S'pore actress Carrie Wong regrets not seeing her grandma before she died

SINGAPORE - Actress Carrie Wong's grandmother, whom she had not seen for two years due to the pandemic, died in Malaysia on Monday (Aug 9).

The 27-year-old, whose father is Singaporean and mother is from Malaysia, paid a heartfelt tribute to "the grandma with the warmest smile" on Instagram on Tuesday.

She posted a number of throwback photos, including one of Wong as a baby in her grandmother's arms.

"I'm sorry I was unable to see you before you left. I hope you are not leaving with regrets or reluctance," she wrote in Chinese.

She recalled all the times her grandmother had waited for her to return home, but she was too busy with work.

"I often couldn't go back because of work, so you would tell me you saw me on television. And every time, you would tell me I was too skinny and ask me to eat more. You would also always ask if I had enough money and whether my job was tiring," she said.

Even on their last FaceTime call, her grandmother, who was very weak then, had asked her if she had taken her meal.

"Because of the pandemic, too many people have been unable to see their families. I have not seen my grandma for two years and now will never be able to see her again," she said, adding that she could not even attend the wake.

"There is no bigger regret than not being able to say a final goodbye."

The Recipe Of Life star also asked everyone to "be kind" to those who have been separated from their loved ones due to the pandemic.

Her celebrity friends, such as actress Chantalle Ng and DJ Dennis Chew, flooded the comments section with condolence messages.

"My grandma really knew how to pick a date, choosing to leave us on National Day," Wong wrote at the end of her post. "We will commemorate National Day in the future with an extra layer of meaning."