Nearly three decades after Army Daze became a Singaporean comedy favourite, the five actors who brought its iconic recruits to life have reunited — this time to stand by fellow cast member Sheikh Haikel.
Edward Yong, Ahamed Azad, Adrian Lim and Kevin Mark Verghese recently met Haikel at his Hai Ge Ji chicken rice restaurant, marking a rare reunion of the main cast of the 1996 film. Yong shared photos of the gathering on Instagram on Sept 20, reflecting on how much time had passed since they last appeared together.
Yong described the reunion as a reminder that, despite nearly 30 years passing, reconnecting with his former co-stars felt remarkably familiar. He also wished Haikel strength as he continues his fight against cancer and thanked Haikel’s wife, Anna Belle Francis, for her support and hospitality.
Haikel, who turns 51 in October, revealed earlier this month that he has Stage 4 colon cancer and has been battling the disease for more than a year. He has undergone chemotherapy and several major abdominal operations. While the primary tumour in his colon has been cleared, cancer cells have spread to his liver and he continues to receive treatment.
The reunion brought together the actors behind some of Army Daze’s most recognisable characters: Yong played Malcolm Png, Haikel played Johari Salleh, Azad portrayed Krishnamoorthy, Lim played Teo Ah Beng and Verghese took on the role of Kenny Pereira.
The 1996 film follows five young men from different backgrounds as they enter Singapore’s National Service and navigate the challenges and comedy of military training. Based on Michael Chiang’s popular stage play and book, the movie reportedly earned about S$1.6 million at the box office at the time.
The reunion also drew an emotional response from Chiang, who wrote the original play and screenplay. He celebrated seeing the five actors together again and sent Haikel messages of support as he continues treatment.
Haikel himself kept his message simple, captioning the reunion photo: “Army Daze … forever & a day.”
The cast had previously reunited in 2017 for a promotional video connected to the Netflix war film War Machine, but their latest gathering carries a different significance as friends and former co-stars rally around Haikel during a difficult chapter in his life.
Nearly 30 years after Army Daze first brought Malcolm, Kenny, Johari, Krishna and Ah Beng together on screen, the five men have once again shown that some friendships can outlast the spotlight — and that the bonds formed decades ago can still matter when it counts most.
