Wife of debt-ridden bak kut teh stall owner claims he died due to overwork

SINGAPORE: The wife of a 65-year-old bak kut teh stall owner who died in January spoke to Shin Min Daily News recently, telling the Chinese daily that overwork was the cause of his death.

Lilian Chua, 66, said that her husband, Ang Yong Seh, who owned Xin Ming Road Bak Kut Teh in Bishan, had incurred S$100,000 in debt during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the past few years, Mr Ang worked 18 hours a day to earn enough money to pay back what he owed, and during the Lunar New Year period, he only took four days off to rest.

Ms Chua told Shin Min Daily News that he regularly left their home at 5:00 a.m. and did not return until 11:00 p.m.

Although he had no serious health problems, he had been suffering from a cold for three weeks before he passed away. Nevertheless, he still showed up to work daily, until he felt so unwell and stayed home to rest for four days before he died.

When Ms Chua expressed concerns, he told her not to worry, saying he would live for a few more years.

Before midnight on Jan 9, Mr Ang told Ms Chua that he was having a hard time breathing, and although they brought him to the hospital immediately, he died at around 5:00 a.m. the next day.

Ms Chua said that a doctor told her that overwork had likely led to her husband’s immune system weakening.

Hard times during the pandemic

Like many other businesses, Covid-19 affected Xin Ming Road Bak Kut Teh. Although there were days when the stall was only earning S$100, they needed to pay their monthly rent of S$9,000 and the S$4,000 salary of their assistant.

For three consecutive years, the stall incurred losses, depleting the couple’s savings and forcing them to borrow money to stay afloat.

Despite her husband’s passing, Ms Chua has continued to run the stall, based on a promise she made him when he was in the hospital.

“We have been like a pair of hands for many years, and now that he’s gone, I’ve lost one hand. Although he couldn’t speak then, he squeezed my hand tightly until I promised to do my best to keep the stall running. Only then did he leave peacefully,” she told Shin Min Daily News.

There has been an outpouring of sympathy since Mr Ang’s story was published.

“Deepest condolences! When we come across stories about business difficulties, the number one factor is often rental. Should the business associations or federations do something about it?” wrote one.

“I don’t usually feel bad for anyone, but for this story, I felt a bit of pain. It was sad to see somebody work so hard and left like this. So many people all over the world die every day, and I don’t feel anything, but this…” commented another.

“Deepest condolences to his family. So sad he worked so hard, yet he didn’t get to enjoy his retirement life,” a netizen chimed in. /TISG

Read also: KF Seetoh slams NEA for its ‘horrible timing’ to increase hawker rent by 40%