Seng Han Thong says he has “moved on”; what about Ong Kar Chua?
June 10th, 2009 | 
Author: From The Newsroom Team
Torched PAP MP Seng Han Thong said in an interview with the minor PAP mouthpiece Petir (the primary mouthpiece is SPH) that he has “moved on from the incident”. (read article here)
He was referring to his personal tragedy in January 2009 when he was set on fire at a community event by a resident of his constituency.
The assailant is a 70 year old Ong Kar Chua, who is now remanded at IMH due to “unsound” mind. The exact diagnosis was never revealed to the public.
Ong deserves to be punished under the law for assaulting a public servant. He should be allowed to stand trial and given the opportunity to defend himself in court.
Locking him away in IMH for good not only denies Ong his basic human rights under the law, but also prevents the natural course of justice.
If Ong is diagnosed to be mentally “unfit” to plead, he can be treated with appropriate medications by psychiatrists at IMH till he is fit to do so.
Except for schizophrenia and senile dementia, most mental disorders are treatable to a certain extent.
Under the Constitution, Ong has the right to post bail and to engage a lawyer to represent him.
In this case, he may be jailed for a number of years, after which he can start afressh and live as a free man for the rest of his life (assuming he doesn’t die in prison).
Till today, Ong is not prosecuted for his criminal assault on the MP. No charges were ever leveled at him.
Ong’s treatment by the authorities is reminiscent of the former Soviet Union and East Germany, where dissidents are often incarcerated for years in mental institutions at the “pleasure” of those in power.
Posted in Opinion
44 Responses to “Seng Han Thong says he has “moved on”; what about Ong Kar Chua?”
Loading ...
Alex Tan Allan Ooi AWARE Chee Soon Juan Chiam See Tong Claire Lee David Widjaja DBS Dr Allan Ooi Dr Silviu Ionescu Dr Vivian Balakrishnan Foyce Le Xuan highnote5 Hong Lim Park Jack Lin Xinli Jack Neo Jack Neo affair Jack Neo scandal Josie Lau Josie Lau Meng Lee Lee Kuan Yew Lehman brothers Lighthouse Evangelism MAS minibonds Miss Singapore World NTU stabbing PAP Pastor Rony Tan Ris Low Romanian diplomat in hit-and-run Rony Tan S-League silviu ionescu Singapore Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Tan Kin Lian Thio Su Mien Tiger Woods affair Tong Kok Wai Top 8 Vivian Balakrishnan Wendy Chong Y O G Youth Olympic Games
WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck and Luke Morton requires Flash Player 9 or better.
xcuse me..is this MP a protege of our SM Goh who immortalised the statement : let’s move on! A convenient way to sweep EVERYTHING under the carpet.
Er are you saying he is sane enough to stand trial?
relax lar, the Ong guy quite pity liao lar, so old liao, U mean u wan2 see him in jail meh??
IMH prison is a substitue for changi prison and whitley prison
IMH prison is a substitute for changi prison and whitley prison
good post. most of us would’ve forgotten about the other guy in this article. it would’ve spoken volumes if Seng were to visit him and forgiven him openly. guess that will never happen in singapore
The reason why Ong was never brought to court and charged is plain and simple.
Nobody in his right state of mind would touch another without valid reason. Unless hs is insane (which the gahment claims he is) OR he has a BIG ISSUE with the person being touched.
Regardless, bringing him to trial would mean that he can choose to defend himself with a lawyer and dirt will spill. Something which the gahment cannot afford now with elections around the corner.
Everything Move on, The great “Let’s move on” party.
“Excuse me..is this MP a protege of our SM Goh who immortalised the statement : let’s move on! A convenient way to sweep EVERYTHING under the carpet.”
May be true that something is confidential that cannot be revealed in court ???
