Amber Chia born December 14, 1981 is a Malaysian model. She was born in Ipoh but grew up in the city of Tawau, in Sabah, East Malaysia. She began her modeling career at seventeen, after being discovered in Kuala Lumpur, where she was working as an accountant. Chia gained international fame after being selected as one of fifteen finalists in the 2004 Guess Watches Timeless Beauty Contest, and for being voted Best Top Model by the Malaysian International Fashion Awards in 2004 and 2005. One of her most defining features is her pouty lips, which are not typically found in ethnic Chinese Malaysians.
A number of well-known companies have used Chia in their advertisements, including Sony, L'oreal, and Mitsubishi. This has led critics to label her as overexposed, and suggestions that she show greater discretion when endorsing products. They also cite her poor command of the English language (she is most well-versed in Cantonese and Mandarin); this has been said to be attributed to having been brought up in a hometown where the majority only speak the local dialect.
Chia has also drawn fire by appearing in the Indonesian edition of Playboy Magazine. The photographs were non-nude, however, and Chia defends them as "tasteful, stylish and sensuous but not pornographic.” Her photos appeared in the "Celebrity" section of the magazine.
Chia has also tried her hand at acting with successes in a few local productions and serials such as The 3rd Generation, Possessed, and Trio & a Bed. She currently has a blog at her official website and it is updated quite often with a lot of entries regarding her modeling assignments, overseas trips, and personal life.