We were probably the last of the honest vehicle repairers

Asia Insurance was no stranger to me because during the ‘60s, our family vehicle repair company was the preferred workshop for any accident car insured by them. We were so trusted by their Country Manager, Mr. Goh, that minor repairs could be repaired without referring to them first.

Mr. Goh’s company car was used as bridal car for three of my brothers’ as well as my wedding. I remember a big American car like a Dodge and for my wedding, a Mercedes 280 SE (either used by him or his son, Eddie Goh, whom I hardly knew but attended the dinner).

The unusual fact was that Mr. Goh actually asked my dad to recommend an adjuster for the company! Under normal circumstances, it is like asking a supplier to choose the purchasing manager of a company. But knowing how honest we were, the person was chosen and he later even became manager.

Then, we had the other unusual practice of an insurance company manager sending hamper to our family every Chinese New Year! Under normal circumstances, it is almost like a rule that repairers will try their best to send hampers to managers, if not, to even bribe them.

We knew the Company Secretary, Mr. Khor, who knew palmistry and was always asked to read palms by guests when he was invited to our annual 9th day of Chinese New Year dinner. One of his sons, James, who was my ex-college mate, is now a successful lawyer. His firm acted for us when we had to evict the tenants, our so-called ‘old friends’, which deserves another story. Incidentally, his ex-partner, Matthias Chang, is now well known as ex-aide of Dr. Mahathir, embroiled in the shelved Scenic half bridge controversy!

The other unusual fact was that we got to know the office manager, Mr. Wong, so well that he actually sent personally a box of mandarin oranges every Chinese New Year! When my mum told him he shouldn’t, he replied in Cantonese: “Ngoh yu-ah” or “I want to”.

Incidentally, the late Mr. Wong was the first father-in-law of Lee Hsien Loong, the present Prime Minister of Singapore! When his daughter married Lee, they were still living in one of the humble Loke Yew flats in KL.

It was fated that I missed the only chance to get to know Ming Yang. One day, Mr. Wong brought his daughter and son to our workshop to visit my dad. I was having coffee break in the canteen, not knowing their arrival. By the time I came out, they were already in the Morris Minor, waving goodbye to us.

Mr. Wong gave my UK contact address to Ming Yang but she did not write which was not surprising! After all, she was then studying in Cambridge University and even went to Africa during summer and so on. I digressed… couldn’t resist this part of the story!