One of Singapore\u2019s most famous nightclub mamasans, who survived a brazen shooting in 1994 that left her wheelchair bound for the rest of her life, has died.<\/p>\n
Mona Koh, widely known as the \u201cQueen of the Nightclubs\u201d in her heyday, died on July 15 at the age of 80, according to a post by Facebook page Death Kopitiam Singapore.<\/p>\n
Koh, a Singaporean of Indonesian descent, started as a club hostess before becoming a mamasan in her 20s. By the early 1980s, she was running her own clubs and had built a formidable reputation in Singapore\u2019s nightlife scene.<\/p>\n
Death Kopitiam described her as a \u201ctop mamasan<\/a>\u201d whose services were sought after by businessmen looking to entertain clients. At the peak of her career, she reportedly earned more than $15,000 a month.<\/p>\n Mona Koh when she was 36.<\/p>\n PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER FILE<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Koh was 46 and working at Lido Palace nightclub in the Concorde Hotel when the attempt on her life was made, changing her path forever.<\/p>\n On Oct 15, 1994, at about 7.40pm, she was ambushed while waiting for a lift at Katong People\u2019s Complex, on the site where i12 Katong now stands.<\/p>\n An unidentified gunman shot her twice \u2014 once in the face and once in the back.<\/p>\n One bullet lodged near the left side of her nose and was later removed. The other shattered a spinal bone before becoming lodged between her spine and liver, leaving her permanently paralysed from the waist down.<\/p>\n The gunman, described as a slim Chinese man with short hair, a dark complexion and wearing a white long-sleeved shirt<\/a>, escaped through a nearby exit and was never caught.<\/p>\n The motive for the attack remains unknown.<\/p>\n Despite an extensive investigation, the gunman was never caught, making it one of Singapore\u2019s enduring unsolved crimes.<\/p>\n Koh said at the time that she did not know the gunman<\/a> or who might have sent him.<\/p>\n According to reports at the time, she had been carrying almost $3,000 in cash, credit cards and a mobile phone, but none of her belongings were taken, leading investigators to believe robbery was not the motive.<\/p>\n Despite her injuries, Koh refused to let the shooting define her.<\/p>\n She returned to work as a mamasan about three years after the attack and continued working well into her 60s, managing hostesses from a wheelchair while enduring chronic pain.<\/p>\n She lived with the bullet lodged between her spine and liver for the rest of her life, taking daily medication to manage the pain<\/a>.<\/p>\n PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n In a 2010 interview with The Straits Times, Koh said the pain never went away. \u201cNobody can see that I\u2019m hurting. I\u2019ve been tolerating the pain all these years.\u201d<\/p>\n She added that work helped distract her from it. \u201cI\u2019m sad, very sad. The only time I don\u2019t feel pain is when I am working.\u201d<\/p>\n If only I knew who the attacker was. Why did he do this to me? How can I forgive him?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Away from the nightlife scene, Koh was also remembered for helping those around her as well as the less privileged.<\/p>\n According to Death Kopitiam<\/a>, she regularly brought elderly residents in Bukit Merah out for meals on Saturdays and donated groceries and daily necessities to them.<\/p>\n The obituary drew more than 920 reactions and over 220 comments, with many paying tribute to her resilience and generosity.<\/p>\n One Facebook user wrote: \u201cRespect to a remarkable woman who has such extraordinary talents yet took good care of the aged and underprivileged. RIP Madam!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRIP you not only physically beautiful, your heart is also kind, loving and compassionate towards those who are needy! A life really well spent,\u201d another said.<\/p>\n \u201cShe (is a) very kind generous lady with good heart… Even (when) she was shot, she still able to survive and carry on with her life,\u201d yet another added.<\/p>\n PHOTOS: NINA ZHANG\/FACEBOOK<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Her cousin also paid tribute on Facebook, saying she was left with only the best memories. \u201cMay you have a safe journey, my dearest cousin.\u201d<\/p>\n Have something to say? Join in!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Explore more on these topics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n See something interesting? Contribute<\/a> your story to us.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/picture><\/div>
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nShot twice in 1994<\/h2>\n
Continued working despite paralysis<\/h2>\n
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Remembered for generosity<\/h2>\n
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