Day dedicated to memory of fallen climbers
Nation to observe remembrance day today; more bodies are identified
By Rahul Pathak, Associate Editor, News, The Straits Times, 8 Jun 2015
FRIENDS broke down and strangers were moved to tears as eight people who had left Singapore to climb a mountain returned from its slopes in body bags.
Two other Singaporeans are still listed as missing after last Friday's earthquake on Mount Kinabalu rained rocks on the climbers.
Yesterday appeared to be a day when grief touched political leaders and regular folk. Today will be a day of national remembrance as Singapore reflects on the young lives cut short abruptly.
State flags on all government buildings will be flown at half-mast, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office. At all venues where the SEA Games are being held, the day will start with one minute of silence.
"We hope that this collective expression of sympathy and support from all Singaporeans will give solace and comfort to the families and loved ones of the victims," Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook post.
After two days when many of the victims from Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) had been deemed missing, but not confirmed dead, a flurry of identifications was announced yesterday.
Five of those named yesterday - Rachel Ho Yann Shiuan, Sonia Jhala, Emilie Giovanna Ramu, Matahom Karyl Mitzi Higuit and Ameer Ryyan Mohd Adeed Sanjay - were all 12 years old. Also on the list were their teacher, 29-year-old Terrence Sebastian Loo Jian Liang and adventure guide Muhammad Daanish Amran, 22.
Carrying its sad cargo of bodies, a Republic of Singapore Air Force plane made its way back here last night.
This means that only 13-year-old Navdeep Singh Jaryal Raj Kumar and teacher Mohammad Ghazi Mohamed, 35, are still listed as missing from the group of 37 that TKPS had sent to Kota Kinabalu.
The school opened its doors despite the June holidays to pay homage to the seven pupils and two teachers who may not return to its campus.
Hundreds of mourners - including weeping pupils, deeply sad alumni and strangers who simply wanted to express their solidarity - gathered at the school to pen their thoughts on little white cards and simply exchange hugs.
Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who came to offer words of comfort, said: "My heart weeps for them. So many young lives perished, teachers too, all just starting their lives, so it has come as a shock to us."
Senior Minister of State for Education and Law Indranee Rajah was struck by the manner in which parents of pupils were supporting one another.
"For the families who are bereaved, and even for those whose children have come back, I think they should know that they all have friends here who are supporting them," she said.
"The staff and obviously the nation feel very deeply for those who have passed away."
The school reached out to console the bereaved families yesterday. Today, the nation may do the same.
Am very sad to learn that 8 bodies recovered from Mount Kinabalu have been identified as 1 teacher and 6 students from...
Posted by Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday, June 7, 2015
On this Day of National Remembrance, I thought I would share with you this piece by a mother of a Tanjong Katong Primary...
Posted by Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday, June 7, 2015
Sabah quake: Heng Swee Keat calls on teaching community to remember and honour victims and survivors
By Janice Heng, The Straits Times, 8 Jun 2015
On Monday, the Day of National Remembrance in the wake of the Sabah earthquake, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat called on the teaching community to remember both those who were lost and those who remain.
"I ask that we, the MOE family, use this day to remember and honour the selflessness of our teachers, the spirit of our students, and the support of our community and friends," he said in an e-mail to public servants in the Ministry of Education.
Eight Singaporeans - six students and one teacher from Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS), and an adventure guide who was with them on their trip to Kota Kinabalu - are among the 18 confirmed victims of the 6.0-magnitude quake which struck on Friday. One student and one teacher remain missing.
Please let me share with you a message I sent to all our teachers and schools and MOE staff today…Dear colleagues,...
Posted by Heng Swee Keat on Sunday, June 7, 2015
"All the teachers of TKPS who were on the trip gave their best to watch over our children, and they deserve our greatest respect and gratitude. Our students tell of their teachers shielding them from falling rocks, and continuing to look after them despite their own injuries. Let us remember and live up to their selflessness and courage," said Mr Heng.
The students should also be honoured for being "brave, rugged and tenacious", striving to be the best they can be and being excited about heading forward with their schoolmates, he added. "Let us remember and draw hope from our children's spirit to be the best they can be."
He called on the community to give their support to TKPS principal Caroline Wu and her team. "The TKPS team have rallied together to be a source of strength and support for the survivors, and for the loved ones of those who have passed on or are still missing. They do so even as they struggle with their own grief."
The school's alumni and the local community have also rallied, as have teachers and staff from other schools, he added. "Let us remember and be grateful for this community of support."
Mr Heng also expressed his own support for the MOE officers working hard on the ground to help affected families. "I would like the MOE family to know that Indranee, Ann, Hawazi, and I are fully with you in this difficult time," he said, referring to Senior Minister of State for Education Indranee Rajah, Minister of State for Education Sim Ann and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Hawazi Daipi.
