Autobiography of
Shirin Behjat Fozdar (March 1, 1905 - September 2, 1992)
中文名: 希琳·貝赫賈特·福斯達
Born : 1 March 1905 Mumbai
Died : 2 February 1992 Singapore
Father : Mehraban Khodabux Behjat
Mother : Dowlat
Husband: Khodadad Muncherjee Fozdar (d. 26 April 1958)
Children: Three sons and two daughters
1- Son : Jamshed Fozdar (Engineer)
2- Son : Dr. John Khodadad Fozdar, (b. 2 July 1928 Bombay - d. 22 October 2022
Kuching)
3- Son : Minoo Fozdar (Lawyer)
4- Daughter : Muneera Fozdar (Lawyer)
5- Daughter : ?
From generation to generation Mankind has been laboring in ignorance of its own
achievements. After four centuries when a history is near completion that man
has realized that unaware of the Divine plan humanity has been compelled to
labor at the tremendous task of conquering and unifying the earth.
In the 15th Century Columbus with his little fleet discovered America and
commenced its conquest. Gradually progress at unification became swifter.
Science came to the rescue and sir routes became the nerve system of the earth
unifying it into one body.
Unfortunately when the isolated braches of the human family were brought
physically together the diversity in various groups created dissension. It was
then discovered that unification of this earth into a single body was not
possible without a spiritual amalgam to unify it into a single soul. The other
alternative was the extermination of the human race through wars and it’s
devastating after effects.
God in his wisdom had provided that spiritual amalgam by the birth of
Baha’u’llah in 1817. He declared the oneness of Mankind as the basic principle
of the Baha’i Faith and augmented it by arch other teaching which made that
unification practicable. The pages of Baha’i history are smeared by the blood of
20,000 martyrs, but his disciples fearlessly marched on to different parts of
the world in their effort to bring about that unification envisaged in the
different scriptures of the world.
The history of the Baha'i Faith in South East Asia is linked with India. In 1949 an
International Conference called the World Pacific Conference was held in the
open air university called Shantiniketan, in Bolepur, near Calcutta. This
conference had been planned by Mahatma Gandhi to propagate the idea of non
violence in setting Political problems. Political and religious leaders from
different parts of the world attended. Sokarno and Sultan Sharir came from
Indonesia as they wanted to discuss their problems with Jawaharial Nehru since
Mahatma Gandhi had already been assassinated and was not available to guide them
in their problem of Independence and freedom from Dutch.
The National Spiritual Assembly of India appointed me to represent the Baha’i
Faith. Tunku Abdul Rahman who was then leader of the group clamoring for
independence for Malaya was also attending along with Mr. Yan Kee Leong (袁其良) a famous
cartoonist, who had started the world Brotherhood Movement and Swami Satyananda
who was running an orphanage in Kuala Lumpur for Indian Boys.
My talk on the Baha'i Faith delivered on the second day of the conference. After
leaving the platform I returned to my husband and as I sat beside him Mr. Yan Kee Leong and Swami Satyanand came and introduced themselves and praised the talk
and the contents. They then said they would request that I visit Malaya and they
would arrange my talks. I said I could not leave India since I had a lot to do
here, but they persisted and would take no negative reply. Ultimately finding
the futility of further excuses, I agreed to visit Malays, but I knew that was
not possible.
Soon after the Guardian wired to the National Spiritual Assembly of India asking
them to send a pioneer to Indonesia. Dr. Khodadad Muncherjee Fozdar and I applied immediately for
the Visa. He gave up his job in India in readiness to depart but we waited for six months
and received no reply. This waiting was quite painful since he had no job and we
have five children all of whom were studying in the Bombay University except the
eldest Jamshed who was studying in the United States. Luckily the Guardian wired the
National Spiritual Assembly a second time and ordered that pioneers be sent to
the whole of South East Asia. In those days there was no Malaysia and Singapore
was part of Malaya which was governed by the British and recognized as part of
the Commonwealth.
My travel teaching till then consisted of trips to different parts of India and
the different colleges and universities in India. I was on the National
Spiritual Assembly of India since 1937 and had no intention before then to go
abroad either to travel teach or to pioneer since I was home pioneering since
1931. That was under as Dr. Khodadad Muncherjee Fozdar was medical officer of the Central India
Railways, he would transfer every two years to different cities and so got the
opportunities to spread the Message wherever we went.
