From The Straits Times:
MR SENG Han Thong was about to have his lunch when he felt something like cold water trickling down his neck. The next thing he knew, he was ablaze.
Only when the Yio Chu Kang MP was being taken to hospital in an ambulance did Mr Seng notice that his own hands and fingers were ‘black and charred’.
‘What I didn’t realise was that my injuries went far beyond this,’ said Mr Seng, giving his first account of that fateful day on Jan 11 this year when a resident allegedly poured thinner on him before torching him.It appeared in the latest issue of the People’s Action Party (PAP) magazine, Petir, published once every two months. In his two-page article titled Face It, Mr Seng looked back on the attack, the impact on his family, and his journey of recovery from the 14 per cent burns on his face, shoulders, arms and chest…
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To SY @47
Your comment: “The stream of vicious comments here make me wonder if a civil society in Singapore is indeed possible.”
Have you ever asked yourself what cause this stream of ‘vicious’ comments? These are only comments, words! Compare this to ACTIONS of detention without trial, throwing people into IMH, charging phenomenal rentals & HDB prices, opening floodgate for foreign workers to lower our wages, allowing employer to exploit workers etc etc?? Huh? Will these ACTIONS not hurt civilised society?
Your comment “does empathy mean that you will always give a person what he is asking for? The PAP has a stand that as far as possible, people should be self reliant.”
Whether this is relevant to Ong torching the MP(because he is pronounced insane) or not, your question needs answering. The PAP wants people to be self reliant, but how can people be self reliant when they take away all their means to be self reliant?
Your comment: “is there no basis to state that ALL PAP MPs are self serving…”
Did anybody state that ALL PAP MPs are…. Not ALL are bad but it does not mean that we cannot be angry with those that are bad!
Glad that MP Seng had recover.
However we had forgotten Ong Kah Chuah.How is he getting on?May be someone who is in the position can help to pay a visit to find out whether he receive proper treatment or may need help .Those mentally sick are quite pitiful and should be given extra help . They are usually neglected and may even be shunned by their love one…..
We highlight the plight of FWs,long debate on homo and many social problems,
but we had forgotten there is this group of people who deserve some attention and should not be neglected..They are also human who have difficulty expressing their problem and may not know what they are doing.Sometimes I feel that I am like one of them.Who can help?
Ya, I wonder why lesser coverage on Kah Chuah.
I miss him so much.
I hope our ah Ong recover from his illness soon.
Godspeed!
I like to think that as he was tethering on the brink of life and death, he heard the words “I am Lee Kuan Yew” amidst the white light, that he realized it was the great man who had mastered life and death (promising to come back whenever Singapore was in great danger) calling him to come back to the land of the living.
This then gave him great conviction to stay alive. It’s a touching story.
I for one cannot wait for any written account and the eventual movie about the thankless job of being an MP and the dangers faced be it fire or flying chairs.
I blame the internet trolls for this one. This attack surely gave new meaning to the term “Please don’t flame me”. Thank goodness for the eventual regulation of the Singapore internet.
Like an immolated Prometheus, MP Seng’s case surely has thrown light on the need to protect those who have the burning desire (not literally of course) to serve the people. I totally agree with (6) Gilbert Goh.
The best person to play MP Seng in a movie would be Chew Chor Meng. Who incidentally played a fire god in one of his earlier dramas.
The main song can be Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” and as MP Seng struggles bravely and overcomes all obstacles, “Chariots of Fire” can be played.
But please please none of Take That’s “Relight My Fire”
Best wishes to MP Seng Han Thong or SHT as he is known in the ‘Hood. Get well soon.
“Flame on” was the cry by a Marvel comic superhero.
In order to move on, one must learn the lesson from the episode. Otherwise, how to move on?
Is there still pain and a grudge existing within the heart? This is a very important question one must ask oneself, and be satisfied from within one’s inner feeling, sensitivity and resolve. Otherwise, all outward expression of “moving on” is just a display for others to see.
We cannot forget, but surely we can forgive!
I am not implying that this MP got what he deserved (along with recent ones…), but rather I’d say that there is NO such thing as; FIRE without SMOKE or SMOKE without FIRE.
Case close. No need to say so much.
His mother’s words are very true: “It could have been worst for him ….”
Just imagine, if it was in the United States where guns can be easily bought or obtained. Or in Thailand or India, where many other modes and means of violence could easily materialise.
While I also wish MP Seng well, I too wish all the poor and suppressed people, especially the poor and rejected people of our society, well.
