"HERE’S how we met: She saw me at the TV station, couldn’t take her eyes off me ...”
“That’s not tr ...!”
“... asked everyone for my contact ...”
“What!”
“... finally got my number – we went out for a drink and ended up together.”
“Don’t believe a word of it,”
Jasmine Abu Bakar sighs in mock exasperation as hubby hoots with laughter.
That’s a glimpse of the loving repartee that frequently flies between the polished newscaster and her zany husband of two years, independent documentary filmmaker and writer Zan Azlee.
Off screen, the 28-year-old Jasmine is bubbly and cheery, in contrast to the serious persona she’s known to the public as an ntv7 newscaster, a job she’s held for the past four years.
On a sunny Friday afternoon I meet the fun-loving couple in their cosy condominium, which was previously Zan’s bachelor pad before they got hitched in late 2009. The duo greet me and The Star photographer Chan Tak Kong warmly, looking relaxed and attractive in crisp kebaya and baju Melayu.
“This is where everything happened, all those crazy times with the guys,” Zan gestures as we enter the house.
Crazy probably isn’t entirely over, I remember thinking as I spy a black python in a cage in a corner of the balcony.
The apartment is a neat little des res (desirable residence) in a peaceful suburb in Kuala Lumpur. A simple workstation sits in a corner, where the couple work when they aren’t bonding with their precious five-month-old in the living room adorned with colourful, cuddly toys.
They named their daughter after the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena. “It was the only name for her that came to our minds,” Jasmine shares.
An industrial engineering graduate, Jasmine had started out as an intern at ntv7 when a producer recognised her budding flair for hosting and encouraged her to audition for the role of anchorman. She performed well and her part-time stint with the TV station eventually landed her a permanent contract.
She currently reads news in Edisi 7, Monday to Friday, at 7pm, as well as in the 1pm edition, Monday to Thursday.
Similarly, Zan, did not follow the expected path in his career. An accounting major from a family of financiers, the 33-year-old Johorean now runs his own production company Fat Bidin Media while lecturing journalism at universities in his free time.
The versatile guy also writes a regular column for a local news portal and produces short, non-fiction videos for his website, Fatbidin.tv.
Loving life
On days when Jasmine’s schedule keeps her at the studio for long hours, Zan is able to help at home, thanks to being self-employed. Once in a while, though, his work takes him away from home for several weeks at a time; Jasmine copes with the aid of a domestic helper.
“It’s really not difficult juggling career and a baby,” Jasmine says, who breastfed Athena until she was four months old.
Zan is noted for his documentaries, such as I’m Muslim Too! and The Life And Times Of An Islamic Insurgency, that capture his experiences as a Malaysian Muslim travelling and staying in foreign lands. Such trips often involve foraying into risky territories, like his upcoming three-week sojourn to Afghanistan.
But Jasmine is matter-of-fact about her husband’s ability to fend for himself. “I trust him. Anyway, no one can stop him from doing what he loves,” she smiles.
The couple share a penchant for travel, which has found them traversing interesting destinations such as Eastern Europe and the depths of the Laotian forest while touring the entire South-East Asian region.
Two months ago, they even brought Athena along for a family trip to Jakarta, Indonesia.
“We went with Zan’s brother and his fiancee. Since Tina (Athena’s nickname) was only three months old, it was good to travel with family for their help,” Jasmine explains.
Already, the intrepid travellers are planning another holiday with their child at the end of the year.
When Jasmine isn’t working or cooing at her adorable babe, she puts her culinary skills to work.
“I love it! I think that’s a side of me that’s obviously not evident when I’m all dressed up, presenting news stories on TV. But this is who I am – in shorts, baking.”
The lady experiments with her mother’s recipes such as shepherd’s pie and lasagne, which are a hit with her colleagues and friends.
Perhaps you’d be our Nigella Lawson someday, I suggest.
“I would love that!” she exclaims.
Although things are going well for her, Jasmine does hope to draw a balance between career and motherhood.
“Hopefully, I can achieve that when I host my own cooking show someday. It’s always been my dream.”
Future for their kid
This Raya season will find the couple back at their hometown, Johor Baru, where they will be spending a couple of days with Jasmine’s family. (Zan’s clan has relocated to Kuala Lumpur.)
Athena is the first grandchild for both sides, where Jasmine and Zan are the first-born.
“She’s absolutely spoiled by her grandparents!” says Jasmine, who has a younger brother.
The festive season is always a loud and merry affair for the families.
“It was such a great coincidence to find out, when we got together, that our parents share so many mutual friends,” says the jocular Zan. “And they get along famously because, apparently, everyone in JB knows each other!”
For this couple of Malay-Chinese parentage, Merdeka is very much about the union of different races.
A house full of Malay relatives, Chinese aunts and some Indian uncles – that’s a scene typical of their family gatherings, reveals Jasmine.
“I suppose we don’t relate to national independence like the older generation does. We think nationalism, and I think of our multiracial family,” Jasmine quips. “We’ve always been ‘1Malaysia’, long before the Government announced the concept!”
Although the couple have always felt a strong sense of patriotism towards the nation, being parents now has certainly strengthened that spirit.
“I’ve always wanted Malaysia to progress but ever since we had Athena, and I know this sounds cliched, I want it more. I want our girl to grow up in a Malaysia that’s accepting of one another, that’s free of racial politics,” Zan says earnestly.
It is their hope that their little girl can experience life as they did, through a government school where she can mingle with friends of all races, learn the importance of equality and be raised as a deep-rooted, cultured citizen.
As Jasmine sums it up: “We want her to be surrounded by good role models. Hopefully, Zan and I are that to her by staying true to our hearts and passions.”
