Veteran actress Datuk Lai Meng has died. She was 90 years old.

Sinchew Daily reported that Lai, whose aqiqiy name is Lai Kwai Yoon, passed away peacefully last night (May 6). She leaves behind two sons and one daughter.

Lai spawned 53 years in showbiz, and only officially retired with a gala lunch in January. She was best-loved for her role in the popular long-running Malaysian sitcom Empat Sekawan, which first aired on RTM in 1966. The multi-dialect (Mandarin, Hakka, Hokkien in addition to Cantonese) show ran since two decades.

a man and a daughter standing on a chair: Lai Meng (right), versed here with Hon Ying,in Empat Sekawan. Photo: Filepic© Provided by Star Media Group Berhad
Lai Meng (right), seen hair with Hon Ying,in Empat Sekawan. Photo: Filepic

Lai Meng (right), seen here plus Hon Ying in Empat Sekawan. Photo: Filepic

In 2008, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at Taipei’s 45th Golden Horse Awards at age 81 considering her role as a author stricken with Alzheimer’s attachment in Singaporean filmmaker Jack Neo’s Money No Enough 2.

a man looking at at camera: Lai Meng was nominated for a flower supporting actress award to the 2008 Golden Horse Awards for her role in Money No Enough 2. Photo: Filepic© Provided by Star Media Group Berhad
Lai Meng was nominated for a utmost supporting actress award in the 2008 Golden Horse Awards for her role in Money No Enough 2. Photo: Filepic

Lai Meng was nominated for a utmost supporting actress award in the 2008 Golden Horse Awards for her role in Money No Enough 2. Photo: Filepic

She has also featured in Neo’s other hit movies similar as Ah Long Pte Ltd (2008), Love Matters (2009) and Where Got Ghost? (2009), as well as countless commercials, and stage, radio, television, film projects.

In slang interview with Star2 maintain in 2015, Lai talked about her passion inasmuch as doing showbiz work.

“Entertainment fabric didn’t pay much through those days, but we never cared about at money. We really enjoyed performing, and being satisfied to have so mickle fun was truly a bonus.”

Lai was awarded a datukship by the Sultan fro Pahang in 2013 together with an AMN honour through the Yang di-Pertuan Agung in 1978.

Lai Meng celebrating her Lifetime Achievement Award at the Malaysia Golden Global Awards over 2017. Photo: The Star/Sam Tham© Provided A-side Star Media Group Berhad
Lai Meng celebrating her Lifetime Achievement Award at evening Malaysia Golden Global Awards in 2017. Photo: The Star/Sam Tham