Peter Mui Kai-ming faces fierce online backlash after proposing a lavish HK$1.5 million funeral for his late mother, 102-year-old Tam Mei Kam, who died on August 30. Despite a severed family relationship, unpaid press conference bills, and vague financing claims, Mui insists on a traditional burial and legal action against cremation.
The family legacy of late Cantopop icon Anita Mui has once again thrust her relatives into the public spotlight. Peter Mui Kai-ming, the brother of the late singer, has drawn sharp criticism and fierce social media derision following a chaotic press conference held in Causeway Bay on Monday, according to coverage from The Standard. The briefing outlined elaborate plans for a traditional burial for his mother, Tam Mei Kam, who passed away at the age of 102 on August 30.
The HK$1.5 Million Funeral Proposal and Opposition to Cremation
During the media briefing, Mui announced his intention to hire premier funeral directors and secure a permanent plot at the Tseung Kwan O Chinese Permanent Cemetery. His proposed arrangements include hiring senior monks and offerings, projecting the total cost at approximately HK$1.5 million, or roughly RM778,009. Mui stated that he has already discussed burial details with senior management at the funeral parlour.
Mui also expressed vehement opposition to any cremation proceedings, citing a lifelong fear of fire that he attributed to his late mother. He confirmed that he has instructed lawyers to seek a court injunction to halt any attempts to cremate her remains. Mui asserted that as the eldest son, handling these affairs was his responsibility rather than leaving the arrangements to grandchildren or outsiders.
“I want to arrange a proper funeral for my mother, Tam Mei Kam, using a burial ceremony so that she can rest peacefully in a grave forever.”
Mui Kai-ming
Vague Financing Claims and Unpaid Bills
When journalists pressed Mui on how he intends to finance the expensive memorial, his answers proved remarkably ambiguous. He offered the vague response that Money will come from somewhere,
while adding, Whether I can access the fund is another matter. In any case, my mother will definitely have a grand funeral. Wherever I go, money will fall from the sky. As for where it will come from, that's a secret.
He also hinted that he would disclose previously unknown details about Anita Mui’s estate and trust fund after their mother’s funeral.
As to Poon Siu Man’s previous statement claiming that Mother Mui had appointed her grandson from another son, Mui Tak Mung, to be the executor for her funeral arrangements, Mui responded: I don't care what my nephew does. In any case, he cannot mess with my mother's body.
The situation drew further scrutiny when restaurant staff revealed that Mui had booked three dim sum tables priced at HK$1,080 each for the press conference. After reporters declined to stay for lunch, Mui reportedly paid for only one table and walked out on the remaining two, leaving a disputed HK$2,160 bill. Critics and online commentators quickly mocked the unpaid tab, questioning how someone unable to settle a basic restaurant bill could legitimately fund a HK$1.5 million funeral.
Family Strife and Past Allegations
Mui dismissed his mother’s past newspaper announcement cutting ties with him a few years ago, insisting that he was a 100 percent devoted son
and dismissing the mother-son severance. His remarks sparked an immediate storm on social media, with netizens fiercely deriding him as a textbook freeloader
trying to profit off Anita’s legacy, while pleading with him to finally let his late sister and mother rest in peace. Commentators also ridiculed his claim that he saw his mother’s mouth move in the mortuary—which he interpreted as a sign that she was cold—pointing out that post-mortem muscle relaxation is standard biological reality.
Additional scrutiny has emerged regarding Peter’s financial and personal history. Peter’s first wife Joey, who is a Malaysian, made accusations concerning his financial affairs in an interview with Sing Tao Headline. Joey alleged that Peter has failed to land a stable job for years, claiming: Has he not taken his medication? He’s been like this for at least 50 years. He has never held down a stable job.
Joey further accused Peter of becoming volatile whenever his mother went against his wishes, alleging that he would lose his temper, threaten to harm himself, and come home drunk to kick the door several times, which led the mother to ask Joey to take her son back to Malaysia so he wouldn’t frighten the child.
