Lilianne Fan is a cultural anthropologist and humanitarian expert with over two decades of experience focusing on displaced and conflict-affected populations. She is the co-founder and International Director of the Geutanyoe Foundation, a regional humanitarian organization operating in Malaysia and Aceh, Indonesia, dedicated to empowering marginalised communities, including refugees and stateless persons.

Fan also serves as the Chair of the Rohingya Working Group under the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) and leads the Secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Refugee Policy. Fan has extensive experience advising institutions like the UN, World Bank, and ASEAN on humanitarian issues.

Her career includes leading post-crisis recovery missions, such as in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and in Aceh following the 2004 tsunami. She holds a Master’s in Anthropology from Columbia University.

David Chan is the founder and president of Persatuan Harapan Xi Wang, a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering marginalised communities. Established in 2021, Persatuan Harapan Xi Wang has grown under David’s leadership to include a network of 200 ambassadors globally and 30+ local youth council members, supported by an empowering adult council.

David’s leadership has propelled Persatuan Harapan Xi Wang to create lasting change through initiatives focused on education, community development, and youth empowerment. True to the name of the NGO, which means Hope in Mandarin, the organisation has spearheaded impactful projects, including orphanage visits, career-setting workshops, and resource drives that support vulnerable groups in Malaysia and beyond. XiWang’s emphasis on sustainable solutions reflects David’s commitment to building a brighter future for underserved communities.

Beyond Persatuan Harapan Xi Wang, David is a national debater, representing his state and country and a Child Rights Advocate, lobbying for policy change under Majlis Perwakilan Kanak-Kanak (MPKK) for children’s rights.

Making an impact is about solving problems, not talking about them. It’s about seeing what others overlook, taking action, and ensuring the results speak louder than intentions. At the end of the day, it’s not about being noticed, it’s about being undeniable.

Norliza’s journey with refugees began in 2016, driven by curiosity about the refugee situation in Malaysia. She joined a voluntary group, venturing into refugee communities to assist new arrivals and connect those in need with resources. Before this, she spent nearly two decades abroad, where she studied engineering and built a career as an aviation data analyst and consultant.

In mid-2017, Norliza began tutoring English and Maths on Saturday mornings at Al-Ikhlas School, a primary-level refugee learning centre in Batu Caves serving Rohingya and Myanmar children. She soon discovered the school was struggling financially and at risk of closing. Determined to help, she launched the Al-Ikhlas Hope Project in January 2018, spearheading the “Adopt-A-Child-For-School” campaign to raise funds. Within weeks, generous support from Malaysians covered the school’s expenses for the entire year.

Buoyed by this success, Norliza formalised the initiative, registering it as the Al-Ikhlas Hope Society (AHS) a year later. Today, AHS continues to support Al-Ikhlas School with three main objectives: sustaining its financial needs, monitoring the quality of education, and supporting the students’ families and the broader refugee community in the area.

In addition to her work with AHS, Norliza oversees the administrative functions of the Refugee Emergency Fund (REF), which provides financial aid to refugees facing medical and livelihood crises, primarily in the Klang Valley. As REF’s fund coordinator, she plays a hands-on role in managing cases and ensuring aid reaches those in urgent need.

Juggling what has become a full-time calling with her roles as a wife, mother of three boys, and perpetual student, Norliza continues to dedicate herself to empowering refugees and creating opportunities for their future.

Making an impact for me would mean being able to lower barriers that unnecessarily suffocate and impede possibilities. It is to open up opportunities to allow people to be free to realise their potentials and reach for their dreams. Making an impact also means opening hearts and freeing minds from fear and being blinded from truths, so that injustices can end and fairness and respect can prevail.

By day, Muhamad Hanifi Muhamad Bazil works as a sales associate at the Stag Match Institute, but his unwavering passion for humanitarian aid led him to establish 4WD Charity, a community dedicated to providing logistical support to disaster-stricken areas across Malaysia.

With his vision and commitment to helping others, Muhamad Hanifi built a network of dedicated 4WD owners capable of reaching where few can—navigating dense forests and flood-stricken zones to deliver critical aid to remote communities.

When natural disasters strike, the 4WD Charity Community springs into action, delivering essential food supplies and flood kits to ensure no one is left behind. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they shifted focus to support local and foreign workers who lost their livelihoods, organising food aid to prevent hunger. Over the years, more than 10,000 families have benefitted from these efforts.

Muhamad Hanifi’s dedication extends beyond disaster relief. He believes in empowering the next generation and organising workshops on topics like cyberbullying awareness and crime prevention to equip young people with the skills to navigate today’s challenges. In one Orang Asal village, he spearheaded the creation of a library and a welcoming classroom to spark a love for learning and provide hope to children in isolated areas.

At the core of his work is a mission to uplift marginalised communities across Malaysia. Muhamad Hanifi hopes to inspire others to take collective responsibility for those in need—because together, we can create lasting change. He lives by this saying, “Our hearts find no rest knowing that while we sleep, someone else lies awake in hunger.”

Making an impact means creating a lasting and positive difference in the lives of others, especially those in need. It’s about using our skills, resources, and community to uplift and support people, whether through direct charity work or by inspiring others to join in. Since we prioritise altruism and putting people first, making an impact for us is about more than just temporary help – it’s about fostering long-term change, building connections, and encouraging others to make a difference.

Wah Hoo’s passion is figuring out how to create social impact effectively and sustainably. Rather than the usual mantra of “let your heart guide you”, 13 years in the social impact sector provided him with lessons of how a more deliberate approach, with the right skills, tools and frameworks is a prerequisite to transforming good intentions into good outcomes.

Since 2013, Wah Hoo helped establish and kick start more than 25 rural and urban community education centres nationwide, managed a national project in 15 locations with a team of more than 70 members, and immersed himself on the ground spending 4 months, a few days a week living in Orang Asli villages to coordinate education programs for the rural poor.

His non-profit, NGOHub and social enterprise, GivingHub, operate on this recognition and, through training initiatives such as NGO Academy and Level Up, have empowered nonprofit organisations, and vulnerable communities and educated young Malaysians on how to do humanitarian work more effectively and sustainably.

Making an impact starts with good intentions but should not stop there. The common approach that it’s enough to do good as long as you have a good heart and pure intention is not just inadequate but counterproductive, if not dangerous sometimes. The ability to turn good intentions into good outcomes is a set of skills that need to be deliberately acquired and practised.

Adrian Edy Siaw Chee Hua is a powerhouse community volunteer who has gone viral on Tiktok for his philanthropic efforts, most notably his food bank initiative to help local Sabahans over the MCO.

His passion for philanthropy sparked during the pandemic while he was helping run his family business. Gathering a humble team of volunteers, he launched a food bank, which was the first of its kind during the MCO. However, once the world resumed its course to normality, Adrian persisted in his efforts, going from house to house in Sabah’s rural areas to provide basic essentials such as food, electrical supplies and even tutelage to students.

Thoughtful as they are, their operations have touched their community as well as the hearts of Adrian’s online following. With millions of viewers tuning in to witness his example, him and his team are spearheading a new cause for influencer culture, inspiring Malaysians everywhere.

Making an impact for me is about what we can give back to society. For as long as we are alive, we have the choice to make an impact on this world so we may as well make it a positive one. To me, everyday is a God-given chance to choose good.

Gurpreet is the CEO of Mereka and Co-Founder of the Biji-Biji Initiative, two impact organizations dedicated to advancing education, employability, and sustainability across Southeast Asia. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Manchester, Gurpreet combines analytical expertise with a deep commitment to creating positive change.

Driven by the belief that “small actions can lead to significant change,” Gurpreet focuses on building opportunities for youth and communities to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. He is passionate about equipping the next generation with the skills needed to navigate and excel amidst technological advancements like AI, ensuring they are prepared for the future of work.

He partners with corporate leaders, government agencies, and international development organizations to foster inclusive and resilient communities. His dedication to sustainability is evident in his advocacy for open-source solutions and innovative business practices that prioritize environmental responsibility and long-term viability.

Throughout his career, Gurpreet has demonstrated a consistent ability to inspire and lead. He has worked extensively with diverse groups, creating programs that not only teach valuable skills but also empower individuals to take control of their futures.

Gurpreet envisions a future where education and sustainability work hand in hand to drive lasting positive change. Through Mereka and the Biji-Biji Initiative, he continues to support and uplift individuals and communities, embodying the belief that together, we can build a brighter, more sustainable world.

For me, making an impact is about igniting potential and fostering resilience within communities. It involves creating environments where individuals are empowered to pursue their dreams and contribute meaningfully to society. Im commited to building sustainable solutions that not only address current challenges but also pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive future for all.

Cherry is a dedicated young entrepreneur from Sabah who champions sustainability and cultural preservation in her community. Her innovative business, Tem Tem Berhad transforms traditional practices into impactful ventures, empowering local farmers and artisans while promoting environmental conservation.

From the outset, she set out to create a company that not only thrives in the ever-evolving landscape of the snack food industry but also contributes positively to the communities we serve. Through her business, she has partnered with 75 paddy farmers from Tambunan, Sabah, which is located near the famous Mount Kinabalu, to produce completely plant-based tempeh chips with heirloom red rice.

The majority of our workforce consists of youths who are looking for the right platform to build their career paths. She focuses on the strengths of every individual and guides them to strengthen their skills and leadership.

To me, making an impact means promoting sustainable agriculture that supports local farmers while providing healthy and affordable food options. It involves creating meaningful opportunities by generating jobs, boosting the local economy, and empowering youth and women entrepreneurs. Impact also means fostering strong, lasting relationships with customers, suppliers, and the community to contribute holistically to local development and ensure everyone benefits from the progress we build together.

19-year-old changemaker, Qistina Izahan, founded The Quack Movement from her love of arts and craft. What started as a personal goal to become financially independent became part of a larger desire to create an economically-resilient business operation for lower-income communities to generate supplementary income.

To date, the crafting initiative has provided work for survivors of domestic violence with wages totalling RM650 within  three months. Furthermore, it has earned Qistina the Champion title at the prestigious Youth Leadership Academy in 2023.

In addition to her social enterprise, Qistina is also the founder of PasarKraf, an all-in-one platform for artists which focuses on streamlining the art industry while addressing crucial Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). PasarKraf has already secured RM25,000 in seed funding, marking a significant milestone in Qistina’s entrepreneurial journey. The platform aims to be a digital space that supports artists and artisans, providing them with the visibility and tools they need to thrive in a competitive marketplace.

Having achieved so much at her age with sheer passion and grit, Qistina is a role model to all Malaysian youths. Her journey in enacting social change, economic empowerment, cultural preservation, and community growth can be found on her podcast “What Now? Jom Ah Lepak!!”.

To me, making an impact means creating lasting, meaningful change that empowers people and transforms communities. It’s about using my skills and resources to uplift underrepresented voices, while building sustainable solutions that address real societal challenges. Every step I take should leave a positive footprint that goes beyond myself.

As founder of Hornbill Agriculture Sdn Bhd and a council member for the Sarawak Institute of Agriculture Scientists (SIAS), Alan Wei is switching up the way local farmers do farming. With over a decade of experience in the farming industry, Alan has successfully integrated sustainable practices across his company’s operations, from cultivation to retail, through their “farm to grocer” model. Under his leadership, Hornbill Agriculture has grown from 135 to an anticipated 350 acres, positioning the company as a leader in local food production and rural community empowerment.

Alan’s vision is all about creating a positive social impact and leveraging agriculture as a tool for rural development. His leadership extends beyond the business realm as he plays an active role in managing farm operations, acting as the company’s technical agronomist, and overseeing pest and disease management.

Apart from his work in agriculture, Alan is a recipient of multiple accolades for his leadership and community contributions. He was named one of the winners for the prestigious Kindness & Leadership 2024 Asia Pacific Award, is an Acumen Fellow and serves as the Secretary General of the SME Association of Sarawak, where he champions the needs of small and medium enterprises in the region. By blending traditional methods with smart-farming technology, Alan continues to inspire others in the agricultural sector to adopt sustainable methods while prioritising the empowerment of local communities.

Making an impact means creating positive, meaningful change that benefits both individuals and communities. It’s about using my skills, resources, and passion to solve real-world challenges and leaving a lasting legacy that contributes to a better, more sustainable future. To me, impact is measured not just in numbers but in the quality of life and opportunities we create for others.

Violette Tan, co-founder and director of Helping Hands, was inspired to ensure the survival of the Penan people after witnessing their talents and learning of their socio-economic plight in an outreach organised by her children’s school. Together with a dedicated team of volunteers, she has made it their mission to transform traditional Penan weaving into a sustainable source of income by upskilling artisans, creating practical and affordable crafts, and expanding the market for their handwoven products. Just as she had hoped, her ingenious initiative has provided crucial employment opportunities, revolutionising a cultural practice into an economic lifeline for many Penan families.

As a former teacher, Violette is vehement about accessible education, believing it is the key to cultivating self-reliance within the Penan community. Through Helping Hands Penan’s Education Sponsorship Programme, she has facilitated eight university graduations, including one PhD and one Master’s degree, and supported the training of ten school teachers and sponsored numerous students who have completed vocational college courses.

Beyond education and weaving projects, Helping Hands also provides medical aid and supports community development projects. To ensure sustainability of the non-profit, it actively seeks collaborations with corporate and government partners aiming to secure equal opportunities for Penan children and youth.

Through my work at Helping Hands Penan, making an impact means empowering the Penan community to achieve self-sufficiency and a brighter future. It’s about transforming lives by providing education, developing skills, and creating opportunities that lead to sustainable progress. True impact is evident when Penan children graduate from university, when artisans attain financial independence through their craft, and when communities regain their strength and rebuild. Every small step forward contributes to breaking the cycle of poverty and fostering resilience for future generations.

Thanam Visvanathan-Suresh is the founding member and president of JEWEL (Joint Effort for Welfare, Education, and Livelihood), a community-driven organization dedicated to empowering underprivileged women and families in Malaysia.