1st Baha'i Pilgrimage to Haifa in 1906
I had been outside of India thrice. The first time was in 1906 when I was 11 months old.
My parents went on pilgrimage and took me along. Abdul Baha loved children and
so he would hold my hand and teach me how to walk and while returning me to my
mother (name Dowlat) would say “Shirin has now gained strength. “ What a privilege it was. How
many children outside of the holy Family have had the great bounty of being
taught to walk by Abdul Baha.
During that trip to Haifa, I got stolen when the ship touched Port Said. My
mother (Dowlat) had been sea sick and was sleeping leaving the cabin door ajar. I had
crawled out of the cabin to survey the ship on my won. I had a red frock on. An
Egyptian passenger who was disembarking at Port Said seeing me on my won, picked
me up and put his red face on my head to make me appear as Egyptian and as his
child.
Luckily my father Mehraban Khodabux Behjat had in the meantime entered the cabin and finding me not there
had rushed out and stood scanning the disembarking passengers to see if someone
was disembarking with me. Sure enough a bare headed Egyptian had a little Girl
in his arm with a red frock and a red faz on her head, but the face had been
turned away so my father could not see my face, but when he called my name, I
immediately turned towards him and stretched my arms for him to take me. My
father rushed and grabbed me, but he could do no more than throw the fez in the
sea and abuse the Egyptian in Parsis language spoken by Indian with Zoroastrian
background. If that man had succeeded in this effort to seal me, I would not
have had the chance to pioneer to Malaya. I am grateful to my father for his
vigilance and prompt action.
2nd Baha'i Pilgrimage to Haifa in 1911
My parents took me and my younger Minoo Fozdar brother on pilgrimage to Haifa a second time in 1911.
I was 6 years old at that time. A
little before Abdul Baha’s tour of the West. I remember Abdul Baha very well
since we stayed on for a month and saw Abdul Baha nearly every day. One could
stay longer if Abdul Baha wished.
My third foreign trip was in 1934 when as representative of the All Asia woman’s
conference I was sent to the League of Nations in Geneva on the question of
Equality of Nationality for women.
The guardian when informed about this suggested that I break journey in Germany
and meet the friends. He also informed the friends there to arrange my talks
which they did. Some talk on the Baha'i Faith were also arranged at the Baha'i Centre
in Geneva.
Dr. Khodadad Muncherjee Fozdar and I left Switzerland and went to London where we stayed for nearly
a year. I studied journalism and he took a higher degree in medicine.
3rd Baha'i Pilgrimage to Haifa in 1935
On our way back to India, we broke journey in 1935 and went on pilgrimage, We
then saw the beloved Guardian. Little did we dream then that it would be the
last time for we would see the Guardian no more.
Yan Kee Leong’s invitation to me to visit Malaya although accepted with
reluctance with no intention to carry it through, het God’s ways are mysterious
in using Him creatures to fulfill His plans. The Guardian’s second telegram more
than six months later gave his instructions to send the pioneers to the whole of
South East Asia region. Dr. Khodadad Muncherjee Fozdar who was sick of waiting for visa to
Indonesia, left for Singapore immediately as no visa was necessary, being Indian
and under the same British Commonwealth.
He arrived in Singapore on the 26th May, 1950 and the Guardian telegraphically
assured him of fervent prayers. He had started from Bombay without any friends
or references there, but by the time the journey was over he had made some
friends on the ship who on his arrival facilitated his stay and within a month
got a job as a doctor at Gunam Clinic on Cecil Street with Dr. Thevathasan, This
brought him in contact with many people and he distributed Baha’i literature to
his patients as well as to eminent people in Singapore. He placed Baha’i books
in the Raffles Library, lectured at the Theosophical
Society and Y.M.C.A and widened his contacts. I stayed behind temporarily in
Bombay, due to my children’s education. Four months later in September I joined
Dr. Khodadad Muncherjee Fozdar. He had already paved the way for my successful reception into the
country. Various organizations had arranged my talks under their auspices and
also the radio interview had been arranged. My talk at the Rotary club had been
fixed the next day after my arrival. I was a well known figure in India as a
social worker and a feminist. In that capacity had been chosen to represent the
Women of Asia at the League of Nations in Geneva in 1934.
