All in a day’s work
Former flight attendant and Mrs Malaysia Globe 2013 finds meaning in lending a hand to charitable causes.
THREE years after giving birth to her son, Somaya Ong still considered herself beautiful and was determined to enter a beauty pageant. After all, she was a former flight attendant and one of the poster girls for Malaysia Airlines.
She took part in Mrs Malaysia Globe 2013 and won the title. She then represented the country at Mrs Globe 2014 and was among the top five finalists. The contest, held in Shenzhen, China, saw 45 contestants from all over the world.
“The main reason I did it was to get back into the swing of things. Also, I wanted to get my confidence back,” says Ong, 35, was also served Cathay Pacific.
“After the birth of my son, I was a stayat-home mother. Prior to that, I held several jobs after leaving high school,” says Kuala Lumpur-born Ong.
After winning the title, Ong endorsed products which were targeted at working mothers, or women with active lifestyles.
“I have been in campaigns for fashion brands, cosmetics and skincare products,” she says. And, she was also in a mother and son shoot for a car, which she considers “great fun”.
An enthusiastic charity worker, she happily volunteers her time.
“Some of these organisations have to deal with day to day problems and don’t have the time to raise funds. This is where I feel I can help,” enthuses Ong, who was given the Community Service Award from the United States-based WIN Foundation in 2013, prior to competing in Mrs Globe.
She has helped to raise funds for the Special Olympics Kuala Lumpur, the Nepal Earthquake Fund (Bat for Nepal Charity Match), Let’s Rock Cancer with the National Cancer Foundation and several smaller homes for orphans and the elderly.
She is a strong advocate of breastfeeding.
“I breastfed my son for two years and during that time, I also encouraged other Malaysian women to take this natural approach,” she reminisces.
Nowadays, Ong busies herself in the family business with her husband Nordin Abdullah. The company is involved in business events and consultancy work.
She is a doting mother to her six-yearold son, Saif Nordin.
She says: “My husband jokingly says that since my son has been cast in several advertisements, I am his driver and manager. It is a good experience for him as it builds his confidence.”
Like all mothers, she wants only to give him the best things in life.
“I want him to have varied life experiences. It would also be a defining experience to attend a Mandarin school,” says Ong, who studied in Chinese school SRJK (C) Taman Connaught for six years.
Being multi-lingual is an advantage, she feels.
“My husband, who is from Australia, can speak several languages, including Bahasa Malaysia and Arabic. He is slowly improving his Mandarin,” she says.
Despite a busy lifestyle, Ong’s philosophy in life is “to keep things simple”.
She concludes: “Do as much good as we can and while we can.”