Therefore, I too wish Mr Ong Kah Chuah, the ex-taxi driver, who is now remanded in IMH at Someone’s Pleasure well. Otherwise, we may be accused of not moderating ourselves by Rear Admr Lui Tuck Yew again.
http://www.mrbiao.com/blog/lui-tuck-yews-one-sided-argument.html
50) Pimply on June 10th, 2009 12.26 am
Hi Pimply,
I can safely say with confidence that the actions of the PAP has lead to a raise in the standard of living which is one of the fastest in history . I agree that a civic society is impossible when there is a fear of arbitrary arrest for speaking out. And in recent years, the govt has shown that there is need to be afraid to criticize. The existence of this site is just one example. Foreign worker influx is a matter of labor policy, perhaps a bad one, but not proof of bad or self serving govt.
47) SY,
“. Indeed, an MP needs to understand his people, to empathize. But does empathy mean that you will always give a person what he is asking for?”
No. But it does not seem that you know the meaning of empathize. If you can give what a person is asking for, s/he likely WON’T care if you don’t empathize … or at least not very much. It is when you cannot give, AND cannot empathize, do you get people willing to risk their lives just to return you some ‘pain’.
Having met SHT before, I have to say that he is not a very empathising person at all, at least off the camera.
—————
58) SY
“I can safely say with confidence that the actions of the PAP has lead to a raise in the standard of living which is one of the fastest in history .”
I agree that PAP has led us to where we are today. The question is: Is the PAP today the one that did it, or the PAP of the old? I think there is a huge difference between the PAP who worked for Singapore out of their love of Singapore, and the PAP today who gets walkover elections to earn millions.
58) SY
Just bear in mind that Singapore is run like a corporation, or a family business. GM was top of the heap for 80 years. Now it is belly-up. Worse can happen to Singapore – God forbid, if the stifling of Singaporeans continues.
<>
Rumor has it that the song “You Light Up My Life” has been banned in all official occassions.
#53 Ohnani…
nicely written…it was so funny.
Hi #58 SY,
“Foreign worker influx is a matter of labor policy, perhaps a bad one, but not proof of bad or self serving govt.”
I just want to clarify that I am not here to argue, but just to share my perspectives which may be different from you.
I believe you don’t really want proof that our government are “self-serving”; I believe you have a pretty good idea how “good” they already are. Nonetheless, in my opinion, all government are self-serving, be it now or future generations; what scares me is when there is no accountability and transparency, my children will be treated as “lesser mortal” and possibly worst; “slaves” in modern singapore.
For the sake of argument, I believe “Move on order”, the issue of accountability and transparency of TIC and Temasek losses, press control (Singapore media ranked #147 of 167), film act, Internal Security Act are self-serving acts of the current regime.
What really disappoints me is that everytime a policy is passed, it’s always the governing party vs opposition party (which only 2 has votes to veto). Has any of the MPs stick out their head and vote against it even if they think it’s wrong? I know MP representing the People and their political party; does anyone ever see a balance between the two? My observation tells me that for PAP MPs, it’s always for them to toe the Party line. May I question their desire/fire to serve the people given the above situation.
A lot of people says that we wait till the election and show them “people power”; that’s one option. But by making “noises”, it serve as a feedback that the people don’t like the policy. Though there are poeple who are pretty sick at the “ranting”, I always try to look beyond the ranting and attempt to perceive the real issue.
Truthfully, I actually quite enjoyed reading those comments when there are debates such as yours and others. Don’t get me wrong, I feel that views need to be challenged in order to see the true order of things. That’s where we can improve and realised flaws in our arguments.
Nonetheless, having said the above, my current observation is that while singapore has progressed significantly in “infrastructure”; we have declined in the “civic” arena. This is as good as you are having a highly-advanced university infrastructure, but the lecturer quality are 3rd world.
I think that after what MP seng has went thru, and braving himself to come back to serve as an MP again for the good of his constituents..he should be promoted to become a Minister soon.
Hello guys!! Put your words into Action in the next Election Day!!!. Cheers!!!!
Just my genuine opinion, I think I feel more for ourselves having to face with higher cost of living put in place by them such as rental increases even bad times, but I really feel sad for the father and son who fell to death due to difficulties and dilemma they faced during economic crisis. I don’t think one need to keep on flashing the glamorous part of his life.
