Anita Mui's mother breaks down as she tells of their relationship and influence of 'outsiders'

The 84-year-old mother of late Canto-pop queen Anita Mui Yim-fong broke down in tears in court yesterday as she described her relationship with her famous daughter.

Clutching the yellowed lyrics of Mui's song Moonlight in a plastic folder, Tam Mei-kam wept as she told how her daughter had dedicated the song to her as a Mother's Day present in 1997. Ms Tam was testifying at a probate hearing in which she is challenging the validity of her daughter's will, signed in hospital less than four months before she died of cervical cancer. The will left Ms Tam with a HK$70,000 monthly allowance.

Admitting she learned of Mui's illness from the media, she said her daughter had 'poured her heart out' and offered her valuable birthday gifts a few days after she publicly disclosed her condition in a press conference in September 2003. The pair had a heart-to-heart chat after the late diva invited her mother to her flat and showed her a safety box containing documents, cash, vintage watches and jewellery, Ms Tam said.

She asked Mui to cancel her concerts and retire but Mui said she had to go on because she had promised to and wanted to earn more money.

The late singer then offered to give her mother six diamonds and a jade pendant as gifts for her coming birthday but she did not take them.

'She told me not to worry about her and not to miss her. She said she would win the fight with cancer because she wanted to get married,' Ms Tam said.

But she said 'some outsiders' whom she did not identify wanted to keep them apart.