Just my 2 cent worth of suggestion, to be a respectable and credible alternative voice, it is better for you to pick correct topics to report and generate meaningful debate and discussion. Every step of your (WP) move is a difficult and challenging one, so make good use of your resources. While not worth mentioning the MSM, we think you could garner support bit by bit, day by day, by reporting good and touching life story, expose and condemn urgy and despicable act and behavior while still focusing on your core political objective. (In this case, it is no point defending the Ong, no matter what is one grievance, one has no right to torch a human being, and there is no point wasting any resources to go thru court proceeding, besides, it maybe better for him to be in IMH for treatment rather than facing four wall in a cell) Anyway, keep it up WP.
I believe they don’t want him to disclose the real reasons behind his act. this would throw a bad light on seng.
The suggestion that Ong is not mentally unfit does not follow from the fact that “the exact diagnosis was never revealed to the public.”
There is something called patient/doctor privilege.
Whenever I read of any high-profile murders in the papers, the accused like to plead insanity (for why will a sane person commit such sick violent crimes?), and usually they will fail in their pleas.
In this case, why is there no need to even argue for a case of insanity in court? I am confused here, perhaps legal experts can clarify?
Anyway, we may never get to know what happen to Ong Kar Chua.
The way this episode is being handled tells volumes on how ‘efficient’ the civil service is! An efficient and transparent civil service and I mean CIVIL, would be to issue a press release of the following:
- Name of the doctor who had diagnosed Ong or is looking after Ong and what medical treatment Ong will be receiving.
- What Social Support will be given to the mentally ill or families with mentally ill members in the future.
- MP Seng’s statement on his constituent’s welfare esp with the mentally ill & the public’s safety after his own personal experience.
- Would also be good to include MP Seng’s acknowledgement of the public’s well wishes for his recovery and also the medical team’s good effort.
I suspect that they cannot issue such a press release because the whole idea of Ong being insane is a scam. I am non-partisan and I happen to be not in the ‘needy’ category, but this sort of act by the civil service/govt? pisses me off big time.
Hi stinger, I agree with your thoughts here. Although, Mr Seng personally want to forgive Mr Ong, I doubt he is allow to do it. He cannot set the precedence as there is a high chance of more MPs being attack as we can see (the trend) how some of the MPs really “take” good care of our “privilege” citizens (mollycoddled ones) who have to queue for hours just to receive some meal coupons.
One example, if Mr Seng really does forgive Mr Ong, how is LBW going to have any redemption…..
They also sending PoThePanda to IMH for dissent. PAP is weird.
I feel sorry for the very old 70-year-old mr Ong Kah Chuah.
I wonder how many years would he be held inside IMH?
Sad to see an old man who due to stresses of life suffer from mental illness that blocked his ability to think logically.
I hope help is given to rehab the elderly Ong who in one way or another must have contributed to society in his lifetime.
Dissidents in Communist countries didn’t set apparatchiks on fire.
Just my 2 cent worth of suggestion, to be a respectable and credible alternative voice, it is better for you to pick correct topics to report and thus generate meaningful debate and discussion. Every step of your (WP) move is a difficult and challenging one, so make good use of your resources. While not worth mentioning the MSM, we think you could garner good support bit by bit, day by day, share good and touching life story, expose and condemn urgy and despicable act/behavior while still remain focus on your core political agenda. (In this particular case, it is no point defending the Ong, no matter what are one grievances, one has no right to torch another human being, try imagine we are the one who are burnt and what stress it will cause to our love one? Besides, it maybe better for him to be in IMH for treatment and rehab rather than facing four walls in a cell) Anyway, keep it up WP.
Dear admin,
I notice quite a few of my comments are not passing through moderation since 2 days ago. Is there something faulty with the system? Certainly hope this is not censorship at work.
Stinger, if I had been flamed I doubt I would forgive flamer. Unless I wanted to Wayang.
Hey what happened to Ganga’s article on man in the street paying back losses???
Boon Lay Resident on Thu, 11th Jun 2009 7:26 pm
“They also sending PoThePanda to IMH for dissent. PAP is weird.”