With a background in social work and a passion for community development, Thanam has been instrumental in initiating sustainable programs that provide vocational training, educational opportunities, and support for marginalised groups. Her work through JEWEL reflects her deep commitment to uplifting lives and fostering resilience, creating lasting impact across the communities she serves.

Born in Sabah, Wong fought for more than 16 years to get his rights as a Malaysian. He was finally granted citizenship and received a MyKad in 2023 after winning his case in court.

Having overcome statelessness himself, he mhas been vocal about issues impacting marginalised communities, particularly the Bajau Laut people of Sabah. Wong has called attention to their systemic denial of citizenship, education, healthcare, and their forced evictions, likening their plight to international human rights crises.

He advocates for transparency, accountability, and meaningful dialogue with affected communities to ensure their rights and dignity are respected. Currently Wong is the Director of Mandiri Borneo, an NGO committed to empowering youth in democratic participation and promoting progressive ideas in Malaysia.

Wong now resides in Kuala Lumpur and he actively fights for the fate of children without a country in addition to trying to raise awareness about citizenship issues and human rights.

Kelantan-based activist Mustafa Along is a tireless advocate for environmental conservation and the rights of Malaysia’s indigenous communities. As the chairman and founder of the Indigenous People’s Network of Kelantan (JKOAK), Mustafa has galvanised thousands of Orang Asli villagers to defend their native customary lands from encroachments by logging, mining, and plantation companies, as well as policies enacted by the Kelantan state government.

Since 2015, Mustafa has played a key role in sustaining indigenous-led blockades aimed at protecting their ancestral forests, villages, and traditional way of life. On the legal front, he has spearheaded efforts to hold the Kelantan state government accountable, demanding recognition of indigenous land rights and challenging systemic neglect.

Despite his achievements, Mustafa has faced significant personal risks. He has been arrested multiple times and currently battles several lawsuits filed by corporations in retaliation for JKOAK’s resistance activities.

Shereen Ajani is an orang asli of the Temuan tribe who yearns to see her people receive the same opportunities that she has as the first of her people to pursue a law degree at University Malaya.

She founded Projek Mahasiswa Orang Asli (PMOA) an association comprising over 150 Orang Asli undergraduates and postgraduates from both local and international universities. PMOA focuses on creating pathways for Orang Asli students to access internships, scholarships, and employment opportunities, helping them build skills, networks, and connections crucial for their future.

Shereen also represents her community on global platforms. She interned at the New Zealand High Commission under its engagement program for indigenous people, where she explored education-based collaborations between the High Commission and PMOA. Inspired by New Zealand’s empowerment of its Māori community, Shereen aspires to implement similar initiatives for Malaysia’s Orang Asli.

Shereen’s contributions have earned her recognition, including being featured in Khazanah Nasional’s “Negara Ku, Negara Kita” campaign, where she highlighted the importance of inclusivity in nation-building. She credits her education, funded by Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli, for providing her with the tools and confidence to advocate for her community while preserving its traditions and customs.

Shereen made history in July of 2023 when she became the first to hold the position of Chairperson for the Board of Visitors of Gombak Orang Asli Hospital.

Firzana Redzuan (She/Her) is a passionate feminist and child rights advocate. She is the founder of Monsters Among Us (MAU), Malaysia’s first youth-led NGO dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse, established in 2017. Fir, as she is fondly known and her team addresses intersecting injustices that affect children’s rights to a happy and safe life, tackling issues such as sexual abuse, online exploitation, and the lack of access to comprehensive sexuality education. They also challenge adult-dominated environments that hinder meaningful participation by children and young people, striving to create a more inclusive and equitable world for future generations.

Making an impact to me is extending the same opportunities we have received to those who have been systemically excluded and marginalised.

Executive Director of Sabahat Wanita, Irene Xavier, is a paragon of strength and ferocity, having championed the fight against slave trade and the oppression of women. Even now in her seventies, she is resilient to her cause, recognising that although her actions in the past four decades have been impactful, the fight is yet from over as labour inequalities and discrimination still run rampant but undercover in Malaysian society.

As one of the 106 people detained in 1987 under the Internal Security Act during Operation Lalang, Irene has a personal score to settle with the flawed and elite-favouring law. Her involvement with Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor (PSWS) has enabled her do exactly that as its efforts were largely effective in passing the recent amendments to the Employment Act, the Industrial Relations Act and the Trade Union Act. With its training programs, PSWS also sows into the next cohort of powerful women who can contribute productively to society.

Given Irene’s unabashed approach towards tearing down injustices, she’s been a target for backlash on several occasions. However, she’s remained calm, courageous and unbreakably compassionate throughout it all, refusing to back down from a cause that desperately requires more attention. Across her many news appearances, Irene constantly appeals to her fellow Malaysians to become more aware and to take action against the unjust practices within their society.

Rashifa Aljunied is a tenacious activist who gained national attention for her advocacy for fairer intern rights in Malaysia. She has been a strong voice in calling for paid internships, asserting that interns are people who contribute to labour in an organisation and thus deserved to be compensated.

In March of this year, she and 17 other student groups and organisations passed a memorandum to YB Steven Sim, Human Resource Minister to state the demands of paid internships and enactment of laws that can help protect interns in Malaysia.

Despite facing public criticism and opposition, she pushes forward, highlighting the physically and financially demanding nature of internships that often go unpaid. Her activism has sparked conversations about the need for systemic changes in how interns are treated across various industries in Malaysia and have been featured in The Star, Malaysiakini, TV3, Astro Awani and The Washington Post.

In addition to her work on intern rights, Rashifa is deeply involved in the political advocacy sphere. She is passionate about empowering young people to take on leadership roles, particularly in areas related to governance and public policy, campaigning for improved mental healthcare in Malaysia with a focus accessibility to treatment and eradication of the stigma.

To me, impact is about recognising how our actions, big or small, can shape the people and environment around us. It is understanding and acknowledging the privilege that I have been granted, and how I can use it to try to make a change. Every act, whether it’s a kind gesture or a bold advocacy, creates a ripple that influences our community for the better.

Rajesh’s primary area of practice is in the field of general litigation and criminal law where he has been involved in several high-profile cases. In litigious matters, he has represented a range of clients from various industries that include among others, developers, multinational corporations, consortiums as well as contractors. He has represented these clients in various stages of litigation including the Federal Court as well as in arbitration proceedings.

Making an impact to me is the ability to create significant and positive change in the Malaysian legal system, impacting people’s lives, communities and broader societal structures. It embodies the idea of leaving a lasting effect that contributes to improvement in the legal landscape in Malaysia.

Kevin Rohan Thomas is a storyteller and entrepreneur who uses his creative gifts to highlight important narratives such as marginalisation and mental health. Through his work with the Akar Umbi Society, he has helped the voices of other changemakers be heard and their stories told. Beyond that, through Akar Umbi’s Enggang & Pipit initiative, Thomas acts as the bridge between curious individuals, creating opportunities for meaningful dialogues and empowering communities to be agents of change.

Creating meaningful impact involves helping people discover their own sense of meaning, value, and dignity, and then learning to show genuine empathy towards others. When we begin to genuinely love others as we love ourselves and cultivate mutual understanding, many social injustices can be addressed. We start to recognise that we share common aspirations, face similar challenges, and share a collective hope for a better future

Rising above her circumstances as a person with glaucoma-induced blindness, Amanda Kong is a brilliant leader in the field of diversity and inclusion projects for disabled individuals (PWDs). As Community Manager of the Make It Right Movement (MIRM), Kong was the first to curate a full-fledged status report on PWDs in Malaysia, but her journey in justice began much earlier.

In 2013, Amanda was awarded the Outstanding Cambridge Learners Award for being the Top Student in the World for Law by the University of Cambridge. In 2016, she graduated with a Class I LLB (HONS) from the University of Liverpool and then in 2017, went on to complete the Certificate of Legal Practice (CLP). In February 2019, she her the first blind woman lawyer to qualify as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya.

At MIRM, she conducts and facilitates various internal and external capacity building and professional development workshops with particular focus on diversity, equity and inclusion for corporates, as well as digital literacy, employability, entrepreneurship and life skills for the PWD community. Other her own community, Amanda’s work at MIRM has touched on B40 alleviation, mental health, women empowerment, promotion of child rights and welfare.

Amanda’s pristine record has rewarded her with great accreditations such as being a regular panellist for the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee. Recently, she was listed as one of the 20 individuals under the Enable Role Model List which spotlights role models across the globe who are using their experience of disability, neurodiversity or mental health to enable meaningful conversations and drive diversity and inclusion at the workplace.

Making an impact to me is being able to enrich communities and transform their lives through sustainable community development projects. As a PWD, I learned that being able to fully participate in all aspects of life can only be done by shifting the society’s perception from the charity model to the social model of disability – don’t ask what a PWD needs, but instead step into their shoes and think of how you can empower them to achieve their potential.

With her architectural and urban planning background, coupled with her experiences in community engagement, Rashidah Kamaluddin, founder of KotaKita Sabah, champions community-driven urban planning and design in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. KotaKita Sabah is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to advocating for inclusive city-regional planning and design while shedding light on the unique elements of Sabah.

The idea of forming such movement emerged from Rashidah’s poignant observations during the pandemic, where the lack of essential infrastructure and connectivity exacerbated healthcare delivery, assistance, and services in the cities and rural regions of Sabah. She issued an open call to her fellow Sabahans, rallying them to mobilise a movement that encourages public participation in shaping the development of their own cities and neighbourhoods. Through initiatives like WalKK, Rashidah and her team promote citizen involvement in creating resilient, walkable cities, focusing on the needs of vulnerable groups like single parents, the elderly, children, and people with disabilities. This movement is now led by youths from various backgrounds and is supported by networks on local, national and international level with the shared aspirations to make cities in Malaysia, particularly Sabah, more inclusive for all.

Believing that cities should be shaped collectively with the community in order to bridge divides, Rashidah encourages a safe space for creativity and active participation in urban life.

Making an impact can be both internally within the organisation and externally outside of the organisation itself – this can be in the form of capacity and confidence-building for the team members of the organisation, of which they become the ambassadors of the impact-making movement, while externally are when the community are made aware of the challenges and how they may address it. I believe an impact can only be made collectively and collaboratively, with the humility to learn and unlearn.

Growing up completely blind has come with considerable challenges, but Ruth Yong Wang Theen’s sheer determination to succeed has made her a luminary career woman. Yong has held and excelled in a diversity of jobs, ranging from a telemarketer to most recently, a research assistant. However, she has sparked the biggest change in the field of education. Over the MCO, Yong found herself teaching refugee children and Malaysian students, ranging from primary school children to adults who are sighted, and was even sponsored by an unnamed donor. In addition to her many talents, Yong is also a fair pianist and uploads covers to Youtube. Yong is currently pursuing her Master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) part-time.

Making impact means being able to inspire others to move on despite life’s challenges. It also means having the courage to stay motivated in all that you do. It is also about finding life’s goals in order to succeed.

As a psychology graduate, Ken Ming started his corporate career doing graduate recruitment and university campus engagements for a big four accounting firm. Over a decade ago, through the Teach For Malaysia Fellowship Programme, he took a leap of faith to teach English in an underserved public secondary school which opened his eyes not only to the challenges of education inequity but also the possibilities for passionate leaders to come together to make a difference. His experiences as a public school teacher deeply challenged him as he encountered 15 year old students that struggled with foundational literacy, a school environment and system that was not conducive or adequately supporting lesser privileged students. Many of these students had developed limiting beliefs about themselves and their future potential.

Since then, He has leveraged his experience in both talent acquisition and as a teacher in an underserved community to develop and mobilise talent from a variety of backgrounds to get involved in tackling the issues of education inequity. Over the past 10 years, he has recruited hundreds of passionate young leaders into TFM Flagship Fellowship Programme as well as brought to life new programmes that support and develop students, teachers and communities across Malaysia such as the WeThinkDigital in partnership with Meta, Education Recovery Tutoring Initiative (ERTI), and many more providing opportunities and impacting thousands of students across Malaysia. His aspiration is that this movement of leaders continues to grow to a point where we can experience a transformation of our education system that enables all children regardless of their background to realise their potential through quality education.

Impact is when a student is empowered to be a leader of their own learning, their future, and the future of our nation

Having grown up under parents who were English teachers in Kuala Terengganu, Sue Yen’s life ambition has always been to follow their footsteps.

After completing her a BS(Hons) in Biology and a BA in Health: Science, Society and Policy from Brandeis University in the United States, Sue Yen was part of a bio-pharmaceutical start up based in Penang and San Francisco before she decided to join the Teach for Malaysia fellowship. She also has a Certificate of Achievement for English in Early Childhood: Language Learning and Development from the British Council and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) from Universiti Utara Malaysia.

With three other Teach for Malaysia teachers, she co-founded MYReader in 2015 and has reached out to over 36,000 students and 1,000 other teachers ever since. MYReader’s 27-week programme supports students who lack basic English proficiency, enabling them to complete two-years worth of progress and putting them on par with their peers in actual schools. Sue Yen previously led the MYReaders team as Executive Director from 2019 to 2021 and was the Programme Director in 2015. Today, she oversees the Finance, HR and Administrative departments.

Sue Yen’s passion lies in connecting with and empowering communities to run sustainable programmes, as well as creating play-based learning resources for young learners especially since she became a mother to a two-year-old bookworm.

Making an impact is to empower individuals or communities in need with the necessary skills and knowledge to enable them to improve their lives’ trajectory.

Dr. Chew Yen Seng has his eyes set on the future. As CEO of Chumbaka, Dr. Chew is securing places for Malaysian youths in the ever-evolving technological landscape by equipping them with the right skillsets, values and digital literacy they need to thrive in the digital economy and ever evolving future. With over 5,000 students participating in their competitions annually and endorsements from the Malaysian Ministry of Education, there’s no doubt that Dr. Chew and his team’s invested time and effort has played a massive hand in shaping the next generation.

Making an impact means the impact has to be a sustainable and bring positive changes that challenge the status quo.

