Thursday, July 9, 2009

Many claim to be kin of millionaire trader

SEREMBAN: Numerous people have called in claiming to be family members of the 62-year-old Singaporean millionaire who is now looking for his long-lost wife and son in Malaysia.

The calls came early yesterday morning from all over the country as Yak Eng Wai’s story about his wish to be reunited with his wife Ooi Suan Im and son Ah Teck appeared in The Star yesterday.

State MCA public services and complaints bureau head Tung Kong Ming said he had his hands full entertaining calls from people claiming to have known Yak’s family or were related to him.

“One caller said he was Yak’s son but when I asked him to fax to me documents or provide me with personal particulars, he did not get back to me.

“Another sent me a text message also claiming to be Yak’s son but declined to be reunited with him. The person asked me to get Yak to contact him. Yak later told me that nothing came of it,” Tung said, adding that one of callers had even asked for payment to help find the family.

“We have to be careful that only his real wife and son are found and not some people who want to cash in on this. They must provide their identification papers including a copy of Ooi’s identification card and if possible, a photograph of the family.

“They should be able to furnish us with some personal particulars like where the family had lived in Singa- pore and Penang and names of their siblings. Only then will I agree to a meeting,” he said.

Tung expressed hope that Yak’s family could be located as soon as possible.

Yak is believed to be the owner of one of the biggest auto service and parts centres in Brunei.

He had not heard from his wife and son after she left Singapore for her family home in Air Itam, Penang when she was pregnant with their second child in 1972.

Yak, who remarried in 1981, has a 25-year-old daughter from that marriage.

Tung can be reached at 019-660 5949.

No comments: