A look at the life and legacy of Adibah Noor

MALAYSIAN singer and actress Adibah Noor was known for many things.

Apart from being a celebrated talent in entertainment and a popular master of ceremonies, she was among those in the industry whose voice was a force to be reckoned with.

Early last night, the nation was shocked by the news of the 51-year-old’s death as she had reportedly succumbed to ovarian cancer.

Although the news of the entertainer battling cancer was something the public at large was unaware of, those who were close to Adibah had known about her illness, and had kept it a secret upon her request.

Tributes have since poured in from friends, showing the value of relationships she forged with those around her in her life.

The Vibes Culture & Lifestyle celebrates Adibah’s memory by looking at her accomplishments through the years.

No issues with attention

Adibah’s career lasted for almost 27 years, having first started when she entered showbiz back in 1995.

However, she had already been making a name for herself prior to that, when she joined her first singing competition in a talent show called Suara 90-an Nescafe, and bagged the first place prize back in 1994.

The Kuala Lumpur native was also known for her efforts as a teacher in her early life, teaching English to students.

Adibah was even in the spotlight when she offered herself up last year to be an instructor on screen at DidikTV. The now deleted tweet got a lot of attention and received over 7,000 retweets. 

Many agreed and were excited because Adibah Noor was already used to being in front of the TV, and with her personality, was able to command the course of the study session to be more 'fun'.

Some netizens also took the opportunity to question the artist’s credentials, to which she disclosed her educational background in TESL was obtained from the National University of Malaysia.

Adibah also made headlines when she publicly corrected Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun in an uploaded video clip for the mispronunciation of an English word while speaking at the 59th session of the United Nations Social Development Commission (CsosD59) in New York.

Talent galore

In 2006, Adibah released her first album titled ‘Terlalu Istimewa’, featuring the eponymous song, a ballad written in response to a horrific rape and murder case of a 12-year-old girl that happened in Johor Baru in January 2004. 

The album gained critical acclaim, gaining six nominations at the 13th Anugerah Industri Muzik. It won the Best Ballad and Best Vocal categories in the 21st Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL).

Fans were then exposed to Adibah’s versatility when she starred in many memorable ad campaigns, but moreso in some of Malaysia’s best films such as Sepet and Talentime, as well as the popular educational series Oh My English!.

She also became a judge at one point for a singing competition talent show for Astro titled Duo Star.

But like many others, much of her success did not spare her from the impact of Covid-19. 

Not a shy social media user, Adibah revealed to fans that she was forced to sell her house and pawn her jewellery to make ends meet. This came after many had reached out to her for assistance during the troubling times.

Irrespective of her situation, she has helped others in the remaining ways she could and showed small businesses support on her social media for better visibility.

The latest achievement to date of Adibah’s, saw her take fourth place in reality TV singing contest Gegar Vaganza (GV8) earlier this year.

She won a cash prize worth RM20,000, and she planned to use the money to redeem her jewellery that she had earlier pawned off to survive during the movement control order (MCO) in 2020.

A battle dealt privately

Just recently, Adibah turned the heads of fans on cyberspace again with her slim and trim new look when she uploaded an Instagram post.

She went on to share with Malay Mail of her weight loss journey in detail, in which she rigidly controlled her food and liquid intake.

The Mukhsin star said she did not consume any sugary drinks and only ate six mouthfuls of every meal, avoiding processed or canned foods and often opted for freshly-cooked meals.

This, in hindsight, could have been an indicator of the medical condition she was battling silently, away from public knowledge.

But Adibah Noor wasn’t dormant at all, at least not in that way. 

She was always so out there and eager to participate in present societal discussions that it’s evident through the marks she has left behind. Adibah may have been more forward on trending matters compared to her peers, but that only meant that she lived a life with no apologies.

– The Vibes, June 19, 2022