Dr Allan Ooi's Obituary - Government's Policy

[tomasloh]

Much have been said in the thread on "Dr Allan Ooi’s farewell letter and last word before his death: Questions for SAF" and the main thrust of blogger's views had been centred on the pros and cons of scholarship bond.

However, I have questions for Mindef or any government officials who can answer the undermentioned questions:

For the record, this is not meant to have any disrespect for the late Dr Allan Ooi nor to his family who are grieving for a loss son and family member.

It is a known and undisputed facts that Dr Ooi was an army deserter and went AWOL (Absence without Official Leave) for several months. As an AWOL personnel, he is wanted by the authorities and any police stop and search, his name will appear on the police wanted list as well as a warrant of arrest would have been issued against him.

In other words, he is wanted for a criminal offence under the SAF Act for going AWOL.

As a wanted man, he is going to face imprisonment if convicted in a court martial or maybe in a civilan criminal court. He would have faced shame and humiliation if he is convicted had he been alive as he would have to serve imprisonment.

My question to the government is this:

Why is Mindef Chief of various forces advertising in the Obituary Section of The Straits Times sending their condolences to the late Dr Ooi when he is a wanted criminal for AWOL in the army.

What message is the government sending to the general public that even a wanted criminal can be "celebrated" and condolences messages sent even for an AWOL personnel. Is the government going to put up an obituary sending condolences messages if the deceased had committed muder assuming he had been a high ranking military officer and a scholar as well.

Kindly clarify the government stand as it had been a hot topic in the public.

 

[scroobal]

:

It is a known and undisputed facts that Dr Ooi was an army deserter and went AWOL (Absence without Official Leave) for several months. As an AWOL personnel, he is wanted by the authorities and any police stop and search, his name will appear on the police wanted list as well as a warrant of arrest would have been issued against him.

Kindly clarify the government stand as it had been a hot topic in the public.

The proper way to framed this question is in the following manner

"Of all awol cases that resulted in a suicide, how many were provided with obituaries placed in the Press by SAF"

The answer will not only preesent an interesting insight, the SAF will have to go back to first principles to get their act together.

The way that you frame the question, the usual defensive meachnism will kick in such as

- he killed himself but did not harm others
- he was lost and was not himslef
- the human life must be cherished
- his SAF mates wanted to share their feelings
- he was a goods soldier until something snapped.

 

[DerekDear]

Why is Mindef Chief of various forces advertising in the Obituary Section of The Straits Times sending their condolences to the late Dr Ooi when he is a wanted criminal for AWOL in the army.

.....

Kindly clarify the government stand as it had been a hot topic in the public.

Eh... Dr Ooi's father is a member of the elite in Singapore, a very powerful very senior doctor sitting on the board of directors of various institutions in Singapore. If he wants to hantam the SAF "senior" doctor who bully his son later on.... (because SAF doctors have to come out and look for job at 45)... no problem man... in fact, the SAF "senior" doctors who bully Dr Ooi Junior can each kena hantam jialat jialat when they leave the service, unless they have powerful backing or powderful backsides.

This is called "cover your own backside"... :oIo: Common tactic by small fries. Costs a few bucks to put a condolence notice, cheap cheap.

 

[tomasloh]

The way that you frame the question, the usual defensive meachnism will kick in such as

- he killed himself but did not harm others
- he was lost and was not himslef
- the human life must be cherished
- his SAF mates wanted to share their feelings
- he was a goods soldier until something snapped.

It is no defence to say that no harm was brought upon anyone except himself. If such a defence is acceptable, then perhaps a lot of criminals committing crime can walk out scot free if their defence is one that no harm was brought upon anyone.

Remember : Society cannot be seen to be decorating criminals and turned them into national heros otherwise we are sending a wrong message to the public that committing crime is alright if you bring no one harm.

 

[tomasloh]

Eh... Dr Ooi's father is a member of the elite in Singapore, a very powerful very senior doctor sitting on the board of directors of various institutions in Singapore. If he wants to hantam the SAF "senior" doctor who bully his son later on.... (because SAF doctors have to come out and look for job at 45)... no problem man... in fact, the SAF "senior" doctors who bully Dr Ooi Junior can each kena hantam jialat jialat when they leave the service, unless they have powerful backing or powderful backsides.

This is called "cover your own backside"... :oIo: Common tactic by small fries. Costs a few bucks to put a condolence notice, cheap cheap.

If what you are saying is right that just because the father is someone rich and powerful and sits on many powerful boards, which may include the government, isn't this giving in to the elite when it has been the policy of this government that it practices clean and open government without favour or fear.

The government has said that Nepotism has no place here. So can one man changed the policy of the government when the "decorated" deceased has committed a criminal offence and yet the government holds him in high respect.

The last few months have seen several articles published in local newspaper that the law are for the rich and powerful and this is another episode that criminals are also decorated if they come from the elite rank.

 

[red amoeba]

what is odd is that - in the suicide note - he mentioned he killed himself due to unhappiness with his work - meaning he wanted to break bond but he could not do so.

SAF did not come up to debunk or clarify the matter - but instead put up an obitary - guilty conscious? If what Allen said in his suicide note is not true - then it warrant a clarification lest hopeful doctors get the wrong impression and not want to serve NS.

 

[tomasloh]

what is odd is that - in the suicide note - he mentioned he killed himself due to unhappiness with his work - meaning he wanted to break bond but he could not do so.

SAF did not come up to debunk or clarify the matter - but instead put up an obitary - guilty conscious? If what Allen said in his suicide note is not true - then it warrant a clarification lest hopeful doctors get the wrong impression and not want to serve NS.

