This year’s Raya celebration "feels different" for local actress Emma Maembong, as it marks her first since her divorce from pilot Muhammad Shazli Azhar last year.
But rather than dwelling on the past, Emma is focused on making beautiful memories with her loved ones this festive season.
Speaking with StarLifestyle, she shared her excitement about celebrating Raya with her family in Kuala Lumpur, surrounded by her children and siblings.
“I’m looking forward to bringing my sons to be with my family. I want them to embrace and carry on the Raya tradition,” the 32-year-old mother of two said.
She fondly recalled the days when she and her sisters would banter over the smallest things when they were living under the same roof.
“Sometimes, one of them would ask, ‘Is that my dress?’, and I’d be like, ‘No, it’s mine!’.
“There would also be moments when they would go, ‘I want to shower first!’, and I’d be like, ‘But I asked to go first!’.
“That would lead to some silly disagreements, but it was all part of the fun.
“I miss those chaotic moments,” said the actress, whose real name is Fatimah Rohani Ismail.
“I’m hoping they can have more of these playful memories.
“I want them to make the most of their childhood, especially now that they’re growing up.”
Setting the record straight
Emma was married to Shazli from 2020 to 2024.
The Tersuka Tanpa Sengaja (2015) star confirmed their divorce was amicable in October last year, revealing that she had already completed her iddah period.
Despite their separation, she has maintained a cordial relationship with her ex-husband.
Earlier this year, however, Emma found her love life in the spotlight when photos of her getting chummy with DJ Kidd went viral, sparking speculation that she had remarried.
After several weeks of silence, the actress finally clarified that she’s still single.
“I didn’t want to address the gossip at first, hoping it would go away on its own.
“However, people kept talking about it and even assumed I had remarried,” she lamented.
She also made it clear that no third party was involved in her divorce from Shazli.
“(DJ Kidd and I) were never in love... He’s just a personal assistant to an acquaintance on my film set.
“There was no third person involved in my divorce. I’ve already closed that page in my book,” she said.
Chasing more opportunities
Born to British immigrant Yatimah Zainab and Malaysian artist Ismail Embong, better known by his moniker Maembong, Emma never envisioned a future in acting.
She had actually quit school after Form Two, aspiring to follow in the footsteps of her father and become a painter.
Her first acting opportunity came unexpectedly when renowned producer Erma Fatima got to know about Emma while discussing a new drama with her sisters.
“Erma said she wanted me to act in her series even though my sisters kept insisting that I wasn’t interested in becoming an actress.”
That leap of faith led to her acting debut in 2012’s Kau Yang Terindah, where she quickly caught audiences’ attention with her performance.
She built on that success with shows such as Projek Memikat Suami (2013), Kimchi Untuk Awak (2017) and more.
Over the years, Emma has earned multiple accolades, including two Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian laurels for Most Popular TV Actress and Most Popular Movie Actress.
In 2018, she was crowned Telenovela Queen at the Anugerah Telenovela in Singapore.
Despite her achievements, Emma has often found herself typecast.
She only got to play an antagonist in 2019’s Cemburu Seorang Perempuan – seven years into her career.
“As an actress, my ultimate goal is to explore different characters. I want to play an antagonist or even a psychopath.
“However, this opportunity rarely comes by because when people look at me, they will say, ‘You seem so mellow. Let’s have you play the good person instead’,” she said.
While she understands the industry’s perception of her, Emma remains hopeful for new opportunities.
“It sometimes feels like others still don’t fully trust me to carry a darker role.
“But at the end of the day, I appreciate every opportunity that comes my way as an actress and continue giving my best,” she added.
In her latest drama Seribu Tahun, Emma steps into yet another melancholic role.
She plays Puteri Imaan Suhana, a mother desperate to regain custody of her child after walking away from her family years ago.
At first glance, the role might seem similar to the ones Emma has portrayed before, but Imaan stands apart in several ways.
“I’m loving this character because she’s morally grey – she acts like a villain in one moment and appears innocent in another.
“Preparing for this role was challenging because it felt like playing two different people.
“There were times when even I wasn’t sure if Imaan was a bad person or not,” she said.
“I’ve seen many comments on Instagram asking if my character is good or bad, and that gives me confidence that I’m on the right track.”
A mother’s unconditional love
With filming for Seribu Tahun still in full swing, Emma will be spending most of her Raya on set.
“It feels like it will take another seribu tahun (thousand years) before we wrap up,” she joked.
But behind the laughter, she admitted that one of the biggest challenges of being an actress is finding the balance between work and family.
“I don’t get to spend much time with my family. I once spent an entire month sleeping in my car because of back-to-back shoots,” she revealed.
Yet, no matter how busy life gets, the Isteri Separuh Masa (2015) star makes it a point to be present in her boys’ life.
Whenever possible, she brings them along to her drama set so they can be together.
“I don’t want my sons to grow up not recognising my face. As a mum, I’ll always be there,” she said.
And when those rare moments of free time come around, she treasures every second with them.
“I’ll bring them to the park and play balloons with them. It’s a very special activity for us.”
During our conversation, Emma opened up about the impact her sons have on her life, calling them her greatest source of strength.
She shared how her world used to revolve around her parents in the past.
But now, her children have become just as much a reason for her to keep going.
“There’s something about coming home to your children hugging you after a long day’s work. It makes you want to give them more.
“I used to work for my parents, but now, I’m doing it all for my kids too,” she said.
When asked about her biggest goal in life, Emma paused for a moment before admitting she hadn’t given it much thought.
However, there’s one thing she’s certain of – her family will always come first.
“For now, I just want to live in the present.
“In the long run, I want to do my best for my sons and my family, who have stood by me since day one.
“I’ll be 33 this year, so I’ll keep acting for another year or two. After that, I’ll lay low and focus on my children,” she concluded.
Seribu Tahun airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9pm on Astro Ria (Ch 104), Astro Go and Sooka.
