Son of coffeeshop owner dies after witnessing fight over tissue paper
A 15-year-old boy collapsed and died after witnessing a physical altercation between a customer and a worker at his father’s coffeeshop in Taiping, Perak, Malaysia.
China Press reported that the incident occurred on 13 Jan at around 11pm.
CCTV footage shared on Facebook shows a group of diners seated at a table when a server delivered their drinks.
One of the male customers then requested a packet of tissues.
When the server asked for payment, the customer became agitated, reprimanded the worker, and slapped him.
Source: Facebook
The situation escalated when the server retaliated, resulting in a full-blown physical confrontation between the two.
Source: Facebook
Other patrons stepped in to intervene, attempting to separate them as the struggle was gradually pulled off-camera.
Boy watches fight in coffeeshop, suddenly collapses & dies
During the altercation, the 15-year-old boy, dressed in a red shirt, was seen anxiously watching the fight, gripping a plastic chair defensively.
Source: Facebook
Once the situation appeared to have calmed, he started walking outside but suddenly collapsed.
Source: @pocketimes on TikTok
Bystanders quickly propped him up in a chair and attempted to revive him, but he remained unresponsive.
He was rushed to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
In an interview with Sin Chew Daily, the boy’s mother explained that her son was easily frightened, often afraid of small animals such as cats, dogs, and cockroaches.
She speculated that the shock from witnessing the fight may have caused him to faint, but the exact cause of death remains undetermined.
An autopsy revealed no abnormalities in his organs, nor any signs of a brain haemorrhage.
A helpful & obedient son with many friends
A funeral for the boy, identified as Terence Tan Kean Leong, was held on Thursday (16 Jan).
Source: Sin Chew Daily
During the service, Terence’s father described him as an invaluable helper at the coffeeshop.
In addition to tending to the fish tanks, he was responsible for maintaining the religious statues enshrined within the establishment.
“The entire incident occurred because a customer slapped a foreign worker, which led to a fight,” his father stated. “My son may have been so frightened by what he witnessed that it caused this unfortunate tragedy.”
If the customer hadn’t caused trouble at the coffeeshop that night, I wouldn’t have lost my son.
Terence was also well-liked by many and had numerous friends who came to pay their respects.
His friends carried his coffin for a 1km procession before the hearse continued its journey.
Source: China Press
The procession passed by the temple where Terence often volunteered and his father’s coffeeshop, before reaching Greeneries Memorial Park, where he was cremated.
Despite the devastating loss of his son, Terence’s father stated that the coffeeshop would continue operating and that temporary staff would be hired during the Chinese New Year season to help out.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook and Sin Chew Daily.
