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Teen blogger who says drowned schoolmate deserves canal death gets bashed
Her assailants were apparently outraged over the Secondary 3 student’s blog, in which she wrote that Debra Koh, 14, the Hillgrove Secondary School student who drowned last week in the Sungei Pandan canal, deserved to die. The blogger, known as Tian Tian, told Lianhe Wanbao that a group of teens, some of whom were believed to be from her school, had attacked her. The attack left Tian Tian with a swollen face and bruises on her arm.  Last week, Tian Tian, accompanied by a male schoolmate, had gone to Debra’s wake to apologise to her family for what she had written on her blog. But just before they arrived, a group of 20 teens pounced on them. Tian Tian alleged that she and her friend were dragged to a multi-storey carpark and viciously beaten up for half an hour. She said she was slapped on the face by a girl from another school more than 20 times. She also alleged that she was kicked in the abdomen about five or six times, and had her head bashed against the wall two or three times. Another two boys kicked and elbowed her friend. While they were being beaten, the other teens stood around egging the attackers on. She said the bashing stopped only after the police arrived following a call from a member of the public. But the attackers managed to flee. Police spokesman Lim Tung Li told The New Paper this morning that police received a call on 24 Apr at about 7.15pm informing them about a large group of youths at a multi-storey carpark at Toh Guan Road. They are now investigating. Tian Tian said the attack left her with a swollen face and has affected her hearing. She will be seeing an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor. SCARED But she’s now afraid to return to school. Her mother, Madam Hu, 40, a businesswoman, said she plans to transfer her to another school as soon as possible. “My daughter should not have written that about (Debra). But what that group of teens did was too much,” she said. Tian Tian said that she now realises her mistake. She told Lianhe Wanbao: “When I wrote in the blog, I did not consider Debra’s family’s feelings. Now I know I was wrong.” Madam Hu also took Tian Tian to Debra’s house yesterday morning to apologise to her mother. They took fruit and biscuits, but no one was home, so they left a note to apologise.
Tian Tian claims that she wrote the blog on impulse because she and Debra had a run-in late last year. She claimed Debra and two friends allegedly beat her up in a HDB void deck. Tian Tian claimed she did not know why she was targeted. She said that beating came after she had removed the offending blog posting and replaced it with an apology. She said that one of Debra’s friends had told her to go to the wake to apologise. And it was when she arrived that she was attacked. Tian Tian estimated that including passerbys, about 50 people witnessed the attack. Tian Tian’s father, 39, a contractor, told Lianhe Wanbao that the day after the beating, a group of teens came to their flat and smashed a flower pot at their doorstep. He said that night at about 12.30am, he had just finished watching TV and was preparing to go to bed when he heard a loud smash outside. He opened the door and saw that one of the flower pots outside the house had been smashed. He said: “I saw three or four teens, about 17 or 18 years old, running towards the lift, but I didn’t see their faces clearly, only that the last person was a girl.” Madam Hu said that her daughter is a decent student who tends to be quiet, so she might be mistaken as cold. When The New Paper checked Tian Tian’s blog this morning, it read: “I sincerely apologise to Debra & her family & friends for what I've wrote. “Let bygones be bygones. Things had past. “I hope that you guys can let the matter rest. And cease (to) talk about it. My condolences to Debra & again, I’m sorry.” Tian Tian also said that when her posting was replicated in other blogs, it was edited to make it seem worse that it was originally. The tragedy happened on 22 Apr at about 3.40pm. Debra and three friends were playing along the Sungei Pandan canal at Bukit Batok West Avenue when the bag they were playing toss with landed in the canal. The four climbed into the canal, which had ankle-deep water at the time, to retrieve the bag. But because of a heavy downpour, the canal flooded suddenly and they were swept away. Three of the teenagers - Toh Shi Hui, 14; Leong Kim Weng, 14; and Alson Chua, 13 – were rescued and suffered only minor injuries. But Debra, an only child, drowned. Her body was found the next day, about 20 hours after she went missing. Labels: Drown
Teen blogger says of girl who drowned: She deserves it
She said Debra deserved it. And boasted that she will 'celebrate the death' by opening a bottle of vodka. Those harsh words were directed at 14-year-old Debra Koh, the girl who was found dead on 23 Apr after drowning in the Sungei Pandan canal. They were allegedly made by a student at Hillgrove Secondary School, the school which Debra went to. The girl claimed Debra had 'whacked' her before. She wrote on her blog: 'Debra is always finding trouble everywhere!' Her blog entry, which was posted before Debra's funeral on 25 Apr, have angered netizens, who decided to 'whack' the blogger back, Lianhe Wanbao reported. Many have questioned her motives for her blog posting. One reply to her post read: 'Isn't she evil to (say) all this? Upon a girl who is dead?' Debra's body was found in a canal near Jalan Buroh Flyover by the Police Coast Guard after she went missing in the Sungei Pandan canal the day before. Debra's friend, Toh Shi Hui, who was with her in the canal, was disgusted when she found out about the blog entry. One of the three survivors of the sudden flood that swept four teenagers away last Sunday, Shi Hui told The New Paper on Sunday yesterday that she was 'confused and angry' over the blog posting. She was told by a schoolmate about the posting at Debra's funeral wake. Shi Hui, 14, who attends the same school as Debra, said: 'Debra is not the blogger's friend or enemy. 