'He's my son'

Guardian of teen who died in basketball court accident has always seen herself as his mum

- Zaihan Mohamed Yusof Senior Correspondent and Christine Tan

For years, Madam Rahimah Lee Abdullah and her husband tried to have children, but they had no luck.

So when Mohd Ridwan came into their lives in 2004, they felt they were blessed. He was born in Bintan, an Indonesian island about a 45-minute ferry ride away.

Madam Rahimah said they never got around to formally adopting the baby, but to the couple, he was their own. The boy became a Singapore citizen in September 2004.

He was their only child, and they were his parents.

Speaking to The Sunday Times in their three-room flat in Bedok on Nov 12, Madam Rahimah, 66, said: "He was my only son. I loved him so much. Which mother doesn't love her children?"

The teenager loved the couple. He called Madam Rahimah "mummy" and her husband "daddy".

He was doing well in school, regularly scoring As at ITE College Central. He had dreams of becoming a pilot.

But Ridwan's life was cut short in July 2021, while playing basketball with friends on a court near Block 18 Bedok South Road.

After dunking a shot, the basketball backboard structure fell and killed him. He was only 17.

Since the tragedy, Madam Rahimah has found it hard to look at Ridwan's photos. She is fiercely protective of the gifts he gave her, including a $50 pearl pendant that she received for Mother's Day in 2021.

Madam Rahimah works night shifts as a pump attendant, while her husband runs a food stall. She spoke to ST alone while her husband rested in his room.

Madam Rahimah said she has been diagnosed with something serious, but she declined to elaborate.

In April 2025, Madam Rahimah and a relative of her husband settled a civil suit regarding Ridwan's death against East Coast Town Council (ECTC) and real estate services firm EM Services.

They had filed claims in July 2024 seeking $150,000 from the two parties. The matter was settled for an undisclosed sum, with the parties signing a nondisclosure agreement.