{
  "id": 12111214,
  "title": "Chicken curry, evening drives and a white cat: Song Swee Guan’s family remembers the man behind the Sarawak politician",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/chicken-curry-evening-drives-and-a-white-cat-song-swee-guans-family-12111214",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-05T08:15:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/10/05/chicken-curry-evening-drives-and-kuchings-white-cat-song-swee-guans-family-remembers-the-man-behind-the-mayor/237791"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KUCHING, Oct 5 — Datuk Song Swee Guan, a Sarawakian statesman, was remembered by his grieving family as a selfless and caring man who balanced work and family life. According to his niece Kaylene Tan, her uncle was a good son who sacrificed much for his parents, who were bedridden for many years. Tan described Song as a good cook, who loved to cook chicken curry and kacang ma, and took family outings for evening drives around Kuching city. The family also shared that Song was a white cat lover and may have been the inspiration for the famous white cat statue in Padungan. Tan's mother, Song Chai Kim, remembered a close-knit family and the close bond they shared despite the distance between them. Song's foster son, Sim Min Min, remembered Song as a well-mannered man who loved to help people and often spent time with him over coffee. Song served as KMC councillor, its chairman, founding mayor of Kuching South, and was a Padungan assemblyman and Bandar Kuching MP, passing away peacefully at Sarawak General Hospital on Sunday.",
  "summary": "KUCHING, Oct 5 — Sarawakian statesman Datuk Song Swee Guan has been remembered as a selfless and caring man who wa...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Founding mayor of Kuching South, Song Swee Guan, dies at 84",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/founding-mayor-of-kuching-south-song-swee-guan-dies-at-84",
        "published": "2026-10-05T03:19:40.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}