S’pore businessman dies in Porsche crash in Johor
S'porean businessman dies in M'sia car crash
A Singaporean businessman died when his Porsche crashed into a road barrier and plunged into a ravine while he was travelling on the Second Link highway in Johor.
Nusajaya Superintendent Noor Hashim Mohamad said Mr See Lam Huat (below), 55, lost control of his vehicle at KM25.6 north-bound of the highway at around 4.30pm on Sunday.
The businessman was heading towards Senai when he hit the barrier on the left and went into a ravine.
"The driver died on the spot due to serious injuries, while his front passenger sustained minor injuries to her legs," Supt Noor Hashim said.
He added that initial investigations showed that the driver was probably at fault as road and weather conditions were good, The Star reported.
Mr See Lam Huat's body was sent for a post-mortem and the 31-year-old passenger is seeking treatment at Hospital Sultanah Aminah.
Supt Noor Hashim said the case has been classified under reckless driving and that the car was completely wrecked in the crash.
Mr See had been in the news over a lawsuit with his brother, Mr See Lam Seng. The ongoing court case over an alleged copyright breach is undergoing the appeal process.
Yesterday, The New Paper visited Upper Weld Road, where the electrical goods shops of the two brothers are located just next to each other.
A man who said the two men were his younger brothers told TNP that Mr See Lam Seng was overseas procuring items to sell, and that he knew of his brother's death.
"He's in China now but will be back soon. We know of the accident, and my fifth and youngest brother has gone to Malaysia to claim the body," the man said in Mandarin.
When asked about the 31-year-old woman, the man said he believed that she was one of Mr See Lam Huat's employees.
Chinese daily Shin Min Daily News reported that the woman is his wife's niece, and that Mr See Lam Huat was sending her home after the Hari Raya celebrations over the weekend.
TNP tried to contact Mr See Lam Seng through his lawyer, but no comment was given.
STRAINED
TNP understands that the relationship remained strained and the two never reconciled their differences.
Mr See Lam Huat's lawyer and friend, Mr Adrian Tan, sent TNP a statement saying that Mr See, who was known as Johnny to his closer friends, was more than just a client to him.
"I considered him a friend. He was an old-school Singaporean entrepreneur. He had a dream of bringing Singapore electronic goods to the farthest reaches of Africa, and he single-handedly set about to achieve his dream," he said.
"I enjoyed his accounts of how he journeyed to villages in Africa to sell his goods. I will miss him," Mr Tan added.
Bad blood between brothers
Older brother See Lam Huat and younger sibling See Lam Seng were previously partners in a company called S H Econ Electrical Trading, which was formed in 1998, selling second-hand electrical goods to customers overseas.
The brothers stopped working together in 2007, with each setting up their own businesses in shophouses at Upper Weld Road.
The older brother recently took the younger one to court, accusing him of copyright breach, passing off goods, and defamation.
In turn, Mr See Lam Seng counter-sued for malicious falsehood and groundless threats of copyright breach action.
Last month, the High Court dismissed Mr See Lam Huat's claims, allowing the copyright claim only in one instance - of stickers used on an order of television sets.
Justice George Wei also found that Mr See Lam Seng had defamed his older brother in remarks to a trade buyer and ordered damages to be assessed.
Following the judgment, Mr See Lam Huat made an appeal, which is still pending.
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