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ESCAPE GONE WRONG
Singapore  JASMINE Seah was the sort of girl with a lot to live for. In school, the 15-year-old was popular, had many friends, was well-liked by teachers, and was doing well in her studies. The girl, who was of Thai-Singapore parentage, stood out because of her cutie-pie looks. She had a boyfriend and even took up a job as a part-time waitress. Then, barely a fortnight ago, she did something foolish. She had a quarrel with her mother, who stopped her from going out when it was late at night. Unhappy, Jasmine decided to sneak out from the window of her fourth-storey flat after midnight. It was not known what her parents were doing then. But while trying to climb out of the kitchen window, she appeared to have slipped or lost her grip. She fell four floors and lay unconscious. The incident happened at Block 531, Bedok North Street 3 in the early hours of 3 Jun. A police spokesman said they received a call about the incident at about 1.30am. Jasmine was rushed to Changi General Hospital but was pronounced dead at 2pm. Police are investigating the case as an unnatural death. Click to see larger image When The New Paper on Sunday team visited Jasmine's family last week, they were still in shock. Her Thai mother, who declined to be named, said: 'She was just a kid. During the old kampung days, kids would sneak out from the windows to play when parents don't let them go out of the house. 'But the houses we live in today are different.' Tears welled up in her eyes and she refused further comment. Jasmine has a younger sister. GOOD DAUGHTER Jasmine's father said she was a good daughter and he never had to worry about her schoolwork. She was a Secondary 3 student at Pasir Ris Secondary School and a member of the school's National Cadet Corp squad. 'Now that she is gone, we don't want to talk about her,' her father said in Mandarin. Jasmine's boyfriend could not be reached for comment. Before she died, Jasmine had worked briefly as a part-time waitress at cafe-bar George's in East Coast. A few hours before she fell to her death, she had called a manager there. The 21-year-old manager, who wanted to be known only as Gilbert, told The New Paper on Sunday: 'She had called to say that she couldn't work anymore, but she did not give any reason for her resignation.' He said Jasmine had worked for only two nights. 'After she said she was leaving, she asked if she could collect her two nights' pay. I told her 'yes' and told her to come after 11pm,' Gilbert recalled. 'She did not turn up.' Gilbert learned about Jasmine's death the day after she fell. He handed her salary, about $80, to her parents. Gilbert added: 'At her wake, her aunt told me that she had a quarrel with her mother who refused to let her go out that night. It's a pity that she died this way.' Also at the wake was Mrs Lee-Yap Foong Mui, the school's vice-principal, who was there with some of Jasmine's classmates. She told The New Paper on Sunday that Jasmine was a 'well-behaved girl'. 'She was a cheerful girl and her grades were above average,' Mrs Lee said. ALL DRESSED UP A neighbour, who wanted to be known as only Mr Lee, said he saw Jasmine lying motionless at the foot of the block and she was all dressed up, with her handbag and handphone in her hand. Mr Lee, who is in his 40s, was watching a movie on TV when he heard a loud thud. 'About five minutes later, I heard a woman screaming from upstairs and she ran down the stairs. She was hysterical.' The owner of a provision shop at Jasmine's block remembered her. 'It's a pity. She used to frequent the Internet shop next door and bought drinks from me. She has a pretty face that you'll not forget.' Labels: Misadventure
Hydrogen gas trailer flips
 General Manager Mr Khin M M, 59, was extremely concerned when he saw this trailer lying sideways at Jalan Boon Lay towards Jurong Island this morning (10 June) at 8.20am. Alarm bells started ringing when he passed by the same area one hour later at 9.20am to find that the trailer was still unmoved. The driver was nowhere in sight. Mr Khin who works in the engineering industry recognized the red cylinders in the trailer as containing hydrogen gas, making the vehicle highly flammable. He said he did not witness how the trailer collapsed but was relieved that no explosion occurred. STOMP confirmed with the SCDF that the trailer was indeed transporting 12 cylinders containing hydrogen gas. According the SCDF incident log, the SCDF received a call at 8.11am and arrived at the scene at 8.15am. A fire engine was sent to check if there were any leakages. None was detected. The owner company of the trailer then sent two cranes to upright it, and a tow-truck brought it back to company’s site. The trailer has been removed, and the driver of the trailer was reported to be have suffered minor injuries but was not taken to hospital. Police say the clear for the road was given at 11am and it was opened to motorists after that. Labels: Misadventure
