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…
Click here to read more.
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
If you like this article, please consider a small donation to help theonlinecitizen.com stay alive. Please note that we can only accept donations from Singaporeans. Thank you for your assistance.Do you have a flair for writing? Volunteer with us. Email us your full name and contact details to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
100) KopitiamApek – “so sad”
What’s even more sad is the mortifying thought that the “fantastic” trio continues to turn a blind eye to the sufferings of the ppl, draw MILLIONS for their own salaries, gamble away ppl’s money, still can get away scot free and remain in their ivory towers. 老天没有眼 !!
95) KopitiamApek on June 12th, 2009 10.47 pm
//”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.”//
Is that how you would really solve the problem??? May be the ‘top talents’ up there are like you, thats why nothing is being done in many simple problems.
If anyone notices any mentally ill people roaming around, do you know what to do? Do you call to inform the authorities? I guess not because you and I know they will do nothing, probably even say there is nothing they can do. They do not need to send an army, they just need to have a procedure in place for dealing with the mentally ill. If the public knows what to do, and the authorities have actions to follow, do you still need the army?
To all Sporean families, supposing someone in your family suddenly lose his/her mind, do you know what to do? There should be phone numbers the family can call, followed by trained staff turning up to take the patient to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment by qualified psychiatrists. If the patient is deemed dangerous to himself or herself and to others, the hospital must retain the patient.
//”How about the responsibilty of the family to keep the “insane” man in a safe place, or bring him to IMH?”//
I would think 10 out of 10 families would want to seek treatment for their them or like you put it, ‘keep’ their “insane” member of the family in a safe place. Isn’t it strange that ST or anyone in a position to do so make no mention of Ong’s family. Why did they not let out a word? It seems to me Ong is not insane after all, and the authorities are covering up something, most likely discrimination by the MP or a bigger issue of exposing bad Govt policy.
If Ong is not insane, they have to conduct a trial to determine the sentencing (otherwise they will live up to their name of kangaroo court), and if there is a trial, Ong will be given a chance to speak his grievances.
102) Angelina
Not send an army, an army of civil servants
102) Angelina
///To all Sporean families, supposing someone in your family suddenly lose his/her mind, do you know what to do? There should be phone numbers the family can call, followed by trained staff turning up to take the patient to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment by qualified psychiatrists. If the patient is deemed dangerous to himself or herself and to others, the hospital must retain the patient.///
IMH
Crisis Helpline
(Psychiatric care and treatment) : 6389 2222
102) Angelina
“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. ”
was in response to
“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?”
thus
///Is that how you would really solve the problem??? May be the ‘top talents’ up there are like you, thats why nothing is being done in many simple problems.///
is getting offtracked,
again moving towards the ever popular stance in TOC posts of generalisation, me victim, blame the gahmen game,
again I am not saying the gahmen is wrong or right,
but stay on track of the question.
the issue is
insane man roam the street,
gahmen not doing anything about it
and from what you seem to suggest to be done by gahmen
is that no insane man should walk the street
otherwise gahmen’s fault
to please the likes of you
gahmen need to have civil servant to carry out the job to ensure no one ever be seen roaming the street, and get the chance to complain
so more civil servant
who pays?
I know the ever popular answer will be the billions lost by Temasek
and if the dogs shit on your front yard, and gahmen not doing anything about it
the answer , the billions lost by Temasek
and if the weather is getting too dung hot beacuse of global warming, and gahmen not doing anything about it
the answer , the billions lost by Temasek
Hatred corrodes the vessel in which it is stored
102) Angelina
Based on 99) ahKao description about the man’s family background,
///. 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 ?/////
if that is true, do you propose that the state should be helping them, and the taxpayer’s pay for it?
TOC Abot us :///It is our hope that through the honest and civil exchange of views, all of us will benefit and perhaps take public discourse, especially on controversial issues, to a higher and mature level.///
“Civil exchange” and “mature level” can be seen in quite a number of the posts by regulars,
but to a certain extend, TOC gets dominated by those who are not tops at “Civil exchange” and “mature level”, and many posts tend to denegerate into government bashing irrespective of the subject, personal attacks of dissending views, and religous quarrelling.
My 2 cents worth of observation.
#90) KopitiamApek on June 11th, 2009 11.25 pm
‘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.’
…………………………………………………..
Apek, I think you have jumped to the wrong conclusion. Nowhere in my post did I mention that ‘an eye for an eye is justice for me’.
What I am asking is “Who is responsible?” for First World Singaporeans behaving like this.
109) Edward
Thank you for clarifying.
Another brainwashing article by ST !!
KopitiamApek
Do you think I have gone off track with the insanity issue because the MP is NOT actually attacked by an insane man. If he is like what was published, a life could have been taken and you think the Govt should not address the issue. Why did we have headline like “Don’t mix religion with politics” when one pastor spoke at the pulpit. In this case, a life could have been taken, why had ST not publish a statement from the Govt “Don’t keep insane member at home” or “Public to report insane”. Why also was there no mention at all concerning Ong’s family in the reports?
OK, say you are right, don’t blame the Govt. Who should address the issue of mentally ill people? People should know, its common sense? And when? Wait till there is another report of attack by an insane man? Actually I think there are many such attacks except that the victim is not an MP or somebody significantly PAP. I heard of insane attacking with knives or throwing children down from high rise flats.
