More than tragic...

The case of little Syafia's murder is such a sad tale of human weakness and depravity. As I read the details in the news reports, I felt my heart sinking.

A wife whose husband is in jail, charged for murder.
She had 1 child, possibly 2 children out of wedlock.
Her daughter is regularly abused and finally killed by her boyfriend
She was with her boyfriend for six years, even before her husband went to jail.

This extremely tragic family eally underlines the fact that the darkness in human hearts is unfathomable at times. And human desires and desperations can lead to tragic ends.

But what is even more unfathomable to me is that this case got widespread support and sympathy, with no less than Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil comforting her with hugs and advice.

Contrast with what happened to Teoh Beng Hock and his wife and baby.

When it was found that Teoh Beng Hock's fiancee was pregnant at the time of his death, Utusan via Ridhuan Tee went to town with accussations of zina, low morals, loose living, and other inferiorities of the "ultra kiasu" race. He even went so far as to call TBH's baby a "bastard", merely days after TBH's death. Ridhuan Tee spent the next months fighting against widespread outrage at his insensitive comments, using ever larger accussations as his defense, expanding his attacks beyond Teoh's family to include his dissenters, Opposition politicians, his "former" race, and even other religions.

And no, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalildid not visit Soh Cher Wei (TBH's wife) at any time. In fact, Shahrizat's Cabinet colleagues and the MACC officials tried their very best (and are still trying) to prove that TBH committed suicide on his wedding day because of (. . . ?)

Oh well, you could say that all that is water under the bridge. The fact remains that tragedy is tragedy, and should be reported as tragedy instead of being hyped to politically support or attack anyone.

The only thing I'm wondering now is what Ridhuan Tee is going to make of this?