2010/03/20
INTAN MAIZURA AHMAD KAMAL
intanm@nstp.com.my
intanm@nstp.com.my
INTAN MAIZURA AHMAD KAMAL talks to beauty queens Andrea Fonseka and her mother Datin Josephine Fonseka about love, life and careers
IT’S easy to see where the statuesque actress and former Miss Universe Malaysia 2004 Andrea Veronica Fonseka gets her good looks from. Mum, Datin Josephine Fonseka, an elegant and attractive 58-year-old, was also a Miss Universe Malaysia in 1970, when she was then known as Josephine Wong.
“I think I have the better nose,” chuckles the Ipoh-born Josephine, stealing a mischievous glance at her youngest daughter.
“Yeah, my nose IS a bit bumpy,” agrees Andrea, before adding admiringly: “I used to think mum looked like Elizabeth Taylor when she was younger and had thick lashes and short hair. The only difference was that Liz has big eyes.” Mum and daughter are back in the spotlight as Andrea, in her capacity as the national director of the Miss Universe Malaysia Organisation (MUMO), takes on the role of rebuilding and re-branding aspects of the Miss Universe Malaysia pageant.
Josephine is there for Andrea to bounce ideas with in the quest to unearth quality girls to represent the country on a global stage. She’ll also be judging with other Hall of Fame inductees, who include Datuk Yasmin Yusoff, Datin Anna Lim, Nancie Foo and Elaine Daly. (Visit www.missuniversemalaysia.com.my for details.) MUMO has re-branded its annual beauty pageant in an attempt to change public perception of the competition as well as to attract sponsors. Now called The New Miss Universe Malaysia 2010, it’s hoping to garner a more positive public response and is looking to crown a beauty queen who fits the new “hip, urban, relevant, real” theme.
On her idea of beauty, Andrea, who has a law background, replies: “Something more modern. Beauty has opened its doors to so many genres. Harajuku and Gwen Stefani are hot. Gwen’s not beautiful but she’s attractive. Alicia Keys is beautiful.” Adds Josephine: “I think beauty has to radiate from within.” “So beauty pageant, ah,” chuckles her daughter.
“My mum’s formula is that first you have to have nice eyes, nice nose, nice mouth, and then you must see the contestant’s face shape, oval and her face structure. It must be asymmetrical.” Josephine says with a smile: “Beauty has to have the basic formula of features but it must radiate from within and that can only come from a happy person.” “I feel very blessed that I somehow resemble my mum even though my nose is not very nice!” chips in Andrea.
“There are many people who don’t have such perfect features but have beautiful personality. They are elegant, carry themselves well, and have an aura that attracts people to them,” adds Josephine.
Jokes aside, Andrea, whose beauty ideal is the late Princess Diana, is very driven to ensure that The New Miss Universe Malaysia is a success. “That’s the only way it’ll be taken seriously in the coming years. It’s hard for people to take me seriously because of their perceptions of pageants. “They think I’m just the face and not really running it.
I have my job cut out to show them that this is going to be different and that I can do it because I do get quite anal about whatever project that I am involved in.” Josephine nods: “She’s definitely a fighter. She sees things to the end.” JOSEPHINE ON ANDREA I have four daughters, Andrea is the youngest. She was always ahead of her time. She was talented from young. I suppose being the youngest in the family she learnt from her sisters so she was guided.
When she was 10, her sister wrote a little story, which Andrea performed on stage. It was a solo and, if I’m not mistaken, she won a regional storytelling competition. She was also quite vain before she went on to her tomboy stage during her teens. She loved to play with my make-up and used to tell her sisters that they wouldn’t be able to become Miss Malaysia whenever they fell down and scratched their knees! As a mother, I was strict about what they should or shouldn’t do.
My husband looked after their education. We used to tell the kids to be good in their studies so that they’d be respected. I was more concerned with moral aspects such as what time they should be home, when they should start dating. They were allowed to bring their boyfriends home, so at least we knew who they were.
By the time I got to Andrea, I wasn’t as strict. But still, I had a loose rein. They all had to be home by midnight. Even now, we’re not happy if Andrea gets home after 1am. I’d stay awake till she’s home. I suppose we’d never stop worrying about them. She’d tell you that I’m a strict disciplinarian (laughs).
One of the things that I tell my daughters is that if any of them were to go to bed with a man, though I wasn’t encouraging it, they had to ensure that it was with somebody they loved and not because they were drunk or high on drugs.
