He had a long history of depression, having been diagnosed with it in 1976.

Former coffee shop worker Tan Woon Teck, 70, who had a treatment history with the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and Changi Prison Hospital, also had suicidal tendencies.

When he was sacked from his job earlier this year, he decided to kill himself by setting himself on fire in an open-air carpark at Lorong Bachok in Geylang at around 10pm on May 31.

In an inquiry into his death yesterday, State Coroner Marvin Bay said Mr Tan appeared prone to taking extreme measures to express his mounting despair from the obstacles in his life.

Coroner Bay, who ruled his death as suicide, added: “Mr Tan was an impulsive individual who has had documented antecedents with the criminal justice system in the past, and seemed ill-equipped to manage his arising work problems and personal crises in a considered, balanced and rational manner.”

The coroner said that Mr Tan was first examined at Changi Prison Hospital on Jan 12, 1976. He had been referred there for insomnia, low mood and attempted suicide.

He was diagnosed with reactive depression and received treatment from an IMH visiting psychiatrist. Court papers did not mention why he was in prison at the time.

Ten years later, he was charged with rape and was remanded at the same hospital for a psychiatric assessment. He was found to be depressed, said Coroner Bay.

Court papers did not mention the outcome of the rape case.

Mr Tan had no family members here and he had thought about committing suicide about five years ago.

His long-term benefactor, Madam Teo Kim Hong, recalled spotting him carrying a metal container filled with either kerosene or petrol.

He told her that he wanted to die because he had no place to stay after he was evicted from his Lorong Bachok home.

PLACE TO STAY

She managed to dissuade him and offered him a place to stay at a fitness centre on the same road. He also managed to find a job at a coffee shop at Block 119, Aljunied Avenue 2.

Coroner Bay said: “In the past five years, Mr Tan had never posed any problem to Madam Teo and appeared able to take care of himself and also secure gainful employment.”

But in May this year, he had a dispute with a colleague over work matters. He admitted to Madam Teo that he had assaulted her because she “talked bad about him”.

He could not find another job after his then-boss sacked him on May 11.

Mr Tan did not return to the fitness centre after May 27.

When he finally showed up four days later, he told Madam Teo about his plight, thanked her for everything she had done for him, and cryptically told her to read the following day’s newspapers.

About an hour later, Madam Teo heard a commotion at the carpark and found out he had set himself on fire. Mr Tan died of extensive burns at Tan Tock Seng Hospital on June 1.

ashaffiq@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on October 28, 2016.
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A video of a woman berating and slapping an old male cyclist that was uploaded on social media.

The video was posted on SG Hard Truth Community Facebook page.

It’s unclear when or where the incident happened.

According to the video caption, the old man was pushed down and slapped by the young woman, after he rang his bell at her twice.

The lady was seen yelling at this man, pointing right at his face, and even placed her leg on the cycle at one point.

Most of the audio is rather muffled but she did mention that she just got released from prison and warned the old man not to mess with her.

Frustrated, she even raised her hand so slap the old man and started shouting:

“You want to fight? Fight ah, fight!”

Many netizens felt that what this woman did was disrespectful and voiced their opinions in the comments.

“Look at the way she talked and behaved. Absolutely disgusting. To lay hands like that on another person is revolting,” said a commenter.

“You are a disgrace to all women. Behaving so uncivilised with such an unscrupulous behaviour,” said another.

“Hitting anybody be it young or old is already wrong! It doesn’t matter what the reason is! Hope the authorities will go after you!”

What do you think about her unruly behaviour? Watch the video and let us know!

The Land Transport Authority is probing a case in which a 69-year-old bus passenger fell flat on his back in a Tower Transit bus when it braked suddenly.

Mr Loy Chee Bin suffered a spinal nerve injury near his neck in the Aug 29 incident and remains in hospital.

“He is unable to move his lower limbs and right arm and is undergoing rehabilitative therapy at the community hospital in Ang Mo Kio,” said his son, Mr Joseph Loy, 39, yesterday.

The LTA’s probe could, among other things, establish if a car swerving into the path of the bus caused it to brake suddenly.

