Copycat Effect?

Ever since the Chinese Garden MRT station suicide case took place, there is a fear in a lot of people.

Fear of a recurrence effect.

The copycat effect.

I was on the way home after work, on the westbound MRT at around 8 plus last night, when an announcement was sounded over the MRT PA system.

It spoke of a "track related incident", and that the train service would be delayed by a few minutes.

The first thought that came to my mind was, morbidly, someone had jumped onto the track again.

I listened hard when the train pulled into the next station, to verify if I had heard the announcement correctly. Was it just some track glitches problem? But no, it was a "track related incident".

And this means something.

Something had happened.

If a train had broken down or there was some problems with the electrical system, SMRT would usually be quite clear in their announcements, but this was suspicious.

I quickly messaged my colleague, who was on crime duty tonight, to find out if she had heard anything about it. Indeed she had, and she was at the scene.

My heart missed a beat, as I asked her what had happened.

A man was hit by a train and died on the MRT tracks at Clementi station.

My heart sank. By the time I reached that station, the body had been moved away.

It is still unclear what exactly happened, but I fear (and certainly hope not) that this is the copycat effect.

Some people said that there was too much media attention on the recent MRT suicide incident—too much emphasis was placed on the amount of donation the deceased's family received when he died. If there was someone out there who was badly in debts, and was on the brink of seeking solace through death, he might well try to follow suit.

I can only say that when different people read news, they react differently, and have varying thoughts.

The reports on the MRT incident reflect that a group of Singaporeans in poverty, who needed help most, may be the ones who do not know how to seek help. It also shows that it may be a good idea to set up a trust fund for donations received from the public. Furthermore, it shows that Singaporeans are truly generous towards the less fortunate.

But will someone in desperation decipher the message as: a life can be in exchange for more than $500,000?

What a chilling thought.

Most people know that it is an extremely silly act to commit suicide, but a person who is in depression will not be rational.

Who's to blame for someone who thinks negatively? No one. But I agree that sometimes, enough is enough.

Both the public and the media should learn from the Chinese Garden MRT station incident. And these are hard lessons to be learned.