Remembering the Late Mr Rican Lim Ah Kok

The photo has been on the front page of many papers.

It was just another Monday morning as I sat down and turned on my computer.

After went through the headlines on Star.com.my, I opened my FB page.

Unprepared for it, I saw someone posted "RIP" on Rican's page. I was dumbfounded and reread the message again and again. I was almost certain that it was a mistake, maybe it was his relatives....
I searched the wife's page thinking that if it was him, she or someone must have posted something, nothing. Tried searching his sons page too.
The whole morning I was uneasy thinking that how can a man passed away so sudden as I continued to refresh his page over and over again. I saw someone else posted on his page but still very disturbed.

Then I got back from my lunch break. I refreshed his page and saw another message with China Press page attached. I clicked on the page and went cold instantly when I read the headlines and saw the family photo. There was no post from the wife because she was also perished together with their 2 boys!

I remember the corner house.

It was a really tragic and extremely saddening news. I was so shocked and stunned !

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I have known him through works. We were quite closed at the time when we had some errands which I couldn't handle myself. I used to meet up with him at the petrol station near my house and he called it our "老地方".

He was a very friendly and funny man. Always energetic and keen in his jobs. Liked to pat me on my shoulders lightly first before he spoke and always joked that how nice if we were to know each other when we were young. But no..as he was from the north and I from the south.

He came to our office many times....had lunch with him...I teased him when he had to use the WC a few times....remember how he pulled at his pants...
The first errand was the signboard license...(the signboard manufacturer introduced him to me when I had problem with it.)
Then he drove me to MCA to meet the deputy finance minister....he knew the minister personally...
He drove my colleague and I all the way to Kastam department in Port Klang...to meet a whole bunch of officers...we then had BatKutTeh...
He went to Syabas many times to get the stolen water meter fixed finally....
And many more...
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I dropped him off at his house which is in the same area as my house and he told me about his golden retriever in his car porch....
We met at the Giant Puteri with his wife in the car waiting...
His wife drove him to my house and passed me a bottle of XO sauce which I didn't use...
He told me someone bought his old junk of Alfa Romeo for 20k and he was so delighted to get rid of it....(he had like Alfa cars, like my husband.)
He told me they sent the daughter to the college and they bought her some essential items ...
He managed to find someone to replace a metal door on my house's dustbin compartment which got stolen....
Sometimes he talked "dirty..."

And then there was no more errands, I only get to know about him through his FB postings.
He seemed to enjoy his retired life with outdoor outings with wife and friends.....

Read that he joined property line....

Finally this day....
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➽☰Rican, may you and your family rest in peace, your smiling face and cheerful personality will always be in my mind!