I think the next minister to be burnt is MP Gan Kim Yong. Let’s see how he handles the unemployment rate with his so-called SPURS thingy. hmmm…
58) and 60) one-time LKY admire
Yes, there is no reason to assume the PAP will always serve Singapore well, which is precisely why I believe we need a quality opposition. For now, I still believe the ruling party is doing a good job, because I see that beyond the apparently uncaring face, a deep commitment to fundamental economic realities. This takes courage. Ultimately, a commitment to economic reality is best for the people. But yes, we have had the same party for 50 years now, and we must look out for signs of “rot”. What I hope is that if there is a change, it is for the better.
63) Dumb and dumber
I don’t think you are dumb, or dumber :) Hmmm… All govts are self serving? i hope not. All govts will do their best to stay in power. Some do so to serve themselves. Others do so because they believe they have the right model to lead the nation, to better the lives of others.
Nobody should be a slave in his own country, and if that is the case, a change of govt is due. But I find it had to imagine if we will be slaves, at least not in the near future. And yes, lets all work towards a more civic society and better uni lecturers!
To SY @68
“…I believe we need a quality opposition”
- You WILL NEVER get a quality opposition as long as the PAP rules, get it? Other than the harsh deterrents, the MSM, Straits Times will NEVER publicise any opposition even if they are good. They don’t even give any coverage on their speech in Parliament, however brilliant it may be. This is what the PAP wants you to percieve, that you need a quality oppo but there ain’t going to be any.
- For me, the only way forward is level the playing field first, by having any opposition, as long as they are not oppressors. Once the threat and obstacles are removed, I bet there will be real talents who want to serve their people stepping forward and really for once, contesting for the top seat. This is the only way forward. If you want to wait till you have a quality oppo, you can wait till the cow comes home!
47) SY
///The stream of vicious comments here make me wonder if a civil society in Singapore is indeed possible. ////
67)
///I think the next minister to be burnt is MP Gan Kim Yong. ///
Quite sad to read all these comments on a fellow human that was burnt. Blinded by so much hatred.
51) agongkia
////Glad that MP Seng had recover.However we had forgotten Ong Kah Chuah.How is he getting on?///
You could kick start a HLP thing to gather people to visti him en mass. Tha t would be something constructive. And you could visit him too.
This Statement carries much truth and that is;
each brush with life and death and every calamity change a man’s(humankind) understanding of his/her life, usually for the better.
As such, it is hope that those leaders that had suffered some unfortunate and traumatic incidents will be the wiser after their experiences.
A person got burnt, I am sure there is no need for sarcastic remarks or insinuation that he deserves it- regardless of party affiliations.
Anyway, who has actually been to a MPS session? Can share what usually happens there? Somehow, I have a nagging feeling that most pple who post here are middle-class folks, who never have a need to go for such things.
Go something that benefit the common people. I do not believe that if you are a good MP, a commoner will do something like this to you. Go and do some self-reflection. Maybe you are just not a suitable person for a MP job. By the way, are you a truely a elected MP?
Hi RW #72:
I tried to meet the MP of my constituency some years ago, when I had returned to Singapore after being abroad for some years, to volunteer my services. I never got to see the MP. His assistants kept giving me the runaround, or so it seemed to me at the time, so much so I gave up and never returned.
The sad part is that when I met the MP at another occasion later, I again volunterred my services. He said, Yes, that’s great, please come see me during an MPS and we can discuss more.
I just did not have the heart to face the hurdles at the MPS again and did not take up his offer to visit.
Perhaps, I will get easier access to Mr Chiam or Mr Low when I volunteer my services to the opposition camp?
Our MP was viciously attacked by a madman or pretending to be mad. We should aggravate the hurt by insinuation or otherwise. It is a straight forward criminal act of causing grievous hurt and we cannot condone it.
To Mr Seng and family we are sorry that such thing happened.
Maybe in these type case the Iranian justice system is appropriate. Burn him 5% to let him know the misery and wrong he had caused and 5% is because we are not going to waste time doing skin graft on him.
“Maybe in these type case the Iranian justice system is appropriate. Burn him 5% to let him know the misery and wrong he had caused and 5% is because we are not going to waste time doing skin graft on him.”
you are as crazy as the man you want to punish.
if you can be provoked to come with such wild idea. likewise, lesser people who have been grievanced for whatever reason / excuse they have may also justify for themselves of being provoked to come with such dangerous acts.
to my dear Seng HT,
Please accept my sympathy for the pain and grief that you’ve been thru, what with the numerous rounds of excruciatingly painful skin grafting you have to endure. You are a strong man and I’m sure this pain is “peanuts” compared to the sufferings of the thousands of jobless folks who have been defaulting on their bills payment and whose flats risked being repossessed any minute.