I was elected on the National Spiritual Assembly in 1937 and remained on it till
I pioneered to Singapore and continued it for another two years till the first
Local Spiritual Assembly of Singapore was formed and then the Guardian
instructed the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of India to fill my vacancy as I now
belonged to Singapore. While in Singapore I used to attend the National
spiritual Assembly meetings in India every three months, till 1952.
My talk at the Rotary Club in Singapore had a record crowd of 200 people. The
various Consuls and the elite of Singapore were there to hear a woman addressing
the Club. This had not happened before. When the talk was over. Mr. Jogendar
Singh, the Trade Commissioner of India congratulated me and expressed great
pride that I was an Indian. He also wished he could learn public speaking from
me.
Within a few days the name Baha’i became known in Singapore. But unfortunately
the people showed only academic interest in it, and were not prepared to accept
the Baha'i Faith.
As long as they were aware of what it was, the various organizations opened
their doors to lectures on the Baha'i Faith but attachment to their old religions
seemed to act as a deterrent to belief in the new. I, therefore tried to create
a new interest in the Baha'i Faith by mobilizing the woman of Singapore on t a
common platform in1951 respectable of their race or religion, and encouraged
them to seek equality with men. This movement for women’s rights caught the
imagination of the people and everyone was aware that the founder of this
movement in Singapore was a Baha’i and that Equality between men and women was a
basic Baha’is principle. The Singapore Council of Women soon became famous and I
as its Founder and General Secretary became the mouthpiece for the women’s
grievances. My views and statements were reported round the world through
Reuters and Associated press. Mrs. George Lee the first wife of a millionaire
businessman, a Chinese by race became chairman of the Council and Mrs. Lee and I
became inseparable companions in this struggle for women’s rights.
Mrs. Lee after working with me for six years in the women’s movement accepted
the Baha'i Faith in February 1958 two months before the passing away of Dr. Khodadad
Muncherjee Fozdar. To
the surprise of mine in Singapore the women’s Charter became law and accepted
all the demands made by the Women’s Council. The women in Singapore enjoy today
greater rights that the women in many Western countries.
The Baha’i Centre in Singapore became quite an attractive place. It was located
on Tanjong Katong Road. Women of all classes and races heard about the Baha'i
Faith and
were grateful for what was being done for them.
In March 1951 all my children, Jimmy, John, Mince, Nona and Nena came to
Singapore. Jimmy and his wife Parvati pioneered to Kuching, Sarawak. John has
just got his medical degree stayed on in Singapore and got a job in General
Hospital. My house became well known as the Baha'i Centre every Sunday morning
people came for their tea and discussion. Sometimes a crowd of 40 people would
gather for inquiries.
The first believer in Singapore was an Indian salesman by the name of Naraindas.
He was followed soon thereafter by a Chinese Mr. Teo Geok Lang and another
shortly there after Mr. Chang Wei Min. From 1950 to the beginning of 1952 we had
worked to get someone to accept the Baha'i Faith, but to no avail. Dr. Khodadad
Muncherjee Fozdar,
therefore wrote to the Guardian expressing disappointment at his own failure.
The Guardian wired back to say that the harvest would soon be coming in. The day
that telegram arrived we went shopping on North Bridge Road and tried to buy
some saris, and the salesman of that shop Narsindas accepted the Baha'i Faith. It was a
great joy to find that the harvest had started coming in so quickly after the
telegram from the Guardian.
By April 1952 the first Spiritual Assembly of Singapore was formed and
registered as an exempted body. Gradually other Indians also joined the Baha'i
Faith,
among them was Gian Datwani, who later went to Hong Kong and Kishan Khamani and
Shatur Chotrani both Auxiliary Board Members in India. Unfortunately Shattur
Chotrani died a few months ago of heart failure after serving the Baha'i Faith in India
for many years.
