Lai Zhi Qi, a 43-year-old Malaysian contractor, died of a suspected heart attack on 6 Jul after learning his 16-year-old son had been killed in a motorcycle accident earlier that day.
The teenager, a student at Port Dickson High School, had ridden his motorcycle to a petrol station less than two kilometres from his home to refuel.
He suddenly lost control of his motorcycle in front of the petrol station and the vehicle flipped over. The boy died on the spot from severe head injuries.
Lai rushed to the accident site after hearing the news. Upon arriving, he discovered his son had already died from his injuries.
Father Collapses After Breaking News to Family
After returning home to inform his family of the tragic news, Lai suddenly felt unwell and collapsed.
His wife, 44-year-old Leah Amour E. Basaca, told China Press that Lai’s face turned pale and he fainted after telling the family what had happened.
Leah, who had prior training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, attempted to perform CPR on Lai while the rest of the family called Malaysia Emergency Response Services at 999.
The ambulance arrived 30 minutes later. Paramedics continued to perform CPR on Lai while transporting him to Port Dickson hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Father and Son Cremated Together After Two-Day Wake
Both Lai and his son were cremated at Fairy Park Memorial Park in Seremban on 8 Jul, following a two-day wake held at their home in Port Dickson.
Friends and family gathered to pay their last respects to the father and son at the wake. Lai’s parents were present and were visibly overcome with grief.
Leah was sobbing uncontrollably during the ceremony. Her other two daughters, aged eight and 11, were also present at the wake, crying as they thanked guests for attending.
The teenager’s schoolmates paid tribute to him by singing a song during the wake.
Widow and Children Left Without Support
Lai’s father, 71-year-old Lai Ren Song, told China Press that his son had always been in good health, despite having high blood pressure.
He said that when Lai married Leah, who is Filipino, Lai had applied for a legal marriage licence and also helped Leah apply for Malaysian citizenship. However, there has been no follow-up regarding her citizenship status since then.
Lai’s father said that when Lai was younger, he used to work as a motorcycle mechanic and worked odd jobs, and had little savings.
He added that his granddaughters are legal Malaysian citizens and are currently attending SJK(C) St. Leonards, an elementary school in Port Dickson.
Lai was the sole breadwinner of the family. His father said that with Lai’s death, his wife and two children are left alone with no one to support them.
He hopes that government officials can step in and help Leah obtain her Malaysian citizenship as soon as possible so she can support the household and raise her children legally.
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