Merdeka is just around the corner and we at RAAGA are going for a 24 hour celebration revolving around this sovereign country we call Malaysia and all her people! Here are 24 personalities from our homeland that you should know for their contribution to society and all they have done to put our beloved home on the map while on the endeavor of growing themselves! Let’s aspire to be more like these heroes shall we?
Dato’ Jimmy Choo, OBE Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat
Dato’ Jimmy Choo comes from a family of shoemakers in Penang. His name, Jimmy Choo, was actually misspelled on his birth certificate; Jimmy Choo was supposed to be Jimmy Chow! His company’s international recognition for its expensive and high-end handmade women’s shoes can be traced back to his father who taught Choo how to make his first shoe at the age of 11. Jimmy co-founded Jimmy Choo Ltd in 1996 but has since sold his 50% stake in the company to his co-founder, Tamara Mellon. Based in London, Jimmy Choo is currently involved in a project to set up a shoemaking institute in Malaysia.
Dato’ Bernard Chandran
Malaysia’s “King of Fashion”, Dato’ Bernard Chandran is a Malaysian fashion designer. His talents have earned him many faithful clients among Malaysia’s elite, most notably the Royal families of Malaysia and Brunei, as well as two former Miss Universe. Chandran is also a Malaysian television personality. He is the chief designer of the reality television show, Project Runway Malaysia. Chandran was also a guest judge on Britain’s Next Top Model, Cycle 6, Episode 12. The top three models were given the chance to model for Chandran’s fashion show during London Fashion Week.
Datuk Zang Toi
Fashion icon Zang Toi is a Malaysian fashion designer. Zang Toi started out in New York, where he also studied at the distinguished Parsons School of Design, with just US$300 in his pocket. In 1990, he was awarded the Mouton Cadet Young Designer of the year, which recognizes the top young U.S. designers. This became a springboard to his fame in the fiercely competitive New York fashion world. He went on to win more awards in the coming years. Today, his House of Toi near Fifth Avenue, often dubbed the world’s most expensive street, produces high-end clothes for fine specialty stores in Saks 5th Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. Among his rich-and-famous clientele are Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, actresses Kirstie Alley and Eva Longoria, popstar Fergie of Black Eyed Peas, and even Saudi princesses.
Amber Chia
Born December 14, 1981 in Ipoh, Perak, Amber Chia rose to fame as a model at the age of 17 after she moved to Kuala Lumpur. Securing her position as a finalist in the 2004 Guess Watches Timeless Beauty Contest, the pouty-lipped beauty has been in several advertisements by famous brands such as Sony, L’oreal and Mitsubishi. In fact, one could say that she has an omnipresent face! She has also ventured into the acting field in Chinese movies and series. Amber Chia also opened her own academy, the Amber Chia Academy, to train other up and coming models. In February 2014, she appeared as a guest judge in an episode of Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 2.
Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh
A Malaysian actress best known for performing her own stunts in Hong Kong action films, Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh was chosen by People Magazine as one of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” in 1997. She is best known for her roles in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon where she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in 2000. In 2008, she was ranked the greatest action heroine of all time by the film critic website Rotten Tomatoes. She was listed by People Magazine (the only Asian actress to be listed) as one of the “35 All-Time Screen Beauties” in 2009.
Jaclyn Victor
Jaclyn entered and won Malaysian Idol in 2004, after receiving immense encouragement from her mother to join the singing competition. Today, Jaclyn has a recording contract with Sony BMG Entertainment under her belt. She is also signed under KRU Music. Jaclyn’s amazing vocal prowess has made her well-known in Asia. Apart from singing, she has also starred in several films including Susuk and Appalam. Her appearance in Talentime (a Yasmin Ahmad production) won her the award for Best Promising Actress at the 22nd Malaysian Film Festival. Jaclyn Victor recently married American singer, songwriter and producer Shawn Rivera, from the RnB group Az Yet.
Yuna
Yuna is an independent Malaysian singer-songwriter. She began composing music at the age of 14 and went on to perform her own songs when she was 19. Since 2006, she has performed in numerous acoustic shows and events throughout Malaysia. US Indie-Pop record label and management company discovered her talent and actually flew to Malaysia to convince her to sign a contract with them. They also managed to get her a deal with FADER Label, which is based in New York. Yuna is currently signed with the Verve Music Group with Grammy-winning producer David Foster heading the creative operations. In 2012, her single “Live Your Life”, produced by Pharrell Williams debuted on iTunes and she was recognized with a National Youth Icon Award by the ex-Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.