During the early fifties Mr. Yan Kee Leong who lived in Seremban, Malaysia
visited Singapore a few times and came to see us, since he had first met us in
1949 at the Pacific conference in India in 1949 and earnestly requested me to
visit Malaya where my talks would be arrange by him in Singapore, therefore,
this friendship which was started in India was further developed. In the
meantime I had strengthened the Council of Women and in addition to demanding
the change in marriage and Divorce Laws we did some social work also. Till 1952
Singapre had no girl’s Club although there were several boys clubs. I managed to
get five sawing machines and started the first Girls Club at Joe Cheat Welfare
Centre on the 19th February 1953 when Mrs. W.L. Byte wife of the Colonial
Secretary performed the open ceremony. About 300 women of all ages came to the
club to learn to read and write English and Chinese, dress making and flower
arrangement. Dr. Khodadad Muncherjee Fozdar and Dr. John Fozdar and myself used to take classes
in English thrice a week. Mrs. Lee taught Chinese and other friends taught
dressmaking and flower arrangement. Late there were other Girls’ Clubs formed in
different areas.
The Baha’i Faith was in the meantime progressing and becoming better known all
over Singapore and Malaya. In 1953 my whole family went to India to attend the
Inter Continental Conference in New Delhi. At that time there were only two
Local Spiritual Assemblies in South East Asia. One in Singapore (1952) and the
other in Kuching (1953), Sarawak. The latter had been formed due to the efforts
of Jimmy Fozdar’s pioneering there with his wife. At the Delhi Conference the
Baha’is were asked to volunteer to pioneer to different parts of the world which
were virgin territory.
Dr. Khodadad Muncherjee Fozdar volunteered to go to Andaman Islands and my son Dr. John Fozdar
offered to go to Brunei. Mince Fozdar offered to go to Cocos Island and Jimmy
Fozdar volunteered for Vietnam. I wanted to return to Singapore in order to
Consolidate the Local Spiritual Assembly also to go to Malaya which in these two
years we had not gone due to emergency and Communist insurgency. I therefore
returned to Singapore. As soon as I landed I sent a letter to my old friend Mr.
Yan Kee Leong informing him of my intended visit to the Federation of Malaya,
Seremban and Kuala Lumpur. Malays the mainland, although not visited by me or my
husband due to guerilla warfare, yet had heard of the Baha'i Faith through the
newspapers since Singapore papers were the main newspapers for both Malaya and
Singapore.
Yan Kee Leong succeeded in arranging my talks in all the three towns even though
he was not a Baha’i then. In December 1953, accompanied by Teo Geok Leng, the
first Chinese Baha’i in Singapore and Miss Arden Thur a visiting Baha’i from the
States over by the famous Chinese scholar and politician, Dato Tan Cheng Lock
陳禎祿,
the father of Dato Tan Siew Sin one time Financae Minister of Malaysia. Over 300
people attended. My tour in Malaya lasted about one week and by the time it was
over Mr. Yan Kee Leong was rewarded by God got his labors and was guided to
accept the Baha'i Faith, and thus became Malaya’s first believer. His spiritual
progress was very rapid and he tried to guide his friends and acquaintances to
the Baha'i Faith. I visited Malaya every weekends and assisted Yan Kee in his efforts
to form the Local Spiritual Assembly of Malacca, Seremban and Kuala Lumpur.
In February 1954, I went to Saigon to establish the Baha'i Faith in Vietnam and
Cambodia. During that visit Prince Sihanouk honored me with a gold medal for my
talks which had been arranged by his mother the queen and her sister. So far no
woman had been given this honor in Cambodia. I returned to Singapore to arrange
for my son Dr. John Fozdar's departure for Brunei as a pioneer. He became the
knight of Baha’u’llah for this pioneering and his father Dr. Khodadad Muncherjee
Fozdar was
declared Knight of Baha’u’llah for Pioneering to Andaman Island. After John
sailed for Brunei, I visited the three stated of Malacca, Seremban and Kuala
Lumpur before departing for Saigon once more as several people had been
interested in the Baha'i Faith. In 1954 Yan Kee Leong (袁其良)succeeded in forming the first
Local Spiritual Assembly in Seremban, Malaya. My daughter in law Parvati Fozdar arrived
in Saigon and was soon followed by my son Jimmy Fozdar.
I left Saigon in June and returned to Singapore and visited some more towns like
Taiping and Ipoh in addition to Malacca, Seremban and Kuala Lumpur. During these
visits Mr. And Mrs. Saurajen accepted the Baha'i Faith and so did the three Paul
brothers and thus facilitated the formation of the Malacca Local Spiritual
assemblies and Kuala Lumpur Local Spiritual Assembly in 1955.