There is always a forum to challenge Mindef decision if they don't allow the bond to be broken. Government's decision can be challenged and they are not always right. Taking the suicidal approach is a wrong step in resolving a problem let alone the fact that he is scholar. It serve to prove that academic excellence is nothing when it comes to managing crisis.

By committing suicide, he has actually committed a 2nd criminal offence on top of the AWOL. Committing suicide is an offence.

Is it the government's policy to decorate someone who have committed 2 offences. This is my question and the purpose of this thread.

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

This should suffice. Scroobal's question could be a follow up.

My question to the government is this:

Why is Mindef Chief of various forces advertising in the Obituary Section of The Straits Times sending their condolences to the late Dr Ooi when he is a wanted criminal for AWOL in the army.

What message is the government sending to the general public that even a wanted criminal can be "celebrated" and condolences messages sent even for an AWOL personnel. .

Kindly clarify the government stand as it had been a hot topic in the public.

 

[yogi1973]

the late doc was a elite, he deserves a respectable send off. may he rest in peace.

 

[yellowarse]

Eh... Dr Ooi's father is a member of the elite in Singapore, a very powerful very senior doctor sitting on the board of directors of various institutions in Singapore. If he wants to hantam the SAF "senior" doctor who bully his son later on.... (because SAF doctors have to come out and look for job at 45)... no problem man... in fact, the SAF "senior" doctors who bully Dr Ooi Junior can each kena hantam jialat jialat when they leave the service, unless they have powerful backing or powderful backsides.

This is called "cover your own backside"... :oIo: Common tactic by small fries. Costs a few bucks to put a condolence notice, cheap cheap.

Hello, Alex Ooi himself was charged and struck off the register by the Singapore Medical Council in 1991 for having sex with a patient. He subsequently appealed and quashed the conviction, but has been persona non grata since then.

Close friends know that he was guilty but got off on a technicality.

 

[apogee]

The condolences were sent to the parents and siblings and not to Dr Ooi. Dr Ooi has died. Whatever crime or quasi-crime he is alleged to have committed to have died with him. May he rest in peace.

 

[middaydog]

Alex Ooi was struck off the register by the Singapore Medical Council for having sex with a patient.

having sex with a patient wrong meh ?

 

[zhihau]

having sex with a patient wrong meh ?

need to check the hippocratic oath :p:p:p

 

[middaydog]

need to check the hippocratic oath :p:p:p

alamak ! like that better tell my wife not to come to my clinic for her sorethroat

 

[tomasloh]

The condolences were sent to the parents and siblings and not to Dr Ooi. Dr Ooi has died. Whatever crime or quasi-crime he is alleged to have committed to have died with him. May he rest in peace.

The government must take a stand on this issue. It is public policy that you do not decorate a criminal and for which the late Dr Ooi is the subject matter. It matters not that the condolences was meant for the parents and siblings. A wrong message would have been signalled by the government to the public that it matters not that criminal offences had been committed and that it can be overlooked.

His death does not exonerate him for what had been done during his lifetime. The crime does not die with him and it stand as a record that can never be erased forever.

To illustrate that such public policy was in force, the Singapore Police Force has taken a stand that if any officer had committed suicide while still in the Force, there will be no obituary to be published in the newspaper. The ruling still stand unless they have changed it now.

 

[apogee]

Is the policy of the Singapore Police Force a decent or correct policy? When someone commits suicide, it means that for him the world has come to an end and life is of no meaning. It may not be real to others but it is definitely real to the deceased. I am glad the SAF are more enlightened. The police should revisit their policy.

The people that suffer are the living and not the dead. Here, my heart goes out to the parents and the siblings. They have to live with their loss every day and for a very long time.

The police can keep whatever records they want and for how long they wish. It makes no difference. When a criminal dies, you can no longer prosecute him. His crime is "interred (cremated) with his bones". The police should also revisit this policy, if one exists.

 

[zhihau]

alamak ! like that better tell my wife not to come to my clinic for her sorethroat

so was it in the oath? :p:p:p

 

[tomasloh]

Is the policy of the Singapore Police Force a decent or correct policy? When someone commits suicide, it means that for him the world has come to an end and life is of no meaning. It may not be real to others but it is definitely real to the deceased. I am glad the SAF are more enlightened. The police should revisit their policy.

The people that suffer are the living and not the dead. Here, my heart goes out to the parents and the siblings. They have to live with their loss every day and for a very long time.

The police can keep whatever records they want and for how long they wish. It makes no difference. When a criminal dies, you can no longer prosecute him. His crime is "interred (cremated) with his bones". The police should also revisit this policy, if one exists.

For the deceased, his act dies with him but his survivors suffers. If he had spared a thought for his survivors, he would not have done it despite the enormous amount of education that was poured in and to nurture him to be a scholar. There are always setbacks in life and it is how you face and handle it. It is understandable that his parents are bearing the brunt of his action.

But society and government has to take a public stand that they cannot celebrate and condone such an action. Imagine if we are in a war and the soldiers in the SAF instead of defending the country chose to commit suicide when they are confronted with the enemies and yet the SAF has to "celebrate" their death in the Obituary section as though they are national heroes.

The crime stays even if he is dead for history will always remember that the crime was committed by him. Decades and centuries later, history will still remember that he has committed a crime and there is no doubt about it. If he has descendents, they have to live with that fact.

 

[LeeLaoPeh]

alamak ! like that better tell my wife not to come to my clinic for her sorethroat

you doctor ? give her injection or syrup ?

 

[yellowarse]

having sex with a patient wrong meh ?

Sex with a patient is in breach of the Singapore Medical Council's ethical code and guidelines. This is because the doctor-patient relationship is sacrosanct.

Dr Yeong Cheng Toh of KK Hospital was suspended from practice for 2 years and censured last February when he admitted to having sex with a patient.