Quah Kim Song: Precious to have someone to share life with in older years
Wise men say only fools rush in, Elvis Presley once crooned.
However, after dating for 12 years, Workers’ Party (WP) chairwoman Sylvia Lim and former national footballer Quah Kim Song – who share a passion for music and sport – still can’t help falling in love with each other, and will tie the knot in a church wedding in January 2025.
While they had previously stated that marriage was not on the cards, Ms Lim, 59, said on Oct 24, in response to queries from The Straits Times, that “it takes time to know someone, and we were in no rush”.
But Quah, 72, added: “After 12 blissful and blessed years, we decided that it’s time for us to complete the journey, all the way.”
Quah was a star striker in the 1970s.
Nicknamed Quicksilver Quah, he famously scored twice – including a diving-header winner off a Dollah Kassim free kick – to help Singapore beat Penang 3-2 in the 1977 Malaysia Cup final.
The widower – whose wife Shirley Wang died of cancer in 2007 – felt one should not journey through life alone.
Encouraging others to be courageous to pursue love even at an older age, he said: “Loneliness can be very frightening. It’s precious to have someone to share your life with in your older years.”
Quah added that his son Leon, 44, and daughter Leonora, 40, “are comfortable with the upcoming wedding after knowing Sylvia for nearly 12 years”, and that one of his granddaughters – he has five grandchildren – was surprised they are not married yet.
The occasion will be made more special as their marriage will be solemnised at Church of St Mary of the Angels, where Ms Lim used to be part of its choir.
“Holy matrimony is a Catholic sacrament that we embrace. Having sung at many church weddings over the decades in that same church, I finally get to prepare for my own there. It’s amazing,” said Ms Lim, who has never been married.
Quah is also well known for being able to carry a tune.
It was reported that they first met at a WP charity concert in January 2013, and that he had charmed Ms Lim with a song before they danced together. There are differing accounts whether it was El Condor Pasa, the Simon and Garfunkel hit, or Keith Locke & The Quests’ Don’t Play That Song.
Not that it matters to Ms Lim, who said: “It was not the songs; it was his down-to-earth manner – for a sporting legend, that’s attractive.”
As she got to know Quah more, she also admired “his ability to see the wood for the trees”.
“He gives me good advice about how not to sweat the small stuff. This comes from his life experience,” said Ms Lim, who has been WP chairwoman since 2003.
In return, Quah likes how Ms Lim “does not shy away from difficult situations”.
He said: “She will speak her mind publicly and is prepared to stand up for what she believes in.”
This will include fiery rally speeches ahead of the upcoming general election, which has to be held no later than November 2025.
When asked how this would affect their honeymoon plans, Ms Lim quipped: “If the Prime Minister will give information about when the general election will be called, then maybe we can plan for a honeymoon!”
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