Since young, he had been constantly suppressed, emotionally stifled and under heavy psychological stress (just like many of us who grow up in traditional Asian households, where emotional expression is often silenced and pressure is mistaken for love) and often struggling with insomnia. In Singapore, he was bullied by toxic boss at work, and to this day, never got his rental deposit back. During Chinese New Year, he was diagnosed with cancer. While fighting it, his girlfriend betrayed him. He endured the pain silently for a whole year and eventually beat the cancer.
Not wanting to live with regret, he ignored the doctor’s advice and went on a trip with his high school friends but the cancer relapsed. He loved traveling and hiking. Before he passed, he told me he had no regrets and that the memories from those trips brought him joy.
During the entire year of battling cancer, he only confided in a handful of trusted friends, barely a handful. 🖐🏼 It’s like those hills in Ipoh being mined and stripped away...
In Malaysia, he believed that talent alone wasn’t enough, without background or connections, there was no path forward. So, he felt compelled to seek better prospects in Singapore.
But life there was even harsher. His insomnia worsened; he barely slept for an entire month, and not even sleeping pills could help. At work, he endured constant verbal abuse and psychological pressure, treated as nothing more than a disposable “Ma-lau” - a Malaysian laborer.
In a moment of reflection, he told Yong Lin that he finally understood, success in Singapore was a matter of luck. Not everyone was destined to make it big.
After being diagnosed with cancer, he came to understand why people seek something to believe in, it gave meaning in the face of suffering.
During his solo bus rides to Kuala Lumpur for chemotherapy, he had time to reflect and gained many insights about life. Although there was a disconnect between him and his family, he held no resentment. He recognized that their lives hadn’t been easy either, and that realization made him more determined to stay strong.
In time, he made peace with his situation. To him, life was just a journey... his might simply be ending a bit sooner than others.
He reassured those close to him not to worry. He no longer felt sorrow, nor did he have thoughts of giving up. The pain had become something he was numb to.
He laughed with relief... as he had beaten cancer. The grueling chemotherapy had been worth it. With the insurance payout, he could finally open a photography studio in Johor Bahru and pursue what he truly loved, free from the torment of his old boss in Singapore.
After enduring a year of pain, he longed for a trip to Taiwan and casually asked me if I were free to join.
Still, a quiet fear lingered. He worried the cancer might return. And if it did, he said with a half-smile, he’d be watching over them from above.
With a weary sigh, he acknowledged that the cancer had indeed returned. He was utterly exhausted. Yet, despite everything, the memories of his travels brought him genuine joy and he said he had no regrets.
His brother once reflected, “Have you noticed? Ever since he passed, no matter how difficult life became, I somehow managed to get through it. Most of his life was filled with suffering, maybe he came into this world with a purpose. Now that he’s been released so young, perhaps he’s up there holding some higher position among the souls.”
In the end, his life was not defined by how long he lived, but by how deeply he felt, how bravely he endured, and how sincerely he loved. Though much of his journey was marked by hardship... mental strain, betrayal, illness, and loss, he chose not to be bitter. He travelled, forgave, and found clarity in solitude. He carried his pain without complaint and lived fully in the moments he could claim as his own.
His story is not just one of suffering, but of resistance, of choosing joy in the face of despair, of quietly transforming struggle into meaning, and though he left early, those who knew him carry his laughter, his strength, and his love for simple freedom... etched in memory like the mountains he once climbed, quietly weathered but unshakable.
In every small act of courage, in every journey taken despite fear, his spirit lives on. He left no regrets, only reminders to live honestly, love fully and to walk through life even the hard parts with open eyes.