6/28/2013
Saving Rebecca Loh
I wrote about her case a while back. Many sympathised with her in this cruel, unforgiving and shamelessly rich city. Some assholes even chided her and more or less had her condemned to death for dropping her ‘special needs’ son, Gabriel, to his death.
Kenneth Jeyaretnam has just written another plea for Rebecca and is reposted in TRE. Again, instead of opening out our hearts to this wretched poor woman, another asshole attacked KJ for trying to capitalise on her pathetic case for political objective. But there are also many ordinary folks out there who could feel the pain of this woman in desperation. Rebecca is crying, alone in her cell. Can you hear her?
I am equally lost as to what can be done to save this poor woman from the punishment that would likely be passed against her for taking the life of her son. The law is the law. The judge is there to uphold the law.
Maybe everyone can only wait for the judgement of this case and then make a plea for clemency from the President.
It is so sad, and unforgivable, for a case like Rebecca to slip through the social net. Everyone that came to know her, in contact with her, before the incident, could not possibly fail to see her despair. Or they might have felt it but could not find a way to help her.
Many are crying for Rebecca and the late Gabriel. Rebecca could have stopped crying. She is the living dead, the day she let her hand go on Gabriel. There is nothing for her anymore, unless the conscience of the people extends her a helping hand. The billions or trillions in our reserves are as good as fool’s gold or monopoly notes, that despite so much money there, not a cent could be spared to prevent the tragedy of Rebecca and Gabriel. And there are many Rebeccas and Gabriels out there, lost and waiting for help. Would there be a glimmer of hope, that a few dollars from these precious billions or trillions could find their way to them?
We are the richest country on earth and we are so busy paying millions and millions to the successful and undeserving. And they are still asking for more. But we cannot spare a few dollars for Rebecca and Gabriel.
While everyone is busy with the haze, queuing to buy N95, queuing to buy that condo, or queuing overnight to get a Hello Kitty, would they spare a thought for Rebecca? Would Singaporeans cry for Rebecca?
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27 comments:
although it is a sad case, the problem is that if Rebecca is given presidential pardon, it would lead to a horrendous precedent with untold consequences.
how will the State handle future cases if Rebecca is given remission. It is a big legal and humanitarian problem whichever way you look at it. The only thing which comes clear is that the goverhment is not interested to start debate on this matter. Even if she were to hang it would be good to have healthy debate on this matter. It should be the case in a civilised society.
We have a very rich govt who can afford to spend millions on themselves and foreigners and yet stint on spending some money to help families raise or cope with disabled children. Had there been such a scheme in place, this tragedy would have been averted!
How much do you want, $100, $1000, or $10,000?
It is ashame that for boasting we are one of the richest nations on earth, social care is almost non assistent. I have no objection for the government to spend on foreigners, defence and other super expensive projects but please take care of our people at the same time. Rebecca certainly needs help but no agency is helping her.
'The Law is the Law' and the Judges have to uphold the Law.
True, it is a statement of facts. But hor, all judges, All, I must say SHOULD UPHOLD JUSTICE MORE THAN LAW. Failing to UPHOLD JUSTICE will make any judges a failure in his/her duty.
Judges should be made to understand Justice more than just knowing the Laws.
Justice means '法律不外人情', meaning there is a larger dimension to the Law and that is JUSTICE.
Well, what has the WP MPs be doing...zzz..
Anon 9:35, you and your brigade are so biased that no one will believe in what you are saying.
How many WP MPs are there and how many of them are earning multiple millions and got not enough time to spend their money?
There is law in the jungle too.
A judge who does not understand justice and only upholds the law should practice in the jungle. Such a judge is unwholesome in the understanding of Justice.
If you ever want to know what is being alone with the whole world crashing down on you, ask Rebecca. Where is the helping hand?
Rebecca faces the cold and ruthless world all by herself, in silence. Looking at her sitting in the police car, emotionless, is just so sad.
We are all accountable for our actions.
Like I said before: she committed MURDER -- of the most heinous kind -- her son.
Ken Jeyaratnam is entitled to act on his own free will. I don't agree with him.
All this bullshit about the govt being rich and uncaring, or Singapore as a society is this and that...all irrelevant hogwash. Justice is and should remain BLIND. Justice judges the ACTION taken by an individual.
The case is very sad indeed. Rebecca made a bad situation WORSE, and she should pay for it.
Ok, let the attacks begin...
Even if the law were to be lenient and more compassionate to Rebecca, no mother is going to rush to drop their child over the ledge for sure.
Not everyone has the will to do such a dreadful act. Rebecca snapped. Try to think of thoughts that ran through her head everyday, every moment, she walked Gabriel and looking at the helplessness of Gabriel without her?
