Law and Foreign Affairs Minister, K Shanmugam, updates readers on his Facebook page on what is being done for the family of taxi driver, Mr Cheng Teck Hock, who was killed in the accident when a ferrari smashed into his taxi.
In his original posting on the matter on Wednesday, the minister said:
Last night I went to the wake of Mr Cheng Teck Hock, the taxi driver who lost his life in tragic circumstances and met the family. Heart wrenching to see soemone lose their loved ones so suddenly. I really hope the family pull through this difficult time. Lets keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
The family shared their concerns with me. I assured them that the eldest daughter can go to University if she qualifies and need not worry about money. I also assured Mrs Cheng that we will help them by raising funds and that they dont need to worry about their HDB flat. In addition I intend to get a lawyer to help them make a claim.
He provided an update on Friday, as follows:
On Wednesday night I posted a short message on Mr Cheng and what we hope to do for his family. There has been overwhelming response, expressing sympathy for the family, and offers of support. I can really sense the compassion with which so many of you have responded. It really is heartwarming to be reminded that we live amongst caring individuals that make up our society.
As one of you highlighted the fragility of life and how unexpected and unplanned things can happen in one’s life and how this can impact not only the person involved but also his or her loved ones is not something I need to lay out. We all know that life can present a myriad of twists and turns and the impact of which can be sometimes painful and challenging. But worst of all is the feeling that you are facing the uphill battle of suffering alone.
Today it may be Mr. Cheng’s family’s turn and tomorrow may be mine or someone else’s. There is never any telling when or what might happen.
With life being this way, it is always a good feeling to know that our community comprises caring folks that have a heart to reach out to others in need. We don’t end up feeling so alone. The pain and suffering of Mr Cheng’s family and the assistance that they will get has been publicized. There are many whose plight and painful moments do not catch or just slips the media’s attention, like one of you commented.
In fact, just last week, there was another tragedy within our community, where a sole breadwinner left behind a family with 3 very young kids, with little public knowledge. We have begun to assist them. Like for Mr Cheng's family, we will try to help this family in a structured and sustained way, and have been thinking of how we can raise the funds to help them.
In our Chong Pang community, many residents have come and continue to come forward to share their pain and challenges in life with me and my team of volunteers. Over the years they have not only trusted us to open up their hearts to share their suffering with us, but also allowed us to walk alongside them during their time of need and help them get back on their feet. Although we haven’t been able to help in every situation, we have been able to help many.
I was asked how we are going to help Mr Cheng’s family. As I had previously stated, I have spoken with several government agencies, a Foundation and my grassroots leaders. We need to speak with the family to fully assess their needs. The family needs some time to absorb what has happened before they can be ready to deal with other issues. Once they are ready, we will speak with them. Our assessment, based on what we know (which may or may not be fully accurate) is that they will need help with their HDB flat, living expenses, and educational expenses.
People have also emailed me offering to help the family. We are now thinking of the best way in which the help can be co-ordinated.
