S'pore's 'top mamasan', who got shot in 1994 & became paralysed, dies at 80

Mona Koh, one of Singapore's most famous mamasans, has passed away at the age of 80.

The "Queen of the Nightclubs" died on Jul. 15, according to a post by Facebook tribute page Death Kopitiam.

Koh, a Singaporean of Indonesian descent, became a mamasan in her 20s.

A mamasan manages female staff and acts as the proprietress of entertainment establishments.

She gained her legendary status in the 1980s and 1990s after starting to run her own nightclubs, where her fees rose to S$15,000 a month, according to Death Kopitiam's post.

S$15,000 in the 1990s is about S$39,000 in today's dollars.

The post also described her services as "sought by most of the businessmen when they need to entertain".

1994 shooting

On Oct. 15, 1994, Koh was ambushed and shot twice at Katong People's Complex, which is now replaced by i12 Katong.

She sustained two bullet wounds to her face and back, with the latter shattering a spinal bone and paralysing her from the waist down.

According to a Straits Times article at the time, the suspect was described by police as a "slim, dark Chinese man".

He was never caught and the motive for the attack was never established, making it one of Singapore's most prominent unsolved crimes.

Koh, who has two adopted children, continued working in a wheelchair despite her injury.

She was also actively involved in charity, as she visited and helped the elderly every weekend, according to Death Kopitiam.