KUALA LUMPUR: A suicide note from the lorry operator Liau Kok Keong addressed to his wife was found as Malaysians responded with sorrow and sadness to the tragic incident in which he took the lives of his three children before committing suicide.

The note, written in Chinese on the wall using a blue marker pen stated: “It’s you who has ruined our lives. We will not rest in peace. You don’t want us because of your career. They are following me to nirvana.”

Liau killed his two daughters Wan Yee, 13, and Wan Juin, 11, and seven-year-old son Zhen Liang before taking his own life on Thursday.

At the wake at the Kwong Tong funeral parlour in Sungai Besi, tears flowed freely as relatives and friends paid their last respects.

The most touching scene was when about 40 classmates of Wan Yee and Wan Juin hugged each other and wept uncontrollably.

MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting expressed sadness and extended his condolences to the family members.

“I hope they remain clam during this difficult moment. I pray no such tragedy will befall any Malaysian in the future. I urge Malaysians to seek professional advice when they are faced with emotional problems,” he said.

(from the Star on the 1^st of August 2004)

1. How do you feel after reading this article?

2. In your opinion, why Mr. Liau would resort to such act?

Depressed, very sad, mental unstable, seek happiness elsewhere, gave up on life – no prospect to go on living.

3. Do you think that Mr. Liau loves his children? Did he do the right thing?

He loves his children and he didn’t want them to suffer in life. He is bringing them to a better place. Maybe he can’t bear to be separated with them; probably he is a family man. But he chose the wrong action to show his love. Many times we love someone but do not know how to show our love in the right way, we may end up hurting than loving them.

4. According to the Dhammapada; “the Buddha has said: Nibbana (or Nirvana) is the highest happiness.” And the Buddhist saint, Avaghosa taught that when a person obtains Nirvana, “he obtains utter peace” (Saundaranandakavyam). In the suicide note of Mr. Liau, he mentioned that the children and him will go to nirvana (literally, heaven or paradise), but he also said that they will not rest in peace. What is your view? What happened to a man when he dies? Is death the end? Rebirth in another plane? Reincarnation? Nirvana? Heaven? Paradise? Firdaus? Samadhi (Oneness with God)? Hades? Hell? Diurai oleh bacteria?

Our physical death is the end of our earthly life, no doubt. But it is not the end of life per se. The bible taught us of such life beyond death, the hereafter. There will be heaven, a place of joy and happiness, and on the other end, there will be hell, a place of sorrow and regrets. Our physical body may be diurai oleh bacteria but our spirit lives on. One day, in the near future, we will all be resurrected to be judged.

Death also is not the solution to our sorrows. The livings will mourn for the lost and there is judgment awaiting us at the end of the road!

5. The children cried and mourned, in fact concerned Malaysians mourned together with the Liau family in their bereavement. We mourned because we might not meet our departed loved ones again forever. Is that true? Will we meet again after we die? What do you think?

As death is not the finality of life, we will be united with our loved ones again, that is if we are on the same side in the hereafter (Luke16:19-31). There will be a day of reunion, in heaven and in hell, a joyous occasion in the former and a most remorseful event in the latter. We, Christians mourn when our loved ones die, but we will not be sorrowful as those without hope (1 Thes 4:13-18). We trust that the hereafter is better than here and that we will be reconciled, not only to our beloveds who have gone before us, but also most importantly with God.

6. What lessons can we learn from this incident? Below are some of my thoughts. Share yours. J

i. Life is not easy.

a. Let us extend our hands to support one another in face of obstacles

b. Are you a good Samaritan to your neighbours? (Luke 10:25 – 37)

ii. Love is painful sometimes.

a. The right perspective of love is important in order that our relationships are maintained. In a nutshell (1 Cor 13:4-8), love

1. suffers long (patient)

2. is kind

3. does not envy

4. does not parade itself (it’s not a show)

5. is not puffed up (humble)

6. does not behave itself rudely (graceful and gracious)

7. does not seek its own (sacrificial)

8. is not easily provoked

9. thinks no evil (no ulterior motives)

10. does not rejoice in iniquities (sins) but rejoices in truth

11. bears all things

12. believes all things

13. hopes all things

14. endures all things

15. never fails

b. As with Mr. Liau, God also send His beloved Child to death. But it was a different story altogether, a different love. The characteristic listed above is that of the love of God.

God bruised His Son, Jesus and afflicted Him with sadness; not only that, He had made Jesus a sin offering (Isaiah 53:10), i.e. to put him to death.

What was God’s Son’s reaction to His Father’s plan? Jesus obediently told the Father, Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God (Heb 10:5). He willingly endured the cross (a symbol of suffering and death) because of His love to His Father.

Why did God send His Son to die?

1. All have sinned against God and must face His anger (Rom 3:23)

2. There is no forgiveness of sin but by the shedding of blood (Heb 9:22)

3. Jesus loved us so much that He replaced us to face the anger of God’s wrath (Rom 3:25)

4. Jesus Christ is, him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood ( Rev 1:5)

iii. There is good news.

a. In contrast to the story of Mr. Liau, the story about the death of God’s Son, Jesus is the Good News. The Bible declares, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believed in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

b. Life is not easy, but there is hope. The Almighty God, who is the Creator of the heavens and earth, the King of all things is our God forever: He will be our guide even unto death ( Ps 48:14)