Anita Sarawak

Anita is the only child of actor and director S. Roomai Noor and actress Siput Sarawak. Her parents separated when she was 9 months old and Anita lived with her father. When Anita was around 12 years old, she went to live with her mother Siput and started preparation for her acting career.

At 14, Anita acted in her first film, Dua Kali Lima.

At 15, Anita started performing at weddings and other functions. Anita first came to prominence at the age of 17, when she released her debut album With A Lot O’ Soul. In 1974, she released her first Malay album.

Throughout the 1970s, Anita actively promoted Singapore as a tourist destination through her performances. In 1974, she performed for a week in Hawaii; in 1975, she performed for nine days in West Germany; in 1976 in Monte Carlo for two weeks.{{cite news|title=Anita flies off today to woo Monte Carlo jet-setters|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19761121-1.2.57.aspx|access-date=11 September 2014|agency=The Straits Times|publisher=Singapore Press Holdings|date=21 November 1976}}

In 1979, she launched a three-month performing tour of the United States, including shows in New York, San Francisco and Chicago.{{cite news|last1=Tang|first1=Geraldine|title=Anita is happy to be back from US|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19790625-1.2.136.4.3.aspx|access-date=11 September 2014|agency=The Straits Times|publisher=Singapore Press Holdings|date=25 June 1979}}

In 1985, she took off for Las Vegas and spent 18 years there performing at Caesars Palace.

Anita has also hosted The Anita Talkshow and Astana and acted in the telecomedy Agensi Melor and the telemovie Topeng (Mask). She also released a cookbook, Cooking with Love, in 2004.

In 2011, Anita retreated from public life, according to entertainment journalist Roslen Fadzil, to whom the singer reached out in 2022 to dispel rumors of her death, illness, and divorce.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-30 |title=Malaysian singer Anita Sarawak breaks her silence after ‘disappearance’ of almost 12 years |url=https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/malaysian-singer-anita-sarawak-breaks-061500115.html |access-date=2023-10-24 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-MY}}{{Cite web |last=Romero |first=Anna Maria |date=2022-05-31 |title=Anita Sarawak breaks silence after almost 12 years to end rumours of her death; reassures she’s also neither sick nor divorced - Singapore News |url=https://theindependent.sg/anita-sarawak-breaks-silence-after-almost-12-years-to-end-rumours-of-her-death-reassures-shes-also-neither-sick-nor-divorced/ |access-date=2023-10-24 |website=The Independent Singapore News |language=en-US}}

In 2017, Sarawak was inducted into Singapore's Women Hall of Fame.{{Cite web |title=Anita Sarawak |url=https://www.swhf.sg/profiles/anita-sarawak/ |access-date=2023-10-24 |website=Singapore Women's Hall of Fame |language=en-GB}}

Anita has been married four times. She is currently married to Briton Mohamad Mahathir Abdullah (formerly Martin Cox), who is her manager. The couple first met in Las Vegas, and wed in 2001.{{cite web | url=http://www.divaasia.com/article/3543 | title=Anita Sarawak: From stepdaughter to stepmother | publisher=AsiaOne | access-date=July 9, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430090541/http://www.divaasia.com/article/3543 | archive-date=April 30, 2012 | url-status=dead }}

In December 1972, Anita married Mohamed Abdul Samad. The couple divorced in August 1979.{{cite news|title=Singer Anita Sarawak gets a divorce|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19790829-1.2.111.aspx|access-date=11 September 2014|agency=The Straits Times|publisher=Singapore Press Holdings|date=29 August 1979}}

In October 1981, Anita married the Indonesian singer Broery Pesulima. Anita's father objected to the marriage as Broery is Christian while Anita is a Muslim.{{Cite web |date=2019-01-16 |title=Anita Sarawak's 3 Ex-Husbands That Many Don't Know About |url=https://hype.my/2019/163434/anita-sarawak-ex-husbands-love/ |access-date=2023-03-16 |website=Hype Malaysia |language=en-US}} Broery converted to Islam during their marriage but the couple later separated.{{cite news|title=Anita to wed despite father's objection|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19811003-1.2.129.aspx|access-date=11 September 2014|agency=The Straits Times|publisher=Singapore Press Holdings|date=3 October 1981}} Broery would later renounce Islam and converted back to Christianity.

In 1995, Anita was caught for close proximity (khalwat) with her third husband J. D. Nicholson, who she was engaged to at the time. Anita attended a hearing in court and paid a fine.{{cite news|last1=Shuib|first1=Taib|title=Where is Anita Sarawak?|url=https://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20111113-310364.html|access-date=11 September 2014|agency=New Straits Times|date=13 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912052205/http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20111113-310364.html|archive-date=12 September 2014|url-status=live}}

In September 2009, Anita's husband Mohamad Mahathir Abdullah was attacked outside her stepmother Datin Umi Kalthum's home in Taman Melawati, Malaysia. Anita subsequently forgave the robbers.{{cite news|last1=Alang|first1=Bendahara|title=Anita Sarawak forgives robbers for attack|url=https://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Crime/Story/A1Story20090914-167650.html|access-date=11 September 2014|agency=The New Straits Times|date=14 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912052130/http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Crime/Story/A1Story20090914-167650.html|archive-date=12 September 2014|url-status=live}}

In February 2011, Anita collected the Legend Award for her mother, Siput, at the Seri Temasek Awards. Anita said, "It was the proudest day of my life, an exceptional and emotional moment."{{cite news|last1=Low|first1=Minmin|title=S'pore icons star in free concert|url=https://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20110721-290208.html|access-date=11 September 2014|agency=my Paper|publisher=Singapore Press Holdings|date=21 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912033340/http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20110721-290208.html|archive-date=12 September 2014|url-status=live}}

In July 2013, Anita's stepmother Datin Umi Kalthum, a veteran Malaysian actress, died. Anita, who lives in the United States, could not return for the funeral.{{cite news|title=Actress Umi Kalthum, 81, dies|url=http://news.asiaone.com/news/showbiz/actress-umi-kalthum-81-dies|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912052117/http://news.asiaone.com/news/showbiz/actress-umi-kalthum-81-dies|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 12, 2014|access-date=11 September 2014|agency=The Straits Times|publisher=Singapore Press Holdings|date=29 July 2013}}

In 2022, Anita contacted entertainment journalist Roslen Fadzil to dispel rumors about her health and personal status. She retired from public life in 2011 and has been living a private life in Las Vegas, United States.

Anita Sarawak was featured in cartoonist, Lat's 1980 compilation of New Straits Times cartoons, With a Little Bit of Lat, published in 1980 by Berita Publishing.{{cite book|title=With a Little Bit of Lat|chapter=ANITA!|author=Lat|publisher=Berita Publishing|location=Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia|year=1980|page=27–28|isbn=967-969-403-8}}

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Category:1952 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century Singaporean women singers

Category:Singaporean people of Malay descent

Category:21st-century Singaporean women singers