Tragic, says SM Goh

The Straits Times
Nov 29, 2008

Tragic, says SM Goh

'I WAS told yesterday morning that Mr S. Puhaindran, my good friend and grassroots leader's daughter-in-law was caught in The Oberoi Hotel as a hostage.
I've been following events through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and on the news, but unfortunately we couldn't know very much about what was happening.

I could see things were getting a bit dangerous for anyone who was caught in the hotel and, unfortunately, what we feared came true.

The news was that the daughter-in-law, that is Michael's wife, was not going to come back.

When I learnt that, I came right away to see Mr Puhaindran. He and his wife were, of course, in a state of shock. And the extended family was there...

The son (Michael) was married last year. They just celebrated their first anniversary. I was there at the wedding so I too was quite shocked...

I'm very sad and grieved... it's something very tragic that has happened.'

Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who visited his long-time Marine Parade grassroots leader S. Puhaindran, whose son Michael was in Mumbai yesterday and identified the body of his wife, Ms Lo Hwei Yen. Mr Puhaindran and other family members were too distraught to speak to reporters at their Marine Crescent flat, which drew a stream of visitors, including Mr Goh and MP for Marine Parade GRC Fatimah Lateef