Friday September 21, 2012
Emotional farewell for Hui Yi
By DESIREE TRESA GASPER
desiree@thestar.com.my
BATU PAHAT: Dina Bato Sam Bua cried out the name of her beloved daughter as a priestess carried out the last rites for miracle heart girl Tee Hui Yi.
Some mourners who had gathered at the Chinese funeral parlour in Jalan Fatimah here tried to comfort her but the distraught mother kept calling out for Hui Yi.
“Hui Yi, I want Hui Yi!” Dina cried repeatedly before collapsing in the arms of some relatives at the funeral parlour yesterday.
Final goodbye: Dina (centre) and Chin (left) paying their last respects to Hui Yi at the Chinese funeral parlour in Jalan Fatimah, Batu Pahat. It was an emotional send-off for the 19-year-old, who captured the nation's admiration for surviving a double heart transplant in 2007.
About 80 sobbing relatives and friends had gathered for prayers and to pay their last respects for the plucky teenager who died from congestive cardiac failure on Tuesday morning after complaining of back and chest pains.
As the coffin bearing her body was carried out of the parlour, family and friends showered flower petals in its path and walked in a procession for about 200m to a waiting hearse.
They had wanted the procession to have more time with her in her final journey.
Family and friends of Hui Yi carrying her coffin while walking in a procession. A group of them later piled in a bus for an hour-long journey to Pagoh where Hui Yi was cremated.
Her ashes were brought back here and sprinkled in a river, not far from a temple and the family home.
Earlier, relatives tried to dissuade Hui Yi's mother from following the hearse to the crematorium, saying it was against the usual Chinese custom.
However, Dina, 52, was adamant to follow her daughter's body right to the end of her journey.
“I was there with her when she was a baby, by her side during all her struggles at the hospital and I want to be there with her when her body is cremated,” she said.
Hui Yi's father, Ah Soon, 57, said: “My heart aches but I have been up since 4am to prepare for the funeral prayers.”
Chin Pak Siong, 53, whose son's heart once saved Hui Yi's life, said he felt like a broken man.
“She called me godfather and I regarded her as my very own daughter,” he said.
Chin, who owns a motorcycle shop in Skudai, said he spoke with Hui Yi a couple of weeks ago, when she called to ask how he was doing.
Hui Yi's boyfriend Lau Shie Cheik, 22, wailed as her coffin was placed on the hearse.
- Task force formed to salvage Cameron Highlands
- Stern action to be taken against the culprits
- Dept: Less than 1% of forests being illegally logged
- Take action against Kian Ming, voter told
- Second-term Selangor MB Khalid outlines his plans for development of the state
- DAP unhappy over Selangor exco positions
- MPs can earn up to RM10,000 per month
- Abdul Wahid and Paul Low taking huge pay cuts
- Organisers of Penang ceramah to be called up by police
- Stern action awaits rally-goers
- Visually-impaired Faiq swims across Penang Channel
- MCA to discuss Tee’s exco appointment tomorrow
- Azmin: Stop making statements with racial overtones
- MCA group seeks change
- Karpal warns Tunku Aziz to stop attacks on DAP or face court action
- SapuraKencana drives KLCI higher in early trade
- Sino Hua-An in the black, posts RM3.33m net profit
- Malaysia-Market factors to watch on May 20(Monday)
- Maybank KE Research maintains Buy on Alam Maritim, ups TP to RM1.30
- Winning ticket for record $590.5mil Powerball lottery sold in Florida
- Rod Stewart tops UK album chart for first time in 34 years
- AmResearch maintains Overweight on O&G sector
- Trading ideas: Instacom, Zecon, PPB Group
- Yahoo's board approves US$1.1bil Tumblr acquisition
- Professionals warn there is too much of office space in the Klang Valley
- Ten important items for you to prepare for the inevitable
- Malaysian stocks likely to go higher this week
- Should Sime Darby also demerge; big values can be created by spinning off companies
- Some companies contravening the Associations and the Competition Act
- Five companies tender for RM400mil job in Samalaju Port
- Chong Wei urges team-mates to bounce back from shock defeat to Taiwan
- Kien Keat-Boon Heong may not play in Group C tie against Germany
- Koo-Tan’s stunning loss rocks Malaysian camp
- Kjaersfeldt ready to continue strong Danish tradition
- Sindhu shines for India after spectacular performance
- Danial shatters 100m mark as four records fall on opening day
- Pavithraa in sizzling form despite the heat
- Wee Wern relishes playing at unique venue ... a football stadium
- Coach Irving has no doubts Nicol will peak at the right time
- ‘Comeback king’ Timothy lands his second title
- KLHC to the fore again
- New Cheras velodrome may steal limelight from RM80mil Labu project
- Azlan and Zamri do Malaysia proud in ARRC race at Sentul
- Broken clutch lever costs Hafizh dearly in Le Mans
- Dragons wilt under the Heat in Saigon
- Abdul Wahid and Paul Low taking huge pay cuts
- MPs can earn up to RM10,000 per month
- DAP unhappy over Selangor exco positions
- Take action against Kian Ming, voter told
- Stern action awaits rally-goers
- Second-term Selangor MB Khalid outlines his plans for development of the state
- Utusan says no to AirAsia ads
- English-medium schools seen as right move
- Hindraf co-founder Uthayakumar blames his sibling for polls defeat
- Task force formed to salvage Cameron Highlands
- MPs can earn up to RM10,000 per month
- Abdul Wahid and Paul Low taking huge pay cuts
- Professionals warn there is too much of office space in the Klang Valley
- Ten important items for you to prepare for the inevitable
- Crest Builder adopts sell some, keep some strategy
- English-medium schools seen as right move
- Malaysian stocks likely to go higher this week
- Some companies contravening the Associations and the Competition Act
- Malaysian hard disk drive makers see higher demand
- Is BR1M a negative income tax?
RSS
