'You cannot have regrets in life'
Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
If Rhoma Irama was the king and Elvi Sukaesih the queen, then Camelia Malik was the next in line to the throne in the realm of dangdut music in the 1980s. While showing her moves as a dancer and branching out into acting over the years, Camelia has remained true to the Arab-influenced music as it has risen from the passion of the common man to gain mainstream acceptance. An ardent opponent of the pirating of music cassettes and CDs, the mother of two talks about the important things in her life.
Question: If you had the choice, what would you be doing now?
Answer: Right now, I want to get home as quickly as possible so I can break the fast with my children.
Q: What makes you tick?
A: I want my career to keep on going, that my art keeps on developing, whether it is singing, or dance or acting. I want my career to be part of my life.
Q: Which trait do you most like about yourself?
A: I'm ashamed to say something good about myself, but what I like most is that I mingle easily, I make friends easily.
Q: And deplore?
A: I'm very stubborn, I have a head of stone!
Q: Whom do you admire?
A: I respect my husband, and my mother, of course, because she paid a lot of attention to me, and we respect each other. I admire a lot of public figures, including president Soeharto. He developed this country over 28 years. He is is now out of the picture, but he doesn't bad-mouth others, even though others are always bad-mouthing him.
Q: You're going against the current a bit here.
A: Well, we have to get out what is in our heart, that's part of a democracy, right? President Soeharto did a lot of good for this country, you can't just bury someone because they make a mistake ...
Q: What kind of clothes do you like to wear?
A: I like casual, anything that's comfortable to wear, because Jakarta is so hot. But for shows I go to a designer.
Q: Do you worry about your weight?
A: Oh, yeah. I like foods that are fattening, so I have to keep myself in check.
Q: What makes you angry?
A: What makes me unhappy is that today anything and everything can be made a reality. Lies can become the truth.
Q: What characteristics do you dislike in others?
A: Lying, and those who are unfair.
Q: What makes you laugh?
A: If my children are happy, that makes me happy. Comedies make me laugh, but with all the politics now I can't (laugh).
Q: What makes you sad?
A: My children, if they're sick or complain about something. I'm strong with other things, but not with my kids.
Q: What makes life worth living?
A: When we have education in morals, religion. It's important for our lives.
Q: It seems you think it's a bit lacking right now.
A: Exactly, that's why we have all these problems. This is what needs to be corrected.
Q: Do you have a favorite song?
A: I like Love Story, I like the tune, the lyrics, the film. I also like the songs of singer Ebiet G. Ade. His lyrics have such meaning.
Q: Do you have any regrets?
A: I've had a lot of problems in my life. My (first) marriage broke up, my father died too soon, as did my younger sibling, but that's life. That's part of the journey of life, you cannot regret what happens.
Q: Is there anything that is unforgivable?
A: I have to be able to forgive. God is always forgiving, so we humans have to be able to do it. It takes a process and we cannot be vengeful.
Q: What do you want for this post-fasting month Idul Fitri celebration?
A: For this Lebaran, I hope all of my relatives can get together for the celebration. For the country, I hope that all Indonesians from all religions realize that we have to live peacefully togeher, we cannot seek revenge. We have to realize that we can only succeed if we work together, not if we break up.