MS NURALIZA OSMAN, 36, MISS UNIVERSE SINGAPORE 2002
Beauty queen, actress, lawyer. There are not many people in the world who could claim such a resume.
Ms Nuraliza Osman was crowned Miss Singapore Universe in 2002. Her prize package included a contract with MediaCorp.
Although she preferred to continue practising law, she took advantage of her win, appearing in several Suria productions.
She was even named the channel's Best Newcomer in 2004 for her role as a femme fatale in the drama series Rahsia Perkahwinan.
She says: "The win came as a surprise. I wasn't anything like a femme fatale."
Now 36, Ms Nuraliza is the legal counsel in Asia for Shell Eastern Petroleum.
The daughter of a former beauty queen was always devoted to acing her studies.
"My mother competed in various beauty pageants and it was always a childhood fantasy for me to emulate her success," says Ms Nuraliza, who was nominated for Young Lawyer of the Year in 2002 by the Law Society of Singapore.
She was then a civil litigator with Rajah & Tann. In subsequent years, she had overseas stints in The Hague and London.
The avid diver is the pro bono legal adviser to Ocean Geographic, an international publication dedicated to the conservation of the world's oceans and marine life.
Ms Nuraliza is a vocal supporter of Save The Sharks, a campaign against the consumption of sharks' fin.
Last year, she represented Singapore in a free-diving competition in Cebu, the Philippines.
She says: "I'm glad to have proven that I've worked hard in all aspects of my life.
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(Photos: ST, TNP, BH, Mediacorp)