“Focus on the ABILITY, not disability” is the guiding principle for Stefanus Lucas, a passionate music educator for special needs students. Despite having no prior experience in special education when he was first assigned to a special needs school, Stefanus was determined to give his best to his students.

Working with children who have visual and hearing impairments as well as learning disabilities, he empowers his pupils to lean into their capabilities regardless of their diagnoses. He is most notable for his creative teaching methods which involve hand puppets, toys and folklore to make classes more accessible and enjoyable. One of his proudest innovations employs egg cartons to explain music theory essentials – note values, staff, and rhythm – to those with visual and hearing impairments.

Stefanus’ commitment to education has earned him the titles of Resident Expert at the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Special Educational Needs (SEAMEO SEN) 2024/2025, Top 90 Finalist for the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards 2024, and Top 5 Finalist for the Malaysia Teacher Prize 2023. Under his leadership, his students have also achieved remarkable success such as 1st Prize at the Mexican Carnival International Festival Online Competition 2023, the Silver Diploma at the European Championship of Folklore “Euro Folk 2022”, and 2nd Place at the South East Asia Disability’s Talent Challenge 2020.

With a fierce determination to shatter social prejudices,  Stefanus’ ‘Suara Kami @ Our Voices’ project provides the platform for his students to showcase their talents and express themselves confidently, growing them to their full potential.

As a teacher, making an impact isn’t just about teaching but, more importantly, how we touch our students’ lives in various ways. Our students may advance in learning, especially with everything available at their fingertips, and they might forget what we’ve taught them, but they will never forget how we treated them. To them, I am not just a teacher, but a parent and friend.

As the young CEO of Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman (YTAR), Ida serves the dreams of underprivileged Malaysian youths by providing the resources to unearth their hidden potential.

Her journey in higher education advocacy began in 2016 when she co-founded Closing The Gap, a two-year mentoring program designed to help under-represented students in navigate their post-secondary-school aspirations. Since joining YTAR in 2019, Ida has taken on various leadership roles, fulfilling the Foundation’s mission to forge brighter futures for Malaysia’s next generation. Among her many contributions, she has revamped and expanded the Tunku Abdul Rahman Scholarship into a comprehensive program focused on holistic development and leadership as well as introduced innovative upskilling initiatives in partnership with the private sector to create more opportunities for underserved youth.

Her impact has been vast to say the least. In her time at YTAR, the Tatler Gen.T honouree has positively impacted about 2,000 young minds and has helped raise 16 million ringgit in financial aid. With the goal of increasing awareness on the effects of financial, cultural, and social capital inequalities on life outcomes, Ida advocates for equity and empathy-based solutions to bridge the opportunity gaps in society.

To me, making an impact is an act of returning a goodwill that was once accorded to you to society. If we can all see that what we have today is more the result of privilege, luck and the wonderful people in our lives who have guided us to where we are, ‘making an impact’ will seem less like a intimidating service or sacrifice, and more like a day-to-day exercise of practicing gratitude and caring for a cause or person above yourself.

Head of Research and Innovation at Keningau Vocational College and president of HIVE Educators, a registered Sabah-based teacher association, Dr. Sirhajwan Idek is his students’ number one supporter. With his guidance and encouragement, many of Dr. Idek’s students have received recognition for their vocational or social impact projects, with some of them even winning grants worth RM 20,000.

His mentorship extends to his fellow colleagues as he has inspired teachers to innovate their teaching practices and scale up their approach. He himself has pioneered a virtual international project, Virtual, Remote, Live (VRL), which connects students and teachers in the country with their international or interstate counterparts. Equipping students through conference presentations, masterclasses and exchange classes, the project has been recognised as one of the best education practices in Southeast Asia by SEAMEO and VOCTECH.

With VRL, Dr. Idek has managed to transcend the geographical barriers that limit accessibility. Of his own selflessness and passion for education, he has dismissed the financial barriers too. Through his free English language classes, two of his students have become the first two Malaysian school students under the Ministry of Education to qualify as finalists for Global Student Prize in 2022 and 2023 respectively.Dr. Idek was also honoured with the Charismatic National Youth Icon Award in 2022 from the Sports and Youth Ministry, as well as the National Teacher Icon Award in 2017 from the Ministry of Education.

Making impact is equipping, enabling and empowering people with the skills, understanding and opportunities to realise their goals and dreams.

Eng Zhen Shen is a strong believer that everyone deserves equal educational opportunities and works with multiple educational organisations to mitigate this issue.

After noticing an opportunity gap in the debate talent pool, he alongside three other friends co-founded DebateLAH – a non-profit passion project supported by UNICEF Malaysia under the Youth Advocacy Guide Small Grants Application (YAG-SGA) that aiming to democratise access to debate. The non-profit goes beyond just transferring debate skills to students with limited resources, it also integrates elements of advocacy by highlighting prominent societal issues on its social media platform. In their Sembang Sessions series, DebateLAH engages ex-debaters that work in the field of advocacy to motivate budding debaters to develop themselves and look beyond debating.

Zhen Shen is also a prominent member of Projek Anak Malaysia (PAM) under the Charisma Movement as the Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships. His work at PAM has helped the organisation to make allies out of external organisations to further improve their two-week development programme for underprivileged primary school students.

As a Deputy Resource Director for Tutors In Action, a free tuition initiative started by SPM graduates for SPM students, he gets the hands-on opportunity to teach and provide the necessary resources for the scholars after him. Wearing his heart for education on his sleeve, Zhen Shen models the change he wants to see.

To me, making an impact means instigating positive change in a community – be it big or small – having it inspire others to resonate with the cause and take action themselves.

Dato’ Aliyah Karen has been a beacon in the NGO field for over 20 years and has the resume to prove it. To date, she is the Founding Chair of Yayasan Health World (YHOW), founder and advisor to A Leap of Faith (ALOF) and founder of AKRAB.

Having a soft spot for education and healthcare, Karen’s triad of NGOs has seen her helping people out of poverty, guiding youngsters in their careers and healing the minds of the nation from the global mental-health pandemic.

Dato’ Aliyah’s unwavering dedication to empowering communities and creating sustainable healthcare solutions has positioned her as a trailblazer in the fields of social entrepreneurship and humanitarian work.

Nithiyaraja Selvarajan, fondly known as N.Raaj Selvarajan, is the Group Chairman of Hemrish Group, a company revolutionizing senior living across Asia. At the heart of Hemrish’s operations is Sukha Golden, its flagship brand, setting new standards in the aged-care industry by seamlessly blending comfort, dignity, and community. Through Sukha, Raaj has created a transformative platform offering holistic solutions for seniors, catering to individuals from diverse backgrounds.

With over a decade of experience in senior living and hospitality, Raaj is driven by a deep commitment to improving the lives of elderly Malaysians and their families. His latest initiative involves establishing a foundation under Hemrish, designed to provide quality housing and care for seniors, spanning both those with financial means and those from underserved communities. This ensures that security and compassionate care remain accessible to all.

Raaj’s vision is more than a business endeavour; it is a mission to leave a lasting legacy. Whether speaking on BFM Radio, engaging at startup festivals, or hosting community meet-and-greet sessions, he consistently inspires others to join his movement to redefine senior care. With entrepreneurial acumen and unwavering dedication, Raaj is transforming senior living into an industry that champions dignity, inclusivity, and peace of mind. His ultimate aspiration? To be remembered as the pioneer who reshaped senior living and touched countless lives.

To me, “making an impact” means creating meaningful and lasting change that improves lives and uplifts communities. It’s about addressing real challenges with innovative, inclusive solutions that leave a legacy of progress and hope. In my work, it means revolutionizing senior living to ensure dignity, care, and accessibility for all, shaping an industry that truly serves its people.

Dr. Lutfi Fadil Lokman, Founder and Chief Strategist of Hospitals Beyond Boundaries (HBB), provides healthcare to underserved communities in Southeast Asia. After a personal accident, Lutfi pursued his dream of accessible healthcare by establishing community-run clinics, primarily focusing on maternal and child health. HBB operates as a social enterprise, training local youth as healthcare workers to ensure sustainability.

To date, they’ve served over 10,000 individuals. Lutfi’s work aligns with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), addressing broader social issues by improving living conditions alongside medical care. For his work he was awarded the Forbes 30 Under 30 title in 2017.

To me, ‘making an impact’ means creating meaningful, positive change that addresses pressing challenges and enhances the well-being of individuals and communities. It involves taking deliberate actions that lead to lasting improvements and inspire others to contribute to a better future.

Dr. S. Madhusudhan, 42, widely known as the “Teddy Bear Doctor,” has become a beacon of hope for Kuala Lumpur’s homeless and underserved communities. Driven by a deep sense of compassion, he founded the Teddy Mobile Clinic, which offers essential medical care, food, and necessities to those with limited access to these basics. Every week, his team of dedicated volunteers reaches out to bring not only healthcare but also a sense of dignity to countless individuals. In 2018, his extraordinary commitment was honored with the prestigious Commonwealth Points of Light award from Queen Elizabeth II, among numerous other recognitions. Dr. Madhusudhan’s unwavering dedication continues to inspire, symbolizing kindness and resilience in the face of adversity.

Impact, to me, means creating meaningful change in people’s lives—providing hope, dignity, and essential support to those who need it most. It’s about going beyond medicine to uplift and inspire, making every effort count toward a healthier, kinder community.

Beyond his role as Head and Founder of the Galen Centre for Health & Policy, Azrul Mohd Khalib’s fierce advocacy for quality healthcare can be found in local papers, broadcast media and official government documents such as country progress reports. With previous positions in international and local organisations such as UNDP, UNICEF, International Planned Parenthood Federation, and the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, Azrul has established himself as a health systems and development specialist, a fervent changemaker and continues to use his position as an opinion leader to empower, shape and improve better healthcare for all Malaysians.

More people are able to access quality and effective healthcare when they need it, without worrying about how and whether they can afford it

Founding trustee & Medical Technical Advisor of ROSE Foundation, Prof. Dr. Woo Yin Ling envisions a cervical cancer-free Malaysia and and has taken big steps to revolutionise the local cervical cancer screening process.

With ROSE Foundation’s innovative and unique HPV self-sampling programme, Program ROSE, Malaysian women have the dignified choice of using a self-swab, which simplifies, streamlines and eases the pain of a usual HPV test. The swab is then collected by the ROSE Laboratory, and results are promptly delivered via ROSE’s digital health platform within 3-weeks with a link to request follow-up treatment if needed.

Program ROSE’s cost-effective approach has made it a model to low-to-middle income countries. Dr. Woo’s credits the foundation’s success to the support and endorsements from its many collaborators, volunteers and supporters. Alongside its advocacy and education efforts, Program ROSE has thus far touched and reached over 770,000 women, screened over 31,000 Malaysian women across more than 350 community locations.

Having transformed the prospects for the secondary prevention of cervical cancer in Malaysia, ROSE Foundation’s impact has been honoured globally as the first Asian winner of the Top 3 UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence Award in 2022.

Making an impact is about empowering people with the knowledge and the tools to take control of their health, including collaborating with policy and decision makers to ensure no one is left behind. Impact is made when we shift paradigm in eco-system, via decisions, behaviours and lives towards a healthier future for generations to come.

Dr. Selina Chew is a former medical officer with a keen interest in Intensive Care where she served in KKM (the public healthcare sector) for 10 years. She co-founded Disruptive Doctors®* after a back injury ended her clinical career. The platform supports doctors in exploring non-traditional career paths within healthcare, offering mentorship and upskilling opportunities. Selina’s vision is to empower doctors to impact healthcare differently, and she aims to expand the platform globally. Her leadership has made Disruptive Doctors®* a crucial resource for forward-thinking medical professionals in Malaysia and beyond.

Making an impact in healthcare isn’t just about treating patients one-on-one. As doctors we’ve been trained to think that stepping away from direct patient care means we’re no longer making a difference, but there’s so much more we can do within healthcare. Impact means saving a life, touching a life, and inspiring a life—whether through innovation, education, leadership or shaping the systems that define the future of healthcare.

Dr. Alvin Lai Oon Ng, DPsych, FMASO, has dedicated his entire career to improving mental health practices, first as a clinical psychologist and now as a psychology professor and deputy dean at Sunway University’s School of Medical and Life Sciences.

His journey began after he graduated in 2002 with a Doctor of Psychology degree from Murdoch University, Australia.. From there, Alvin led the Master of Clinical Psychology programme at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia from 2003 to 2012 before leading Sunway University’s Masters of Applied Behaviour Analysis programme. During this time, he was also instrumental in setting up the Malaysian Society of Clinical Psychology in 2010 where he was the Founding President, and was twice the Secretary of the Asian Cognitive Behavioral Therapies Association.

While no longer in clinical practice, Alvin remains active in promoting mental health literacy and supporting the development of clinical psychology in Malaysia. Alongside serving in the Communications Committee of the World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies, he has given over 400 talks at both professional and public events and currently has a monthly newspaper column on mental health in children and adolescents. Outside of the academic field, Alvin has been a regular consultant for LiteFM’s Breakfast Mental Health Hour.

Today, his prowess has been honoured widely with awards such as the National Outstanding Educator Award 2017 for Psychology and academic positions at the University of Exeter and University of East Anglia in the UK. Most recently, Alvin was a Jeffrey Cheah Scholar at the University of Oxford in Residence at Brasenose College from early September until early October 2024.

Making an impact to me is positively influencing communities, academia, industry and policy to promote sustained improvements in our collective quality of life. Impact has to address problems identified by the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which includes the promotion of peace.

 

As President of Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM), Meenakshi Raman oversees the six pillars of their environmental efforts that operate out of Penang and Sarawak. The nonprofit was established with the hope for interdependence and equity between Malaysia’s ecosystems, indigenous communities and modern society – a hope that Raman is deeply committed to, having been chair of the international body before assuming the presidency in the Malaysian branch. With SAM’s platform, today, Raman continues to run initiatives that protect her dream of an ecologically-sound society and protest anything that comes against it.