The MOE is not alone, either, as officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force, Singapore Police Force, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Transport, Health, Social and Family Development and Defence, and the Singapore Armed Forces "are giving their all to support the next-of-kin and victims", said Mr Heng. "I want to thank the whole of the Public Service for coming together in this way."
Also to be remembered are those in Sabah who suffer the lasting effects of the earthquake, said Mr Heng. "The Malaysian authorities have been helpful and supportive. We keep them in our thoughts for the lives they have tragically lost."
In closing, he hoped that the day of remembrance would also spur the teaching community onwards.
"The selflessness of our teachers reminds us to give our best to our students. The spirit of our children inspires us to be teachers. The support of our community and friends helps us go on when we face difficulties. I hope we remember these today and forever, so that we may live up to our fellow teachers, our students, and our community. Let us keep up our strength and spirit in this time of grief. Let us stand together to support and care for our students, our community, and one another."
Route designed for children above 10, no previous incidents: MOE
By Ng Jing Yng, TODAY, 8 Jun 2015
They were split into five groups, and set to tackle a 430m-long stretch on the Via Ferrata path of Mount Kinabalu early on Friday morning, when the earthquake struck.
About 12 to 15 students and five teachers from Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) were on the trail, while others were waiting for their turn, at about 7am. The earthquake occurred some 15 minutes later, sending boulders and rocks tumbling down the mountainside.
These details emerged in a briefing by the Ministry of Education, which gave an account of what happened on the fateful trip, based on recollections of the surviving students and teachers.
That morning, 24 of the 29 students set out to make an attempt on the Walk the Torq trail at 4.30am to 5.30am, accompanied by eight teachers. The remaining five students had chosen to sit it out as they were feeling ill.
The route they were supposed to tackle is on Via Ferrata, a popular option for climbers on the 4,095m-high Mount Kinabalu, run by mountaineering company Mountain Torq.
The path comprises a series of rungs, rails and cables on the rock face. Climbers make their way up, connected to a series of safety cables and wearing harnesses and helmets.
The MOE said the students were divided into groups of four to five, accompanied by one or two teachers and a Mountain Torq instructor.
Three groups were on the Walk the Torq trail at about 7am.
An MOE official at the briefing said it is believed that the Singaporeans who died — six students, one teacher and one guide — were mainly from these three groups.
The students in the remaining groups waiting for their turn huddled as their teachers tried to shield them.
The Walk the Torq route is designed for children who are at least 10 years old and 1.3m tall. It is understood that because mist sets in as early as 8am, trekkers embark on this route before dawn.
The MOE also said TKPS had been organising such activities to Mount Kinabalu for seven years, and seven of the eight teachers who were on the trip had conducted such activities several times.
The students had also undergone two to three months of training before the trip, including climbing stairs and completing runs. Many schools have also made such trips in past years and there have been no reported accidents so far, the MOE said.
Teachers used their bodies to shield students from boulders
By Siau Ming En, Ng Jing Yng and Kelly Ng, TODAY, 8 Jun 2015
When the rocks and boulders shaken loose by the earthquake came tumbling down Mount Kinabalu last Friday, the Tanjong Katong Primary School teachers used their bodies to shield their students from getting hurt.
Parents of the students who survived the disaster told TODAY this and commended the bravery and selflessness of the teachers.
Ms Hazreen Hussain, 38, whose daughter was among those who have returned to Singapore, said: “From what I heard from the kids, teachers got up even though they were injured and some even took the blows to cover their students.
“If you ask me, the teachers are the heroes,” added the real estate agent.
Another parent, Mr Alec Wing, recounted his 12-year-old son Tristan’s account: “When the earthquake struck, the teachers were all asking the kids to keep together and they were trying to block the kids and shield them from the boulders.”
He added that the school and teachers had gone beyond the call of duty.
“Many of the teachers who were with them (on the trip) put themselves in harm’s way and got injured pretty badly. Their spirit is really admirable,” said the permanent resident from Mauritius, who works in the technology sector.
Mr Hafiz Ahmad, who received his niece Amal Ashley Lim, one of the TKPS students who returned from Sabah on Saturday, also said one of the teachers had shielded her and a schoolmate under an overhang when the quake happened.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat joined the parents in lauding the teachers as he gave an update on the two boys evacuated and flown back to a Singapore hospital in the morning.
“The parents said their boys told them their teachers shielded them from boulders. I am so moved by their strength and selflessness,” wrote Mr Heng.
Hope turns to grief as school hears grim news
Flowers, tears and remembrance notes at Tanjong Katong Primary
By Danson Cheong, The Straits Times, 8 Jun 2015
THEY returned to the school that had taught them so much.
Some came alone, some with friends and family. Many brought flowers and the comfort only a warm hug can give.
Yesterday, even as Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) mourned the deaths of six pupils and one teacher, other pupils, alumni, parents and staff gathered at a condolence site in the school porch to pen notes of remembrance.
