I worked only for my son, now I don't know who to work for: Mum of teen killed at Bedok basketball court

"I worked only for my son, now I don't know who to work for."

Rahimah Lee Abdullah uttered those exact words as her eyes filled with tears. On Monday (July 26) night, Rahimah's son, Mohd Ridwan, left home for a game of basketball in Bedok and never came back.

The 17-year old regularly headed out for basketball with his friends. This was nothing out of the ordinary, she told The Straits Times in an interview on Wednesday.

He was an energetic teen. After returning home from the basketball court, he'd be found in his room shouting excitedly during gaming sessions with friends or creating covers of pop songs with his keyboard.

More often than not, it'll go into the night, as his 62-year old mother would leave for her night shift as a petrol station attendant in Pasir Ris.

Since Ridwan's death, the three-room flat in Bedok where he lived with his parents and maternal grandmother, has become much quieter.

Rahimah said that Ridwan, a student at Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central, was a smart kid and one of his friends mentioned that he was top in the class.

"He wanted to be a pilot," she added.

Rahimah also mentioned how passionate he was about basketball, and that he had been going to the court to play since he was in primary school.

Ridwan even made it to his primary school basketball team. "He was tall and strong so of course, he was very good," his mother said.

The teenager shared his bedroom with the family's domestic helper, Maia Ahmad. She too mentioned how Ridwan would often sing and play the keyboard before heading to sleep.

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During the interview, Rahimah checked the time and chuckled when she saw that it was 12.45pm, and told The Straits Times that Ridwan would usually have his breakfast, a bowl of Fruity Pebbles cereal, at this hour.

The last few days have been extremely difficult for Rahimah, with the cereal triggering memories of her lost son. 

"I told Maia she can eat all this. Everything makes me think of him," she said.

The family has said their prayers with Ridwan's loving mother adding that "he was a good boy, I think he will go to heaven".

Friends, family, and former teachers have visited Rahimah's home to offer their condolences. East Coast Town Council also offered their condolences – via a Facebook post on Tuesday.

On July 26 night, the backboard structure of a basketball hoop fell on Ridwan. It was 'already tilted' when he'd began playing, according to media reports.

The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force were called for assistance at 8.45pm. Ridwan was unconscious when rushed to Changi General Hospital, as paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on him.

He succumbed to a head injury and died at the hospital.

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amierul@asiaone.com