www.chevening.org
ABOUT ME
Hi my name is Kartini Kamalul Ariffin. I live in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia with my family. I am just your ordinary woman who aspires to be the best that I can be.
I was born in the modernisation era in Kuala Lumpur in the late 1970’s. Kuala Lumpur was just acknowledged as a city in 1972. Influx of young job seekers around Malaysia make their way to Kuala Lumpur in search of a better life and working prospects, leaving their villages and home town -including my parents.
Both my mother and my father hailed from the tin-mined state of Perak, my father was from the small sleepy town of Bidor known for it’s guava fruits and chicken biscuits, while mother originates from the Bota Kanan famous for mosques and it’s durian orchards. More about my mother's side of the family here www.nasaruddinrais.com
Father joined the government as the Administration and Diplomatic Officer after he completed his diploma in University of Malaya while mother joined the Maktab Mara and completed her Teaching Diploma to qualify as a school teacher in the 1970s.
Having completed my secondary school in the newly developed residential area of Damansara where the working class around the area of Klang Valley is slowly residing,www.smkdj.edu.my I found myself in a public school of a multi racial mix. It was truly diverse and colorful. The teachers were progressive and forward thinking, the school won many competitions and girls were elected Presidents of clubs and I even led as Head Prefect in my fifth form despite it being a co-ed school. This was the late 1990’s. Both boys and girls competed on the same playing ground. Never had I felt that I was incapable, inferior or less intelligent just because I was a girl.
In inspiration of my mother’s vision , I made my way to the UK for my tertiary education under a partial government education loan, despite securing a place in University Malaya to study Accountancy.
I enrolled as an undergraduate at University of East Anglia in Norwich,UKwww.uea.ac.uk famous for it’s Bally Factory and the Lotus car factory plant (Proton held shares in Lotus from 1996-2017). I have to mention this when people asked me where I’m studying, as many Malaysia have no idea where Norwich is. Unlike those studying in London, Manchester or Liverpool.
England was an eyeopener, at 18 years old, it was freedom, independence and I did plenty of growing up there. I worked various part time jobs and sustained a frugal student life.
I started my career as an Associate Auditor after my graduation in year 2000. Then a change of fate happened. I was looking for the meaning of life, purpose and fulfillment. My quest led me to a job switch from an auditor to hosting one of Malaysia’s award winning women empowerment program called 3R (Respect, Relax, Respond) as their host.
3R was revolutionary for Malaysian conservative and traditional society. It speaks about relationship, sex, menstruation, women’s rights, sexual harassment, HIV, rape and other unspoken taboo. The acceptance was a mix, but very much positive and receptive with the educated Malaysia audience who started to appreciate a change and edutainment content as part of their television viewing.
The movement was strong and encouraging with many other similar groups such as Unicef, AWAM, WAO and the Ministry of Women and Development wanting to collaborate with us. We fronted most key milestones events relating to women such as International Women’s Day Celebrations and All Women Futsal Tournaments for many consecutive years. The series Sex And The City debuted about the same time and it became a women empowerment phenomenon changing mindsets for modern women of the early 2000 globally. 3R however was local and captures the Malaysian young women’s sentiments.
The feminist movement that 3R created lasted for 10 years and it taken off air after the last season of 3R
(14th season in 2009) was stopped due to budget cut by sponsors and change of directions by the television station. It was disheartening, but I was hoping that the advocacy work that we had done will live on and continue by the younger women. Project 3R was born in search of the Generation-Y lead hosts.
I decided to go back to University to pursue my MA in Broadcast Journalism under the British Chevening Scholarshipwww.chevening.org in 2007 at Goldsmiths University of London www.gold.ac.uk
After being with 3R, I strongly felt that media is my North Star. I saw how it changed mindset and inspired change. I felt quite shameful for taking the credit for how revolutionary the show was. The truth is , I was learning along the way too, and I got educated and empowered by the makers of the show. www.red.com.my
After returning from my Masters degree, I continued to work in a radio station Hotfm www.hotfm.com.my under the wings of Media Prima Radio Network until 2013. Radio life was exciting, fast , fame and furious.
In 2014 I helped set up iM4U Radio, the first radio station for youth and volunteerism, until the change of government in 2018. The radio station was revamped under the new administration.
I decided to craft my own path and start my own business Dbilique Media www.dbilique.com with a few ex-colleagues from my MPRN radio days. Leaving my 9-5 job, again seeking meaning in life through entrepreneurship and joining the 5% of the global numbers of entrepreneurs.
Starting a business at the age of 40, is not something many will do. I had young children and commitment, mortgages and bills to pay. I envied those who started in their twenties, or after graduating, they probably have time on their side. I have to make my business work, I don’t have the luxury of time. With that in mind I took another leap of faith.
It’s been 3 years since. Business taught me so much. More about finding who I am , my priorities and meaning. A journey of self discovery and trust. Trust in myself. I’ve since Co-Founded two more start ups - Risebowls wwww.risebowls.com and SooperKOL www.sooperkol.com while trying to complete a Doctorate in Communications from www.iukl.edu.my, in my attempt to optimise the current pandemic lockdowns.
