Goh’s passing brings elegiac eulogies from close friends
SIBU: The late Vincent Goh Chung Siong has been described as having been a very dedicated and caring president of Sibu Division Lawn Tennis Association (SDLTA).
His close friend and an associate in the association, Richard Song, said he has known Goh since 1989, and in the association Goh had treated all the members, players and their parents like family members.
“He was a very dedicated, caring and generous president. Rain or shine, he made sure he was around in whatever activities staged by the association,” Song recalled.
Goh was the president of SDLTA from 1990 until 2017 and Song served as his deputy until 2002.
Goh was also president of the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) from 1994 till 1997.
“As a state assemblyman, Goh was approachable, friendly, helpful and hardworking,” Song said, adding that Goh was a soft spoken, tolerant and a very patient person.
Song said he was shocked when a friend broke news of Goh’s passing.
“I met him and his wife, Lily, in Kuching in May. He looked well and was very relaxed,” he recalled.
Another close friend of Goh, Eddy Puah, on the other hand, said Goh always treated his friends or those under his service like his own family.
He said there were many other occasions where Goh’s innate grace and kindness shone.
“He was a man with a great sense of humour. He took all the jokes and gave as good as he took, often sending many of us into a fit of laughter,” Eddy recalled.
According to him, Goh loved to work with young people and was always open to new ideas and ways of doing things.
He recalled the time when they worked together to spearhead the 2000 celebration that marked the coming of the new millennium.
“The event was spectacular and it drew the crowd with street dances, movie screening, sandcastle, games, water festival and the likes.
“It was to become the prelude to the present day Borneo Cultural Festival ( BCF), which he also helmed at its infancy and nurtured to life,” Eddy said.
He said Goh had taught them the intricacies of life and politics.
“Today, we lost more than a boss, a leader, a mentor. Today, we lost an elder brother,” he said.
Goh, the former Pelawan assemblyman, passed away in his house at about 2.30am yesterday due to liver cancer.
He was 67 years old.