THE V WORD

While in the past, it may have been prudish and embarrassing, especially when it comes to guys, in the utterance of the “V” word or the admittance of a lack of experience in the boudoir; in recent years however, more and more of the younger generation, including famous as well as attractive teen stars by the likes of the Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Jordin Sparks, and yes, even male mega pop idols such as The Jonas Brothers are proudly proclaiming their pledge to save themselves for marriage and showing off their purity rings. It’s an admirable stance, even more so for young adults in this day and age, as they’re faced with raging hormones and peer pressures every day.

So when 24 year old Republic Polytechnic Sports and Leisure Management student, Contestant No. 14 Muhammad Faiz Bin Arifin, whom we’re sure would have hundreds of ladies lining up to date and bed him with his flawless good looks, dazzling smile, 1.8m tall stature and 75kgs of Abercrombie & Fitch approved physique, let us in on his personal decision to follow a similar path, and went on to share that he had never been in a relationship before, we greatly applaud his commitment and, call it a case of forbidden fruit, we strongly believe this actually hikes the hunky dude’s attractive and sexy quotient up by quite a few notches!

Now that we have caught your undivided attention, and if you’re eager to discover what qualities appeal to the debonair finalist for his ideal girl, why he looks up to ex-Manhunt finalist Aaron Aziz as his idol, his personal obsession with shoes, and more, then what are you waiting for? Check out our in-depth interview with this jejaka kacak (handsome boy) now!

Congratulations on making it to the Top 20 in Manhunt Singapore 2012! What would you like to say to your fans for their support and Facebook “Likes” that helped you make it to the finals?

First and foremost, I would like to shout out a huge thank you to God for making all this possible for me! And of course, how could I forget all my fans, friends and family, without whom all this would not be possible! They’ve been there supporting me wholeheartedly since day one, and I owe them my deepest gratitude and feel truly blessed to have such loving people who believe in me and my dreams.

In this present day and age, with the gradual acceptance and integration of the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) community into our society, how do you personally feel about having GLBT fans amongst your fans and supporters?
It is my personal belief that we have only ourselves to account to, and not to anybody else, so we should be true to our hearts’ desires and live our lives to the fullest without fear or regret, as long as we don’t consciously cause any harm to others while doing so. So I respect GLBT individuals for their bravery in pursuing their freedom to love against all odds. As for my fans who hail from the GLBT community, it is my honour to receive great praise and be held in such high regard by them when it comes to my looks, physique and personal style. It really feels awesome to be validated, regardless by whom, for my personal qualities and capabilities! And they’ve also been constantly encouraging me and expressing their belief in my ability to go far in this industry. So if I were to win this competition, a big part of my success would be attributed to them!

I’m sure your fans and supporters would definitely like to get to know you a little better on a more personal level. Can you share with us some of your favourite things?

i) What do you enjoy doing most in your spare time (and no, gym doesn’t count, ha ha ha…)?
Soccer has always been one of my greatest passions! Back in National Service (NS), I used to represent for my division’s team, and now in Republic Polytechnic I am also playing for the school. Aside from sports, I also enjoy going to the movies and indulging in karaoke sessions with my clique.

ii) Any fave TV shows?
I love to laugh a lot, so my favourite shows are mostly sit-coms, like “Modern Family”, “New Girl” and the legend of all sit-coms in my opinion – “Friends”,. Sometimes I can laugh until I cry watching certain episodes! Ha, ha, ha!!!

iii) Any fave movies?
This could be a coincidence but it just so happens that two of both my all-time favourite movies “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Inception” are films helmed by Oscar-nominated director Christopher Nolan.

iv) What are you currently playing on your iPod/playlist?
It’s an eclectic mix of songs by Calvin Harris, The Killers, Zee Avi and would you believe, Romanian songs! They actually pretty soothing to the ears, you know? Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it ok? Give it a listen!

v) Any fave recipes or food? Would you say you’re a good cook?
You know what they say about “there’s no place like home”; well I think the same goes for food as well. No matter where I’ve eaten, nothing beats the taste of the food my Mum dishes out at home. When it comes to my cookery skills, even though I was once a Food & Nutrition student previously in Secondary School, and did pretty well then, I think there’s still room for improvement for me before I would regard myself to be a good cook. So far, there have been no complaints from my friends and family who have sampled my food fare, so that’s good news. And in my first attempt at baking last month, it was a success, which means I’m doing good and improving, yeah!

vi) What are some of your fave hangouts?
“Timbre” is a great place to chill out over great music as their band is awesome! But actually I’m good to hang out anywhere as long as I’ve my pool of pals together with me.

vii) Any fave gadgets? What is it about this gadget/s that appeals to you?
My iPad is my most trusted multi-tasking personal assistant and companion, since I rely on it to keep me organized on all my important appointments, remind me on future plans and events, as well as keep me entertained and kill my boredom.

viii) Could you share with us a lesser-known interesting fact about yourself?
Well, I guess it’s no secret that other than soccer, my other biggest passion in life would definitely be fashion! Ever since my enrolment into polytechnic in mid-2010, with the opportunity to finally ditch that boring school uniform and be able to pick out different casual wear daily for school, my interest in fashion began burgeoning. It wasn’t before long when I started developing my own personal sense of style and assembled outfits for myself based on the four seasons fashion-wise, in spite of Singapore having only one sunny season all year round! Ha, ha, ha!!!

