The family of one of the victims of the bus mishap in Pagoh, the late Wong Kok Chan, only found out about his death after receiving a call from the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital (HPSF) at 3pm yesterday.

His elder brother, Wong Kok Huen, 40, said his brother, who worked as a chef in Singapore, was supposed to board a bus from Singapore at 9pm.

"But he was forced to take a bus in Larkin as no bus was available due to the festive season," he told reporters at the compound of the HPSF mortuary, today.

Kok Huen said he had contacted Kok Chan, 32, on Friday night to fetch him at the Seremban bus station, but the latter told him he would be taking a taxi.

A friend of the victim, Lee Kim Tong said before receiving a call from HPSF, the victim's family and friends had sought information on the mishap via online searches but failed to get any latest development on Kok Chan.

"Initially, we felt relieved when we found out through the mass media that no Chinese victim was reported. However, feeling apprehensive when we could not contact Kok Chan, my family and I left our names and telephone numbers with the authorities," he said.

Kim Tong said the late Kok Chan had a wife and two children, a girl and a boy, aged three years and a year.

"Kok Chan's wife and children are on holiday in Hui-pei, China and will be returning to Malaysia this evening," he said.

He said the late Kok Chan was a quiet person and did not have many friends as he preferred to socialise via cyberspace.

"However, he was a good person and liked to help friends," said Kim Tong.

He said Kok Chan's remains had been claimed from the hospital and would be placed at Heam Lam Toh Tag Temple, Jalan Tun Dr Ismail, Seremban today, for his family and friends to pay their last respects -- BERNAMA