IT WAS a quiet, low-key send-off for Christopher Lee’s father in their Malacca hometown yesterday.

There wasn’t the usual fanfare one would have expected from a man who has made it the Ah Ge (big brother) status in Singapore showbiz.

No dazzling presence of celebrities. Not even a representative from Christopher’s employer MediaCorp – though the leading man told The New Paper on Sunday that the company had sent a wreath.

Christopher’s girlfriend, fellow actress Fann Wong, also did not manage to make it to the funeral. (See report on facing page.)

There was also no boisterous band playing evergreens and the latest pop hits.

Instead, the band was from neighbourhood school, Yok Bin National Type Secondary School.

Everything was typical of the kampung boy who found fame (and for a while, infamy) in the bright city.

Christopher, 37, had returned to his roots – and it was clear he was most comfortable in his home.

At the wake on Friday night at Jalan Teratai, he pointed out to a group of about 20 men seated at a table and said: “See them, they’ve grown up together with my brothers and I.”

Many of these men would return the following morning and accompany Christopher as he and his family sent their father off – on his last journey – to the Melaka Memorial Park Crematorium.

His father died on Tuesday morning after battling chronic heart disease for nearly two years.

As the monk performed the Buddhist rites, Christopher and his family members struggled to keep their composure.

But when it came for the final viewing before the coffin cover was closed, loud wails could be heard from the living room of the two-storey family home.

Christopher’s mother, who also suffers from health problems and is unable to walk fully, was seated on a sofa a little further away.

As she watched her children calling out to their father, she too broke down quietly.

Man in the family

In the end, it was Christopher who assumed the role of the man in the family – one that he has always been accustomed to.

He has an elder sister, who is married, and two younger brothers.

As Christopher had told this newspaper in an earlier interview: “I used to do all the housework and I helped to take care of my brothers.

“That’s what being in a family is all about – you should never be calculative.”

Something that youngest brother, Mingzhong, 33, appreciates and cherishes.

At the crematorium, he had broken down so badly that Christopher had to hold on to and comfort him.

Mingzhong, who is also an actor but working in Kuala Lumpur, told The New Paper on Sunday: “That’s the way Christopher has always been – he’s always there for us.

“We can go to him for anything – be it to seek his advice or just to confide in him. And no matter how busy he is, he’d always find time for us.”

Mingzhong added: “And in some ways, there’s comfort in knowing that Christopher will continue to assume the big brother role – and now, the protective father figure.”

Whether it is in Singapore, at home or even in the quiet town he grew up, Christopher’s big brother status remained undisputed.

As the funeral procession made its way down Jalan Ujong Pasir, several neighbours, shopkeepers and stall assistants stopped to watch them from a distance.

At a cofffee shop several metres away, some stall assistants were discussing the likeness in looks between Christopher and Mingzhong.

One of the women, who wanted to be known only as Madam Chia, said: “That’s our Meng Soon. He’s the one who made Malacca famous. Long before The Little Nyonya.”

Christopher had clearly endeared himself to his neighbours, even though the family moved into the area only about seven years ago.

Madam Agnes Khoo, 55, said: “It’s his humility despite his star status that appeals.

“He never fails to flash that boyish grin and friendly nod whenever he meets anyone of us.”

And it is possibly because of this humility that Christopher did not seem bothered by the lack of fanfare.

He said: “I really just want my dad to leave in peace, knowing that we will take care of ourselves.

“And that he will continue to live in our hearts. Nothing else matters.”

“...in some ways, there’s comfort in knowing that Christopher will continue to assume the big brother role – and now, the protective father figure.” –Christopher’s youngest brother, Mingzhong.

REPORTING FROM MALACCA MAUREEN KOH
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The above article was first published in The New Paper.