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许丝珍 (. )
In her 20s, Mona became a mamasan.
For decades, she was a “top mamasan”; the “Queen of the Nightclubs”.
She managed hostesses, brokered introductions and ran a social world that many could only glimpse from outside.
By the early 1980s, she was running her own clubs.
“Mona is a legend. Her services are sought by most of the businessmen when they need to entertain.”
She provided the best girls and charged big bucks.
In 1994, she earned more than SGD 15,000 a month.
However, at 7.40 p.m. on October 15 that year, her world took a violent turn.
Mona was ambushed and shot twice – in the face and the back – by an unknown gunman at the lift lobby of the now-defunct Katong People’s Complex.
Everything changed.
She survived the attack, but one bullet shattered a spinal bone and left her permanently paralysed from the waist down.
When she regained consciousness, she asked her father to find her the best doctors and take care of her two adopted children, two and ten, respectively.
The shooter, who might be from Malaysia, was never caught, and her case remains one of Singapore’s most enduring unsolved crimes.
Mona lived with a bullet lodged between her spine and liver, enduring chronic pain and requiring daily medication.
She was bitter but defiant.
“The gunman should be satisfied now. He was so vicious, and now that I’m paralysed, I’ve lost everything. He should be happy.”
Mona kept going. She continued to work as a mamasan for years afterwards, wheelchair and all.
The bullet took out her mobility but not her dignity.
In her teens, Mona, imbued with a high degree of emotional intelligence, cultivated her image and public relations skills.
She nurtured relationships and was a big sister to many in school.
Whenever anyone needed help, they looked for Mona.
She was a leader, an organiser.
Mona’s personality was key to her success. She was the consummate socialite who spoke to everyone warmly and made you feel comfortable in her presence.
Despite being a successful businesswoman, Mona did not forget the disadvantaged in society.
Every Saturday, she would visit the elderly in the Bukit Merah area and bring them out for meals.
She would also donate sundry goods and essential items to the elderly.
She was engaging and cheerful.
For decades, Mona, a woman of remarkable resilience, was a legend in Singapore’s nightlife circuit.
She built an entire career and identity in a demanding, unforgiving trade, survived an attempt on her life and kept going anyway.
On July 15, 2026, the Queen breathed her last. She rested and is no longer in pain.
Mona was 80.
The end of an era.