Kah Yen was soft spoken and had a good and pleasant personality. A good friend to all, including the poor and the unfortunate, he was an exemplary person with a compelling presence.
He joined the V.I. in 1954 from Batu Road School. At school Kah Yen was interested in photography and created many arty pictures, especially in black and white. He was a Committee Member of the VI Photographic Society and had his own darkroom even while in school.
Badminton was his love. With his masterful strokes, Kah Yen was an excellent, stylish player, with a style akin to Wong Peng Soon's, quite unlike that of the more physical Eddie Choong. Runner-up in the VI Singles Championship in 1959, he was crowned Champion the following year. That year, he also partnered Lim Choi Tee to clinch the runners-up title in the Doubles Championship. Kah Yen was VI Badminton Vice-Captain and Badminton Captain of Rodger House as well.
Kah Yen was also interested in deepening his knowledge of Mandarin. He studied it and took it as a subject in his Senior Cambridge exam, obtaining a Grade 1.
After his Form Six, he read agriculture at Lincoln College in New Zealand and graduated with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science in 1964. He obtained his Master's degree in Agricultural Economics in 1969. He also earned some badminton trophies in his leisure time at the College.
On his return from New Zealand, Kah Yen joined the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority, an agency under the Ministry of Agriculture. Sadly, in May 1969, his life of promise was tragically cut short.
We'll always remember you, Kah Yen......
Kah Yen (centre) with classmates in Batu Road School (1951)
In the row behind him, from left: Loh Tak Seng, Choo Min Hsiung, Wong Yin Fook.
Kah Yen (seated right) with V.I. Badminton team (1959)
In Christchurch, New Zealand (1961).
Sungai Buloh
The V.I. Web PageUpdated on October 15, 2025.