The darling of the Malaysian music industry Datuk Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin speaks about her newly-launched makeup and skincare brand and reminisces on an illustrious career.

Having come into her own over the past 15 years of being in show business, Siti is now very much the busy business woman making sure that her company SimplySiti Sdn Bhd runs like a well-oiled machine. “You know how the saying goes – it takes a village? Well, I wouldn’t have been able to get here if it weren’t for the many prayers and support that my team and fans have shown me. “But of course, there is also my husband, who has taught me so much and really guided me in this new venture,” she says with a big smile, referring to Datuk Seri Khalid Mohamad Jiwa.


FROM BRIGHT LIGHTS TO BOARDROOM
“One day I asked myself why am I always the ambassador of other brands and not my own? I am of course, honoured to be chosen, but if other companies trust me and believe that I can represent their products well, then why shouldn’t I do the same for myself?” So at the end of 2007, work started on conceptualising the products and in August of 2009, the products went through a soft launch. From start to finish, Siti was there at every stage. “The products are doing well Alhamdullilah, and we couldn’t be happier. But that will not make us take it easy. We have to work harder to ensure that this is a consistent effort,” she adds.

THE ROAD AHEAD
“I was just a young girl from Berek Polis Kampung Awah, Temerloh, Pahang when I first started. Looking back, everything seems so surreal.” As she strikes effortless poses during the photo shoot, she is a far cry from the awkward and uncomfortable teenager she once was. She may be larger than life to some but if there is one thing this writer came away with from this interview, it is that Siti is, at heart, simply Siti.