I would say that I am quite versatile when it comes to creating my different looks, I can be trendy and avant garde one moment, and sharp, edgy and suave the next. To gather inspiration, fashionbeans.com would be my go to source and I tend to frequent Zara, River Island, Top Man to check out their designs since they tend to always be at the forefront of fashion trends. Subscribing to the mentality that “clothes maketh the man”, I believe that if you dress to impress, it does serve as a booster to your self-confidence!

As a side note to my fanaticism towards fashion, I am also a shoe freak! I actually bought a variety of shoes so as to match my outfits and to date I’ve collected 12 pairs already and intend to continue building my personal shoe collection! From formal dress shoes, casual loafers to trendy sports shoes, I love them all! But the best has got to be the Adidas Originals! They’re my favourite ones of the lot!

Another interesting fact about me that few people may know is that I’ve never ever been attached in a relationship in my life to present! Cross my heart, it’s really the truth! So I suppose that makes me a pure and chaste Malay guy! Ha, ha, ha!!! Seriously though, when it comes to matters of the heart, I’d rather be patient, let nature take its course and wait for the right girl to come along than just rush into a relationship with any Tanya, Diana or Harriet, and risk having it not work out upon realizing we’re not a good match to begin with. Qualities that would appeal to me in my ideal match would be a good sense of humour, a sweet smile, dimples would be a huge plus, preferably with height above 1.65m, long and slightly curly locks and big, beautiful eyes! I know it seems like I’m asking for a lot, but for me, this is someone I intend on spending the rest of my life with, so it really has to be someone who can make my heart race when I see her, share my joys and laughter, as well as possess the qualities of a woman that I would be honoured to marry and have a family with someday!

You look rather familiar. Might we have seen you anywhere before?
If you’ve read Syakir’s interview earlier, you’d know that alongside him, as well as our fellow finalist Jonah Goh, we were all shortlisted by 8 Days magazine in its search for the hottest shirtless guys in November last year.

You could say that making it into the finals of the “8 Days Shirtless Guy Search 2011” competition marked the beginning of my entry into the entertainment and fashion industry, because immediately after the finals were over at Zirca, I was approached on the spot by two Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) management executives on whether I would be interested in joining the fashion boutique’s flagship store as one of their iconic shirtless promotions models. Thrilled at being offered this rare opportunity, I eagerly went for the casting session and was ecstatic when I was notified later that I had made the cut! So if you’ve walked past the store along Orchard Road and thought you saw me, well you’d be right! Ha, ha, ha…

Being involved in the public relations event on the store’s opening day was one of the most memorable moments in my life! I got to meet and make friends with many international models from all over the world! Also, my fellow models at A&F and I are really tight. They’re like family to me and we love and support each other through thick and thin, no pun intended. The most amusing remark that I’ve often heard repeatedly while on the job is that people are always amazed to learn that I’m a true-blue Malay guy! Yes, I even surprised a Malay family too! Ha, ha, ha!!! And to answer some of my fans’ query on when’s the best day and time to catch a glimpse of me at A&F, I do have to apologise but as my schedule’s not fixed so it’s up to your luck of the day whether you’d be able to nab a chance at getting a photo with me there!

What made you decide to take part in Manhunt Singapore 2012?
Winning the competition would be awesome but it has never been my intention from the start. As it has always been my childhood aspiration to become an actor, I felt that joining Manhunt Singapore would be a great way to expand my horizons, gain more experience, further increase my exposure within the entertainment and fashion industry, and hopefully open doors to opportunities to venture into acting in the future!

It would be a dream come true for me if I could follow in the footsteps of one of my biggest idols, Aaron Aziz! He too got his head start in this industry by joining Manhunt Singapore, which led to a pretty impressive acting career in MediaCorp, which later extended to Malaysia and now he has achieved regional stardom across Asia! His journey is truly inspiring!

While some may say that my decision to embark on this pursuit of an acting career at 24 years old is bold yet risky, as I might be considered a late bloomer in this industry that capitalizes on youth and beauty, but seeing the success story of Aaron Aziz, I have faith that I’m on the right path and that Manhunt Singapore will be my stepping stone to greater things in my future! In my repertoire to date, I’m still paying my dues as a “calefare”, taking on a bit role in two scenes on a gangster-themed drama series on Suria previously, and recently being cast as the leading man, who is entangled in a complicated love relationship with his female best friend and her cousin who used to be his ex, for a telemovie by a friend of mine on his school film project, which I am doing as a favour to help him with his directing portfolio. Most of my acting tips are picked up from my friends, who are taking drama classes, so at times it can be quite an uphill process, but I am sure that with determination and hard work, I will be able to realize my ambition in the end!

