Former top official Raymond Young happily following his musical dream after 30 years in Hong Kong civil service

A former top official for culture and arts says he has no regrets about taking early retirement to become an artist after three decades as a civil servant.

Raymond Young Lap-moon, who retired as permanent secretary of the Home Affairs Bureau last year, said it was "sheer coincidence" that he left on the eve of the Occupy protests.

"I submitted the retirement application a year ahead of time as required and I ceased active duty on July 1, 2014," Young said on the eve of a fundraising concert with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and Canto-pop diva Teresa Cheung Tak-lan, which takes place today.

"I could have worked another five years but I think 30 years in the civil service are quite enough, and it's time for me to pursue my passion for other things."

The 55 year old called it "destiny" that he would quit the city's top culture job to pursue an interest that he gave up for the civil service 32 years ago.

"I made it all the way to be one of the 15 finalists in Hong Kong's first talent singing contest in 1982 out of some 3,000 participants. But I got accepted and joined government as an administrative officer and pulled out of the final, which Anita Mui Yim-fong won in the end," he recalled, referring to the late singer who would become known as Asia's Madonna.