WHAT'S a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) advertisement without a hot girl and some nudity?

In the case of top Malaysian model Amber Chia, it's near-nudity.

In its first Malaysian celebrity campaign, Peta had her in little more than body paint as a tiger slinking around in a jungle backdrop and inside a cage, to promote the message 'Boycott Zoos'.

The print ad is debuting during Chinese New Year in conjunction with the Year of the Tiger.

Underneath Amber's body paint, though, is a nude bra and underwear.

Speaking to The New Paper from Kuala Lumpur, the 28-year-old stressed she did not go completely nude for the shoot. Still, it was her most risque one to date.

'I'm aware I'm an Asian model and I'm from Malaysia,' she said. 'I wanted to make sure I was sensitive about that because Malaysia is a Muslim country.'

'It's not about sex appeal

Amber said she rejected another campaign offered to her by Peta to promote vegetarianism which may have involved more nudity, like the organisation's ads featuring Maggie Q.

They featured the Mission: Impossible sexpot in various raunchy poses - one with just leaves of lettuce strategically covering her breasts and private parts, and another American Beauty-like shot with Maggie lying in a bed of chillies.

Other Asian celebs who've modelled for Peta are mainland Chinese actress Sun Li, Indian artiste Anoushka Shankar and Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu.

Hollywood celebrities who have famously stripped for Peta's vegetarian and anti-fur campaigns include Pamela Anderson, Eva Mendes, Alicia Silverstone and even male stars like Dennis Rodman.

The organisation has also recruited Playboy models and porn actresses.

To manage sensitivities at home, Amber shot another covered-up, toned-down version of her Peta ad for her home market, which shows her in a T-shirt with the slogan 'No more cages', accompanied by a picture of a lion behind bars.

'I didn't want to go all the way. I felt the vegetarian ad would have been a little bit too much,' she said.

On Peta's penchant for using sex to sell , Amber said she 'didn't mind, because it helped the message'.

'If you look at my picture, it's not really about sex appeal. I'm not sure if nudity is always necessary but it's a good selling point and encourages people to look at the ad and see the message,' she said.

'If it's just a normal picture, who will look at it?'

Flattered

Amber was approached by Peta about six months ago.

'I was very excited and flattered because I know that a lot of high-profile celebrities have done work for Peta,' she said.

The animal-lover has five dogs. Amber is also a former vegetarian who avoids red meat.

She admitted to some initial reservations about the message she was promoting.

'I've been to the Zoo Negara (in Selangor) and it seems to treat the animals well, unlike other zoos I've been to,' she said. 'I also did talk to Peta about how much zoos do to educate children.'

The Malaysian ads, she pointed out, do not mention the term 'zoo' at all.

The ad was shot about two months ago by Malaysian photographer Aaron Lee, whom Amber has worked with several times before.

'There were about 10 people in the room with me, but I felt very comfortable. The people I worked with were all very professional,' she said.

Two make-up artistes worked on Amber's body paint.

'It was a little uncomfortable because for four hours I couldn't move or go to the toilet, but I always had it at the back of my mind that this was for charity,' said Amber.

The make-up and the shoot took about seven hours in all, and Amber is pleased with the final product.

'I think the images that came out are pretty cool,' she said. 'It's a striking picture, which completely suits the message.'

Supporting animal causes is nothing new for Amber.

Ashley Fruno, senior campaigner for Peta Asia, told The New Paper that Amber was asked to be in the campaign because they were aware of her involvement with animal causes.

'We had read various news clippings mentioning Amber's love for all animals, and the fact that she has such a deep concern for animal protection issues and isn't afraid to speak out about them makes her a perfect fit for our campaign,' said Ms Fruno.

Amber has starred in ads for the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Malaysia.

Her company, Amber Creations, created and produced 10,000 2010 calendars, currently sold in bookstores across Malaysia

All proceeds from the sales of the calendars go to the SPCA.

She is also a regular face at other charity events, including a recent fundraiser for victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Of her heavy involvement in charity work, she said: 'I'm so lucky to have what I have now. Whoever comes to me for help, I will try to help as much as I can.'

This article was first published in The New Paper.