Help pours in for family of boy who drowned in Kallang River while fishing

SINGAPORE – Madam Siti always kept her two-room rental flat in Bukit Merah tidy and made sure her three sons had enough to be happy about.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri – a celebration marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan - was especially important for the 41-year-old Indonesian and her family, with homes to visit and relatives to see.

But not this year.

Madam Siti spent March 21 at Choa Chu Kang Cemetery with two of her sons, aged 14 and 11.

They were there to remember and grieve: Her son, Muhammed Qayyim Daniel Putra Rosli, or Qayyim as he was affectionately known, is buried there.

The 13-year-old drowned in the Kallang River on Feb 25 while fishing with friends.

Madam Siti's husband, Qayyim's Singaporean father, is not around, and she has had to bear the burden of raising the family and the grief over her son's death on her own.

"Qayyim's mother is still sad and grieving. She's not ready to face the media," said the boy's uncle, who gave his name only as Mr Sham.

"But I am grateful that we all managed to visit Qayyim at the cemetery on the first day of Hari Raya."

He added in Malay: "It was hard to bury someone I regarded as my son. If there's a lesson to be learnt here, (it is) don't tempt fate by doing dangerous activities without alerting adults. It can break your family's heart if things go horribly wrong."

Mr Sham said his family is disappointed that none of the three boys who took Qayyim on his first fishing trip, or their families, have called to explain what happened on the day of the incident.

Added Mr Sham: "We are not going to scold them for what happened... We only want to know the truth. It's sad that I had to learn what happened from what I read in the media."

Madam Siti, a food stall operator, has not returned to work since the day her son drowned.

Her family did not visit any relatives for Hari Raya as they are in mourning, said Mr Sham.

"We want Siti to regain her emotional strength, and she needs time to recover," said Mr Sham, who added that the family home is sparse and that the boys slept on bunk beds in one room.

But the tragedy did not stop residents from Madam Siti's former estate in Henderson and neighbours in Bukit Merah, who knew about Qayyim's death, from visiting the family during Hari Raya.

Added Mr Sham: "We are thankful for the outpouring of love and care by Singaporeans during this difficult time. It is something that my sister-in-law (Madam Siti) appreciates."

These caring neighbours and other members of the public have also pitched in.

Mr Soh Chee Keong, honorary chairman of the Henderson-Dawson Citizens' Consultative Committee, said grassroots workers are familiar with Madam Siti, who used to live in Henderson Heights estate.

"Together with old neighbours from Henderson, we continue to support them (Madam Siti's family) by applying for bursaries (for her children) from the Singapore Buddhist Lodge and passing them home appliances such as fans and a television set.

"She is more positive and assured now after neighbours began rallying behind her," said Mr Soh.

He added that since 2020, Madam Siti has been participating in monthly talks and activities for mothers under the Super Mummies programme.

It supports mothers in the Henderson-Dawson neighbourhood who face difficult circumstances and challenges.

Qayyim, who was a Secondary 2 student, and his two brothers joined the We Love Learning Centre, a community space, for free tuition lessons by community self-help group Mendaki.

Said Mr Soh: "Daniel (Qayyim) was extremely timid and did not mix much. But he was a good and obedient boy who was liked by all."

Illegal fishing

On the afternoon of Feb 25, Qayyim went fishing with three friends for the first time.

Ignoring the signs warning against illegal fishing there, the four boys climbed over a railing and walked down a grassy slope to a fishing spot close to the water's edge - opposite Block 8A Kallang Trivista.

While trying to untangle a fishing line, Qayyim slipped into the water and his friends lost sight of him.

Kallang Trivista resident Mohamed Fazlin, 45, told The Straits Times: "I tell my three children not to go near water bodies, especially when it's raining. The water may look calm but the undercurrent can be really strong."

Qayyim's body was seen floating in the river around 10.30pm on Feb 26, after staying submerged for almost 29 hours.

Mr Fazlin, a teacher who has been living in Kallang Trivista for 10 years, said: "Qayyim's death strikes a chord with many people here because he was a young victim. If there had been residents around at that time, they would surely have told the boys not to fish there."

As it had been raining around the time Qayyim went missing, nobody was jogging or cycling along the path next to the river, said Mr Fazlin, who together with 90 residents of Kallang Trivista and friends, raised over $6,000 for Qayyim's family.

Mr Vinod Rai Sharma, who runs NIN9 Studios, a commercial photo studio located 150m from the incident site, said he saw people fishing illegally at the river bank a week after Qayyim's death.

Mr Vinod has so far called the police on three occasions, including on March 23, when he saw three men fishing a short walk from where Qayyim had fallen into the river.

When the police questioned the three men, one of them was seen freeing a fish he had caught.

Said Mr Vinod: "These are not children but adults. Even they don't seem to care. That's what annoys me."

National water agency PUB told ST that it is investigating an illegal fishing incident at Kallang River as the location is not a designated fishing area. There is a "No Fishing" sign in the vicinity.

A PUB spokesman said: "Fishing in non-designated areas can place individuals at risk of falling into the water.

"Members of the public are reminded not to climb over railings along our canals and waterways, as this further increases the risk of accidents."

PUB said that on average, it takes enforcement action against 20 cases of illegal fishing at waterways and reservoirs each month.

Mr Vinod suggested building a boardwalk with railings at viable areas along Kallang River so that anglers can get closer to the water's edge without having to walk down the grassy slopes.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.