FIRST APPEARED IN FHM MALAYSIA
You have a unique surname. Tell us about your family background.
Mum’s pure Chinese from Ipoh; dad is Filipino-Spanish-Portuguese-Sri Lankan-Chinese. What can I say? Genetically, I’m just a big mess!
Did mum inspire you to join the Miss Malaysia Universe pageant?
Absolutely. I have the utmost admiration for my mother. Then, I was a three-year-old girl in pigtails running around in a dress yelling, “Look at me, I’m gonna be Miss Malaysia”. I wanted to be just like her — beautiful, smart and strong. She held my hand through every part of the pageant; she’s an amazing woman. I’m very lucky.
Has the title changed your life?
It has made me wiser and, now, I can apply makeup like a professional and walk in five-inch heels — not that I really need to. It also opened a lot of doors for me like modelling, acting and hosting. But I don’t really use the title outside of the modelling world. I also never tell a guy I won the pageant until I’m comfortable with him. I want him to like me as Andrea, not as Miss Malaysia. That’s hard to do in Malaysia. Bet it’ll be harder in Singapore after this issue is out.
Do you think the media treated you unfairly regarding your weight ?
When people see you succeed, they want to drag you down to make their own lives seem less mundane. It’s the whole tabloid and paparazzi mentality. Even now, people still say good and bad things about me. Celebrity has its pros and cons – I’ve accepted that a long time ago.
We’re holding our FHM Girl Next Door finals this March. What is one thing the contestants should not do?
If you’re the winner, whatever you do, don’t say, “I thought someone else should’ve won” when interviewed. I’ve seen that happen. Just be yourself. If you win, great. If not, it was a helluva experience.
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