Back for the 8th Season!
3R – Respect, Relax, Respond, the television programme for young women, will be back on air for its long-awaited 8th season on Sunday, July 4th, at 7:30 pm over TV3. This time around, 3R is brought to the screen by returning sponsors Maybelline and Kotex as well as new sponsors Lipton, Hotlink and Gillette.
The new season promises many more exciting and ‘hot’ topics, such as teenage gangsterism, national service, violence against women, dating older men, personal hygiene problems, sibling rivalry, long-distance relationships, fitness, and many more. Also there will be a new interactive feature called ‘information on demand’ whereby viewers can SMS to get information that has been given in the programme.
However, the most exciting feature of this season is the addition of not one but two new members to the 3R family. Yuen, who has been hosting 3R for 7 seasons, is going to be kept busy taking care of the youngest (and cutest!) 3R member, her newborn baby girl. Lightening up her schedule, she is stepping back to make way for fresh new talent Celina Khor. “We are very, very excited to have Celina on board,” says 3R Executive Producer Marina Mahathir. Co-Executive Producer Lina Tan adds, “We have auditioned over 500 new and known faces in search of the perfect person to join our current hosts Azah and Kartini. With her easy-going personality and passion for social issues, we feel that Celina will be a great advocate for young women.”
For more information and to set up interviews with hosts, producers or cast please contact us riscon@asia.com.
From Where We Left Off…
And what of the rest of the 3R girls? Although they have been off-camera for a while, these feisty girls have certainly not been resting on their laurels. After her whirlwind wedding in November last year, Low Ngai Yuen has been simultaneously pregnant, directing stage plays and a new TV series, and shooting her video diary as a first-time mum-to-be for a new parenting programme produced by Red Communications.
Her boundless energy is now channelled to baby Wong Zi-En as well as directing a Chinese ghost story for an upcoming movie, also produced by Red Communications. Her fans need not worry that she is leaving 3R, as she will be making special appearances on the programme from time to time as well as directing a couple of episodes.
Lanky beauty Azah Yazmin Yusof, not content with her LLB degree from Universiti Teknologi Mara, has been busy finishing up her Diploma in Syariah Law and Practice course at the International Islamic University. This perpetual student is now considering taking up a Master’s degree course in one of the many subjects close to her heart: law, counselling, or television. She has recently added a new skill to her long list of abilities by taking a diving course off the coast of Pulau Tioman, and is now a qualified scuba diver. She will soon be seen in independent filmmaker Teoh Ming Jin’s new movie, alongside 3R co-host Kartini.
No-longer-new 3R host Kartini Kamalul Ariffin has launched herself fully into the entertainment industry, trying out different things and welcoming each opportunity that comes her way. From presenting on TV and emceeing live events, she has now branched out into acting as well as presenting on radio. Listeners can tune in to her from 7am to 10am on Saturdays and Sundays, when she co-presents the morning programme, Kafe 1049, on Red FM. As well as acting in the new independent film with Azah, she is also making an appearance in Anuar Zain’s latest music video, Semuanya Untukmu.
Those who remember the early days of 3R will recall that one of the original trio to host this programme left at the end of the 5th season after receiving a scholarship from The British Council to pursue her post-graduate studies. Rafidah Abdullah is now back, having received a Distinction for her Master’s in Scriptwriting degree from Goldsmiths College, London. Since then, she has been busy conducting scriptwriting workshops as well as writing commercials, informercials, TV dramas, presentation videos, educational videos and a feature-length movie set to be produced by Red Communications at the end of the year. For the upcoming season of 3R, she will be taking on the bulk of writing and directing responsibilities, as well as making occasional cameo appearances.
Brought to You Live by 3R
3R, too, has not been resting in between seasons. After the conclusion of the 7th season, 3R has been kept busy with its ongoing gender and safety workshops entitled Survival Series. Earlier this year, 3R has organised two successful events in celebration of International Women’s Day – the 3R All-Women’s Futsal Playoffs, and a two-day event called A Girl’s Day Out.
The futsal playoffs received the biggest number of entries for an all-women futsal event in Malaysia, with 64 teams taking part from as far away as Singapore. A Girl’s Day Out recorded massive turnouts, with an estimated 20,000 visitors for each day of the event. With performances by singers and girl-fronted bands, non-governmental organization booths, spot quizzes, martial arts demonstrations, and the presentation of a teen wish list to the Inspector-General of Police, this event had an excellent mix of fun activities and serious messages on social issues.
Inline with its vision of being not just a TV programme but an interactive multimedia channel for young women’s issues, 3R will continue to organise events designed to empower and educate young women. Watch this space!
3R Goes International!
3R’s win in the 2002 Asian Television Awards for Best Infotainment Programme clearly proved the international appeal of this programme. It is no wonder that Kimberley-Clark has decided to pave the way for 3R’s expansion in other countries in the Asian region. The multinational corporation has signed on to sponsor 3R in 4 different countries: the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Using the popular format that has worked so well in Malaysia, the show will be produced locally in each of the countries with local hosts and localised content. First up is 3R Philippines, currently in production and due on air in August. “Young women’s issues, such as safety, career, health and relationships, are the same everywhere, but it’s important for viewers to identify with the hosts of the programme,” says Marina. “That’s why, rather than exporting the existing 3R episodes like what we are doing with Singapore, we feel that it is better for other countries to create their own versions of the show in their own language.”Lina continues, “However, we do want to maintain a certain standard, since 3R is synonymous with quality television. For this reason, we will still be consulted on every episode produced in the respective countries.
At the moment, our Producer/Director Anna Har is flying in and out of the Philippines to oversee the 3R production there. And for Malaysian 3R viewers, we will soon have a weekly update of the goings-on of young women in the Philippines!”
New Kid on the Block: Celina
Born in Malacca, Celina travelled extensively as a child as a result of her father’s government post in the Agricultural Department. The family finally settled down in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, where Celina spent most of her growing-up years. There, she spent her time exploring the town on her little BMX, as well as representing her school in squash and training in tae-kwon-do at state-level.
The family moved again in 1993 to Subang, Selangor, where they are staying until now. The fifteen-year-old Celina had a culture shock when she enrolled in the local secondary school, as she had never before seen social segregation along racial lines among students. Unsure of where she fitted in, Celina concentrated on her studies. Her Form 6 results enabled her to apply for a Bachelor of Engineering degree course, and in 1998 she was accepted to Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
Two years into her course, Celina made a brave and unconventional move: she took a two-year break from her studies to do voluntary work. Feeling that there must be more to life than an academic qualification, she decided to give herself the chance to see more of the world before she takes on the ruthless challenge of the rat race.
Thus, through some friends, she got involved with Pink Triangle, a grassroots organisation working with marginalized communities such as transgenders, gay men and lesbians, drug addicts, sex workers and HIV-positive people.
“The work really opened my eyes to the problems faced by these people,” says Celina. “Before, I had the usual stereotyped views and prejudices, but I have learnt to be more compassionate and less judgmental. I also learnt a lot more about HIV and AIDS! I am really grateful for this experience as it has made me a better person.”
In 2002, Celina returned to Sabah to continue her studies and she is graduating this year as a qualified engineer. While waiting for a job offer from a leading petroleum company, Celina heard from her friends about auditions for a new 3R host and decided to give it a shot, never dreaming that she would be chosen!
“I have always been a fan of 3R; it is one the few programmes that really focuses on issues,” says Celina. “In joining 3R, I am following my heart. No doubt working in the corporate sector offers a lot of stability, but not everyone gets this chance and I don’t want to have regrets later on. I am already looking forward to learning and growing from this experience.”
