Data OF FINANCIAL Anxiety
The prosecutor acknowledged that there was proof that Ms. Ong had been experiencing stress for some time, but kept this information from those close to her.
According to her home, she was believed to have been out of work for three to four years, since the COVID-19 crisis, and she may have lived off her saving and money that she borrowed.
Before her suicide, Ms. Ong allegedly had taken out loans from another. In January, she borrowed S$ 65, 000 from a buddy, claiming that this was for an expense.
In mid-2024, Ms Ong even asked to borrow S$ 10, 000 from her companion and her brother. When her brother asked why she needed the money, she claimed it was for wellness products.
The judge noted that on Sep 5, a moment before her death, Ms Ong returned S$ 61, 000 to her companion, who afterwards realised that she had raised the money by selling shares.
The judge said that Ms. Ong’s attorneys made changes to better handle the fees after she also discussed her legal matters with them.
For instance, they decided that a lawyer who had lower fees would be in charge of daily legal matters while a prosecutor who had higher fees did step back and watch the cases.
Ms. Ong’s attorney claimed in a police statement that she appeared good when she first approached him as guidance in 2021 and that she displayed symptoms of anxiety related to those of his various clients.
This changed in May, according to the attorney,  , as she became more anxious and depressed over the continuation of her libel lawsuits against Mr. Ng.
Judge Nakhoda said that despite her attorneys ‘ efforts to manage her legal fees, her mind had still beweighing the mounting monetary costs.
Additionally, the prosecutor was informed that Ms. Ong had contacted former elected member of parliament Calvin Cheng, who Mr. Ng even sued for defamation, to request monetary assistance.
On August 7, she wrote Mr. Cheng in an email informing him that Mr. Ng was suing her for defamation and that the prices were mounting. Mr. Cheng responded with a lawyer’s phone information for pro bono work.
Additionally, Judge Nakhoda noted that one of the defamation lawsuits held a circumstance meeting on September 6. However, he did not establish a causal relationship between the conference and Ms. Ong’s passing that same day.
The event event, which started around lunchtime and lasted about half an hour, was attended by Ms Ong’s attorney and Mr Ng.
The judge determined that because her lawyer had not yet informed her about it, it was very good that Ms. Ong was unaware of what transpired at the meeting prior to her death.
He further stated that a police statement that Mr. Ng recorded on December 6 did not provide any additional information about why Ms. Ong made the decision to end her career.
Judge Nakhoda concluded by condolences to Ms. Ong’s family and friends and reminding everyone in jury that help is always accessible to those who are contemplating suicide.