SLIDE & SMASH
Boy is flung out of slide and hits pole. Second swimming pool incident in 2 days WITH the school holidays on, Putera Mohd Azahar was looking forward to a trip to the swimming pool.  WITH the school holidays on, Putera Mohd Azahar was looking forward to a trip to the swimming pool.But what was supposed to be a fun day at the pool turned into a painful and bloody experience for the 11-year-old. His parents took him and his two younger sisters to the Yio Chu Kang Swimming Complex at around 5.30pm on Sunday. Putera also has two older siblings. The pool was crowded, but the children had a go at the 2m-high water slide in the children's pool several times. Their father, Mr Mohd Hisham Sapandi, 38, waited for them at the bottom of the slide to catch them as they came down. On Putera's fourth time down the slide, Mr Hisham watched in horror as the boy flew out of the slide. His face slammed into a metal pole near the slide before he fell into the water. He began bleeding profusely from the mouth and chin. Mr Mohd Hisham, who was about 1.5m away, rushed to his son and got him out of the water. He said: 'There was so much blood on his face and body. I quickly cupped his jaw to prevent him from moving it. I was afraid he had broken his jaw.' This was the second swimming pool incident in two days. On Saturday, 6-year-old Anna Lim drowned in a Sentosa hotel pool. Mr Mohd Hisham, an odd-job labourer, said he wasn't sure what to do next. There was an attendant whom he took to be a lifeguard nearby, but she did nothing to help, he claimed. TISSUE PAPER A woman sitting nearby rushed to pass him some tissue paper. 'After a while, I heard another woman shout to the attendant to do something,' said Mr Mohd Hisham. He claimed the attendant walked towards his son, took a look at him and walked away. 'She looked inexperienced and didn't do anything to help,' he added.  Minutes later, a senior lifeguard came and told them to go with him into an office.There, he tried to stem the bleeding and clean the wounds. Mr Hisham said he asked for an ambulance, but the lifeguard said there was no need for one as the injury was minor. 'He said the injury was not serious, and it would heal by itself. He said if I wanted to, I could take my son to a clinic,' claimed Mr Hisham. But Mr Hisham wasn't convinced. He said: 'I knew Putera was quite badly injured, so I wanted to take him to the hospital.' The family walked about 500m to the main road, with Mr Hisham supporting Putera, and caught a cab to KK Women's and Children's Hospital. Although it was quite an ordeal for Putera, he didn't cry. Said Mr Mohd Hisham: 'Luckily I happened to have just enough money in my pocket to take the taxi.' At the hospital, Putera was sedated and given six stitches inside his mouth and another four on the outside. He was found to have multiple lacerations on his face and lower lip. One of his teeth is also slightly chipped. However, an X-ray showed he didn't break any bones and he was allowed to go home later that night. Putera, who can't eat or talk properly now, said he remembers flying off the slide. He told his parents he was scared of going on the slide again. Mr Mohd Hisham and his family want answers. Why didn't the lifeguards do more to help? Why didn't they offer to call a taxi? Mr Mohd Hisham, who earns less than $1,000 a month, said: 'I don't earn very much. I took them swimming because it was something I could afford.' Entry to public swimming pools costs 50 cents to $2 per person. 'Now, I've to think about the medical bills too,' said Mr Mohd Hisham. Labels: Misadventure
Cake smashed, aunty dead
