Temasek Polytechnic

SINGAPORE: It has come to light that the 26-year-old woman who died in a collision at the Tampines Expressway (TPE) earlier this week was a newlywed Temasek Polytechnic alumna who had just got married three weeks prior to the fatal accident. Her husband, who survived the accident with serious injuries, is grieving the untimely loss of his wife.

The accident took place on Monday (20 Feb) and involved two motorcycles and a minibus. Yasmin Abdullah, the young Temasek Polytechnic alumna who lost her life, was riding pillion on her husband Muhammad Zahid bin Abdul Gaffar’s motorcycle when the accident occurred.

Both husband and wife were conveyed to Changi General Hospital where Yasmin was pronounced dead.

The 54-year-old minibus driver was arrested for negligent driving causing death, while the other motorcyclist, a 31-year-old man, is assisting the police in their ongoing investigations.

Yesterday evening (22 Feb), Facebook page ‘Death Kopitiam Singapore’ revealed details about the couple involved in the accident and how Yasmin’s death has shaken her family to their core.

Yasmin was an ambitious and driven young woman who deeply loved her family. Yasmin did not want to burden her family members with her medical expenses as she suffered from Crohn’s Disease, a debilitating chronic gastrointestinal illness.

Although she had big dreams for her future, Yasmin made the difficult decision to temporarily pause her studies after earning a diploma in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Temasek Polytechnic so that she could work and pay off her bills while putting aside money to buy a home with her husband.

The highlight of Yasmin’s short life was her wedding that took place just last month, on January 29, at Orchid Country Club. The page quoted her grief-stricken father as saying that her wedding was the “sweetest moment in her life”.

Going by Yasmin’s Instagram posts, 29-year-old Zahid was the love of her life. She wrote in one post that her husband is “the cameraman behind every OOTD post, makes me laugh when I’m sad, tries to make hospital visits bearable (and) loves me even when I annoy him.”

The newlyweds had a sweet daily routine where Zahid would fetch and drop off his beloved wife to and from her work on his motorcycle.

The page said: “They left home together, but sadly, only one returned. Hours ago, their nest was full of warmth, aspirational hope, love and yearning.

“There are now so many “I love you”, “I’m sorry”, “Thank you” and “Goodbyes” left unsaid – little did they know that the morning of Feb 20 was their final goodbye/farewell. One can only imagine the grief, pain and guilt that is coursing through Mr Muhammad Zahid.”

Zahid’s sister, Zahidah Abdul Gaffar, also sought prayers for her brother in a Facebook post published a day after the accident. Revealing that this is the second death in their family in February alone, she wrote:

“My brother’s wife passed away in a motorcycle accident yesterday while my brother is seriously injured but is in stable condition in the hospital. Seeking your prayers for the second death in our family this month and that may Allah heal my brother and bring patience and strength to him especially.”

The Independent Singapore extends our deepest condolences to Yasmin’s family and we hope they will find the comfort, support and strength they need during this unimaginably difficult time.

26-year-old woman dies in TPE collision involving minibus