I sympathize with Ms Lo and her family for her tragic loss. But she did not GIVE her life to the terrorist attack in Mumbai - as stated here . "GIVE/GAVE" implies a voluntary act, such as soldiers who give their lives to their country during war. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Don't make her into a martyr. She is an ordinary person with ordinary achievements. Even all her so-called virtues as related to the press are so "ordinary" - caring to her family and friends, cheerful, loves to party, bringing home muffins for a sister. Don't any of you do that?

Yes, she was well-connected (how many of you had Goh Chok Tong attend your wedding?) but that should detract from the fact that an innocent life was lost. In the end, rich or poor, well-connected or otherwise, we all go to our maker and become worm food.

I am surprised her family included her Hermes Birkin bag and Christian Louboutin heels in her casket. How materialistic can Singaporeans get? Why not give her things to charity? Is this practice rooted in spiritualism, like Chinese emperors who are buried with their riches and even live slaves and wife? But wasn't Ms Lo buried as a Catholic? Personally, I think it says a lot about the materialism of Singaporeans.

It's not Lo Hwei Yen and her family whom people like me are attacking - I don't even know them - it's the maudlin sentimentality and people being led by the nose that cracks me up. More brains and less hormones please.

No lah. I cannot possibly be envious of somebody whose family members placed an Hermes handbag in her coffin. (I know in some countries, stand-up comedians would have a field day with this.)

Yes, the young who have their lives cut short will always be newsworthy and create lots of 'sensasi' (Huang Na, Lo Hwei Yen, the two missing boys from the 1980s), but it gets a bit ridiculous when ordinary Singaporeans start queuing up to pay respects to someone they don't know and who hadn't contributed much to society when she was alive. Ho See Beng, former MP and unionist died a few days ago. Where are the queues?

As for my grandmothers. They died ages ago, not last year. Don't have to feel sorry for them. I'm not sorry. Given what I heard, they were bitches who made the lives of those around them miserable.

You are quite right. A materialistic mind loves a fairytale wedding...and funeral. Hence the princess Diana effect, as someone has put it.

But I disagree that all her virtues are ordinary. Compared to her generation of self-centered 'liberated' brats, she has done well in caring about family and friends (if that is true, but let's give her a benefit of doubt). Some among us care so much about their own needs and views they have deprived a certain charitable, albeit religious, organization of help.

Give credit where credit is due.

couldn't agree more with how her 'virtues' were so ordinary...

I'm didn't mean by sympathising LHY that we are over-reacting. Cumon, when you watch a sad and touching drama series you will be entangled into the atmosphere naturally. I mean we human are sensible enough not to get over-influenced by any external source.
If we trully get grieved it's because we can put ourselves into the victim's family's shoe.
I know ppl die everyday, some die in horrified way. I know coz i've been in civil defense i see all kinds of death. But those who die,some are caused by their own acts. For LHY, she don't want and definitely hate to die at her prime. But terrorist never grant her this wish,you could basically see how desperate the situation must have evolved. But she manage to stay calm during the whole ordeal.
I don't agree every life is the same. Well during beginnning is, but as time passed, some people do good deeds some do bad deeds. And for those who do bad deeds, you want their life to be same as good soul? That's very unreasonable.

Ms Lo is gone.

She does not deserve to die that way, and does not deserve ur unkind comments abt her and her loved ones even more.

If you dun care abt her life before, at least respect the departed.

Peace.

Although I'm not very much in touch with the Mumbai killings, I still feel sad that one of our fellow citizen's life has been taken away just like that, without warning. The terrorists should be given a severe punishment, to the extent that they get the message to stop killing people senselessly and do something instead of ruining others' lives, when they hate their own lives just as much. Michael, stay strong with all of us and just hope for the best for Hwei Yen. If you're sad, she'll be sad. If you're happy and strong, she too, will be happy and strong. Live life as it is, and pray for her well-being, as we will do too.

From the ST latest update:

"A TORRENTIAL tropical rainstorm beat down from darkened skies on Thursday as mourners began a funeral mass for Singapore’s ‘angel’ killed by armed militants in Mumbai over a week ago."

HUH? Since when she became Singapore's "angel"? Probably very nice young woman, loved her family and friends, and all...but Singapore's "angel"?

Get a grip lah. In a month's time, those who "feel the pain" now will probably feel very stupid.

Nobody called my grandma "angel" leh. She contributed a lot to Singapore also leh. Those Samsui women dying alone in Chinatown leh? They built so many of our buildings. How come peope don't care whether they have enough to eat?

