'I AM A BELIEVER in polygamy. Some people are born more sexually active. They are chosen by nature to propagate their seed and one woman just can't satisfy their needs. It is almost barbaric to limit them by law.'
Former sex columnist Chua Lam, 60, feels Hong Kong needs a liberal voice. He also believes Muslim communities in Asia shed light on modern marriages. 'It's smart that Muslims allow their men to have four wives,' he says. 'If a man is capable of looking after them, why not? Their wisdom is above religion and law. The same applies to the nomadic tribes in Tibet, where a woman can marry six or seven men to help keep their herds. I guess I was born in the wrong time.'
Chua is Hong Kong's unofficial spokesman for decadent living, known for freely sharing tales of his sexual exploits as well as his penchant for indulging in a good meal and alcohol. And he says Hong Kongers need a few pointers regarding relationships. 'Hong Kong is a dysfunctional city,' Chua says. 'Here, you can get away with anything as long as you have money. The public would not raise their eyebrows if a tycoon walked along in broad daylight with four wives. The only crime here is being poor.'
Such outspokenness turned the former film producer into a star of late-night programming. From 1989 to 1991, he co-hosted Celebrity Talk Show on ATV - a programme known for airing controversial views on taboo subjects - with writer Ngai Hong and television personality and lyricist James Wong. Porn stars, socialites and actors frequently disclosed their intimate thoughts on the show. Its staple props included bottles of Cognac, and, after they had downed a couple of glasses, its hosts and guests would let down their guard and tell juicy stories - usually in the second half of the two-hour recording.
Chua later cultivated a career as a writer, first as a sex columnist for a number of Hong Kong newspapers, and then as a food critic. Chua admits he isn't all he is hyped up to be. 'I only drink when my good friends are around,' he says. And sex? 'It's more talk than practice,' he adds. 'Sex and food are in the nature of mankind. By the way, that's what Confucius said.'
For nearly 20 years, the Singapore-born Chua has taken the two loves of his life to develop a career as the consummate 'renaissance man' - advising other people how to live the 'good life' in more than 80 books, countless newspaper columns and on numerous life-style programmes.