EXCLUSIVE: Local pop duo Fuying & Sam rings in CNY; reflects on 8 years of music

'We kind of hit rock bottom because shows were a lot lesser, interviews were a lot lesser', the Mandopop duo recalls a particularly difficult career moment. Photos: Handout

Chronicles Ong Fu Ying, one half of the Malaysian Mandopop duo Fuying & Sam, usually finds himself in a bustling kitchen filled with lively conversations and a mix of intoxicating aromas this time of the year.

“We spend time in the kitchen cooking together every year, ” Ong, 27, recalls his family’s Chinese New Year tradition.