SINGAPORE, Jan 26 — Their faces were sombre as they exited the arrival gate at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 on Thursday night, having touched down from New Zealand.
Dressed in a long-sleeved black sweater and pale blue jeans, Kenny Pang — the older brother of the late Corporal First Class (National Service) Aloysius Pang — walked alongside Dasmond Koh, Pang’s mentor, as they made their way to a lounge. A media scrum was waiting for them.
Koh, a television host and head of NoonTalk Media, the agency representing Aloysius Pang, started off by apologising for being uncontactable.
“From yesterday, once we knew about the exact details, really, the emotions cannot be explained. So, I didn’t reply to anyone’s queries, did not pick up your phone calls or reply to messages,” Koh said in a mix of Mandarin and English. “I’m really sorry.”
On Wednesday evening, Pang — a 28-year-old actor — died after succumbing to serious injuries sustained following an accident on Jan 19 while on reservist duty.
During a military exercise at the Waiouru Training Area in New Zealand, he was crushed when a gun barrel in the howitzer he was repairing was lowered and he was “unable to get out of the way”. He was an armament technician from the 268th Battalion Singapore Artillery.
Revealing more details on the accident at a press conference on Thursday afternoon, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) said that Pang suffered major trauma injuries affecting multiple organs.
His brother Kenny told reporters that the family is grieving, finding it hard to come to terms with the loss. “We are just trying to accept the reality that this has actually happened,” he said. “I think none of us can be mentally prepared for this.”
After going through a life-saving surgery the night after the accident occurred, the SAF said on Monday that Pang was in stable condition and was breathing on his own. He was also able to communicate with his mother, who had flown to Waikato Hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand, where he was admitted.
But his condition later worsened after a second planned surgery, due to complications that arose from his severe injuries. He later underwent a third surgery.
When the family was told of his condition, their hearts were filled with anguish — their journey was filled with “a lot of ups and downs”, Kenny said.
“I can’t describe if there’s a moment of relief or a moment of sadness… Every time, (whether) for his first surgery, his second surgery, (or) even his third, we were all very worried. Regardless of whether it was for the best or for the worse,” he added.
Throughout the 20-minute interview, Kenny appeared composed, though at times his eyes welled up with tears. Koh was more distraught, breaking into sobs several times.
Koh, who flew up to New Zealand on Monday evening, said that both he and Kenny did not manage to speak to Aloysius. “While we were there, the ups and downs of our emotions were huge,” he added.
“Reason being, during a surgery, it is common that the condition will stabilise, then it could deteriorate thereafter. All these, to us, was really like a rollercoaster of emotions.”
CFC Pang was family’s ‘precious one’
Asked by reporters to describe Pang as a brother, Kenny said that as the youngest of three boys, “he is the most loved”.
“Everybody loved him as the youngest, treat him as the precious. We call him that,” he added.
Caring, loving and passionate in acting were among the words Kenny used to describe his brother. “That is the true self of Aloysius”, he added.
Pang was also a devoted son, putting his family, especially his parents, as his main priority. “The love for his parents… that had not changed,” his brother said. TODAY understands that the parents are still in New Zealand.
Kenny said that his brother “had a lot of aspirations” and many things that he wanted to do in the future.
Koh said that Pang’s talent in acting had also blossomed from the time he started acting at a young age. He had starred in Mediacorp television dramas and was devoted and focused in his job to make sure that he performed his best.
“So with that, I think he had done his best,” said Koh, as tears streamed down his cheeks.
The New Zealand authorities have said that they are waiting for approval from Pang’s family to conduct a post-mortem on the body before it can be repatriated to Singapore.
Asked when his body will be brought back here, Kenny said that the family is trying their best “to let Aloysius come back early”. “As early as possible,” he added.
Memorial service for fans
On whether there will be a memorial service for fans and fellow Mediacorp artistes to pay their respects, Koh said that what is important right now is to bring Pang’s body back. Only thereafter will the family look at the possibility of such a service.
“Everyone agreed that, if possible, we should hold one. After all, there are many fans who wish to bid farewell to him,” said Koh.
“So, that is still in planning, but whether this takes place, we will try our best to let everyone know. Maybe in the next one to two days, we will have more concrete details for everyone.”
Breaking into tears, Koh said that in the past few days, he had received many messages expressing concern. He hopes that fans will remember Pang for his talent as an actor.
“I would like to speak on behalf of Aloysius. He would definitely be grateful to all the love showered on him, but he also respects his family’s privacy, hence, he would not want his family in the limelight as well.”
Saying that Pang’s family members are thankful to the SAF and the Defence Ministry for their support, Koh then ended the interview with an apology.
“I would just like to tell all those who have loved Aloysius (and) admired him, that I’m so sorry I was unable to bring a healthy Aloysius back. I believe everyone was hoping for such news.
“But if Aloysius...feels that it is time to let go, we should let him leave with peace of mind.” — TODAY