A true story of grave to garden, Urban Orchard stands to honour the late son of Yen Maseri Hj Idris, more fondly known as Uncle Yen. After losing his son to cancer in 2016, Uncle Yen channelled his sorrow into transforming a 1.2-acre plot in the heart of Kuala Lumpur into a verdant space filled with tropical fruit trees, herbs, and vegetables.

The urban natural sanctuary serves as a haven for others who have also known loss and seek healing in nature. Today, the orchard flourishes with fruit, including the Malaysian-favourite durian, and has hosted many volunteer and educational programmes for its community.

Aida is a conservationist and sustainability practitioner with over 16 years of experience in the oil palm industry. She currently manages biodiversity and conservation projects within SD Guthrie’s operational areas, with a particular focus on climate mitigation through nature-based solutions. Aida graduated from Universiti Putra Malaysia with a Bachelor’s in Food Science and Technology in 2004.

She began her career in food manufacturing, but it was during her time at Zoo Taiping & Night Safari that she discovered her passion for wildlife conservation. While working at the zoo, she developed enrichment programs for animals such as Orangutans, Tigers, and Elephants, creating environments that mirrored their natural habitats while promoting wildlife education to international volunteers.

Aida transitioned into the oil palm sector to bring conservation efforts into an industry often seen as challenging in terms of its environmental impact. She joined the sustainability team at SD Guthrie (formerly Sime Darby Plantation) in 2008, during the company’s pursuit of RSPO Certification, where she focused on sustainability practices and biodiversity management. Despite initial scepticism about her role, Aida was determined to make a positive impact from within the industry.

In 2020, Aida completed her Master of Research at Nottingham University, where she studied human-elephant conflict in plantation landscapes, analysing SD Guthrie data from 2011 to 2018. Her research sought to find practical, integrated solutions for reducing these conflicts and fostering peaceful coexistence between communities and wildlife.

Named one of Malaysia’s Most Influential Young People in Prestige’s 40 under 40 in 2021, Aida continues to work on nature-based solutions, such as large-scale tree planting and rehabilitation projects. She is also grateful for the opportunity to share her journey with others, including through her TEDx talk at UoN Malaysia recently, where she spoke about her experiences and passion for wildlife conservation. Aida hopes her work will inspire others and demonstrate that positive change is possible, even in industries facing significant environmental challenges.

For me, making an impact is about creating even the slightest opportunity to shift someone’s perspective or inspire change. I understand that achieving significant impact takes time and demands trust, collaboration, and shared effort among many parties. However, I firmly believe that slow progress does not equate to no impact. It’s about resilience—sustaining your passion and holding onto your beliefs, even when the results seem distant at a time. It’s knowing that one day, the person you hope to reach will see the truth in what you’ve stood for. And in that moment, you can humbly and quietly say to yourself, “I told you so.” This conviction fuels my work and inspires me to keep moving forward, no matter how fluctuate the journey may be.

Dr. Valarmathy Vaiyavari, a 41-year-old ophthalmologist at Hospital Sg Buloh, founded Beach Cleanup in February 2018 after her hobbies in hiking and wildlife photography led her to realise how much litter was present in her frequented nature spots. This motivated her first cleanup at Templers Park and a full-blown community initiative that is facilitated through social media.

Although BCU is not a registered NGO, Dr. Valarmathy notes that this works to their advantage as it relieves the financial and administrative burden, and makes it easier for volunteers to participate without complications. With the goal of raising awareness on pollution and providing a platform to engage in regular cleanups, Dr. Valarmathy leads hundreds of volunteers in organising monthly trash collection events, typically collecting around 200 to 300 kg of waste each time.

BCU has come a long way since Dr. Valarmathy’s first cleanup, having grown out of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Today, they operate in Kedah, Penang, Butterworth, and Sabah, with each chapter managed by trusted friends: Alfred, Chloe, Brenda, Chui Fun in KL & Selangor; Kim Yip in Kedah; Alexis in Penang; Mullai in Butterworth. BCU’s collaborative spirit also extends to other changemaking communities – universities and schools, local eco-friendly entrepreneurs and wildlife conservation groups. By engaging with and featuring each partners’ works within their initiatives, BCU has managed to unite a formidable body of changemakers.

Outside of BCU, Dr. Valarmathy also volunteers with Kechara Soup Kitchen, providing free medical services on Saturday evenings, and works closely with wildlife NGOs. She serves as an Advisor for the Gibbon Conservation Society and as Treasurer for Hak Asasi Hidupan Liar Malaysia (HIDUP).

Making an impact requires more than just good intentions; it demands action and awareness. It thrives on teamwork and only comes into existence through deliberate efforts.

Impact influencer for climate issues, Ushar Daniele, is an acclaimed, award-winning indigenous journalist with an impressive catalogue of published work. Her articles have appeared on international news networks, including Al Jazeera, CNN, and VICE News Tonight, covering major events like the disappearance of MH370 and the corruption trials of former Prime Minister Najib Razak. Recently, however, Ushar has shifted her focus towards environmental topics and now serves as a mentor at Climate Tracker Asia. Beyond her writing, Daniele is a panelist at sustainability forums and a strong advocate for the inclusion of indigenous voices in climate discussions.

To me, impact as a media representative means bringing important conversations to the forefront and driving meaningful change. It’s about amplifying the voices of those who often feel unheard, fostering grassroots change, and influencing decisions at the policymaking level.

Heng Kiah Chun , also known as Heng, is the Regional Campaign Strategist for Greenpeace Southeast Asia. Heng involved in imported plastic waste trade investigation together with local communities from 2018-2020. Currently focus on forest fires and transboundary haze campaign in the region.

One person cannot do everything but everyone at least can do something. We are all ordinary people but when we we working together, we can do extraordinary things. PEOPLE POWER!

Pua Lay Peng is a Jenjarom-born chemical engineer who was heartbroken when a trip back home revealed the toxicities in the community’s waterways caused by environmentally ignorant factories. Since then, Pua has taken it upon herself to heal her community and its environment, establishing Persatuan Tindakan Alam Sekitar Kuala Langat, an NGO that collects and disseminates irrefutable evidence of the health hazards posed by the factories.

With the support of a team, Pua has been rigorous in her efforts to spread awareness about the illegal plastic waste landfills and burnings that have contaminated the town’s waters and air. Together, they have found more than 300 illegal facilities responsible for burning and dumping plastic waste, and have successfully shut down their operations.

The sheer force of Pua’s activism has since piqued the attention of many international media platforms such as the HuffPost, and provided her invitation into discussions with other changemakers. In 2018, Pua was selected by Greenpeace to meet New Zealand’s Minister of Environment Eugenie Sage, in 2019, she attended the 21st EU-NGO forum on human rights in Belgium. Impressive as it is, Pua’s story serves not to boast, but to inspire other ordinary Malaysians that the capacity to enact change is right within the palm of our hands.

Making an impact to me is first, voicing out for human rights and second, giving love and protection to mother nature.

Alicia Teoh is an environmentalist with a soft spot for the Shah Alam forest, believed to house a myriad of endangered species including the Malaysian tapir, Malayan tapir, White handed gibbon and Sunda Slow loris. Fighting the threat of commercialisation, Teoh founded the Shah Alam Community Forest Society (SACF) in 2016 to raise awareness as well as funds to safeguard this local gem.

To ignite the same love for nature in others and attract Malaysians to her cause, Teoh intended for SACF to become a recreational forest trail where thousands of people visit every month to exercise, conduct environmental research or simply take in its biodiverse beauty. Through community guided hikes, citizen science programs and media campaigns, SACF Society also actively lobbies the government to protect this forest and other urban forests in Malaysia. All these efforts combined have since crowd-funded over RM63,000. With a legal case currently underway, Teoh and her team remain at work to push for SACF’s preservation.

To make an impact, we do not need to be trained or qualified. We just need to know what we care about and start doing something about it. This journey has been tough for me, but it is absolutely worth it and I’m happy to be able to contribute towards building the country that I love.

Trained in both biodiversity and law, Yew Aun’s passion lies in environmental education, particularly it finds new methods and media to effectively communicate complex messages. Alongside his co-founders, Chai Ming, Hui Ling and Serena, he created Reef Stakes®, an award-winning marine-themed role-playing card game, and in 2021, curated Reef Spawn, a capacity development program for Malaysian youths.

As part of Reef Spawn, he produced “The Life and Times of Jenah”, a short film which showcased threats to the marine environment through the eyes of a fish. The film has since been translated into four languages, showcased at numerous film festivals and won second runner-up in the animation category at the 2023 Three Acts of Goodness Micro Film Festival.

At law school, he was active in ECOLAWGY UM where he led Lex Aquatica – a student-led initiative aimed at stimulating discussion on laws specific to the marine environment. This culminated in an international forum, a national level policy/ law competition and two animated documentaries that were funded by the Ministry of Finance.

While currently deployed to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Yew Aun maintains his keen interest in the fields of conservation, policy, nation building and where they intersect.

Making an impact to me is working together with equally passionate people to pursue meaningful causes. In the past few years, I have been very lucky to have had amazing people who were willing to volunteer their time and effort outside of their day job to create something bigger than themselves.

Co-owner and managing director of Batu-Batu resort, Cher Chua-Lassalvy, shared her father’s love for Pulau Tengah and saw what it could offer from a young age. After completing her degree in Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, UK, Cher spent ten years within the financial services industry in London before returning to Malaysia to set-up and run the family-owned Batu Batu island project.

Cher’s deep desire to protect the island’s rich biodiversity, coupled with her vision to transform tourism into a force for good, became the founding basis for the Tengah Island Conservation, a Malaysian non-profit biodiversity management organisation working within the Johor Marine Park. The Tengah Island Conservation has seen Cher’s vision come true with impactful initiatives such as the release of 13,802 endangered Hawksbill turtle hatchlings into the wild.

As a native Johorean, Cher finds a particular pleasure in developing projects in her home State. She is a founding and steering committee member of Sustainable Travel Mersing, a multi-stakeholder initiative supporting the development of Mersing District as a sustainable destination. She is also a founding member of the Malaysian Sustainable Tourism Network, a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC’s) Research and Academic Working Group, Economics Co-ordinator for the IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist (TAPAS) Group and an Acumen Malaysia Fellow 2021.

Today, Batu-Batu continues to run on sustainable practices, proving that peaceful coexistence and luxury don’t have to be compromised for visitors and inhabitants of the island.

Making an impact to me means having some sort of influence that can result in change (preferably positive!). That could be as small as playing a part in one individual’s life to being part of change at a systems level. Both are extremely important as long as the intentions for good are authentic.

Advocate for urban gardening and sustainable living, Phillipa Yoong, combined her background in sports, events and the outdoors with her love of nature to found Kebun Komuniti Hartamas in 2020. Initially a cosy neighbourhood garden from an underutilised green space, Kebun Komuniti Hartamas has since developed into a nationally recognised initiative to heal the earth and its relationship with Malaysian locals. Realising Phillipa’s vision, local residents meet regularly at the garden to connect, learn, and cultivate their own food.

Kebun Komuniti Hartamas has hosted a range of initiatives focused on organic gardening, composting, and sustainable agriculture to educate participants about environmental stewardship as well as empower them to take ownership of their food sources. Phillipa herself has been actively building partnerships with local schools and organisations to foster a healthy relationship with nature and self-sufficiency practices in Malaysians from a young age. Thus far, the collaborations have done exactly that with the implementation of school gardening programs, where children learn about the importance of biodiversity and healthy eating.

Phillipa’s work at Kebun Komuniti Hartamas has been exemplary of her commitment to creating sustainable urban environments and instilling a sense of belonging and collective responsibility. As she continues to nurture both plants and people, Phillipa Yoong remains a driving force in the movement toward greener, more sustainable cities.

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.

Max Han is a trailblazer for the environmentalists of his generation, having co-founded Youths United for Earth (YUFE) — an award-winning grassroots nonprofit mobilising youths for environmental action through storytelling, campaigns, and advocacy.

Since 2019, Max has reached over 50,000 people through spearheading campaigns and programs including Malaysia’s first and largest youth sustainability mentorship. YUFE has engaged UN agencies, the European Union, the Central Bank of Malaysia, and now advises Malaysia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability. Internationally, Max has advocated for environmental rights and climate justice at spaces including the UN Headquarters, UN Climate Change, ASEAN, Stanford University, Princeton University, One Young World and more. As a scholar, he is a published chapter author of the book “Lala-land: Singapore’s Seafood Heritage.”

Currently, Max is drafting Southeast Asia’s first Environmental Rights Declaration under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with UN bodies, diplomats, and marginalized communities.

For his accomplishments and first-class character, Max was personally awarded by the UN Messenger of Peace, Dr. Jane Goodall and named by Prestige as Malaysia’s 40 most successful, innovative, and influential people. He has also  received the Princess Diana Award, Tatler’s Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow, and the North American Association for Environmental Education’s 30 Under 30. Most remarkably, he is the first Southeast Asian to be named a Future Nobel Laureate Scholar.

Making an impact begins with the belief that our actions and ideas truly matter, and that every individual’s contribution creates change as a collective. Every day, my work reminds me that powerful solutions to the climate crisis comes from us – ordinary people coming together to push boundaries, hold polluters and leaders accountable, and dare to dream a better world into existence.

Mala K. is The Morning Show host for TraxxFM, but she is also a Training and Mentorship Manager at Mereka, a Malaysian-founded education technology provider that is leveling the playing field for students and entrepreneurs across Asia. Her leadership at Mereka has inspired hundreds of young professionals while her radio show has opened doors to numerous creator events and speaking engagements. With a dream to pave greater educational pathways for the next generation, Mala uses her media presence to connect with audiences and amplify her cause.

Cultivating a legacy of empowerment, inspiring individuals to believe in their ability to shape their own destiny.

Iqbal is the Editor-in-Chief of Cilisos Media. He began his career in media in 2017 as a writer at Cilisos, covering topics related to Malaysian politics and current issues. In 2018, he became Editor of the company’s Malay language website, Soscili, where he oversaw a team of writers while spearheading the establishment of the company’s video content reaching up to 8 million views within its first year. In 2020, Iqbal and his wife moved to the United States where he became an independent content creator, publishing videos on his personal account @Iqtodabal and reaching over 100,000 followers across social media.