You’ve received numerous compliments on Facebook, praising your well-toned physique in the Manhunt Singapore 2012 photo shoots. Were you always this hunky since young? If not, what inspired you to build up your physique? How did you do it?
Although my muscular definition was not that prominent during my younger days, I was never extremely fat or skinny as a kid, and already had a fit and toned athlete’s build back then due to my active participation in various sports since I was 13, ranging from floorball, soccer to track and field, which I used to represent for my division when I was in the police force during their sports meet events.

It is only upon my enlistment into National Service (NS) did I started becoming interested in sculpting myself to be as chiselled as that of my idols Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Reynolds. If you have seen their younger photos, you would know that they too didn’t have that impressive a physique back then. So if they could do it, I could too! Nothing is impossible!

Inspired and determined, I committed seriously to training hard in the gym in NS, aimed to strike the perfect balance of muscle tone, not too beefed up as a bodybuilder but just enough to meet the needs of pursuing my ambitions in modelling as well as acting, and I believed all that hard work was worth it, as not only have I achieve my ideal bod but it has paved the way to my becoming a Manhunt Singapore finalist today!

There is often the impression that good looking individuals tend to shun or discriminate against others who may not be as aesthetically pleasing in looks and physique. To what extent would you agree with this statement? What is your personal stance on this issue?

Bear in mind that comparison is a never-ending vicious cycle and that youth as well as beauty are not eternal and will fade with time. As good looking as you think you may be, there’s always going to be others who are better looking than you in this world, if not today then in time to come, so why not focus on cultivating your inner beauty instead, by being less judgemental, more compassionate, banishing arrogance and embracing humility. You will be a better person that way. This attitude is what I strive to practise every day.

On the Miss Universe and Miss World annual competitions, emphasis is often placed on promoting world peace and helping the needy who are facing issues such as hunger, poverty and sickness. If given the choice to make a difference, what social cause would you want to champion? Why?
I think we’re really blessed here in Singapore as we are spared from most afflictions, like natural disasters or critical large-scaled social issues that other countries may face. If I had the power to make things better for other countries, I would hope to alleviate the sufferings of victims of geological calamities and global famine. It pains me whenever I come across any news or photos of the people and children in other countries suffering from calamities of nature or impacted by severe starvation.

As a Muslim, practising fasting on an annual basis lets us personally experience on a lesser scale how the less fortunate who cannot even afford a meal for days would feel, allows us to reflect on how we may take certain blessings such as the basic necessity of food and water for grant, urge us to empathize with those who may be going days without a meal, and remind us to reach out a helping hand to those in need.

On a closing note, were you surprised when you first learnt of this Manhunt Singapore Alumni group and were invited to join it in Facebook? How do you think the group is working out so far? Do you have any suggestion on how we can make both the alumni group as well as this blog better in time to come?

Most certainly, this group has been a great creation for us fellow finalists to interact with and learn from one another, and when the finals are over, it would be a great way for us to stay in touch online and keep our newfound friendships going strong in time to come!

With more and more new batches of contestants, as well as winners and finalists from the past years joining the alumni, it makes me happy to see that the alumni membership numbers always on the rise. So I’d like to congratulate and thank our ManSA group founder for a job well done! And just a gentle reminder, we’re still missing Aaron Aziz! Ha, ha, ha, ha…

Got the hint! We’ll try out best to track down Aaron Aziz and extend our invitation to join the alumni soon, Faiz! So do look forward to that! And may luck be on your side in meeting the girl of your destiny very, very, very soon, as well as for the upcoming Manhunt Singapore 2012 finals which we’ve no doubt you’d do your very best in and make your A&F family as well as your family from home proud!

If you’d like to catch Faiz and the rest of our Manhunt Singapore 2012 Top 20 finalists in action and express your support for them in person, don’t forget to buy your tickets and head on down to Avalon at Marina Bay Sands on 7 September 2012 at 7pm. Tickets are selling fast, so get them now!!!
https://tickets.eventclique.com/manhunt/Online/default.asp

Photos Credit:

Beam Artistes Pte Ltd (www.beam.com.sg),
Marcus Mok Photography (http://www.marcusmok.com/ & http://www.marcusart.net/),
Dennis Chong Fotocology (http://www.fotocology.com/),
Milk Photographie (http://www.milkphotographie.com/index.php),
Mave L. Hsiun (http://www.facebook.com/mlchsiun),
Ishardi Jamil (http://www.facebook.com/ishardi),
Entertainment on xinmsn (http://entertainment.xin.msn.com/),
Photography by Colin Phan and Faiz’s Personal Photos