Dasmond Koh: Our priority is bringing Aloysius Pang home

UPDATE (January 25, 2:40pm): Friends who wish to bid farewell to Aloysius may do so at 82A Macpherson Lane from January 26, 12pm to January 27, 12pm.

No plans have been made yet for Aloysius Pang’s wake and funeral, according to his mentor and boss, Dasmond Koh, and the actor’s older brother, Kenny Pang, who spoke to the media shortly after touching down from Auckland, New Zealand on Thursday night (January 24).

The pair had flown to New Zealand a few days ago after hearing about the accident that happened during his reservist training, and updated the media about what will be happening in the coming days.

“Our priority is to bring Aloysius home,” Dasmond shared, visibly emotional throughout the entire session. “I hope that everyone can understand that there's no point in writing speculative comments online (...) Everything will eventually reach the ears of his parents, so I hope that everyone can understand and respect that.”

Prior to the press conference, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) shared that Aloysius had been crushed between the gun barrel of the Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer and its cabin after he was "unable to get out of the way" as the barrel was lowered.

Separately, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen has said in a Facebook post that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are fully assisting the family and that a KC-135 aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has been sent to New Zealand to repatriate Aloysius’ body.

Dasmond and Kenny, who arrived in Auckland after the look-through surgery, did not have a chance to speak to Aloysius, as the 28-year-old had not regained consciousness after his second operation.

“The last few days have been a roller-coaster of emotions,” Kenny said. “We need space to grieve.”

Kenny also emphasised that Aloysius, who had always been protective of his family’s privacy despite being a celebrity, was the youngest and most “precious” of the family who was doted on and loved by all.

“The things that you’ve been reading online about him, that’s who he is. He’s that transparent and who you see on television is exactly who he is,” he continued.

While there are no concrete plans for when Aloysius’s last rites will be, Dasmond shared that the family will be working closely with MINDEF to make arrangements, “which will be announced to everyone within the next one or two days”. He added that a memorial service may be held for fans and colleagues to pay their last respects, “We know that there are a lot of his fans and colleagues who want to say goodbye to him, so we’ll try to make that happen.”

Related:
Local stars pay tribute to Aloysius Pang after his passing
Aloysius Pang passes away after reservist accident in New Zealand