“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness,” as quoted by Oprah Winfrey. These influential women are the epitome of confidence, grace and ever-lasting strength. As days go by, they continue to build success not only in their hometowns, but also overseas.
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These amazing Malaysian women are not only known for their contribution in art or fashion, but also in enriching the lives of others. Here are 12 influential Malaysian women who are making waves overseas!
1. Datin Vivy Yusof
No longer a foreign name in the fashion industry, Datin Vivy Yusof is truly a Wonder Woman. She co-founded FashionValet in 2010 where the e-commerce brand is now one of the region’s biggest brands.
Credit: @vivyyusof on Instagram
Datin Vivy has achieved so many awards both in and outside of the country. She was listed in the Prestige Magazine’s 2015 List of Top 40 Under 40 and this year, she was listed on Forbes as one of Asia’s Top 30 Under 30! Datin Vivy also had the honour of collaborating with Her Royal Highness Princess Sarah of Brunei Darussalam in coming up with The Royal dUck, a headscarf collection carrying an empowering message for every woman.
Credit: @theduckgroup on Instagram
The humble fashion queen juggles her time not only as an entrepreneur and a blogger, but also a loving wife and mother to two beautiful children!
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2. Neelofa
An actress, television presenter, a commercial model and an entrepreneur, Neelofa is truly a queen! Due to her continuous success, she was listed on Forbes as one of Asia’s Top 30 under 30, together with Vivy!
Credit: @neelofa on Instagram
Neelofa is also the founder of her hijab brand, Naelofar Hijab, which is sold in more than 30 countries including Brunei, Australia and more. She is also endorsed by big brands such as Swarovski Jewelry, Titan Jewelry, Lancome Cosmetics and also FashionValet!
Credit: @neelofa on Instagram
Neelofa continues to shine as she was recently appointed as AirAsia’s new non-executive independent director! The AirAsia Group chief executive officer, Tony Fernandes described her as super smart, young and independent.
Credit: @neelofa on Instagram
3. Dr. Amalina Bakri
Who could ever forget Dr. Amalina Bakri, the one who shook the country by obtaining 17 1As in her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination in 2004. A beauty with a brain, Dr. Amalina continues to amaze us with her success and endless contributions to the world of medicine.
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Currently serving as a surgical trainee at the Royal College of Surgeons, Dr. Amalina specialises in general surgery, trauma/emergency as well as breast surgery. On top of that, she also gives out talks at universities with regards to her specialities!
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Dr. Amalina is truly the definition of a strong and independent woman. Recently, she has also started the Independent Women Can (IWC) Campaign on Twitter to create awareness and empowering independent women to become fearless, strong and to follow their dreams!
Credit: @dramalinabakri on Instagram
4. Raja Nadia Sabrina
A lawyer turned fashion blogger and entrepreneur, Raja Nadia Sabrina is the wonder woman behind the brand Aere. She believes in crafting fashionable, modest pieces for women in this era.
Credit: @rnadiasabrina on Instagram
Her journey with Aere has definitely been an exciting roller coaster ride. In July 2016, she managed to bring Aere into the international spotlight at the Jakarta Fashion Week. Recently, Aere was invited as the ONLY Malaysian brand at the Dubai Modest Fashion Week. Talk about achieving another milestone!
Credit: @aere on Instagram
Of course, behind her fast-paced and busy lifestyle, she also spends her time with her loving husband and cute child, baby E. Raja Nadia Sabrina is truly a Wonder Mama!
Credit: @rnadiasabrina on Instagram
5. Yuna
This ultimate hijabi queen made waves back in 2006 when everyone started wearing shawls as part of their daily looks. Yuna, the Malaysian songbird who is also a songwriter and businesswoman has been making the country proud – especially now that she is based in the United States!
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From an independent singer-songwriter to a world-class performer, Yuna has collaborated with a number of big names like Usher, Pharell Williams and Jhene Aiko. She also received the National Youth Icon Award in 2012 for her exceptional achievement in arts!
Credit: @yunamusic on Instagram
Apart from her music career, Yuna is also the founder of her own brand, November Culture. Starting off from selling her well-known Jetfuel scarves, November Culture is all about that funky vibes when it comes to apparels for modern women!
Credit: @yunamusic on Instagram
6. Tan Hooi Ling
From MyTeksi to GrabTaxi and now known as Grab, Tan Hooi Ling is the woman behind the leading ride-hailing platform in Southeast Asia. As the co-founder of Grab together with her partner Anthony Tan, Grab is now operating in more than 60 cities in 7 countries!
Credit: Profiles of Singapore on Facebook
Inspired by Tan Hooi Ling’s own struggle in calling up taxis to accommodate her daily journeys, the duo came up with an idea where customers can trust the taxi drivers that they are assigned to. Not only is it beneficial in terms of safety, it is also helpful for those who are travelling alone or late at night.
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Tan Hooi Ling believes that it is a win-win situation for both drivers and customers. Grab gives out the opportunities for people to create a source of income and become more tech-savvy at the same time. Today, Grab has become Uber’s strong competitor, which is definitely something we should look out for!
