Tag: Singaporeans

Sabah Quake Victim Muhammad Daanish Amran Remebered As Always Happy

“He was looking forward to this Mount Kinabalu trip,” shared Syafiq Abdul Ghani, a close friend of Muhammad Daanish Amran, the Singaporean adventure guide who lost his life in the Sabah Quake last week. That was the last time Syafiq spoke to Daanish.

The 22-year-old’s final trip was with Tanjong Katong Primary School on an expedition. Along with seven others from Singapore, he did not make it down the mountain.

Syafiq met Daanish in 2011 when they were both volunteers with a Malay youth literary association, 4PM. They soon became fast friends. The group of volunteers often participated in activities together and had regular gatherings. “He was always excited about doing his job, he was always happy, he was always looking forward to every next project, every next event,” Syafiq told Channel NewsAsia.

Another volunteer from the association, Mysara Mohamad Aljaru, remembers Daanish with equal fondness. “From the mischievous grin he always had on his face to our inside jokes and ‘deep talks’, he always never failed to annoy yet cheer me up when I was feeling down. Daanish was someone who accepted you as you were, I never once felt I had to be someone else around him.”

On Monday (Jun 8), the Day of National Remembrance for the Sabah earthquake victims, both Syafiq and Mysara attended Daanish’s burial at the Muslim Cemetery at Lim Chu Kang. The burial took place in the morning between the hours of 9am and 11am.

“His father had a stoic look on his face,” said Charles Phang, a producer of INSIGHT, who filmed the video. “He definitely seemed as if he had accepted what had happened.”

Daanish, an eldest child and graduate of Nanyang Polytechnic, had been working as a freelance adventure instructor for 2-3 years. According to his friends, he was passionate about the outdoors and leading people.

For the full story on the Sabah Quake, don’t miss the special episode of INSIGHT: When the Earth Rumbles this Thursday (June 11), 8pm on Channel NewsAsia.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

June 10, 2015
Indranee Rajah: Heroes Of Sabah Quake And Singaporeans’ Reactions A Reminder Of What It Means Be Part Of Singapore Family

Being Singaporean

On this National Day of Remembrance, it was brought home to me once again what it means to be Singaporean.

This day was for us to remember those who died in the Sabah quake -Terrence (the teacher), Daanish (the adventure guide) and Peony, Ameer, Emilie, Matahom, Rachel and Sonia (the students), while we hope against hope for Mohammad Ghazi and Navdeep Singh who are still missing.

At the SEA Games, we scored golds, including getting our first ever netball gold yesterday, and breaking the 50m freestyle record today.

Happiness mingled with sadness.

I visited Sonia’s wake today. I was touched by her family’s strength and fortitude. Her parents mourned her death but they also celebrated how much she achieved in her young life. They said to know her was to love her.

In their grief, they generously remembered others, making it a point to tell Minister Heng Swee Keat and myself how much they appreciated the support from the principal and teachers of TKPS, as well as the MOE team in Sabah, with an especial word of thanks for DS Lim Boon Wee, and to the SAF for bringing them and Sonia home.

Her mum said Sonia was an avid netball player. She played Wing Defence. She had attended the first few matches of our national netball team in the SEA Games to cheer them on before leaving for Sabah and was sorry that she was going to miss the netball final because of her trip.

Her uncle told me that our national netballers came to see Sonia today. They came to show their support for family of the girl who had supported them. They gave Sonia the hexagonal light medallion from the SEA games pack, signed with their names – so she now has her own SEA games netball “medal”. Their thoughtful gesture and solidarity for Sonia meant a lot to the family.

Also attended Terrence’s wake this evening. CNA reported a parent as saying that Terrence had “helped a bunch” before going back up again to help others. His selflessness saved others. His family can be proud of him, even as they mourn him. Friends, NS mates, ex-students, teacher colleagues, neighbours and relatives were all there to lend support the family.

This reminded me anew what it means to be Singaporean – strength,courage, duty, kindness – and being there for each other, in joy or sorrow, good times and bad. This is what it is to be part of the Singapore family.

