Fei Fei now at peace: daughter

People do not have to feel unhappy, she says

"I will be good. I will try my best to learn to be a responsible woman. I know it is what my mother wants from me," the only daughter of late comedienne Lydia Shum Tin-ha said at an emotional press conference yesterday, a day after her mother's death.

The death of Shum, better known as "Fei Fei", or "Fatty" for her ample girth, sparked an outpouring of emotion throughout Hong Kong as almost every newspaper in the city featured front-page reports of her death after a long battle with cancer of the liver and gall bladder.

However, in a bid to emulate her mother who brought happiness to millions before her death at age 62, Joyce Cheng Yan-yee, 20, said: "People do not have to feel unhappy about her death. She did suffer a lot during the long battle. It was really hard for her.

"We all miss my mum and we all do not want to let her go. But then she was tough, she had fought with the disease for a long time.

"Now that she has gone, she is somewhere more peaceful."

She added that many family members had been at Shum's bedside when she died peacefully at Queen Mary Hospital on Tuesday morning.

Before succumbing once more to her grief and breaking down in tears, she thanked her mother's fans and friends for all the concern and support they had shown, saying all these were a great comfort to the family.

According to Fei Fei's wishes, she will be buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Vancouver next week during a family-only service.

People would be able to bid farewell to Fei Fei at a memorial service in the Hong Kong Coliseum on March 2, Shum's manager, Chan Suk-fan said. Details of the event would be released later.

"Fei Fei had lots of friends and regarded show business as her lifelong love," Ms Chan said. "She grew hand in hand with Hong Kong people and was always an icon of happiness. She hoped that such an image would be eternal."

Ms Chan added that many people tried to contact Fei Fei when she was in the hospital and she had not realised until then the extent of the concern felt for her.

"There is no need to regret that you did not bid a last farewell to her as Fei Fei wanted everyone to remember her face as happy and healthy," Ms Chan said.

It is understood the family is to publish an obituary in at least one Chinese-language newspaper today signed by Fei Fei's family members. However, it is also understood that the name of her ex-husband Adam Cheng Siu-chow, from whom she separated 19 years ago, is not included. Cheng, an actor who is making a TV series on the mainland, has not commented since Fei Fei's death.

Compared with dead superstars like Anita Mui Yim-fong and Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, Shum's persona had a deeper meaning, said Chinese University journalism Professor Anthony Fung Ying-him.

"Anita and Leslie were glamorous superstars but Fei Fei was more like the close family that Hong Kong people grew up with," said Professor Fung.

SCMP. Feb 19, 2008