The future is ours to make.
#JomKeHadapan together as #AnakAnakMalaysia!
The future is ours to make.
#JomKeHadapan together as #AnakAnakMalaysia!
Just like the saying “Same-same but different”, there are those little things that make us unique in our own ways – our slang, food, hobbies and even landmarks, but we’re all #AnakAnakMalaysia.
Let us discover just how different, but at the same time, how similar we are in our ways of living.
Everyone has a story to tell when it comes to the struggles in the pursuit of success. So do our fellow #AnakAnakMalaysia with their dedication and efforts to make history for our country. Let us be inspired by these HADAPAN Heroes in our fight for a better future, a better Malaysia – #JomKeHadapan!
Life was full of possibilities for Mei Sze when she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the midst of hosting her online reality show and finalising her doctorate thesis in developmental psychology. Nonetheless, with support from her friends and family, Mei Sze strived and won her battle. She began to advocate for cancer awareness by sharing her story on her blog and conducting monthly talks and youth support groups with the National Cancer Society of Malaysia.
Dreams do come true, even if it takes a while longer. Christina Ng strived to keep her childhood dream alive even when she was working for a Swiss pharmaceutical company. After her uploaded shoe designs went viral on Facebook, her brand Christy Ng became an online sensation and her page gained thousands of fans within the first month. In 2013, she won the first Alliance Bank Bizsmart SME Innovation Challenge, taking home the RM250,000 cash prize to expand her business.
With “Movement” and “Hope” in mind, Collin Swee and Syed Sadiq Albar envisioned Projek57 to be a social enterprise that encourages unity, positivity and empowerment by engaging youths of various backgrounds in retail training, with the goal to empower underprivileged peers, Orang Asli and single mothers so they can have a chance to break free from poverty and pursue a better future.
Mention the word “squash” to any Malaysian and they’ll tell you about Datuk Nicol Ann David. She became a household name when she became the first squash player to have won the World Junior title twice. In 2006, she was officially the number one female player in the world, becoming the first Asian woman to achieve this accomplishment. Nicknamed “Duracell Bunny” for her persistence and constant performance, Datuk Nicol Ann David captured 10 titles during an undefeated 2008 season and is regarded as the most dominant player that the world has ever seen in squash history.
The youngest child of three, Diana grew up watching her parents preparing Peranakan and Cantonese food, which became her main inspiration for cooking. She plans to open a restaurant serving fusion and Malaysian flavours using the AUD$250,000 prize from Masterchef Australia 2017. Meanwhile, Diana has been promoting Malaysian tourism through her column in Delicious Magazine and hosting cooking demonstrations in Melbourne and Malaysia.
Despite her shoulder injuries from the 2011 World Championship, Farah Ann persevered and trained to compete in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. She became a household name when she won two gold medals in the 2015 SEA Games and defended her title in the 2017 SEA Games.
Nicknamed "El Pescao" (a Puerto Rican slang for “The Fish”), Hafizh Syahrin is known for his amazing ability to manoeuvre his motorcycle in rain – the riskiest of race conditions. With this skill in his command, Hafizh became not only the first Malaysian but also the first Southeast Asian to compete in the 2018 MotoGP season, let us wish him all the best in his upcoming race!
One does not simply be considered as "the Godfather of Stand-Up Comedy" in Malaysia without some real humour-ability. Harith has been one of the pioneers of Malaysian stand-up comedians, from his debut on stage in the old Subang Airport Hotel lobby lounge to hosting comedic talk-shows and sitcoms and even appearing as a cameo in films. He also brought international recognition to Malaysia with his recent crowning as Laugh Factory’s Funniest Person in the World in 2016, which gave him the opportunity to release his Netflix original comedy special, I Told You So and his Australian tour, Harith Iskander The Tour.
One of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2017, Jazz Tan Yee Mei has come a long way from being the family’s breadwinner—after the tragic murder of her father by gangsters—to becoming a successful social entrepreneur. Jazz started working part-time at the age of 14 and eventually secured a college scholarship, which led to her starting YouthsToday as a platform to get young Malaysians off the streets by matching ideal sponsors to fund their events and simultaneously motivating them to realise their dreams.
What can a bottle of drinking water do beyond quenching thirst? To Jerryson Abraham Doss, it is an opportunity to give back to society. Jerryson started Viva Starfish as a platform to reach out to the underprivileged and troubled youths and also help the homeless get back on their feet. Using 10% of their bottled water sales proceeds, Viva Starfish is able to provide better education for children from lower-income families, set up “recruitment drives” for homeless street dwellers and even organise beach clean-up and flood relief. Jerryson was awarded the JT Foxx Connector Award 2015 for having the most innovative and promising idea, the same year as Viva Starfish was established.
