Wife of shop owner insists they run separate businesses

Mr Jover Chew allegedly overcharged a Vietnamese tourist. PHOTO: NEW PAPER FILE

The wife of the man who allegedly overcharged a Vietnamese tourist at Sim Lim Square has been on the receiving end of prank calls and online harassment, and even had her personal details splashed on the Internet.

But despite the attacks, she does not blame her husband and continues to believe that he is a good man who mixed with the wrong company.

Ms Winnie Koh, 31, who is married to Mr Jover Chew, 32, also runs a mobile phone business.

But she insists that her business, J2 Mobile, is separate from the one he runs at Sim Lim, though he was listed as J2's owner until 2012 when his name was removed and she assumed sole ownership of the company.

She also posted an update on J2 Mobile's Facebook page on Tuesday to say that she has "always conducted... business in a fair and transparent way".

When the news broke that her husband had caused a tourist to kneel and cry for a refund, the attacks started coming.

"It's not fair to me or my parents. My husband and I do not talk about work at home. I don't know how he conducts his business," she said during an hour- long interview.

Intimate photographs of them have also been circulated online. But Ms Koh, who has been married to Mr Chew for four years, said these were taken before their relationship took a turn for the worse last year.

Mr Chew started to hang out with his friends and spent less time with her, she said.

At home, they did their own things: She would continue with her work while he played games on his phone or the computer.

"Then I just go to bed and wake up the next day to go to work. That's what my life is like.

"In the past year, he has been influenced by bad company. When I met him, he was not this way," she said.

Mr Chew has not been home for several days, but she hopes he will reflect on his behaviour and give up his business when he returns. "He will have a hard time leading a new life because he is recognised everywhere now."

Her plan is to continue running her business while waiting for the attacks to subside.

"It will be easy for me to close my shop and stay at home. But that makes me look guilty. I'm just afraid no one is going to trust me again," she said.

awcw@sph.com.sg

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