It is believed to be the first serious incident on a Tower Transit bus since the company began operating on May 29, taking over several routes from SBS Transit.

Its debut as Singapore’s third bus operator marked a key step in the restructuring of the bus industry to raise service standards.

Mr Loy had boarded the Tower Transit service 143 along New Bridge Road in Chinatown and was walking towards the rear of the vehicle when it came to a sudden stop and he lost his balance, said his son.

Mr Loy, a cabby for 30 years, was heading home after having taken a test to renew his vocational licence. He was taken to the Singapore General Hospital, where he underwent surgery.

He was there for two weeks before being transferred for a fortnight to St Luke’s Hospital and then to the Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kuan community hospital.

His son said the bill for the first two hospital stays has come up to $18,000 and was mostly paid through his father’s MediShield Life and Medisave account. It would have exceeded $48,000 if not for the government subsidy, he said.

“After the operation , he lost the power of his arms and legs. The doctors have done all they can and it would take a miracle for him to fully regain use of his limbs.

“My father is a restless and active man who jogged frequently and this accident has affected him emotionally,” said Mr Loy.

He said the bus company had sent a basket of fruits and a goodwill note while two company staff members visited his father last week.

Tower Transit Singapore said in a statement yesterday: “For anyone who steps on board a Tower Transit bus, or into one of our bus interchanges, we go to great lengths to make sure they come away feeling safe and warmly served.

“Mr Loy was one of our passengers and we’re committed to assisting him, his son Joseph and the rest of his family in every possible way during this difficult time.”

Mr Loy’s lawyer, Mr Steven Lam, said he will be contacting the insurance underwriters and the company for further details on the case.

This article was first published on Oct 28, 2016.
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Christmas in Orchard Road this year will not only bring with it its usual glitz and glamour, but also a vehicle-free road for a day in November and better fire safety.

A stretch of road between Scotts Road and Bideford Road will be closed between 3pm and 11pm on Nov 12, the day the light-up is officially launched.

The shopping belt will come alive in hues of blue, turquoise and sapphire, as performances, gift stalls and food trucks ring in the Christmas spirit early.

The road closure in Orchard during the Christmas season is a first, but the same stretch has previously closed for Pedestrian Night, a monthly event organised by the Orchard Road Business Association (Orba) and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board.

“We don’t have the resources to hold it every month. We are trying it in this format, pegging it to anchor events,” Orba executive director Steven Goh said yesterday.

Pedestrian Night last ran in February this year and has been under review since.

Orba, which is also behind the annual Christmas light-up in Orchard Road, said fire safety has been ramped up.

It follows two incidents involving decorations last December. Street decorations outside Peranakan Place along the shopping strip caught fire, while a Christmas tree outside Knightsbridge mall also went up in flames.

Read also: With Deepavali coming, is it too early for Xmas decor in Orchard?

Orba chairman Mark Shaw said the fires last year were unfortunate.

“We have hired external consultants, and tried to ensure at the production stage that the electronics used are more robust,” he said.

Mr Goh said that, for the first time, the lights being used have been subjected to heat and water as part of testing.

“The public come in touch with these decorations, so safety is the ultimate concern. We will do whatever is possible to make the light-up as safe as possible,” Mr Goh said.

Fire concerns aside, Orchard Road promises to dazzle.

A 2.9km stretch from Tanglin Mall to Plaza Singapura will be adorned with more than 60km of LED lights. Taking centre stage will be a reindeer and orbs containing stars.

Alongside the street decorations will be seven sets of light installations. Five, like those outside Wheelock Place, Orchard Building and Wisma Atria, will react to visitors’ movements.

Last year, the Christmas light-up attracted 5.8 million visitors, and Mr Shaw said he hopes the turnout will be similar or higher this year.

“The purpose of the Orchard Road light-up isn’t just to drive spending. It’s also to bring the Christmas spirit to Orchard Road.”

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Photo Gallery

Xmas decor in S’pore up as early as Oct this year

Source:

The Straits Times

The New Paper

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This article was first published on Oct 28, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.