Malaysian actor Yap Chin Fong, who made a name for himself in the popular comedy Empat Sekawan, has passed away due to complications from diabetes on Saturday (Nov 20). He was 74.
According to the actor's wife, he had been suffering from diabetes for a number of years. He fainted at home a few days prior to his passing due to low blood sugar level and was sent to the hospital for further treatment. He passed away at 5.30am on Nov 20. Due to Covid-19 SOP, his family members were not present when he died.
Yap, or Uncle Fong as he was fondly known in the industry, wasn't part of the original cast of Empat Sekawan when the comedy premiered in 1968.
“I might have joined the cast later, but they quickly made me feel at home. Before long, I was part of the happy family,” Uncle Fong told StarLifestyle in a 2015 interview.
He played one of the children on the multi-dialect series which ended its run in 1988.
Late actress Datuk Lai Meng, who was also present at the reunion interview, said that Uncle Fong was just a teenager when he joined the cast.
“We used to call him sai lou gor (little kid), as he was only in his teens when he joined the cast. Now, I still think of him as a kid as he is much younger than me,” said Lai Meng.
Lai Meng passed away in 2018 at the age of 90.
After Empat Sekawan ended its run, Uncle Fong went on to star in many local films and TV dramas.
A highly respected actor in the acting community, Uncle Fong was a recipient of NTV7's Golden Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. He was also honoured with the Anugerah Tokoh Seni YA1M (1Malaysia Artistes Foundation) the following year.
He leaves behind a wife and two children.
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