Sisters Ong Yi Qing, fi ve, (left) and Yi Heng, three, (right) had been constantly asking when their 'Ah Kong' or grandfather will wake up from his 'sleep' as they would often check on Ong Kim Koon's (centre) body lying in an open casket at their house in Taman Pandan Mewah.
Said their factory supervisor father, Vincent Ong Kah Hui, 27: "When my daughters asked me about Ah Kong, I could only tell them he had gone to a better place. They were very close to him as he was to them. Any free time he had he would teach them gardening as it was one of his hobbies.”
As Ong had continued to 'sleep' since he was brought home on Friday evening, Vincent said his daughters had since come to accept they would not be able to wake him any more.
Ong, fondly known as Michael among family and friends, will be laid to rest at the Rawang Memorial Park today. Besides Vincent and two granddaughters, he left behind wife Lau Chooi Lin, two daughters, and a grandson.
Vincent said his father’s friends came from near and far to pay their respects after hearing about his death on Friday at 12.20am at Hospital Ampang without regaining consciousness, 11 days after he was knocked down by a Toyota Estima on April 11 about 1.30am.
“My family and I are overwhelmed with all the love and support shown by them,” he said, adding the couple whom Ong saved also paid their last respects.
He said strangers also turned up to offer their condolences after reading The Malay Mail's Friday Page 1 report on Ong's passing after he was knocked down while helping fruit-seller Zainal Md Yusoff, 45, and his wife, Rosamiah Hashim, 38, from the wreckage of their car.
“To all the friends and strangers who visited us, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts as we are touched by your presence."
Vincent said he was proud of Ong for his deeds and the hearts he touched. “My dad taught me well. I am saddened by his death but proud of him.”
He said one thing his father taught him was to help people, regardless of race, religion and social standing.
“I will continue doing good like him. He made me want to be a better person, he made me so proud to be his son.”
Vincent said he was looking for witnesses to the incident and they could contact him at 012-6982385.
Meanwhile, Lau said it was her husband's wish to be buried instead of cremated. “A long time ago, he joked about how he wished to be buried. He said to not cremate his body as he was afraid of fire."
Ong celebrated his 52nd birthday the day earlier with his family and was returning home after donating to a temple in Genting Highlands when he came across the car crash couple on the Middle Ring Road 2, near the Tesco roundabout.
He had retrieved Zainal and placed him on the road divider, and was about to pull out Rosamiah when he was hit by the Toyota Estima which was apparently trying to barge its way out of the resultant traffic jam.
The vehicle dragged Ong, who was stuck in its wheel housing, over a few metres. A friend, who was also helping the accident victims, alerted the driver to stop. While the friend freed Ong, the driver sped off. Police have confirmed the driver had left the scene and lodged a police report at 3pm the same day.
Two ambulances arrived about 20 minutes later and took Ong and the injured couple to Hospital Ampang. His right leg had to be amputated. Last Thursday, doctors told Ong's family his other leg had to be amputated to prevent blood poisoning but postponed it as his blood pressure was too low.
The same night, doctors said it was too late to save Ong as his body had been infected. Zainal was discharged on April 15 while Rosamiah was released on Thursday.
Earlier today, several of Ong's family members, relatives and friends gathered at the family home at Taman Pandan Mewah in Ampang from this morning to pay their last respects to the fallen hero.
Vincent said his father's body will be taken to Rawang Memorial Park around 2pm for burial.
"It was a solemn day here in my house and I am glad that everybody was here to pay tribute to my father."
One of Ong's friends, A. Vasudevan, said Ong was a great man and his heroic effort would be remembered forever.
"He was a great man and I will remember him forever," said Vasudevan.
It is understood from the family members that Pandan Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Ong Tee Kiat and Teratai State assemblyman Janice Lee will be paying their respects today.