In 1954 Dr. Khodadad Muncherjee Fozdar returned to Singapore from Andaman island as his
permanent stay there was not been granted by the authorities. We, therefore went
pioneering to Kulim in Kedah State of Malays, where Dr. Fozdar was employed as a
doctor. From Kulim we used to visit Penang every weekends and stay in a hotel
and go round the town seeking for thirsty souls. Among the first to accept the
Baha'i Faith was an Indian Mr. Arumugam of 9, Gotllish Road in Penang. He was followed
by a Chinese couple Mr. And Mrs. Siew.
My husband and I realized the need for consolidating the new Local Spiritual
Assemblies of Malacca and Kuala Lumpur and so we shifted our residence to
Malacca where we stayed for four months. Every night we had fireside in our
house. Among the regulars attendants was Mr. Loong Tat Chee, who grasped the
Baha'i Faith go thoroughly that all his idols of Chinese Gods and Goddesses were sent
out of his house. He even overcame his clannishness and gave his daughters in
marriage to a man of other races. He was extremely active in the Baha'i Faith till his
dying day. His wife and children are all actively involved in the spread of the
Baha'i Faith.
Seremban and Kuala Lumpur being close by my husband and I visited these two
places regularly from Malacca ones a week. When the Baha'i Faith was well established
in these two places we returned once more to Singapore. The friends in Malacca
and Seremban worked ad a team and moved into the rubber estates to teach the
Baha'i Faith to the masses and Baha’u’llah crowned their efforts with great success.
Yan kee leong played a great part in this field of mass conversion.
In 1956 January 18th, the first World Religious Day was observed in Singapore.
Well known leaders from all religious attended and meeting was very well
attended. The Chief Minister of Singapore Mr. Lim Yew Hock presided. The
function was held at the famous Victoria Memorial Hall.
In 1957, Mr. Mahesh Dayal came as a pioneer to Singapore from India , but later
settled down in Malaya. In the first week of April Mr. And Mrs. Eshragian and
four children came as pioneer to Singapore since they were not given a resident
visa to Indonesia. They rendered great service in Singapore and Malaysia.
In 1957, the first Convention of South East Asia was held in Jakarta and the
first Regional Spiritual Assembly of South East Asia was elected and many
members from Singapore and Malaya were on that body including my husband and
myself.
On the 28th April 1953 the second convention of the Baha’is of South East Asia was
held in Singapore and it was on the eve of that Convention that the first
pioneer to Singapore and Malaya passed away. On the 26th April 1953 Dr. Khodadad
Muncherjee Fozdar suddenly died of heart failure. He was buried in the Singapore Baha’i Cemetery
which had been acquired in Singapore through the generosity of the Government of
Singapore. They undertook to look after the grounds at their own expenses. This
ground had been given only a couple of months before Dr. Khodadad Muncherjee
Fozdar’s sad demise.
The chief Minister of Singapore Mr. Kim Yew Hock and the Minister for Commerce
Mr. J.H. Jumaboy sent letters of Condolence to Mrs. Fozdar. Thus the first
pioneer was laid to rust on the soil which he had conquered for Baha’u’llah. The
friends in the Federation of Malaya hastened to pay their homage to the
departed. Many non Baha’is also attended the funeral.
In September 1958 the Inter-Continental Conference which was to be held in
Jakarta was transferred to Singapore due to unforeseen Circumstances. This was a
blessing in disguise. The friends in Malaya were thereby enabled to attend in
larger number and saw the strength of the believers in other parts of the world
and got more confirmed. They returned to their homes with greater confidence in
the ultimate victory of the Baha'i Faith and redoubled their efforts.
The delegates to the Conference particularly from Iran had unusual pleasant
surprises to find that at the Chartered Bank when they mentioned they were
Baha’i delegate to the Conference, they were treated with special respect as
people of integrity even though in their signatures on cheques could not be
properly identified being in Persian. In the restaurants with female waitresses,
the Baha’i delegates were treated as people of high moral standard. Their badges
indicated the name of their religion, the girls realized who they were since the
Singapore Council of Women had been fighting against striptease shows in
Singapore and one famous stripper by the name of Rose Chan had to flee to
Malaysia as Singapore was being awakened to the evil influence of this kind of
entertainment. The people were well aware then that this was due to the Baha’i
influence. The Cause in Singapore was being recognized by non believers as
morally uplifting and the following were considered highly trustworthy.