Not even the tropical climate can stop Julian Yee from pursuing his dream of becoming a figure skater. This five-time Malaysian senior national champion has won gold at the 2017 SEA Games and made his way to represent Malaysia at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
Not your typical girl-next-door, Leona Chin started drifting at the young age of 20 and is widely recognised for her prankster persona alongside her professional racing career. Despite motorsports being considered as a male-dominated arena, Leona’s skills and achievements break down the stereotypes and push the boundaries of women’s strength, limit and endurance.
Low started out as a female talk show host in 2000, which gave her the platform to understand the media industry and discover new opportunities. Low further pursued her passion for filmmaking and later on started her non-profit organisation, WOMEN:girls, as an initiative programme to encourage and empower women and girls to discover their potential and achieve their dreams.
You’ve seen his caricatures on newspapers, street walls and even on the wristbands of the #AnakAnakMalaysia 2017 campaign. Reggie Lee is no stranger to Malaysia’s cartoon scene, as his style is constantly recognisable through his dry humour and witty commentary on current issues and everything Malaysian.
Formerly known as Reshmonu, Resh started out as a musician sporting cornrows and a music style of mixing R&B with traditional sounds. Since his debut in 2003, Resh has produced and released albums in Malay, English and Tamil, and his undeniable talent also earned him opportunities as the opening act for international artists such as Alicia Keys, The Black Eyed Peas etc. In 2015, Resh decided to break into the international market and released the EP 'Who Am I' featuring his single 'Half the Man'. Just after two weeks, the single was ranked at no. 8 in the Digital Radio Tracker Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Chart.
Wan Hazmer was the lead designer of Final Fantasy Type-0 and Final Fantasy XV at Square Enix. Now, upon his newfound fame and return to Malaysia, he co-founded his game development company, Metronomik with former concept artist of Street Fighter V, Daim Dziauddin to take Malaysia further into the gaming industry.
Although coming from different cultures and backgrounds, Malaysians share the same love and respect for Malaysia. We asked our #AAM influencers what makes them proud to be #AnakAnakMalaysia, let’s find out.
“We are all ‘anak-anak Malaysia’ whether we are old or young, and we should be proud of it,” supermodel Amber Chia says. This is our opportunity to celebrate our nation’s unity and diversity, not only with our family and friends, but with many other Malaysians too!
“Whenever people asked me where I come from or what ethnicity I am, I would tell them that I’m Malaysian before anything else,” shares Choo Mei Sze, the Youth Ambassador for the National Cancer Society of Malaysia. This is because we are all #AnakAnakMalaysia!
One of our defining traits as a nation is our unity. “Malaysia is truly my home and I feel so proud to represent the country when I compete overseas,” says Datuk Nicol David.
The people and country go hand-in-hand and cannot co-exist without the other: this is what our legendary national football player Datuk Santokh Singh thinks about our country’s unique unity.
“#AnakAnakMalaysia must be held with full zest as it has the potential to bring more Malaysians together for a good time, leading to greater understanding among all and strengthening a harmonious society,” says Gabriella Robinson, Miss Tourism International 2011. This is our opportunity to walk, celebrate and create a wider network of friends with our fellow Malaysians.
“The more diverse we are, the stronger we are,” says Harith Iskander, our #AnakAnakMalaysia influencer. This diversity is what reminds him of our shared future together. Let’s continue to celebrate the strength, diversity and unity of Malaysia together at the AAM Walk!
Jazz Tan, founder of youth development organisation ‘Youths Today’, hopes that many will come out to take part in the upcoming #AnakAnakMalaysia walk and have a good time with their family and friends.
“I feel the annual #AnakAnakMalaysia Walk is a beautiful event that has inspired and stirred up thousands of people to be part of this community affair that instills the spirit of patriotism,” Leona Chin, motorsports athlete, shares about the upcoming #AnakAnakMalaysiaWalk.
Let’s channel her excitement and celebrate the unity of our country together at the AAM Walk!
To singer and songwriter Resh, the#AnakAnakMalaysia Walk is a celebration of patriotism. “I see patriotism as being responsible for the community and all levels of government with the willingness of all to give or share ideas to improve society, because diversity is the greatest Malaysian
“It is a great place for Malaysians from all backgrounds to socialise with each other,” says Anas Zubedy, author, entrepreneur and moderation advocate. He’s also been a part of the #AnakAnakMalaysia Walk since its inception!
