Archive

I’ve always been an early starter and a late bloomer and my career in journalism has been no different!” sums up Tehmina Kaoosji who is currently working as a broadcast journalist and producer for Malaysia’s national news agency, Bernama. "My passion for the performing arts and my keen interest in current affairs from my childhood days came full circle by the time I was 30,” reveals the dynamo.
A former teacher, model, actor, emcee, anchor for Tourism Malaysia’s online channel, in the last four years, the 34-year-old has been hosting and producing content for live roundtable discussions and one-on-one interviews with government officials, foreign dignitaries, experts, analysts, activists, entrepreneurs and celebrities with equal ease. It is thanks to "my background in teaching, an obsession with data journalism and learning to truly listen to interviewees that I can best highlight their work and the issues they battle against and represent. I’m a media freelancer and my work in journalism also includes writing op ed pieces on current affairs for online portals, producing and hosting pod casts on ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) hot topics, as well as producing commercial and corporate videos,” details her portfolio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kaoosji’s brand of journalism focuses feminist media perspectives on social issues and building awareness through education. Unable to identify one favorite interview "because I put so much energy and passion into researching and preparing for each of my interviews,” she delineates "the top five as these are the topics closest to my heart.”
She expressed her pride in the media traction following her talk show special for International Women’s Day 2018 that led to the Malaysian parliament drafting The Gender Equality Act, 20 years after it had been first proposed. Another meaningful show helped spread SPOT Community Campaign’s empowering message on sex education for primary schoolgirls to Malaysian parents. SPOT provides specialized programs focusing on puberty care, menstrual and personal hygiene management and sexual abuse prevention. With Malaysia currently embroiled in the child marriage debate following recent public outrage over a 41-year-old man marrying a 11-year-old girl, Kaoosji believes, "Having SPOT’s voice and work represented in media through my show is essential in such trying times, when actionable solutions should supersede any excuses for child marriage.”
Some of her other significant shows covered "Inclusive and Accessible Cities” which featured the Ninth World Urban Forum held in Kuala Lumpur to focus on the future of cities and making them inclusive for all residents. "30% Women in Cabinet” discussed the issue of female representation at all levels of Malaysian government. The United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) is a global guideline for humane treatment of prisoners. It aims to address and reduce custodial deaths through reeducating prison officials, law enforcement officers and Malaysian society, to build a more humane criminal justice system which values human life and dignity at all times.
A resident of Kuala Lumpur for the last 23 years, Kaoosji mentions, "I was born and raised in Hyderabad, India until I was 10 years old. My family migrated to my mother’s homeland, Malaysia, in 1995. Her father, Capt Bakhtyar Kaoosji (Retd), a Hyderabadi Parsi and mother Nonnie Loh, a Malaysian Chinese of Hakka descent had met in Hyderabad when she came to the city for higher studies. Reminiscing of her childhood Tehmina  states, "Dad’s military background as a retired army officer and war veteran of both Indo-Pakistan wars certainly colored our family life with frequent socializing among the ranks and with the children of his fellow officers at the local cantonment. Dad’s diverse work repertoire as a civilian covered the publishing, food and beverage, and security industries, each adding their own layer of nuance to my expanding worldview.
My mother is a Montessori trained English teacher and a Canossian Missions qualified Special Needs Instructor for the hearing impaired. (According to their website, the Canossian Daughters of Charity, Servants of the Poor are an international missionary congregation of women founded by St Magdalene of Canossa. They journey in simplicity, offering pastoral care among the suffering in every continent through the ministries of education and human promotion, evangelization and faith formation.) Yet, through the 13 years she spent in Hyderabad after marriage, mom chose to forgo her career in favor of being the backbone of our family. She took on the role of full-time homemaker and expatriate wife, quite literally making Gujarati, Parsi culture and cuisine her own… My Dadi (late paternal grandmother Parvez Taraporewalla Kaoosji) and my mother being excellent cooks it takes a mere whiff of smoking spices in my own kitchen today to transport me back to that eager wait while dinner was prepared. Using Dadi’s recipes they spent time bonding over the hearth (one would be hard pressed to find better bagara baigan, akoori, kolmi no patio or mitthi dal better than my mother makes).
"Dadi was the center of my childhood universe. An artist, sculptor, teacher, confidante, her endlessly fascinating stories, tales of daily life and her boundless energy for engaging children had me doting on her from the earliest I can discern. The light lily of the valley perfume on her billowing saris, her well oiled and neatly arranged hair bun, her flannel dressing gowns, the papery fine skin and green blue veins of her artistic hands. Till today I take heart by asking myself at trying moments, ‘What would Dadi think of this? How would Dadi fix this?’
"Dadi passed away when I was all of seven years old, throwing our family life into a tailspin of sorts. My mother was grieving, she was disconnected from the local Parsi community in Hyderabad; and while we continued receiving our monthly chasni from the agiary and attending the odd lagan within the Parsi community, we distinctly didn’t worship with other Parsi families.
"In fact, I was aware early on that certain rigid traditions formed barriers to acceptance for biracial Parsi children like me. My siblings and I have not had our navjote performed, for the simple fact that dad wouldn’t stand for us having a ceremony denoting inclusion into the Parsi community when our mother could not freely enter an agiary.”

