Datin Fairos Ishak, the wife of the Ambassador of Malaysia to China, makes earnest efforts to promote public good in both Malaysia and China.Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

Datin Fairos Ishak, the wife of the Ambassador of Malaysia to China Dato'Zainuddin Bin Yahya, has been in Beijing for more than a year. As the wife of an ambassador, she knows her role and responsibility well and is, in many ways, an "ambassador" herself. Datin Fairos is an energetic and vibrant person both within the Malaysian community and outside. She is the president of the Lady's Association for the spouses of Malaysian diplomats in China, which helps the new families settle into life in Beijing and also promotes Malaysian food, tradition and culture to the Chinese people. Her latest project involves organizing a charity gala dinner to raise funds for poverty-stricken and disabled Chinese and Malaysian children.

The Global Times (GT) sat down with Datin Fairos for an interview, during which time she shared her life in Beijing.

GT: What is a typical day in Beijing like for you?

Datin Fairos: I am a morning person. I wake up at about 4 am. As Muslims, we do our morning prayers, followed by checking our email and reading newspapers. By 7 am, I have my breakfast with my husband. Once he is in the office, the day is mine. I will start off with either walking on the treadmill or playing badminton for a little while. If I don't have meetings or appointments, I will just paint. In the afternoon, I will just grab something light for lunch, followed by some quick reading and continuing with my painting if I have time. In the evening, I will prepare dinner and spend some time with my husband, before calling it a day by 10 pm.

GT: How has Chinese culture influenced Malaysia?

Datin Fairos: Chinese culture has been influencing Malaysia since the 15th century. The Malaysian population is 30 million and 30 percent of our population is Chinese. In the 15th century, Admiral Zheng He came to the state of Malacca. He brought 100 young bachelors to Malacca and they intermarried with the locals and had children and families. That's why today we have a community of mixed culture in Malacca who are known as Baba and Nyonya.

GT: China has been exporting its pop culture, such as TV dramas and movies, to overseas markets. Are these products well received in Malaysia?

Datin Fairos: Unfortunately, due to my daily engagements, I am not much of a TV buff. However, in my younger days, I did watch some Bruce Lee films and other martial arts shows. In fact, until today, the genre is still very popular in Malaysia, especially among the younger generation. New movies with Jet Lee and Jackie Chan are also hugely popular. On the other hand, from the  Malaysian side, singer Shila Amzah is very popular in China and has a huge fan base. I also enjoyed the Chinese movie Ip Man (2008), which is based on a true story and about martial arts.

I believe that a lot more can be done between our countries, especially in terms of cultural exchange.

GT: Could you introduce the charity event you are involved in?

Datin Fairos: The embassy is organizing a Malaysian Charity Gala Dinner for the first time in China. We hope to raise money for two causes. The first one is for the China Youth Development Foundation, which organizes art classes and training for primary school students in Yunan Province. The other beneficiary is a group of Malaysian children in need of a liver transplant at the Renji Hospital in Shanghai. The success rate of liver transplant operations in this hospital is over 90 percent. The cost of an operation is quite high, approximately 160,000 yuan ($ 24,615). The event will be held in Beijing on May 21, and we have sold almost all the tables.