This summary provides an overview of the document in 3 sentences: The document discusses visitors paying their respects at the Tribute Corner set up at Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) to honor the victims of the Sabah earthquake. Many people left heartfelt condolence cards and messages for the pupils and teachers who lost their lives. The tribute corner contained moving tributes, memories, and farewell messages for the victims from former students, teachers, and members of the public who wanted to show their support for the families affected by the tragedy.

1. newsnews kinabalu tragedy
Team Singapore canoeist
Annabelle Ng (above) was among
the well-wishers who visited the
TKPS Tribute Corner yesterday.
As an ex-teacher, the deaths of the TKPS
pupils and teachers came as a shock to
Miss Ng, who won a gold and a silver at
the SEA Games this week.
The team had dedicated the medals
to the victims of the quake.
She said that if she had been there
when the quake happened, she would
have been devastated.
Miss Ng, 32, was a teacher with Seran-
goon Junior College before she left to fo-
cus on her training.
Recalling her teaching experience,
she said that she, too, had taken her pu-
pils for expeditions.
She added that the pupils’ safety is al-
ways the top priority of a teacher.
“As a teacher, the students will always
come first,” Miss Ng said.
sacrifice
Miss Ng said she can understand why
the teachers had shielded the children
from the falling boulders because if she
had been in that position, she would
rather have taken the place of the little
children who had lost their lives.
Mr Ahmad Faisal, 41, an engineer,
also visited the Tribute Corner yester-
day with his family, which includes five
children.
His middle child, Ammar Muhd, is
a Primary 6 pupil at the school and a
classmate of one of the victims, Ameer
Ryyan Mohd Adeed Sanjay.
They were part of the school’s foot-
ball team.
Ammar, who is a defender in the
team, said he broke down when he
heard about Ameer’s death.
He said he would miss Ameer dearly.
“It was very fun to be around him,”
Ammar said.
“He would always tell us jokes and
make us all laugh.”
Ammar also said that Ameer was
the driving force in the school football
team, adding: “He motivated us to push
on and fight when we were all tired.”
‘students
will always
come first’
Reports by DEWEY SIM
deweysim@sph.com.sg
A rainbow — that was all the
seven-year-old boy drew on his
card.
Hanzah Faizal then made his way to the
condolence boards at the Tribute Cor-
ner at Tanjong Katong Primary School
(TKPS) and pinned up his card.
The rainbow he drew was a symbol of
his hope for families of the quake vic-
tims to find strength and comfort.
In the past four days, nearly a thou-
sand people have visited the Tribute
Corner, which was set up to remember
the school’s pupils and teachers who
died in last Friday’s Sabah earthquake.
Singaporeans from all walks of life
have come forward to pen their heart-
felt messages and condolences, and
their stirring thoughts are manifested at
the Tribute Corner.
Flowers dedicated to the victims
lay on the tables, filling the air with a
sweetness that contrasted with the grim
mood.
Silent tears were a common sight.
Among the condolence cards was one
from Xing Yi, a pupil with Lorna Whis-
ton Pre-School.
“TKPS Braveheart, you were very
brave,” she wrote, referring to teach-
ers who had acted as human shields for
their charges.
“Thank you for being superteachers.”
Another card, by Joanna, is dedicated
to the “little angels and selfless teach-
ers” of TKPS.
TouChINg: Condolence cards with
heartfelt messages at the Tribute Corner
at Tanjong Katong Primary School
(above, right). TNP PHOTOS: Jeremy LONg
She wrote: “You will be deeply
missed. Take care in the other world.”
There were also personal tributes to
pupils and teachers who lost their lives.
Sabrina, a netballer from TKPS, said
she will always remember fellow player
Rachel Ho Yann Shiuan.
memories
Sabrina described Rachel as full of life
and bubbly.
She said: “You (Rachel) have touched
my heart.”
Another TKPS pupil, Safiyyah, de-
scribed Mr Mohammad Ghazi Moham-
ed as a great teacher.
The Primary 5 pupil wrote: “You were
saying
goodbye
Poignant
tributes and
farewells at
TKPS
i was shocked to
know that the pupils
and teachers are no
longer around.
— Former pupil Rachel Toh (far left), with
fellow ex-schoolmate Maria Zahid, who
returned to pay their respects
the most fun PE teacher, liveliest Eng-
lish teacher and funniest form teacher
ever.”
Two former TKPS pupils, Maria Za-
hid and Rachel Toh, both 15, said they
were shocked when they heard the trag-
ic news.
“I was shocked to know that the pu-
pils and teachers are no longer around,”
said Rachel.
They also said Mr Ghazi had an infec-
tious personality.
“He was always happy,” Maria re-
counted.
“He also had a very big smile, which
we would remember forever.”
On their cards, they wrote: “Dear Mr
Ghazi, you are an amazing and kind
hearted teacher.”
Madam Siti Arnie, 36, a teacher from
another secondary school, went to pay
respects because the accident struck a
chord with her — she had just returned
from a school trip to Vietnam.
She said the TKPS teachers who died
in the Sabah quake were great role mod-
els that educators should follow.
In her condolence card, she wrote:
“The teachers did an awesome job, and
as educators, we should follow after
them.
“In this period of mourning, let us
unite and support the families who have
been affected by the quake.”
l The TKPS
Tribute
Corner will
be open
from 10am to
9pm today.
It will be the
last day for
tributes.
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Thursday, June 11 2015 THENEWPAPER THENEWPAPER Thursday, June 11 2015
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