Woman burned to death was twice divorced

SINGAPORE - Her father died when she was barely a year old. When she was four years old, her mother left her in the care of her grand-aunt and relocated to Taiwan. Even though Ms Mary Yoong Mei Ling, 43, kept in touch with her mother, she was never close to her. Last Friday, Ms Yoong was allegedly murdered in her aunt's flat at Block 206B, Compassvale Lane. She died from serious burn injuries at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) that night, after the flat that she was in was set on fire. A 44-year-old suspect, Lim Ghim Peow, was charged the following day with murder. Ms Yoong's mother was told of the gruesome death that night. She broke down and wept over the phone, one of Ms Yoong's uncles, Mr Joseph Hsu, 44, told The New Paper. But Ms Yoong's mother did not make it to her wake or the final funeral service held at Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on Tuesday afternoon. About 50 relatives and friends were there to send Ms Yoong off on her last journey, from Upper Serangoon Road to Mandai Crematorium. Many wore purple. "It's her favourite colour," one relative told this reporter. They held stalks of purple flowers in their hands, as they fought back their tears and bade Ms Yoong farewell. Kind and forgiving One of her friends was overheard telling another: "She is such a kind and forgiving person. That's how I will remember her." In an eulogy delivered by Mr Hsu, Ms Yoong was described as a forgiving and generous person. "She did not have very much, but she was always willing to give everything that she had," said Mr Hsu, who grew up with Ms Yoong in Hougang estate. Mr Hsu, who is an engineer, was Ms Yoong's playmate and confidant. His mother had a hand in helping to raise Ms Yoong, even though she was not the official guardian. "Abandoned by her mother at a young age, all she wanted was a family to call her own," Mr Hsu said. "She never had big dreams of becoming a TV star or a film actress. She was a simple woman with a simple dream. She just wanted her own family. But she wasn't that lucky when it came to love." Ms Yoong married twice, first in 1990 when she turned 21, and the second time in 2001. Both marriages ended in divorce. Mr Hsu cannot remember how long Ms Yoong's marriages lasted or what caused them to fail. But she remained friends with her ex-husbands, even though she did not have any children with them, revealed Mr Hsu. He added that both of Ms Yoong's ex-husbands turned up at her wake on Sunday to pay their last respects to her. "Mary got along well with people from all social levels and her loyalty and sincerity towards her friends had earned her many valuable friendships over the years," Mr Hsu told TNP. "She had always been close to her relatives and never failed to turn up at family gatherings during special occasions like Chinese New Year and birthday celebrations. "She was very filial to the elderly folks and doted on her many nieces and nephews. "She loved children, but did not have any of her own." He added: "She was always the one to fetch my mother and aunt in our family car to wherever they wanted to go. "She would take them to their medical appointments and help them with their errands. She was grateful to them for taking care of her when she was young." Mr Hsu said that Ms Yoong led a nomadic life after her two divorces, moving from one relative's home to another. "Mary had to learn to be independent at a young age," said Mr Hsu. "It was a blessing that she was very hardworking and street-smart, even though she stopped schooling after completing her secondary education." "She had tried her hand at various jobs, like sales, waitressing and even compering, as she was bilingual. "Her last job was helping out at an old folks' association, which she quit last year." Three weeks ago, Ms Yoong, a Singaporean, had dinner with Mr Hsu before she left for Johor Baru to visit her friends and relatives. By-election She had returned last Wednesday, as she wanted to vote in the Hougang by-election on Saturday, said Mr Hsu. Mr Hsu, who saw Ms Yoong before she took her last breath at the intensive care unit of SGH, said: "I believe she is in a better place now. "As I wiped her tears away that night, I could sense that she was at peace." Source: AsiaOne