What Our Readers Say

if the FT take it seriously, so should we all!
Liam NSW

When anyone dies it is a trajedy. If someone dies of something else other tahn natural cause or the death can be attriubted to another person or persons - whether it be self inflicted (suicide) or other (foul play)it makethat particular death a little more sinister. The act of taking someone else’s life or contributed to it or the reasons why someone would want to take their own life is beyond my comprehension. When someone who is ‘high profile’ has their life taken away by fair, foul ways or even of that person’s choice to take their own life - this death seems to fall under the ownership of the media and press.Whilst we understand that the media et al is not the best medium to share accurate information it still sells papers and makes money. People who make money out of events like this can put whatever slant they like on the cause or reasons for the death and they greate the ‘air of mystery’ surrounding such unfortunate events. What is important to realise is that the empathy that shouls be shown to the friends and family of the deceased is lost and this is very very wrong. Journalists should respect the dead and their kith and kin and take a step back before they sensationalise the demise of people who are in the public eye.
daij

perhaps he was being threatened. or maybe he had sensitive information and he himself threatened to use this information to hurt one or the other side of the people who this information could benefit. the people whose information it was could have had him snuffed. its not unlikely. the fact that it was kept out of the press for so long suggests that it is quite possible. family is always skeptical about the mysterious deaths of their kids so thats not in and of itself reason to believe that there was foul play. but if he was indeed packing to leave for the states and had plans and goals and such then its likely that he didnt end it all of his own volition.
now as for the reason.. its too difficult to surmise this without more information.
now on the other hand.. if he did in fact have emotional issues and all the evidence is wrong.. which is highly unlikely as i said.. and he did kill himself one must wonder what drove him to it other than personal demons especially since he had just resigned from his position and was headed home.
in the end.. logic and common sense would dictate that others were involved. may he rest in peace.
darth

Suicide seems a bit fishy here. I’m not a typical conspiracy theorist, but this story appears to have more than meets the eye.
Phil

that sounds like a bad story…
frank capra

Maybe he downloaded Obama’s Singapore birth certificate...
TDC

A really sad history...
Rochacrimson

I think I will just stay in my home land.
Ron

a very sad story. An untimely death by any means is sad. Hope the truth comes out sooner than later.
Bubbles

Yes, very sad no matter what the circumstances. Curious as to why the parents did bring it up in the US press if they had serious suspicions…
tajackson

hmmm
NAMoosedog

I would think twice before traveling to other lands…but then again this could happen here…
joe psycho

Tough to comment on whether this was suicide or not based on the short article above. The full FT article, however, does raise some questions. But I have one comment: If the Singapore PD confiscated his laptop and phone to hide something, why would they leave behind a hard drive? Does anyone who believes there was a cover up really believe it would be that sloppy?
steve22

Sad Sad Sad. In this day and age, one never knows what is true and what is photoshopped…
jOHN

and it makes me wonder…shades of george orwell? or something more deeply sinister, more darkly disturbing? the world is a more dangerous place than ever…
Billy Jack

seems very suspicious if u ask me….
Walter O

probably wont never find out what happened. thanks for the music
whdup

a REAL investigation may explain what happened. Perhaps there was foul play.

all we can say at the moment, with any certainty, that it is the Singapore administration’s obsession with controlling events and news and with crushing independent thought, that makes the rest of the world sit up and wonder…
that makes the rest of the world think “maybe there IS a conspiracy / cover-up going on…

for my money, the FT thinks it is worth reporting on. That makes it significant.

I would trust the FT before I trusted any Singapore government spokesman.
tony

It’s easy to sit in your own country and lob brickbats at others, the reality is that if governments or even multi nationals want someone ‘removed’ from any situation, they will just get it done!
I’m not suggesting that this the case here,I’m just (probably) stating the obvious.
Sebrof

The fellow had mental health problems. Who knows why he would commit suicide. Perhaps he got in over his head with something or maybe he was just depressed about going back home. I know of people who have killed themselves over less. Parents will always be skeptical when something like this happens to their kids but we would need a lot more information before we can come to a conclusion.
MC

A “real” investigation? Yeah, sure…
NAMoosedog

the whole thing is fishy, sounds like a conspiracy…
Walter O

Conspiracy. . . possibly, probably. The one thing for sure is that the whole truth will never be known, even though the investigation will go on. I truly feel for his parents. The loss of a child is an extremely sad prospect, especially under these circumstances.
Willy O

Very suspicious…
Belasco

Very suspicious. Sounds like there is much more to this story than has been reported…
BrianS

The tragedy here, BigO, is that while the death might well have been accidental auto-erotic asphyxiation (it happens - just ask Michael Hutchence)the authorities, by their secretive paranoia and reluctance to investigate openly and honestly, have simply besmirched Singapore’s name, yet again.

Why, one has to ask, is the Government there so obsessive about controlling the people, controlling the media, and limiting access to the truth. Scared someone might accidentally uncover some unpleasant truths about people in high places?

That’s almost always the reason for paranoia and otherwise inexplicable obsessions with secrecy, isn’t it?

baaaa-a-a-a-a humbug.
tony

business as usual, muddy the water to clean up the mess…
Billy Jack

Make you wonder how our government would act if someone from Singapore died suspiciously. It would not surprise me if it was very similar. Sad, Sketchy and Typical…
JOhn

The sad fact is that all governments go through the motions. The US government looks at “the big picture” just as the Singaporean rulers have done. Personally though, I am disappointed but not surprised.
Wayne

singapore is still one of the safest places to visit in S E Asia, go figure, sometimes you have to give up freedom for safety, ask any Egyptians right now!
Liam NSW

WE SEE this so often…and we will never learn the truth of any of it.
vincero