This story was printed from TODAYonline
Toy story
Sungei Road vendor's generosity humbling and refreshing
Monday • April 9, 2007- Letter from Hong Geok Hua
In the late afternoon on Good Friday, I was on a leisurely stroll with my son at Sungei Road, where often you would see vendors being quite brash in their dealings.
Amid the crowd of people looking for bargains, there was an old Malay woman wheeled on a wheelchair by a Malay man and his young son. They stopped by a stall manned by a Chinese man selling new toy sets displayed on the ground. The Malay boy picked a toy set priced at $8. His father then bargained it down to $5 instead.
The Chinese seller with his weather-beaten face stood pensive for some moments. I was sure that he was calculating in his mind whether to agree to the deal.
But I was wrong. The seller instead shoved the toy set into the boy's hands and said: "It's okay, you can have it, free." The boy thanked him and walked away. But soon the seller called him back — to give him a plastic carrier for the toy.
I was pleasantly surprised. I never expected a Sungei Road vendor, probably making a hard living, with unpaid bills in his drawer, to possess such generosity. He just followed his heart.
It makes a powerful statement about the notion that you can't help them all, but you can help one. It was a humbling experience that was very refreshing to see in the hustle and bustle of rough Sungei Road. Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/182167.asp
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Sungei Road vendor's generosity humbling and refreshing
Victim's widow agrees to beg judge for leniency because he feels sorry for his baby
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,124726,00.html?
TNP- He cried as he asked me to forgive him
TUE 13 MARCH 2007
ELECTRIC NEWS He cried as he asked me to forgive him Man kills garbage collector in crash after night at pub
He tries to flee, then refuses blood test later
Yet, victim's widow agrees to beg judge for leniency because he feels sorry for his baby By Chong Shin Yen {&} Joel Chan March 13, 2007
HE asked her to forgive him. And there was a lot to forgive.
'He said that his wife had just given birth to their third child two days ago. He also asked me to plead for leniency on his behalf.' - Madam Salbiah (above, with her son) on Boo's pleading.
He had:
driven after drinking
crashed into her husband, killing him
tried to get away in a passing car.
And after all that, Boo Chong Liang asked Madam Salbiah Ridzuan to support his bid to get leniency from a court.
She agreed. Despite her anguish, anxiety and anger.
The 36-year-old housewife had lost the man she loved, and his modest income as a garbage collector, which is all she and their infant son had to live on.
Yet she asked her lawyer to write to the court saying she has forgiven Boo and urging the judge to be lenient.
Why did she do this?
It was not just that Boo, 26, a sales manager, seemed remorseful. She also thought of his newborn child.
Last month, Boo was jailed eight months and disqualified from driving all vehicles for eight years.
Forgiveness did not come easily to Madam Salbiah, an Indonesian who is here on a social visit pass.
The wrecked lorry showing the impact of the crash. Her late husband, Mr Jalaludin Salim, 48, earned $900 a month.
She told The New Paper in Bahasa Indonesia: 'I was married to him for less than two years, and at the time of the accident, our son was only a year old.
'I couldn't accept my husband's death and was angry that he was suddenly taken away from us.'
Boo had asked to meet Madam Salbiah not long after the accident, which happened in the early hours of 8 Sep last year.
The court heard that he wanted to express his deep regret to her.
Boo and his lawyer went to her lawyer's office for the meeting.
CRYING
'He was crying when he asked me for forgiveness. He said his wife had just given birth to their third child two days ago,' Madam Salbiah said.
'He also asked me to plead for leniency on his behalf.'
Madam Salbiah said she thought about how her son had lost his father. Now, if Boo was jailed, another baby would be without his father by his side. She said she felt sorry for Boo's baby. 'I am not good in writing and don't know English, so I asked my lawyer to draft the letter and then I signed it,' Madam Salbiah said.
'The one-page letter mentioned that Boo was remorseful and regretted what happened and that I had forgiven him.
'I also asked the judge to take into account that he has a newborn child.'
That was the only time Madam Salbiah met Boo, who paid for part of her husband's funeral expenses. She did not meet his wife and three children.
