House fire victim just bought a guitar a day before he died

Sombre moment: Tan with his cousins paying their respects in front of the photos of Yong Wei (left) and Yong Liang’s coffins at the Mak Mandin Funeral Parlour in Butterworth.

BUTTERWORTH: Form Five student Lim Yong Wei, who was killed in a house fire along with his parents and brother in Subang Jaya, had just bought a new guitar but sadly, he will never get the chance to enjoy it.

The 17-year-old had shared his excitement on getting the guitar by posting a video clip about it on his Facebook page on Sunday, a day before the fire took his life along with his elder brother Yong Liang, 20, father Lim Ah Kok, 58, and mother Goh Bee Khim, 51.

At the family’s wake in Mak Mandin yesterday, his cousin Alanox Tan, 37, said the guitar, which was destroyed in the fire, was recently purchased as the brothers were passionate about music.

“I would have really liked to see him play the instrument as I’m a guitar player too.

“We used to meet up every Chinese New Year at grandmother’s house in Jalan Raja Uda but I did not see them this year as I had to work,” he said, adding that the brothers were obedient and loving sons.

Their sister Yi Jun, 23, was not home during the fire as she was staying at her college hostel near Cheras.

At the wake, she looked sombre and only turned up for the prayer sessions. She declined to speak to reporters.

It is learnt that she was supposed to be at home but she returned to her hostel earlier on Sunday night to prepare for an upcoming exam.

Tan said Yi Jun was putting on a brave front but they were worried about her.

“She is suppose to graduate this year but we fear that the tragedy could affect her concentration and cause her to delay it,” he said.

On Monday, the four in the family were killed after choking on smoke when they were trapped in their double-storey terrace house.

The body of Ah Kok was found with Yong Liang and Yong Wei in the second room on the upper floor while Bee Khim was found in the bathroom of the master bedroom.

Screams for help could be heard but firemen who arrived minutes later at 5.34am had difficulty entering the house as the fire was too fierce when they arrived and gate was locked.

Post-mortem showed that the couple and their sons died from smoke inhalation, adding that their bodies were not burnt by the fire.