Farewell To Chuan Lam’s Brother 蔡萱

Brother of Chua Lam, Singapore’s veteran television figure Chua Sian passed away at 11 a.m. on March 26 2025, aged 78. He is survived by a son and a daughter. Below is a photo of Chua Lam and his elder brother, the late Chua Sian.

His 53-year-old eldest son, Chua Hua revealed that his late father had been diagnosed with mild myelofibrosis. However, his condition took a sudden turn in February 2025, developing into acute leukemia.

Chua Hua remembered his father as a kind and patient man who had never laid a hand on him.

As brother Chua Lam is currently in HK and not in good health, he would not attend Chua Sian’s funeral. What are some of Chua Sian’s achievements?

Throwback: “Kopi-O” Shattered Viewership Records in the 1980s

Veteran TV producer Chua Sian played a pivotal role in shaping Singapore’s television landscape. A graduate of Nanyang University and Tokyo’s Chiyoda Television Academy, Mr Chua started his career at RTS (Radio and Television of Singapore) as an assistant director. Over the years, he rose to become a director, producer, and production manager, working on more than 200 dramas.

Among his most iconic works were Kopi-O, Attap Seed, Palette, and The Three Faces of Eve—the latter launching Zoe Tay (郑惠玉) into the ranks of top-tier actresses.

In 1985, Kopi-O made history by surpassing one million viewership, breaking local ratings records. Chua also invited Xinyao star Eric Moo (巫启贤) to write the theme song. Back then, Eric Moo had a special request and that was to sing the words “kopi-o” in Hokkien instead of Mandarin “ka fei wu” which would have sounded unauthentic. The station agreed—and the result was a timeless tune still fondly remembered today:

???? “kopi-o, kopi-o, 喝一杯浓浓的 kopi-o” ????

A legend behind the scenes, Chua Sian’s legacy lives on in the golden era of Singapore television. In his book “Looking Back At Caldecott Hill”, Chua Sian lamented that towards the end of the 1990s, the subsequent privatisation of the network to Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS) was heralded by golden handshakes to retrench many well-paid and experienced employees. Mr Chua was one of them. Zoe Tay sees him as a pioneer of television. Of all the producers, she has worked with him on most occasions. She also remembers him as an excellent co-worker and a patient man who didn’t given workers on the set too much pressure. Xiang Yun however, sees him as a superior. She has the utmost respect for his abilities.