ONN WITH THHE TIMES
Suria FM deejay Linda Onn embraces the new and relinquishes the old.
SPORTING skinnies, runners, Aviators and a casual top, Linda Onn made her presence known immediately as she dashed into the Suria FM relaunch party at Red Box Plus in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. All eyes were on the fair, lanky brunette with luscious, cascading curls.
Clearly, her gruelling schedule and the mid-afternoon sun were imprinted all over her perfect – and heavily perspiring – skin, and she tugged at her outfit in an attempt to fan herself.
With a deep breath and quick flick of her tresses, the slender diva put the afternoon traffic behind her as she flashed her signature smile at the camera.
This was but a glimpse of her life on the go, as a celebrity deejay on one of the nation’s fastest-growing Malay radio stations.
Loyal and new listeners can enjoy fresh new dynamics, such as a spruced up choice of songs, new announcers Nabil and Kenchana Devi, and entertaining roadshow activities in line with Suria FM’S brand new theme Ceria (fresh and cheerful).
The radio station’s motto – The best of the 90s and latest music – remains unchanged, though.
“When I joined Suria FM in 2010, we catered to 690,000 listeners. We now have 2.3 million listeners, which we achieved in the last year and a half; that’s quite a feat! We’re very happy with the steady growth, as our mission is to infuse positivity into our listeners’ minds, and make them happy in spite of the problems they may be facing in life,” she explains.
The 34-year-old single woman to the station’s growth and changes as a reflection of her personal life.
In her words, 2011 was a correctional year in every sense.
“It’s been a very meaningful journey where I experienced new environments, new perspectives and made new friends in my career. Moving from one station to another has taught me a lot and given me extraordinary experiences,” says the eloquent Linda, the youngest of four siblings in her family. “I feel like a more mature version of myself when I go on air. That, in itself, helps me grow.”
She is the same in person as she is on air, and her chirpy personality never allows for awkward, silent moments. On weekdays, her deep voice offers tired drivers reprieve and fun as they make their way home in the thick of the evening traffic.
“Now with our theme Ceria, I suppose I’ll just need to be even more cheerful on air!” she says. “Seriously, it’s our mission to do that. We’ve risen very quickly and we want to be right on top!”
Her weekday shows include concert giveaways and free movie tickets for lucky winners who call in to respond to fun trivia. On Saturdays, she co-hosts a compilation of top 30 local hits with Halim Othman.
In 2007, Linda lost the opportunity to host for Star Movies the 79th Academy Awards Red Carpet event alongside celebrity host Dominic Lau over a dispute regarding her attire.
Local designer Radzuan Radziwill had tailored a beige kebaya for Linda, who made clear her preference to wear a better-fitted kebaya by Indonesian designer Jovian Mandagie instead, resulting in the hosting opportunity being taken from her.
While other possible reasons for the unfortunate incident remain opaque to many, Linda seems to have made peace with her loss.
“One has the right to choose what to wear and when to refuse. If I know that I can bring value to a dress, I will wear it but not otherwise,” she says carefully, unapologetic for her stand.
“As a principle, I do only what is comfortable to me. I refuse to allow myself to be coerced into doing things I don’t agree with,” she adds firmly.
Her conviction allows one to see how Linda, even at 12 years old, was determined to be a deejay someday – in an era where “unusual occupations were taboo.”
“I never breathed a word about it in school for fear of being mocked, since deejaying was considered to be an unusual occupation back in those days. But my family knew and were concerned about my communication skills,” she laughs.
Living in Johor at that time, she tuned in to Singapore radio stations and listened closely to announcements in English and Malay.
But fame and success come at a price, she concedes.
Linda, who took on her first gig as a radio announcer at the age of 19, says: “I’ve lost much of the freedom I had. I can’t be wild at a party, like one probably would in their teens.”
The glare of the public and media is certainly not something she takes lightly, so she finds other means to channel her energy.
They have taken the form of four restaurants and a foot reflexology centre, which was launched last November.
Situated in Kuala Lumpur, her restaurants were inspired by her favourite foods – asam pedas and her mother’s chicken rice.
Certainly, life in the fast lane can be exhausting and takes its toll even on an energetic person like Linda.
“But I just feel 20 all the time!” she quips.
For Linda, a simple excursion with friends, or a foot massage, serves as the respite she needs when feeling overwhelmed.
“Well, my family tells me that I tend to be quieter when I’m with them. I’d rather sit and observe. My energy’s reserved for gigs and events like today, where I need to go all out for the public.”
At the moment, things are looking good for Linda.
“I love what I do ... on and off I get to be on TV shows and I have a perfect family. I just hope to expand and diversify my businesses.” What’s next? “Get married and have a family!” Catch Linda Onn on Suria FM from 4pm to 8pm from Mondays to Fridays. The frequencies are 106.9 FM (Kedah, Perlis and Penang); 96.0 FM (Ipoh); 105.3 FM (Klang Valley, Tampin and Tanjung Malim); 96.1 FM (Kuantan); 88.5 FM (Gunung Ledang and Malacca); 101.4 FM (Johor Baru and Singapore); and 105.9 FM (Kota Kinabalu).