The best of both worlds

Up-and-coming model making waves in Indonesia and Malaysia.

THERE were two friendly “neighbours” who would sometimes get in each other’s hair just like anyone who lived next door to one another.

They would get territorial, squabbling over stuff like kain batik, songs and dances.

This is a story about a pretty woman who might some day come between them.

Meet Raline Shah, 26, who is making waves in the modelling scene in Indonesia and Malaysia.

The uber chic magazine Glam recently gave her a 15-page spread, gushing that she was the hottest model from Jakarta.

You’re probably wondering how Jakarta-born Raline could possibly be the centre of a tug-of-war between two neighbours in the future.

Well, that’s because she has Malaysian blood running through her veins. “My mother is half-Singaporean Chinese, half-Malaysian Malay,” she explained in flawless English during an interview in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

She spent almost half her life in Malaysia, too, where she came to study at the age of 13.

“I grew up in Malaysia. My mum decided to send my brother and me for high school and A-Levels (in Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar, a British-style boarding school in Negri Sembilan) here,” she said.

Back then, Raline spent much of her time with her grandparents in Johor.

“I had a lot of good memories with them. My late grandfather used to drive me from Negri Sembilan to Johor every monthly break,” she recounted. In fact, her grandmother still lives in Johor.

The 1.72m beauty gained public attention when she took part in the Miss Indonesia Universe pageant (known there as Puteri Indonesia) three years ago. Though she did not emerge the winner, Raline clinched subsidiary titles such as Puteri Indonesia Lingkungan (Environment) and Puteri Favorit (People’s Choice) when she broke the record for the number of SMS votes in the history of the pageant. She was the overwhelming favourite, earning 78% of the votes.

It was in Singapore, however, that she started modelling part-time. She was studying at the National University of Singapore, where she got a degree in political science, and new media and communications.

Apart from magazine spreads in Indonesia and appearing for a range of telecommunications, banking and beauty products, Raline is also currently the face for Nivea in Indonesia and Skinz in Malaysia.

“I would like to do more work in Malaysia,” she said. “Half of my family is here.”

However, she divulged little about her family background as she doesn’t want to be accused of riding on the name of her successful businessman father.

Sheng Saw, the make-up artist who has worked with almost all the top names and leading women in Malaysia, only has good things to say about Raline.

“She was very charming. Always had a big smile on her face. And easy to work with. She was such a sweetie, advising me about good food. We chatted and makan (eat) all the time during the shoot,” said Sheng, who collaborated with Raline for the Skinz and Glam shoot.

Sheng, who started his career in London and has been in the business for over a decade, believes that Raline has the talent and a very bright future.

“Her appearance is versatile and changeable. I can see the potential in her as a model, or if she gets into acting,” he said.

In fact, Raline will start shooting for a movie in Indonesia next January. This will mark her debut on the silver screen.

There had been dozens of movie offers which came her way previously but “nothing caught my eye until now. I want to do something that is me.”

She loves the performing arts, confessing also that “it has been paying my bills.”

During her college days, she was involved in every theatre production. “I have always been in touch with my creative side,” she added.

She is also dipping her hands into business, dabbling in pearl trading and helping her father in real estate development.

Other plans include opening a beauty salon and a cooking school. She likes to cook and is taking up part-time training in a culinary school in Jakarta. She has also completed one season of a cooking show in Indonesia.

Having a “public face”, Raline said, could be a boost to business in the republic.

“Indonesians are very ‘looks-oriented’. If you are famous, people want to be involved with your business especially if you have a good track record.”

Her dream, eventually, is to open a school that teaches living skills to youngsters.

“I’ve been lucky as I have a privileged upbringing. My parents taught me that the more you have, the more you should give to others,” she said. Her homemaker mother is the president of a school for mentally and physically challenged kids.

Indonesia’s huge share of national tragedies has had a bearing on her, too.

“I’m quite spiritual. To me, these are reminders for us to do good things.”

But enough of serious business. Who is she dating?

Once, there was talk about her and a member of a royal family. These days, she is linked with a young Malaysian tycoon.

Raline’s response? A dignified silence.

There was a public assumption, she said, that women in modelling or high-profile jobs are high-maintenance.

“I’m not here to comprehend the male psyche and their ideas about women. My line of work requires me to be high-maintenance. But I’m very easy-going in my daily life. Just T-shirts and flats will do for me,” she quipped.

Modelling remains a part-time job for now and she travels to Malaysia every other month.

If she hits pay dirt, two countries may want to lay claim on her and get into another spat yet again. When that happens, perhaps there is only one thing to say to her: Give us some love, Raline!

