From 1987 to 1989, Ng Kwan Lai performed with Sun Lai Sing Cantonese Opera Troupe, which she had founded with Chan Kim Sing and Sun Hoi Chuen.

It was around this time that she also performed a new opera, A Tragic Story in the Palace, written by Chan Koon Hing of Guangzhou. She then took part in “A Retrospective of the Works of Tong Tik Sang” at the invitation of the former Urban Council. This was to be her final performance on the professional stage.

During the 1980s, she continued to perform with the Sun Lai Sing Cantonese Opera Troupe, while also taking part in charity shows such as the 1988 “Po Leung Kuk 110th Anniversary Charity Show” with other Cantonese Opera artists from Hong Kong and Guangzhou. In 1990, she went to Britain to perform in a charity show organised by the Buddhist and Taoist International Association (UK) Ltd. She remains a dedicated volunteer for the older generation, visiting homes for the aged and singing at recitals organised for the elderly.

After her move to Singapore in 1990, she continued to devote much of her time to promoting the art of Cantonese Opera, acting as consultant to organisations such as the Chinese Opera Society, Singapore, the Chinese Theatre Circle and the Kong Chow Wui Koon. Her 1991 recital, “Ng Kwan Lai’s Rendezvous with Her Singapore Fans” in Singapore, marked her retirement from the stage.