'They recognise each other in school, but she doesn't really know Debra very well. 'So when I heard that she wrote all those horrible things about Debra, I was very confused. 'I don't know why anyone would want to write such things when they don't know each other very well.' NOT TRUE Shi Hui, who has known Debra for a year, said she didn't believe that Debra had attacked the girl. She said: 'It never happened. I should know about it if it was true.' Shi Hui and Debra were with two boys - Leong Kim Weng, 14, and Alson Chua, 13 - at the canal near Block 182 Bukit Batok West Avenue 8 last Sunday afternoon. The group was playing a game of toss with a bag that held all their handphones when the bag fell into the canal. The four teenagers went into the canal to get the bag when a sudden flood after a heavy downpour raised the water level quickly and they were swept away by currents. In the blog entry, the girl even taunted Debra to look for her after she died. 'Come, Debra, come. I welcome you. Want come join in my celebration for you? Remember when you come, must gimme signal. 'Don't come boo-ing me from the back,' the entry went. The blog was inaccessible when The New Paper on Sunday tried to access it yesterday evening. Although Alson did not see what was written on the blog, he said he was told of its contents by one of his teachers. He said: 'On Friday, my teacher told me about it. Debra is already dead. Yet, such things are written about her. 'I don't really know how to describe my reaction except to say that I am very angry.' The New Paper on Sunday was unable to get in touch with Kim Weng. Alson studies in Princess Elizabeth Primary, while Kim Weng is in Yusof Ishak Secondary School. Shi Hui and Debra got to know the two boys just this year. Lianhe Wanbao quoted an unnamed female relative of Debra saying that Debra's family was aware of it, but did not wish to pursue the matter. The relative said: 'Debra is already dead. Maybe the person was just venting her frustrations. 'There is no need for us to pursue the matter.' More than 100 schoolmates turned up for Debra's funeral, including her school principal and teachers. Labels: Drown
Changi beach boar found dead
 STOMPer Dennis was making his merry way along Changi Beach at 1100 hrs on 22 Apr when, amongst the debris that low tide brings, he spotted this particular piece of flotsam. Left in wonderment, he questioned if it was drowned on purpose or whether it “could have been a former resident on one of the islands or neighbouring countries?" Labels: Drown
Body of dog found at East Coast
 Chun Kiat, 19, chanced upon this body of a dog at East Coast Park last week. The body was covered in flies. According to him, it was quite a distance from the sea and near to the learning area for inline skaters. He wonders if there was foul play here. Labels: Drown
Dark water
Sinagpore  Water can be dangerous, as painful lessons with the recent number of deaths by drowning prove - like the double tragedy involving two teenage boys who drowned off Pasir Ris Park this month.  With drowning now one of the most common causes of death, the National Water Safety Taskforce is working on improving water safety, and reducing the number of drowning fatalities. Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, outlines the government's initiatives to prevent further drownings. Labels: Drown
'Reincarnate lama' causes stir with arrival!
 The arrival of a 'reincarnate lama' at Changi Airport Terminal 1 caused a large stir on late Tuesday night (3 April), as devotees and onlookers alike rushed to catch a glimpse of the 'living boy Buddha'. Evelyn, 42, was at the airport at about 10pm when she noticed that a number of people seemed to be waiting for one particular person. "I was at the Burger King outlet when I noticed that a number of people had started gathering around the area. In fact, some of them were monks dressed in their robe, so I thought something big will be happening soon." By the time the 'reincarnate lama' arrived out of the gates, carried on an older monk's back, a large group had gathered. "The situation became very chaotic, with many people scrambling to take a photo of him. It was very crowded." This 'reincarnate lama' is a 4-year-old boy named Tenzin Phuntsok Rinpoche. The 14th Dalai Lama recognised him as the reincarnation of the Buddhist practitioner Geshe Lama Konchog. This is Tenzin's first visit to Singapore, and first time stepping out of his birthplace of Nepal and India. He will visit the Thekchen Choling, which is a temple that Geshe Lama Konchog himself instructed to be set up. Labels: Phenomena
Lucky numbers from this statue sighting?
 First, it was the Fortune God statue that got STOMPers talking. Now, yet another religious statue has been spotted on the move. Tan Wen Bin was travelling along Dunearn Road at about 9:30am on Sunday morning (1 Apr) when he saw this statue on the back of a lorry. The excited STOMPer decided to share this piece of good fortune with others. "I took this picture because I don't think you can get to see this statue travelling on the road with you everyday," Wen Bin told STOMP in his email. "It was certainly eye-catching." Hopeful 4D punters might want to try their luck on the number 1046, which was on the license plate of the lorry the statue was being ferried on, according to Wen Bin. Labels: Phenomena |
