An internet article wrote that many of the South Korean students trapped in the sunken Sewol ferry were found dead with their student identification cards in their hands or mouths. It was speculated that those students probably had accepted their fate and wanted to make the identification process easier for their parents when their bodies were found.
I am not sure whether the news was true, but it was heart-breaking to read such words.
Instinctively, a question came to my mind : when our ship, The Republic of Singapore, ever sinks one day, would Singaporeans drown with fists clenching to their pink IDs so as to make it easier for historians to identify them?
Whether it was for reasons of staying ahead of the race, saving fuel consumption or personal pride, the captain and his crew has steered this ship, The Republic of Singapore, into uncharted waters without informing passengers onboard about the possible dangers that the ship faced. While we sensed that the ship had hit onto something and suffered some serious damages long ago, the captain and his crew have been evasive on the extent of damage and whether the ship would sink long before arriving at its destination. All we heard from the ship intercom system were instructions to stay in our cabins and not to go up to the main deck. About 60% of the passengers had chosen to obey the crew’s instructions, while the rest of the 40% demanded to change the captain and navigation officer.
My fear is that if we continue to hold blind trust on the skipper and pilot, if we continue to remain below decks without coming up to the main deck to assess the ship, it would be too late to reach for the life raft, if, by the time we ever discover the ship has tilted 45 degrees on its side!
There are times we should go by our heart and senses. We did hear a loud bang on our ship’s hull. We did see many injured Singaporean passengers being carried out of some lower deck compartments. We know this ship has been carrying many more people than it was designed and built to ferry. We are not allowed to inspect the ship’s log or even go upper decks – let alone walk into the bridge or wheel-house! There are strong rumours that the ship is sinking! Yes, we should not let panic overwhelm us. But are we being responsible to ourselves and loved ones if we continue to remain inside our cabins or within lower decks?
Fellow Singaporeans, let’s put in a new team of crew and officers to assess the ship conditions and steer us out of this troubled water! It is more responsible to throw an evil skipper and pilot overboard than to have all passengers drowned with the ship!
http://blog.koreaboo.com/post/83825918860/sewol-student-victims-bodies-found-clenching-fists-or
Celia Lim