Hannah Tan could be the poster child of the 21st century woman who has everything - brains, beauty and a great personality. While her Kelabit-Chinese parentage has produced beauty that is only too evident, all we need to do is to scratch the surface just a little to reveal a plethora of achievements - academic or otherwise - that is pretty impressive for the unassuming Penang-born girl. 

Voted by FHM as Malaysia's sexiest woman in 2006, Hannah was catapulted into the limelight when she represented Malaysia in the 2002 Miss Global Petite World Finals in Montreal where she won Second Runner-Up and the "Miss Congeniality" subsidiary title. 

A Valedictorian and graduate in Computer Science, Hannah acquired her first of two music Diplomas at the age of 13 and has also appeared alongside Hong Kong star Karen Mok in a popular Lux TV commercial besides other advertisements for Nescafe, Maybeline, Panasonic, Digi and Maxis, among others. She can also be seen on the covers of magazines such as Her World, Female, FHM, Newman, Stuff, Health Today, Hot!, Hypertune, KL Lifestyle  and Off The Edge.

 

As reflected in CD sales, her first album, Crossing Bridges created a buzz even right up to the United States. Being woman of vision, she intends to work towards putting Malaysia on the global map as an Asian hub for music and has initiated it by unconventionally positioning herself as a brand, instead of merely being a singer-songwriter. By collaborating with the same internationally acclaimed composers/writers that wrote chart-topping songs for Natalie Imbruglia, Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, Hannah has created a gateway for Malaysia’s visibility among the global major players within the industry.

In addition to the three songs Hannah personally wrote and composed, Crossing Bridges which was mastered in the United States included seven original songs contributed by big names like Jorgen Elofsson, Phil Thornalley, Andrew Fromm and Chris Rojas.  Having an international flavour topped by an all-star team of producers and writers, the album employed a fresh concept which was never before been done by a local artiste. Her first Single In Between was already fourth on the Hitz.fm and No. 1 on the X-Fresh charts during the first week of its release before finally winning an award in the Best Pop/Dance category at the 2006 Hitz.fm MET10 Awards. 

She is currently working on her 2^nd album, scheduled for release in 2009, and intends to employ a fresh new concept and direction for both music and image to  reflect on Hannah, the person, as well as her enthusiasm for the things she's most passionate about. Featuring all of Hannah's own compositions, this 2^nd album will indeed be one of the most intimate and personal ones on the shelf. At the same time, her influence among the pop-cuture segment of the market is undeniable, reflected in her blog which she personally updates on a regular basis. Through communication with her e-savvy fans via this blog, it is evident that Hannah is very much looked up to among the youth, with them wanting to emulate not just her style and dress sense but even her drive for excellence. Above all, she appears as a mentor and counselor on the teen dominated blog, addressing their personal problems and issues without discriminating even the working-class adults. 

Because of her strong influence among the youth, Sony Pictures has appointed Hannah as the ambassador for Animax Asia in November 2007. MDeC on the other hand,  noticed Hannah's business and IT talent which indeed set her apart from the rest of the local entertainers and subsequently appointed her as the ambassador for the World Congress on Information and Technology (WCIT) 2008 which was held in Malaysia for the very first time. Often billed as the ‘Olympics of ICT World’, WCIT 2008 was the premier global ICT congress that brought together global leaders from the business, government and academia sectors to impact economic and social development through the exchange of ideas and policies. Held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on May 18 – 22, 2008, WCIT 2008 drew over 2,500 delegates from more than 80 countries worldwide. Keynote speakers for the event included some of the most prominent and respected global personalities in government and industry like Bill Gates, Kofi Annan, Ralph J. Szygenda and Dr Craig Barrett.

On 1st December 2007, Hannah took on the Live Earth stage (also known as the biggest stage in the world) for Live&Loud 2007 with a half-hour full fledged performance with her band, dancers and multimedia team right before American Idol’s  Eliott Yamin, Shaggy and the legendary Whitney Houston. 

In January this year, she also made her debut into the Malay entertainment scene by playing the lead role in her very first Malay tele-movie, BEZANYA CINTA, directed by the infamous Zulkifli M. Osman. To add on to that, some of her own songs were also featured in the movie, adding to the memorability of her dynamic introduction into an entirely new market segment and proving that racial indifferences should never be used as an excuse in a country like Malaysia.

Arguably one of the most sought after non-Malay female entertainers in the country, Hannah was invited in October this year by multiple-award winning film director Afdlin Shauki to play the lead female role alongside veteran actors AC Mizal and Harun Salim Bachik among many others in his latest project with KRU Productions, My Spy. This film is set to hit the local cinemas in 2009 while Hannah sets foot in the Land of The Rising Sun. In January 2009, this ambitious young lady will be moving to Japan to set up her regional base in the heart of Tokyo and do her country proud yet again.

Entertainment and business aside, Hannah has nurtured an interest in motor sports and was even invited to race in the MME race in 2007 and 2008, following an impressive drive in the open-wheeler Formula BMW car during one of Formula BMW’s PR exercises. This year she represents the D1 organizers in Japan in bringing the popular drift sporting event to South East Asia, following the participation and impressive performance of team Malaysia in the recent Tokyo Drift in Odaiba earlier in June. Having her own kart equipped with a 125cc Rotax Max engine and indulging herself in other extreme sports makes it evident that Hannah also has fitness on her list of priorities. Once a state sprinter, this 27-year old has proven herself to be a multi-talented lady with a burning determination and drive for excellence in all her endeavours.

Implementing leadership by example, Hannah encouraged youths all over the country and celebrities alike to give back to the society by organizing the recent self-funded ‘H’ Factor Nationwide Creative Youth Workshop, a pioneering four-state community service initiative which touched the hearts and inspired the dreams of thousands of young people all over the country. Diligent and passionate about all her undertakings, Hannah never fails to impress and inspire. Above all, it is her love and faith in God and her compassion for the people around her that makes Hannah different from the rest. A fighter and survivor, she has come a long way to be here today and is living proof that there is hope for the diligent, even in the worst and most unfortunate situations.

“Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way, and the dictionary is the only place where SUCCESS comes before WORK.” – Hannah Tan

^*The show won the award for Best Reality TV Series in the 2007 Anugerah Skrin

^**Ratings for the show increased from 800,000 to 1,800,000 during the season she hosted