I always insist that they pray, too. Prayers and faith are so important. We also instil in them the value of family. Whatever it is, they need to manage their differences and get along. Andrea’s most annoying habit? She’ll always have the last word (laughs)! She’s not stubborn but she will always... I don’t know, with me at least, I find that whenever I tell her something, she’ll always have the last say... that irritates the hell out of me! Her dad doesn’t seem to get on her nerves. It’s probably my nagging.
Her dad would say that I’m also one to have the last word (laughs). I don’t know how far that’s true. I’m a Pisces and she’s a Virgo. Sometimes when I have a point to stress and I think it needs to be stated, I would. When I complain about Andrea to father, he’d say, “She’s just like you!” I guess I was like her in many ways when I was her age. I was so strong-headed. She works really hard. I worked hard too and even now I’m working hard. We’re both quite driven, while my other girls are more laid-back.
I never actually encouraged her to follow in my footsteps. It’s not all a bed of roses. You have to work very hard. I’ll put it in another way. I’m glad she’s getting married (in July) because the exposure that she’s currently going through creates such a lot of openings for temptations of all sorts. Driven as she is, I’m sure she knows her limits. I never dreamt that Andrea would follow in my steps but I was happy when it happened.
Her father wasn’t initially because she did it between Form 6 and university, and he felt that she needed to finish her studies first, just in case she got distracted. She, however, felt that she should do it then because later might be too late. I told her to wait as I thought she wasn’t ready. Yes, I was quite young when I won (18) but I had seven brothers to teach me what life was about.
I was ninth in the family. Anyway, I had lots of fun. With so many elder brothers and sisters, you grow up ahead of time, and likewise forAndrea, being the youngest. I never encouraged her joining beauty pageants but I could see she was growing up to be a beautiful woman. I always told my friends not to compliment her for fear of her becoming vain! Today, I’m still trying to learn to let go. I can’t keep her on a tight rein anymore! If I want peace in the family, I can’t! Thankfully, she still lives at home and does text me if she can’t make dinner. We try to have meals together everyday.
I guess I just have to understand that she has her own life to live. ANDREA ON JOSEPHINE Mum was always the disciplinarian in terms of behaviour. My father was more about making sure that we studied and did well in school. The reason why I don’t walk kangkang (legs wide apart) or why I sit properly is because of my mum.
Growing up, I was the son that my father never had in many ways. Yes, I’d always wanted to be Miss Malaysia, that’s obviously my mum’s influence, but as a child, I was closer to my dad. We’d go to pasar malam together, watch football. Oh, I had braces and short hair! When I grew older, I began to appreciate my relationship with my mum and made a conscious effort to cultivate it. I’m happy to say that now I’m close to both my parents.
Josephine (centre) basks in the limelight as Miss Perak-Universe in 1970
One of the things that I’ve noticed is that she hasn’t quite let go of the reins yet. I’ve just stepped out of a child’s shoes but I haven’t stepped into the adult ones yet. I’ll always be her baby, her youngest. I think until the point that I show I’m able to be on my own two feet, raise a family maybe, then we can be on that “friends” level. I’ll always respect her as my mum in spite of being an adult and having my own mind. I do seek her out for certain things. She has a deep insight into the male psyche, having grown up with seven brothers. When I was young, I always looked at things through rose tinted glasses but mum would always watch my back.
It has taken me a while to persuade my parents that the industry I’m in is actually real work. They still want me to practise law because they consider it to be good, steady work. But I think they’re changing their views. They see the passion that I have for it. Maybe I can eventually go into entertainment law. I’m already drafting the contestants’ contracts, and I’ll also be managing the winner to make sure that she has a proper career, something that’s not been done before. They have somebody in the industry to push them further. I have more passion for this than hosting, acting and modelling but, having said that, I’m still being offered opportunities to host and act.
The things I like about my mum? She’s a mean cook (laughs). My mother can keep a secret. She’s someone with a set of principles, which she doesn’t compromise. I respect that. She’s a strong person but yet, can offer you a shoulder to cry on.
Mum always instilled in us the value of placing family first. From young we were told that when the ground beneath you gives way, the only people who care are your family. I’ve always been quite independent from my sisters, in terms of my friends and what I do. I even went to a different secondary school. But at the end of the day, I love them a lot and we’re close.
I do think mum has high expectations of all her daughters. I remember one day, she sat us all down and as breezily as you like, as if she just talking about the weather, she said: “Don’t think you need to get married. A man isn’t going to complete your life... you are. If you think the man is going to do it, you’re in trouble, so make sure that you’re ok and you’re happy. “And the end of it, if you find a man who complements that, then you can be with him. Otherwise feel no pressure about becoming a wife... just become a nun!”.
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