The court heard that Mr Jalaludin and a colleague, Mr Mohamed Ibrahim Ali, were picking up dead palm leaves along the centre of the PIE.
Mr Mohamed Ibrahim was driving the lorry at 5kmh to 8kmh on the extreme right lane.
Mr Jalaludin was sitting at the back of the lorry. Whenever they came across any dead leaves, Mr Mohamed Ibrahim would stop the lorry and Mr Jalaludin would get off and pick them up.
The lorry's blinking security lights had been switched on to alert motorists.
Around 1.50am, Boo was on the expressway in his Honda Stream, near the Adam Road exit.
He said in his mitigation plea that his workload the day before had been heavier than usual. He had gone to seven locations to meet customers, and also had to handle paperwork at the office.
After work, he had gone to celebrate his sister's birthday at Boat Quay, where he said he had drunk two glasses of beer.
He was driving back to his Choa Chu Kang home when he dozed off.
He woke up to see the lorry about half a car length in front of him. He tried to swerve but crashed into it.
Mr Jalaludin was flung off and landed in front of the moving lorry. He was run over and trapped under its rear right tyre. He suffered serious head injuries and died at the scene.
STOPPED IN ESCAPE BID
Boo then tried to wave down a passing car in an attempt to flee the accident scene. But he was stopped by Mr Mohamed Ibrahim.
When the police arrived, Boo smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and looked flushed. He failed a handheld breathalyser test and was arrested. District Judge See Kee Oon felt it was doubtful that Boo had suddenly become 'overwhelmed by tiredness'.
Said Judge See: 'In my view, it was more likely that he had fallen asleep because the effects of alcohol consumption were taking their toll.
'It could not be attributed to fatigue caused by a hard day's work.'
Judge See also noted that Boo's claim of having drunk only two glasses of beer could not be proved or disproved because he had refused to allow his blood sample to be taken.
The judge added that Boo, after a busy workday and having consumed alcohol until well past midnight, had chosen to take a risk in wilful disregard for the safety of other road-users.
Still, Madam Salbiah felt that what had happened was the will of God and no punishment given to Boo could bring her husband back.
Since his death, her only source of income has been the $300 in monthly assistance that she gets from the Community Development Council.
She is now hoping to fulfil Mr Jalaludin's wish to have their son Shahrul educated here.
'I hope my application for permanent residency will be successful so that I can work and bring him up here.'
While talking to The New Paper, Madam Salbiah broke down several times.
She said that whenever she is in tears, Shahrul hugs her to comfort her.
'He is the only one who can make me laugh now. But seeing him brings back bittersweet memories,' she said.
'When he smiles, he looks just like my late husband and reminds me of him. But now, he's the only one who can take away my sadness.'
Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn. No. 198402868E. All rights reserved. Privacy Statement and Conditions of Access
TNP- He cried as he asked me to forgive him
TUE 13 MARCH 2007
ELECTRIC NEWS He cried as he asked me to forgive him Man kills garbage collector in crash after night at pub
He tries to flee, then refuses blood test later
Yet, victim's widow agrees to beg judge for leniency because he feels sorry for his baby By Chong Shin Yen {&} Joel Chan March 13, 2007
HE asked her to forgive him. And there was a lot to forgive.
'He said that his wife had just given birth to their third child two days ago. He also asked me to plead for leniency on his behalf.' - Madam Salbiah (above, with her son) on Boo's pleading.
He had:
driven after drinking
crashed into her husband, killing him
tried to get away in a passing car.
And after all that, Boo Chong Liang asked Madam Salbiah Ridzuan to support his bid to get leniency from a court.
She agreed. Despite her anguish, anxiety and anger.
The 36-year-old housewife had lost the man she loved, and his modest income as a garbage collector, which is all she and their infant son had to live on.
Yet she asked her lawyer to write to the court saying she has forgiven Boo and urging the judge to be lenient.
Why did she do this?
It was not just that Boo, 26, a sales manager, seemed remorseful. She also thought of his newborn child.
Last month, Boo was jailed eight months and disqualified from driving all vehicles for eight years.
Forgiveness did not come easily to Madam Salbiah, an Indonesian who is here on a social visit pass.
