18th October regretfully marks the day when two highly venerated and much beloved Malaysians passed away, Dato Phoon Chee Neo (方祖耀) and musician Zhang Wenhui (张文辉). Many are in mourning, the loss of both a serious blow to Malaysians.
Both have left their mark on Malaysian history in different ways; Dato Phoon Chee Neo was the managing director of Farm in The City while Zhang Wenhui was a respected musician with the BMBoys 山脚下男孩. Respective family and friends have since left messages to say goodbye.
Dato Phoon Chee Neo’s son, CEO of Farm in the City, Dato Allan Phoon announced his father’s passing on Facebook, last night. “It is with great sadness that we inform you, that my respected father, Dato Phoon Chee Neo, passed away on 18th October 2023 at the age of 83,” he wrote.
“He has set an example for us, his motto was that success and good work comes from hard work. His purpose was: As long as I can work, I will continue to do what I can do. I hope that (we) can be reunited in the next life,” Dato Allan Phoon added in his post.
Dato Phoon Chee Neo has reportedly always loved animals since young, hence his venture into petting zoos and the like. He founded the Pet Century Ostrich Park in Klang, and later pioneered the Farm In The City project with his son. He is also one of the largest fish and birds importers and exporters in Malaysia, often known as the “King of Birds” in the industry.
Local musician Zhang Wenhui’s passing was confirmed by one of the member of his group, BMBoys 山脚下男孩. Reportedly, he had been participating in a table tennis event when he collapsed and passed away. He had allegedly been in his 50s.
Wenhui reportedly is from Sungai Petani, Kedah. According to a friend, Wenhui has always been crazy about creating music since middle school, and has composed over a thousand songs, both lyrics and music in his lifetime. His friend added his compositions have been sung by many local singers, including Ah-Niu (阿牛, Tan Kheng Seong) and BMBoys 山脚下男孩.
Dato Phoon’s funeral will be held on 22nd October at 10am and he will be buried at the Nirvana Memorial Garden in Semenyih. Family and friends will be able to pay their respects to him today (19th October) and 20th October, also at the Nirvana Memorial Center. Zhang Wenhui’s memorial service will be held at the Persatuan Derama Yee Fong on 22nd October.
Our hearts go out to those who knew them. We sincerely hope and pray they will be able to find peace in their passing.
