Memory of SilkAir victim lives on through law scholarship
By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 19 December 2007 1649 hrs

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SINGAPORE : It's been 10 years since SilkAir flight MI 185 crashed in Palembang on December 19, on its route from Jakarta to Singapore.

All 104 passengers and crew members died. However, the memory of one victim - Kathryn Worth - lives on, through a scholarship set up by her husband.

Kathryn loved to travel; she was equally at home in the bazaars of the Middle East and the forests of Southeast Asia.

"We'd go off the beaten path, to wherever it'd be -- to places like Cambodia, Myanmar or Vietnam. But when she was at work, she'd work very hard," recalled David Worth, Kathryn's husband.

A lawyer with American firm White and Case (LLP), Kathryn was also a big believer in education.

After her death, her husband decided to set up the "Kathryn Aguirre Worth Memorial Scholarship" in partnership with the National University of Singapore (NUS).

"Both of us share a passion for ensuring that not only future generations, but teachers as well, are adequately recognised for what they can do and the contributions they can make," said David.

Singapore was home for Kathryn and David in the two years prior to the incident. David said the scholarship is one way of maintaining that Singapore connection.

The first scholarship was given out in 2000, and is open to NUS Law graduates.

27-year-old Cheah Wui Ling is this year's recipient. David said her passion for work in the public arena made her stand out.

Wui Ling, who was a legal officer at the Interpol Headquarters in Lyons, France for three years, will be pursuing her interest in international law at Harvard University.

"What attracted me about the US legal education is that there is a great emphasis on public interest work, as well as practical lawyering, the clinical education. That is why I wanted to go back for further studies, and to focus on this aspect," said Cheah.

Cheah said the scholarship is one of the very few available to those interested in post-graduate legal studies in the United States.

The US$15,000 scholarship will provide a stipend to defer US law school expenses. NUS is helping to foot the remainder of her tuition fees.

She will return to NUS to take up a position as an assistant professor in June 2008. - CNA /ls