TWO teenagers in Pahang became what is believed to be the youngest mortuary make-up artists in the country when they followed in their parents’ footsteps in the bereavement industry, reported Sin Chew Daily.
Dedicated work: Ke Xin (left) and Xiao Tong applying make-up with utmost care at Hock Thayhing Trading Funeral Services in Kuantan.
Lee Ke Xin, 19, and her 13-year-old sister Lee Xiao Tong are the newest members of the Kuantan-based Hock Thayhing Trading Funeral Services.
Ke Xin, who has taken on the role for more than a year, said she joined the profession after her SPM.
“Since young, I have always been interested in becoming a mortuary make-up artist. I joined right after I finished my Form Five studies,” she said.
Asked if she felt afraid when working with dead bodies, she said: “No, it’s because I have the utmost respect for the deceased.”
She said she took on the role because she wanted to help those who had passed away to complete the final leg of their journey on earth with dignity.
The teenager had applied make-up on more than 50 deceased, helping them appear to be sleeping or at rest in a natural way.
Her younger sister Xiao Tong, who works part-time at the company, only helps out during weekends and school holidays but is determined to join the industry once she has finished her studies.
It was reported that the Hock Thayhing Trading Funeral Services was established by the Lee family in 1972.
> In a startling revelation, Hong Kong superstar Louis Koo had admitted that he suffered from cervical spondylosis causing him to be in severe pain most of the time, reported China Press.
The 51-year-old actor began noticing his right hand going numb as well as pain along his spine during filming for the sci-fi film Warriors of Future.
Initially dismissing it as a symptom of his busy filming schedule, Koo finally went to the doctor after the pain and numbness caused him to have sleepless nights.
The doctor diagnosed him with cervical spondylosis, which is a kind of spinal osteoporosis often due to age-related wear and tear of the spinal column.
“This is serious. Your nerves are damaged. If all your nerves are dead, you will be done (for),” the doctor was reported to have said.
However, the actor refused to halt filming and resorted to using painkillers to complete the shoot.
After filming ended in late 2017, Koo received surgery to rectify the condition.
“I had a surgery and I’m now okay,” he said during a press conference recently.
Koo both produced and starred in Warriors of Future.
Released in theatres on Aug 25, critics had praised its visual effects, action scenes, and the acting performance but harped on its plot.
● The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.
