We took a look at some of significant wins for Malaysians all over the world.
Singing to win in Taiwan
Image credit: The Star Online
Malaysians love a good karaoke, and show off that they can carry a tune. Thirty-year-old Daniel Cheah proved just that by winning this year’s Taiwan’s Top Million Star singing competition. A former member of a group called Double Cheese Burger, Cheah won the title with his rendition of Alicia Keys’ hit song, “If I Ain’t Got You.”
According to the The Star, he beat 49 others which included two other Malaysians and achieved his dream of becoming a singing champion. He had said, “I am so happy that my dreams came true at last.”
But Cheah wasn’t the first Malaysian to be crowned as winner of this Taiwanese competition. Seremban born Jess Lee, who is now a singer based in Taiwan, grabbed the title in 2011. The 27-year-old auditioned poorly in talent competition Malaysian Idol in 2004, but has since risen to be a signed artiste with Warner Music Taiwan.
Impressing the Queen of England
Image credit: Malay Mail Online
It’s not everyday you catch the eye of the Queen of England like this young man had. Calvin Woo’s interest in social causes earned him the prestigious Queen’s Young Leaders Award, making him the only Malaysian among 60 winners from Commonwealth countries.
The Malay Mail Online reports that the award is part of the Queen’s Young Leaders Programme which “celebrates the achievement of young people who are taking the lead to transform the lives of others and make a lasting difference in their communities.”
The Muar-born lad is currently the Strategic Transformation via Education Development’s (SASTRA) Head of Programme for Malaysia. SASTRA is where Woo drafts modules for personal, career, academic and technical programmes and his team teaches to underprivileged students aged between 15 and 17.
The winners of the programe work to inspire change on various issues – education, climate change, gender equality, mental health and disability equality. They will receive online learning and mentoring by the University of Cambridge, and receive their awards at the Buckingham Palace.
Twenty-year-old Woo takes inspiration from his brother and sisters. First, his brother with an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 136, who intelligence was so high that no schools could accept him, today is being home-schooled. While he is inspired by his sisters, one a teacher and another offering music therapy for children, including those with Down Syndrome.
Women in science
Image credit: The Star
Scientist Dr Wan Wardatul Amani Wan Salim is an avid encyclopedia reader since she was a little girl, and now wants to use the knowledge she gained to help communities.
Dr Amani was one of the recipients of the L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science fellowship which grants winners RM30,000 to help with their research in various fields.
Her invention was developed after visiting flood-hit villages in Kelantan, where she created a portable microsensor device that could detect water contamination in rural, flood-prone areas.
“Life is dependent on water. Without clean water, we can’t live,” she said in the report. The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science initiative began 17 years ago and its Malaysian chapter in 2006.
The programme was developed to recognise and support promising young Malaysian women researchers in their scientific research and to encourage a new generation of women leaders.
Dr Oon Chern Ein was the second recipient of the fellowship, working on a new synthetic compound that could work in adjunct with chemotherapy to treat resistant colon cancer. The Universiti Sains Malaysia lecturer said, “I was very happy when I found out I won, because it gives me the platform to be more visible and to talk about the work that I do.”
The final recipient is Dr Normi Mohd Yahaya of Universiti Putra Malaysia. She works on research is on overcoming antimicrobial resistance by generating new peptides, which could act as combative agents to antibiotics-resistant pathogens.
Tambunan on the world map
Image via sayangsabah.com
Most may know of Tambunan’s beautiful countryside that is the way into climbing Sabah’s Mount Trus Madi, the state’s second highest mountain at nearly 2,700 metres.
But Felicia Mikat has created another reason for Malaysians to learn about her hometown Tambunan. The 16-year-old won three gold medals in the 8th ASEAN Para Games in Singapore, as a visually impaired athlete. She took first place in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres with little coverage in Malaysian media. We found out about her on Facebook and in this Says.my report.
She lives in Kampung Kipaku in the interior of Tambunan and travels two hours to study at a boarding school named SMK Badin in Tuaran. In a Malay Mail Online report, she had said, “I can see things, but not at distance, and not at night. When it gets harder to see, I cannot force it, I have to stop. When studying at school, I need bright lights. Even then, it hurts, and I have to stop. If my eyes touch rain, it also hurts.”
But the determined young woman was already setting eyes on future competitions namely – the national Para Games in Sarawak, the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) games in Terengganu and the Paralympics in Brazil.
Her advice pretty much sums up her dedication and hard work to winning in sports, “To anyone like me, I just want them to know that if you really want something, you have to do it wholeheartedly.
“I have gone through tough times before, when no matter how hard or how many times you try, it isn’t good enough. Eventually, you can achieve what you want if you keep trying and never give up.”
Feeding refugees in Greece
Malaysians are truly everywhere, and Rayyan Haries’ is one of the many Malaysians that puts our country on the world map and does us proud.
This 25-year-old volunteer’s heart of gold shines in his commitment to feed the thousands of Syrian refugees that arrive at Lesbos Island, Greece.
The Subang Jaya resident made his way to Greece to open a kitchen for refugees in Skala Sikaminea, a small coastal village on Lesbos island that received more than 2,000 refugees a day.
His teas are sweet, just the way Syrians like it, and reports about him dishing out hot drinks and food in loud sweaters and hats brings a smile to the faces of volunteers and communities.
Haries’ philosophy is simple, as he told Mashable, “I’m just here to cook for people, to see hot, steamy, delicious, nutritious food being dished out everyday, that’s all I want to do.”
In a Straits Times report, it stated that his initial plan was to pursue a culinary course in Rome, but it all changed when he saw a photograph of three-year-old Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi lying face down in the sand on a Turkish beach in September.
Haries kickstarted his venture started with crowdfunding some 1,000 euros and a sponsored flight from Malaysia Airlines. The kitchen started small, but with strong support, operations grew to having enough storage for 5,000 meals.
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