CEO turns daring Calendar Boy
By John Lui
http://www.asiaone.com/Business/SME+Central/Prime+Movers/Story/A1Story20090107-112955.html
Come this time of the year, Mr Felix Ong's friends and business contacts look forward to putting his face on their desks.
The flamboyant multi-millionaire has taken his desk calendar - produced yearly since 2004 - to new heights.
Not only does he model in every photo, he also appears as a movie leading man in each one. He is a Formula One race driver in one shot and triad boss in another. He also plays a valiant soldier or cop.
In many shots, the 62-year-old father of two grown-up children is surrounded by pretty models one-third his age.
'I just came back from a holiday and there is a basket of letters asking for the calendar,' he says, sounding pleased.
The total cost of the 2009 edition is over $50,000, paid out of his pocket. It covered two days of location shooting, models, extras, props and crew. And just like in the movies, some effects, such as burning cars, were created digitally.
'It is exactly like shooting a movie,' he says. He had to behave as if he were acting out every scene.
It is all in good, self-deprecating fun, says the former CEO of Seksun Corporation, a precision metal parts firm. People are amused at the sight of an older man cavorting with young girls.
'They love it. It is fun. You cannot find that in other calendars,' he says.
Showbusiness is in his blood. The ex-Rediffusion Hokkien-language presenter, singer, emcee, playwright and part-time actor is just giving people what they want - humour, glamour and eye candy.
His face has graced every issue since the first edition in 2004. But he had good feedback when he used models for the first time last year, so he decided to use them again for this year's issue.
He printed 2,000 copies for the 2004 edition. For 2009, 3,500 copies have rolled off the presses to meet increased demand.
It is not just the photos that draw interest. His down-to-earth mottos, one for each month and written in Chinese and English, are the other trademark of a Felix Ong calendar.
September's words are: 'It is not the glory at the end of one's life that I relish, but the colourful life I have come by that I cherish.'
It is a response to those who think his behaviour is unbecoming of a man of his age and status as a captain of industry.
He has no time for people who take themselves seriously or who cannot take a joke. 'When you die, even if you are covered with the national flag, it is of no use,' he says.
He writes down the sayings in his spare moments. The 2009 batch was written in the first-class cabin of an airplane en route to Suzhou.
The sayings reflect his practical view of life. Many of them focus on money and sex, especially on male infidelity.
'Good men: Acting cool is not a crime. Having physical desires is not a sin. Just remember that at the end of the day, home is where you belong,' goes one motto.
Men will stray, says Mr Ong. Women should be realistic and deal with it, rather than hope for the impossible.
'Do not expect every man to be loyal. Maybe one out of a thousand will be,' he says.
'You cannot stop a man from doing what he wants when he travels out of Singapore. Put a box of condoms in his suitcase. Be safe. You cannot beat it, so follow it. If you keep on being jealous, you will spoil the relationship,' he cautions.
In turn, men owe a sacred debt to the women who have sacrificed so much for their happiness, he says. A man must have only one wife - no mistress or other wives in foreign lands - and must always come home to her.
He is not condoning or encouraging misbehaviour, he says. He is only telling it like it is.
'People feel shiok after reading the sayings. They say, 'This Felix Ong is very daring!' '
'Other calendars, you see the words of Jesus or Confucius. Mine is funnier.'
His intention, says Mr Ong, is to provoke and amuse. It comes from his experience as a writer of radio plays and articles for Chinese newspapers.
In a financial crisis, everyone loves to see money, he says. This is why in January, he is shown gleefully clutching bundles of cash.
There will be a glimmer of hope for businessmen in May, he predicts, but it will not last. June will be bad. In June, the words are: 'In a bull market, you strut around in a suit with a dog on a leash. In a bear market, you... will be dragged along by a dog.'
'What is the use of a handsome boyfriend? Can you use his face as a credit card?' goes the saying in May.
He speaks from 26 years of experience as the boss of Seksun Corporation. When he took over the company, it was a debt-ridden concern on the verge of collapse. When most of Seksun's assets were sold last year, he pocketed an eight-figure sum, he says.
His family has lived in the same Thomson Green bungalow for 20 years. He enjoys cooking - he specialises in bak chang (lotus leaf-wrapped rice-and-pork dumplings), bak kut teh and other dishes. And he enjoys karaoke.
He now heads Enporis Greenz, a Singapore Exchange-listed shell company with investments in various regional firms. He scouts for companies to buy into.
His wife of 31 years, Madam Shirley Soh, 54, declined to be interviewed. But she knows and accepts his pragmatic view of men-women relationships, he says. His thoughts on the matter of male urges and duties have been widely publicised in his calendars.
So popular is the calendar now that companies ask him if they can sponsor it, in return for advertising on its pages.
'No way,' says Mr Ong. 'This is very exclusive.'
