Jane Lau and Han Pin Ma are ‘imperfect’ partners for life and we’re here for it

Busting the ‘perfect couple’ myth, the influential duo opens up about trust, respect, and staying true to what matters in an unpredictable world

“We’ve been photographed so often together that people say we’re starting to look alike,” laughs Han Pin Ma with a playful glance at images of himself and his wife, Jane Lau (or Jane Chuck, as she goes by) during this photoshoot with Tatler Malaysia. Looking at the power pair standing poised in front of the camera, it’s easy to see what he means. It’s perhaps more fitting to say that the couple exudes the same upbeat energy and easygoing confidence stemming from their similar temperaments.

“We’re very much alike in that we’re both very chill,” Lau remarks. “We each listen to the other person and we respect each other’s opinions. But this didn’t happen in one day. Over time, we sort of grew together and learned to understand where the other person is coming from.”

Coincidentally, Lau and Ma’s first meeting was uneventful. Lau, who started blogging at the age of 14, was a social media darling with a massive and loyal fanbase. Ma admits that he was hardly even active on social media before he met her. They knew of each other through a mutual friend but didn’t hit it off until after Ma had returned to Malaysia from studying in the UK.

“A friend told me, ‘You know that girl, the famous one? She just broke up’. Then they asked if I wanted to ask her out,” he recalls. “When I came back from the UK, I messaged her on Instagram (you don’t really need phone numbers anymore) and said, ‘Hey, we have this mutual friend, we met that one time, do you remember me?’ Of course she was being nice and said yes."

“I wouldn’t even call our first meeting after that a date,” Lau adds with a chuckle. “Gradually, we became friends and started hanging out. The relationship just grew from there.”

More: Best Moments From Han Pin Ma and Jane Chuck's Wedding and More On Instagram

Jane Lau wears Tiffany Victoria earrings, Tiffany Lock bangles, Tiffany Embrace band ring, and Tiffany T True wide ring; Fendi dress

Above Tiffany Victoria earrings, Tiffany Lock bangles, Tiffany Embrace band ring, and Tiffany T True wide ring, all by Tiffany & Co.; Fendi dress

Above Tiffany T True ring and Tiffany Lock bangles, all by Tiffany & Co.; Loewe shirt

Lau and Ma got engaged in 2018 and married a year later in a resplendent island wedding in Mykonos, followed by a grand Christmas carnival-themed reception in Kuala Lumpur.

“Technically, I only became famous on social media after we got married,” says Ma, who splits his time between being a fitness trainer and co-founder at Pwrhouse fitness studio with a full time position as managing director at Bakalima Sdn Bhd and founder of men’s wellness brand, Gote. “I’m still learning how to be a more interesting influencer. It’s never too late to learn new things, right? Even if it's learning to take better photos or posting good content.”

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Lau shares: “Many people think that being an influencer is just about taking pictures and uploading them to Instagram. But it’s more time-consuming than that. I wouldn’t say it’s the hardest job in the world but if it were that easy, everybody would be able to do it, wouldn't they?”

The entrepreneur behind breakout beauty and fashion brands Chucks and Motherchuckers shares her husband’s flair for multitasking. Together with some friends, she co-founded Hejau, a café in Kuala Lumpur that specialises in matcha desserts and drinks. “It’s challenging because I wear a lot of hats. But Han Pin and I are privileged to be able to enjoy the overall process,” she says. “We don’t openly talk that much about the behind-the-scenes struggles of our work. But we will rant about them with each other. It helps that we’re both good at handling pressure, and we give each other advice when it’s needed.”

Han Pin Ma wears Tiffany Victoria graduated line necklace, Tiffany Lock bangle, Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Sixteen Stone ring and Tiffany T True ring; Jane Lau wears Tiffany Victoria earrings, Tiffany Embrace band ring, Tiffany Lock bangles and Tiffany T True wide ring; MSGM outfits

Above Ma wears Tiffany Victoria graduated line necklace, Tiffany Lock bangle, Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Sixteen Stone ring and Tiffany T True ring; Lau wears Tiffany Victoria earrings, Tiffany Embrace band ring, Tiffany Lock bangles and Tiffany T True wide ring, all by Tiffany & Co.; MSGM outfits

We don’t feel the need to explain everything we do. Ultimately, our relationship centres around us, and not what someone else thinks.

- Jane Chuck -

As influencers, Lau and Ma have somewhat insulated themselves from the scrutiny and pressure that come with living such public lives. They also don’t buy into the unrealistic ideal of the ‘perfect' couple.

“Sure, there’s pressure for us to be perfect or to do the right thing all the time,” Lau muses. “I’m lucky that I started my career early, and my audience is not the type to spread negativity or gossip. They’re actually very understanding of what I do.

“Either way, I don’t pay too much attention to the negative stuff. Sometimes, people only see what they think they know,” she adds. “We don’t post everything that goes on in our lives, we post what people want to see. Even if some people misunderstand, that happens. Personally, we don’t feel the need to explain everything we do. Ultimately, the relationship centres around us, and not what someone else thinks.”

Han Pin Ma wears Tiffany Lock bangles, Tiffany T True ring and Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Sixteen Stone ring; Jane Lau wears Tiffany Victoria diamond vine circle earrings, Tiffany Victoria vine bypass ring, and Tiffany Lock bangles, all by Tiffany & Co.; Gucci outfits

Han Pin Ma wears Tiffany Lock bangles and Tiffany T True ring; Jane Lau wears Tiffany Victoria earrings, Tiffany Embrace band ring and Tiffany Lock bangles, all by Tiffany & Co. ; Louis Vuitton outfits

Photo 1 of 2 Ma wears Tiffany Lock bangles, Tiffany T True ring and Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Sixteen Stone ring; Lau wears Tiffany Victoria diamond vine circle earrings, Tiffany Victoria vine bypass ring, and Tiffany Lock bangles, all by Tiffany & Co.; Gucci outfits

Photo 2 of 2 Ma wears Tiffany Lock bangles and Tiffany T True ring; Lau wears Tiffany Victoria earrings, Tiffany Embrace band ring and Tiffany Lock bangles, all by Tiffany & Co. ; Louis Vuitton outfits

The couple has much to look forward to in the new year—from expanding their respective businesses internationally to learning to set aside time for themselves and start a family.

“At this point in our lives, we value our time more,” Lau says. “We want to try new things, travel somewhere new, take time off. The pandemic taught us that we shouldn’t waste time on things that don’t matter and focus instead on what we want to achieve in life.”

And with Lau by his side, Ma adds with hint of stoic assurance in his usually laidback tone: “I can’t predict the future but I think we’re on the right track."

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Credits

Photography

Edmund Lee

Videography

Goh Kwee Jin

Styling

Ervin Tan

Jewellery