5 Kick-Ass Malaysian Women Who Aren’t Chalk-White

PERK up your ears, and listen very, very closely.

Hear that? It’s the sound of a young Malaysian girl unwrapping a newly-bought whitening product.

Almost as if an obligation, local women chomp down on various products and slather on creams that promise whitening properties nationwide. And who could blame them?

Malaysians are constantly fed with the idea that being fair equals being beautiful; just look at recent trends in advertising and sponsorship.

Already slapped with the skyrocketing value of surface beauty, local women must also cope with the notion that tanned or darker skin is of “less worth” — a notion with a long-lasting impact, forced down our throats now, more so than ever.

In India, the desire for pale skin has roots that run deep in the nation’s history, intertwined with Hinduism’s social hierarchy (or caste system). Those higher up the scale generally tend to have paler skin.

I’m curious of the origins of the yearning to be fair-skinned in Malaysia. Melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya.

Make self acceptance a subject at school; teach our children; do something, so we won’t be so obsessed with something so misguided and meaningless.

As young, impressionable youth, my friends and I should have the option to look up to Malaysians who actually resemble ourselves. Girls my age (I am 16) need to know that it’s totally okay not to be fair-skinned.

As a reminder to everyone out there, here’s a list of beautiful, successful and talented non-pale-skinned Malaysians who kick ass and don’t need chemicals to be awesome and confident.

These women take pride in their skin tone and successful careers, and show that you don’t need to be Snow White to have a legacy and a following of loyal fans. Here’s to self acceptance!

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Yuna Zarai

A household name in Malaysia (perhaps as recognisable as plastic-container brand Tupperware), this uber-talented musician started writing her own songs from the age of 14!

Her achievements include a number of local awards, as well as being the first Malaysian to achieve a number of feats stateside — including appearances on Jimmy Kimmel and Conan O’Brien. ELLE Magazine deemed her “refreshing, honest, and sugar-voiced” in a 2013 interview.

But Yuna is also a businesswoman. Her November Culture (available online and offline) caters to everyone. From trendy clothing to rustic home decor and sweet little succulents, she’s got something for every tasteful, urban Malaysian!

 

Follow her on and !

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Jaclyn Victor

This bombshell is known nation-wide for winning the first ever Malaysian Idol, and who could forget her earth-shattering rendition of “Gemilang” which created a phenomenon back then?

Jaclyn has released a total of 30 singles so far, which include local hits such as “Wajah”, “Ikut Rentakku” and “Jagalah Diri”! Her angelic yet powerful voice meanwhile has brought her invitations to sing across the globe — from Australia all the way to Moscow.

Music aside, Jaclyn dipped her toes in film when she played Bhavani in Yasmin Ahmad‘s Talentime (2009), and has also been in two other local films, namely Susuk (2008) and Appalam (2010).

Follow her on and !

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Tiara Jacquelina

Best known for her role as the titular princess in Saw Teong Hin‘s Malaysian epic, when Tiara isn’t hanging around Gunung Ledang she’s producing. Her track record includes the stage musical version of the famous movie, as well as P. Ramlee The Musical — both winners at the BOH Cameronian Arts Awards.

Born Jacqueline Eu to a Burmese father and Indonesian mother, Tiara once admitted to the The Rakyat Post that she is passionate and purpose-driven, and this is evident from her various accomplishments in film and on the stage.

Whether it’s starring alongside Frances McDormand and Patricia Arquette in a Hollywood film, or staging a production in KL’s iconic Panggung Bandaraya for a record-long run with Enfiniti Studios, Tiara has pretty much done it all.

Follow her on  and !

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Dayang Nurfaizah

As one of Malaysia’s most-popular pop princesses of the 2000s, this cocoa-skinned goddess is still at the top of her game, even if its been 17 years since she began her career. Along the way, she’s been showered with awards which include an Anugerah Industri Muzik for Best Album thanks to her Kasih in 2006.

When Dayang participated in 8TV’s One In A Million, her singing skills blew away Malaysian audiences but saw her finishing fourth behind Suki Low, Faizal Tahir and Alif Satar. Fast forward a decade later — she’s on stage receiving Best Vocal Performance for “Tak Pernah Menyerah” at Anugerah Juara Lagu.

The Sarawakian songstress was one of the most-frequently mentioned on Twitter when we quizzed users of the platform for artists who refuse to subscribe to pale skin.

Follow her on and !

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Pushpa Narayan

This beauty pageant queen — also known for her strong involvement in Malay and Tamil-language television — proves that your skin tone doesn’t necessarily determine your fate at a Malaysian beauty pageant.

  

After winning teenage pageant Dewi Remaja, which also saw the birth of stars Neelofa, Rozita Che Wan and Izara Aisyah, Pushpa shot to national consciousness and soon appeared in mainstream media, displaying her various talents.

Pushpa however isn’t simply celebrated for her looks — as an actress, she’s known for her work in local Tamil-language films Olli (2013) and Maravan (2015). And did we mention she’s also a stage performer and an entrepeneur on top of being a wife and mother of two?

Follow her on and !

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PS: Most whitening products contain hard-to-pronounce chemicals hydroquinone and tretinoin, considered poison by the Ministry of Health. Although these chemicals get the job done, side effects include skin redness, dryness, itching, scaling and mild burning. Yikes!