To Malaysians, he is known either from his debut role in the comedy movie, Pisau Cukur, or from the romantic science-fiction mastermind that is Imaginur. But in real life, Shahredza Minhat, or Redza Minhat, works as the Chief Representative for the Central Bank of Malaysia in London, United Kingdom.
“I consider acting and scriptwriting as a hobby, a passion project.”
While he tends to keep his two lives separate, as people tend to know him as either an actor or a banker, Redza is more comfortable now letting the two intersect wherever possible.
Stepping out of his comfort zone
It was not too long – just three years ago, when Redza was given the opportunity to work in London.
“At first, I was reluctant to move. My whole life is in Malaysia; my family, my friends, and my community. I didn’t want to uproot my whole life,” he shared.
But thanks to the support from his wife and family, Redza decided to take the leap of faith for the opportunities that the future may hold.
Redza, his wife, and their two children, now reside in London, where he acts as the point of reference for any economic collaboration between Malaysia and the UK/EU region. He is also currently pursuing his MBA on a part-time basis at the University of Oxford.
“I’m privileged to be here, but my heart is still in Malaysia. This is not my reality – my people are still back home, and I will return one day.”
You need to have a strong sense of identity
Redza is a strong advocate for personal and professional growth.
“You should be able to pursue what you believe can lead to your growth. If you want to pursue a passion project, you also have to balance it out by being realistic – not everything can be sustainable in the long run.”
When talking about making the move abroad to pursue new opportunities, Redza kept on referring to one’s sense of identity, or jati diri.
“If you are really rooted in your sense of self, your faith and your belief, you can go anywhere in the world, and you would still be able to succeed.”
“There is no point in going to a new place or pursuing new opportunities for the sake of living in a different country if you are not growing. You must know what fills you up as a person, only then will you be able to grow bigger and better.”
You have to know your niche
One thing that Redza learned while living in London is how people in the West are more comfortable in marketing and promoting themselves and their abilities. For them, self-promotion is second nature because just being good at one’s job is no longer enough.
“If we really want to learn to grow, we must learn how to market ourselves. We need to find our niche, to sell our skills and expertise. Only then will we be able to land opportunities to grow.”
Building a sense of community and collaboration
When asked about his thoughts on MyHeart, Redza shared, “I really like what TalentCorp is doing with the new MyHeart platform. We want to play the long game, to build a community of people who are invested in making a better future for Malaysia.”
Creating a platform like MyHeart will allow like-minded people to come together as one, which will lead to new relationships being built and future collaborations being created.
“We don’t want to force people to collaborate, we want them to network organically and let the conversation flow.”
Redza and his family are currently living in London, exploring new opportunities and creating new memories together. To connect with Redza and other global Malaysians, join the MyHeart community today.