Source: Indranee Rajah

June 10, 2015
Bodies Of Missing Tanjong Katong Primary Student And Teacher Found

The bodies of the remaining missing pupil and teacher from Tanjong Katong Primary School have been identified, said the Ministry of Education on Wednesday.

“We are saddened to inform that the Malaysian authorities have confirmed that Navdeep Singh Jaryal s/o Raj Kumar and Mohammad Ghazi Bin Mohamed are amongst the persons who perished at Kota Kinabalu,” said the statement.

“Their next-of-kin have been informed. Their remains will return to Singapore upon completion of further forensic tests. This is expected to take some time. We will continue to provide support to the families during this difficult time.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

June 10, 2015
South Koreans In Singapore Exercise Caution In Travel Plans

Having kept a close watch on news about the spread of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) back home, South Koreans living in Singapore said they were concerned for their friends and family, but also expect the situation to improve as the government in Seoul appears to have stepped up containment efforts in recent days.

Nonetheless, some told TODAY they would exercise caution in their travel plans.

“I think it’s under control. I was reading the Korean newspaper yesterday about the President saying the government is taking action to control (the spread) within this week,” said Mr Will Jeong, director of Korean barbecue restaurant, Oh Neul Han Jeom.

The 45-year-old added that he had been planning on flying back to South Korea to visit his younger brother and friends, but had since postponed his trip until the next school holidays in September, or even later.

He said he was concerned for his family back home. “It’s bad for business too, as everyone stays at home. There are no gatherings outside now,” he added.

Mr Aum Kyoung Hwan, 45, said he has not cancelled plans to return to Seoul in two weeks with his wife and two teenage children. He added that they would wear masks and take the necessary precautionary measures while in the country, but pointed out that it appeared that “only the old or the very old, and the weak and not-so-healthy people have been affected”.

Meanwhile, Ms Kim Ji Yeon, owner of Chowon Garden Korean Restaurant, will not risk going back to her hometown just yet. With two children aged 10 months and three years, she said she was “scared because they are very young”.

“(MERS used to affect) older people. Now, pregnant women are also getting infected. I think it is wise to avoid crowded places and hospitals in cities (in South Korea),” the 35-year-old said.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

June 10, 2015
Dr. Fined $2000 For Administering Chemo Drug Wrongly

A young doctor who administered a chemotherapy drug the wrong way, putting the patient at risk of “severe neurological damage”, has been fined S$2,000 by the Singapore Medical Council (SMC).

Dr Garuna Murthee Kavitha, 32, had given the drug intrathecally, or into the membrane of the spinal cord, when she should have fed it intravenously to the patient.

The error stemmed from the ward sending the wrong medicine, which Dr Kavitha did not check, the SMC’s disciplinary tribunal heard on April 21. She pleaded guilty to the charge.

In mitigation, the lawyer acting for Dr Kavitha, who was practising as a Medical Officer at Singapore General Hospital, said the error was unintentional and stressed that she had disclosed the error immediately.

She also never shied away from accepting responsibility and was a very young doctor who had learnt from this incident, her lawyer added. In contrast, previous similar cases saw more senior doctors being involved, while the errors took longer to detect before the patient was informed, and even medical records had been tampered with.

Testimonials from Dr Kavitha’s superiors and colleagues, as well as feedback from the family of another patient were also submitted during the hearing.

While it noted the “strong” testimonials attested to Dr Kavitha’s work ethic and integrity, as well as her Best Medical Officer award by SingHealth in 2013, the SMC’s disciplinary tribunal said a censure alone was inappropriate. It would not “reflect the seriousness of the conduct, nor would it deter such lapses or preserve public confidence in the medical profession”, it added.

The disciplinary tribunal also censured Dr Kavitha and asked her for a written undertaking that she would not repeat the same conduct, as well as for her to bear the costs and expenses of the inquiry.

Source: www.todayonline.com

June 10, 2015