Zoe Tay, Fann Wong join distraught colleagues and fans in paying tribute to Aloysius Pang

SINGAPORE — Queen of Caldecott Zoe Tay and fellow actors Fann Wong and Christopher Lee were among the hundreds of TV personalities and fans who turned up at the wake of actor Aloysius Pang on Saturday (Jan 26) to pay their final respects.

As she left the wake, Ms Tay sobbed as she told reporters how she always had a good impression of the 28-year-old, who died on Wednesday after sustaining major injuries from an accident that occurred during his reservist training in New Zealand.

“I’ve actually only worked with him on one show and we didn’t even have many opportunities to have a long conversation,” she said.

“However, I’m very close to his boss Dasmond (Koh). For every filming, Dasmond would always guide him. He always looks after his juniors very well. That’s why my impression of Aloysius is really good.”

She added: “I feel that this whole thing that happened, to us, it’s really very regrettable.”

Pang was crushed when a gun barrel in the howitzer he was repairing was lowered and he was “unable to get out of the way”, Chief of Army Goh Si Hou said on Thursday.

Pang and two teammates were trying to diagnose a suspected fault in the gun, when  he was caught between the end of the gun barrel and the cabin of the vehicle, and  sustained "crush injuries", Major-General Goh told reporters at a media conference.

Speaking to media at the wake, veteran Channel 8 actor Chen Shucheng said in Mandarin: “I keep thinking of him, I really miss him. The relationship I have with him, I don’t think others can understand.”

Actor Rayson Tan could not hold back his tears as he spoke. “I really regarded him as a brother because his thoughts were very mature. As a child, he was also very filial.” 

Fellow actor Timothy Yap added: “We all thought he would be able to recover and come back but I guess the kind of person he is, he doesn't want to make people worry or make trouble or anything or make his family suffer longer, that's why.”

“I've known him for three years. We're like family, we go out together, hang out together and travel together.”

Actor Edmund Chen, whose son Yi Xi and daughter Yi Xin were friends with Pang, said the Chen household has been unusually quiet this past week.

Mr Chen attended the wake with Yi Xi.

Actor Edmund Chen attends the wake of the late Aloysius Pang, with his son Yi Xi. Photo: Ooi Boon Keong/TODAY

“The kids have been following (the situation) but they try not to deliberately look out for news on it,” he said. “I didn’t know him very well but I have been avoiding reading articles about this too. They would only trigger the sadness and heartache.”

As a parent himself, he said he can imagine how Pang’s parents might be feeling now.

“There are no words of comfort. It’s really heartbreaking. He was a good boy.”

Aside from fellow artistes, those who came to  Pang’s wake included politicians past and present, such as National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Sim Ann, MacPherson Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling and former Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zainul Abidin Rasheed.

Fans made a strong turnout.

At about 3pm, about 100 “Pangsters” – members of Pang’s fan club – turned up in orange and black shirts.

Those in orange shirts had the words “Who Am I” on the front and “Pangster” on the back.

As they stood at the entrance of the tent to the wake, many, mostly teenage girls, began crying on each other’s shoulders.

Speaking in Mandarin, one of the club members, who wanted to be known only as Karen, said: “We’ve supported him for very long, since he debuted in ‘Hai You Ming Tian’ (A Child’s Hope) until now. We’ve seen his humble beginnings until now. We were still praying for him (when we heard the news), really. We were all hoping it wasn’t real.”

Other members of the club shared their fondest memories of the actor, who they said showed real concern for his fans.

“I remember there was a time when he was filming a drama, Served Hot, and we went down to Joo Chiat to look for him on set,” recalled 19-year-old Sherman Ng.

“And Joo Chiat at night can be very dangerous, but he would always make sure that we would reach home safely.”

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Pointing at the black-and-orange shirts they were wearing, he added: “Now, you know, this is the last time we can wear these. We wanted to take this last chance to do it.”

Forty-nine-year-old Joyce Thio, who worked as an extra on three television shows that Pang starred in, agreed that the actor was attentive to his fans.

“Whenever someone asked him for pictures, he never said no. He wasn’t too proud and never ran away from overzealous fans.”

The diversity of people who showed up at Pang’s funeral was also testimony to his appeal across a wide swathe of Singapore society.  From the elderly to young children, fans queued under the afternoon heat to bid goodbye to their beloved actor. 

For 76-year-old Madam Foo, not knowing the directions to the wake did not deter her from travelling from Sembawang to Macpherson to pay her respects.

“I live in Sembawang which is very far away and took almost two hours to come. I didn’t know the way but luckily a good person I met on the bus directed me here.”

Crying as she spoke to TODAY, she added: “His parents must be devastated to lose a son that was so well and alive.  When I read the news, I also couldn’t help but start crying. My grandson also just finished national service. My heart is pained.”

Eleven-year-old Alke Ng travelled from his home in Yew Tee for the wake.  “I actually only just knew about him. I didn’t know his name, but when I watch television shows, I remember seeing his face quite often. I was shocked when I heard the news of his death.”

Housewife Eli, 32, had travelled from Sengkang with her husband Mr Mohamed Harris, 38, a driving instructor, to be at the wake.

The fan of Channel 8 drama serials said that she had started watching Pang’s shows since she was young.  “I was shocked when I heard he was injured during training. We thought he would recover but I didn’t expect him to pass away.”

Mr Harris chimed in: “His departure while serving the nation was tragic. At this age when he is pursuing his career, it’s just too early.”

Pang’s wake is open to the public until noon on Sunday. His body will then be taken to Mandai Crematorium.