KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 — With the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV, it is unsurprising that even celebrities working to do their bit to spread awareness are affected by it.
Case in point is R&B star Dayang Nurfaizah, who has been a Malaysian AIDS Foundation Red Ribbon Celebrity Supporter (RRCS) since 2009.
“Stigma remains the greatest challenge to anything that is related to HIV/AIDS,” she said.
“I have been asked many times ‘What are you doing aligning yourself with HIV & AIDS?’ to which I reply, ‘Why not?’.”
Besides helping to spread awareness about the disease, Dayang constantly lends her support to the foundation by performing or doing public service announcements for it.
This Sunday, she is set to perform at the Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Award Gala Dinner at the Hilton KL.
The gala dinner is aimed to raise funds towards helping people living and affected by HIV/AIDS in Malaysia.
The Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Award winner will also be announced that night along with the MAF patron’s awards to recognise an outstanding contribution to end AIDS; long-serving trustees and those involved in corporate social responsibility.
Dayang added that she signed up to be an RRCS as she felt that no other health crisis had caused so much confusion and stigma than HIV/AIDS and she felt this had to change.
She is determined to end the stigma and discrimination adding that she would continue to give her best to increase the level of awareness on HIV and empower people living with HIV to have the courage to speak up and stand firm against discrimination.
“I suppose this is my way of being part of the change that I want to see in the world. It may not be much and I certainly can’t change the world on my own, but I hope to change the mindset of one Malaysian at a time and feel truly blessed that I have the support from my other Red Ribbon Celebrity Supporter friends to help me reach this goal.”
Dayang added that being an RRCS was also about giving a voice to those whose voices have been silenced by stigma and prejudice.
She emphasised that it could start with the simple act of sharing facts about HIV.
“This is what I hope to do — turning every put-down into an opportunity for education,” she added.
“Generally, the programme has been successful. What I think will help in terms of enhancing our performance is to strengthen our media strategy — both mass and social media — to reach out to a greater audience with our HIV prevention messages.”
She said she has been using every opportunity since signing up as an RRCS to do her very best to encourage people to learn the truth about HIV adding that people needed to get their facts right.
“It is not only about how they can help stop the spread of HIV but also support those who are affected by it.”
“I think it is good for us as celebrities to use our power of influence to assist and create awareness in whatever way we can. Every little bit of effort will help to make a big difference in the lives of these people infected and affected with HIV & AIDS. I am happy to be part of a great and worthy cause.”
She added that her work as an RRCS had also helped her personally as she is more confident now in her role as an advocate, thanks to the many opportunities given to her to interact with the community and understand their issues better.
“This personal growth is also aligned with the expansion of the programme as we embark on a more aggressive advocacy campaign to address stigma and the increasing trend of new HIV infections among the youth.
“While I don’t deny the power of knowledge and accurate information of HIV/AIDS in dispelling myths and stigma, action speaks louder than words. A simple act of shaking hands or hugging or sharing food with a person living with HIV, for example, is just as powerful, if not more, in correcting preconceived notions that one may have on how HIV is transmitted.”
One event that she felt blessed to be part of was a charity fundraising dinner in 2016 that she helped put together with fellow RRCS like Datuk Aaron Aziz, Bob Yusof, Dee (of Jangan Ketawa fame), Fahrin Ahmad and Ziana Zain.
It was the Kuching Gala in aid of MAF and they managed to raise more than RM 500,000, which was used to set up Sarawak’s first ever one-stop healthcare centre, named Teratak Kasih Tok Nan, for integrated HIV treatment, care and support for people living with HIV.
Asked if there was a memorable story that she could not forget, Dayang said it was of a single homemaker mother who was in an abusive relationship with her husband who was a drug user.
The lady was infected by him about 20 years ago and she was isolated and discriminated by neighbours until she was forced to move and start a new life.
“What moved me the most was her courage to rise above life’s challenges and re-invent herself as an independent, successful businesswoman and a peer educator and a role model for other women living with HIV.”
* Malay Mail is media partner for the event.
** Only gold tables (RM20,000) are still available. For more information, please contact Nurshaliza Manaf at [email protected] or 014-504 8927 or Azahemy Abdullah at [email protected] or 016-646 5874.