In Sinkapore, anyone going against the famiLEE is considered “mentally ill”, must be crazy, so they thought.
Anyway, with the increase in desperate m,easures by the famiLEE, we can be sure that the head is losing it.
I hope he was paid full salary for his many months of absence from work. I mean he such a rare talented talent wor.
What other forms of compensation did he get, anyone knows?
It is just not right to set another person on fire, whatever unhappiness one had.
If old man Ong were to stand trial, he may be sentenced to a mandatory nos. of years. This may not be a good choice to fight for him as this mandatory nos. of years may see him not walking out alive again. Could someone well-versed in the law pls advise?
As for MP Seng Han Thong, I feel he is just unlucky to be targetted. I have heard of him when young, seems to be a decent guy. Furthermore, a trusted long-time friend spoke up for him. I believe this friend’s words as I know he is a righteous person.
It’s ok to be anti-establishment but let us be fair in case we lose credibility. Gloating over someone’s near lost of life is not what I call gentleman. However, MP Seng has in advertently used a dirty word when he said “moved on”, it irks me.
Seng’s pet phrase is “Ba chi ku dang chi bu”（把吃苦当吃补）, meaning treat suffering as supplement, that is to say , the more the sufferings the more the tonic supplements.
I think Mr Seng should visit the poor guy Mr Ong Kah Chuah at IMH as we have not heard about him or his progress since he was sent there.
This would speak volumns for Mr Seng as a good MP and a caring one.
It is sad to see an old man being put away due to old age and doing something silly. I liken his action of a small child not given something when he see others getting them.
We have heard a lot of times, people committed a criminal act and after which claimed or get professional to diagnosed that he has psychological problem. Who knows maybe the old man Ong is being instructed by someone to commit the act since mentally unhealthy person often escape heavy punishment when prosecuted.
Since this incident does not cause any lost of life, it is reasonable to keep the old man in IMH, in case he got agitated again and go burn other people in the public. No prosecution means lenient thought has been considered for his age.
At his age, maybe it is better for him to live in IMH so that he does not need to worry about living expenses.
Hey WP what happened to Ganga’s article? I thought it was quite nice..
Still not letting any of my comments through? This is truly very disappointing…
“What other forms of compensation did he get, anyone knows?”
Full Paid Leave, Full Medical Coverage, Insurance and maybe something extra “under the table”.
“If old man Ong were to stand trial, he may be sentenced to a mandatory nos. of years. This may not be a good choice to fight for him as this mandatory nos. of years may see him not walking out alive again. Could someone well-versed in the law pls advise?”
A quantified sentence is better than “at the president’s pleasure”. Waiting 10 years to get out of jail is betting than waiting for forever, not knowing when.
Not knowing when someone will die is worst than knowing he only has 10 months to live, agree?
In my opinion, he may be facing anything from:
1. Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means. (Section 326 Cap.224)
326. Whoever, except in the case provided for by section 335, voluntarily causes grievous hurt by means of any instrument for shooting, stabbing or cutting, or any instrument which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, or by means of fire or any heated substance, or by means of any poison or any corrosive substance, or by means of any explosive substance, or by means of any substance which it is deleterious to the human body to inhale, to swallow, or to receive into the blood, or by means of any animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 15 years, and shall also be liable to fine or to caning.
2. Attempted murder (which is unlikely but technically chargable).
Normally, the AGC will go for the highest they can go technically possible and then let the defence counsel make representation for the charge to be reduced.
Anyway, since he is now in remand at IMH, reason being of unsound mind, then he will not be charged and is held indefinitely under the President sibei good mood
BTW
In the Penal Code, a person who causes ‘hurt’ is defined as someone who causes ‘bodily pain, disease or infirmity to any person’.
But only the following injuries are classified as grievous hurt: castration, permanent damage to either eye, ear or limb/joint, permanent disfiguration of the head or face, or fracture/dislocation of a bone.
