Actor Alvin Chong bears family's financial load after parents lose their jobs

Chong has been working since his schooling years after his family ran into some financial troubles. Photo: Handout

It's easy to assume that all celebrities lead glamorous and lavish lives.

That's not always the case, and local actor-singer Alvin Chong knows this firsthand.

"My family has no work now," he tells mStar, The Star's Malay-language portal, during an event promoting his latest single, Sayangku Salmah.

"My mum is a waitress at a pub and my dad works at a kopitiam. But because of the MCO, everything has been shut down even until now."

"My youngest brother is also jobless. So only me and my other brother are bearing all our family's financial needs."

The 29-year-old was fielding questions from reporters about whether he's ready to settle down, prompting Chong to reveal his financial struggles.

"I'm not ready for love right now. With the pandemic and the MCO, things are so unpredictable.

"I just bought a house two years ago. I don't even know if I'm able to pay off the loan now."

In a 2017 interview with StarLifestyle, the Awak Suka Saya Tak actor revealed he started working at a young age after his family ran into some financial troubles.

The music video of Sayangku Salmah launches on Aug 28 on YouTube.