Passing of a Dedicated Co-worker

It is with a heart saddened with grief and sorrow that the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Sarawak formally informed the friends about the passing of a valiant and exemplary Baha’i, Mdm Kong Swee Fen, aged 48, in a fatal car accident on 3 Oct 2005 afternoon in a place near to Serian Town, Sarawak, and that her remain was interred 2 days later before noon at the Baha’i Cemetery, Kuching. More than 100 friends and relatives from various parts of Sarawak as well as overseas came to Kuching to attend the funeral of this dedicated follower of Baha’u’llah.

At the time of her passing, Madam Kong was the National Coordinator of the Sarawak Baha’i Institute, an institution which she had been instrumental in nurturing to the present stage of being able to play its vital role in revitalizing and keeping in momentum the highly successful institute process presently going on in various parts of Sarawak.

Her life had been one of dedication and commitment to serving the Cause of God. Right after accepting Baha’u’llah, she took up the call of the beloved House to serve as pioneers in Taiwan in the early 1978. While serving as a pioneer in Taiwan, she had served as Auxiliary Board Member and also as office assistant to the Secretary of the Spiritual Assembly of Taiwan. She then continued her pioneering posts in Hong Kong sometime in 1991 where she served in the secretariat of the National Office. In 1993 she moved to Macau where she met and married Mr. Sim Tze Hong of Singapore. A lovely daughter Sim Wai Leng was born in Macau. While in Macau the family was actively involved in the institute process. Sometime in late 1996 they moved to Singapore. In Singapore she was elected as a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Yishun and also served as assistant to the Treasurer of the National Spiritual Assembly of Singapore before moving back to Sarawak in early 2002. While in Sarawak she was immediately appointed as the National Coordinator.

Selfless devotion, purity of motive, humility, patience, generosity and kindliness were her hallmarks. She touched the hearts of all who came in contact with her, as can be seen from the many wreaths received not just from Sarawak but also from all the above places where she had served the Faith. Her demise is a great loss to the community of the Greatest Name in Sarawak. She was the first among her family to become a Baha’i, and was instrumental in bringing up many dedicated and committed servants of the Faith among her brothers, cousins, nieces and nephews, some of whom are still serving in China.

The Spiritual Assembly had received condolences from the beloved Universal House of Justice, International Teaching Centre, Counsellors George Soraya, David Huang, Lee Lee Ludther and L Rasheed of India and Elena Gruzkova of Russia. We have also received condolences from NSA Singapore, NSA Malaysia, NSA Sabah and NSA Hong Hong. Condolences were also received from several individuals within and outside Sarawak.

Please pray for the progress of her soul in the Abha Kingdom.