Interview: 4 Malaysian mother-daughter duos who inspire each other
Get to know these amazing Malaysian personalities that are both inspiring and empowering to all.
Get up close and personal with these celebrated mother-daughter duos in Malaysia whose lives and careers are intertwined into inspiring and uplifting composites.
Datuk Sheila Majid & Kayda
It’s not easy to gain a foothold in the music business, but apparently it’s even harder to get the green light from the patriarch of the Abdul Majid family—even when that figurative foothold is within one’s reach. Datuk Sheila Majid herself had to wheedle her father, an academic man with a coveted diploma from England’s University of Oxford who expected nothing less from his offspring, into letting her pursue a career in music. Decades later, she was faced with the same conundrum as her own young Kayda decided to follow in her footsteps.
Did the experience with your father give you empathy for Kayda’s career choice?
S: Being a parent, I still wanted her to finish her education and she did. She has a degree in psychology, she has finished her Quran recital and completed her piano studies right up to grade six. So how could I say no to her? Sometimes you just need to let your children pursue their passion because that’s when they are going to excel.
What was the first piece of advice you gave her at the beginning of her career?
S: That you have to have a good attitude because no matter how talented you are, if you have a bad attitude, it’s not going to take you anywhere. You have to have a little bit of empathy for people, especially those who work around you.
What about you, Kayda? What have you learned from your mother about the music industry? Not only the creative side of it but also the business side.
K: I’ve learned a lot from her through music production. She’s very particular about sound when it comes to recording and performing. My parents aren’t very business minded but I will say that the best advice they have given me was to live within my means. They have had some missteps, mismanaging their financials back in the day, so they don’t want me to make the same mistakes.
Where did your interest in hip hop come from?
K: Growing up, I was exposed to all kinds of music—from pop to jazz and even dangdut! But then I saw KRU and Nico on television and I remember seeing them jumping around to their music, in their baggy pants, performing how hip hop artistes would and that had me really excited.
I understand that you also write your own songs. How important is ownership to you?
K: It’s very important. Young artistes should know that they need to register their music with performing and songwriting bodies such as the Recording Performers Malaysia and claim their rights. Their songs might get played for a long time and they could garner an income through royalties which would be beneficial especially when they’re no longer in the business.
What’s your take on the music scene today especially on the rise of streaming platforms?
S: I love streaming platforms because you get to show your craft without having to go out of the house. But yes, physical albums are falling and I think they had fallen out of fashion a long time ago. But if you ask me, I still prefer to listen to a physical record because I find the sound on these digital platforms to be very thin. But then again, I’m old-school.
Soo Shea Pin & Teh Wen Fei
An epiphany struck Soo Shea Pin after two decades of slaving away in the legal industry. She didn’t want to look back at her life and see herself saddled with regrets for passing up on all the other wonderful things life had to offer her. That’s when she started venturing into the fashion business which, eventually in 2019, led to the birth of Feith. Together with her daughter Teh Wenfei, whose credentials include a Master’s in Law and working experiences at Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo and Nicholas Kirkwood, the affable entrepreneur went out on a limb to create a retail space where elegant and comfortable European-made shoes reign supreme.
Would you say that you have similar tastes in fashion?
S: Despite being different in character and age, we do have very similar tastes which really helps when we work together as it enables a coherent creative process. We would describe our style as classic, confident and elegant. It is important to us that this also comes through in our brand and products.
What item from each other’s closet would you steal and what would you secretly throw away?
T: Sometimes I sneakily borrow my mum’s dresses to wear, especially for events. She has many timeless pieces which were amazing 20 years ago and still are now. This also reinforces my belief in sustainability and long-lasting pieces which can be worn time and time again. I do not think I would throw anything away as every piece can be repurposed in a beautiful and creative way.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from each other?
T: Resilience, determination and strength. As a business woman, she had to go through various challenges and I am always astounded by her ability to rise above them. She is also kind and goes above and beyond what people expect.
S: We actually have a very similar outlook on life, fashion and business. With an age difference of 30 years between us, we can each contribute differently and yet complement each other well.
What are the pros and cons of working with a family member?
T: We feel that every business and every relationship have its ups and downs but both of us think alike and can sometimes read each other’s minds. There will always be tough times but it is very important that we work towards a common goal of achieving success together. If we have a disagreement, we will do our best to work it out together and end it with a big hug.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
S: The opening of Feith was certainly a huge milestone for us both. It was a dream that has been realised through an unexpected road of discovery. We are just at the beginning of our Feith story and we expect this journey to be an incredibly exciting one. We have also been inundated with kindness and support from people around us which encourages and propels us further.
What’s next for Feith?
T: As Feith has been registered as a London brand, we plan to officially launch Feith in London in 2022. We envision Feith to be a global fashion lifestyle brand, achieving success through beautifully crafted products and the belief that our products will infuse more confidence to whoever is wearing them. We really look forward to sharing our new “Feith” in fashion.
