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 ©The
Straits Times, Singapore (Used by permission)
by Teh Joo Lin & Carolyn Quek
• All S'poreans share in the grief: Jaya
First terror victim from Republic; body found on Oberoi's
19th floor
THE Mumbai terror attacks claimed a Singaporean victim when lawyer Lo Hwei Yen,
28, was confirmed among the dead last night. She is the first Singaporean to die in a terrorist attack.
The tragic task of identifying her body fell to her husband, Mr Michael
Puhaindran, who had flown to Mumbai on Thursday night.
The couple held their wedding in Bali only in June last year.
Mr Puhaindran, 37, last heard from his wife through two phone calls she made to
him on Thursday after being taken hostage at The Oberoi Trident Hotel.
She had gone to Mumbai on Wednesday to attend a business seminar and it was
meant to be only a one-night trip.
Last night, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the worst had
happened.
Her body, found on the 19th floor of the hotel, was identified at 9.35pm
Singapore time by Mr Puhaindran, accompanied by the High Commissioner and an
aunt.
She was among 24 Oberoi hotel hostages found dead yesterday.
Acting Prime Minister S. Jayakumar said in a statement last night that he and
his Cabinet colleagues were painfully saddened, and added that all Singaporeans
shared the family's grief.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong also expressed sadness, saying that he had
attended the couple's wedding last year.
Ms Lo's father-in-law, Mr Stanley Puhaindran, has been a long-time grassroots
leader in Mr Goh's Marine Parade constituency. SM Goh visited the family last
night.
Over at the home of Ms Lo's parents in Lower Delta, her younger sisters Hwei
Shan, 25, and Hwei Rong, 23, had been waiting anxiously all day for news.
Ms Lo was the eldest of the three children of a businessman and housewife. Her
father has been away on business but was returning home, the family said.
A law graduate of the National University of Singapore, Ms Lo worked with
Stephenson Harwood, a foreign law firm based here.
She called her husband twice from Mumbai on Thursday, Hwei Shan told The Straits
Times.
In the first call at 2am on Thursday, she said that she had heard gunfire and
the hotel staff had told her to move to another level.
In her second call, at about 6am, she said that she had been taken hostage.
Foreign Affairs Ministry official Jai S. Sohan confirmed last night that Ms Lo
had passed her husband a message from her captors.
An Indian news channel had reported that the terrorists had held the woman at
gunpoint and ordered her to tell the Singapore Government to tell the Mumbai
authorities to refrain from acting against them, or she would lose her life.
Mr Sohan said the ministry conveyed the message to the Indian authorities at a
very senior level.
'We ask for your understanding as we could not confirm this earlier as the
situation at that time was fluid and fast-evolving. It was also not appropriate
at that time for us to do so for operational reasons,' he added.
Ms Lo's husband left for Mumbai on Thursday evening, accompanied by an aunt and
ministry officials.
Family members in Singapore kept monitoring the news closely hoping for any hint
that she might be safe.
But they began to fear the worst at about 5pm yesterday, when her husband got
word that her wallet and handbag had been found.
He and his aunt were with Singapore diplomats keeping vigil near the Oberoi when
news came that more bodies had been found inside.
They were led inside to identify the body and came out looking shaken.
Mr Puhaindran and Foreign Ministry officials broke the tragic news to the family
here at 10pm, just before the ministry held a press conference that was
broadcast live on television.
'She was bubbly, cheerful and very protective of us as the older sister,' said
Hwei Shan.
All S'poreans share in the grief: Jaya
Acting PM expresses Government's sadness at the death of
hostage
ACTING Prime Minister S. Jayakumar said last night that all Singaporeans shared
in the grief of the family of lawyer Lo Hwei Yen, 28, who was killed in Mumbai.
In a statement expressing the Singapore Government's sadness at her death in the
terror attacks in the Indian city, he said: 'The loss of any life to terrorism
is sad, but the loss of a fellow Singaporean is a pain more keenly and more
closely felt by every Singaporean.
'I know that all Singaporeans feel deeply for the family, and our hearts go out
to them in their time of sorrow and grief.'
He said that Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) officials have been with the
victim's family in Singapore, and on the ground in Mumbai, since they first
learnt that Ms Lo had been taken hostage.
The ministry issued a statement saying it was deeply saddened by the death of Ms
Lo, a lawyer married to Mr Michael Puhaindran.
MFA said its officials in Mumbai confirmed only at 9.35pm Singapore time
yesterday that she was among the dead.
'A positive identification was made by the husband, accompanied by our High
Commissioner,' it said.
'We would like to convey our sincere condolences to the family of Ms Lo Hwei
Yen. This is a tragedy for all Singaporeans.
'We have been in touch with her father-in-law and one of her aunts to convey
this tragic news. Our officials in Mumbai are currently with her husband and
another aunt.'
It said that the ministry and officials of the Singapore mission in Mumbai would
assist the family.
'We wish this tragedy had not occurred,' it said. 'MFA is currently assisting
the family and will ensure the safe return of the body once the Indian
authorities release the body.'
Extending sympathies to the families of other hostages killed in Mumbai, the
ministry said: 'Singapore strongly condemns the Mumbai terrorist acts and
reiterates its commitment to work closely with the international community in
combating terrorism.'
In his statement, Professor Jayakumar also said the tragedy served as a reminder
to Singaporeans that 'terrorism is a threat that spares no one, nowhere'.
'This tragic event underscores the imperative for all of us to be constantly
vigilant and the need for the international community to band together to combat
this threat,' he said.
Mr Pasuni Maulan, the chairman of the Tentera Di-Raja Mosque, also expressed
sympathy to the family of Ms Lo and condemned the attacks in Mumbai.
'I am very sorry to hear about the death of Ms Lo and my heart goes out to her
family,' he said last night.
'All Singaporeans, regardless of race and background, feel the pain of this
senseless act of violence.
'The law of the jungle adopted by the extremists must be condemned by all
mankind.'
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A very tragic way to die. My deepest sympathy and prayers to her family and indeed the 195 people who needlessly perished.
The whole episode exposes the inability of the Indian Navy to patrol and guard the Arabian Sea and the deep natural harbour which borders Mumbai. Much of the blame will no doubt fall on the current leadership of the Congress Party and their relative softer stand on terrorism and external threats. Manmohan Singh may be a top economist but many will think that he lacks the hardness of the former slipper wearing Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes.
It will also see the rise of the right wing nationalist BJP who will use this as a rallying call at the next General elections. The BJP are known for their tough stand on terrorism. Their moderate leader Vajpayee has since stepped down and has been replaced by LK Advani. Among Advani's main advisors is Narendra Modi, the current CM of the state of Gujarat and a candidate for PM-ship in future. It was under Modi's watch that India (the state of Gujarat) suffered major communal riots in 2002.
I only fear that this attack will precipatate more such attacks in India. It will continue an already vicious cycle.
Dipendra A/L Harshad Rai