Let me tell you the reason why the Govt remained totally quiet in this particular incident. Its because Ong is NOT insane at all. So I am not off track because if Ong is actually insane, there will be statements taken from the family, there will be headlines telling the public what to do.
If they do not pin Ong down as insane, many dirty things will be exposed in court during the trial.
Hi KopitiamApek,
I have taken the liberty to make some modifications as follows:
the issue is
insane man roam the street,
gahmen not doing anything about it
and from what you seem to suggest to be done by gahmen
is that no insane man should walk the street
otherwise gahmen’s fault
to please the likes of you
gahmen need to have civil servant to carry out the job to ensure no one ever be seen roaming the street, and get the chance to complain
so more civil servant
who pays?
I know the ever popular answer will be “MP pays in millions, hence I expect superman performance”
and if the dogs shit on your front yard, and gahmen not doing anything about it
the answer , “MP pays in millions, hence I expect superman performance”
and if the weather is getting too dung hot beacuse of global warming, and gahmen not doing anything about it
the answer , “MP pays in millions, hence I expect superman performance”
Anyway, I think “billions lost by Temasek” actually equates to “poor investment judgement”; and in my opinion, the issue is not really the billions lost, or “MP pays in millions, hence I expect superman performance”, it’s more on the accountability and transparency that is lacking.
I happens to have some money in CPF over decades of contributions, I am worried that I will never see my money if situation continues to worsen. As a commoner, I hope the government can have more transparency and accountability as it translates to some form of “assurance” that they are taking care of “my money” and that I will see “some of my money” when I retire.
However, my confidence continues to drop when I see one bad news (losses) after another, from foreign media (sigh). Without any accountability and transparency, I brace myself that one day, someone will inform me that all my money in CPF is gone. Hence, I am making backup plans since the beginning of the crisises to ensure that I won’t have to collect “cardbox” or “drink cans” should I retire.
Meanwhile, I think the call for more accountability and transparency cannot be brush aside lightly given the current economic climate. – I last read the report today that singapore is expected to have -10% GDP at the end of the year and no recovery is still insight. Most likely a L-shape forecast for this year. This is going to be a tough long year for “some” singaporeans. I dare not think about next year at the moment.
Even if ministers are NOT paid millions, we still expect them to do a good job if they want to be elected again. If this country has more dog dungs in front of people’s properties and on the streets, if this country has more mad people roaming the streets, if this country is infested with rats, if food poisoning is getting common, if labour exploitation gets worse, I for one will take into consideration when voting, that is, if I have a chance to vote.
To those who say ‘dung in peoples front door oso Govt’s fault’, am sure you will be the ones heaping praises on GOVT when Spore is ranked cleanest in the world!
To those who say ‘mad people roaming the street oso blame Govt’, should you become a victim one day, just assume its the family who do not want to do anything about it.
“108) KopitiamApek on June 14th, 2009 12.13 am
My 2 cents worth of observation.”
Apek, you are not worth 1/2 cent, let alone 1 cent.
112) Angelina
113) Dumb and Dumber
Hi Angelina and “Dumb and Dumber”
Thank you for your reponses.
Angelina,
Thank you for your clairification. I now see where you are coming from, that the “insane” man is actually not insane at all, and the gahmen ‘s covering up the issue by saying that that guy is insane. I belivee you have your reasons to come to that conclusion and I respect that.
“Dumb and Dumber”
I have no issue with what you wrote in your last 4 paras.
There is a place for what you have wrote, but shouldn’t it be more relevant when it is in, say any of the numerous subjects matters in TOC on the loss of Temasek. Otherwise we are not helping TOC to have posts that are staying on track to the subject matter. That is my view. I hope you can see where I am coming from.
Let’s be honest, are most of you feeling really glad in his recovery?
This is classic bad handling of the case by civil service and brushed aside as if Sporeans are goons.
If Ong is NOT insane, how can ST issue a statement that he is, who was the source for ST? Why was he made out to be insane, is it a mistake or intentional? Why intentional?
If he is indeed insane, what had gone wrong that he was not at IMH in the first place and now that he is there, what treatment will he receive? How can the public be safeguarded?
I suppose there won’t be any answers and Sporeans won’t be bothered about it anyway. Spore Civil Service continues to be in the top rungs in Asia and ST continues to receive awards. This is the way things go in Spore, case closed!
who is this guy, i got no idea?
Did he do some great contributions to Singapore? Else he is just another patient.
doctorwho, in case your question is regarding ‘ST’ it is Straits Times, the newspaper that won so many awards that I am referring to.
119) Angelina
There is one thing that Singapore is also number one but not publicly bragged about. IMH is the largest mental institution on the face of this planet. In terms of number of patients. To be objective, it is possible that those in other countries could be smaller because they have a few institutions, whereas we centralised them in one.
There is also another lesser known place, an aged home for the elderly mental patients, housing over 600 of them.
we dont support violence
but we ask, if people are shut off from voting by GRC and heavily biased MSM, how could we seek help and let off frustration ?
when a people is down and out, imprisonment does not deter him as much as to an rational mind
are YCK grass-root who help the MP Seng are a helpful lot or just arrogant lot ?
another un-related finding
Seng got his MBA after a diploma in SIM, is this recognized in public service ?
I pity him. Someone else deserve this instead on him.
Take care Mr Seng. Rest well.
We are Singaporean, we will look out for Singaporean interest
at all time. Not like some ppl masquerading as one while
drawing tons of pay.