in BMT, and very hardworking and promising. Frankly, he was quite an inspiration - I wanted to be like him in many areas.'

He added: 'I don't know why you went Awol, or why your body was found under the bridge in Melbourne, but I hope the answers will be found soon.'

A spokesman for the Melbourne police said evidence is still being gathered and will be presented to a coroner.

Dr Adrian Ooi declined to speak when The New Paper called him yesterday.

He said: 'I'm sorry, but it's a very bad time for my family. We're trying to arrange a lot of things.

'We're hoping Allan's body will be back within the next week.'