Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Big increase in suicides?

Monday, November 07, 2011

Big increase in suicides?

I received a regular e-mail on suicide cases. It seems that there is a big increase in suicides in Singapore - Bedok Reservoir, MRT tracks, fall from HDB flats. This is suspected to be linked to gambling losses at the casino.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...: So far I think they did not attribute the death to suicide due to gambling leh; November 07, 2011 7:07 PM
yujuan said...: In the early 70s we came across a wealthy Singaporean who lost everything gambling in a big legalized casino in Jakarta. Finally ladled with debts, he asked his wife for help, asking her to sell the hotel registered in her name in Balmoral Road. The wife refused and the man committed suicide.
The hotel still stands today, and whenever we drive past, we think about the suicide.
So dun suspect, the Bedok Reservoir suicides are linked to the 2 casinos, so it's so hypocritical to see George Yeo, leading the various religious leaders praying at the site.
It's too late for George to repent, as the damage to society is unfolding now, and there will be more to come.
Being a Christian, this ex Minister is showing guilt now.
Afraid of divine retribution?
Still wonder whether he could sleep well at night, with body after body floating in the reservoir.; November 07, 2011 8:26 PM
Anonymous said...: There is a "National Council on Problem Gambling" (NCPG) which was appointed in August 2005 by the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) as part of Singapore's national framework to address problem gambling, in anticipation of social problems arising from the casinos to be built and ready in 2009/2010. This is a far sighted move by the PAP govt.

Hence NCPG has been in existence for 6 years since then and must have built up its capability to address gambling issues.

So if suicide is due to gambling, why didn't these people or their families approach NCPG for help before committing suicide?; November 07, 2011 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...: There is a Chinese saying, Gambling is the source of all sins.

A family is finished if one of the members is a gambler. It is better to disown that members immediately than to let he/she slowly wrecking the family.; November 07, 2011 10:55 PM
Anonymous said...: Someone said that Singapore is becoming a suicide hub.

Did they confirm that all those drownings are suicides? I believe not.

Neither will they attribute those suicides to gambling. More likely they will try to distance the connection between increase in suicides to the casinos.

I am stating the hard truths.; November 07, 2011 11:47 PM
Anonymous said...: rex comments as follows to anonymous,

your question, why didnt the people who commit suicide first approach the "National council of problem gaming" is rather naive.

Look, gambling addiction is progressive. At first it is small bets. So the gambler doesnt know he is in trouble. then it gets a bit more, he still didnt know he is in trouble. all of a sudden he gets sucked in. By that time it is too late. NCPG is not IMF who will give money to bail you out. If you are indebted $200,000 to the ah longs and the casinos, how will NCPG help you? Counselling? That is only going to happen after the debt settled, so what use is NCPG.. damage already done,, and the poor bloke throws himself into Bedok Reservoir.

NCPG has very limited functionality, primarily at the initial stage of addiction of a typical case. Family members could react at the initial stage to help potential addicts.

But those suicide cases, it is too late for NCPG to help them. I think it is very naive to ask "why dont they apporach NCPG" as if it is 100% their fault. You speak like the government lobbyists... all the problems in society is attributable to the people, the government is always good and the champion of all solutions and purveyor of Good.

In the first place the construction of two casinos is completely wrong. We would hve been a much more cohesive and manageable society without these two pillars of evil. Never mind about GDP. 天无绝人之路。Singapore would have been much better without the casinos, We can't die without the fancy resorts either, a smaller population is always more mangeable.

rex; November 08, 2011 9:24 AM
financialray said...: Why don't we bar all Singaporeans from entering the casinos?

Or raise the entry fee to $500?
Any Singaporean willing to pay entry fee of $500 should seriously go for counselling.

When I went to SOuth Korea, only foreigners allowed to enter the casinos.; November 08, 2011 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...: Hey, who ever said the suicides are gambling related ? I am sure the authorities would think of something.....24/7 patrols on foot & on water lor. They always prone to overreacting what !; November 08, 2011 11:00 PM
Anonymous said...: Hahaha

Officially, hey suicides are not gambling related. Unofficially.....hmmmm

If you believe, no proof is necessary. If you do not believe, no proof is possible - (David Rossi in Criminal Minds); November 09, 2011 11:03 AM