As news of veteran comedian Moses Lim’s passing spreads across Singapore, local filmmaker Jack Neo has taken to social media to mourn his long-time friend.
In the ’90s, Jack and Moses were the hosts and performers in the wildly popular variety show Comedy Nite, which ended its run in 2003.
They reunited in 2016 for the variety series Happy Can Already!.
The last time the pair appeared together in public was on a radio show last year.
In a heartfelt Facebook post, Jack, 65, lamented how Moses “just left like that”.
“I’m in shock, and up until now, still can’t react to it,” he added.
According to Jack, Moses had sent him a Chinese New Year picture message, but he hadn’t replied yet.
“I thought we would catch up after Chinese New Year,” he wrote.
He mentioned he had invited Moses to the premiere of his new Chinese New Year movie, but Moses told him he had caught a cold that day and was unable to attend.
“I told you that I would make arrangements for you [to catch the movie] after you got better,” added Jack.
In the post, he looked back on their time together, writing: “From being strangers meeting by chance to becoming best partners, you were the most precious asset in my life.”
Crediting Moses for creating Comedy Nite with him, Jack shared how they would brainstorm performance ideas, some of which became long-lasting skits.
“We partnered in various big and small performances, immersing ourselves in laughter and applause,” said Jack.
“Your command of the English language is better than mine and we always host in English and Mandarin – the perfect combination,” he added.
There was one regret in their partnership, said Jack. “Later on, because of your health issues, you could only join us for one performance on Happy Can Already!, You played a Peranakan woman and took us on a trip down memory lane. After that, you couldn’t join us anymore,” he wrote.
He also reminisced about their dreams.
“At that time, a lot of American stars, like Sylvester Stallone, were invited to the Istana to meet the President. You showed me a photo and said that if we could perform in the Istana one day, we would have reached another level in life and our life would have no regrets. Maybe the timing wasn’t right then and maybe no one in the Istana heard our wish. Whatever it was, the Istana never called all these years and we would laugh at ourselves,” he wrote.
Jack went on to express gratitude to Moses for always being respectful and considerate towards others. “You took care of each member of J Team and never gave anyone pressure,” he wrote.
J Team is Jack’s production house and artiste management company and once had local comedy icons Mark Lee, Henry Thia and Patrick Mok in its stable of stars.
For Jack, the most unforgettable time of their friendship was the period when they would perform at D&Ds as outside engagements (OE) to make money.
“When we were on Ch 8 doing variety shows, our Comedy Nite, with everyone’s hard work, managed to beat the drama unit in ratings. That day, we created history. You were there during those history-making moments. You have to remember that. These are the contributions you left in the world.
Jack ended the post with: “My brother, have a safe journey. Your hair is not messy anymore. Have a good rest. Thank you again!”