#trending: 4-year-old boy's tearful farewell to family's car with expiring COE tugs at heartstrings
www.todayonline.com
SINGAPORE — Letting go of something can be hard for children. This was certainly the case for a four-year old boy here who had a difficult time saying goodbye to the family car.
In a TikTok video last Friday (May 10), user “Anak Khoo” shared the bittersweet display of emotions by her son, Joshua, alongside a tongue-in-cheek caption: "SG car policy made my son cry!"
The 53-second clip shows Joshua appearing to be inconsolable about losing the family's black BMW as its Certificate of Entitlement (COE) was expiring.
According to the video, he had “practically grown up with the car”.
His mother states in the video that they had previously renewed the car's COE for five years and, as per the rules, can no longer renew it.
Despite his parents explaining to him that they cannot afford two cars, Joshua is unable to contain his tears.
According to the video, Joshua even offered his piggy bank money to help keep the car.
A report by Malaysian news site World of Buzz on Tuesday added that the boy's mother, Ms Khoo, said that her son is “a very sentimental child”.
As such, she and her husband had been preparing Joshua for weeks before the car was scrapped, the report said.
The video drew mixed views from netizens, some of whom empathised with the child, saying that they had experienced similar feelings of attachment.
Another wrote: “Mine (was a) 15 year old car, expired last year. My children (were) also upset cos it’s been around all their lives at that point.”
Others went on to criticise the COE policy.
One user wrote: “Why did I tear up with him! Tagging the Govt to give this child back the car!”
Another said: “Aiyooooo @ltasg see you make a kid cry with your expensive COE idea and all.”
According to another video by Anak Khoo, the family has since bought another car which Joshua quickly accepted.
TODAY has reached out to Ms Khoo for comment.
www.todayonline.com
SINGAPORE — Letting go of something can be hard for children. This was certainly the case for a four-year old boy here who had a difficult time saying goodbye to the family car.
In a TikTok video last Friday (May 10), user “Anak Khoo” shared the bittersweet display of emotions by her son, Joshua, alongside a tongue-in-cheek caption: "SG car policy made my son cry!"
The 53-second clip shows Joshua appearing to be inconsolable about losing the family's black BMW as its Certificate of Entitlement (COE) was expiring.
According to the video, he had “practically grown up with the car”.
His mother states in the video that they had previously renewed the car's COE for five years and, as per the rules, can no longer renew it.
Read also
The Big Read: Despite sky-high COE prices, Singaporeans’ car dreams never fade
In Singapore, a car has to be scrapped after its COE has expired.Despite his parents explaining to him that they cannot afford two cars, Joshua is unable to contain his tears.
According to the video, Joshua even offered his piggy bank money to help keep the car.
A report by Malaysian news site World of Buzz on Tuesday added that the boy's mother, Ms Khoo, said that her son is “a very sentimental child”.
As such, she and her husband had been preparing Joshua for weeks before the car was scrapped, the report said.
The video drew mixed views from netizens, some of whom empathised with the child, saying that they had experienced similar feelings of attachment.
Read also
Your Say: Are cars a necessity or a luxury? TODAY readers weigh in
One TikTok user wrote: “... this was me when my parent's first car had to be scrapped when I was 6 years old. I basically grew up with it too.”Another wrote: “Mine (was a) 15 year old car, expired last year. My children (were) also upset cos it’s been around all their lives at that point.”
Others went on to criticise the COE policy.
One user wrote: “Why did I tear up with him! Tagging the Govt to give this child back the car!”
Another said: “Aiyooooo @ltasg see you make a kid cry with your expensive COE idea and all.”
According to another video by Anak Khoo, the family has since bought another car which Joshua quickly accepted.
TODAY has reached out to Ms Khoo for comment.
