Malaysian singer Fish Leong overcame depression with sunshine during pandemic

Taiwan ― Malaysian born singer Fish Leong who is based in Taiwan has revealed her struggles with depression during the pandemic.

The 43-year-old shared about her difficulties during a live stream on Oct 10 which was organised by Life Line Association Malaysia, a non-governmental organisation that offers counselling services.

The singer shared how she found it hard to cope mentally during the lockdown last year. She has not been back in Malaysia for the past two years due to the pandemic. Leong lives with her seven-year-old son, Anderson, reported the Straits Times.

In Dec 2019, Leong’s high-profile divorce from Taiwanese businessman Tony Chao was finalised, and they share custody of their son.

In Feb 2020, Leong’s short-lived romance with Taiwanese entrepreneur Darwin Lin was confirmed to be over after four months – just before everything went into lockdown.

What affected Leong the most during the pandemic was the cancellation of her concerts and promotional events, as well as her son not being able to go to school.

In the live stream, she said she saw the sun shining through the curtains. It was then when she told her son: “We will follow our routine of getting up at 8 am. We will sit in the sunshine and draw and read. We will behave like plants basking in the sun.”

Leong revealed that while they were in lockdown, she also talked to her pet goldfish every day. Meditation, working out, listening to classical music and watching her friends’ cooking videos online also helped to give her peace of mind.

Born Jun 16, 1978, Fish Leong is a Malaysian singer. Having sold more than 18 million records, she achieved popularity and success in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Leong was born in Bahau, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. R&B singer Z-Chen is her older cousin. She debuted her singing career in Taiwan and signed to Rock Records in Oct 1997.

She then adopted the English name “Fish” because the last character of her Chinese name “茹” sounds the same as “魚” (fish) in Cantonese. /TISG