Elvin Ng surprises former helper in Indonesia with pineapple tarts and family trip
In a recent episode of CNA Insider’s On The Red Dot, Singaporean actor Elvin Ng and his mother flew to Indonesia to surprise their former helper, Jumi, whom they hadn’t seen in 12 years.
Elvin Ng and his former helper, Jumi. (Photos: YouTube/CNA Insider)
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Back in the 2000s, when he first joined the entertainment industry, Singaporean actor Elvin Ng, 45, faced hectic filming schedules – with some shoots running from 7am to midnight. Once home, he would memorise scripts till 1am, sleep for five hours and go back to work.
During this time, his then-helper, Jumi, was “a silent strength”, helping to wake Ng up and supporting his family through various ups and downs, including the death of Ng’s father in 2012.
“She’s always with a smile, very gentle, very unassuming,” recalled Ng in a recent episode of CNA Insider’s On The Red Dot.
“She was the one who most matched my age and my siblings’ ages as well. We were close-knit.”
Jumi ended up working for the Ng family for six years. In 2014, she announced that she wanted to go back to Indonesia and “get on with her life”.
Twelve years later, the On The Red Dot episode follows the reunion of Jumi, now 42, with both Elvin Ng and his mother, Linda Chew, who travelled to Indonesia to surprise her.
Before the surprise, Jumi thought that she was being interviewed for a video on domestic helpers. She recalled how she learnt to make pineapple tarts from Chew because Ng likes them.
“Every Chinese New Year, he would snack on them daily,” said Jumi at her home.
The producer of the episode then handed Jumi a tub of pineapple tarts that were made by Ng, prompting Jumi to cry and say that she missed the Ng family.
While Jumi was eating the tarts, Elvin Ng and his mother surprised Jumi from behind, asking her if the treats were nice.
Upon seeing Ng and his mother, Jumi hugged the pair and cried even more.
Jumi then brought Ng and his mother to meet her family, including her husband Mugianto and her four children.
She also revealed that she kept many keepsakes from her time in Singapore, including a Coach wallet that was gifted to her by Ng.
The following day, Ng helped Jumi sell snacks near a school, where she told him that her dream was to open her own shop.
“She’s very hardworking, has integrity and is very principled. I’m sure she’s going to get there,” said Ng.
Ng eventually brought Jumi and her family to Jakarta for the very first time. There, they visited the National Monument, also known as Monas, where they took photos, ending the trip.
“The three days that Elvin and ma’am came here feel like a dream,” said Jumi. “I’m very sad because today is the last day I can see them.”
Ng eventually bade farewell to Jumi and her family at her house, before returning to Singapore.
“Just having these short three days is very fulfilling,” he mused. “It’s not measured in length. It’s measured in closeness, that intimacy. Just to be able to have that glimpse and just to see her again, it already meant a lot more than anything else.”
Watch the full episode below.
Source: CNA/hq
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