Wife of express bus crash victim to decide on cremation or burial

Whether the remains of yesterday's express bus crash victim Wong Kok Chan is to be cremated or buried, will be decided by his wife, who is now away in China.

The victim's elder sister, Wong Sook Fun, 38, said his wife, Li Jia, 29, a Chinese national, was expected to arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 5pm today.

"We will wait for his wife's decision. As for now, my brother's remains which arrived here at 12.30pm today will be placed at the Heam Lam Tor Tong funeral parlour, Jalan Tun Dr Ismail until Tuesday for his family members, relatives and friends to pay their last respects," she told Bernama, here.

Kok Chan, 32, was among 14 people killed while 16 others were injured when an express bus they were travelling in, skidded and plunged into a six-metre-deep ravine at Kampung Jayor, KM137.3 of the North-South Expressway (northbound), near the Pagoh R&R area, Johor, early yesterday.

His body was claimed by his eldest brother, Wong Kok Huen, 40, from Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital mortuary, Muar and then taken to Seremban.

The deceased leaves a wife, and a daughter and son aged three years and one year respectively.

Sook Fun said his brother's death at a young age was a shock and a great loss to the family.

"My late brother was the youngest of four siblings, and he was a good and cheerful person who had many friends.

"He worked as a cook in Singapore and when on leave, he would return to our parents' house in Taman Nee Yan, Temiang as his wife and children are her," she said. - BERNAMA