PETALING JAYA, Dec. 9 — Local pop singer Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin earned a spot on the inaugural 100 Digital Stars list by Forbes Asia thanks to her efforts in promoting local food vendors throughout the movement control order (MCO).
With over 7.9 million Instagram followers, the 41-year-old singer posted reviews of meals and snacks from small food vendors to keep their businesses afloat at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The initiative landed Siti on the 100 Digital Stars list which recognises celebrities from the Asia-Pacific region who wield powerful social media presences.
“Earlier this year, the singer posted food reviews of restaurants affected by Covid-19, hoping to boost their business among her eight million Instagram followers.
“In July, she released her 18th solo album ManifestaSITI 2020 and continues to run her successful halal-certified beauty brand SimplySiti, launched in 2009,” wrote Forbes Asia.
Siti continues to do food reviews on her Instagram Story to this day and keeps them available for viewing through a highlight album on her Instagram profile.
She told Berita Harian in May that she does the reviews free-of-charge and is always glad to hear how her shoutouts have helped vendors get by during these tough times.
“I am just a mediator and I do what I can to help out.
“I feel happy when I receive messages from vendors who said they were overwhelmed with orders (after I gave them a shoutout).
“We should lend a hand to each other during this difficult time,” Siti was quoted as saying.
Another Malaysian who appeared alongside Siti on the 100 Digital Stars list was entrepreneur and TV presenter Neelofa.
Forbes Asia wrote that the 31-year-old gained a largely positive response online in October after she decided to don the purdah, a long veil that covers a Muslim woman’s entire face except for her eyes.
Other notable figures on the list include K-pop stars BTS, Indonesian singer Agnez Mo, Australian actress Margot Robbie, and Thai singer Jannine Weigel.For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at contentservices@htlive.comCopyright 2017 Malay Mail Online