KUALA LUMPUR: She was a "one hit wonder" with her hip-hop duet ‘Apa Kono Eh Jang’ in 2012.
That song, which was performed with popular television host and actor Datuk AC Mizal in the Negri Sembilan Malay dialect, rocketed Rafidah Ibrahim to nationwide fame.
However, the 34-year-old singer-actress from Taiping, who happens to be the cousin of pop queen Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, did not last long in showbiz.
Gossip and slander hurt her greatly, and despite starring in about 10 dramas and telemovies and three films, she decided to call it a day in entertainment after a decade.
Since then, Rafidah or Fida has built up her very own health foods company, R Secrets Sdn Bhd, which is based in Setapak.
Her business is “doing pretty good” even though she once got cheated by some irresponsible individuals.
“Looking back at my days in showbiz, I have no regrets leaving it. Nevertheless, it was a good learning experience for me, and I'm happy to have met many talented people, some of whom are still my good friends,” said Rafidah in a news report today.
“I didn't really know what I wanted back then, but now I'm happy to be a businesswoman. Even though it's hard being your own boss, it gives me job satisfaction and it's something I truly love doing.”
Rafidah added that the "nasty rumours and harsh criticisms" made against her as a singer-actress toughened her up and prepared her for the challenges of running her own business.
“The challenges that I faced as an actress helped build my character, and indirectly, my business. I thank God I've been able to go through all these difficulties and thrive.”
The death of Rafidah's mother in May 2017 deeply affected her. It was the event that made her quit showbiz for good.
“My mother was my biggest fan and strongest supporter. She always encouraged me to persevere, so when she died I was devastated and decided to call it a day in entertainment.”
When asked about her business in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Rafidah said that the Movement Control Order (MCO) has definitely affected it, but it is better to lose customers than to fall seriously ill.
“I'm definitely staying at home to be safe from the deadly virus. Health is more important than wealth. I want to thank all Malaysians for supporting me in my entertainment career, and I hope everybody observes the MCO and stays at home.”
Rafidah, a business graduate, participated in the TV3 reality show and beauty contest ‘Siti Nurhaliza Mencari Bintang Pantene’ in 2007, which was supported by her famous cousin. She was the top winner.
Her best known dramas include ‘Setulus Janji’, ‘Runtun Qalbu’, ‘Cinta Tikar Sejadah’ and ‘Epilog Syurga Cinta’. She appeared in the films ‘Kongsi’, ‘Man Sewel Datang KL’ and ‘Adik Manja Returns’.