BAHAU, Negeri Sembilan: In the winter solstice 17 years ago, the news of Liao Guo Feng from Kuala Geddes giving birth to triplets of a boy and two girls became a story on everbody's lips.

17 years have passed by, and the triplets are going to graduate from the high school after their SPM this Monday. On 8 November (Sunday), when they arrived at the photo studio to take their photos as required by the school magazine, the studio owner's wife exempted their payment as it was rare to have triplets taking photographs together.

The eldest of the triplets is Tang Li Shan, followed by her younger sister Li Yin while Yong Hao, while the boy is the youngest among the trio. They were all born on 21 December 1992 at Hospital Tunku Jafar, Seremban.

Overjoyed with the birth

Li Shan was born at 8.01 p.m. while Li Yin and Yong Hao were born at 8.02 p.m. and 8.03 p.m. respectively. The Tang's family were overjoyed with the birth of the triplets.

The triplets' parents, Tang guan Sui, 56, and Liao Guo Feng, 48, are the owners of a small estate at Kuala Geddes. They live in a vegetable farm house next to the D-Company at the back street. The arrival of the triplets that year caused a stir in the whole village and the good news was also spread throughout the hospital where they were born.

Prior to the birth of the triplets, Mr. and Mrs. Tang had had a son and three daughters. Due to the sudden arrival of the triplets, Mrs. Tang had to be kept very busy taking care of them.

"I was totally occupied having to take care of the triplets as had to cope with the triplets' crying silmultaneously and preparing three bottles of milk for them."

Gladly enduring the hardship

"Although it was hard to raise them, we were glad to endure all the hardship when we was them grow healthily over the years. Moreover, they have been very obedient and hard working in their studies."

Mrs. Liao said the triplets completed their primary school education at a Chinese primary school at Kuala Geddes. They were separated at different classes in Standard Two and Three while they were classmates in Standard One, Four and Five. Due to the identical looks of the two girls, their teachers and classmates always had problems identifying them.

Tang: On pressure on the kids

The triplets continued their studies at one of the secondary schools in Bahau in 2004. They were put in different classes in Form One and Two and became classmates of one another again from Form Three through Five.

"They often help out in housework at home, and are studying together at night. Through cooperation and competition among themselves in the learning process, they have made remarkable improvements in their academic performances and we are reassured to see that."

The Tang couple added that they never forced the triplets in their studies as long as they had done their best. They hoped the triplets would be able to pursue their futher studies at pre-university and then university. (Translated by LIM LIY EE/Sin Chew Daily)