Singer, actress, song-writer, record producer and superstar Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza talks to Phoon Chi Ho about her success, the launch of her new skincare range SimplySiti, and her thoughts on cosmetic surgery.

She is Malaysia’s No. 1 superstar by far. From humble beginnings in a rural village called Kampung Awah in Pahang, Malaysia, Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza is easily one of Malaysia’s most famous national icons, having risen through the music industry ranks to achieve groundbreaking success unlike any other Malaysian artiste to date.

Gifted with an amazing voice range, her songs have reached the No. 1 spot in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. She has sold over three million albums in the ASEAN region and has won more awards than one can imagine, both locally and internationally. In 2004, she was included in The Malaysia Book of Records for “Most Awards Won by an Artiste”. At the time, that number was 112. She has quite obviously superseded that. And yet, despite her immense success, she is soft-spoken, quiet and charmingly humble.

When news spread that Dato’ Siti was going to be on our cover, anyone who could get in on the photo shoot made sure they were there, and all were equally star-struck to be in her presence. By the end of the day, most of us had had our photos taken with her, some had memorabilia autographed, and all of us left with big smiles on our faces!

­I thank God everyday because I was born into a family of musicians. My mother was a traditional singer in our village, while my granddad was an accomplished violinist. I started singing with them when I was 12 years old, at weddings and other functions in our village.
Back in 1995, when I was just 16 years old, I competed in the Bintang Hiburan Minggu Ini singing competition and won. People started to notice me after that win and a local record label wasted no time in signing me on to come up with an album. It all happened so quickly. Now, looking back, it doesn’t feel like 15 years have passed.

I was still in school during my first few years as a professional singer, so I had to work extra hard and sacrifice a lot to balance education and work. I had to perform at night, then wake up to go to school the next day. As becoming a singer was a choice I had made, I told myself that I had to put my heart and soul into it.

The first five years were the most tiring. I was quite a kampung (village) girl then so I wasn’t used to all the fame, fashion and make-up. [Laughs] I just did what people around me told me to do. My early experiences did help me mature beyond my age, though.

I am grateful that my family and recording company put together a good plan for me then. They encouraged me to enter singing competitions and music festivals in other countries like Japan, China and Indonesia. These performances helped build my confidence and career. After a while, I got the hang of it and started making my own decisions professionally.

I feel it is really important to plan ahead in order to be successful – we can’t just wait for things to fall into our lap. To be an artiste, you must work hard and do your best. Patience is also vital as you will have to deal with gossip and the media, etc. But most importantly, you must enjoy what you do.

It is best to complete your education first, before thinking about singing. But if you think you can manage and cope, carry on, by all means.

It’s hard for me to choose! [Laughs] I think my first ever award (Bintang HMI) is the most memorable because that’s where I started. The following awards, like the AIM Award, Malaysian Song Champion Award (Anugerah Juara Lagu), ERA Award, Malaysian Popular Stars Award (Anugerah Bintang Popular), as well as international awards from Indonesia, China, MTV Music Awards, Voice of Asia Awards… are all memorable to me in their own special way.

Well, when I was very young, I wanted to become a police officer, just like my late father. I’ve always been one of those people who like a challenge and looking tough. [Laughs] Of course, that didn’t happen.

I don’t know when I’ll stop singing. I would like to leave that to time and destiny. I might have other commitments one day, like having a child, and I would want to bring up my child on my own, so my professional plans might change. But because singing is a big part of me, I don’t think I could stop that easily. I will always love the arts and will continue to contribute to the industry in however way I can.

I used to be very active in sports back when I was still in school. I was involved in netball, handball, badminton, marathons, and so on. I really miss doing those types of things. If I could turn back time, I would love to have a game of handball, my favourite game.

It depends on how many activities I have scheduled for the day. Normally though, I start my day at about seven in the morning. My husband and I train with a personal trainer in our home gym. Around noon, I run errands or attend appointments, and am usually back by evening. My husband gets back from work around the same time so we usually have dinner together. After that, we’ll just relax. That’s my normal routine.
On a less eventful day, I’m usually at home sleeping! [Laughs] I cherish my rest days because sometimes I get almost no rest at all.
My husband has four children (all boys) from his previous marriage; three of them are now living abroad. So, I usually spend my weekends with the youngest (he’s 11 years old), watching movies and so on.

I feel elated and satisfied at the same time because my long-time dream of having my own skincare and cosmetic product range has now become a reality. When we launched the range on the 30th of March, it was a meaningful day for me as I was involved in the whole project from start to finish. I dabbled in choosing colours, textures, and product names.
We started by working with AC Nielsen, a research company, to survey the local market and learn about what women of today want when it comes to products. I went to South Korea (where the products were made) to witness the process and tried the products myself.
The public’s response to SimplySiti thus far has been great! The SimplySiti team really worked hard on this and they deserve the success.

My SimplySiti New Age Simply5 cream! I also can’t live without my blusher, lipstick and eyebrow pencil. Even though I have thick eyebrows, I always insist on pencilling them in. I don’t know why! I always feel ready for anything with my eyebrows pencilled in. [Laughs]

To me, beauty is subjective, and I think everyone is born beautiful in their own way. While not everyone has chiselled or supermodel good looks, beauty can be accentuated through how we carry ourselves with our dressing and personality.
Inner and outer beauty is very important. What’s the point of having outer beauty without a proper personality or morality to go with it?
To be beautiful, we need to learn how to be beautiful, whether by learning how to apply make-up properly, improving our personality, keeping healthy, and so on. It all takes effort; beauty won’t come to you just like that.

I’m not against the idea of cosmetic surgery as a medical means to help people better their appearance – just as long as the procedure is conducted by a certified expert. I don’t think it is wrong to repair our deformities – if we have any – through cosmetic surgery.

[Laugh] Yes, because looking good is part of my job. People expect celebrities to always look good, but sometimes I do want to head out without make-up and walk around in slippers... some good slippers, of course, not those Japanese ones. [Laughs]
When I’m abroad, that’s when I feel most “liberated”, so I do go out without make-up. Back in Malaysia, I can look simple, but I must also look presentable. I think I’m now trained to always look presentable, at least.

They should not let this pressure consume them. Don’t be a perfectionist when it comes to looking beautiful. There are people out there who are really beautiful and still insist on having certain cosmetic procedures done, thinking that they will look even better. When mishaps happen, who’s to blame?

Actually, I’ve never been on our local LRT [Light Rail Transit]! I have taken trains abroad because I’m not so well known in those countries. I guess it’s also because I never have the time to do such simple activities, but when I do get the opportunity, I will do it... at least once! [Laughs]

PHOTOGRAPHY: Ronny Ee of Studio Pashe • MAKE-UP & HAIR: Susan Chaopradith • CLOTHES: Dato’s Siti Nurhaliza’s own • JEWELLERY: Tomei