Two decades later, man reunites with boy he saved from drowning

KUALA LUMPUR - Uncle Umar’s long-awaited reunion with Desmond Kwek Bo Yang, the boy he saved from drowning 19 years ago, finally came to fruition when they met face-to-face for the first time recently at a local mamak shop.

The emotional meeting took place at a mamak restaurant in Bangsar, rekindling a friendship that had been interrupted for nearly two decades. The atmosphere was so touching that it was described as a father meeting his long-lost son.

Although the meeting was brief due to time constraints, it was deeply meaningful for Umar Kamaruddin, 67, to be able to reconnect with Desmond, now 26 and living in Tokyo, and reflect on how the small child he once saved had grown into an adult.

"As promised, we met at the Mamak restaurant. Although we couldn’t spend much time together, I truly appreciated the moments we had.

"The meeting lasted only about 30 minutes because we both had other commitments, and the restaurant closed early,” said Umar.

He said Desmond was back in town only for a short while for business, while he had family matters to attend to in Kuala Kangsar.

Nevertheless, Umar made sure to carve out some time that Sunday evening before Desmond returned to Japan.

"He even treated me to drinks at the restaurant,” he added.

During the short meeting, there was a lively discussion about each other's lives following an incident that brought them back together.

The story of 'Uncle Umar' and Desmond went viral on June 15, following an exclusive Bernama report about the retired policeman's wish to reunite with the child he had saved 19 years ago.

Not expecting his wish to come true, Umar was thrilled to meet Desmond.

He felt that their 30-minute meeting was too short, so he reached out to the eldest of the three siblings to meet again before he returned to Japan the next day.

"I felt truly moved to see the boy I saved has now grown up. It was wonderful to meet him, and Desmond told me he had tried to find me before, but communication issues made it difficult. He thanked me for trying to reconnect with him through Bernama.

"I can see he is very happy, told me about studying and working in Japan. There are so many things he wants to learn there. I wish him the best and hope that one day he becomes a filmmaker!",” he said, adding that there was so much Desmond wanted to share, but they simply ran out of time.

According to Umar, Desmond also thanked him for his willingness to meet and hoped they could "lepak” (hang out) at a mamak restaurant again for a longer chat the next time he gets an extended leave.

"Desmond is currently on short leave because he is new to his job. In Japan, discipline and punctuality are essential at work. Perhaps, after he has worked longer, he’ll be able to take a more extended vacation. He plans to go on a long holiday eventually, and he’ll reach out to me to meet again-maybe next year, although he’s not sure when.

"Before he left, Desmond asked for my address, saying he wanted to send me something from Japan. He said it was a heartfelt gesture," Umar shared.

Desmond, who now works as a gaffer in Tokyo, is from Kuala Lumpur. His strong interest in the Japanese language led him to move to Japan, where he continued his diploma studies in Film and Drama Production at the College of Broadcasting Arts in Osaka in 2022.

Nineteen years ago, on May 8, 2005, Umar rescued Desmond from drowning in the swimming pool at KL Plaza Suites, now known as Fahrenheit Suites. - BERNAMA