In 2022, he returned to Malaysia and joined BFM Radio where he was host of the station’s Malay language explainer series, Kupas and Seminit. During this time, he was responsible for their coverage of the 2022 General Election on social media resulting in close to 5 million views. In 2023, he returned to Cilisos as Editor-in-Chief where he now leads the company’s overall editorial and commercial direction. Iqbal graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2015 with a degree in Law & International Relations.

To me, making an impact is about creating a ripple effect that inspires positive change in people’s lives, communities, and society as a whole. It means using my work to promote compassion, fairness, and opportunity, not just by advocating for systemic reform but by empowering individuals to take action and engage in society. Whether it’s through supporting someone in need or encouraging citizens to vote, I believe meaningful impact comes from both helping people directly and sparking broader movements for justice and progress.

Pioneering the way for women in STEM, Dr. Mahaletchumy has championed science communication and the adoption of emerging biotechnologies, sustainable development and food security initiatives. In her career, she has founded the 1st science newspaper in Malaysia “The Petri Dish”, Science Media Centre Malaysia, and the Asian Short Course on Agribiotechnology, Biosafety and Communication. Today, she serves as the Global Coordinator for ISAAA as well as Executive Director for Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre.

As an internationally-renown speaker, Dr. Mahaletchumy has impacted Asia, Africa, and the Muslim world by first, opening the dialogue between ulama and scientists to reach a consensus on the halal status of genetically modified foods, and second, developing a resolution that is used as a reference. As a member of several national committees such as the Malaysian Board of Technologists (MBOT) and the Industry Advisory Panel for biotech programmes across seven universities, she has shaped national policies on Science, Technology and Innovation. In 2015, she was recognised by the Scientific American Worldview as one of the World’s Most Influential People in Biotechnology and featured in Women in Biotech Law (2015), a Mary Liebert publication.

To ensure a lasting legacy, Dr. Mahaletchumy is also heavily involved in scouting and shaping the next generation of STEM talents starting from primary level students all the way up to university graduates. Serving in youth programmes, she has trained thousands of graduates to be market-ready in STEM fields.

Impact is charting new paths to create desired changes. It is about being transformative and disruptive. It is also about creating more leaders in my field to continue a legacy.

Law Yao Hua is a Malaysian science journalist for Macaranga with an extensive portfolio covering major socio-environmental topics such as deforestation, pollution and the threats to local species. He combines open data (e.g., satellite images) with published documents and field reporting to reveal gaps in Malaysia’s sustainability efforts. Recipient of the Sigma Award in 2023 and the MPI Environmental Reporting Award in 2022, Law’s stories demonstrate the power of journalism to make the world a better place.

As a journalist, to make an impact is to empower others to improve their lives. And if I can have fun doing it, that’s better!

Kalash Nanda Kumar is a Malaysian journalist, critic, and filmmaker with a wide portfolio covering culture, environment, and socioeconomic issues.

Kalash graduated with a degree in filmmaking, and gained formative experience on film and television sets in major productions for Warner Bros., BBC One, and Astro Shaw. Subsequently, as a journalist and correspondent, he has written extensively on Malaysian cinema and art, politics, local communities, and environmental issues. His bylines can be found in various outlets such as The Star, R.AGE, Malaysiakini, The Vibes, Cineuropa, FirstClasse, among others.

In his capacity as a critic and culture writer, he has interviewed and profiled award-winning artists and reported from around the world, including Armenia, India, Taiwan and Cannes. Kalash is an alumnus of various talent labs such as GAIFF Pro, Udine Critics Campus, Cineuropa GoCritics program, and Yamagata IDFF Criticism Workshop. As recognition of his work in criticism, Kalash became the first Malaysian to be invited into the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) and the Golden Globe awards as an International Voter. Kalash has also participated in various international and regional film festivals, often taking on roles as a juror, programmer, or facilitator. His work has been generously supported by grants and fellowships from Asia-Europe Foundation, EngageMedia (Philippines), National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS), Climate Tracker, Freedom Film Network, Earth Journalism Network, Malaysia Reform Initiative, USAID, US Embassy Kuala Lumpur and more.

Beyond journalism, Kalash advocates for reform through affiliations with non-profits. He was a founding member and former communications director for Imagined Malaysia, and currently serves as senior programme coordinator for CSO Platform for Reform. He holds active memberships in NETPAC, MyDocs, PEN Malaysia, and NUJ Malaysia.

A lot of my work in journalism, film or advocacy is motivated through untangling the question of how we move beyond theory into praxis and service to all who are structurally disadvantaged. How do we build the society we want to live in? Being able to move this needle, whether through direct action, mutual aid projects, or professional work is how I would like to dedicate my energy and resources.

A strident advocate of human rights for a sustainable future, Tashny Sukumaran runs a consultancy focusing on decent work and labour rights, climate action and reduced inequalities. Her entrepreneurial endeavours have welcomed collaborations with renown organisations such as the World Bank, the Responsible Business Alliance, The Solidarity Center, Tenaganita, the International Federation of Domestic Workers, International Federation of Journalists, and the Asia School of Business.

Beyond her consultancy, Tashny is also an independent journalist specialising in labour, forced migration, and civil liberties in public policy. She has been featured in the South China Morning Post and the New York Times, and in her previous position as a senior analyst with the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, she co-wrote the human rights chapter for Malaysia’s foreign policy framework.

Today, she maintains her firm stance on workers’ rights, gender mainstreaming and freedom of speech as founder of 5050Malaysia, a database of women experts based in or covering Malaysia. Having established a remarkable reputation for herself, Tashny now paves the way for others like her to be recognised.

Making an impact to me means challenging oppressive systems, speaking truth to power, and working towards a just society that is built on dignity and choice. I believe in the transformative power of radical and collective action. This is the final struggle.

From the climate crisis to wildlife trade, and indigenous knowledge to sustainable agriculture, Wong Siew Lyn has been creating content about the environment for over 30 years.

As co-founder of Macaranga Media, a specialist environmental media outfit, she is plugging the gap in long-form, analytical and evidence-based journalism in Malaysia. Writing under the byline of S.L. Wong for a diverse clientele such as newsrooms, publishers, government bodies, development agencies, NGOs and corporations, Siew Lyn has made a name for herself in print, digital and broadcast media.

Besides writing, she edits, trains and mentors journalists in order to re-build the eroded environmental journalism landscape. As a consultant, project manager and now publisher, she draws from her extensive network of editorial talent and subject matter experts.

Macaranga.org is the fourth content portal she has built and run. With a soft spot for conservation, grassroots efforts and marine issues, Siew Lyn returned full-time to journalism to raise its profile as a powerful medium in tackling Malaysia’s colossal and urgent environmental, climate and sustainability issues.

Making an impact is effecting change in policy and society, helping journalists do good journalism, and raising the voices of the marginalised and the voiceless.

Jasmine Rajah, or better known as Jasmine King in her advocacy work, is the founder of Jas Explains (@thejasexplains), a platform designed to foster open dialogue and empowerment in areas such as sexual wellness, relationships, personal growth, and empowerment, all within the unique context of Malaysia. .

Having grown up hearing earfuls of teen pregnancy stories in her hometown of Penampang, Sabah, and questioning the rudimentary teachings of reproductive health, Jasmine took it upon herself to break the silence, doing so through her Instagram page as well as her podcast, “I Wish Someone Told Me”. She endeavours to break down barriers, normalise conversations, and uplift communities, ultimately striving for a more informed, inclusive, and empowered society.

Beyond the online world, Jasmine also organises community events with other organisations in hopes of creating more safe, sex-positive and empowering spaces in Malaysia. One such event is her bi-monthly event called ‘Saucy Mingle’, a networking event that brings community together to discuss about important issues relating to sexual health, pleasure and empowerment – a topic that not many feel safe enough to discuss outside.

Jasmine is also a member of Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM), an organisation that aims increase and improve access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Malaysia. She has previously worked with other organisations and brands including UNFPA, IPPF, WAO, PACOS Trust, ONE, The Body Shop and more.

Making an impact is about staying true to your purpose, regardless of outside opinions. It’s not just personal fulfillment, but contributing to something greater. The joy and satisfaction from positively impacting the community far outweigh any material gain.

Suraya Ismail is the Director of Research at the Khazanah Research Institute (KRI), where she focuses on housing affordability and socioeconomic development in Malaysia. She is a member of the Malaysian Ministry of Housing and Local Government’s Panel of Experts, the National Costs of Living Council, and the National Council of Digital Economy. Suraya has been instrumental in shaping policies related to affordable housing, emphasising the importance of supply-side interventions to create a sustainable housing sector.

Before her current role, she was a Program Director at Think City, where she led urban regeneration initiatives in George Town, Penang. She has also held academic leadership positions, including serving as Deputy Dean of the Faculty of the Built Environment at the University of Malaya. Suraya has consulted internationally on urban development and holds a PhD in Institutional Economics and Governance from the University of Malaya, alongside qualifications from the University of Reading and University College London.

Additionally, she is a Visiting Scholar at the University of Cambridge. Suraya’s research and advocacy have significantly impacted Malaysia’s housing policies, steering attention toward systemic solutions for affordability and equitable urban development.

Shahril, a mechanical engineering graduate from Germany, began his career as a project engineer across various industries. Over time, his passion for urban transformation took root, driven by a desire to catalyse change and empower communities to create more liveable cities.

This passion led him to join Think City, where he plays a key role in operationalising the Johor Bahru Transformation Programme. Shahril has been instrumental in conceptualising, developing, and implementing impactful urban rejuvenation initiatives in Johor Bahru’s city centre. His efforts have visibly transformed the area, enhancing public spaces and fostering greater social cohesion.

Using an evidence-based, participatory approach, Shahril bridges the gap between government and communities, championing grassroots involvement to create cities where people can live, work, and play. His work spans the full spectrum of urban rejuvenation, from placemaking strategies and public space enhancements to cultural activations and community grant management, always ensuring best practices and placemaking principles are upheld.

An active member of Placemaking Malaysia, Shahril frequently shares his expertise at seminars, conferences, guest lectures, and panel discussions on both national and international platforms. He is a passionate advocate for community-driven, sustainable urban development, emphasising the transformative power of collective energy, creativity, and dedication.

Wherever his journey leads, within or beyond Think City, Shahril remains steadfast in his commitment to driving meaningful change and making cities better for all.

Creating impact requires a thoughtful approach – a process that leads to meaningful change. Issues create opportunities. Opportunities drive solutions. Solutions bring changes. Changes create impact.

CEO of Green Hero and two-time TEDX speaker, Calvin Chan, has a dream to make Malaysia a model to other nations by raising up a generation of ecology warriors.

With Green Hero, Calvin combats food waste and climate change, partnering with food businesses to redistribute surplus food to those in need and to sell it at affordable prices. Chan has managed to rescue 3447.7 kg of meals in 2023 alone, channelling them to Penang and KL-based charities, with the support of renown corporations such as Hong Leong Bank and Dell Technologies. Keeping a goal of 10,000 merchant partners in mind, Chan aims to further Green Hero’s efforts to reduce waste, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and provide affordable food options until Malaysia sees “an environment that no longer needs protecting”.

Besides TEDX, Calvin regularly advocates for his cause, demonstrating that his activism is a constant hustle. In 2023, with the intention of raising food and ecological awareness, he held four green events and gave 30-eco talks across Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Selangor and Johor.

Making an impact means solving a social issue that the society is facing with a solution

The Manager in Partnerships and Stakeholder Communication of Think City, Nicole Thum, has been driver of its success since she joined in 2014 as a programme executive.

In her preceding position as Manager in the Urban Mechanics department, Nicole specialised in grants management and space activation, leveraging on her business and finance background to helped Think City grantees develop sustainable business plans and implement impactful programmes. Among her notable projects is the development of the Jeti Lama Rain Garden, the first water sensitive urban garden in Butterworth and the UAB building in George Town, Penang, which is a catalyst to the new Creative Digital District of George Town. Now, in her latest position, her work focuses on establishing partnerships in the city-building space to further enhance local economic development.

Nicole’s passion for urban planning and collaboration has opened doors to summits and conferences such as the AVPN Global Conference in 2023 where she shared her hope that a sense of belonging and place pride will encourage Malaysians to join her cause in building a sustainable future. She has also participated in the highly competitive Young Southeast Asian Leadership Initiative’s Economic Development programme in the United States of America, and is on the committees of Placemaking Malaysia, Youth Division and Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

Good impact catalyses change for the bette  and everyone has a role to play to create an impact whether within their communities, city or country. All it takes is a vision followed by a set of actions to achieve that vision.

Johnson Lam is a visionary innovator dedicated to practical, sustainable solutions. Named Innovator of the Year by Top In Tech in 2021, Top Mentor of the Year for 2021 & 2022 by FutureLabs, and spotlighted as a a META Community Leader for three years running, Johnson is a community builder and the founder of KakiDIY, a thriving community of makers and DIY enthusiasts.

His initiative, KakiRepair by KakiDIY, expands this mission further as a free-to-learn repair community centred on circulating repair knowledge, fostering collaboration, and reducing waste. With an audience of over 105,000 members on the Kakirepair Facebook Group and a pool of partners who share his objective to support like-minded startups, Lam empowers his fellow Malaysians to embrace sustainability through repurposing, repairing, and creating with existing resources.

From automotive repairs to crafting, Lam’s work embodies innovation over invention and serves as proof that we can build a more sustainable society by maximising what we already have.

To me, impact is about creating value for someone that keeps compounding and passing on to others in a sustainable way. I believe in the power of community impact where each person brings their unique skills and contributions to create something bigger that touches more lives and grows exponentially without any one person having to do it all. It’s about collaboration, sharing knowledge, and building a ripple effect that leads to lasting change.

Community leader, green activist and profound environmental and sustainability speaker, Alvin Chen, has served over 300,000 Malaysian families and other marginalised communities through his food rescue and relief initiative, What A Waste (WAW). Under Alvin’s direction, what began as a grassroot initiative to rescue surplus food from weddings and corporate events has evolved into one of the most impactful and influential environmental organizations in Malaysia.