Community spirit among Sarawakians

Sarawak’s ethnic diversity is well-known. But to actually see the community spirit among the people regardless of race and religion is an experience that touches the hearts of even staunch politicians.
IPOH Barat MP M. Kulasegaran was in typical good humour during an early morning chat at his legal office in Ipoh recently.
“You know, I didn’t see any thambi (“brother” in Tamil) around,” he quipped, referring to Miri and Bintulu where he spent one week campaigning during the Sarawak elections in April.
“There were no Indian restaurants there. No tosai! In fact, I didn’t use my mother tongue during my time there,” he said.
Small wonder, really. There may not be many Indians but there are about 27 ethnic groups among Sarawak’s estimated 2.4 million people. Of that, the Ibans constitute 30% of the state’s population.
Skin colour aside, Kulasegaran found it heartwarming that the people of Sarawak could accept one another, even strangers, so easily.
“There is a much larger scope of inter-racial relationships in Sarawak. It is growing and glowing there. The indigenous people are so much more adaptable to each other.”
Almost all road signages are written both in Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese, he said, citing an example.
“And the people were friendly and warm. Everywhere I went, someone would just come up to me and ask: Ini hari ada ceramah? Siapa mari? (Any speeches today? Who’s coming?)” he recalled.
While he was there, Kulasegaran said he spoke to the people usually in Bahasa Malaysia or English. In fact, he said that English remained the preferred language in Sarawak courts and the state assembly.
Miri, he said, was much more developed than he had thought.
“It is a well-developed urban place. Everything is accessible. There is Internet access everywhere, wi-fi at most places.”
He sensed a strong Christian presence as well.
“There are churches everywhere; certainly more than Ipoh,” he said.
Sarawak has the highest number of Christians in the country (about 853,000 or 42%); Iban Christians numbered about 408,000 based on the 2000 Population and Housing Census.
Kulasegaran noted, too, that the local coffeeshops employed indigenous people as their workers.
“Pork is available in most shops and also sold at wet markets. People would walk past it, just like that.”
Despite a common perception that Peninsular Malaysia is more developed and progressive, Kulasegaran said it was ironic that Sarawak exhibited greater openness where “things are more relaxed.”
“There seems to be less taboo on matters like pork or liquor consumption,” he noted.
Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, the Seri Setia (Selangor) assemblyman, shared similar observations, saying:
“Some of my Malay friends from Peninsular Malaysia had qualms about eating food prepared by non-Muslims despite it being halal dishes. In Sarawak, however, the local Muslims found that surprising as they have had few problems with that all their lives!
“Even the very religious Muslims in Sarawak were not fussy about how their food was prepared as long as it was halal,” said Nik Nazmi, who spent two weeks campaigning in Nangka, Sibu.
He also noted that Malay and Chinese stalls co-exist next to each other in places such as food courts. On the other hand, he said he knew of non-Muslims in Peninsular Malaysia who would take extra precautions such as buying new pots and making sure the ingredients were halal if they were cooking for Muslim friends.
Nik Nazmi, who was the youngest candidate to win in the 2008 general election at the age of 26, also felt that Sarawakians were a friendly and earnest lot.
“There, people mingle easily with each other. I’ve heard this about them but it’s really remarkable to see the ease in which they mix with Malays, Ibans, Melanaus, Chinese or any race. For someone from Peninsular Malaysia, it’s really amazing to see that.”
“Also, the lifestyle is far more relaxed. It is so easy to make friends there. We like to take pride that Malaysians are friendly but being a PJ boy all my life, you don’t notice it so much.”
In fact, he found the trip to Sarawak so enthralling that what was supposed to be a five-day visit stretched to a fortnight.
“People in the peninsula – myself included – tend to always regard the peninsula as Malaysia and forget about Sabah and Sarawak. We have many things that we can learn from the Sabahans and Sarawakians.”
Perak state executive councillor Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, a Foochow boy who grew up in Sitiawan, found that he could fit right in during his visit to Sibu, where the clan dominates.
The Foochows, he explained, are known to be very hard-working, thrifty and a close-knit community.
“Outsiders may find it hard to break into their business circle,” he said, laughing.
Despite his short stay there, Dr Mah said the trip brought back memories of two decades ago.
“The people sitting around at eating places reminded me of those old days when life was simpler. There were not so many taboos then. These days, people tend to be so particular about so many things,” he said.
Racial sentiment was much less in Sarawak, he said, adding that their spirit of “togetherness” seemed to come so naturally.
Dr Mah recalled the times when he attended chapel during his school days in SMK ACS, Sitiawan, although he was not a Christian.
“I can sing many hymms,” said Dr Mah, who gave up a 10-year career as Perak’s leading cardiologist to become a full-time politician in 2009.
(One estimate put the number of Foochows in Sarawak at 120,000 of which about half are Christians.)
Referring to the Aug 4 raid by Selangor Islamic Religious Department on a church over a multi-racial dinner, Dr Mah said he believed that such raids would not happen in Sarawak.
(As someone tweeted that day: “Come to Sarawak. Multi racial dinner happens everywhere, everyday.”)
“These kind of raids were unheard of in the past,” he said.
However, Dr Mah remained optimistic about the future, citing Chenderiang, Perak, in which he is the assemblyman. There are about 20,000 voters there, of which 20% are orang asli, while the Chinese and Malays each formed about one-third of the electorate.
“The level of acceptance is higher in small towns,” he said. “In the schools in Chenderiang, the racial mix is very good. This means that the students have more opportunities to mingle with one another,” he said.
Dr Mah stressed that Malaysians must always be mindful about having a broader perspective in life and that people should be cautious about not making racial remarks.
“At the end of the day, we are all citizens of planet Earth,” he said.