Connect with me on instagram www.instagram.com/tini_ariffin or email me at [email protected]
H
ABOUT ME
Hi my name is Kartini Kamalul Ariffin. I live in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia with my family. I am just your ordinary woman who aspires to be the best that I can be.
I was born in the modernisation era in Kuala Lumpur in the late 1970’s. Kuala Lumpur was just acknowledged as a city in 1972. Influx of young job seekers around Malaysia make their way to Kuala Lumpur in search of a better life and working prospects, leaving their villages and home town -including my parents.
Both my mother and my father hailed from the tin-mined state of Perak, my father was from the small sleepy town of Bidor known for it’s guava fruits and chicken biscuits, while mother originates from the Bota Kanan famous for mosques and it’s durian orchards. More about my mother's side of the family here www.nasaruddinrais.com
Father joined the government as the Administration and Diplomatic Officer after he completed his diploma in University of Malaya while mother joined the Maktab Mara and completed her Teaching Diploma to qualify as a school teacher in the 1970s.
Having completed my secondary school in the newly developed residential area of Damansara where the working class around the area of Klang Valley is slowly residing,www.smkdj.edu.my I found myself in a public school of a multi racial mix. It was truly diverse and colorful. The teachers were progressive and forward thinking, the school won many competitions and girls were elected Presidents of clubs and I even led as Head Prefect in my fifth form despite it being a co-ed school. This was the late 1990’s. Both boys and girls competed on the same playing ground. Never had I felt that I was incapable, inferior or less intelligent just because I was a girl.
In inspiration of my mother’s vision , I made my way to the UK for my tertiary education under a partial government education loan, despite securing a place in University Malaya to study Accountancy.
I enrolled as an undergraduate at University of East Anglia in Norwich,UKwww.uea.ac.uk famous for it’s Bally Factory and the Lotus car factory plant (Proton held shares in Lotus from 1996-2017). I have to mention this when people asked me where I’m studying, as many Malaysia have no idea where Norwich is. Unlike those studying in London, Manchester or Liverpool.
England was an eyeopener, at 18 years old, it was freedom, independence and I did plenty of growing up there. I worked various part time jobs and sustained a frugal student life.
I started my career as an Associate Auditor after my graduation in year 2000. Then a change of fate happened. I was looking for the meaning of life, purpose and fulfillment. My quest led me to a job switch from an auditor to hosting one of Malaysia’s award winning women empowerment program called 3R (Respect, Relax, Respond) as their host.
3R was revolutionary for Malaysian conservative and traditional society. It speaks about relationship, sex, menstruation, women’s rights, sexual harassment, HIV, rape and other unspoken taboo. The acceptance was a mix, but very much positive and receptive with the educated Malaysia audience who started to appreciate a change and edutainment content as part of their television viewing.
The movement was strong and encouraging with many other similar groups such as Unicef, AWAM, WAO and the Ministry of Women and Development wanting to collaborate with us. We fronted most key milestones events relating to women such as International Women’s Day Celebrations and All Women Futsal Tournaments for many consecutive years. The series Sex And The City debuted about the same time and it became a women empowerment phenomenon changing mindsets for modern women of the early 2000 globally. 3R however was local and captures the Malaysian young women’s sentiments.
The feminist movement that 3R created lasted for 10 years and it taken off air after the last season of 3R
(14th season in 2009) was stopped due to budget cut by sponsors and change of directions by the television station. It was disheartening, but I was hoping that the advocacy work that we had done will live on and continue by the younger women. Project 3R was born in search of the Generation-Y lead hosts.
I decided to go back to University to pursue my MA in Broadcast Journalism under the British Chevening Scholarshipwww.chevening.org in 2007 at Goldsmiths University of London www.gold.ac.uk
After being with 3R, I strongly felt that media is my North Star. I saw how it changed mindset and inspired change. I felt quite shameful for taking the credit for how revolutionary the show was. The truth is , I was learning along the way too, and I got educated and empowered by the makers of the show. www.red.com.my
After returning from my Masters degree, I continued to work in a radio station Hotfm www.hotfm.com.my under the wings of Media Prima Radio Network until 2013. Radio life was exciting, fast , fame and furious.
In 2014 I helped set up iM4U Radio, the first radio station for youth and volunteerism, until the change of government in 2018. The radio station was revamped under the new administration.
I decided to craft my own path and start my own business Dbilique Media www.dbilique.com with a few ex-colleagues from my MPRN radio days. Leaving my 9-5 job, again seeking meaning in life through entrepreneurship and joining the 5% of the global numbers of entrepreneurs.
Starting a business at the age of 40, is not something many will do. I had young children and commitment, mortgages and bills to pay. I envied those who started in their twenties, or after graduating, they probably have time on their side. I have to make my business work, I don’t have the luxury of time. With that in mind I took another leap of faith.
It’s been 3 years since. Business taught me so much. More about finding who I am , my priorities and meaning. A journey of self discovery and trust. Trust in myself. I’ve since Co-Founded two more start ups - Risebowls wwww.risebowls.com and SooperKOL www.sooperkol.com while trying to complete a Doctorate in Communications from www.iukl.edu.my, in my attempt to optimise the current pandemic lockdowns.
Connect with me on instagram www.instagram.com/tini_ariffin or email me at [email protected]
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