Suicides
Sad, unnecessary
The recent deaths of several bright, young men with promising future – mostly at their own hands – shock this scholar-worshipping nation. By Seah Chiang Nee.
Mar 14, 2009

SINGAPOREANS, who are already reeling from an economic crisis, have been shocked by a recent spate of suicides – and one unnatural death – of bright young scholars.

There were five deaths, four of which took place recently within days of each other, while the fifth – the suicide of a Singaporean A-Star scholar – happened two months ago.

A common link in these tragedies was the high academic quality of the people, who had a good future and who would not normally be associated with suicide.

They involved two Singaporeans, an Indonesian, a Chinese national and an American student in microbiology. Their deaths have come as a shock to a nation which respects scholars.

Like its reserves, human talent is regarded here as a national asset that’s crucial for survival.

There’s another reason why they are creating such a buzz.

Although suicide rates are increasing steadily – along with Singapore’s living pressures – they still compare well with many other developed countries.

At 47th position (with 10.3 suicides for every 100,000 people), Singapore’s global ranking is around mid-point – but is ahead of Japan, Hong Kong and most of Europe and the US.

The loss of so many talented youths in such a short time has, however, saddened people who shared the loss of their families and for Singapore.

Although some were foreigners, the government had hopes that they might eventually settle here.

The deaths have stirred much public interest.

Were the suicides merely a coincidence or a culmination of society having too much stress? Or did they indicate the frailty of the new generation.

The recent cases were: -

ONE: Indonesian maths whizz-kid, David Hartanto Widjaja, 21, who represented his country at the International Maths Olympiad in 2005 fell to his death after injuring his professor with a knife. He also represented Jakarta in science contests.
The Indonesian Chinese reportedly stabbed his professor after he was told that his Asean Scholarship at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) was being revoked because of failing grades;

TWO: Five days later, in the same campus, Chinese graduate Zhou Zheng, 24, was found hanged in his apartment. He was a project officer in the lab where David had worked. Zhou graduated last year with a Second Class Upper Honours from the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department.
It is not known why he killed himself. He was earlier retrenched from a company after working for only two months;

THREE: An Air Force doctor, Captain Allan Ooi, 28, who came from a wealthy home, a premium school, and who mixes well with high society, was found dead under a Melbourne bridge. Capt Ooi wore branded clothes, drove a Mazda MX5 and frequently hit the nightclubs – before going missing without army leave and being found dead last week;

FOUR: The body of American Merit Scholar Scott Jared Monat, a second-year neurobiology major from University of Miami who was at that time studying at the National University of Singapore, was found in a student housing kitchen.
Police are investigating the case as unnatural death. Monat had received the highest scholarship awarded at the Miami University; and

FIVE: Two months ago, an A-Star scholar and gifted student Lin Zhi Qiang, 25, jumped to his death from the ninth floor after his love was rejected by a China girl.
It tragically ended the fairytale story of a Singaporean taxi-driver’s son who graduated from an American university on a government scholarship. It was his first love.

Tragic loss

Like those in Japan, South Korea and China, Singaporean parents often make sacrifices to give their children the best education and maybe a government scholarship.

The latter is seen as the key to a secure life, power and wealth. It could pave the way to a position in the political or bureaucratic leadership that pays the world’s highest salaries.

The pressures on both adults and children could be unbearably high.

An example reported in the press this week was that of a father who spent half his S$2,000 salary on private tuition for his son by scrimping on every cent and packing lunch to work.

The large investment in education and build-up of human talent is understandable for this small city-state. Few governments can match Singapore’s aggressiveness in trying to lure the best and brightest from abroad to become citizens.

Despite the republic’s relatively moderate global standing, the levels of stress and suicides, especially among youths, are rising.

In 2007 the government reported 419 cases, or more than one suicide a day, compared with 346 in 2003.

Singaporean youths between the ages of ten and 24 who committed suicide increased by 37% in 2007 to 6.7 (from 4.9 in 2006) per 100,000, it was announced in Parliament.

Some blame it on the education system that is still geared towards high grades and rote learning. Others think it is due to parental pressure.

A third school of thought attributes it to a frail, over-protected new generation that has not experienced hardship in their young lives.

“Some can’t live without their maids or mobile phones,” said a cynic of today’s rich Asian cities. “At the slightest crisis, they may fold.”

The recent disasters are providing a rich subject for the superstitious, who claim they were due to the recent lightning strike on Singapore’s national icon, the Merlion.

It was hit squarely on the head and has since been repaired – but it was regarded as a bad omen by some.

“Economic recession, loss of reserves and now – so many bright young men killing themselves ... bad sign,” an old man told me, shaking his head.

(This was published in The Star on Mar 14, 2009)