Look on the bright side. You are a positive man and I’m sure you have made many of us simply jealous too. Why? You may ask. Oh, because how many of us the “lesser mortals” get personal visit by noneother than LKY himself? And 5 times of it ?! If that’s not being lucky, I dunno what can you call it :-)
72) RW on June 11th, 2009 12.59 am – “A person got burnt, I am sure there is no need for sarcastic remarks or insinuation that he deserves it- regardless of party affiliations”
When you see the growing tide of helpless old ladies in their 80s or 90s stacking discarded cardboards onto that shaky push cart, and with the same token, our politicians continuing to enjoy their highest-in-the-universe “temperproof” MILLION dollars salaries, then you’ll realise who’s side you’re on.
Martyrdom comes in many forms and guises. For Mr Seng, being torched is possibly the highest form of martyrdom next to being shot by a sniper, and lowered six feet underground, which thank God in Singapore, is unlikely to happen, with our stringent laws.
I hope being burnt will not douse Mr Seng’s burning passion to serve the people, and God Geesus L.K.Y.
To 78)Jacy
‘When you see the growing tide of helpless old ladies in their 80s or 90s stacking discarded cardboards onto that shaky push cart, and with the same token, our politicians continuing to enjoy their highest-in-the-universe “temperproof” MILLION dollars salaries, then you’ll realise who’s side you’re on.’
I think you are exaggerating too much. I will be the happiest old lady at 80 or 90, and still be able to collect, stack cardboards and push the pushcard. This is the stuff that Singapore is made off, unlike our new generation who weal and pine at the slightest hardship, and conveniently blaming others for their woes.
Minister’s high salary has nothing to do with the old lady’s urge to do something. The ministers’ high salary will be a feature until such time the people vote in a new set of ministers who do not want high pay and thus make the necessary revision.
There are CEOs, lawyers, doctors, bankers etc who make $5 million to $20 million a year why don’t you blame them also for the old ladies plight?
76) Think before you tok
Tooth for a tooth is practised in Iran. Recently, the court ruled that a man was to be blinded using acids because he did the same to his girlfriend. This is Iranian Law. Iran or Persia is one of the world’s advanced civilisation and its history going back 7000 years. You can have your opinion but in Iran that is the way they dispense justice. In other word if you burn someone in Iran, you may be ordered to be burned by the Court if the Victim does not excuse you.
I personally think that hanging a person with 15 gram of drugs is not right. But dare I carry that amount of drugs?? NO. NO. NO.
.
The way this episode is being handled tells volumes on how poor the civil service is! An efficient and transparent civil service and I mean CIVIL, would be to issue a press release of the following:
- Name of the doctor who had diagnosed Ong or is looking after Ong and what medical treatment Ong will be receiving since Ong has been ‘held’ in IMH due to insanity.
- What Social Support will be given to the mentally ill or families with mentally ill members in the future.
- MP Seng’s statement on his constituent’s welfare esp with the mentally ill & the public’s safety after his own personal experience.
- Would also be good to include MP Seng’s acknowledgement of the public’s well wishes for his recovery and also the medical team’s good effort.
I suspect that they cannot issue such a press release because the whole idea of Ong being insane is a scam. I am non-partisan and I happen to be not in the ‘needy’ category, but this sort of act by the civil service/govt? pisses me off big time.
Thinktok,
“personally think that hanging a person with 15 gram of drugs is not right. But dare I carry that amount of drugs?? NO. NO. NO.!”
What if the person is mentally handicapped and being made use by the real drug pushers? You are not hanging the real culprit are you? If only things are so simple! We will all be able to save on lawyers and the judicial courts.
I thought a statement was made that Ong was insane. What you are advocating is called ‘revenge’, thats burning the insane man in return makes it fair and square. It is different from justice in a civil society. Justice takes into consideration many factors including state of mind, and should even inculde whether he had been provoked. For eg:
If the attack had not been provoked and Ong had not been insane, then it is a calculated cold blooded attack for monetary gain or whatever and Ong will deserve the most harsh punishment.
If the attack had been provoked, Ong will still deserve the punishment but lesser degree.
If the attack was due to lost of mind, there is no use punishing the assailant. Since he is mad, he will not learn, nothing will deter him.
