The urn containing the ashes of late Hong Kong Cantopop star Anita Mui Yim-fong was discovered missing from a monastery three months ago, the singer’s family has revealed, saying police have made “no progress” in their investigation and that the incident has caused “immense distress”.
A police spokesman said on Sunday (Oct 11) that the force had received a report on Jul 18 that an item stored in a Lantau monastery was suspected to have gone missing.
The case has been classified as a “request for police assistance” and is being investigated by Lantau district crime squad. No arrest has been made so far, the spokesman said.
Mui’s family made a public appeal for information on the whereabouts of the ashes in a statement issued on Saturday, Mui’s birthday. The singer, who died in 2003 aged 40, would have been 63.
The statement, reposted by one of the singer’s biggest fan groups – the Anita Mui International Fan Club – on its Instagram account, said police had made no progress after a three-month investigation.
“This incident has brought immense distress and mental torment to Mui’s family. Coupled with the earlier passing of Mui’s mother, the family is now enduring a dual blow, suffering both physically and emotionally,” the statement said.
The statement revealed that a fan first discovered that the urn had gone missing from a columbarium at Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island while paying tribute to Mui on Jul 18. The monastery is located on the Ngong Ping plateau and is the site of the famous Tian Tan Buddha, or Big Buddha.
The fan discovered that the screws on the door panel of the niche housing Mui’s ashes had come loose, and the urn inside was missing. The fan notified Mui’s family, who made a police report.
The statement added that there was no portrait at the niche as the family wanted a low-profile arrangement.
Police said they would continue to maintain contact with the family and relevant parties and follow up appropriately.
Another fan club, the 1,000-strong Mui Nation, said on Sunday that it was shocked to hear about the loss of the urn and called for the monastery’s management to review its security arrangements and explain what had happened.
“The incident is extremely absurd, against any moral standards and is a shock to those who love and respect Ms Mui Yim-fong,” it said.
Po Lin Monastery said it would not comment on the case as it was under investigation.
It was understood that Mui’s family did not receive any extortion call demanding payment for the return of the ashes. No other urns at the columbarium appear to have gone missing.
One fan wrote on social media: “My heart hurts so, so much. Mui went through so many trials and so much suffering in her lifetime. Why do so many bad things still happen even after she’s gone?”
“This is so utterly classless,” another fan commented. “Whoever stole her ashes should go to hell.”
Posting on Threads, Mui’s apprentice, singer-actor Patrick Tam Yiu-man, said he hoped police would recover the urn soon. “I really do not understand why there is such negligence,” he added.
Mui’s family also expressed hope that the ashes would be recovered as soon as possible. The family appealed to Mui’s friends, fans who had previously visited to pay their respects, and the general public for help.
The family said anyone who visited the columbarium on or before July 18 and had noticed anything suspicious should get in touch immediately. They also appealed to those who drove to the columbarium to provide relevant car-cam footage.
Those who had any clues, photos or videos should contact the Lantau district crime squad at 3661 1938 or the WhatsApp Hotline at 4740 1308, the family added.
Anti-triad officers have arrested a man in connection with the suspected theft of urns from a columbarium in Sha Tin in November last year, after containers holding the ashes of legendary kung fu master Lau Kar-leung were allegedly stolen between May and August last year.
This article was first published on SCMP.