Local singer Freddie Huang mourns the passing of the first Malaysian Indian who recorded a Mandarin album

Local singer Freddie Huang Yi Fei mourned the loss of veteran singer Simon Mohan at his funeral.

Mohan, a native of Perak is celebrated in local music industry as the first Indian to record a Mandarin album in the 1990s.

Mohan’s (64) real name is Elanjselvan VM Mohan.

He was renowned for singing Chinese songs.

“My relationship with him was like that of brothers. We frequently stayed in touch and occasionally met up. I never imagined our next meeting would be under such circumstances,” Huang said to reporters, after paying his last respects to Mohan.

Mohan’s funeral was held today and the cremation ceremony will take place at the Kek Look Seah Crematorium, Bercham, Ipoh.

Huang noted that he had known Mohan for at least 30 years and felt that Mohan’s passing was sudden and difficult to accept.

“Although everyone thinks it was sudden, it can also be seen as a relief. From what I understand, half of his lung was not functioning properly,” he said, reported Sin Chew Daily.

Huang added that Mohan was a cherished and respected brother. When Mohan’s wife passed away years ago, he attended the funeral, and Mohan also supported him by attending his art exhibition.

Mohan died at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur at around 11 am on Tuesday, June 11.

“He had dinner with us on Monday and at midnight, he complained he was having difficulty breathing and we called for an ambulance to take him to the hospital.

“Doctors informed us that he had a viral lung infection and a sudden drop in oxygen levels also caused his heart to fail,” Mohan’s eldest son Krishna Mohan said, reported The Star.

In the late 1980s, Simon joined Ruihua Records and released several Mandarin hits, including “The Wind Without a Hometown” and “Late Autumn.”