On the stage and screen, Malaysian singer Tan Kheng Seong, commonly known as Ah Ngau - in Cantonese - or Ah Niu - in Mandarin, always seems cheerful and funny.
In reality, however, he is not in a delighted mood all the time.
'Audiences usually see my bright side through my music and my stage performance. In fact, I often also feel sad and have bad moods,' says Tan, dressed in an orange short sleeve Malaysian style shirt and blue pants.
Having brushed up on his Cantonese, Tan was recently in town to give voice to the protagonist in the hit cartoon Ah Kwai, which is aired on Cable TV.
'I believe every person is comprised of several different parts. When I see the pictures of the war on Iraq, I sometimes cry. And I also feel scared about the atypical pneumonia,' he says.
The war also as inspired the 26-year-old to write an English song which portrays how the world has changed since the September 11 terror attacks.