APPENDIX 1
TNP: Did geomancer’s BAD ADVICE kill our daughter?
The Electric New Paper :Sick girl dies after move to ‘perfect’ home. Parents blame fengshui master Did geomancer’s BAD ADVICE kill our daughter? DESPERATE to save their dying daughter, two parents turned to afengshui master for help.
By Maureen Koh, 11 June 2007
DESPERATE to save their dying daughter, two parents turned to a fengshui master for help.
They hoped that by changing the ‘luck’ of the family, their young child might miraculously recover from her illness.
Following the geomancer’s advice, they sold their four-room Woodlands flat in 2005 and spent nearly $10,000 over six months to
rent flats in places such as Jurong and Bukit Batok, hoping to change their daughter’s luck.
They also changed the Chinese characters of all their names. In all, they paid $4,000 to the geomancer.
But last year, the girl died just four days short of her 6th birthday.
Now, her parents want to sue the geomancer, but have been told that a lawsuit could be futile.
There has been no precedent that would hold someone liable for practising an art or belief that cannot be proven scientifically.
The couple have asked that they not be named fully. They also declined to identify the girl’s illness.
Their lawyer told The New Paper on Sunday: ‘As fengshui practice hinges very much on belief, it would take a lot to prove any hint of a malpractice.
‘It is not like there is a book of authority on the subject that one could refer to for verification. ‘
It seems the Lims are not the only ones who want to haul their fengshui master to court.
A Singapore businesswoman also wants to sue the same geomancer, claiming she went bankrupt because of his advice.
PRAYED FOR MIRACLE
The Lims’ troubles began in 2003 when their daughter, then a year old, was diagnosed with a serious ailment.
She was in and out of hospitals, but her condition didn’t improve, said Mr Lim, 36, a sales executive.
His wife, 33, also a sales executive, added: ‘My girl was very brave. Whether it was taking medicine or frequent trips to the operating theatre, she never kicked up a fuss.’
When doctors told them in 2005 recovery was unlikely, they prayed for a miracle.
A relative suggested they see a fengshui master.
Mr Lim recalled: ‘The geomancer said the fengshui elements of our flat were detrimental to our daughter’s health.’
Fengshui is a practice that prescribes living in harmony with the environment.
Anxious to save their child, the Lims said it did not take much to convince them.
‘At that moment, we jumped at anything to save our daughter,’ Mrs Lim said.
They asked their MP, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, to help them write to the Housing Board to sell their flat as they did not fulfil the minimum five-year occupation period.
They have since sold the flat.
But while they waited for approval, the family rented units in different places.
After moving out, the little girl’s condition seemed to improve. The Lims were relieved.
Mr Lim said: ‘We thought the fengshui master was right. We carried out renovation according to his advice, and even paid for some auspicious items that he said were necessary for our home.’
But their relief was shortlived.
Their daughter’s health worsened when they moved into their new ‘perfect home’ in Marine Parade in 2005, as advised by thegeomancer.
‘The morning after we moved in, she suffered a relapse and had to be rushed to the hospital,’ Mrs Lim recalled.
Five months later, the girl slipped into a coma and was certified brain-dead.
Fighting back tears, Mrs Lim said: ‘The doctor told us that we had to make the decision to pull the plug, but my husband and I refused.
‘In the end, we didn’t have to do it. By night, she was gone.’
Grief turned to fury when the couple approached three other fengshui practitioners with the floor plan of their new home.
Mr Lim said: ‘All three told us the same thing – that the room which was picked for our child had too much ‘sha qi’ (harmful energy).’
While they have gradually come to terms with their daughter’s death, the Lims hope that by sharing their story, others would not be so gullible.