HONG KONG, Aug 31 — Tam Mei Kam, the mother of late Cantopop star Anita Mui, died yesterday at the age of 102 after reportedly choking while eating at her residence on Leighton Road.
Emergency services received a call at about 10.48am reporting that an elderly woman had collapsed, according to The Standard.
Paramedics found her unconscious and rushed her to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai, where she was later pronounced dead.
Police identified the victim as Tam and have begun investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.
Anita Mui Yim Fong, Tam’s daughter, was one of Hong Kong’s most influential entertainers, earning the title “Madonna of the East” for her powerful vocals, elaborate stagecraft and award winning film roles.
She rose to fame after winning the New Talent Singing Awards in the early 1980s and later starred in films such as Rouge, The Heroic Trio and Drunken Master II, before dying of cervical cancer in 2003 at the age of 40.
Tam had rarely appeared in public since her 100th birthday celebration, and Hong Kong-based entertainment outlet ST Headlines reported she was last seen in February in a Chinese New Year greeting shared by Anita’s international fan club.
Her later years were marked by financial and family disputes with her son Peter Mui Kai Ming following Anita’s death.
Tam had four children — Anita, Peter, Ann and Tak Ming — with Ann dying of uterine cancer in 2000 and Tak Ming of throat cancer in 2015.
She declared bankruptcy in 2012 after failing to pay HK$2.24 million (about RM907,000 based on the 2012 exchange rate) in legal fees from a failed bid for Anita’s estate, and she was discharged in 2016.
Tam filed for bankruptcy again in 2017 but eventually settled her debts.
Reports at the time stated that Anita, who was estranged from her mother, had arranged in her will for Tam to receive HK$70,000 monthly through a trust, an amount that later increased after legal challenges.
In 2022, Tam and Peter publicly clashed when he sued the production company behind the biopic Anita (2021), accusing it of trademark infringement, and both accused each other of being driven by money.
Tam later disowned Peter during the dispute.
In 2024, Tam again faced bankruptcy proceedings after failing to pay legal fees, prompting the Hong Kong justice minister to apply for her assets to be liquidated.
Peter, who remarried in 2025, told Hong Kong media then that he hoped to reconcile with his mother, but she allegedly cut ties with him over dissatisfaction with his behaviour.
ST Headlines reported yesterday that Peter was shocked when contacted about Tam’s death and said he had lost contact with all relatives.
He was later seen arriving at the hospital at about 3.30pm with a solemn expression.