Yasmeen Yusuf was the voice of my childhood. Every morning, when my mother drove me to school, we would turn on Radio 4 and listen to the morning show with her and Patrick Teoh. They were our preferred radio announcers and sometimes we would switch channels if it weren’t them on the air.

I first met Yasmeen when I was still a news journalist, at least 4 to five years ago. Whenever there was an event with the prime minister, she was there as the master of ceremonies.

When the desk was looking for stories about celebrities that champion charity or social issues, I choose to interview her based on a series of Instagram posts that she made. She posts hinted that she champions a cause, but she never explicitly mentions it.

Getting in contact with her was not easy. I only managed thanks to a senior writer who has her number.

Once we met, she finally told me the story. During the lockdown, she got involved with Caremongers as an administrator. There she learned how complicated charity work is. The effort that it takes to get help to the people who need them and the hidden, forgotten people of Kuala Lumpur.

We talked for hours over coffee at Feeka Coffee Roasters. A café, the photographer, Adib Rawi recommended. When I arrived, most of the seats were bare. By the time we finished the interview, the place was packed.

If you need an emcee for your next big event or just want to follow a celebrity, follow Yasmeen Yusuf on Instagram.

To see more from the talented photographer that took the pictures, follow Adib on Instagram.

As for that café, Feeka, it has an Instagram page too.

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