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When I was born 25 years ago, I lived a simple life in Kuching, Sarawak – which is why today, I’m still shocked yet happy and excited about being crowned Miss Universe Malaysia 2020. My journey as a winner hasn’t been a bed of roses per se, and thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, all my plans have been put on hold. However, that isn’t an excuse for me to stop moving forward. Born to parents of different racial backgrounds (my father is an Orang Ulu-Kayan/Kenyah and my mother is an Iban), my dream is to empower the lives of the indigenous people – especially the women – and contribute to a better Malaysia.
“I adapted and learned how to reach out via social media” – Francisca Luhong
When MCO 1.0 took place at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, it came off as a blessing in disguise for me because ever since I won the title, I haven’t been getting enough sleep. My days have been constantly filled with media interviews and photoshoots, after which I went through a hard time working from home and it started to become very depressing after two weeks. Then I decided to move to my cousin’s house in Cyberjaya for a while as I needed unlimited Wi-Fi access to get work done and eventually, I started to feel safer with my relatives around. That’s when I learned how to get in touch with those around me via social media.
Now, I’m back at my own place in Ampang and we’re going through MCO 2.0. My plans have been affected and I can’t accomplish the things on my to-do list but for now, I’ll be focusing more on reaching out to millennials and conducting public speaking classes for those who are in need. Also, my team and I are in the midst of executing our digital-led plans with Start Up Borneo that was officially signed off during the launch of Visual Park in Borneo recently, and initiated by the Chief Minister of Sarawak.
“Equal education is what we need in Malaysia” – Francisca Luhong
The Women Rise movement is an initiative that I started working on passionately in early 2020. Women empowerment is something that I’ve held close to my heart since 2015. It was the year I went ballistic when I realised how women weren’t given equal opportunities at their workplaces and how some men assume that a woman’s life is a lot easier as their only task is to find a good husband, after which they can become housewives once they’re married. Now this isn’t the type of mentality that I’d like to see our future generation having – be it men or women. That’s the reason why I feel like I need to reach out to young women and empower them.
“I look up to Oprah Winfrey’s life principles” – Francisca Luhong
Personally, women empowerment is phenomenal because women can appear to be so fragile and vulnerable, and yet, we can be strong enough to conquer the battles that we face and inspire those around us. It’s the feeling of being strong when we are knocked down, feeling confident when we are at our weakest point, feeling loved when we don’t feel good enough and having faith when things get tough. To me, the strongest woman in my life is my mother as she is an independent woman who did her absolute best for her children without complaining and worked very hard at that. Over the years, another woman that I look up to is Oprah Winfrey. Her life principles and yearly Christmas Kindness event always motivates me to do better by giving back to my community the way she has.
“Humanity and weaknesses are elements that should be added into fashion” – Francisca Luhong
In a nutshell, fashion is unpredictable. It’s constantly changing, and it’s all about individual choices and how people want to present themselves. As you can see, almost every brand today has introduced their own version of a face mask, some with eco-friendly features too, to remind people about their social responsibilities. It is okay to follow trends or become a trendsetter, but always remember to maintain your class and be authentic.
If I had a chance, I’d love to work with Miuccia Prada because I respect and love her story. She started her journey in Milan in 1970, and being a woman in that setting, it was definitely not easy. She loves colours, she’s loud, she had strong opinions about politics and everything was revealed through her designs. I’d love to create my own bag with her and find out more about what’s going on in her mind throughout the entire process. I’d also love to add a tinge of humanity and weakness into my designs to remind people that humanity still exists in today’s world and your weakness is what will always keep you going and growing. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about acknowledging your flaws, because no one is perfect.
“Onwards and upwards!” – Francisca Luhong
This year, I really hope that the pandemic will ease and eventually leave us for good. Despite having contracted the virus recently, I was able to recover from it by following the SOPs and staying positive. At the same time, I also hope that people will pay more attention to issues pertaining to humanity and the world. We’re all in this together and nothing is impossible in today’s world. On the bright side, thanks to the pandemic, we’ve also learned that no matter which part of the world we’re in, if we do listen, seize opportunities and work together, we can all unite to form a #universeunited.
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