Who's to blame for the circus it's become? Singapore Press Holdings of course. As for the glamour photographs with perfect makeup and cleavage, I don't know if the family has anything to do with it. Looks like the sisters and friends are determined to give her a "celebrity" send off. The parents and in-laws probably wanted something quiet and private.

...maybe it's the clevage...

Lol! Notice many male bloggers have been writing sob stories about her. Almost like stalking a dead woman. The wives and girlfriends better watch the silly husbands and boyfriends...it's a male weakness, no matter how intelligent they are.

When you are explaining subtle ideas there will always be people like margaretong who have their heads screwed on the wrong way, waiting to take you up.

First off, it is quite distasteful to be parading a dead woman around like that. I would prefer for her to be given adequate coverage, no more. I don't agree that there are a lot of young men out there lusting after a dead woman but if a young woman in her prime dies the human tendency is that she is grieved over more, rather than if she were an old hag. Henry James understood that when he made Milly Theale to be a young woman in "Wings of the Dove". Susan Faludi writes that in the imagination of Americans, the victims of 911 are young women and children, never mind that in reality the victims were mainly tough minded corporate warriors and macho firemen.

Second is that this excessive coverage creates its backlash. People are generally sensible enough to ask, would she be Singapore's angel if she was killed in a car crash? If she wasn't well connected? She should be mourned and not questioned like that.

As for the government fighting terror, there is always a conundrum. Do your job too well, and people will eventually forget that you are doing a good job. So every time something to do with terrorism comes up you tell the whole world that you're still here.

Even though our government is doing a good job on terrorism, the fact is that when a government makes a big statement about terrorism, people become suspicious. This is because they remember Guantanamo prison, and also because they remember that muslims all over America were threatened indiscriminately, and law enforcement started abusing their authority because the war on terror gives them an excuse to.

Or maybe the government has a problem because globalisation is making your government redundant. An economic crisis comes in from somewhere else in the world and there's nothing you can do to prevent it. Nationhood is becoming irrelevant, so any opportunity you can get to have our nation feel that it is one people again, you got to take it.

Yes, Lo Hwei Yen's death is a tragedy, but it is an awful thing that it gets conflated with all this fishy stuff that could have been avoided if they don't keep on splashing her on the front page for a few days in a row.

You know a joke when you read one, right?

For perspective.

Facebook members
Lo Hwei Yen = 9000 ++
JBJ = 3000 ++

Conclusion :
Many silly people in Singapore.

The Princess Diana effect. Pretty and glamourous, pple feel as if own sister/girlfriend/wife died. Old, dried up prune like M Teresa, Aiyah, quite sad lor.

Let Lo HY rest in peace and move on, pple!

agree...

Well, almost all comments given are full of sympatise and condolences. This is only appropriate.
Afterall, her life definitely value more than anonymous deaths as she holds promising future and loving family. Before the incident of coz we don't know her, but after news report being publicised we knows she's a good kind soul and the least we can do is give her respect.

And GODDAMN to this little prick "silly twat" What nonsense you giving? "Cover her coffin with flag",you low life inconsiderate shallow being. If you think her death shouldn't be over commented then don't come in here. Your death definitely means nothing to Singapore

Ha, I'm a prick and a twat. You're an assbuttcrackk. We should come together and form a group called The Nether Regions.

What, Mr Boohoo, just because a pretty young woman died, everyone in Singapore must put on a sack cloth and cry their eyes out is it? It's a 'public' funeral, like it or not, and there will be comments, both sensitive and insensitive ones. Don't like it? Tough.

Why have a public funeral in the first place? Why give press interviews? Now, her life is unfolding like Mediacorp drama - loving husband, accomplished lawyer, "fashionista", glamourous life, etc. It's like a bloody circus.

I can understand politicians using her death to warn about vigilance against terrorism - no bad thing - but I don't understand the blathering morons who "feel her family's pain" and say things like "Singapore lost a heroine/angel/daughter". Eh, my grandmother died last year and the only people who came were family (some didn't even bother). Quite a tragic death also, know, and in her long life gave much more to Singapore than Lo HY ever did. Come on lah, the only reason strangers like you "feel" so much is because she was a young, not-too-bad-looking woman.

yeah i agree. anyway, there is a reason to be happy. u know why? 1 less lawyer available to screw over innocent ppl in court

I agree.

hmmm, if it were some ugly old person who wasn't in some highflying post, would as many people mourn?

"her life definitely value more than anonymous deaths"

I will have to disagree with you. Every life is valuable, no life more valuable than another. If you think by virtue of who she is, she is more valuable, then you are putting a materialistic value to life itself. Life is priceless.