If only a charitable home could open its door for Gabriel and let Rebecca to go on living and working and to care for Gabriel, to shower him with her motherly love, when she is home and not having to worry for the next dollar. If....
The law, and justice is BLIND -- for many reasons, especially the arguments based on 'if only'.
If only the mum picked up the phone and dialled 999 telling the operator she was contemplating murder because she had enough of the torment.
...if only...
If oni others are endowed to be as good and as intelligent as Matilah.
However, this Guy is lacking in reasonability or reasonableness in that he refuses to accept that others are not as smart as him.
Lim peh also disagree.
/// rex said...
although it is a sad case, the problem is that if Rebecca is given presidential pardon, it would lead to a horrendous precedent with untold consequences. ///
Is this the only outcome? Must this be the consequence?
What if, hoping against all hope, the government suddenly discovers that it has a conscience and a heart after all and help those who are like Rebecca before they lovingly part with their loved ones? What if, instead of wasting $387 million on the juvenile Olympics, we just use a part of this money to help those distressed parents with special need children.
Instead of horrendous precedent and untold consequences, we can have a heart-warming precedent and beautiful consequences.
In some countries, mercy killing is allowed. In some countries, killing of numerous people are knighted. In some countries, many special need kids received special allowance and assistance. In some countries, special need kids do not have any chance to survive. In some countries, kids of wrong sex are flushed down toilets or abandoned. We are living in a world full of bullshits.
Underneath all the glitz and the glamour surface of this city state, is a place full of poisonous weeds and worms. Btw, who is the father of the child? Can someone reveal the identity of this asshole?
'wasting $387 million on the juvenile Olympics'
- wasting money seems to be the first job of any gov these days. when money is needed for welfare, they will brand people with the entitlement mentality accusation.
Please fellas, allow me to state once again: I am not smart. I barely scraped thru the PSLE.
However the level of intelligence required to not commit murder is not very high. Basic "moral choice" does not require the actor/ agent to engage in multiple complexity of abstract thought or the detailed investigations and philosophical musings of epistemology.
It is plain and simply WRONG to kill your child, just as it is WRONG to steal a car or a watch. How deep into philosophical abstractions do you want to get to discover and prove simple, basic TRUTHS?
Like I said -- this is not some Channel 8 soap opera; melancholic, but with just enough 'hope' to keep you entertained and engaged, leading to a 'happy ending'.
No, this is real life -- with all the sadness, inexplicable acts of cruelty, abandonment of basic morality, human decency and dignity; death and destruction. There is no happy ending, no hope and definitely no 'win-win' situation. Everyone is less well off (existentially speaking) because of this.
Not only your educational level is PSLE. Your thinking process is also PSLE, and only 90 points. Promoted to N level.
Belgium and the Netherlands consider permitting euthanasia for children – including to relieve 'suffering for the parents' - Mind you these are countries that provide special allowance and assistance for family with special need kids.
Few years back, gay marriages were not allowed. Now, people are more opened to the idea. I will not be surprised that euthanasia for kids will be legalised in years to come. Watching your own kid suffering everyday is not an easy thing to do, accept, carry on. Perhaps she knows that she will be given the death sentence but in a world like this, what other option she really has if she cannot bear with the pain of seeing her kids suffering anymore?
It is easy to judge that she is doing a wrong thing but putting yourself in her position, it is not difficult to understand why she opted for that option.
(http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timstanley/100222557/belgium-and-the-netherlands-consider-permitting-euthanasia-for-children-including-to-relieve-suffering-for-the-parents/)
'It is plain and simply WRONG to kill your child'
- it is also wrong to start a war but why did people get promoted after starting one?
- what is right or wrong in this world is subjective and depending on circumstances.
And there are many assholes shouting and screaming that they need more money to win more medals in sports, even throwing morning at foreigners. They think those are important things to do. These are truly empty heads.
How did they become national leaders? Bonkers!
Just like leaders who demand out-of-the-world remunerations, the CEOs of non-profit organisations too must be watched very closely to prevent them from becoming selfserving leaders of the community which they are supposed to help based on their collective missions.
Rebecca is just one of the many silent sufferers
struggling alone in a first world country which
rather spends and overspends on things that do
not benefit the society much except for the
country's glamour and pride.
It is alarming to the extend when you have your own kids and you don't know what would happen... Through next week, next months, next year etc, hell even as each day passes by....
Hi OmVas Trinity, welcome to the blog.
Rebecca and her son was trapped in a void, going nowhere, day in day out. And worst, still needs money to eat and pay the bills.
This is cool!
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