Very recently, I was asked by the State Exco to be one of the 3 speakers at the Luncheon Talk in Stadium Malawati in Shah Alam for the Karnival Wanita Anggun. Sharing the stage with me was the Member of Parliament for Kuantan Fuziah Salleh and Dr. Irene Fernandez (an epitome of strength and courage).
With State Exco Rodziah, Dr Irene, MP for Kuantan Fuziah, Puan Sri Salbiah (wife of Menteri Besar Selangor) and State assemblyman for Rawang Gan Pei Nei.We had to address the topic of “Wanita Sejati Anggun Peribadi”. I spoke of what’s beautiful in a woman and the importance of mothers and wives in our society today. Many people look to public figures as women of great strength but I personally think the housewives at home play a huge role in nation building. Without them, a house would not be a home. I learned about patience, respect and submission from my mom. Submission is not a sign of weakness, it is strength. My mom still calls me very frequently checking if I want lunch or dinner. I would have to multitask a thousand times more if not for my mom.
I also encouraged the young women not to bow down to pressure, not to succumb to the notion that “slim is beautiful”. I shared my experience of my teenage days to them. I was once fairly huge in size (putting on 10kgs in one month) and went into depression after being constantly teased and laughed at by my friends. I gained so much weight, one friend thought I was pregnant. I shunned meeting people. I only ate tasteless canned vegetables in my effort to lose weight.
My belief in God took me out of that hopeless state of mind I was in. Today, though I’m still careful with the food I eat, I encouraged the ladies to work on building character rather than physical beauty. Young girls, if you’re reading this – I want you to learn from my mistake, do not torture yourself by starving just to be thin. Good health is priceless. Learn to accept yourself, know that you’re loved by your Creator and then with that knowledge, confidence will come. As the state assemblyman, I want to be active in educating and encouraging our young people not to bow down to peer pressure and end up in destructive habits and lifestyle. Be yourself. You can’t change the way people view you but you can change the way you see yourself. My heart goes out to women who think they’re not beautiful, those who live feeling rejected by husbands, peers and the public. If you need a support group, please email me.
By the way, I’m not cute (as portrayed by the media). I rather be known as one who has a good heart and a beautiful mind.