A 65-year-old man in Singapore tragically passed away after spending the entire year working overtime at his bak kut teh stall to repay a debt caused by the pandemic.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the Bak Kut Teh stall suffered losses for three consecutive years and owed more than S$100,000 (RM329,060) in debt.
Kola food centre
He worked 18 hours a day just to keep the stall running
Hong Rong Sheng (transliteration) and his 66-year-old wife, Cai Ju Hua (transliteration), had been running the bak kut teh stall at Kola Food Centre, Blk 36 Sin Ming Road.
Cai shared that her husband passed away in the early hours of January 10 this year after working 18-hour days, and had been pushing through despite battling a cold for three weeks, insisting on keeping the stall running as usual.
“I was worried about his health, but he told me, ‘Don’t worry, I can live for a few more months.'”
His sudden passing left her to run the business they had built together from the ground up.
He took a break just 4 days before his passing
However, just four days before his death from overexertion, he finally gave in and took a break from work.
“Around 11pm on Jan 9, he suddenly said he was having trouble breathing. He was rushed to the hospital and passed away shortly after 5am,” Cai shared.
She stayed by his side through the night, urging him to remain strong.
“I told him if I lost him, I’d struggle to keep the business going. We’ve been like a pair of hands for so many years, and now that he’s gone, I’ve lost one.”
She added that although he couldn’t speak, he squeezed her hand tightly, only letting go after she promised to do her best to keep their stall running, and only then did he leave peacefully.
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