Life is priceless ??
GET REAL.
I don't see you picketting outside any of the many abortion clinics in Singapore.
Of course there is a price to life.
Some are worth more, others less.
Some get 3mil a year. excl. incentives + inhouse doctor.
Others get retrenched.
This is precisely why you pay such excessive compassion to this stranger Lo Hwei Yen and not others.

Oh by the way, you want to see people "picketting outside any of the many abortion clinics"?

You bo chai si issit? Wait the lefties and rights fanatics start making noise again how?

Sorry that you think that way about life. To me, life is priceless, and I am not one of those whose fussed over her death.

I did cry for one week though, not for her, but for JBJ whenever I saw his photograph.

May GOD grant her family strength to persevere through this tough time..

in very tragic and sad times like this, there can be no amount of words or actions that be said or done to comfort the family of Hwei Yen. Michael, pls know that at this very difficult moment, the whole of Singapore griefs with you. To have a life so suddenly taken away in an instant, in the most surreal of circumstances, will be incomprehensible for many. But I trust you will have the courage to remain strong and find inner peace through this devastating ordeal and cherish the good memories of the love you shared and keep them close to your heart...time will most definitely heal the wounds and scars. For now, mourn for Hwei Yen, weep for her, but find peace in the knowledge that Hwei Yen will find spiritual happiness in a place amongst the angels, where God has much grander plans for her. Just bid farewell for now. In time, you will meet her again.

Mobe540

Guess God needed her so much he got some terrorist to shoot her in the abdomen and head.

Reality check please.

My deepest condolences to Hwei Yen's husband and family. To suffer the loss of a loved one is hard. To do so under such circumstances is devastating. We cannot comprehend what purpose such senseless killings will ever achieve. But we know that we cannot yeild to the terrorists' cause of breaking our spirit. We must go on living and fulfil the dreams that Hwei Yen stood for, a zest for living and a love for friendship. In our own small ways, we can show that terrorism cannot prevail.

Wow I was already disgusted by the articles in Straits Times/Today/My Paper at repeatedly publishing personal details about Ms. Lo's life... luckily for me I do not read TNP... I would probably go of the handle.

Come on, it is a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Bad luck. Ms. Lo's family has just suffered a lost, please give them the respectful space to grief.

If the person who died is a eg uneducated or no links to Govts or who happened to be hiding in Mumbai at that time due to the enormous debts he/she incurred in Sinapore due to bad investments (but luckily ran away before his/her passport was confiscated), would we feel any less sad? Would the press be just as detailed in digging up info?

It is so sad to see people taking advantage of others tragic to get into the limelight.

Well, it's better to cover stories that are good for National Education than things like mini-bombs and Layman's bonds, don't ya think? Less headache.

For me it is not clear who is getting into the limelight as a result of the obscene amount of coverage for Ms Lo. There are a few possible ulterior motives for the press to do this and none of them reflect very well on them.

There is no reason to turn somebody's death into a freak show. A life is lost prematurely and it is equally tragic whether the person died of a lightning strike or a road accident.

Terrorists and governments both want you to feel that terrorism is more important than it really is. The government should just get on with quietly patrolling our streets rather than to do the bidding of the terrorists and bring their antics to the attention of a wider audience. I still sleep very well at night even though people like Mas Selamat are out there wanting to kill innocent people like me because the fact is that more people in Singapore strike Toto than die of terrorist attacks.

Your sentiments over the press coverage of Ms Lo's death make me sick ..sick to death... It shows what a shallow, cynical, heartless, disgusting low-life human being you are , Aaron Kwok! The press has NO ulterior motive whatsoever except to share the grief of fellow Singaporeans of a tragic loss of one of us ..a bright and beautiful person who did not die in an accident like you mentioned!! Yes, her death was all the more tragic compared to any other person..not because she is the daughter-in-law of so and so...it is about her and her life...she had a whole bright future ahead of her and a loving husband to share with...cut short. I was utterly devastated and cried when I read the news of Ms Lo's death on Straits Times online. Even though I live in England, I can feel poor Michael's anguish and despair at the loss of the love of his life and those people whose lives she touched. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Singapore news reporters and Straits Times for their excellent coverage. My heartfelt sympathies and deepest condolences to Michael over the demise of your beloved wife. The Singaporeans in England share our grief with you, Michael and may God give you strength to carry on.

If all Singaporeans in England are as bo liao as you,
I offer you my deepest sympathy.

Utterly devastated ?? feel his anguish ???

The press have NO ulterior motive ???
Oh god ! the PAP needs your vote soooo much !

Thanks for offering a little hilarity in this space.

The world would be a better place without people like you..scumbag...cynical and common low life stengaah!! buah chai si..

