A 26-year-old Singaporean man died after a three-vehicle collision in Kota Tinggi, Johor, earlier this month, as his family mourns the youngest member of their household.
Chua Bing Xuan was travelling in a Perodua Myvi with four friends when the vehicle was involved in a crash along the Senai-Desaru Expressway on Sept. 19. The other vehicles involved were a Proton Exora and a Mazda CX-30.
Chua and his friends had reportedly been returning to Singapore from Desaru after a trip to celebrate his completion of National Service in July. He was the youngest in his family and had recently begun looking for work and attending job interviews.
According to police, the Perodua Myvi was being driven by a 21-year-old Malaysian man and had four passengers, including Chua. Preliminary investigations indicated that the Myvi had overtaken another vehicle before colliding with the Proton Exora, which was travelling in the opposite direction. The Mazda subsequently crashed into the rear of the Exora.
The driver and all four passengers in the Myvi, along with the two occupants of the Exora, suffered serious injuries. Chua was later pronounced dead at Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor Bahru.
His brother said the family received news of the death on the afternoon of Sept. 19 and immediately travelled to the hospital in Johor Bahru to identify his body. The sudden loss was particularly difficult for their mother, who was still struggling to accept that her youngest son was gone.
The family later shared a tribute video on social media showing Chua celebrating his birthday just a week before the accident. They described him as someone who would “forever live in our hearts” and said they were trying to understand the process surrounding his death while ensuring that his identity as a Singaporean was properly acknowledged.
Malaysian reports had identified Chua by name and age and described him as a passenger in the Myvi, but did not state that he was Singaporean. Police also did not identify his nationality in the statements cited in those reports.
Investigations into the crash remain ongoing.
