Kym Ng's Emotional Revelation on Afterlife Planning and Funeral Wishes

Death and afterlife planning is not something that everyone finds easy to deal with and of course it takes time to say goodbye to your loved ones when they have died.

In a recent interview with AsiaOne to promote her new drama Where The Heart Belongs, local veteran actress-host Kym Ng recalled an emotional conversation she had with her husband about their afterlife plans.

The 58-year-old said: "I have a very 'loud' job which makes people know me (well), but as a person, I'm not very high profile. Which is why I feel that when I die, I don't need to hold a funeral wake and let everyone know that I have passed away."

Kym also mentioned to her husband that "people should come and see me when I'm still alive and beautiful but not see me when I'm dead".

In response, she recounted her husband telling her: "Why are you so selfish? Even after you've passed away, you should give me time and consider my feelings too. A five-day funeral might not matter to you, but it makes a difference to me."

The couple married in 2009 and do not have children. His identity has not been revealed as well.

Kym's perspective of afterlife planning changed when she heard her husband's response realising that the funeral is for the living, not for the dead, as the people around her need time to say their final goodbyes too.

"It's heartbreaking for your loved ones when you pass away suddenly and you don't want anyone to know. At least when the body is still there in the coffin they have some time to get themselves ready (to bid farewell)."

Filming quarrel scene in new drama

Kym plays Zhong Yilian in Where The Heart Belongs, who is the fourth adopted mother of Situ Ziyang (Romeo Tan).

Set in a fictional world, this drama focuses on a society that has entered a super-ageing phase. As the number of elderly people living alone rises, young people begin adopting the elderly.

While the drama explores the sombre theme of an ageing population, the filming process had its lighter moments too.

When asked if there were any interesting experiences during filming, Kym shared about a quarrel scene with another character in which some strands of her hair were really pulled out.

"The scene was quite hysterical and fun to film as we often see similar fights in Korean dramas or between aunties. So, we styled the scene this way, and it turned out to be quite successful," Kym shared.

As the interview returned to the drama's theme, the mood shifted, and Kym ended on an emotional note.

"I hope the drama will remind people to be more loving and caring towards the elderly and make them be aware of the need to pay more attention to older folks," she said.

Where The Heart Belongs, which also stars Denise Camillia Tan, Zhu Houren, Xiang Yun and Yao Wenlong, is available on demand for free on Mewatch from July 28. It will also premiere on Channel 8 on July 31, airing weekdays at 9pm.

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