As an exemplary model for green practices and a partner with various other CSR leaders and ESG-driven corporate companies, WAW has become a one-stop platform for those seeking food relief and for companies to achieve their ESG goals in an innovative and impactful fashion. To date, WAW has rescued over thirty million kilograms of food, which is equivalent to more than seventy five million greenhouse gases prevented from reaching the atmosphere.

Widely recognised as Malaysia’s first and only ESG-driven Food Rescue Specialist, WAW has been featured in numerous local and international news outlets such as The Star, The Edge, TV3, Astro, Readers Digest Asia, and Our Better World.

Making an impact is making excess accessible to the needy in the most sustainable way possible. It means to create a healthier, more equitable food ecosystem that benefits both people and the planet. It is also to inspire others to be driven by a sense of social responsibility, a passion for environmental sustainability, and the desire to honour Christian values of stewardship and service.

Wan Faizah Che Din, known as Professor Wan to her Adjunct Professors colleagues and students at UNITAR International University is the CEO of ALAM, a national initiative spearheaded by Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad to positively change public behaviour towards environmental issues and support the present triple planetary crises.

Wan work in ALAM began in 2021 where she led efforts to drive sustainability through various impactful multi-colaborative programs. As CEO, she oversees the many facets of the sustainability foundation among which are grants and environmental programs such as the “ALAM Be-Leaf” Mangrove Rehabilitation Program, Youth Environment Living Lab (YELL) and Rumah Baca, an initiative which educates Orang Asli women and children at the Royal Belum Forest.

ALAM has played a prominent role in global and local environmental dialogues, serving as an esteemed Asia lead at the Global Indigenous Youth Summit in 2023 and 2024 and partnering with key national platforms such as the Malaysia SDG Summit 2024. Wan has even initiated a conference, Suara ALAM, to provide an avenue for different stakeholders on environmental, climate change and biodiversity to gather and discuss issues and solutions.

From NGO to schools, through “Merubah Minda Time” ALAM is determined to implant and corporate acdaemia and environmental mindfulness into individuals of all stages of life. With her own accreditations as a Business Sustainability Management graduate from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Wan sets the bar for future CSR leaders and environmental changemakers.

“Impact” to me means working towards environmental conservation and sustainable development to produce outcomes that would change our behaviour and benefit Malaysia’s ecosystems, biodiversity, and communities, especially that of the Orang Asli. This translates to individuals changing their daily habits to embrace a lifestyle that protect our natural resources and nature itself. More importantly, “impact” is about doing things from the heart as only passion can ensure long-term sustainability for both earth and its people.

Yap Mei Xin’s enterprising idea for a reusable foodware rental service emerged during the MCO when she observed the surge in plastic waste from takeaway packaging. Since founding OPACK in January 2024, she and her team have eliminated 11,200 units of single-use plastic and reduced 1.15 tons of CO2 emissions. Her vision is to standardize and making rent-and-return systems a norm in the F&B packaging industry, extending its impact across businesses and communities. But beyond leading by example, she has also run some talk and conferences to educate and inspire audiences on her cause.

Making an impact means driving meaningful change that benefits both people and the environment. Impact isn’t just measured by what we do, but by the positive influence we leave behind for future generations.

With over a decade of experience in Organisational Behaviour, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability, Dr. Wong has contributed significantly to social impact initiatives in Malaysia, focusing on the B40 community. Her strategic leadership has been instrumental in aligning Taylor’s Education Group’s business goals with socially and environmentally sound practices.

Early on in her career, Dr. Wong realised that while individual volunteer efforts are important, they alone are not enough to tackle large-scale societal issues. She understood that real, lasting change requires the significant resources and reach that only corporations can offer. Driven by this belief and her desire to enact that positive change, she shifted her focus to harnessing the power of corporate influence so that she could use her business as a force for good.

Together with her CSR team, Taylor’s Community, Dr. Wong created an award-winning entrepreneurship program “Program Keusahawanan” designed to uplift marginalised communities. Over the years, her team has successfully implemented 251 programs which have acquired 7,306 direct beneficiaries and impacted a total of 21,338 individuals. Dr. Wong has also been pivotal in the institution’s transition to ESG compliance, leading the implementation of sustainability dashboards and reports. Beyond operational management and thought leadership, her leadership has ensured that Taylors’ sustainability efforts go beyond individual actions, creating systemic solutions for long-term impact.

For me, making an impact means creating meaningful change that goes beyond individual actions. It’s about leveraging the power of corporations, partnerships, and resources to address systemic challenges as I’ve done through my work at Taylor’s and through my sustainability consulting. Ultimately, it’s about inspiring others to take action, ensuring that our collective efforts lead to long-lasting, positive outcomes that leave a legacy for future generations.

Thilaga Sulathireh is a prominent Malaysian non-binary activist and the co-founder of Justice for Sisters (JFS), a grassroots organization advocating for the rights of the transgender community in Malaysia. With a strong focus on combating discrimination and violence against queer individuals, Thilaga has played a pivotal role in raising awareness about human rights violations and challenging oppressive laws in the country.

Their activism extends to empowering marginalised communities and fostering a culture of equality and inclusion. Through their work, Thilaga continues to champion the rights and dignity of Malaysia’s LGBTQIA+ community.

Min Hui is a social policy researcher and an expert on gender equality policies focused on promoting more inclusive policymaking in Malaysia, particularly for women and girls from all backgrounds. Her area of work involves bridging research with advocacy towards realising evidence-based and gender-sensitive policies in areas like women’s representation in politics and the workforce, the care economy, ageing, gender mainstreaming, and social welfare systems.

Currently, Min Hui serves as a Gender Consultant at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Malaysia, where she oversees the country office’s gender portfolio to address issues of gender-based violence and advancing women’s socioeconomic inclusion.

Before this, she led the Social Policy and National Integration division at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia. There, she contributed to key policy papers, like “Building a Cradle-to-Grave Care Economy” which looks at how Malaysia can better support women with care responsibilities through better social protection and care infrastructure.

She is also the co-editor and one of the authors of the book ‘Where Do We Go Work-Wise: Malaysia’s Labour Landscape’ where she analysed how Malaysia can better support women by putting in place family-friendly workplace policies. In particular, she believes in the need to bring an intersectional lens to policymaking and research – which is predicated on the understanding that different aspects of a person’s identity such as gender, race, class, disability, and age, shape their lives – and that policies must be inherently responsive to these circumstances.

Min Hui has also contributed to local and international media outlets on gender equality issues, with her work featured on platforms such as Astro Awani, BFM, and Channel News Asia. While Min Hui remains a young and upcoming advocate, she is committed to researching, writing, and advocating for a more gender-equal Malaysia.

In the pursuit of gender equality, creating meaningful change is neither easy nor straightforward. Progress is often achieved incrementally, in small steps, and is fragile—vulnerable to setbacks because of the deeply entrenched gendered norms we live with. For me, making an impact means persistently advocating for change, using whatever agency you have, no matter how small and insignificant that step may seem. It is about building on the work of the incredible leaders and women who came before me, and moving forward, together.

Dani is the President of the Association of Women Lawyers (AWL) and a member of the Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM). She has been involved in civil society movements for over a decade.

Outside of her day job, she focuses her passion on issues relating to sexual harassment, child abuse and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Dani played a significant role in the drafting of the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act and contributed to the establishment of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act.

Before she left legal practice in 2016, she was the Co-Chairperson of the Malaysian Bar’s National Young Lawyers’ Committee 2015-2016 and was a Steering Committee Member of the Gender Equality Initiative – a project aimed at educating law students to advocate for gender equality.

She is currently actively involved in campaigns to increase women’s representation in politics, introducing comprehensive online safety laws and putting an end to child marriage.

To me making an impact is quite simple. How can I help or how can I improve someone’s life? It can be as simple as being kind to others so that they pay it forward, or you can get involved in a specific passion of yours, especially when you see an injustice. If through your efforts, no matter how small, someone somewhere out there feels safer or finds the help they need to get through what they’re facing, you are making an impact.

Since 2004, Grace Tham has been rising up the ranks in the Girl Guides Association. She started out as a communications executive for the Malaysian branch, but has since claimed the role as a senior member in the global team, epitomising the power she instils in her girls.

As a Senior Member of the Strategic Partnerships division, Grace has driven the company’s fundrasing bids, supporting stakeholders to input into the funding proposals and negotiating with potential donors to develop new partnerships for the organisation. The global role has given her access to collaborate with both local and international parties such as the United Nations and other government agencies, corporations, non-profits and high-profile individuals. It also provided the platform for communications and advocacy pertaining to the empowerment of women.

Prior to her current role, Grace was the Head of the Asia Pacific Region, and her understanding of the cultures was what catapulted her work to its international standard. That said, what remains a consistent effort throughout her duration in Girl Guides is her contribution to building the capacity of youth and adults in governance and management, leadership, programme design and delivery.

Most recently, Grace was the largest giver for the World Association of Girls Guides & Girl Scouts’ Giving Day, raising a whopping $190,704.

As Research and Policy Coordinator for Family Frontiers, Patricia Low guides the movement towards equal citizenship rights for binational families, believing that welfare should not be gate kept to full Malaysian-born families.

Her foray into advocacy began after she returned to Malaysia with her young family to put down roots, but found herself in a struggle to secure citizenship for her two overseas-born children who, as a result, faced uncertainty and difficulty just to remain in the country she calls home. Presently, Malaysia’s laws deny citizenship to children born abroad to women married to non-Malaysian spouses.

At the heart of her work at Family Frontiers is a focus on evidence-based advocacy and the centring of lived experiences. Patricia led research initiatives, developed advocacy materials, engaged with policymakers and parliamentary mechanisms, and written reports to UN treaty bodies such as Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC). She has also spoken at various events in Malaysia and abroad, including the Global South Women’s Forum 2023, KYUEM Summit 2024, the 4th Asia Pacific Feminist Forum, and is currently involved in a multi-country research project on the experiences of women marriage migrants and the challenges they face.

As a firm believer that art plays a key role in advocacy, she has written and performed poems that speak of identity, belonging, and the lived realities of those impacted by discriminatory nationality laws and statelessness. One of her poems, ‘An Irregular Ode on Belonging’, was featured at this year’s World Conference on Statelessness.

Cultivating meaningful change involves centring the stories and lived experiences of affected individuals and communities and putting power back into their hands, and through building and sustaining movements. There is a profound impact that can come from collective solidarity and collaboration.

Luqman Hakim Md Zim is the visionary leader behind Kelab Belia Prihatin Malaysia, a dynamic youth-driven organization with 12,658 active members nationwide. Committed to environmental stewardship and sustainable living, the organisation has achieved remarkable milestones through its We Be-Leaf Together environmental campaign, fostering eco-conscious communities across Malaysia.

Under Luqman’s leadership, the club has undertaken transformative initiatives, including the planting of over 10,000 mangrove trees and the removal of 30 tonnes of waste from rivers nationwide. These actions exemplify their dedication to addressing critical environmental challenges and empowering youth as agents of change.

In addition to his work with Kelab Belia Prihatin, Luqman founded the Youth Sustainability Forum, an annual youth-led platform that unites young leaders from across ASEAN. This forum enables meaningful discussions and collaborative solutions to pressing environmental issues, paving the way for a sustainable future.

The organisation has partnered with prominent entities like Iskandar Investment Berhad, Microsoft, and WWF Malaysia, blending innovative solutions with grassroots activism. In recognition of its impact, WWF Malaysia named the club the Eco-Champion of 2022, highlighting its vital role in advancing Malaysia’s sustainability agenda.

Approaching its 5th anniversary next year, Kelab Belia Prihatin Malaysia celebrates five years of inspiring youth leadership and driving sustainability initiatives across the region.

Making an impact means creating meaningful and lasting change that improves lives, communities, or the environment. It involves using your skills, resources, and passion to address pressing issues and inspire others to do the same. For me, it’s about leaving a legacy of positive transformation that resonates beyond individual efforts.

Harsha Ravindran is a dynamic 22-year-old social entrepreneur and serves as the CEO and Co-Founder of Ascendance, a global social enterprise that has impacted over 55,000 students in 26 countries, transforming at-risk Gen Z’s into social entrepreneurs thus putting the most vulnerable communities in the driver seat of creating local and global change.

She is also the Executive Director of the NextGen Entrepreneurship Network (NGEN), connecting entrepreneurial communities across Ivy League and other top-tier universities, fostering a collaborative ecosystem for innovation.

Harsha is a 3-time TEDx speaker and an international conference presenter, recognised for her contributions to youth empowerment and innovation. In 2019, she received the prestigious Diana Award for Young Changemakers, honouring her influence in creating positive social change. She was later celebrated in Prestige Malaysia’s 40 Under 40 list in 2022 as one of the nation’s most innovative leaders and was named a Skoll Fellow by the Skoll Foundation in the USA for her commitment to driving transformative social entrepreneurship.

A published author, Harsha’s book, The Makings of A Teenage Entrepreneur, chronicles her journey and insights into youth entrepreneurship. Currently pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania, Harsha is also the President of the Wharton Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Club (WUEC), where she continues to champion and mentor budding entrepreneurs. Harsha’s relentless drive to uplift youth and empower entrepreneurs exemplifies her commitment to creating meaningful, lasting change across the globe.

Making an impact is a day-to-day phenomenon. It’s a cumulation of hundreds of small wins from thousands of actions by a group of people that is just enough to collectively move the needle.

Salliza Sideni, fondly known as Liza, is a firm believer of maintaining cultural roots. As the Head of Museums and Education for Brooke Museums, a non-profit endeavour comprising of two museums (The Brooke Gallery and The Ranee Museum) Liza has seen to its goal to preserve, conserve and develop works of historical significance for the sake of sharing it with future generations.

