PETALING JAYA: The mother of national hockey player Chua Boon Huat, who was killed in a road accident early Thursday, recalled how her husband, Chua Peng Hock, had also died in a road accident nine years ago.
Tan Kuai Neo, 64, said she was shocked to hear that Boon Huat had died in the 2.30am mishap on the Damansara-Puchong Highway.
"His girlfriend informed me by telephone at 4am," a weeping Tan told reporters at the mortuary of the University Malaysia Medical Centre (UMMC), here.
She recalled that her husband had died in Malacca following an accident involving his motorcycle and a car.
Boon Huat, 33, was killed after his Proton Perdana V6 car collided with a water tanker along the Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP) near the Kelana Jaya LRT station.
Tan and other family members rushed to Kuala Lumpur upon hearing the news and arrived here at 6am.
Tan described Boon Huat, the youngest of four siblings, as obedient and cheerful and who loved to talk.
She said hockey was his life as he took a keen interest in the game when he was in school and had represented SK Bandar Hilir, Malacca when he was in Standard Four and had later played for Melaka High School.
"The last time I saw him was at the end of June, when he was free as there were no matches," she said, adding that Boon Huat would be cremated on Monday in Semabok, Malacca.
Boon Huat's elder brother, Aliff Nor Najmi Chua, 42, said his brother became interested in hockey in primary school after he had introduced the game to him.
Aliff Nor, a former national rugby player (1998-2004), said the last time he met Boon Huat was in the middle of June when he returned to their home in Malacca.
"My brother always worked hard and was most committed to any job assigned to him," he told reporters, his voice choking with emotion.
"I did not think that he would depart so early. I loved him very much. I have to accept it as fate," said Aliff Nor Najmi who embraced Islam eight years ago.
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