Hello margaretong,

Do Singapore a favor.
Go get your head cut off by a terrorist.
I can't wait to be the first in line to express my "pain", dress up in black for your wake, and toast your demise with champagne. I'll even remind your family to include the pair of Manolo Blahniks...oh sorry, you only wear pasar malam crocs.

God knows we Singaporeans are so in need to show that we have a heart.

Thanking you in advance and wishing you a merry christmas.

'The Singaporeans in England share our grief with you'? Not all of them do, you know. I'll bet you're one of those idiots that that place flowers, candles and teddy bears at locations where unnatural death occurred.

OK, Lo Hwei Yen died. Her family and friends are very sad, as they should be. But why should the rest of Singapore be sad? What next? Wrap her coffin in a state flag before they pop her into the oven?

If people want to be sad, let them be lah. Why go to the extent of mocking the dead and calling others idiots, flag or wat not?

maybe if it ever happen to you or your family members then you will realise what is it like ..kenna.. before you talk venomously like that ..if nothing constructive to say just shut up please ..sillytwat..jia liaw bi..waste of space

Look who's 'talking venomously' and I quote from your earlier comment:

"it shows what a shallow, cynical, heartless, disgusting low-life human being you are , Aaron Kwok!" (posted by margaretong)

Just because someone don't feel as sad as you and say so, you call him this that and the other. It's about time somebody slap the crap out of you. Why don't you make the world a better place and step in front of a moving train?

Ha Ha ! good one !
Then I can get to write silly epithets for her.
Be sure to put up pictures of yourself margaretong(Cleavage important).
Singapore can't wait to show it's empathy.

You can be a very naughty boy/girl you know. Go play with the silly roaches lah!

I think his comments are fair, it's you margaretong who's unhinged. LHY was unlucky to be where she was. That's all. Stop making a martyr out of her, you silly twat.

While I feel sorry for the family of Ms Lo, I think the news coverage and expressed sentiments by the public has turned this tragedy into a farce.
We get full of dumb statements like "I never really knew her but..."
Today's article on the Straits Times by some jackass who "never really knew her but visited a pub with her once, long time ago...in some galaxy far far away was a total waste of space. I guess the reporter really want us to know that she "belongs" to a privileged group of people who rubbed shoulders with Hwei Yen once.
Please, don't embarass yourselves. Leave the "pain and heartfelt" sentiments to those who truely knew her. There is no "sharing of pain" for the rest. She don't know you, she don't need to know you. Fact is, she never even bothered to know you. Strangers don't "celebrate" stranger's life. Spare your overflowing compassion for the living. I am sure there is enough suffering people in Singapore.
She lived well, she lived large, she was innocent. She was murdered. Her death was senseless. Thats it. Don't glorify her. We did not lose a Mother Teresa.
Time is better spent thinking why the terrorist choose a Singaporean over the rest to contact the Indian Govt than fawning over a victim who was at the wrong place and the wrong time.

precisely!

well said. im glad someone's calling these fake peeps on their bullshit. she was an unfortunate soul.period. the govt needs to evaluate how their official statements can hold severe repercussions on civilians. the last thing we need is for more tourists to be targets of disgruntled terrorists.

Although, I do not know Ms Lo or any one of her family members or friends but I personally feel as if I did. As much as it is a loss for Ms Lo's family it is our loss too. Singapore has loss a child in the hands of cowards who we know as terrorist. As much as I am sad I am angered too. The 10 men that had reeked havoc on the streets of Mumbai will always be know to me as a bunch of cowards hiding behind a veil of weapons and not terrorist. Even bigger cowards are their masterminds who brainwash these already brainless young men with their senseless ideology and make them run their deadly errands. Had they had taken on their battle directly with armed personnel instead of preying on the innocent guest and public of Mumbai perhaps then I would had thought of them as terrorist. They did not distil fear in us. All they had done is earned themselves more hatred and disgust for whatever ridiculas cause and organisation they had stood for. The World should stop branding them as terrorist and instead brand them as cowards everywhere else too! Ms Lo, is alive. Very much so in our hearts and will always be. As for the cowards, the World is coming for you. We will terrorise, you.

a

s

Our ( represent MSP SEs and NPI ) deepest condolences to Hwei Yen's husband and family.

Although we don know her, news from the various medias already give us a very deep impression of a cheerful , well-liked, smart , articulate young lady who would have contribute alot more to the society . She has bring joys/fun to all those who knew her.

This are such persons that can bring cheer /joys /hope especially during such downturn in economic crisis here and wherever countries she visited.

Best wishes to her next life....and she will bring joys to those in the eternal world