Having been in the line of education for 20 years before becoming a museum director, Liza also manages Brooke Museums’ ASPIRE Programme, a youth development programme that aims to upskill young Sarawakians who are currently being re-educated and rehabilitated in juvenile detention centres. Sponsored by Yayasan Hasanah, ASPIRE aims to preserve the priceless Sarawakian art of Keringkam by passing the skill down to 50 youths from Sekolah Henry Gurney Puncak Borneo Kuching, Sekolah Tunas Bakti and Taman Seri Puteri. Within the 24 months of the programme, it will not only have ensured the continuity of the art form but also equipped with the young participants with a new talent and an overall purpose to become productive members of society.

Other than her work in the museums, Liza serves as the current Chairperson for Persatuan Kesenian dan Warisan Keringkam Sarawak, a registered society premised on ensuring the well-being, continuity and sustainability of Keringkam Sarawak. She is also a main committee member of Kuching Heritage Awareness Society (KHAS) and Kuching Heritage Run (KHR) as well as a member of Sarawak Events and Tourism Attractions Association (SEATA) and Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF).

Making an impact for me is about touching lives. It is never about me being the one to make a change in someone’s life, but about how change can empower that someone to become a contributing member of society and ultimately give back. As the saying goes: Well done is better than well said.

Dr. James Nayagam, dubbed “The Crusader” in a 2020 article with The Sun, has given the last forty years of his career to advocating for childrens’ rights, ensuring a brighter future for all abandoned and abused children.

For the Chairman of the Suriana Welfare Society, the journey has not been the most smooth sailing. Initially a corporate worker, Dr. James realised his calling to the noble – albeit not generally profitable – cause in his twenties. While many reckoned that Dr. James could have scaled the corporate ladder quickly with his leadership and organisational skills, he found a greater reward in seeing the lives of marginalised and forgotten children and families completely transformed for the better.

The Suriana Welfare Society, a registered non-governmental organisation that was established in 2011, fulfils everything that Dr. James stands for. While initially focusing on child advocacy, Suriana currently pursues the development of preventive and rehabilitative programmes to address social issues involving disadvantaged children and their families. With numerous initiatives such as their Sponsor a Family programme and their handcrafting employability program for single mothers, the society has avenues for anyone to contribute.

Their waves of the impact have been palpable. Suriana’s food aid programmes have managed to feed 25,000 people since the pandemic, their income generation projects have supported 150 single-mothers, their counselling programme has 350 cases and their education initiatives have served over 300 children.

Overall, Suriana’s fierce commitment has earned them respect and recognition such as the Social Impact Award by the National Innovation Agnecy of Malaysia, while Dr. James’ continues to be featured on local news platforms to shoutout his cause.

From an early age, Cynthia gleaned from her parents’ generosity and commitment to service, shaping her drive for justice and selflessness. This foundation inspired her to pursue a career in law, leading to her admission as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya. Throughout her journey, Cynthia has remained zealous about being a multi-faceted advocate for change, believing that her capacity to do right and do good is not limited to just one community.

In 2020, she co-founded KauOKTak, a youth-led initiative dedicated to transforming the mental health landscape for teenagers by community building and self-empowerment tactics. KauOKTak provides inclusive and accessible spaces where young people can candidly discuss their mental health while having access to tools that help them take charge of their well-being. Reflecting its intersectional values, KauOKTak became a member of the Southeast Asia Feminist Movement, collaborating with local and regional organisations to bring a mental health perspective to issues of gender and feminism.

Cynthia also found herself drawn to the refugee crisis in Malaysia after volunteering at refugee schools and working on a stint with Tenaganita where she focused on research, policy advocacy, and capacity building to empower refugees. Since then, she has published a research paper advocating for the education rights of refugee children, combining legal advocacy with a community-focused approach. Currently, she works with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia where she continues to support and advocate for individuals seeking asylum.

Real change happens when we step off the pedestal and work together—impact isn’t about saving someone, but about collaboration and empowerment. True impact is built through connection, not heroism.

Nur Afiqa Amani Muhd Safwan Sajani has a soft heart when it comes to the issue of mental health, launching “It’s Okay” in 2023 as a response to the lack of mental health awareness amongst Malaysians. The award-winning project is targeted towards young people who struggle with anxiety and depression.

Through this project, she has led her team in conducting several activities such as socio-emotional learning workshops, origami therapy, dance parties, and nature walks. The project utilises visual concepts like emojis to help students express their feelings and introduces activities that involves physical movements and creativity which enable students to channel their emotions. A plus point of her approach is its inclusivity – with its adaptable techniques, Afiqa has been able to provide comfortable alternatives to special needs peers afflicted by the same emotional turmoil.

Given the role that art plays in her approach, Afiqa was able bring this topics to light as a panel speaker representing Malaysia in the virtual China-Southeast Asian Symposium “Towards Ecological Civilization: Education For Sustainable Development” hosted by UNESCO and SEAMEO. There, she touched on the importance of preserving living heritage and folklore through performing arts, and the role of vocational education in providing an alternative education to students.

Later down the road, in 2023, Afiqa was selected to be a guest speaker at the in-person Youth Summit in Manila, Philippines, organised by SEAMEO INNOTECH, where she was fully sponsored by the organiser to talk about her project. She was also afforded a conversation with the Minister of Education at a national conference in Selangor. Through these appearances, “It’s Okay” was able to gain visibility and become one of the recipients of the 2024 Amal Fund for scale-up purposes to benefit a wider community.

To make difference in people’s life by first touching their hearts and let them know that there are others who want to assist them in any way that is possible

Soft-hearted president and founder of Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM), Kalaivanan Ravichandran is a proud pet parent who hopes for all strays to find a home as his dog, Baby, has. For over 15 years, he has been feeding abandoned animals, volunteering at Persatuan Haiwan Malaysia before committing himself fully to SAFM, an NGO dedicated to saving strays from the streets and from abuse.

Under Kalaivanan’s leadership, SAFM has implemented numerous innovative programs to address the root causes of animal suffering. One such solution is the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program, which humanely controls the population of stray animals while allowing them to live peacefully in their communities. Kalaivanan has also established pet food banks and medical aid programs to support pet owners who struggle to care for their animals during difficult times. When Malaysia was hit by devastating floods, he and his team led rescue missions to save stranded animals and provide aid to affected families, ensuring that no one—human or animal—was left behind.

Although his wins are in the restored wellbeing of animals, Kalaivanan’s extraordinary contributions have won him several accolades – among them, the title of Hero Pandemik for his efforts in supporting stray animals during COVID-19 and the APJ Abdul Kalam Award of Young Servant that celebrates young leaders who have made significant contributions to society.

Beyond rescue and relief, Kalaivanan advocates tirelessly for the 2015 Animal Welfare Act, pushing for better enforcement and harsher penalties for those who abuse animals. His advocacy has led to several high-profile legal cases, bringing justice to animals who have been cruelly mistreated and inspiring masses to take on his mantle.

Making an impact is about having empathy and recognising the effect one can have when they choose to act with courage and conviction. What I’ve learned is that compassion and practical solutions can go hand-in-hand and together, they go a long way.

Joseph Chia more fondly known as Uncle Jo is a 62-year-old Malaysian who has spent nearly two decades dedicating his life and income to rescuing abandoned animals at Companion Animal Rescue Effort Society (CARES), Johor Bahru. In 2001, he founded an animal shelter, not just as a haven for dogs, but as a platform to educate the community on animal welfare and promote adoption over purchasing.

The society began with caring for just 15 dogs that Joseph saved from being put down and he housed them at a space in Sengkang, Kulai. In six months, the number rose to 70 as people heard about his efforts and sent dogs there.

Today, CARES has two animal shelters – one in Lima Kedai and another in the Stulang area and cares for 350+ animals.

Despite numerous challenges, Joseph remains steadfast in his mission, stressing the urgent need for care and compassion for these animals. His dedication proves that age is no barrier to making a meaningful impact.

Founded and self-funded by retired nurse Winnie Lau, CherishLife is home to 200 dogs, 20 cats and counting. To ensure sustainability in their program, the no-kill shelter occasionally conducts TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) projects to quell the number of strays.

Through their Instagram, Winnie also markets their initiatives such as educational workshops, donation opportunities and shelter visits from the public, believing that awareness and proper education on animal care can greatly resolve the issue of abandonment as a whole.

Horng’s journey in wildlife conservation began in 1999 when he paused his bachelor’s studies at the University of Victoria, Canada, to join Malaysia’s first-ever tiger research project in Taman Negara National Park. Led by Dr. Kae Kawanishi for her PhD study, this experience ignited his lifelong dedication to conservation. After completing his degree, Horng worked on the Coastal Wolf Project in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest with Dr. Chris Darimont of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation from 2003 to 2005.

Returning to Malaysia in 2005, Horng joined TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, conducting undercover investigations into the illegal trade of tigers, tiger prey, and Saiga antelope horns. He then spent nearly eight years with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Malaysia Program, where he initiated and managed tiger and prey conservation efforts in the Endau Rompin Landscape and later oversaw their Asian elephant program. During this time, he also earned a Master’s degree from the National University of Singapore.

In 2016, Horng founded Pertubuhan Pelindung Alam Malaysia (PELINDUNG) to expand Malaysia’s wildlife conservation capacity. From 2017 to 2020, PELINDUNG supported Jabatan PERHILITAN in conducting Malaysia’s first National Tiger Survey (NTS), covering over 16,000 square kilometres of previously unsurveyed forests. Since 2020, PELINDUNG has been instrumental in managing wildlife rangers under the Renjer Komuniti program, formerly known as the Veteran-Orang Asli program. This initiative protects Malayan tigers and other wildlife while empowering local communities.

Today, PELINDUNG oversees more than 500 rangers from 55 Orang Asli and local community posts, deploying over 80 anti-poaching teams monthly. The organization also conducts long-term tiger monitoring across 20,000 square kilometres in the Banjaran Titiwangsa and Greater Taman Negara Landscapes through a collaborative project with Jabatan PERHILITAN.

By adopting a multi-disciplinary approach, PELINDUNG focuses not only on saving Malayan tigers and their habitats but also on empowering the Orang Asli to become local champions and frontliners in protecting Malaysia’s national symbol—the Malayan tiger.

Making an impact requires a long-term, holistic approach rather than focusing on short-term, specific goals. For instance, saving the Malayan tiger is not just about protecting the species—it also safeguards other species in its habitat, such as elephants, sunbears, and gibbons. To ensure the tiger’s survival, empowering local communities, especially the Orang Asli, to become guardians of both tigers and other wildlife is key. This approach creates lasting benefits, not only for wildlife conservation but also for the social, economic, and cultural well-being of the local communities, preserving their traditional knowledge for future generations.

Rajesh Nagarajan, known for his fervent advocacy for animal rights in Malaysia, stands up for the voiceless creatures that often face neglect and mistreatment. A dedicated animal rights activist and lawyer, Rajesh founded Lawyers for Animal Rights to relentlessly pursue justice on their behalf. Rajesh has voiced out his condemnation of recent events that cast aside the rights of animals in Malaysia such as Sabah’s decision to cull crocodiles and the Shah Alam City Council’s proposal to euthanise stray dogs. Rajesh has also filed several suits in the Malaysian courts seeking justice for animals including the murder of dusky leaf langurs in the Seremban High Court.

Making an impact in animal welfare is multifaceted, combining personal actions with community engagement and systemic change. Whether through direct care, financial support, advocacy, or policy development, every effort contributes to creating a more compassionate world for animals. Each individual’s commitment can lead to significant advancements in the fight against animal suffering.

As a wildlife photographer, Peter Ong is the embodiment of the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. His portfolio includes a photo book “PRIMUS – The Primates of Peninsular Malaysia”, a photo publication on “Wang Kelian, Perlis – The Forgotten Valley” and a documentary with the same title, as well as another documentary “Finding Solo” that was shortlisted from 8,400 films for the Environment Category of the 2024 Sony Future Filmmaker Awards. Outside his creative endeavours, Ong is the Head of Education and Outreach at Roots & Shoots, a youth-led environmental enterprise by Dr. Jane Goodall that has over 150,000 active groups across 130 countries.

We all play a role in determining the direction of our lives and the lives of those around us. To me, ‘making an impact’ translates into ‘effecting some positive change’. And there is no positive change that is too small. Sikit-sikit, lama-lama jadi bukit.

Dr. Nor Arlina Amirah Ahmad Ghani or Ann, as she prefers to be called, is the founding director for Justice for Wildlife Malaysia (JWM). With a background in bioinformatics and animal disease monitoring, Ann developed a name for herself in the conservation field through Rimba as a monitoring specialist overseeing the database in a tiger conservation program before founding JWM. Since then, she has been unwavering in enhancing legal literacy among wildlife conservation fraternities and offering her research-rooted advice to policymakers.

Making an impact to me means expanding your influence and motivating more individuals to become aspiring agents of change themselves. The world needs not only voices for wildlife, but also individuals driven enough to take action to ensure justice for our wildlife.

As the title of her shelter says “Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better” (MDDB), Wani Muthiah stands opposed to the heartless abandonment and euthanasia of innocent creatures.

As a journalist for almost 35 years, Wani’s pen has always been her sword in battling various social and political issues. It makes sense that the catalyst that pushed her to becoming an animal welfare advocate was when she wrote about a dog that was being mishandled by dogcatchers in 2008. This one article led to subsequent trips to the local animal pounds and revealed to Wani that the mistreatment of Malaysian canines was sadly more common than she realised.

Soon after, MDDB became one of the earliest registered animal rescue organisations. Presently, MDDB acts a sanctuary for able-bodied canines and a half-way-home for disabled dogs. With over 400 dogs to care for, Wani and her team are dedicated towards ensuring their four-legged wards lead happy and healthy lives. Wani’s fervent wish is for the country’s local authorities to embark on the humane Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM) as the main tool for stray management. In the meantime, Wani continues to advocate for justice as a news editor at The Star.

Making an impact is about bringing change as well as paving the path for others to do so as well. After MDDB, dozens of other rescue groups came into being by using our organisation as a model to start their own. Many individuals also picked up the responsibility of animal rescue. That domino effect, led by example, is what impact is all about.

