SINGAPORE: Former Nominated Member of Parliament Calvin Cheng has vowed to take on Raymond Ng and Iris Koh, the couple behind the Healing the Divide anti-Covid vaccination campaign, following the untimely death of a woman Mr Ng had sued for defamation.
The deceased, Geno Ong, took her life on Friday (6 Sept) after posting a suicide note on Facebook, accusing Mr Ng of driving her to financial ruin by bringing on two lawsuits and multiple pre-action letters against her.
Ms Ong revealed that her legal fees had surged to nearly S$100,000, leaving her unable to continue defending herself, adding that her health had deteriorated due to the stress of the lawsuits.
Ms Ong also accused Mr Ng and his wife of targeting ordinary Singaporeans with baseless lawsuits designed to financially drain them.
Mr Cheng, who was the first to publicly confirm Ms Ong’s death on social media, disclosed that she had reached out to him for help just two weeks before her passing.
Expressing deep regret, Mr Cheng said, “I wish I did more. I have escalated this to the highest authorities.” He also urged those facing legal challenges to seek support, stressing that “nothing is worth taking your own life for.”
Mr Cheng is currently engaged in his own legal battle with Mr Ng, with both parties suing each other for defamation over social media posts.
Following Ms Ong’s death, Mr Cheng called for a reassessment of the Simplified Civil Process, arguing that Mr Ng had exploited the “noble” system designed to make legal proceedings more accessible and affordable.
In a subsequent Facebook post, he added that he is willing to fight Mr Ng and his wife “tooth and nail” on behalf of the ordinary Singaporeans they have sued for defamation.
In a post that has garnered more than 800 reactions online, he wrote: “Raymond Ng, Iris Koh and their ilk can put all their civil suits on me. Don’t go after ordinary Singaporeans who do not have financial resources or people not familiar with the legal system.
Come. I am waiting. I’ll fight you tooth and nail. I have taken on bigger bullies than you all my life.”
He also revealed in a Facebook comment that prominent law firm Lee & Lee is backing him.
Meanwhile, Mr Raymond Ng said he was shocked and saddened over Ms Ong’s death but denied any responsibility.
Claiming that Ms Ong had falsely accused him of criminal activities and spread rumours about him being under investigation. Mr Ng asserted that his legal actions were meant to protect his reputation and seek justice, not to cause harm.
In a statement that has drawn widespread criticism online, Mr Ng added: “By killing herself, she also attempted to blackmail the legal system into her own sense of justice. She can just anyhow defame anyone, and when she is naturally sued for defamation, she retaliates by killing herself.”
Singaporeans reacting to Ms Ong’s passing have condemned the way Mr Ng framed her death, calling for more compassion and sensitivity from the couple.
Ms Koh, Mr Ng’s wife and co-founder of Healing the Divide, has urged the public not to sensationalize the tragedy or place blame on them without understanding the full context.
Addressing Ms Ong’s accusations in a blog post, she wrote: “Despite the legal conflict between her and Raymond, it’s deeply unfortunate that she chose to end her life in this way. I never met her, and we never spoke, so it’s heartbreaking that things escalated to such an extreme.”
Ms Koh, however, maintained that Ms Ong had spread falsehoods about her and Mr Ng. She also noted that Ms Ong’s allegations had contributed to Mr Ng’s arrest in March 2021, although he had not been charged.
Ms Koh rejected claims that they were targeting ordinary Singaporeans and reiterated that their lawsuits were based on addressing defamation, not out of malice.