PETALING JAYA, April 5 — Popular Malaysian chef and restaurateur Chef Wan has revealed he is refusing to spend his hard-earned money to pay for his daughter Serina’s upcoming wedding.
The television personality, whose real name is Datuk Redzuawan Ismail, took to Instagram recently to vent that he was against the idea after footing the entire bill for Serina’s previous marriage to Englishman Gavin Edward O'luanaigh in 2010.
In a searing post, the 63-year-old told his two children off for making him spend a fortune on their multiple wedding ceremonies.
“Ask your future husband to pay for your wedding ceremony just like I did when I sponsored your wedding 100 per cent.
“If he’s so eager to get married, let him be responsible for the cost.
“To be honest, I’ve just had enough of sponsoring my children’s weddings, including my son who got married twice.
“In the end, you see what I had to suffer and endure — enough is enough,” Chef Wan said.
The post comes after Serina had asked her father if she could get married after the Hari Raya festivities and had suggested a simple affair to be held at her dad’s home.
While Chef Wan told the mother of two to be “patient”, he felt she was better off getting married at a mosque instead.
“No need to mess up my house with a wedding celebration as I am alone, your grandma needs some privacy and I have my restaurant business.
“Let your guests congregate at the mosque and eat at De.Wan 1958 after that,” he wrote.
Chef Wan added that in Covid-19 times, large crowds weren’t a good idea and suggested keeping the guest list small and intimate, just for close relatives.
The outspoken cookbook author advised Serina to donate money to the less fortunate instead of wasting it on a wedding.
He added what is important is making the marriage official during the solemnisation.
“The money for making a pelamin (dais) and wedding planning can be channelled to the mosque for better use.
“If this is the first wedding, it’s okay but this is the second time.
“If my son wants to get married tomorrow it’ll be his third time.
“I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about my money depleting,” he said.
Serina and O’Luanaigh lavish three-day wedding ceremony in 2010 was documented in a one-episode special, One Night: A Malaysian Wedding – Chef Wan, on the Asian Food Channel.
The couple who have two children, Tristan Tareef dan Isabella Safiyya, divorced in 2017.
