Remembering Malaysia's MH17 victim: Actress was a natural, in everything she did

Shuba Jay with husband Paul Goes and daughter Kaela. She was never in it for fame, but always had raw passion for acting and channelled it well on stage, says writer Khairil M. Bahar. -- PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Shuba Jay with husband Paul Goes and daughter Kaela. She was never in it for fame, but always had raw passion for acting and channelled it well on stage, says writer Khairil M. Bahar. -- PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - WHEN Shuba Jay got pregnant in 2012, she knew instinctively that she wanted a natural birth. And she did it at home, unassisted.

"It's the most powerful feeling in the whole wide world. I gained so much from my birthing experience. I wouldn't change a thing about it," said Shuba.

She was talking to The Star in March about her experience in delivering her baby girl.

But on July 17, 2014, Shuba, 38, died in the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 crash with her husband, Dutch national Paul Goes, and their young daughter Kaela who would have turned two soon.

Shuba acted in local TV shows like Spanar Jaya, Gadis 3 and Sugumana Sumaigal, and on stage in Fourplay, Charley's Auntie and Hungry for Hope.

The Kuala Lumpur-based actress, who celebrated her 38th birthday two days before the tragedy, also had movie roles in Relationship Status and Tokak, and acted in Duit Kecil, part of the 15 Malaysia short film project.

Writer, director and actor Khairil M. Bahar, 34, worked with her on several short films.

He also cast her in his stage play Social Networking, in which Ms Shuba played a student obsessed with the Internet.

"She was never in it for the fame, but always had raw passion for acting and channelled it well on stage," said an emotional Khairil.

Waheeda Irene Sultan said: "We became good friends after we did a short film together in 2009. She was a friend I looked up to; I admired her spirit in living her life."

In 2010, Shuba and her father Jayaretnam took part in the reality TV show Mari Menari on Astro Ria.

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