Dr Tang (left) and Dr Khoo registered their marriage on the auspicious '520' date at the Chinese Town Hall in Pitt Street, Penang on May 20, 2023. – CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: He was working at Penang Hospital, and she was looking for a dentist, but never in their minds did they think that would lead them to meet and fall in love.
Dentist Dr Khoo Kah Sern, 36, said that was how he met his wife, Dr Valene Tang Wen Ying, 32, five years ago.
"She was looking for another dentist for her treatment, but the doctor she intended to see was not around.
"I was on my shift and offered to tend to her," he said on Saturday (May 20).
Then they started bumping into each other at Penang Hospital and love eventually blossomed.
He said their relationship triumphed over a long distance because soon after they started dating, Dr Tang was posted to Sabah and later worked in Singapore.
"After about five years, we decided to plan for marriage, so I left my work here to pursue a life with her in Singapore," he said, adding that their wedding reception will be held on Sunday (May 21).
The couple were among 29 pairs who exchanged marriage vows at the Penang Chinese Town Hall here on Saturday, which is special for the Chinese-literate because "520" (wu er ling) rhymes with "I love you" in Mandarin.
For new bride Loh Tieng Tieng, 34, the date "520" is especially significant because it is also her birthday.
She said the marriage was like a birthday gift for her from her husband, Tan Chee Wei, 35.
The administration executive said she and Tan had been courting for more than 10 years and both felt the time was right to tie the knot.
"My husband is a hardworking man and that is one of the good values I see in him," she said.
She said they did not have plans for a honeymoon as they were focussed on holding a grand wedding reception in December.
For Lee Bing Xhiuan and his wife, Hooi Ke Xin, love blossomed at their workplace about four years ago.
Both were accountants in the same company and when love struck, they knew they were meant to be together.
Lee, 29, said his 28-year-old bride was a person who knew how to take care of a family, a quality he had been looking for.
Assistant registrar of marriages Lim Choo Hooi said the process of registration went smoothly for all 29 couples.
He said the couples came from as far as Kedah and Perlis to solemnise their marriage.
He said that only two registrars of marriages were available, so they had to limit the number of couples to 29, even though there were more applicants.
