After four years of wooing, former karung guni man Peter Khiew
finally tied the knot with girlfriend Sally Khoo yesterday.
They first made the news in 2005 when he proposed to Ms Khoo, a
childcare centre principal, through The Sunday Times.
Back then, a street poll showed women here avoided dating men
with non-glamorous jobs - from undertakers to rag-and-bone men -
but Ms Khoo was an exception.
When the newspaper spoke to Mr Khiew then, he said he wanted to
propose, and asked if he could do so via The Sunday Times.
His public declaration of love caught the attention of many but
failed to win her heart. She was unprepared to discuss marriage and
refused to address the matter - until this year.
Yesterday, they celebrated their union at Raffles Marina in Tuas
with 300 guests.
Mr Khiew, 40, who enjoys karaoke, crooned his favourite Mandarin
tune Liang Zhi Hu Die by Chinese pop artiste Pang Long, about two
butterflies in love, to his 43-year-old bride.
At the end of the dinner, they sang and danced to the Malay song
Joget Pahang in traditional Nonya garb, together with her Peranakan
family.
They plan to travel to Eastern Europe for a two-week honeymoon
in January.
Mr Khiew's acceptance by her family did not come easy.
The lovebirds met at a karaoke session for singles, organised by
matchmaking agency Heartstrings Connect, in 2003. They hit it off
instantly and began dating.
Unlike many other women who might sniff at Mr Khiew's karung
guni job, which netted him $1,500 monthly, Ms Khoo did not
mind.
He has a diploma in computer studies and was working in an
architectural firm for almost 14 years until it closed down in
2003. When he could not find another job, he joined the
rag-and-bone trade.
She is a qualified nurse with a diploma in early childhood
education, and earned twice as much as him back then.
After two years, he knew she was the one. But she was not ready
for marriage.
Then 39, the swinging single enjoyed her freedom. In fact, Mr
Khiew was her first serious boyfriend.
Thus, his public proposal came as a shock to her. She did not
speak to him for a week. The situation worsened when a Malaysian
newspaper ran the story, resulting in added pressure from her
relatives in Malacca.
The income disparity did not bother her but it became a glaring
issue for her loved ones, who had not met Mr Khiew.
'They were concerned that I was being cheated by him because he
was younger than me and without a steady job,' said Ms Khoo.
When they met each other's families a month later, however, 'all
concerns vanished', her mother told The Sunday Times. Ms Khoo is
the seventh of 10 children of retired rubber tappers.
Alas, the death of Mr Khiew's father that year delayed the
wedding.
Chinese customs dictate that, following a death in the family,
couples planning to wed must do so within 100 days, or wait three
years. Since Ms Khoo was not ready, they could not get hitched
until last year.
Since then, Mr Khiew has found a nine-to-five job as a purchaser
for a local environmental management company and draws a 'slightly
higher' salary.
But the greatest obstacle remained Ms Khoo's heart. Slowly but
surely, however, he won her over with acts of kindness.
Once, when she was stung on the toe by an insect, he removed the
stinger lodged under her skin by sucking on it. 'He did not even
hesitate,' she recalled.
On another occasion, when Ms Khoo, who lived in a Woodlands HDB
flat with her brother, was home alone, he camped out all night at
the carpark below so she would feel safe.
'I was very touched. I never intended to get married but Peter
changed my mind,' she said with a smile.
So, when he proposed once more on her birthday in January this
year, she responded with a resounding 'yes'.
For Mr Khiew, her long-awaited answer is a dream come true. 'I'm
finally the lucky person who has won her heart. To me, this is a
victory.'
erm..... look what she is wearing......................
