Erra Fazira is a Malaysian movie star, pop singer, and beauty pageant participant who was named "Miss Malaysia World" in 1992. She was born as "Fazira Wan Chek" in Rewang, Selangor, on February 9, 1974. At 18 years old, she won the "Miss Malaysia World" beauty pageant and traveled to South Africa to represent her country in Miss World 1992, ultimately losing to Julia Kourotchkina from Russia. Two years later, she appeared in the film Sembilu, which became the highest-grossing Malaysian movie of 1994. She also signed with Polygram Records and released her self-titled debut record, Erra Fazira. A full-length album, Aku dan Dia, followed in 1995 and featured the hit single "Yang Terindah Hanyalah Sementara." Fazira remained on the Polygram roster for one final album, 1996's 2.5 Sayang, before partnering with Sony Music for 1999's Kini. She continued to maintain an active presence in the Malaysian music industry throughout the early 2000s, releasing records like Sampai Bertemu (2002), Kini Kembali (2003), and Ya atau Tidak (2006) before choosing to retire from music in 2007. She focused on her work as a movie and TV actor during the remainder of the 2000s and beyond. Meanwhile, several of Fazira's songs became known as enduring Malaysian classics, with "Yang Terindah Hanyalah Sementara" even reaching the Top 100 Deezer - Malaysia chart in 2023, more than two decades after its release.