SHE was on her way to her sister's house to celebrate her niece's first birthday. Madam Salimah Ithnin was in the back seat of this Nissan Sunny when it crashed. In the car with Madam Salimah Ithnin, 40, her mother, sister and brother-in-law, was the cake they had bought for the little girl. But they never made it to the party. Their car collided with an oncoming car on Saturday at 8.15pm, at the junction of Mandai and Mandai Lake roads. Madam Salimah suffered serious head injuries and died at the National University Hospital (NUH) about three hours later, reported Shin Min Daily News. Another female passenger, who was sitting next to her in the backseat, suffered multiple fractures and was in intensive care at NUH. The eight people in the other vehicle, a Malaysian-registered Volvo SUV, suffered minor injuries. All 12 were taken to hospital in four ambulances. Madam Salimah's sister and brother-in-law had planned a celebration for their daughter's first birthday at their Jurong home that day. The couple, both 30, drove their Nissan Sunny to Madam Salimah flat in Jurong to fetch her and her mother to the party. According to the sister's mother-in-law, they left the house at about 7pm. MUM HAD COOKED UP FEAST The 49-year-old housewife told Shin Min Daily: 'My son said that besides picking them up, he would also buy a birthday cake on the way, so they would be back at 8:30pm. 'I had already cooked a feast and was waiting for them.' The children who were in the Malaysian-registered car were slightly hurt. Instead, she received a phone call with news of the terrible crash. 'My daughter-in-law kept crying over the phone,' she said. She told Lianhe Wanbao: 'They had already bought a cake, the house was all decorated.  'Now, (Madam Salimah) won't have the chance to celebrate birthdays with her nieces and nephews again.'She added that Madam Salimah had quit her job several years ago to look after her 66-year-old mother, who suffers from arthritis and other ailments. She said that Madam Salimah's mother's arm was seriously injured and needed surgery. She was taken straight to the operating theatre after the accident, so she does not know that her daughter was dead. Said mother-in-law: 'We still don't dare to tell her.' She added that her son suffered a broken leg, while Madam Salimah's sister had minor injuries. The driver of the SUV, a 45-year-old bank employee, told reporters that he took his family to Singapore to visit the Night Safari that night. The family, who is from Johor, was planning to go to Sentosa yesterday. His wife and five children, aged between 5 and 17, and his brother-in-law were also in the car when the accident took place. He said that the family does not have close friends in Singapore, so they will cut their trip short and return to Malaysia in taxis.  He said: 'Our car was destroyed, but my family suffered minor injures, so I am thankful for that.'When Shin Min Daily News visited the accident site, the two crumpled vehicles were still there. There was broken glass all over the road. Blood stains were still visible on the ground. Lying on the grass just metres from the Nissan Sunny, still in its plastic bag, was the squashed birthday cake. Labels: Misadventure
S'pore PR killed by falling branch at MacRitchie. Witness says:
There was blood all over the place AS they trekked along the MacRitchie nature walk in heavy rain and strong winds, Mr Nguyen Ngoc Quang forged ahead.  The next moment, he was lying on the ground, bleeding from his head. A falling tree branch had landed on his head, knocking him to the ground, soon after he and his group completed the HSBC TreeTop Walk. The software engineer, 26, died soon after at the scene. His younger brother, who wanted to be known only as Mr Nguyen, told The New Paper that everything had happened so fast that he didn't even see how the tree branch had struck his brother. The Nguyens, originally from Vietnam, are permanent residents here. The brother, a student at Nanyang Technological University, said he and his brother were on the MacRitchie trail with three others, including his brother's girlfriend. Mr Nguyen, 24, said: 'My brother was walking in front of me at that time. 'The next thing I knew, he was lying on the ground unconscious and bleeding profusely from the head.' He called the police immediately on his handphone. Park rangers were notified around 1.45pm and two of them rushed to the scene. Mr Nguyen declined to give more details about the incident and his brother's background. A person who was at the scene told The New Paper that the situation was chaotic. The woman, who declined to be identified, said: 'The friends were frantic and there was blood all over the place. 