 Chew said that he was diagnosed with the illness in September 2008, and that he alerted the local press as to his condition, but asked the press to not report it yet, as he was psychologically not ready for it.Chew originally planned on officially announcing his illness during the Star Awards 2008 ceremony, due to be held in March 2009.However, signs of his illness can be clearly seen already, and the news was hard to keep under wraps.