SHE'S sexy, personable, intelligent and successful, but Karen Mok has got used to being alone. Which is also what she sings about in the track Perfect Lonely, off her latest Mandarin album, Precious.

The Hong Kong actress-singer - who is of Chinese, Welsh, German and Arab descent - is proud to be single and not in a hurry to look for love, she told The New Paper yesterday.

She also candidly admitted that the album is a proclamation of her singlehood.

Mok, who is in town to promote Precious, said in her crisp British accent: "It's nice to be single. There's nothing wrong with it. There's also nothing wrong with finding the right guy and settling down.

"But you mustn't be dependent on the other person. You have to love and be happy with yourself."

The leggy babe held an autograph session at Bugis Junction at 7pm on Friday. She also performed at Clarke Quay's Shanghai Dolly on Saturday. And this evening, she will be singing at the annual President's Star Charity.

Mok broke up with Hong Kong actor-singer-director Stephen Fung in 2007 after a nine-year relationship.

She reportedly dated Hong Kong director-actor Stephen Chow - they never confirmed the relationship - in the mid-1990s, but they were said to have split in 1999.

Even though she hit 40 in June, Mok said she's never had the urge to rush into marriage. Nor have her maternal instincts ever been roused.

"I've never defined my life according to my age. If the right guy comes along and it hits me to want to get married, we'll do it," she said.

"I'm definitely a workaholic and I like being one."

She also doesn't believe in being on the prowl for love.

The 1.67m-tall Mok joked: "I don't even know where to start. I don't want to waste time and effort looking. I won't get married for the sake of it. I won't just call anyone Precious."

Good friendship with exes

Her romances may have fizzled, but Mok said she still maintains a good friendship with her exes. "I don't understand why people become enemies after a relationship ends. Then again, every relationship is different."

Indeed, she recently defended Taiwanese actress-singer and Fung's rumoured current girlfriend Vivian Hsu, who has been accused of coming between Fung and Mok.

There's also been talk of Chow wanting Mok to reprise her demoness character in the remake of A Chinese Odyssey - the film franchise by Chow that propelled her to popularity in 1994.

According to media reports, Chow is casting Jaden Smith, son of US actor Will Smith, as the Monkey King.

"Like you, I read all these in the papers," said Mok.

"He hasn't approached me. I'd love to work with him again. He's smart and he makes good movies." Their last film together was Shaolin Soccer (2001), in which Mok had a supporting role.

She met Jaden when she visited the set of The Karate Kid - he played the titular protagonist - in Beijing last year and described him as a "smart" and "adorable" kid.

Just like how she's in no hurry when it comes to love, Mok doesn't want to rush into Hollywood either.

She has been in only one Hollywood movie so far - 2004's Around The World In 80 Days.

"(My fluency in English, Italian and French) could come in handy for movies. But the right project has to come along," said Mok.

"I'm not looking specifically for Hollywood and international films. I don't need and don't want to drop everything I have and start from scratch.

"Besides, the Chinese movie industry is booming."

Young artistes may be popping up in the Mandopop industry every year, but Mok insisted she doesn't feel intimidated by fresh blood.

She said mock-sarcastically: "There's no competition. I'm cute too (like the other cutesy Taiwanese idols).

"Do I feel threatened? You've got to be joking."

This article was first published in The New Paper.