Credit: Telenor Group on Facebook
7. Kiki Poh
Who would have known that one of the people behind the making of Disney’s Cars 3 is a Malaysian? Kiki Poh is a Shading and Grooming Technical director who also happens to be the first Malaysian to work as a Pixar animation artist!
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Kiki was first recruited by Pixar Animation Studios as an intern back in 2010. She has been working on movies such as Toy Story 3, Monsters University as well as Inside Out! In the movie Cars 3, the character Doc Hudson was one of the characters that Kiki mainly worked on.
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On her recent trip back to Malaysia; Kiki had also conducted an animation workshop at The One Academy to inspire future animators in the country. I believe we are going to see more of Kiki’s work in upcoming Pixar movies!
Credit: MBO Cinemas on Facebook
8. Sabariah Hussein
Known as the Mother Teresa of Montreal, Sabariah Hussein is a 70-year-old woman who made headlines when she cooked for more than 200 people a day during the month of Ramadan.
Credit: Safura Tawil on Facebook
Sister Sabariah moved to Canada about 30 years ago to work as a special education teacher. Her inspiration on the movement started about 18 years ago, when she felt concerned after she saw women off the streets begging for food. So, she decided to run her own women’s shelter from home. That was how everything started for Sister Sabariah.
Credit: Sister Sabria Foundation on Facebook
Sister Sabariah partners with two churches, a food bank and an NGO to provide food and shelter to the poor and homeless. She also runs a stall at a local mosque where her team of volunteers come to help around. Sister Sabariah welcomes anybody no matter their religion as she believes in doing charity and giving back to the community. What an inspiration!
Credit: Safura Tawil on Facebook
#HHWTTip: You can check also check out #HHWT Explorers: Meet Sister Sabria, The Muslim Mother Teresa of Canada to know more about Sister Sabariah!
9. Sharifah Amani
Ah, the lovely Orked who caught the eyes and hearts of many people around the world with her extraordinary performance in the movie Sepet. Played by the petite and brilliant actress, Sharifah Amani, this phenomenal lady is constantly making waves in the entertainment industry.
Credit: @sharifah_amani on Instagram
Sharifah Amani has starred in plenty of movies and local telemovies, especially ones that were directed by the late Yasmin Ahmad like Gubra and Muallaf. Sharifah Amani also won the Most Promising Newcomer Award at the 18th Malaysian Film Festival in 2005!
Credit: @sharifah_amani on Instagram
Apart from travelling around the world in her cotton baju kurung, Sharifah Amani is also getting actively involved in the directing world. From local festivals to international film festivals, Sharifah Amani continues to melt hearts with her burning talent and love for art!
Credit: @sharifah_amani on Instagram
10. Christy Ng
Known as the next Jimmy Choo, Christy Ng is the founder and CEO of ChristyNg.com. It is an online shoe company that specialises in handmade shoes, ranging from wedding shoes to high heels and general footwear since 2010!
Credit: @christyngshoes on Instagram
Christy always has a flair for drawing and entrepreneurship. In 2012, she displayed her first designs on Facebook and so they say, the rest is history. Christy’s shoes are different than the rest as customers are able to design their own shoes on the website. No matter how you want your shoes to look like, Christy can do it!
Credit: @christyngshoes on Instagram
Today, women from more than 30 countries wear Christy Ng’s shoes and the numbers are growing day by day. Christy is definitely making waves outside of the country not only as the next Jimmy Choo, but as a successful shoe designer herself!
Credit: @christyemilylove on Instagram
11. Felicia Yap
This scientist-turned-thriller novelist is making her way up in the thriller book industry. Known for her debut novel entitled Yesterday, this thriller book has been getting amazing reviews worldwide!
Credit: Felicia Yap on Facebook
Felicia studied biochemistry at the Imperial College London and then completed her doctorate in history at the Cambridge University. It is during her times at Cambridge that inspired her to write her book, Yesterday. There are also elements of Cambridge in her book!
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Felicia has already come up with her second book entitled Memory Game. Look out for the prequel to her debut novel, Today!
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12. Zee Avi
This Sarawakian-born songbird is an all-around performer. Zee Avi is a singer-songwriter, guitarist and Ukulele player who made her debut with the song Bitter Heart. If you haven’t listened to any of her songs, be warned because her voice will melt you down to the core!
Credit: @zee.avi on Instagram
Zee Avi is not your typical overnight Youtube superstar. In 2009, Zee came out with her debut album that became a hit in Malaysia. Currently residing in the United States, Zee continues to spread her wings with her music!
Credit: @zee.avi on Instagram
In 2011, Zee Avi received the Youth Icon (International) Award from the Sarawak State Government. She was also conferred the Pegawai Bintang Kenyalang (Officer of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak) a year later. One of her international achievements would be winning the Best Original Film Song at the 53rd Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards that was held in 2016 in China!
Credit: @zee.avi on Instagram
A woman is capable of doing so many things in the world. But, a wonder woman is the one who can do everything not only for herself, but for her loved ones too. I hope these amazing Malaysian women will inspire you to go out there and chase your dreams! Nothing is impossible and they are the living proof that dreams can come true as long as you don’t give up. We are all queens at heart!
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