SG, SEA: human interest story on the SilkAir crash
Ian Chai
"Among those presumed dead [in the crash] were three
outstanding teachers of Fairfield Methodist Secondary School.
The school and most Methodists and friends were devastated
when they heard the news as the trio were returning to attend a
colleague's funeral.
The aircraft was a Boeing 737-300, and only 10 months old.
Some villagers in southern Sumatra were reported to have said
they heard two explosions before the plane went down.
Christian churches in Singapore prayed the Lord to comfort the
bereaved and for His peace to be placed in their hearts.
Three teachers from Fairfield Methodist Secondary School
shortened their holiday by a day to return home when they
heard that a colleague had died suddenly.
Miss Yee Pui Leng (from left), 37, Miss Koh Poh Kwee, 48, and
Madam Tan Chay Hoon, 49, cut short their holiday by a day to
return early [on Flight MI 185] for a colleague's [another
teacher's] funeral. But tragedy struck, and now Fairfield
Methodist Secondary has lost four teachers [in nearly as many
days].
The funeral for their colleague, Mrs Soon Ching Lin, 33, a
history teacher who died suddenly of heart failure last
Wednesday, was held yesterday. The three teachers left on
Monday for a one-week holiday, Madam Tan's husband, a
businessman, also left Jakarta on Friday, but he took a
different flight and reached home safely.
At the school yesterday [Saturday], women teachers and school
board members were crying and hugging each other and the
principal, Mrs Tang Poh Kim. Men teachers stood by quietly.
Students and former students huddled in corners, talking about how
they lost four teachers in a single week. Mrs Tang said: "To us it
is a big tragedy to lose three colleagues in an air-crash. We are
emotionally in pain. We were first shocked by Mrs Soon's death. And
now another three." She said it was a tragedy that teachers and
students would have to get over. "We also pray for all the families
of the victims," she added.
Miss Yee, who had been with the school for more than 10 years, was
the head of department for media resources. Miss Koh was the
school's history subject coordinator and Madam Tan was an art
subject coordinator. Mrs Tan said all three were dedicated, and
stayed back to give extra lessons and organise activities to get
closer to their students.
The trio were also close buddies, sharing school meal-times
and holidays together. Mrs Tan had two grown-up sons while Miss Yee
and Miss Koh lived with their parents and siblings. Miss Yee's
elderly mother still does not know about the tragedy. The closeness
among school staff was very visible at the school yesterday.
When a former teacher, Mrs Kang Hwee Meng, flew in from
Jakarta yesterday afternoon, she headed straight for the school to
be with the staff. A sobbing Mrs Kang told how she had just met all
three women in Jakarta where she now lives with her businessman
husband. She said, "They were so happy. They had done their
shopping and has seen most places. "As I was flying out today I was
imagining what they went through as the plane went down." Another
teacher was cutting short her holiday in Penang to be with the
school staff and the bereaved families.
A group of seven Secondary 3 boys who were playing basketball
quietly were most cut-up over the tragedy. Miss Kah had been
their form teacher. Class monitor Galvin Chua, 15, said: "What
a waste of life. We are all shocked. "We were looking forward
to having Miss Koh as our form teacher again this year. "We had
so many plans as next year is our school's 110th anniversary.
"We were going to work hard together for our Sec 4." He said
that Miss Koh had always given them her time and had used her
own money to organise camps and outings for them. He said Mrs
Tan had been planning to take a group of students to Bali next
year on an art- appreciation trip. "It is very tough to lose
so many teachers in one week. "Inside we are very hurt and do
not know how we are going to cope when school re-opens."
Source: E Phillip Lim <HMP...@LionCity.com>