Grievous hurt is also said to have taken place if the victim’s life was put in danger, or if he, as a result of the assault, was in severe pain or unable to go about his daily activities for 20 days.
Wow, imprisonment for life or 15 yrs plus fine (which I don’t think old man Ong can afford), prison life is not a breeze either.
If you guys really pushing for a trial, better check with his family first, k?
For the record,when Ong Kar Chua was produced in Court after being remanded in IMH for the 1st time,he claimed that he was tortured in IMH.
This was reported in the Chinese papers but not the English papers.
Food for thought.
>=|
Well they can never detain him under ISA as he is not a terrorist so why not slap him with mentally unsound and lock him in IMH which is equally effective and less lightly to incur public scrutiny of the cause of burning SHT. I must mention SGH’s skin graft skill are really top notch as the recent SHT picture release by MSM, he look brand new like before pre-burn status.
This article is seriously inaccurate. There is no “constitutional right” to post bail for any offence; whether an offence is bailable as of right is governed by the Criminal Procedure Code. There is no constitutional right to seek legal representation, unless a person is arrested.
Whether an accused person is fit to stand trial is determined by the court; the Minister may order that he be confined in a specific place of safe custody. But ultimately, the decision to resume proceedings is up to the court; he is not locked away “for good”, unlike where an accused person committed the offence but is found not guilty by reason of insanity.
On a different note, I think it’s ridiculous that some are asking Seng Han Thong to approach the accused person to ‘forgive’ him. Let’s see you be that magnanimous if someone were to set you on fire.
Anyone commenting on Charles Chong’s remarks on singaporeans vs foreign-originals?
Craig Belushi – “Anyone commenting on Charles Chong’s remarks on singaporeans vs foreign-originals?”
You mean the mr. higher immortal ? Well, we the lesser immortals will forever remember and resent his brainless comment. What’s even more brainless is his supporting inviting more foreigners into our already super cramped country, and using tax payers’ money to pay for the welfare and subsidised housing of these ppl.
Hi
Legally, the statement “he is not locked away “for good”,” is correct, BUT under Sinkapore’s context, we are sayong he CAN BE or WULL BE locked away “for good” and the Couret would not care and he has no legal recourse.
Here’s an additional information on the order of: detained at the President’s sibei goos mood.
Basically what it meant (at least in Sinkapore’s context) is plainly: They lock you up in IMH and then lock leave the keys in the closet for good till the next President and then the next President “suddenly remembers”. If any President mood sibei goos and decides to release whoever detained, he CANNOT DO SO with his order alone, he has to go thru many many many “advisor/famiLEE” before he is allowed to do so.
As for the Court, it is out of their hands once the order is issed and it doesn’t matter much if the person detained undergo treatment and recovered fully. He will still be detained until kingdom comes.
NOTE THAT I am not talking about the legal aspect of the detainment, I am talking about the way it is applied in particular context pertaining to Sinkapore.
We all know how the law is written and what legally can be done, but thats not the way it works in the Kangaroo Court which is always “under instructions” for “special cases”.
Plainly put, the system works above the law and the rule of law is almost NEVER followed. There is no such thing as the rule of law in Sinkapore when it comes to “special cases”, just instructions from the famiLEE.
what if this Mr Ong is quickly released and then he goes ard Singapore burning anyone who offended him? we shouldnt discount his act just because he torched an MP. would some of us be less forgiving if he torched a regular citizen?
Ion
I dont thinbk we are talking about forgiveness now, its more about the transparency and rule of law that we are more concerned about.
Ong id wrong, no dispute here but there are rule of law and transparency that we wanted followed and adhered to. Although the law make provision for detainment in IMH at the President’s sibei good mood, but did you noticed that this section of the law have almost always been used for “sensitive cases” involving elites and members of the famiLEE?
I think the post above made some interesting points, on a related side note I found a used version of Criminal Procedure which is directly related to this topic for less than the bookstores at http://www.belabooks.com/books/9780534612092.htm