‘Reporting, to me, was exciting and challenging': Former court correspondent Elena Chong
Elena Chong, 73
Portrait
Ms Elena Chong spent nearly five decades reporting key moments in Singapore's criminal history for The Straits Times. Joining as a cadet journalist in May 1972, she retired as court correspondent in 2018.
In the 1970s, she covered high-profile cases such as the Gemini Chit Fund scandal, where executives were accused of misappropriating $3.2 million from a fund with 50,000 members. It was dubbed the 'swindle of the century'. She also reported on the Robinsons department store fire in 1972, which claimed nine lives in one of Singapore's worst fires.
Over the years, Ms Chong, now 73, covered thousands of cases, from violent crimes to white-collar offences like fraud and embezzlement. Before journalism, she worked as a stenographer, and her shorthand skills proved invaluable in the courtroom.
Recollections
'Reporting, to me, was exciting and challenging. In the early days, we used manual typewriters to write our articles, and had to have three or four carbon copies.
After we reported back to the office at Times House in Kim Seng Road, we had to quickly find a typewriter, carry it to our desk and start banging out the story. We would then wait for it to be cleared. Cheong Yip Seng was then the news editor while Wee Kim Wee (later Singapore's fourth president, from 1985 to 1993) was the editorial manager.
The police court, located opposite the Central Police Station, was a two-storey building. Two of the courtrooms at the back were like cow sheds, without air-conditioning. We would hang out at the coffee shop in the compound during lunch or tea breaks to chat with fellow reporters from the Chinese press, including Sin Chew Jit Poh and Nanyang Siang Pau.
My most memorable and challenging case in the 1980s was a coroner's inquiry in Brunei. I was assigned by my supervisor, Lai Yew Kong, to cover the inquest for former Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau director Ponniah Rajaratnam.
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The 68-year-old former deputy police commissioner, who had retired, had been in Brunei to help set up an anti-corruption agency. He was said to have been strangled in a small boat in the coastal town of Muara, about 20km from the capital Bandar Seri Begawan. I covered the case with cameraman Wong Kwai Chow.
Every day, at the end of the hearing, I had to send the story to the office via telegram. The week-long inquiry concluded with an open verdict.
Another significant period for me was when Singapore Press Holdings set up TVWorks (free-to-air TV channel) in the early 2000s. Reporters had to go for broadcast training and I felt so stressed that I cried.
Ultimately, I did 'stand-uppers' at the Subordinate Courts in Havelock Square. Of course, I felt nervous in the beginning, but as the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Eventually, I had the hang of it. It was a good experience and exposure which I will never forget. Imagine seeing yourself on TV!
I have written easily thousands of cases over my 40-odd years in journalism, and it's hard to remember all of them.
One case which had a strong impact on me was a fatal crash involving a Japanese woman and her child in Alexandra Road. The accused was acquitted. I felt sad at the outcome. But I must say credit went to defence counsel Sant Singh, who has since passed away. He did an excellent job. He, together with the late Subhas Anandan, were veteran criminal lawyers and my favourites.'
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