The wrecked lorry showing the impact of the crash. Her late husband, Mr Jalaludin Salim, 48, earned $900 a month.
She told The New Paper in Bahasa Indonesia: 'I was married to him for less than two years, and at the time of the accident, our son was only a year old.
'I couldn't accept my husband's death and was angry that he was suddenly taken away from us.'
Boo had asked to meet Madam Salbiah not long after the accident, which happened in the early hours of 8 Sep last year.
The court heard that he wanted to express his deep regret to her.
Boo and his lawyer went to her lawyer's office for the meeting.
CRYING
'He was crying when he asked me for forgiveness. He said his wife had just given birth to their third child two days ago,' Madam Salbiah said.
'He also asked me to plead for leniency on his behalf.'
Madam Salbiah said she thought about how her son had lost his father. Now, if Boo was jailed, another baby would be without his father by his side. She said she felt sorry for Boo's baby. 'I am not good in writing and don't know English, so I asked my lawyer to draft the letter and then I signed it,' Madam Salbiah said.
'The one-page letter mentioned that Boo was remorseful and regretted what happened and that I had forgiven him.
'I also asked the judge to take into account that he has a newborn child.'
That was the only time Madam Salbiah met Boo, who paid for part of her husband's funeral expenses. She did not meet his wife and three children.
The court heard that Mr Jalaludin and a colleague, Mr Mohamed Ibrahim Ali, were picking up dead palm leaves along the centre of the PIE.
Mr Mohamed Ibrahim was driving the lorry at 5kmh to 8kmh on the extreme right lane.
Mr Jalaludin was sitting at the back of the lorry. Whenever they came across any dead leaves, Mr Mohamed Ibrahim would stop the lorry and Mr Jalaludin would get off and pick them up.
The lorry's blinking security lights had been switched on to alert motorists.
Around 1.50am, Boo was on the expressway in his Honda Stream, near the Adam Road exit.
He said in his mitigation plea that his workload the day before had been heavier than usual. He had gone to seven locations to meet customers, and also had to handle paperwork at the office.
After work, he had gone to celebrate his sister's birthday at Boat Quay, where he said he had drunk two glasses of beer.
He was driving back to his Choa Chu Kang home when he dozed off.
He woke up to see the lorry about half a car length in front of him. He tried to swerve but crashed into it.
Mr Jalaludin was flung off and landed in front of the moving lorry. He was run over and trapped under its rear right tyre. He suffered serious head injuries and died at the scene.
STOPPED IN ESCAPE BID
Boo then tried to wave down a passing car in an attempt to flee the accident scene. But he was stopped by Mr Mohamed Ibrahim.
When the police arrived, Boo smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and looked flushed. He failed a handheld breathalyser test and was arrested. District Judge See Kee Oon felt it was doubtful that Boo had suddenly become 'overwhelmed by tiredness'.
Said Judge See: 'In my view, it was more likely that he had fallen asleep because the effects of alcohol consumption were taking their toll.
'It could not be attributed to fatigue caused by a hard day's work.'
Judge See also noted that Boo's claim of having drunk only two glasses of beer could not be proved or disproved because he had refused to allow his blood sample to be taken.
The judge added that Boo, after a busy workday and having consumed alcohol until well past midnight, had chosen to take a risk in wilful disregard for the safety of other road-users.
Still, Madam Salbiah felt that what had happened was the will of God and no punishment given to Boo could bring her husband back.
Since his death, her only source of income has been the $300 in monthly assistance that she gets from the Community Development Council.
She is now hoping to fulfil Mr Jalaludin's wish to have their son Shahrul educated here.
'I hope my application for permanent residency will be successful so that I can work and bring him up here.'
While talking to The New Paper, Madam Salbiah broke down several times.
She said that whenever she is in tears, Shahrul hugs her to comfort her.
'He is the only one who can make me laugh now. But seeing him brings back bittersweet memories,' she said.
'When he smiles, he looks just like my late husband and reminds me of him. But now, he's the only one who can take away my sadness.'
Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn. No. 198402868E. All rights reserved. Privacy Statement and Conditions of Access
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