‘My heart feels empty’: Wife of Segar LRT victim mourns husband of 33 years
The widow of the 68-year-old man who died after an accident at Bukit Panjang LRT’s Segar station expressed grief over the accident, saying that she found it difficult to accept the sudden passing of her husband of 33 years.
When Lianhe Zaobao visited Loh Hee Chen’s wake at 9pm on May 20, Loh’s wife Liang Jingyun (transliteration) and son were seen speaking to Edward Chia, a Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP who oversees the area where Segar station is located.
Speaking to the Chinese newspaper, Madam Liang shared that apart from being diagnosed with low blood sugar and inner ear fluid imbalance that caused vertigo, her 68-year-old husband was otherwise healthy. As Loh worked as an operations manager at a primary school in Sengkang and had to arrive at work by 6.30am, he often woke up at 4.30am to catch the first train at 5am.
“To not disturb my sleep, he always moved around the house quietly,” the 70-year-old retiree recounted.
Ms Liang said that Loh had taken two days off from work a fortnight ago. Although he suffered from dizziness, the operations manager did not want to trouble his colleagues and insisted on going to work.
“He had previously experienced dizziness while waiting for the train, but other passengers assisted him. If someone had been there to help him this time, would the tragedy still have happened?” Madam Liang questioned.
Son went to station first to assess situation
Recounting the day of the accident, the couple’s 30-year-old son, who wanted to be known as Mr Loh, headed to the site of the accident to assess the situation.
“When he came back crying, I had a bad feeling. Afterwards, I went to the LRT station with my son and saw many police cars and ambulances. I had a feeling my husband was in grave danger,” Madam Liang said. Later, paramedics were seen wheeling her away from the station, and she was conveyed to Woodlands Hospital.
Mr Chia had advised Madam Liang to seek assistance if she encountered financial problems, but the widow said she could manage financially and needed more emotional support. The MP also informed her that she could attend community activities for seniors.
‘I now feel very lonely’
Loh was not only the family’s breadwinner but also a pillar of emotional support over the years, the widow said. “I always ask him to buy groceries like rice and fruit juice, and he pays for a lot of the household expenses.”
The sudden loss of her husband of 33 years dealt a devastating physical and mental blow to Madam Liang, who revealed that she needed time to compose herself.
“I’ll have to face many things in the future alone, and I definitely won’t be used to it,” said Madam Liang.
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Madam Liang said that over the past ten years, her husband would call her twice each workday to inform her that he was safe. Now, she finds it difficult to accept that she will never receive a call from him again.
“Making phone calls has been a habit of ours for many years. I really cherish the time I get to spend with him. After 30 years together, I now feel very lonely, and my heart feels empty,“ she said, adding that Loh always accompanied her to the doctor whenever she felt sick.
The couple also went out for meals every weekend.
Called for fair and transparent investigation
Regarding the lack of platform screen doors on LRT platforms, Madam Liang said it was an ongoing issue that was not new. She called for a fair and transparent investigation and hoped for a reasonable explanation, as well as the implementation of new safety measures.
“No matter how advanced the trains and detection systems are, machines can still malfunction. I hope the authorities will seriously review this accident and prevent similar tragedies from happening again.”
It was previously reported that Mr Loh had posed four main concerns regarding the accident, including whether trains were sufficiently equipped to detect fallen persons and objects on the tracks and therefore brake in time.
MP and SMRT representatives present at wake
According to Shin Min, Mr Chia arrived at the wake at about 8pm on May 20, and spent the next 2.5 hours with Loh’s family. Speaking to reporters afterwards, the MP said his priority was to understand the family’s concerns, and assist them wherever possible to help them through their grief.
An immediate relief grant was given to the family, and Mr Chia expressed his intention to provide assistance to the family through this difficult period. In his Facebook post, he revealed that he had given his personal mobile number to Mr Loh so he could be reached directly.
Mr Loh also told Shin Min that representatives from SMRT visited the wake at about 5pm on May 20. “The representatives were senior company officials, and they said they would cooperate with police investigations. I hope my dad will be the last victim of such incidents.”
Loh’s wake is taking place at Block 482A Segar Road. His cortège is scheduled to leave for Mandai Crematorium at 8.30am on May 22.
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