IT IS a sad situation for a family of three, each member of which has suffered a “tragedy” – the father has dementia, the mother has lost her memory following a traumatic robbery experience, while their son has Down’s Syndrome.
The mother, 74-year-old Wong Chiew Sieng, was normal before she was attacked by robbers in broad daylight while she was out to buy food near her home in the Sri Selangor flats in Jalan San Peng, Kuala Lumpur recently.
In a world of his own: Yee (right) cannot remember where his son is, nor does he know his wife has been robbed and is in hospital. Jacky Choo (left), who lives a few units down the corridor, is one of a few kind neighbours keeping an eye on him. A neighbour’s maid, who was returning home after doing her marketing, found Wong unconscious and covered with blood, on the staircase leading to her second floor unit. There were bloodstains on the stairway.
With the help of other neighbours, Wong was rushed to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, where she is now warded. Although she can speak, she cannot remember where she lives and how many children she has.
Meanwhile, Wong’s husband Yee Kong Meng, 73, has no idea that his wife was injured in a robbery and is hospitalised.
During StarMetro’s visit to his unit, Yee showed signs of dementia. He said he had two sons when in fact he has only one, and could not tell which school he taught in although he told us (correctly) that he had been a Chinese schoolteacher. He also did not know many meals he had daily.
When Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai, who had arranged for the visit, asked Yee if he had relatives and where they were, Yee replied that he had siblings but they lived very far away, “near the border”.
“I also don’t know where my son is as he is living far from me. My relatives don’t come as I’m living at the border, so it’s far for them,” Yee said.
Asked if he knew that his wife had been hurt by robbers and was in hospital, he shrugged and said he did not know.
When Tan asked if he would like to go to the hospital to visit his wife, Yee said he was unable to, due to the distance.
“It would take me two days to get to the hospital,” he added.
Tan also asked Yee if he could cook for himself and how many meals he had daily.
“Yes, I can cook for myself; I eat only once a day,” Yee replied.
However, the reality is that a few of his kind neighbours are keeping an eye on him and one of them, Winnie Yong, who lives on the fourth floor, helps cook three meals a day for him.
Tan then telephoned Yee’s brother and Wong’s relative, obtaining their numbers from a phonebook of contacts.
Yee’s brother was overheard saying that he was living in Kedah and had not seen Yee since 1974. He added that he did not want to visit Yee, citing the distance and that he was no better off financially.
Meanwhile, Wong’s relative said she was aware of Wong’s misfortune and had visited her in hospital.
It is learnt that the couple’s son, who is about 40 years old and has Down Syndrome, has been placed in a home in Petaling Jaya, with the cost borne by relatives.
Yee also has failing eyesight, and sees blur images even at close range.
“The wife is suffering from serious head injuries as a result of the robbery. There was internal bleeding, but it has stopped.
“Her neck and left cheek also sustained injuries.
“Although she was normal before the incident, she cannot remember things now due to the trauma,” Tan said afterwards.
“I’ve already messaged Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman to record a statement from Wong at the hospital.
“It is regrettable that this has happened although the flats are just next to a police station, and I hope that there will be more patrolling as the robbers could so callously hurt an old lady,” he said.
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