HONG KONG - In an unexpected appearance, actor Adam Cheng went onstage at a memorial for his ex-wife Lydia Sum, to answer a charge that he had neglected their daughter Joyce, 20.

The actor, who stayed on in China to film a TV show even after Sum's death on Feb 19 at the age of 62, had returned home last Saturday for the two-hour memorial, held yesterday at the Hong Kong Coliseum. Some 10,000 people attended.

THERE NOW: Lydia Sum's ex-husband Adam Cheng and their daughter Joyce Cheng at the public memorial service of the late comedienne. He had doffed his cap to reveal a shaved head, done for an acting role.

In his eulogy at the memorial, actor Alan Tang had asked: 'Why has Cheng only now appeared?'

To some applause from the audience, he said Sum's ex had not cared about Joyce's feelings. He then asked the actor for an explanation.

Cheng, 61, who went on stage with his daughter, replied, using Sum's nickname: 'Alan is sad about losing Ah Fei. I couldn't look after Joyce because she was sent to Canada after our marriage failed. And I was busy earning a living.'

The actor, who had faced criticism in the media that he had not been around for his daughter after Sum's death, also defended himself.

He said he had asked Joyce out during the Christmas and New Year holidays but she had wanted to be with her mother. She had also asked him not to visit Sum, who was suffering from cancer, to avoid tiring her out.

Joyce said press reports had resulted in her father being misunderstood.

'But my family and I know the truth,' she said, to thunderous applause.

In her eulogy later, she thanked friends and guests for their presence at the tribute.

'Even if my mother is playing mahjong in heaven, she will stop to listen to your kind regards,' she said, before presenting flowers and bowing to Sum's portrait. A song she sang with composer Liu Chia-chang was then played.

A host of people delivered eulogies, including Liu, veteran actor Woo Fung, actor Eric Tsang and Sum's godson, singer Jacky Cheung. His comments were pre-taped. He was unable to attend because of his grandmother's death.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Mar 3, 2008.