'I could see one man was injured and lying on the ground. The four friends who were with him were not hurt.' The New Paper understands that Mr Nguyen was still breathing when the park rangers arrived to render first-aid. He was pronounced dead at 2.30pm. The incident took place on the Petaling Trail that leads from the TreeTop Walk. It is part of the long hiking routes in MacRitchie Nature Reserve. This is the fourth fatal accident in which Singaporeans or permanent residents were killed by falling trees or branches. Dr Leong Chee Chiew, chief operating officer of National Parks Board (NParks), said it was raining heavily with a strong wind at the time. He said in a press statement: 'It is the National Parks' standard practice to close the gate to the TreeTop Walk during bad weather. 'In this case, the gate (to the TreeTop Walk) was closed when it started to drizzle, but unfortunately, the group involved in the incident had already passed through.' Dr Leong added that the branch that had killed Mr Nguyen is from a big forest tree, known as Litsea. The tree is about 30m tall. At press time, NParks could not confirm the size of the branch that killed Mr Nguyen. 'We are very saddened by the incident and wish to convey our condolences to the family of the deceased,' said Dr Leong. Around 5pm, the younger Mr Nguyen and his friends, were brought to the ranger station about 500m from the start of the TreeTop Walk. The girlfriend appeared shaken and was crying. She was too distraught to speak to reporters. They sat on one side and conversed with each other in Vietnamese. Soon after, 10 of Mr Nguyen's friends arrived at the ranger station. They were seen comforting MrNguyen and his brother's girlfriend in Vietnamese. The group waited for Mr Nguyen's body to be brought to the ranger station. At about 6pm, some of MrNguyen's friends got impatient and started asking the park rangers why it was taking so long for the body to be brought down. Eight of them then decided to trek in to help bring the body out. The New Paper followed them, but was stopped from going any further at the start of the TreeTop Walk. About half an hour later, together with the undertakers, they helped to carry their friend's body out to the ranger station where it was taken away in a vehicle. Despite the rain yesterday afternoon, there were still trekkers in the nature reserve. One of them was Madam Latifah, 35, a teacher, who was with 17 relatives.  She had reached the TreeTop Walk around 2pm, after an hour's trek, but was told by the rangers to turn back. Madam Latifah, who later called The New Paper Hotline, said: 'I was told that an accident had happened inside the walk.' It was Madam Latifah's first time trekking at the nature reserve. She said: 'It was drizzling at that time and we heard thunder. But the children were enjoying walking in the rain.' NParks said it will be conducting further checks on the safety of the area. The TreeTop Walk will be closed to the public until 9 Jun. It also reminded the public to exercise caution when walking in forested areas during bad weather. Labels: Misadventure
Singaporeans killed by trees
THREE Singaporeans were killed by falling trees within a week last month. Two of the incidents occurred on the same day and within two hours of each other. And two of the deaths were in separate incidents on Mount Ophir (Gunung Ledang), Johor. In the first accident on 15 May, trainee teacher Mohamad Rohaizam Tumadi, 26, was killed when a tree broke in half and fell on him at about 5am while he was asleep in a tent. He was one of 58 physical education trainee teachers and lecturers from the National Institute of Education attending a three-day camp at Mount Ophir. Mr Rohaizam was sleeping in the tent with three classmates who all escaped unhurt. CRUSHED Barely two hours later, dental assistant Ho Siew Lan , 42, was killed while taking her daily morning walk at Bukit Batok Nature Park. Madam Ho was with several others taking their morning exercise when it began to rain. The women were just about to leave the park when they were struck by the tree. Two of the women were injured, and Madam Ho was crushed and her body pinned under the tree. On 19 May, auxiliary police officer Abdul Razak Abdul Hamid, 47, was scaling Mount Ophir with a group of 12, including eight colleagues, when a storm began. While resting in a tent, a tree fell, severely injuring him. Park rangers pulled him from under the branches and his buddies took turns carrying him down the slope. But he was pronounced dead early on 20 May, when they finally found medical help. Labels: Misadventure
