Raybe Oh, 32, talks about road to recovery after suffering burns to 80% of her body & getai comeback

Raybe Oh Siew Hui, 32, suffered burns to over 80 per cent of her body when she tried to pull her fiancé out of his car, which caught fire after crashing into a row of shophouses in Tanjong Pagar in 2021.

Five years after the incident, which claimed the lives of her fiancé and four other friends, Oh is making her getai comeback.

In an interview with 8world on Feb. 25, she spoke about her road to recovery, the difficulties she still faces, and how she is approaching life, as well as the public's perception of her.

Overcoming a feeling of inferiority

Oh spoke about how she gradually overcame feelings of inferiority during her recovery phase, which has culminated in her eventual public comeback.

Previously a Singapore Airlines flight stewardess, as well as a getai singer, she admitted to feeling nervous returning to the stage to perform.

In the midst of making her comeback, she also felt that everything has changed.

For example, she can no longer wear the clothes she used to wear on stage, and she does not know what the audience's listening preferences are now.

However, that has not deterred her from trying.

She told 8world she will try her best to sing well, and carefully prepare her costume.

She said: "I will still wear a mask when I perform. I believe that friends who like to listen to songs can accept me because I really put my heart into the stage."

Getting used to public scrutiny

While recovering, she said she is becoming more accepting of scrutiny by strangers.

She added: “I used to not want to go out or eat out because I had to take off my mask. Now, I tell myself not to care about what other people think, but I know it’s hard to avoid, so I manage my expectations.”

Trying to sing well again

While practising, Oh realised that it was not easy to sing well again.

This could be due to the injuries she suffered, which damaged her throat, or the scars have restricted the movement of her mouth, making it more difficult to hit the high notes.

She also took up running, but found that her breath control had not improved, even though she can now run faster and further.

She has practised singing many times in the lead-up to her comeback, but her voice still breaks when hitting the high notes.

As a result, she can only settle on singing the songs a half pitch lower.

Regarding her comeback gig, she said: "I will sing three songs that day. To be on the safe side, I will sing songs that I am good at, one of which is a New Year song, and the other two are songs that I like. My family is very happy to hear that I am making a comeback, and they have invited friends to attend and support me."

She is slated to return to the stage on Feb. 27.

Her guest performance, organised by Zhenghua Community Club, next to Bukit Panjang's Greenridge Shopping Centre, is scheduled for 6:30pm on Friday.

Joined burn victims support group

She has also joined a burn victims support group.

They share a lot of information in the group, she said, such as what to pay attention to in terms of care, as well as which foods to avoid.

She said that since her story had seen widespread media coverage, various people have reached out to her to share their own problems as well.

Oh said: "They may encounter unpleasant things in their lives, and they will send me messages to share their recent difficulties. But when they think about what I have been through, they will face their situation bravely. They feel encouraged by me and ask me how I did it. I reply to each of these messages. Isn't it a good thing that I can help others in this way?"

Mindset change

She also shared her mindset changes over the past few years.

She said she now values ​​her relationship with her family more, while money and career are no longer the most important things.

She wants to do what makes her happy and to keep an open mind.

Regarding negative comments online, Oh said with a smile that she filters out the malicious ones and only reads the positive ones.

She said she is very grateful for the encouragement and support from online users.

Even though they might be strangers, she gets a lot of positive energy from the comments.

She said: "I want to thank my mother the most. She took care of me meticulously from the time I was hospitalised to my follow-up visit. I also want to thank my family and friends for their care and encouragement along the way, which made me realise that appearance is not important. What they like about me is who I am."

Top photo via Raybe Oh & Michael Tay Photography