KUALA LUMPUR: While music lovers know Zainal Abidin as a popular singer with major hits as Hijau and Puteri, one of his children is slowly carving a niche for herself in Malaysian broadcasting.
She is Timur Gabriel, the 21-year-old, bubbly host of 8TV's daily talk show The 8TV Quickie.
Timur joined the show last April, and she is one of five co-hosts of the 'light and easy' show which appeals to urban viewers.
The others are Brandon Ho, Mark O'Dea, Zubaidah "Zooey" Mohd Noor Amir and Jenn Chia Yen-Yi.
Timur said her decision to go into television broadcasting was hers alone.
"I've always been a fan of Quickie, especially its pioneer hosts as Marion Caunter, Adam Carruthers, Rina Omar and Phat Fabes.
"The reason why I love the show is because it is close and personal with viewers, and enables youths to share interesting information about places, foods, trends and films in the Klang Valley and beyond," she said in an interview yesterday.
Timur describes her style as spontaneous, fun-loving and 'occasionally loud'. "Being a Quickie host is like being a friend to fans, who may need cheering up after a hard day's work. And since each of us is a different personality, we complement each other to make Quickie interesting and fun."
Timur's parents were divorced when she was 6. She lives with her mother, model Natasha Yvonne Gabriel.
Timur is pursuing a double degree in psychology and business management at Segi University in Petaling Jaya. She will graduate in two years' time.
She formerly did public relations for two fashion labels and modeled for print advertisements.
The 8TV Quickie airs nightly at 9.30pm and 10.30pm (one-minute sneak peek) and 11.30pm (15-minute segment).