Sheng Siong bosses' mum dies at 91; son recalls race to raise $2m ransom after bank released only $800k
Ng Lye Poh, the mother of the founders of the Sheng Siong supermarket chain, has passed away at age 91. Her family remembers her legacy, including her resilience following a high-profile kidnapping incident in 2014.
Why it matters
The story highlights the personal history of a prominent business family and the lasting impact of a major criminal event in Singaporean history.
Ng Lye Poh, mother to the founders of supermarket chain Sheng Siong, has died at the age of 91.
She died at home on Saturday (Sept 5) surrounded by family.
Thrust into the public eye after being abducted in 2014, Ng was fondly nicknamed "Sheng Siong ah ma", and remembered as someone approachable and kind, reported Lianhe Zaobao.
Speaking to Zaobao at Woodlands Memorial, CEO Lim Hock Chee , the 5th of nine children, said his mother liked to patronise markets and had a "voice which arrived before her".
Recalling the abduction case in January 2014, Lim said he had experienced a moment of disbelief when kidnapper Lee Sze Yong contacted him and demanded $20 million in ransom for Ng's release.
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