Parents arrange ghost marriage for Malaysian couple who died in car accident

To fulfill their children's wish of getting married, the parents of a couple who died in a car accident in Perak have decided to hold a ghost marriage for them. 

Yong Keng Shan, 31, and Lee Xueying, 33, died in a car accident last Friday (May 24), reported Malaysian news outlet Oriental Daily.

Yong had originally planned to celebrate his birthday in Bangkok on June 2, and propose to Lee during the trip. 

The couple had been dating for three years.

To honour the couple, Yong's family listed Lee as their daughter-in-law in their obituary.

On Monday, a ghost wedding was held for the couple, who will be cremated on Tuesday. Their ashes will be interred at Wong Seng Kong Temple.

A ghost wedding typically refers to a ritual that unites two unmarried deceased spirits.

Besides arranging a ghost wedding for the couple, their family members also created a wedding photo for them, which was displayed at the funeral hall. 

Speaking to Sinchew Daily, Lee's father, who runs a lion dance business, said that Yong previously worked under him for five years, reported Sin Chew Daily. 

"Later on, with my encouragement and support, he started his own company selling religious supplies. All these years I've watched him change from a rebellious young man into a hardworking, passionate and helpful mature man." 

The elder Lee added: "Xueying was also a very good girl, she would help out at the shop whenever she got off work.

"Unfortunately the accident took away their precious lives, we're all very sad." 

Yong's childhood friend, Lin Qiuxiang, told Sinchew that he attended an event with the couple on the night of the accident. 

"His mother asked us when we were going to marry our girlfriends, we looked at her and smiled without saying anything because we had plans to propose, but he'll never be able to complete them now," said Lin.

"That night, Keng Shan even suggested that we visit Johor together. I still remember everything. I can't believe that he and Xueying are gone, I'm very sad."

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claudiatan@asiaone.com