Voted as one of ‘10 Most Inspiring Female Social Personalities’ by a local magazine, former beauty queen Joanne Kwan is on a mission to empower women of all ages.
THERE is nothing stopping Joanne Kwan from doing everything she sets out to do and more. More than 12 years after taking to the stage in singing competition show, Asia Bagus, she is setting her sights on bigger things.
“When I joined Asia Bagus, I thought I knew what I wanted in life. The show gave me a chance to represent Malaysia in the singing competition at a regional level.
“However, I was only 17. I was too young to understand the entertainment industry, so it didn’t work out for me,” she recalled.
Soon after that, she took part in a few beauty pageants and now has 11 beauty titles under her belt, including Miss Photogenic, Miss Personality and Miss Malaysia Queen of the World.
“But, again, things never really kicked off in the modelling, or pageantry world for me,” she said.
The experience led her to her true calling — hosting — and she went into hosting full-time in 2008.
Eventually, she was asked to host popular breakfast show Morning Bell on local streaming TV channel.
Kwan is now juggling her responsibilities as the general manager of Artist Exchange, a platform for up-and-coming models and artistes, hosting, modelling and carrying out her role as a brand ambassador.
“People often tell me that I have so many feathers in my cap, and they wonder what drove me to keep pushing myself every single time.
“My answer is simple: I’m a single mother (she is divorced) and I’m responsible for my 13-year-old daughter.”
She called herself “the typical Asian tiger mum”.
“I want her to grow up in a way that makes her hold her own against the rest of the world. I want her to know that she is equal, if not better than the rest,” she added.
Kwan said she endured a long, painful episode in her life as a result of a broken marriage.
“My daughter was only 8 months old when I had to go through the painful process, both physically and emotionally. It was tough and until today, I still don’t know how I did it.
“But I’m a better and stronger person today because of that experience,” she said.
Today, she believes in a new kind of mantra: “If a man is not ready to add value to my life, please stay far, far away from me.
“My daughter plays a vital role in my life and I want her to see her mother as a strong and confident woman. She has motivated me to come out of my comfort zone,” she said, adding that her failed marriage spurred a new strength in her.
Kwan hoped to empower women who felt they were trapped in a bad relationship.
“It is never too late to start again. All you need to do is pick up new skills and educate yourself. The world is changing, so you can’t just sit back and wait for things to happen.
“Pick something you love and give it a try. Never let anything stand in your way,” she said.
Standing at 163cm-tall, Kwan said she was not afraid to voice out her opinions on things that matter.
“Women are as capable as men, regardless of the industry they are in. Times are changing and traditional gender roles and gender stereotyping have no place in this day and age.
“Change began with us. By empowering ourselves, we are also empowering our daughters, granddaughters and so on. No one else is going to do that for us.”
When asked about her future plan, Kwan said she aimed to host her own talk show.