Another tree falls, another S'porean dies. Experts say of Gunung Ledang:
It's not a place to fool around ANOTHER Singaporean man has died after being hit by a falling tree on Mount Ophir. Mr Abdul Razak Abdul Hamid is the second Singaporean to die tragically on Mount Ophir in less than a week. The 48-year-old Changi Airport security officer was killed around 10pm on Saturday when a tree fell his tent, following a storm. He was killed not far from where 27-year-old trainee teacher Mohammad Rohaizam Tumadi died on 15May, after his tent was hit by a falling tree. To Singaporeans, Mount Ophir is simply a popular trekking and camping destination. But to locals, it is Gunung Ledang, a place associated with folk lore and mythical stories about a princess, Puteri Gunung Ledang, and her magical powers and enchantments. And with two deaths happening so close to each other, as well as the mountain being the site of many freak accidents and tragedies, is there more than meets the eye to this forested peak? Experienced climbers say the 1,276m-high Mount Ophir, on the border of Malacca and Johor, about 50km from Muar, is no walk in the park. Everest conqueror and veteran adventurer Khoo Swee Chiow says that sometimes, accidents can happen when Singaporeans do not show enough respect for the places they visit. Said Mr Khoo: 'Superstitious or not, people have got lost and people have died on Mount Ophir. 'Do not underestimate the place. It is not a place to fool around in.' Mr Khoo said that Singaporeans tend to be complacent on Mount Ophir because of its reputation of being an 'easy' mountain to climb. 'So many Singaporeans have been there and come back with stories that even children can climb the mountain. 'When people get complacent, that's when the danger sets in. I've previously come across groups of first-time climbers who have gone to Mount Ophir without a guide or a map, thinking it's easy. 'Then they end up losing their way.' A Singaporean man was lost for five days on Mount Ophir in November 1998 before he found his way out to a nearby village. Before 2003, the year Mount Ophir was designated a national park, at least three or four groups of Singaporeans would get lost there every year. Since then, it has been compulsory for trekkers to be accompanied by rangers who have gone up the mountain more than 100 times. More than 20,000 Singaporeans visit the mountain annually. Said Mr Khoo: 'For any mountain-climbing trip, always go with a local guide or someone who is very familiar with the mountain. Even maps may not be detailed enough to guide you through.' Mr Leong Kwok Khuen, 40, founder of Edu Outdoor Activities, agreed that often, Singaporean climbers who scale Mount Ophir are not adequately prepared. Said Mr Leong: 'They go with expensive shoes that are not suitable for climbing. Instead of getting proper trekking shoes, they're in their tennis or gym shoes, which often do not provide proper grip and can be slippery. 'And some people may venture off the designated routes when they see something that attracts their attention, such as a waterfall. 'They try to go near the waterfall, which is very dangerous because the track near the waterfall is slippery and near a slope. People can slip and hurt themselves or even die.' Veteran adventurers say there are certain basic rules campers should follow. For example, avoid setting up camp near tall trees, in a valley, or in a large open area. Said Mr Ben Lee, 45, head of Nature Trekker: 'Tall trees attract lightning and have a higher probability of falling. 'In an open area, your tent can get blown away. 'And in a low-lying area, there's a chance of being trapped in a flood if it should rain.' Mr Lee said it's best to pick a spot near a low tree or building, which can protect a tent against the wind. In addition to basic camping fundamentals and common sense aside, some also believe in showing respect for local legends and folklore. Said Mr Khoo: 'On Everest, the local guides have this practice of performing certain prayers before proceeding on a difficult route. 'Do not take such things lightly or dismiss it as superstition. 'I'm not aware of any local practice on Mount Ophir, but wherever you go, do not do things that the locals would not do. 'Always respect the place that you're visiting.'
