8
QUESTIONS
WITH Leng Yein;
I like that I'm called a fake
DJ
Model-DJ
Leng Yein says that means people have low expectations of her but
she gets the jobs
Leng Yein readily
admits that flaunting her assets gets her more money. ST
PHOTO: MATTHIAS HO
MELISSA
KOK
Malaysian
model-DJ Leng Yein does not mince her words and she is not afraid
of the backlash when it comes her way.
The 29-year-old, who is a former beauty queen and
American auto show Hot Import car model, was recently caught in an
online spat with another female model-DJ, Singaporean DJ
Tenashar.
Tenashar, a former FHM cover girl known for her
skimpy outfits, is ranked No. 87 on DJ Mag's top 100 DJs poll.
Tenashar, 27, had accused Leng Yein of sabotaging
her console at a concert at Sunway Lagoon in Kuala Lumpur last
month, which sparked a war of words on Facebook.
Leng Yein, who denies Tenashar's charges, tells
Life! of the online fiasco: "I am like Tenashar because we sell
what people like to talk about: free publicity."
The DJ, who asserts that it was impossible for her
to meddle with Tenashar's set-up before she took to the decks,
adds: "But for what she said about me - that I sabotaged her
equipment - if you're an F1 driver, you'd know your car well. As a
newbie, an unseeded DJ, I was taught to always check my equipment
and pay attention."
The Miss Malaysia World 2003 winner was last in the
news in 2011 for undergoing several cosmetic procedures amounting
to more than $100,000, including a nose job and breast
enhancement.
The busty bombshell, who is single, was far from
shy in flaunting her 34F assets in a tight, black corset top and
hot shorts when Life! met her for this interview. She will be
DJ-ing at Asian-fusion nightspot Neverland 2 as part of the club's
new, all-female DJ series which kicks off on Thursday.
The club will have sexy female DJs helming the
decks twice a month, featuring DJs such as Leng Yein, and DJs Roxy
June and Faahsai from Thailand.
1 How
did you get your start in DJ-ing?
I started learning to DJ two years ago on vinyl, and at the end
of last year, I started learning to use CDJ and vinyl emulation
software Serato.
Two years back, a headphone company approached me
and asked me if I was a DJ, because all the big-boobed girls are
now DJs. I said: "Okay, I have big boobs; I fit that category, if
this is what you want, sponsor me and I'll do it".
It was just the one time, but I started DJ-ing
again about three months ago.
2 What
do you think about people who say you are a fake DJ?
I like that, because they have such low expectations of me... at
least I don't slot in a pre-recorded CD. The joke is that I'm a
bimbo or that I look like a stupid DJ but people hire me and the
crowds haven't complained... yet.
I'm not the best but I won't be the worst. I've
been playing piano since I was five, so I have a classical music
background, I won't go out of beat.
3 Do
you feel you have to flaunt your assets to get DJ
gigs?
No, but you get paid so much better, without having to be a top
DJ in the world. I earn a comfortable five-figure sum each
month.
There's always a Lady Gaga or someone really
popular in the world that is paid the most, but not many people can
be such an icon; 99.9 per cent are just trying to make it like the
top 0.01 per cent. I fall into that category. We just try to work
and pay the rent.
4 So
you don't let the negative criticism get to you?
I get mad, I cry, but I don't smash my stuff because I'd need to
pay and buy them back again and I'm not that dumb. It gets to me
and I go crazy, that's why I'm a crazy person.
5 Are
your parents supportive of your career choice?
My family is conservative but very supportive. They say: "I'd
rather you go out wearing a bikini doing what you do rather than
strip in someone's room and 'cheat' them of their money", if you
know what I mean.
6 Is
this something you see yourself doing for quite a
while?
I just started actively DJ-ing for three months or so. And I
have shows in China, the Philippines and Japan soon. I'm grateful
to everyone, whether they look down on me or support me, that they
gave me a chance.
Whether they come to my show to mock me or to see
how well I can do something, at least they come.
7 Will
you speak to Tenashar if you bump into her in public?
I'm just going to smile and I need to respect people in the same
profession as me, because she is a senior and I'm a junior. My mum
always taught me to respect elders.
Tenashar is the first female Asian DJ to make it as
a world top DJ. I hope one day, she can go up to No. 1.
8 How
would you like to be remembered?
As someone strong, someone who will never be told what to do and
live life the way others want her to live. I am my own woman.
Book It
NEVERLAND PARTY SERIES FEMALE DJ EDITION:
LENG YEIN
Where:
Neverland II, St James Power Station
When: Thursday, from 10pm
Admission: Free. Call 9383-0524 for
reservations
Life! People, The Straits Times, Monday, March 17 2014, Pg
C3