If Chew Believe

Fifty and Fabulous-ly positive CHEW CHOR MENG didn’t let a debilitating disease get in his way of life. Instead, he’s learnt to seize the day and count his blessings.

- Cheryl Ong

Chew on this: While the Latin term “carpe diem” or “seize the day” is often bandied around these days as an Instagram caption, few actually grasp the adage better than Chew Chor Meng. Back in 2008, life threw the actor a curveball when he was diagnosed with a rare muscle-wasting genetic disorder and was initially given only 18 months to live.

While most might see it as a death sentence, the go-getter saw it as a catalyst to live life to the fullest. It’s been a decade since his diagnosis, and the well-loved actor is still standing strong and YOLO-ing through life. Though there are physical signs that betray his condition, like how he walks with a limp, Chor Meng continues to enjoy a prolific presence on Ch 8. Like his beloved role as a coffee shop towkay in long-running Ch 8 drama 118. In real life, Chor Meng is also a successful F&B entrepreneur with two d’Good Cafe outlets and three Mookata stalls (which he co-owns with fellow actor Dennis Chew) under his over-achieving belt. In fact, he recently told us that he plans to open a porridge store soon. In the midst of his packed schedule, he still finds time to play doting dad to his two teenage daughters whom he jokingly calls his “infantry” in his battle with the disease.

It is that seize-the-day optimism that the 50-year-old actor will bring on screen when he plays a JC teacher who gets diagnosed with an incurable disease in the current Ch 8 drama Fifty and Fabulous. Just like his character, the actor is determined to make the most out of life. And he sure isn’t about to let a little limp get in his way.