“During the week, I don’t go anywhere after hours as I usually finish work quite late, around 7pm to 8pm. I’ll probably watch some TV and read. I’m a homebody, not much of a party goer unless there is an official function or dinner to attend. It’s the weekends that take care of my after hours! On weekends, I go golfing, horseback riding, drive my sports cars, sing, scuba dive or jet ski every now and then.

I’ve always liked sports cars for their speed. I like the adrenaline rush! I was 21 when I bought my first car, which was an MGA sports car. It was fourth or fifth-hand and I think its tyres were ‘celup’ – they were skidding even at 30 miles an hour around the bend! I later bought a Mercedes Benz 190. I had to sell the MGA to pay for my wedding!

I also sing as a pastime. When I was young, I started singing in the bathroom until the karaoke craze began in the 1970s and ‘80s, and then I started singing seriously. I find it very relaxing and enjoyable.

My favourite place to spend my after hours? I’ll book a few hours in the Sepang International Circuit racetrack where I bring my sports cars for a spin once every one or two months.

Otherwise I take an hour’s drive along the highway to the golf course early in the morning. In the afternoons, I take a different car to drive back home! I collect sports cars, about 15 to 20 of them over the years. I have a few favourites – Ferrari 360 CS [Challenge Stradale], Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche GT3 RS [Rennsport], Nissan GT-R, Ferrari Dino and Honda NSX. Among my oldest cars are my Dino, which I’ve had for more than 20 to 30 years, and the Honda NSX and Ferrari 308.

My wife runs her business The Singing Shop, which is a singing school, and I’m the longest-lasting student there! Once a week or once in two weeks, I go there to sing new songs, sometimes to record albums. I have cut around three to four albums – the first was on cassette tape around 15 years ago. The more recent ones are on CD and another one is coming out soon! The albums are usually oldies; my favourites are Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and most recently, Michael Bublé who has been reviving some of the oldies. I do incorporate singing into company functions and unfortunately for my staff, when I ask them to sing, they can’t say no!”

This article appeared in Manager@work, the monthly management pullout of The Edge Malaysia, Issue 795, Mar 1-7, 2010