Co-founder and president of RIMAU, Lara Ariffin has spent the last 25 years shining a light on tiger endangerment.

In the 1950s, it was estimated that 3,000 tigers roamed the rainforest. However, today, there are less than 150 in the wild. Established in 2018, RIMAU concentrates mainly on anti-poaching efforts in the forests of Perakm employing the orang asli who have invaluable traditional knowledge to carry out SMART patrolling. The Menraq patrol team based in Royal Belum was awarded the 2023 IUCN WCPA International Ranger Award for their contribution towards tiger conservation.

Thinking ahead, Lara has been a massive help to the community development of Royal Belum. By training indigenous teachers, they have managed to provide basic literacy to the children of the Sungai Kejar cluster of villages.

Outside of RIMAU, Lara’s advocacy also has a creative outlet. Receiving high acclaim for her cinematography and ecological soundness, her films have been featured on and created in collaboration with many high profile individuals such as the National Geographic Channel and Michelle Yeoh, the latter via her film “Among the Great Apes”.

Making an impact is effecting change in policy and society, helping journalists do good journalism, and raising the voices of the marginalised and the voiceless.

Siti Sarah Anuar is the co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of Jom Makcik, a social enterprise focused on empowering women and vulnerable groups through safer and more accessible travel options. Established alongside her mother, Dr. Sazlina Kamalralzaman, Jom Makcik offers services like women-driven transport and chaperone assistance for elderly and special needs passengers, enhancing mobility and independence for those in need.

Before launching Jom Makcik, Sarah worked with her mother to expand the business, which started in 2018 as MakCik Travels. The service gained traction by providing women and vulnerable individuals with a safe travel experience, earning Sarah recognition as a young tech entrepreneur in Malaysia. Her work has been supported by organizations such as the AirAsia Foundation.

Sarah’s mission is to provide social impact through the gig economy, offering women an opportunity to generate income while improving the quality of life for underserved communities. Her vision continues to expand, with plans for further developing the services through digital platforms.

Making Impact is creating meaningful change by addressing social issues, particularly around the safety, mobility, and empowerment of women, the elderly, and vulnerable groups.

Viviantie Sarjuni is a Malaysian leader with over 20 years of experience and currently leads the award-winning Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Centre (SCENIC), a government agency dedicated to social innovation and technology development. In January 2023, SCENIC was recognised with the Merit Award for Most Impactful Public Agency in Driving Digital Adoption.

As CEO, Viviantie has been a pioneering force in advancing Sabah’s social enterprise and tech ecosystems, especially in areas facing high poverty and unemployment rates. Under her leadership, SCENIC has supported nearly 200 social enterprises and tech startups across the state, many in rural areas, helping them secure essential funding and scale their impact. Her work has catalysed growth within Sabah’s tech ecosystem, making innovation accessible to diverse communities and aligning with SCENIC’s mission to explore alternative economic models that challenge traditional capitalist frameworks.

Viviantie’s accomplishments include the prestigious Chevening Scholarship from the UK government in 2022, the Chief Minister’s Special Award in May 2024, and recognition among the 2024 Kindness & Leadership, 50 Leading Lights in Asia Pacific. She is also listed as one of the 100 Most Inspiring Sabahan Women, reflecting her dedication to empowering marginalised communities and driving meaningful change.

Making an impact means driving meaningful change in communities and inspiring leaders who prioritise the greater good. It’s about creating a lasting transformation that extends beyond individual goals and benefits society as a whole.

Penang-raised Thomas Ng has had a lucrative career – an international executive turned social entrepreneur, Ng’s philanthropy began after witnessing how technology enabled visually-impaired individuals to work. He founded Genashtim on this discovery, seeking to use tech to provide sustainable employment for marginalised communities, specifically People with Disabilities (PwD).

Since its establishment in 2008, Genashtim has operated fully remotely, exemplifying Thomas’s commitment to digital innovation as a tool for social impact. Bringing over 25 years of experience from his prior career as an international executive across Europe, Asia, and Australasia into his leadership at Genashtim, the University of Auckland alum now leads over 150+ employees, half of which are PwDs and 30% who come from a marginalised community.

Genashtim’s B Corp certification and numerous international accolades underscore its dedication to social responsibility. In 2022, Thomas joined the Stewards Circle of B for Good Leaders, a global community of over 30,000 business leaders focused on solving societal challenges. Through expanded ESG services and a partnership with B Lab, Thomas is actively helping grow the B Corp community in Southeast Asia, aiming to inspire other organisations to prioritise social impact alongside business success.

Outside the business realm, Thomas exacts his plans for social change through non-profits. He has held multiple leadership roles within the Young Presidents’ Organisation (YPO) and later the World Presidents Organisation (WPO), serving as Southeast Asia Region Chairman from 2010 to 2012. His passion for advancing the rights and employment of PWDs also led him to serve as a “Promoter” for the United Nations ESCAP’s Decade of Persons with Disabilities from 2013 to 2022.

We need to inspire each other and create action driven programs to solve the challenges humanity faces. With Genashtim, making an impact is walking the talk and providing sustainable, meaningful, and dignified employment for the disadvantaged, starting with People with Disabilities (PWD).

Today, his background in political research and social policy has positioned him in advisory roles to high-ranking government officials including the Prime Minister of Malaysia, allowing him to contribute to socio-economic development policies and the establishment of strategic policy delivery units within the Prime Minister’s Department.  As a Director at Endeavour, his technology and data-driven research inform governmental and non-governmental bodies on policy interventions, sustainability and strategic communications.

Beyond his professional commitments, his work at Pepper Labs and MyFarm Lab provides jobs and training to underprivileged communities that seek to make a difference in the corporate and entrepreneurial, and agricultural fields respectively.

Making an impact, to me, simply means putting to good use my values, beliefs and skills to serve others. It has always been about creating meaningful change that goes beyond immediate results and credits. It’s about inspiring others through action and fostering a ripple effect that encourages more people to contribute to their communities.

As Managing Director & Co-Founder, Aizat assists retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers in managing their supply chain digitally. By connecting small and medium enterprises (SME) to qualified wholesalers, manufacturers and principals, Borong streamlines the sourcing to selling process of affordable quality products. Among its global investors are Y-Combinator (US), Ondine Capital (TW), Vynn Capital (MY), Colopl Next (JP), Brama One Ventures (ID), Prasetia Dwidharma (ID) and Resolution Ventures (SG).

Although it is headquartered in Malaysia, Borong also operates in Indonesia and Thailand, and have altogether transacted more than USD4 Billion, clocked a revenue of USD 52 Million in 2023, and serviced over 190,000 retailers partners with leading financial institutions to provide SME financing in their platform.

Given his passion for entrepreneurship, Aizat also sows into other companies as an investor. Before Borong, he was one of the founding partners for Infinite Ventures, a venture building company that was acquired by Kern (US) Technology as well as Job4Locum, a medical job portal company that was acquired by MIMS. Now a current council member of Malaysia Higher Education Council, Aizat’s dreams for a tech ecosystem continue to keep him on his feet.

To me, making an impact means empowering those who are often overlooked, particularly micro SMEs and the B40 community. Through Borong, we aim to bridge the income gap by providing access to digital tools and marketplaces, enabling sustainable growth for underserved businesses and creating meaningful change at the grassroots level.

Farah Azizan obtained her BA in architecture at Nottingham University, UK and pursued her diploma in Architecture at the Architecture Association, London. Upon graduating in 2004, she worked part-time for Tonkin Liu Architects, returned to Kuala Lumpur and joined Seksan Design where she practiced landscape and architectural design for 6 years. There she expanded her design skills as a designer consistently blending art, architecture and landscape into the projects she led.

In 2012, she set up Studio Bikin with Adela Askandar a multi-disciplinary studio practice that is passionate about design and assumed a very hands-on approach to all their projects, valuing craftsmanship, detail and sensitivity towards the context and environment within which they build. Her intuitive grasp of spatial dynamics and aesthetics allows her to orchestrate environments that resonate deeply with human emotions.

Under Farah and Adela’s directorship, they foster an environment of collaboration and relentless curiosity by crafting immersive narratives that resonate in response to the client’s brief. Having a strong foundation in architectural principles and a dedication to creating functional yet visually captivating spaces, the studio has consistently contributed to delivering exceptional projects that leave a lasting impact by challenging the ordinary and reshaping the possible.

Key projects led by Farah include Else Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh Hotel, Pasar Besar, BIG Supermarkets, Monterez House, Kong Heng Villas, APW, Hit & Mrs.

Primarily making an impact is about using one’s skills, talents, and resources to make a positive difference or change in the individual’s area of expertise. It’s about living a life / pursuing an agenda that is purposeful and hopefully contributing towards growth and development in your field.

Driven by a passion to help Penangites connect with their history, heritage, and culture, Moe Nasrul co-founded Penang Hidden Gems. He brings a unique blend of creativity and strategic thinking cultivated through his background in talent management and digital marketing.

Moe Nasrul’s journey began in the music industry, where he honed his skills in managing musical talents and fostering meaningful connections. His passion for storytelling led him to create and curate engaging “histourism” experiences that delve into the island’s lesser-known narratives, creating a deeper appreciation for its history and heritage. He believes that by understanding the past, we can build a more vibrant and sustainable future for Penang. He is committed to fostering a sense of community and pride in the island’s unique cultural identity.

Moe Nasrul’s work at Penang Hidden Gems is guided by the following Mission Vision Statement (MVS):

• To share lesser-known cultural and historical backstories of Penang through the Penang Hidden Gems Facebook group.
• To provide quality “histourism” activities for locals and tourists, focusing on 2-hour long site visits.
• To become a non-governmental key opinion leader in the tourism industry, trusted by the community.

Join Moe Nasrul and Penang Hidden Gems as we unveil lesser-known places, sacred traditions, underrated stories, and dying trades, all of which make Penang a special gem among her people.

Making an impact means empowering the Penang community and visitors with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the island’s rich cultural heritage. By sharing hidden stories and offering engaging “histourism” experiences, we aim to inspire a sense of place and pride, contributing to a more vibrant and sustainable tourism landscape in Penang.

Izan Satrina Mohd Sallehuddin is an advocate of Malaysia’s cultural economy, now guiding Partnerships and the Creative Sector at Think City, an impact-driven organisation under Khazanah Nasional Berhad that promotes liveable and sustainable urban environments. At Think City, Izan spearheads efforts to champion the creative economy and creative cities, with a particular emphasis on transforming Downtown Kuala Lumpur into a vibrant creative destination that attracts both local and international visitors, positioning it as a leader in culture-based urban renewal.

Previously, Izan founded and served as CEO of CENDANA, Malaysia’s Cultural Economy Development Agency, where she and her team underscored the arts as an essential economic force. Under her leadership, CENDANA generated RM40 million in economic impact, invigorating the local creative economy through strategic grants and programmes that benefited over 1,000 artists and organisations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, CENDANA rolled out crucial relief initiatives, distributing emergency funds to support more than 700 artists. Her team also led cultural programming, infrastructure development, and capacity-building efforts that engaged the public with the arts and strengthened Malaysia’s cultural identity on a regional stage. Through strategic partnerships, CENDANA advocated for integrating the arts into national development, ensuring a resilient and sustainable future for Malaysia’s creative sector.

With a career that transitioned from accounting to the arts, Izan’s background includes managing Enfiniti Vision Media and establishing the My Performing Arts Agency (MyPAA). Recognised for her impact, she has received nominations and accolades such as The Malaysian Women’s Weekly Great Women of Our Time and Prestige’s 40 Under 40. Now, at Think City, Izan’s focus in the capital city hopes to elevate Kuala Lumpur’s cultural identity, advocating for an urban revitalisation model that harmonises heritage with innovation and strengthens the city’s global creative standing.

For me, making an impact means driving meaningful change in cities by leveraging the power of arts, culture, and community to create sustainable, vibrant, and inclusive urban environments. I’m fortunate to learn Think City’s multi-dimensional approach in focusing on transforming spaces, shaping a sense of place, and fostering economic opportunities that benefit both the community and the broader creative sector. Through opportunities in work on initiatives like the Kuala Lumpur Creative and Cultural District (KLCCD), I get to be involved in creating spaces that reflect local heritage while supporting creative innovation, enhancing Kuala Lumpur’s cultural footprint both locally and internationally. Impact for me also involves capacity building within the ecosystem, ensuring that people and organisations involved have the resources, training, and platforms they need to thrive. By integrating arts into urban planning and development, I view impact as a catalyst for both improving the quality of life for city residents and positioning Kuala Lumpur as a leading creative destination in Southeast Asia. This approach not only drives job creation and fosters resilience but also promotes sustainable urban renewal. In my role at Think City, I am deeply committed to championing initiatives that celebrate and preserve cultural identity, engage communities, and elevate arts and culture as integral to a city’s legacy and future.

Pison Jaujip is Sabah’s very own masterchef. Having been on local and international TV and a guest exhibitor at several food events, he might seem like any other food influencer. However, his work is deeply rooted in promoting Malaysian pride through the unique and versatile flavours of Sabahan traditional cuisine and local ingredients.

On his platform Ropuhan di Tanak Wagu, which he founded in 2016, Pison shares recipes, conducts cooking demonstrations, and actively engages in educating his audience about the cultural significance of these dishes. His focus extends to showcase the sourcing and sustainable use of native ingredients like Bambangan, Tuhau, and Pangi seeds, many of which are unfamiliar even to some Malaysians. Emphasising the value of ingredients grown in Sabah’s lush environment, he empowers his fellow Sabahans to embrace their culinary heritage and by doing so, challenges their preference for imported products while highlighting the richness of their own local fare.

Although his approach may be niche, with each dish, Pison’s influence is expanding, reviving traditions and inspiring new generations to take pride in their food culture.

For Ropuhan di Tanak Wagu, making an impact means preserving and promoting Sabahan food heritage by educating people about traditional recipes and local ingredients. Through cooking demonstrations and storytelling, it fosters a deeper appreciation for Sabah’s culinary culture, inspiring both pride and sustainability within the community.