SAID Mr Cheong: 'I am very blessed to be surrounded by a loving family who were so willing to donate.

'But others may not be so fortunate. My personal view is that if there are willing donors who want to sell their organs, it should be all right.

'This is life-saving. Between some people's moral objections and the patient's life, surely saving a life is more important.'

But he stressed that it should be a win-win situation for donor and recipient.

'The recipient gets a new lease of life, and the donor must be properly looked after, too,' he said.

'From how my sister was looked after, I can say that, in Singapore, I don't think the donors will have any issue with their follow-up care.'

This story was first published in The New Paper on Nov 4, 2008.