Episode 3: Reunion of Strangers

For almost twenty years, Mr. Wong lived in exile deep in the jungle with fellow communist comrades, separated from a loved one in Singapore of whose existence he was not aware of. This is a story of a reunion of two complete strangers, connected by a deep bond.

Mr. Wong fled the country in the '60s, leaving behind a wife and their unborn child. 20 years down the road, in another country, he would meet a stranger for the first time: his daughter.

Life was all uncertainty for Mr. Wong in Singapore during the ‘60s. The assemblyman faced much pressure because of factions vehemently against his party’s ideals – communism. Returning home from work one day, Wong was informed of a police haul on his fellow comrades and party members. Left with no choice, Wong hastily packed his belongings and fled the country.

In the chaos, he had left behind his wife in Singapore. Little did he know that he had also unknowingly abandoned his firstborn – his wife was pregnant with their daughter. The couple lost touch over the years, as Wong travelled from country to country. Growing up, Priscilla knew nothing about her father, much less his political background.

The signing of the 1989 Peace Accord in Thailand was a watershed event for Thailand, Malaysia and the Malayan Communist Party. The communists finally emerged out of the jungles, and settled in a cluster of land allocated to them by the Thai government called the Peace Villages. This presented Wong with a perfect opportunity to reconnect with his past, a past he had abandoned one night in the early ‘60s. He managed to get in touch with a relative in Singapore, who was the bearer of some shocking news to Wong – he had a daughter that his wife never told him about. This Good Samaritan had also made contact with Priscilla, and told her the overwhelming truth about her father.

Then on a scholarship studying in United Kingdoms, Priscilla returned to Singapore immediately before travelling solo to Southern Thailand. After leaving his home for 20 years, Wong finally met his daughter for the first time.

by MediaCorp