SINGAPORE, Jan 27 — Actor Aloysius Pang’s “kryptonite” was his mother’s tears, and in his last conscious moments at the hospital, he had told his mother who was crying incessantly: “Mum, don’t cry. If you cry, I’ll cry too.

“I am in a lot of pain. I’ll recover in a couple of days, and I’ll take you to New Zealand casino for a walk.”

Pang’s eldest brother Jefferson Pang, 32, shared this in a eulogy on Sunday (Jan 27) during a public memorial service before a hearse carrying the late actor’s body left for the Mandai Crematorium.

Jefferson himself did not manage to see him conscious, but he saw photos of Pang, through which he “could imagine” that his younger brother was in “a lot of pain”, he said as he choked up in tears and took a moment to compose himself.
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In the family, Aloysius, being the youngest of three brothers, had always been doted upon the most by his parents, Jefferson said, noting that his family unit is very tight-knitted.

Therefore, the short few days they spent in New Zealand to keep tabs on his condition had been “especially tough,” even “terrible”, he said. And later, when he died on Wednesday night, it was the ultimate “heartbreak”. “The family were at (the most) bottom (point) of our lives,” he said.

Pang died on Jan 23 after fighting for his life for four days at Waikato hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand. He sustained major injuries to his internal organs on Jan 19 after being crushed by the barrel of a gun inside a self-propelled howitzer while participating in Exercise Thunder Warrior at the Waiouru training area.

As the family is still “trying to overcome and forget it”, they are trying to come to terms with the tragedy by remembering that he had become a “special person (who) inspired everybody”, he said.

Jefferson noted that Aloysius particularly shared an unbreakable bond with his mother as, since young, she had always accompanied him on set to coach him with his script. She “witnessed a fine young man grow to become who is today”, he added.

Jefferson also shared the story of how when Aloysius got scratched by a cat when he was trying to feed it at a chalet where the family gathered, his mother put on the plaster for him, while his father had then remarked: “Where is this cat! How dare it hurt my son!”

These were while her youngest son was simply happy and contented that the cat took his food, knowing it was hungry.

Jefferson himself had fond memories of himself playing a prank on his brother by taking him to watch a horror movie, Bride of Chucky, by telling him that it is a good movie to catch, knowing that the younger Pang would freak out.

Throughout the movie, Aloysius who was then eight years old just sat there calmly even though he was very afraid, he said. “It was only until the credits that he burst out crying,” he told the memorial audience, which comprised mainly of family and friends from the entertainment industry.

“He was afraid throughout, but as he knows that we (his brothers) were enjoying the show, he maintained his emotions till the end.

“We accompanied him out of the theatre, with him crying. Mum scolded us later.”

Jefferson added that his youngest brother was the “most adventurous” and “most rebellious” among the three siblings, noting that he was the first among them to pierce his ear.

But he said that it was not necessarily a bad thing as it showed that he was unconventional.

Seeing the strong turnout over the two days his wake was held at 82A Macpherson Lane, Jefferson conveyed his “heartfelt thanks” on behalf of his family to everyone who cared for the late actor during this period.

“My family felt blessed that he is so well-loved,” he said.

A total of 15 family members, colleagues and friends shared their eulogies in the memorial service that lasted more than an hour this afternoon. Among those who spoke were actors Desmond Tan, Chen Shucheng, Shane Pow and Xu Bin, and actresses Felicia Chin, Carrie Wong, Hong Huifang and Kym Ng. — TODAY