S'pore man and mother die in M'sian highway crash
Tragedy struck four members of a Singaporean family on Monday evening when they were travelling home after visiting relatives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Mr Lee Tink Kok, 53, a lecturer at the Institute of Technical Education College Central, was driving along Malaysia's North-South Expressway with his mother and two daughters when he lost control of the car.
It hit a road divider and skidded for 200m into a pool of water before hitting a tree and flipping over.
The accident occurred on the stretch between Pagoh and Yong Peng in Johor state at around 7pm.
Mr Lee and his mother, Madam Leong Ngiok Lan, 77, were killed on the spot. She was seated in the front passenger seat.
His teenage daughters, Miss Lee Yan Yi, 18, and Lee Yan Xuan, 16, were trapped in the back seat.
They were rescued by members of the public and sent to Batu Pahat Hospital.
Mr Lee's brother-in-law, who wanted to be known only as Mr Tan, told Shin Min Daily News that the family had travelled to Kuala Lumpur last Friday to visit their relatives.
According to him, the younger daughter suffered serious head injuries.
The elder daughter fractured her right arm and had minor head injuries.
When contacted yesterday, the hospital confirmed that the sisters are recuperating and not in critical condition.
Mr Tan said: "Both of them still do not know that something has happened to their father."
He said that his wife, who is Mr Lee's sister, was alerted to the accident by their Malaysian relatives soon after it happened.
TEARS
However, she did not dare to tell Madam Lee that her husband had died in the accident initially.
Madam Lee, who works in a transport company, did not join the family on the trip as she could not take leave from work.
Together with Mr Tan and his wife, Madam Lee travelled to Malaysia after hearing about the accident, weeping throughout the journey.
Mr Tan said: "She found out that her husband and mother-in-law had died only after she asked the hospital staff."
She will remain at the hospital to look after her daughters.
Mr Tan said the couple also have a 21-year-old son.
The Malaysian authorities are investigating the accident.
- Additional reporting by Choo Mei Fang
"Both of them (Mr Lee's daughters) still do not know that something has happened to their father."
- Mr Lee's brother-in-law, who wanted to be known as Mr Tan
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