Labels: Misadventure
Woman dies after being pinned under fallen tree
Sinagpore  SINGAPORE: A woman died after being pinned under a fallen tree at the Bukit Batok Nature Park. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it responded to a call on Tuesday morning at 7.10 am. SCDF had to use a power saw to release the woman who was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other women at the park were also injured by the fallen tree. They were conscious but suffered cuts and bruises. The two women were later sent to the National University Hospital (NUH) by SCDF ambulances. NUH said both patients might be discharged on Tuesday. - CNA/so Labels: Misadventure
Woman Dies In Fall, Man Held For Attempted Suicide
Singapore 20-9-2006  Man slashed himself with glass and threatened to jump. Quarrel heard earlierBy Khushwant Singh A YOUNG woman lay seriously injured at the foot of Block 124 in Bedok Reservoir Road on Monday evening. Four floors above, a young man stood at the window of a flat, slashing himself with a piece of broken glass and threatening to jump. Neighbours called the police and rescue officers, who arrived at the scene and laid out an inflatable mat on the ground floor in case he leapt. Other officers took up positions on the third and fifth floors, ready to rappel down and grab him in case he climbed out to the ledge. The police, who arrived at 8pm, tried to reason with him through the locked door of his flat, even as an ambulance rushed the woman - believed by neighbours to be Vietnamese - to Changi General Hospital. The woman, who appeared to be in her early 20s, died at 9.15pm. Police still do not know her name. At around this time, the officers broke down the door and the man was arrested for attempting suicide. Neighbours said the 24-year-old Indian national rented the four-room flat with a male colleague, who was not at home during the melee. Both work in a computer firm. A 45-year-old housewife living next door said her daughter, aged nine, saw the man - whom they know as Rohit - coming home at 4pm carrying bottles of beer. The neighbour, who wanted to be known only as Madam Su, said the woman showed up an hour later. 'She and Rohit must have known each other - he immediately invited her in.' About two hours later, an apparent quarrel started. Madam Su said she heard shouting and bottles being broken. A 24-year-old commerce student who lives on the ground floor said she had just returned home when she heard a loud thud. 'I was shocked to see a woman sprawled 3m from my front door. She was wearing a red blouse and dark slacks and bleeding badly,' she said. 'Some people tried to help her. They said they could smell liquor on her.' Another student, Miss Mariah Amin, 20, watched the drama unfold from the block opposite. She said: 'The man was standing at the window, cutting himself and shouting that if he was able to do this, he was capable of killing himself. He sounded very drunk.' Madam Su said Rohit had told her he was taking medication for anxiety attacks. 'There were times he had to sleep along the corridor because he was very drunk and his flatmate refused to let him in.' She said she had also noticed that he would have a sexily-dressed woman visitor about once a month - a different woman each time. Labels: Misadventure
Students find human skeleton
Singapore April 4, 2006  Students find human skeleton A group of polytechnic students exploring a forested area in Margaret Drive came upon a grisly find of human bones yesterday. The police are investigating and have sent the bones to the Health Sciences Authority for analysis. Fragments of the unidentified skeleton were found by the six Republic Polytechnic students and members of the Singapore Paranormal Investigators society at an abandoned World War II building along Margaret Drive, while they were doing research on urban legends. Suspecting they had stumbled onto a possible murder victim, they called the police. Labels: Misadventure
S'PORE'S DEATH FLATS
THE ninth-storey unit at Block 114, Geylang Lorong 3, where a gruesome murder took place is now eerily empty.  It was where factory supervisor Leong Siew Chor allegedly killed and cut up the body of China national Liu Hong Mei. That happened two months ago. Leong's wife and his three children have since moved out of the flat, which had earlier attracted curious visitors after he was charged with the murder. Strangers had turned up looking for lottery numbers. Superstitious neighbours held prayers outside the flat, to 'cleanse' it. Will the flat be sold? Would anyone want to live there? In the same month that Ms Liu was killed, Madam Tan Chiang Eng, 39, was found dead in her Wellington Circle five-room flat in Sembawang. Her Indonesian maid, Rohana, has been charged with the murder. Painful memories and the publicity surrounding the case often force families to abandon homes where violent crimes have been committed. In at least two other cases, such flats have been put up for sale. On New Year's Day last year, Mr Pay Boon Chye, 32, was burnt to death in his flat in Block 757, Woodlands Avenue 4, by his brother-in-law. The case was classified as murder but the suspect, Sim Swee Kee, 48, died in Malaysia after an asthma attack last March, while he was on the run. And in 2001, Madam Zaiton Abu Bakar, 45, was stabbed to death in her bedroom in Block 303, Canberra Road. The family members of Mr Pay and Madam Zaiton decided to sell their homes after the murders. Mr Pay's family managed to sell their four-room flat last year after giving it a fresh coat of paint. A property agent helped them sell it to a family of four who have moved in. DIDN'T KNOW  The current owner, who declined to be named, told The New Paper on Sunday that they did not know of the history of the flat before they bought it. They only heard about the murder from their new neighbours. 