I personally am very glad that the MP, Seng has made a full recovery and is smiling. If I am the MP, the unfortunate experience was harrowing but after that I will be very interested to know more about the care for this group of mentally ill people, how their families deal with them around and how safe it is for the public. Thats assuming the attacker, Ong is really insane as ‘they’ have put it.
The civil service also owes the public an explanation for why an insane man is roaming the streets without anybody noticing or anybody reporting or any action taken. This is Spore, not N Korea or Mynmar is this?
“Tooth for a tooth”
Now say someone is grievanced by some policy, whose tooth must he go after. Assuming a tooth for a tooth is right, who is going to enforce it. the victim ? you ?or some independent party who has no business to enforce any penalty as his own tooth is never taken out by the culprit in the first place ?
now do you want to go to such extent and what is the guarantee that it won’t be abused by some people who may be too enthusiastic of being on the “good side of the law”.
the price of a being in a ‘civilised society’ is that you need to uphold yourself to a higher standard of treating fellow human beings however tempting it may be to resort to such expedient methods just to prove your point.
“I personally think that hanging a person with 15 gram of drugs is not right. But dare I carry that amount of drugs?? NO. NO. NO.”
On this part, I salute this little part of your conscience as it happens to mirror mine. I feel that taking a life in this context is not right at all as there are fitting punishments like long-term jail and caning.
likewise I feel that drugs are a bane to society as they destroy lives.
One day, I heard a voice saying, “THIS IS GOD, THIS IS GOD, do u HEAR me, THIS IS GOD, how are u feeling now!
ya HE found God of no mercy with him.
#70) KopitiamApek on June 10th, 2009 9.38 pm
‘Quite sad to read all these comments on a fellow human that was burnt. Blinded by so much hatred. ‘
…………………………………………………
Many have suppressed their feelings and anger not against SHT but the PAP. I have heard such comments at kopitiams. Sad that First World Singaporeans have to behave like this. Who is responsible?
87) Edward
////. Sad that First World Singaporeans have to behave like this. Who is responsible?////
So an eye for an eye is justice to you?
Is that is the democracy that you are ranting for?
87) Edward
///Sad that First World Singaporeans have to behave like this///
Actually it is fortunate that only the ranters loike you in TOC behave like this, there is a world out there, that may not agree with you.
EHM! I thought I heard LKY’s voice last night while I was sleeping. When I woke up, it was my bloody neighbour quarelling.
gemami,
bless u, u escaped from hell by an inch.
To 85) Think b4u tok,
Thinktok is just stating a fact.
You can keep your irrational exuberance to yourself.
The day “He” was mistaken for being a waiter…
“Even the prickly Lee Kuan Yew hastened to visit the club, only to have the mortification of being mistaken for a waiter.?
http://www.counterpunch.org/bohemian.html
85) Angelina
///The civil service also owes the public an explanation for why an insane man is roaming the streets without anybody noticing or anybody reporting or any action taken. This is Spore, not N Korea or Mynmar is this?////
A huge army of civil service woiuld be needed to comb every street daily to rid it of
‘insane man roaming the streets ‘. Are we willing to pay for that? As it is, there are so much ranting that we are spending too much on the civil service. Some contradiction here.
How about the responsibilty of the family to keep the “insane” man in a safe place, or bring him to IMH?
85) Angelina
///The civil service also owes the public an explanation for why an insane man is roaming the streets without anybody noticing or anybody reporting or any action taken. This is Spore, not N Korea or Mynmar is this?////
What’s the difference between N Korea and S’pore? There are more similarities, the most obvious is nepotism and lthe errie lack of transparencies.
My neighbour the 80yr old man who collects carton boxes for a living was met with a car accident while picking up cartons at the roadside. He was hospitalised around the same time as SHT.
While SHIT (oh i mean SHT) gets multiple visits by the supreme immortal LKY and have sweet whispers by the old man into his newly grafted ears, my neighbour the poor old man got multiple letters threatening to re-possess his house if he defaults further on his bill payment, and shouts from the stern nurse for peeing in his hospital bed again.
97) ahKao
Is your neighbour living alone?
98) KopitiamApek,
No. Like the infamous (oh I mean famous) father, son and wife team, he is also living with his son and daughter-in-law. Damn son’s kinda ahkua, good for nothing and keeps leeching unto the father for support, while daughter-in-law gambles away all his life savings. Story sounds familiar ?
99) ahKao
so sad