“I think the name #AnakAnakMalaysia itself represents all races in our country,” says Elena Goh Ling Yin, our national race walker. Walk, mingle, and celebrate with our fellow Malaysians!
The beauty of our country, according to beauty queens Lee Yvonne and Chloe Chen, can be seen through our diverse cultures, and how we are embrace each other in unity. “We are all Malaysians but we don’t ignore the different ethnicities and cultures that we have here. We don’t try to erase them, but we embrace them,” Chloe says. This will be Yvonne and Chloe’s first #AnakAnakMalaysia Walk, so join them as we #JomKeHadapan together as one!
Our love for the country does not just mean being patriotic - it also means taking care of our environment for our country’s beautiful future. “Malaysia has a lot to offer in terms of flora and fauna, we just have to take care of it,” says award-winning actress Maya Karin. Walk the talk together with her and other influences as we pay more attention to conserving the environment and show more love for our country at the #AnakAnakMalaysia 2018 Walk!
“Patriotism is about empowering oneself and serving the country to the fullest. As Malaysians, we must promote and sacrifice for our nation’s betterment,” Chef Wan says, sharing his thoughts on what patriotism means to him. Join our #AnakAnakMalaysia Walk, where you can celebrate the spirit of patriotism with thousands of other fellow Malaysians!
This is our national breakfast - something that is quintessentially Malaysian. Think fluffy rice cooked in santan, spicy sambal that will wake up your tastebuds and egg, peanuts, fried anchovies and a few slices of cucumber, all wrapped up in a banana leaf. It’s a perfect combination of different flavours, just like our nation! Here, we reveal NASI LEMAK as our #AnakAnakMalaysia wristband pin.
This is the ‘WAU' factor! A traditional game that is more than just a game - it’s also an artistic showcase of traditional Malay patterns and designs. Its handmade nature reveals great artistic effort, all while uniting the country as one as we fly this kite together. The WAU BULAN is another one of our #AnakAnakMalaysia wristband pins. #JomKeHadapan with our fellow Malaysians!
Our beautiful country is melting pot of culture: food, languages, flavours, and ideas. It’s time to celebrate our heritage and our unity, and this is one way of doing so! This I LOVE MALAYSIA pin completes our set of #AnakAnakMalaysia wristband pins! #JomKeHadapan with our fellow Malaysians!
With its dominating appearance and cultural significance to the local indigenous population, the highest mountain in Malaysia rises in Sabah. MOUNT KINABALU is inspiration for another one of our #AnakAnakMalaysia wristband pins. #JomKeHadapan with our fellow Malaysians!
Did you know that this is our national bird? With 10 different species found here in Malaysia, and these majestic birds in their striking black, white, and orange colours are a sight to behold! The HORNBILL is just another one of our #AnakAnakMalaysia wristband pins. #JomKeHadapan with the rest of Malaysia!
The #AnakAnakMalaysia 2018 T-shirt Design Competition is inspired by the theme “Jom Ke Hadapan”, which centres around the idea of a continuous progression driven by empowerment, hope and creativity. In the spirit of Merdeka, let us aspire and be empowered to realise our goals for a greater Malaysia.
We are pleased to announce the winning designs for the first #AnakAnakMalaysia Walk T-shirt Design Competition! From over 1,500 submissions, our judges have selected 3 best designs that reflect the theme #JomKeHadapan! Let us congratulate our winners and celebrate our unity and pride as #AnakAnakMalaysia!
GRAND PRIZE:
RATIONALE:
Maygala Devi’s design features a group of people—presented in silhouettes—striving together as one nation, as she wants to present the idea of being united as Malaysians regardless of race, colour or creed. The theme, #JomKeHadapan expresses the goal of a nation moving forward and held by hope, which is symbolised by the hand. The colours throughout the design symbolise the idea that even through hurdles, we will grow together in the right direction.
SECOND PRIZE:
RATIONALE:
Lee Shan’s design features both flora and fauna elements, where the flora element is represented by our national flower, the Hibiscus; and fauna is represented by a dove. The Hibiscus is a symbol of our forefathers’ bravery and Malaysia’s independence, while the dove is the universal symbol of hope and peace. The 3 human figures symbolise the strengthening unity and harmony, rendering the moving-forward theme of #JomKeHadapan. The colours on the national flag are used throughout the design as a celebration of our pride as Malaysians.
THIRD PRIZE:
RATIONALE:
Inspired by the words “UNITY, HARMONY and TOLERANCE”, Muhammad Asyraf’s design represents a strong motivation for all Anak-Anak Malaysia. It enables the determined spirit that acts as a glue to bring us all together, with the end goal of having Malaysia recognised by the world and thus, progress in a forward direction.