Maria Tan & Angeline Tan
Synonymous with quality meats, fresh catch-of-the-days and excellent gastronomic experience in general, Maria’s SteakCafe has been a favourite among local foodies, especially the steak savants, for over two decades. Maria Tan and her late husband’s decision to take their humble business which began from their homely little family kitchen in Ipoh to the next level paid off handsomely as it has now become one of the most recognisable local brands in food service. Today, the torch has been passed to their scion Angeline Tan, who serves as chief executive officer.
What’s your earliest memory in the kitchen?
A: I think I was seven when my late father taught me how to cook fried rice and I cooked it after school for lunch the entire week.
M: The earliest memory for me was so long ago. But I remember the earliest memory of us setting up a commercial kitchen. I was not a trained chef, so the task was quite daunting. I had to teach the staff to cook and control the quality of food and to ensure everything was in order.
Has culinary art always been a passion of yours or is it something that you grew into?
A: I have always been intrigued by what it takes to create good food but I did not develop an interest in this area until I started running the business. I had to learn every single dish on the menu and what made them tick—from the ingredients to the method of cooking and plating. There is a science and art to all of it and I find it simply fascinating.
What is it like working with a family member?
A: I did have some concerns when I started working in the business but it was definitely uncalled for. I can’t remember having any arguments or disagreements. We were very clear with our roles. I was not experienced with food handling, therefore, my mum was the decision maker when it came to food creation and quality. Everything else, I usually had carte blanche.
M: I don’t think we’ve had any big disagreements. My goal is very simple: to ensure that we serve good food. As long as we are able to achieve that, everything else can be explored and tested.
How do you perceive the industry then and now? How has it changed?
M: To me, it is an ever-green industry. Everyone has to eat and in Malaysia, everyone loves to eat. Over the years, the thing that changed the most would be the technology. Back in the early days, everything had to be made by hand and that was very labour intensive. Now, there are so many different food technologies available. It makes expansion easier while keeping the food consistency at an incredibly high standard.
If you had to choose, which one would you say is your best recipe?
A: This is a tough question but it would have to be the steaks. I love the crust that’s formed on the outside and the juice that oozes out of the meat when you bite into the steak. The flavours and texture are just heavenly.
M: If I were to choose another, it would be the pies. Every single one of them is handmade with precision.
Karen Nunis & Billie Blue Azalea Nunis-Blackstone
Karen Nunis and Billie Blue Azalea Nunis-Blackstone have plenty in common. They are both multi-hyphenates in every sense of the word as the mother dabbles in fine art and teaches drama and singing whereas the daughter is an English teacher and a freelance writer. But if there’s one thing that they’re both bound to, it would be music. That said, they’re two individuals with different artistic inclinations. While Karen operates as a solo artiste, Billie, on the other hand, prefers a more collaborative route—she’s the front person of her band, Billie Blue & The Nowhere Men.
How and when did you discover your passion for music?
K: Music and art have always been a part of my life. My dad was a musician and an artist like his grandfather before him; so these pursuits were never really a choice.
B: I guess I never really had a clear moment of “discovery” because music has always been integral to my identity but I do remember singing along to Bob Marley’s music when I was three years old. He had a song that I was convinced was called “Egg Sambal” and it was my favourite!
What’s your creative process like?
K: I tend to just jump into it. The only way to do something is to do it. Sometimes, I start with lyrics and sometimes, with a few chords; and I don’t stop to edit even if I think I’m losing the plot. B: In a band, you’re making decisions for the greater whole, not just for yourself and your own trajectory. Thus far, my songwriting efforts have been collaborative with my band mates, particularly with the guitarist of my band.
What has been the highlight of your journey so far?
K: There are too many! I have released a couple albums and I have had a number of art exhibitions locally and internationally which have given me a sense of accomplishment.
B: There are two key highlights I can think of: releasing my band’s debut album in 2018 and touring India in January 2020. Both are milestones I couldn’t imagine actually achieving when I first began my musical career.
What’s a shared pastime you indulge in when you’re not working on your art?
K: Cooking? Eating? Sleeping? Reading? Movies?
B: We love to obsess over cats, especially our own, and movies or shows we like. For example, we are both huge fans of the television series Hannibal. We’re big enablers of each other’s obsessions and we’re constantly sending each other cat memes or Hannibal memes.
What’s next for both of you and what’s the ultimate goal that you want to achieve in your career?
K: I am aiming to record more music. I have been writing. I also would like to have another exhibition in the near future. I have been painting a lot. My ultimate goal is to never get bored or lose my marbles.
B: I would be satisfied as long as making music is always part of my life and I can find a community of people, however small, to support me and encourage me to evolve and grow. But I’d absolutely love to tour more when it’s safe and possible again.