 

 

 

 

But her father’s family though, "was a different story. I do remember the enveloping warmth of my father’s paternal aunts and uncles on our daily visits to the Kaoosjis Bada Bangla right behind our house on Chapel Road. I’m certain my fairly competent understanding of Urdu draws from those long evenings spent in their company as they discussed poetry and politics, quibbling and philosophizing, all while I scurried around fixing puzzles, reading stray pages from the newspapers and collecting jeera (cumin) sweets from Maniza or Mina Dadi. Then there was taciturn Hurmuzdyar Kaoosji or Homi Dada, the collector, the philatelist, the historian who left me with an indelible taste for all the textures of history’s great awning. We literally couldn’t mention celebrating Christmas because that was when Sheri Dada (grandfather Sheheryar Kaoosji) passed away.
"We migrated to Kuala Lumpur three years after my Dadi’s passing. My younger sister Yasmeen and I went to Fairview International School, where my mother also resumed her teaching career. Five years on and 15 younger than I, my younger brother Darius was born, a complete surprise: the absolute apple of all our eyes. I was an introvert but also an overachiever, rounding out a full schedule of co-curricular activities and athletics with weekend choir practice, musical and experimental theater performances outside school. Plus, I had already ghostwritten primary school textbooks and begun tutoring students in the English language even before graduating, to pay for my exam fees and make some pocket money along the way.
"I graduated from high school with an O Level qualification with outstanding results in all the arts stream subjects including English, English literature and history. The big question of university then became a wrangle between my Dad and me. He firmly believed I’d be better off studying law or journalism in Hyderabad. I vehemently disagreed and went on to fully support myself through my degree years, working towards a double major in mass communications and psychology.
"Along the way, I also qualified myself with a CELTA (Certificate of English Language Teaching for Adults) from the British Council and an IB (International Baccalaureate) certificate for teaching English Language and Literature.”
Eight years ago Tehmina won the Estée Lauder Model Search as a Wild Card entry and chose to explore commercial modeling for international brands like DKNY, Dettol, Milo, Dove, Quaker Oats, Pepsi, Samsung. She had an opportunity to act in the Hollywood production, Blackhat by director Michael Mann, and featured in Malaysia’s first award winning live action mobile phone game app, Sara Is Missing. "I also channeled my energies towards emceeing events and on screen hosting. That led to my first regular hosting engagement with Tourism Malaysia’s online channel, a fantastic training ground for thinking on my feet while in front of the camera,” she acknowledges.
"As a media freelancer there’s really no such thing as a typical day. However, the one constant in my routine is beginning my day with an Ayurvedic ritual of ‘oil pulling’ (swishing coconut, sesame or sunflower oil around in the mouth for about 20 minutes and then spitting it out for its detoxifying effect) followed by a HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout and yoga.
"I’m not really a morning person as I tend to be most creative late at night, but I prefer not to wake up any later than 7 a.m. I read through my news headlines, emails, Twitter feed and other social media channels (in that order!) while having my breakfast and then, depending on the order of the day, I either set off for the studios to prepare for my live talk shows or I head to meetings with clients or I work off my laptop and my mobile phone from a café making cold calls, having meetings, researching, strategizing and writing for my upcoming talk shows, articles, pod casts or moderating sessions.
"My day usually ends late in the evening. I try and make it a point to make dinner for myself and my fiancé Puya Shirzad, a communications strategist, as I really enjoy cooking. We usually wind down in front of a favorite TV show or documentary. If not, we’re out, checking out the latest art exhibitions, movie screenings or theater music shows in Kuala Lumpur’s vibrant arts scene.”
Her family is very supportive of her choice of career. She says, "I know my dad had serious reservations about the media line and my never ending fascination with it while growing up! But funnily enough, he’s now the proudest of all, always making sure he tunes into my live shows when he has time, sharing the YouTube links to my shows with his wide network of friends all around the world and generally always has constructive criticism to share. My mom is always delighted if she sees a pet topic covered or if I happen to interview someone she admires/knows! My siblings (Yasmeen who is a public relations professional and Darius who is a chef) and my fiancé are my rock, they’re my sounding boards: their thoughts, perspectives and input are the ones I value the most in this world. My dad’s older brother, Yezdyar Kaoosji or Yejju Kaka, is extremely supportive too (although) he’s based so far away in Los Angeles, USA and though we’re separated by oceans, we keep in touch with political discussions forming the core of our spirited conversations.”
Her views on Parsis are very clear: "The community needs to collectively and willfully focus its energies on not just surviving but thriving through Industrial Revolution 4.0 and beyond! We have the distinct privilege of being a people with clear roots, such meaningful cultural and spiritual ties, emotional, temporal and educational advantages which bind us deeply to our communities, countries and the wider net of humanity.
"In practical terms, as the majority of Parsis are still to be found within India itself, it would be marvelous to see educated, rational and influential Parsi voices speak out against the rising tide of violence and sexual crimes against women and girls in India. We can lead best by taking on causes which truly are for the greater good. The good which can be precipitated with just a generation of collective action should never be underestimated, especially when it comes to discarding harmful prejudices. Living all the way in Malaysia, I’m still conscious of and discuss the struggle for justice for women and girls in India, be it the Asifa Bano case or the recent triumph of 0% GST (Goods and Services Tax) for sanitary napkins in India brought about by (the Bollywood movie) PadMan.
"It’s been a long and sometimes obscure process, finding my raison d’être so to speak, but it has been an absolutely worthy challenge. The battle of shifting age old mindsets through education and the quest for achieving equity keeps the fire burning for me every single day.
"I think it’s energy wasted, fretting over how few of us (Parsis) are left in this world. Far more important is the immense good each one of us can and must do. After all, though I may not be an ordained Zoroastrian, our creed of humata, hukhta, huvrashta (good thoughts, words and deeds) is what guides me resolutely through every day.
"We need look to those founding principles to find not only our individual truths, but also our community’s direction as Parsis in 2018 and for the next 1,000 years. Also, Freddie Mercury! Come on, we gave the world Queen. We’re effectively immortal!”