After the Conference in Singapore, the visitors from different parts of the
world were invited to visit Malacca and participate in the first Baha'i wedding
between Tony and Betty Fernandez. This couple had been Catholics before, and
therefore, a Baha’i marriage created quite uproar among the Catholics. Pressure
was brought on the couple to have the Catholic wedding but it was rejected. This
was a great triumph for the Baha'i Faith. This wedding was soon followed by other Baha’i weddings mostly from Leong Tat Chee’s family. Malacca thus became an
example for others Assemblies to follow, and whenever a foreign Baha’ came
visiting Malaysia then a visit to Malacca was a must.
The Local Spiritual Assembly in Penang was formed in 1958 through the efforts of
Mrs. Bates and Jeanne Frankel. They were in this country for many months and
were assisted by Dr. and Mrs. Chellie Sundram. The latter two are great
stalwarts in the Baha'i Faith. Dr. Sundram is Counsellor and his wife Shanta is an
Auxiliary Board Member. Many Hands of the Baha'i Faith have been visiting this country
and contributed to the deepening of the Baha’is of Malaysia. They have made a
name for themselves and have succeeded in sending pioneers around the world and
have been proving their mettle wherever they have gone. Dr. Muhajir, the Hand of
the Cause was very happy to see the Baha'i Faith spreading so rapidly among the masses,
land more and more new Local Spiritual Assemblies being formed. He must be
watching over this area of South East Asia for it was very dear to hi.. It was
he who encouraged the believers to scatter as pioneers and his suggestions were
like a command to individual Baha’is and they arose to go wherever he sent them.
We now have so many new believers, assemblies and groups and the Cause is in the
hands of intelligent, educated people who are firm and selfless in their
devotion.
Little did the National Spiritual Assembly of India know how in 1950 that the
pioneers they seat to Singapore were going to conquer the whole of South East
Asia for India by 1957. When under instructions from the Guardian a Regional
Spiritual Assembly for south East Asia was formed and the Secretary of the
National Spiritual Assembly but attended and handed over the National Spiritual
Assembly of India’s responsibility to the Regional Spiritual Assembly of south
East Asia.
The Regional Spiritual Assembly during its Seven years of its existence
performed its functions well and successful organized the Inter Continental
Conference in 1958 in Singapore although it was originally planned for
Indonesia.
All the members of the Regional Spiritual Assembly of South East Asia attended
the first International Baha’i Convention in Haifa in1963 and were among those
who had the honor of electing the first Universal House of Justice.
A year later in1964 the Regional Spiritual Assembly paved the way for the
election of the National Spiritual Assemblies in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand,
Vietnam and Philippines.
Even though the beloved Guidance had departed from this world in 1957 the unity
of the world Baha’i Community was being taken care by the beloved Hands of the
Cause and they in turn prepared the way for the election of the Universal House
of Justice.
Unlike all past religious the administrative system in the Baha’i Faith harried
all doors to dissension and division, and the Spiritual amalgam sent to mankind
by God in the form of Baha’u’llah is paving the way for the Unification of the
human race and the establishment of the world order of Baha’u’llah.
<Source : Written by 希琳·貝赫賈特·福斯達 Shirin Behjat Fozdar in 1986, Singapore>
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SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Remark on Shirin's Father : Mehraban Khodabux Behjat's religion was Zoroastrianism before accepting Baha'i Faith before marriage. Mehraban Khodabux Behjat spoke Parsis language spoken by Indian with Zoroastrian background.
In India there are two confusing ethnic groups :
1- Parsi - Parsi refers to the Zoroastrian community in India
2- Pasi - Pasi are Hindu or other religions in India
Because of spelling mistake in articles, the ethnic of Shirin's family has been confusing. Here is to clarify that Shirin family was from Zoroastrian background's Parsi.
Remark on Shirin's Husband : Khodadad Muncherjee Fozdar (d. 26 April 1958) was a
medical doctor in India and became a Baha'i after marrying Shiein
1961 to 1975 - After her husband passed away in 1958, Shirin moved to live in
Thailand for 14 years to set up a school for Thai village girls.
1976 she moved back to settle down in Singapore till her dead in 1992