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The Star
By Mazwin Nik Anis 
| THE WAY THEY WERE... a file picture of Tan and Swee Mei taken at their house in Yong Peng four years ago. Since her husband's disappearance, Swee Mei has refused to leave the house lest he comes home one day. |
JOHOR BARU: Two years ago today, octogenarian Tan Sue Yong left his home in Lorong Enam, Yong Peng for his daily walk – a routine which he steadfastly followed despite being stricken with Alzheimer’s. He never returned home. His family searched for him until sundown that day but to no avail. They spared no efforts in their extensive search for him, including putting up missing persons advertisements in English, Malay and Chinese newspapers but there was no news about their patriarch. The 85-year-old Tan suffers from Alzheimer’s and senile dementia. It was the second time Tan had gone missing. In 1998, he took off on his old motorcycle and was found two days later in Malacca. Tan was wearing a straw hat, short-sleeved white shirt with stripes and brown trousers when he left. He also carried his identification papers with him. His son Roger said while it had been two years since his father went missing, the family was still hopeful that Tan would return home one day. “There has never been a day that we don’t think of him. I always pray that he would come in my dreams and tell me of his whereabouts so I can go there and take him home.” “If he has truly passed away, I wish there is some indication so that we can accord him the send-off that he truly deserves. However, deep inside my heart, I think my father is still alive,” he said. Roger said since his father went missing, his family celebrated Chinese New Years on a small scale as none of his family members felt like celebrating without knowing the fate of their elder. When Tan went missing, his 77-year-old wife Swee Mei refused to leave the house, fearing that he would take off again if there was no one at home. Roger said his mother still harboured hope that he would one day show up at their doorstep and the children have tried not to make her think about Tan so much due to health reasons. He added that no efforts were spared in searching for his father. His sisters had also consulted bomohs and mediums for “direction” but their search had not been fruitful, adding that his church members had also been praying for the family and for his father’s wellbeing. Roger also expressed gratitude for the assistance and kind words from Malaysians and called on those who had information on his father’s whereabouts to contact the nearest police station or visit the website www.rtkm.com.my/dad.
23-05-2002
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