Singapore's 'Corner King' Looi Im Heok dies at 95
The Singapore racing community has hailed motorcycle racer Looi Im Heok as someone who left an indelible mark and inspired a subsequent generation of motor sports enthusiasts with his exploits, both on and off the track.
“Uncle Looi”, as he was affectionately called, died on Oct 1 at the age of 95, his family announced.
The rider who earned his nickname “Corner King” for his ability to negotiate corners expertly – no matter how sharp the angle – won consecutive motorcycle events from 1961 to 1963 at the Singapore Grand Prix that was held at the Thomson Road circuit.
After he hung up his racing helmet in 1967 to focus on his workshop business, he remained active in grassroots work in Nee Soon, and was awarded the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star) in 2017.
Looi was a founding member of the Lions Club of Singapore Nee Soon, a food distribution network for the underprivileged, in 1988 and personally delivered food to the needy in his own pick-up truck. It would later become the Lions Food Collection and Distribution Project.
In its tribute, Motor Sport Singapore (MSS) said in a statement that the racing community is “saddened to learn of the passing of a local motorcycle legend”.
It added: “We offer our condolences to his family and would like to acknowledge his passion and contribution to local motor sport.
“As a pioneer racer he leaves an indelible mark and inspiration to subsequent generation of motor sports enthusiasts in Singapore.”
Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, who is also MP for Nee Soon GRC, also shared anecdotes about his interaction with Looi on his Facebook page.
Describing Looi as a “respected community leader and champion motorcycle racer in the Nee Soon/Sembawang area”, Mr Shanmugam said that when he entered politics in 1988, “Uncle Looi” was there from the start and was “extremely active in the community”.
He added: “I will always be thankful to Uncle Looi for what he has done for me and the Nee Soon community. Even well into his 80s and 90s, he remained active, supporting community events. Always cheery.
“He enjoyed life and his food. He used to take two spoons of sugar with his coffee, which would already have condensed milk, and have several cups. His diet used to shock me, and we used to laugh about it – I would tell him he had good genes!
“He was in robust health for most of his life, living into his 90s. A humble man of action on and off the racetrack, Uncle Looi will be deeply missed.”
The ninth son of a rubber merchant father and a housewife mother, Looi learnt to ride as a teenager and when was aged about 20, he bought his first bike, a 500cc Norton Featherbed, for $1,650. He would then race every night from Bedok to Shenton Way.
His first official race was the Gap Hill Climb at South Buona Vista Road in 1952 and despite strong objections from his mother, he continued racing and made a name for himself by winning many competitions in Singapore and Malaysia.
In an interview with The Straits Times in 2007, Looi revealed that he has had at least 40 accidents and later on in his life when he had stopped riding and drove cars, he would stop motorcyclists on the road when he observed that they “do not know how to ride” to share safety tips.
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