'I spent every cent I had': Kym Ng on her old money habits

Prudent financial planning takes practice.

In the local drama Whatever Will Be, Will Be, actress Kym Ng acts as a woman obsessed with money, a strong contrast from her real personality, which is more relaxed with financial matters, she shared in a recent interview with Shin Min Daily News.

The 56-year-old admitted: "Twenty to 30 years ago, I earned $4,000 to $5,000 per month as an air stewardess and didn't have the habit of saving, so I spent every cent I had and didn't have a cent when I lost my job. After I joined Mediacorp, I worked hard and don't dare to spend, only buying a luxury bag occasionally."

In the dialect daytime drama Whatever Will Be Will Be, Kym plays Huiyao, who's married to Bishan (Chen Hanwei), son of Liu Dafu (Zhu Houren). Dafu is a patriarch who receives three lottery tickets one day and splits them among his three children. By a stroke of luck, one of the tickets emerges as the winning ticket and Bishan and Huiyao cunningly schemes to retrieve that ticket for themselves.

As Dafu's children fall out with one another because of greed, Bishan's brother Biran (Richie Koh) reminds them of the importance of family.

'I have never bought a lottery ticket'

Even though Kym's character Huiyao resorted to desperate measures to retrieve her lottery ticket, she has not bought a lottery ticket in real life.

"I am a lazy person, and will not gamble or buy lottery tickets like my character in the drama. I know earning money is tough and we lose money nine out of ten times in gambling. It's a waste and hurts my heart if I lose money, so I'd rather earn a honest living with a job," she said.

[[nid:639602]]

However, she shared that she "plays mahjong once a year with her family and always loses but it's okay to lose to family".

She continued: "I don't buy 4D and I don't know how it works. So of course I would never quarrel with my family over a lottery ticket."

If Kym strikes first prize in a lottery, she said that she would "continue to work, but also travel, learn cooking and painting, and go on cruises in first-class suites".

Kym elaborated: "Holidays are enjoyable and I can also adjust my mental state after adequate rest and recuperation, and prepare myself for new challenges at work. I can work better after having stimulating experiences."

Whatever Will Be Will Be is showing on Channel 8 every Friday at 11.30am and is streaming on meWATCH as well.

ALSO READ: Zhu Houren doesn't worry about an empty nest as actor son Joel Choo prepares to move out after marriage

jolynn.chia@asiaone.com