Interview: 4 brilliant Malaysian advocates who celebrate women

Was it hard breaking into the fashion industry?

It was but I was lucky because I came at a time when diversity was in—what everybody was trying to bring into their brand. I actually had no intention of becoming a model because I was not skinny and I was not tall. I did it for fun because I like being in different characters in front of the camera.

What has been the biggest “no” you’ve gotten so far?

Hearing that I’m not tall or fat enough. Before, they told me to lose weight to be a model but now I have to gain weight? I know that there are certain sizes for plus-size fashion but the thing is, you should cater to women of all sizes if you want to champion diversity.

Do you think the term “plus-size model” is reductive in this day and age?

It depends on the model. For me, I find it quite redundant and I don’t want to be labelled as that anymore. I am a model. I do what other models do: I walk the runway when brands want me to, I pose for them when they dress me up and all these things.

Have you always been confident in your skin?

No, it’s a journey. I was a very insecure kid, my weight fluctuated a lot and I also suffered from eating disorder which contributed to my body dysmorphia. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-20s that I realised that I was tired of having to live up to people’s expectations on how I should look like.

Are you totally at peace with your body now?

A lot of people think that once you’re feeling confident, you’re going to be confident 24/7. You’re not. I still have my insecurities but I know that it’s just a fleeting feeling. It’s always been a journey, a never-ending one, for me.

As a body acceptance advocate, what is the message you want to relay?

It’s normal to have insecurities but you shouldn’t punish your body. I used to work out twice a day, every day and starve myself but no matter what the result was, in my mind, I was still fat because I was comparing myself to people with different body types than mine.

What’s the hashtag all about?

I used it as a way to garner attention from policymakers and the general public around issues like sexual harassment in schools that have been normalised without adults and parents realising. This topic is regarded as taboo and oftentimes victims are silenced to preserve the “good name” of the school.

Did you anticipate the pushback you got from the people around you?

Not at all. I didn’t expect the video to go viral as I had only used social media as a platform for sharing among friends like a lot of other teenagers my age do. But it was of course heartbreaking when I received the pushback especially from the people close to me—the ones I thought had my back.

Having met others with similar experiences, what have you learned about sexual harassment in the country?

I’ve learned that this is not a problem that is only happening to us but to students all over the world, though there are some issues unique to Malaysia—problems like period spot checks— where we actually need to work together to find the solution to.

Do you think that it’s a problem that we can solve?

Issues like sexual harassment has always happened in our schools but the people in power have been successful in silencing the victims and protecting the perpetrators. But now, with the power of social media and collective voices, I hope we can help and spread awareness on this.

What kind of reforms are you hoping to see?

I’m hoping for a specific policy catering to victims of sexual harassment in schools. Other than that, I also hope to see reforms in our Sex Education syllabus and the counselling body in schools where students would have the access to unbiased help to combat the issues of breach of trust and victim blaming.

How has the whole experience affected you and what’s next?

It has completely turned my life upside down and it has been hard to cope with. But with the support of my family and friends, it has been a little bit easier. I plan to pursue my studies and take law but one of the dreams of mine is to write a book or even establish my own non-profit organisation.

What’s your experience with commercial pads like?

I have sensitive skin so I would get either rashes or itchiness whenever I use commercial pads. I’ve had the same problem since I was younger but I didn’t take notice of it. Just like me, a lot of women think that it’s normal to have all these rashes, little red bumps and burning sensation when menstruating.

Why do you think that is?

There is no safe environment for you to talk about it—even my mom didn’t really talk about it when I got my first period. And can you think of a brand of menstrual hygiene products that enables you to comfortably talk about periods? I don’t think so. It’s a taboo topic because it’s so “dirty” but it’s not.

And Enya is working towards changing that?

Yes. Moving forward, as a company, we want to work together with organisations to go to schools, not just to educate the girls but also to be there with them at their growing stage. It wouldn’t be just a one-session thing. We need to have continuous safe conversations.

What are the common misconceptions about periods that need debunking?

One of the myths that I often come across is that you can’t get pregnant if you have sex during your period. You can, especially if you’re having unprotected sex. There are other fallacies as well like you can’t go swimming or you can’t engage in your self-care routine like cutting your nails and washing your hair.

What’s your take on period poverty in Malaysia?

Many are suffering from this at present especially the homeless people. The way they deal with periods is just by using tissue, cloths or even sand, and they free bleed everywhere. We want to address this issue but, as a company, all we can do right now is donate products.

Is the government’s initiative to provide free supply of feminine hygiene kits to young women in the B40 category a sustainable solution to this?

I think it depends on whether or not the supplies will keep coming and that depends on the budget—if there is a budget, then there is sustainability in supplying the period kits long term.