S'porean killed after crashing Porsche 911 at high speed
They take their high-powered supercars to the Sepang International Circuit for time trials.
When the trials are over, some continue to push their cars hard on the busy highways.
Racing enthusiast Kwek Kon Chun, the nephew of billionaire Kwek Leng Beng, died yesterday while driving his Porsche 911 Turbo on the Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Expressway.
Malaysian officials believe he may have been speeding in the early hours.
Deputy Superintendent Markandan Subramaniam told Malaysian newspaper The Star: "They may have been travelling at high speed. The car spun out of control and crashed into the metal road divider."
He added that a 20m steel rail from the divider pierced the car through the driver's side.
The rail pinned the driver, Mr Kwek, and his front-seat passenger, photographer Franco Toh, 43, to their seats.
Fire officers had to cut through the twisted wreck to extract the bodies, and the two men were pronounced dead at the scene at about 3.30am, reported The Star.
The accident happened near Desa Petaling, about 13 km outside of KL's business district. The men may have been travelling towards the city centre after taking part in the Supercar Drag Race on Saturday at 6pm.
Mr Kwek, 35, was driving his supercar which is capable of hitting 100kmh in just over three seconds. The co-owner of popular nightclub Neverland, also had a racing team, Neverland Racing.
WELL-KNOWN
Mr Kwek was well-known in the racing scene in Malaysia's Sepang and had won several races with his Porsche 911.
A eulogy which says "A charismatic man, a humble friend and a true enthusiast. You will be missed," was posted on the website of Timetoattack, a Sepang Circuit racing event.
Malaysian automotive journalist Qhalis Najmi, 21, who knew Mr Kwek from several Timetoattack events, described him as a passionate racer who never missed a single Timetoattack event.
"He was a very competitive guy. Indeed, he was one of the fastest, alongside his Porsche 911 Turbo which was really his partner in racing."
Describing Mr Kwek as "fast, enthusiastic and quick" on track, Mr Qhalis added: "He knew his stuff definitely. I would have never taken him as a person who would take his racing on the streets though, regardless of how fast he was."
Several videos had been posted in the past showing Singapore-registered supercars, including Ferraris, speeding on Malaysian highways.
Some drivers may not be aware of the risks involved.
Said Mr David Ting, editor of car magazine Torque: "At night and at certain stretches, there are opportunities to go very quickly. Of course, it also depends on the individual."
"Some stretches might not be as well-lit as Singapore roads. At higher speeds, the risk goes up substantially as your reaction time is longer and the driving situation changes faster."
He added that the speed limit on the popular North-South Highway, which runs the length of Malaysia, is 110kmh.
But a TNP search online found drivers bragging that they have hit 200kmh and beyond on the same highway.
ADVOCATING ROAD SAFETY ALONE 'NOT ENOUGH'
Malaysia's Road Transport Department (JPJ) is determined to halve the number of traffic-related deaths by 2020 and will continue strict enforcement of traffic laws to ensure road safety, even if it incurs the public's wrath in doing so.
"If we don't take stern action now, the annual rate of road deaths may increase to 10,716 by 2020.
"JPJ aims to minimise that projection by about 50 per cent to 5,358 road deaths per year," said JPJ director-general Ismail Ahmad, adding that it was his duty and he would do so even if it made him unpopular.
CRACKDOWN
Mr Ismail acknowledged that some quarters were unhappy with the ongoing crackdown against vehicles with strobe lights, non-regulation number plates and high intensity discharge (HID) lights, reported Malaysia's The Star.
He said advocating road safety alone was not enough, as motorists needed to be educated and disciplined into obeying the law and driving safely on the road.
Mr Ismail said penalising errant motorists for minor offences was a way of disciplining and deterring them from committing potentially fatal offences.
"Last year, 6,915 in 477,500 accidents resulted in death. In Malaysia, one of the biggest causes of death are traffic-related offences," he said.
Mr Ismail added that JPJ, in collaboration with the Land Public Transport Commission and the police, have issued 5,000 summonses to motorists for using vehicles with strobe lights, non-regulation number plates and HID lights.
Dead driver was nightclub co-owner
RACING ENTHUSIAST: (Above and top) Mr Kwek Kon Chun. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/NEVERLANDIISG, FACEBOOK/KONCHUN
Mr Kwek Kon Chun, a former vice-president of corporate management at Hong Leong Asia (HLA), was from an illustrious family.
The graduate of Imperial College London was the nephew of HLA chairman and managing director Kwek Leng Beng.
The family was named the second richest in Singapore by Forbes this year, with a net worth of $7.8 billion.
Singaporean close friends and racing partners of the younger Mr Kwek declined to speak, saying they wished to respect the family's privacy.
The co-owner of the Neverland Group had opened several nightclubs over the past five years, including Club Neverland at Orchard Plaza, Neverland II at St James Power Station and Club Sonar at Orchard Hotel.
Mr Franco Toh was the marketing manager of Neverland Group, reported Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao.
DISTRAUGHT
Singer Sylvester Sim of Singapore Idol fame, who was a guest artist at Neverland, was distraught to hear about the accident.
Sim had felt his lowest after he left Dragonfly at St James Power Station in 2012, but Mr Kwek gave him a platform to perform.
Mr Kwek later transferred Sim to Club Sonar to be an entertainment manager.
Sim told The New Paper: "He (Mr Kwek) was always supporting me... he was a humble person and a music lover as well.
"To most people, they have lost a boss. To me, I have lost a friend and a brother."
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