Sia Thian Sea, 69, who ran Ah Hua’s Kitchen Economic Bee Hoon and Nasi Lemak at Block 826 Tampines Street 81, passed away unexpectedly on 20 September 2024 while on holiday. Sia, a hawker for nearly 35 years before handing over the business to his children, was on a trip to Xinjiang, China, with his wife, Chen, and eight friends as part of an 87-person tour group that departed on 6 September.
Background
Sia, known for his love of singing, was inspired by the song “The Shepherd of Keketuohai” and convinced his friends to join him on the journey. The group was scheduled to return to Singapore on 17 September. Sia’s sudden passing has left a significant void in his family and community, where he was a familiar and beloved figure.
Collapsed at a remote location
On the evening of 11 September, the tour group visited Sayram Lake, a freshwater lake near the Tian Shan Mountains. As they were about to board the bus to leave, Sia suddenly collapsed. Chen was alerted by someone in the group and rushed to his side. “Someone shouted that my husband had fallen right as he was about to board the bus. I rushed towards him only to see his hands covering his face and saw him bleeding from his nose and mouth. I checked his eyelids and tried treating him, but he didn’t react at all,” she told Shin Min Daily News. Due to the remote location, it took nearly half an hour for an ambulance to arrive. Sia was pronounced dead at a local hospital at 9pm.
Had upcoming trips planned with wife
Sia leaves behind his wife, two sons, a daughter, and four grandchildren. The couple, who had been together for 47 years, loved to travel and would go abroad eight or nine times a year before the pandemic. They had planned trips to Genting and Norway in October, with more scheduled until February 2025. Now, after Sia’s passing, Chen is unsure if she will follow through with their travel plans. “It’s so cruel. Now that he’s gone, I think it’s hard for me to go alone,” said the grieving widow. “It seems like there’s no point in going out anymore.”
Took nine days to bring the body back to Singapore
Sia’s youngest son shared with Shin Min that while some had kindly suggested cremating his father locally and bringing the ashes back to Singapore, he insisted on bringing his father’s body back for the cremation process. However, as Sia was born in Malaysia and a permanent resident of Singapore, the administrative procedures were complex. Given that his passing occurred during the Mid-Autumn festivities, it took some time to transport the body back to Singapore. “I am very grateful to the local authorities [in China] and the Singapore and Malaysian embassies for their help. After ensuring that all the necessary documents were complete, my father’s body was finally transported back,” Sia’s son shared. Sia’s body was brought back to Singapore on 20 September. His cremation will be held on 25 September at 3pm, at Mandai Crematorium Hall three.
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