The seven were among a group of 29 pupils and eight teachers on an annual expedition to Mount Kinabalu.
Another pupil and a teacher in the group are still unaccounted for.
The group were on the mountain when a 6.0-magnitude quake hit Sabah, Malaysia, last Friday morning.
When the school opened its doors at about 9am yesterday, many were hopeful that those missing could still be found.
On little cards, they wrote notes praying for the safety of their missing friends. "Come back soon. We miss you," read one brief, unsigned letter. Another said simply, "Stay strong TK!"
But after 12.30pm, when the Ministry of Education (MOE) confirmed the deaths of five more pupils and a teacher - the grief felt was stark. The pupils sobbed, leaning on their teachers, parents and friends for support.
The notes written became those of condolence and remembrance. "Rest in peace."
Former pupil Lee Yoo Jin, now 17, came back to her alma mater with three friends, hoping to get news of a beloved teacher - Mr Mohammad Ghazi Mohamed, 35 - who was still missing.
"He's very fatherly, like a friend to us," said Yoo Jin, who is now studying at Victoria Junior College. "I believe he's missing for a reason. On one of our school yearbooks I remember his quote was 'leave no man behind'."
Some such as 14-year-old Andre Aide Iskandar lost a dear friend. One of the victims, Ameer Ryyan Mohamed Adeed Sanjay, 12, was like a "little brother", said Andre, whose father is coach of the national Under-23 football team.
The duo met six years ago after a football match on Ameer's first day of school. "He's very talented. His footwork and speed really stood out," said Andre. Both boys were in Fandi Ahmad's football academy. "He told me his wish was to become like Fandi."
One Primary 6 boy who managed to escape the carnage came back to school to show his support. "I'm one of the luckiest. Physically, I'm not injured," said Akshat Chaudary, 12.
Among those who visited the school were MPs such as Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Ms Denise Phua, as well as Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.
Senior Minister of State for Education Indranee Rajah also offered her support to pupils and staff when she visited at 4.30pm.
She said TKPS and MOE are providing counsellors for children and parents.
"What has been very heartening, though, is that they've had this strong sense of spirit of supporting one another," she said.
There are no official figures, but The Straits Times estimates there were more than 200 people in the school by 5pm.
The condolence site will be open today and tomorrow from 8am to 5pm.
ESM Goh told reporters that the incident was totally unexpected and his heart wept for those who lost their lives. "It's a tightly knit community. So many young lives perished, teachers too... This has come as a shock to all of us."
We said our prayers and bade Daanish and Ameer farewell at the Ba’alwie Mosque this morning. It is never easy to lose...
Posted by Yaacob Ibrahim on Monday, June 8, 2015
Was deeply grieved when the deaths of 5 TKPS students and 1 teacher was confirmed earlier today. Our hearts go out to...
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'Low rate of major quakes in Malaysia'
By Janice Tai, The Straits Times, 8 Jun 2015
THE Sabah earthquake came as a surprise because tremors of that size are estimated to happen there only about once a century - and Malaysia does not lie on any tectonic plate boundary, veteran American geologist Kerry Sieh has explained to The Straits Times.
About 95 per cent of earthquakes happen at tectonic plate boundaries when the plates move against each other.
"The rate of occurrence of major earthquakes in Malaysia is low, compared with its neighbours such as Myanmar or Indonesia, where 6.0-magnitude earthquakes can happen every few years or even few months," said Professor Sieh, director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore at Nanyang Technological University.
Unlike Malaysia, places such as Indonesia, Japan and Taiwan lie on plate boundaries.
Earthquakes are more common in Indonesia, for instance, because of the movement of the Indian and Australian plates against the Sundra plate.
The chances of a quake originating under Singapore is smaller than that for Sabah, as history has shown that earthquakes happen less frequently in the Republic's vicinity.
Major earthquakes are rare in Malaysia, which lies just outside the Ring of Fire - the belt of seismic activity running around the Pacific Ocean basin.
The latest quake struck near Mount Kinabalu last Friday morning. Thousands of people complete the relatively easy climb up the popular peak each year.
The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck at a depth of 10km, with its epicentre located about 54km east of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah's capital.
Prof Sieh said aftershocks will continue for several days, adding that it is too early to know what fault produced the quake.
"We know that over the past 60 years, there have been about three 5.0-magnitude or larger earthquakes occurring in Sabah, but there's hardly any Sabah quake data available because there haven't been many quakes happening there," he said.
"This quake will jump-start data collection, but the ability to know when an earthquake will strike is like predicting when a car accident will happen on the expressway.
"Even with the most robust instruments, we can only work with probabilities."
The Earth Observatory of Singapore will release more information on the quake - such as which fault was involved - tomorrow.
It's a sad day for many Singaporeans who are in one way or another connected to the victims of the Mount Kinabalu...
Posted by Adrian Chng on Sunday, June 7, 2015