Sizzling success stories
Former beauty queen and model Sannie Lee loves sharing the success secrets of icons through her TV shows and ‘concerts’,
AS a child, she was timid and lacked self-confidence. But she soon learnt from her mother that everybody could “fly high” if they dared to
dream.
Sannie Lee, 33, became a model while at university and it was not long after that she travelled to various countries in the region. Her face adorned magazines, posters and the small screen. Bearing in mind her mother’s advice, she then took a great leap of faith to start her own business in China.
During her eight-year stay there, she found her passion was in organising motivational events, bringing the country’s successful professionals together to give talks on their work and life stories.
She also travelled to South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore, networking with educationists and professionals in the West who were willing to share their experiences with students and graduates. Taking her commitment to education and motivation several levels higher, Sannie came up with her very own television programme, My Voice My World, in 2016.
This “public speakers’ concert” introduced Chinese viewers to speakers from various professions in the East and West who enlightened audiences about their life journeys and shared important lessons on success.
And most importantly, it hammered home a familiar message from Sannie’s mother — it is not your aptitude which makes you a success but your attitude. In other words, thinking positive and motivating oneself at all times produces results and propels a person forward in life.
CONCERT WITH MESSAGE
My Voice My World which was broadcast on Jiangsu Satellite Television in Suzhou, China, became an instant hit and garnered 1.2 million viewers per episode. It also registered 20.1 billion readings on Chinese social media platform WeiBo.
Sannie, who returned to Malaysia in September last year, is now bringing My Voice My World to her home country, as a four-hour special concert — My Voice My Nation Malaysia 2019. It will be recorded by news portal Malaysiakini at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, and its main guest speaker will be Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whom Sannie calls the “number one Malaysian icon”.
Besides Dr Mahathir, the show will also feature his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, AirAsia chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, American acrobat Jen Bricker who was born without legs, South Korean producer Youn Seyoung a.k.a. Daydream, Hong Kong actor Michael Wong, Chinese authors Xu Bo Kai and Rocky Liang, and Hong Kong television host Bob Lam.
“The theme of this show is patriotism and motivation. I’m thankful to the Youth and Sports Ministry for supporting me, and it’s my dream come true to get Dr Mahathir on my show.
“It is he who inspired me with the Malaysia Boleh spirit, just as my mother did,” she said in a recent interview. While Dr Mahathir’s role in making Malaysia a newly industrialised country is well-known, I’m going to ask him about his decision to return to helm the nation. It is simply amazing that he has chosen to guide a whole new team of youthful ministers in a New Malaysia. He’s a superman in every sense.”
ROLE MODELS
Sannie took 10 months to conceptualise her first Malaysian production. Malaysians, like the Chinese, loved concerts, she said, and this gave her the idea of creating “motivational concerts”.
“It’s my idea to have icons of varous professions appear in a live show and talk about their missions and visions in life. And there’ll also be guest artistes to entertain the crowd and give the show some glitz and glamour,” she said.
On her decision to include Syed Saddiq as part of the guests, Sannie said he represented Malaysian youth, and they were the country’s future leaders. “Syed Saddiq is a great role model for youths. He is a world-class debater and motivates youths to reach for the stars. And now that he is one of the country’s youngest ministers, he is the best person to share his experience of guiding a nation with many young men and women.”
Sannie said My Voice My Nation focused on success stories from most of the country’s major professions.
“It’s about getting the icons of professions to connect with mass audiences, so that the public gets to identify with their struggles to achieve the best out of life,” she said. All of the people who appeared in her shows have extraordinary determination and are highly disciplined and passionate.
“All faced lots of hurdles in life but armed with the right attitude, they triumphed and inspired millions along the way. They are living proof that the power of positive thinking helps you to fly high and a never-say-die attitude makes you achieve greatness.
“All of us face challenges, as my mother told me. We have a choice, to surrender or to fight, and those who fight grow and thrive,” said Sannie, who described successful people as “always young at heart”.
Sannie, the eldest of three siblings, is from Mentakab in Pahang and was raised by her single mother after her father left home when she was 4.
MOTIVATED TO HELP
Sannie was a student of SJK (Cina) Chung Hwa and SJMK Hwa Lian in Mentakab. She participated in a beauty contest in Kuala Lumpur when she was 19 and finished second.
“My mother got me into that contest to encourage self-confidence. I was still an introvert then, but the pageant compelled me to overcome shyness and gradually, I got the hang of public speaking and socialising with others,” she said.
She studied Chemistry at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Bangi for four years and graduated at 24. Subsequently she worked as a model in China, but was also on the catwalk in France, Italy and Japan.
It was in China that she set up her own company, Sannie Movement, which has since organised educational and motivational talks and courses in more than 30 countries, by individuals from various professions. “Visiting various countries was an excellent opportunity for me to network. In future episodes of My Voice My Nation, I would love to feature more such professionals, especially those from my home country.”
Sannie has also included corporate social responsibility in her shows.
She also feels it is always good to help the needy. “It is part of our Asian values and something I learnt as a kid. In my first Malaysian concert, we’ll be contributing proceeds to the Paralympic Council of Malaysia for the growth and well-being of our ‘para athletes’,” she said.
When asked about her future plans, Sannie hopes to produce motivational shows for terrestrial television and organise professional training courses in colleges and universities around the country.
“Motivational talks are not new, and many people attend them around the world. They may attract young people, but motivational concerts go the distance to amplify success stories and work better with youths, because they bring home their stars’ messages loud and clear,” she said.
More than 30 media organisations from Malaysia and overseas are expected to attend My Voice My World Malaysia 2019, and more than 3,000 local and foreign guests will be present.
The 7pm concert which is supported by the Youth and Sports and Tourism and Culture Ministries, will be aired on 8TV at a later date. Updates on the concert are available at www.facebook. com/myvoicemynation2019/