The True Story of Robert Lee’s Death: What We Saw and Heard Was False

 

"கண்ணால் பார்ப்பதும் பொய், காதால் கேட்பதும் பொய், தீர விசாரிப்பதே மெய்."

Transliteration:

Kannal parpathum poi, kaadhal keipadhum poi; theera visaripadhey mei.

Meaning: 

Kannal parpathum poi: What you see with your eyes can be false. 

Kaadhal keipadhum poi: What you hear with your ears can be false. 

Theera visaripadhey mei: Investigating thoroughly (to find the truth) is the only truth.

 

This proverb advises against jumping to conclusions based on appearances or hearsay. It reminds us that our senses can deceive us, and only a thorough, careful investigation leads to the real truth.

I have explained this previously with the following examples:

If you overhear someone saying, “Luqman slapped the lawyer,” it may sound clear-cut. But what if you missed the preceding words: “Who in the world told you that Luqman slapped the lawyer?” The full context completely changes the meaning.

If you see Ali gripping a knife plunged into Ramu’s chest, it is natural to assume Ali stabbed him. But what if Ali had simply walked by, found Ramu already on the floor, and pulled out the knife? Appearances can be misleading.

 

The same principle applies to the death of Robert Lee at Iramanis.

On 6th November 2025, a defence filed in court by the Vistana Height’s engineer included “Particulars of subsale transaction.” It stated that the purchaser of House S7 was Lee Choon Ken @ Robert Lee, with the date of sale recorded as 19 April 2022.I knew Robert Lee had passed away well before 2019. When I asked around, several friends told me he died in 2016. According to what I was told, he had parked his 4-wheel drive on an incline; the vehicle started rolling, and he was pinned underneath while trying to stop it.

Despite my efforts, I could not locate any newspaper report from 2016 and eventually gave up. Recently, I came across an affidavit filed in court by his wife, Tai Fui Ming, which stated the actual date of death as 18th February 2015.With the correct date in hand, I was finally able to locate the newspaper article in the Sabah Archives. The real story was very different from what I had been told:

Robert had parked his 4-wheel drive. A contractor who had parked ahead of him walked down to meet him. Despite the handbrake being engaged, the contractor’s lorry rolled backwards and collided with Robert’s vehicle before he could get out. Robert was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.