'Initially I was shocked and angry that the property agent and ex-owner did not tell us about it,' said the owner. 'They should have been more transparent or they should have lowered the price of the flat. I paid quite a high price for it. 'But at the end of the day, I am happy with my new home. After I read about the owner's plight in the newspapers recently, I do sympathise with her.' Madam Zaiton's flat was sold two years after her death. Mr Ahmad (not his real name), a bachelor in his 40s, bought it from her daughter. 'I knew that the seller's mother had passed away, but I didn't know that she was killed violently in the flat,' said Mr Ahmad who declined to be named as he does not want his colleagues to know about this. He moved into his new home last January. But far from thinking that the flat is spooked, Mr Ahmad regards it as his ideal home. 'I spent six months looking for a flat. I wanted a cheap unit on a high floor. This flat was clean and cosy and I like its layout,' he said. 'I found the flat with the help of a property agent.' The price was $230,000, which was considered to be quite high at that time, added Mr Ahmad. He bought it anyway because he liked the flat the moment he stepped into it. 'But I wish the agent and ex-owner had been honest with me. At least I could have asked for the price to be lowered a little. 'I am not pantang (superstitious) so I would still consider buying it even if they had come clean with me.' Mr Ahmad added that his neighbours had not mentioned the murder when he chatted with them. If he should decide to sell the flat one day, would he tell prospective buyers of its dark history? 'Maybe I will,' said Mr Ahmad. 'I am a good testimony (of its value) since I have been living here alone for almost two years and nothing has disturbed me.' Don't ask, don't tell Property agents say they won't tell if you don't ask TO tell or not to tell? Property agents whom The New Paper on Sunday spoke to had different views on whether to be upfront with potential buyers about deaths in the flats they sell. Said a property agent who wanted to be known as only Mr Koh: 'If the potential buyers ask about the history of the flat, I will tell them. If they don't ask, I usually won't tell them too much. 'If we tell potential buyers about the murders or deaths that occurred in the flats, do you think they will still want to buy? 'We have to be fair to the owners as well. But if the buyers ask, we have a duty to tell.' He said buyers should do their own checks. One way is to ask the neighbours. 'Once, I had a buyer who withdrew from a purchase after he learnt from neighbours that the owner had died in the flat. In such situations, I usually convince the seller to return the deposit and let the buyers withdraw from the purchase.' Mr Koh, 38, who has been an agent for six years, said a colleague once lost a sale because he came clean. 'My colleague had taken a potential buyer to view a flat and the buyer was told that the owner had died recently. The buyer asked a family member of the owner how he died,' recalled Mr Koh. 'The family member said the owner had hanged himself. That really scared off the buyer.' Mr Koh has not marketed any flat in which a murder had taken place. But he did sell two flats from which the owners had jumped to their deaths. He said: 'Before I market such flats, I would burn joss paper to the deceased to tell him or her about the sale and to ask that the new occupants not be disturbed. 'I would also go to the temples to pray and seek guidance in the sale. 'Usually, I would advise the sellers to sell their flats below market value. This way, it's easier to find buyers.' Mr David Cheang, 29, from PropNex Realty, has sold two units next to the flat where a Thai national, Madam Molee Sae Tuang, 54, and her husband, Mr Quek Swee Kia, 44, were murdered. ROBBERY GONE WRONG  Madam Molee's son, Somrata Sae-Tang, had plotted with two men to rob his mother and stepfather as he needed money to go to Hong Kong to meet a woman he had befriended on the phone. But his plan went wrong and his two accomplices ended up killing his parents. The bodies remained in the walkup apartment in Balestier Road for seven days till the smell drew the attention of neighbours. Somrata got 11 years in jail and the maximum 24 strokes of the cane for helping the two men, who are still at large, to commit robbery. Mr Cheang thinks that there are agents who would jump at the opportunity to market such flats when they learn about the murders from newspaper reports. This is because such flats are usually sold below valuation. 'Ethically, we should reveal the murders or deaths that occurred in the flats. I usually tell potential buyers whatever I know,' said Mr Cheang. 'But sometimes the sellers try to hide the truth from the agents too.' Labels: Misadventure |
