Thursday, 22 February 2018
Prof. Dr. Jamunarani Vadivelu
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#jamunaranivadivelu
Prof. Dr. Jamunarani Vadivelu
A microbiologist by training, Prof Jamuna Vadivelu is the Head of the Medical Education and Research Development Unit, Faculty of Medicine (MERDU), University of Malaya where she is a Professor.
She is also the COO of Geneflux Biosciences. A multidimensional diagnostic company focussed towards providing specialized, high-end confirmatory & predictive tests to a robust customer base comprising of all major tertiary hospitals, medical centres and community health care providers in Malaysia.
She was also one of the founding members of the World Congress on Melioidosis.
Her research interest is in bacterial pathogenesis, antimicrobial resistance of bacteria, bioinformatics and functional genomics, and medical education. She has initiated various projects involving Vibrio cholerae, Aeromonas hydrophila, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Legionella pneumophila and most importantly on the study of melioidosis.
With her background in Computational Genetics and Bioinformatics she was also involved in projects on familial hyercholestraemia and endogenous danger signals in cancer. She has published more than 80 peer-reviewed papers in international journals.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jamuna_Vadivelu
https://umexpert.um.edu.my/jamuna.html
https://biography.omicsonline.org/malaysia/university-of-malaya/dr-jamunarani-ap-s-vadivelu-683350
https://scholar.google.com.my/citations?user=zkLuM5gAAAAJ&hl=en
Tuesday, 13 February 2018
Sivananthi Thanenthiran
Siva is the Executive Director of The Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW) based in Malaysia. ARROW strives to enable women to be equal citizens in all aspects of their life by ensuring their sexual and reproductive health and rights are achieved.
She comes from a diverse range of work experiences: English Literature, Critical and Cultural Theory, teaching, magazine editor, writer. Siva joined ARROW first as a consultant on the IRRMA project findings titled ‘Rights & Realities’ and later as Programme Manager, Information & Communications. Siva is responsible for innovating and conceptualizing the ICPD+15 project at ARROW which now spans 22 partners in 12 countries.
I remember reading one of her posts on how her father encouraged her to go back to work after having children. Today she represents Arrow globally and has spoken on many issues on women across the globe including at the United Nations (UN). Another interesting aspect of Siva is that, she regularly wears the saree while speaking at conferences globally.
• Co-author, ‘Sexuality, Families & Rights,’ agenda-setting thematic paper for UNFPA’s Global Youth Forum, December 2012, UNFPA & ARROW, 2012, Reclaiming & Redefining Rights – ICPD+15: Status of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Asia.”, “Cities, Chaos & Creativity: A Sourcebook for Communicators”, “Cities, Citizens & Civilisations: Frequently Asked Questions on Good Urban Governance”,
• Author, ‘Seizing the Pivotal Moment: NGOs strategizing for SRHR in Asia and the Pacific Post-2014,’ ARROWs For Change Vol 18 Special Edition, 2012.
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Emily Koshy
Growing up in pre-independence Malaya, Emily Koshy had hoped to study medicine because she did quite well in her studies. But a newspaper advertisement in 1955 looking for probationary female inspectors caught her eye and that is how she became one of the country’s first female police inspectors.
Koshy, whose maiden name is Mathew, also has the distinction of being the sole Indian among the multiracial pioneer batch.
“In fact, I wanted to go for further studies, university and all. But my father was retiring that year, I didn’t want to trouble him… he’s a teacher, so never mind,” said Koshy who turns 82 on October 14.
The original advertisement in The Straits Times stated that candidates had to be aged between 18 and 35 with “Cambridge School Certificate” which is the equivalent of today’s SPM. They also had to have “normal eyesight without glasses” and be at least 147 centimetres tall.
Koshy shows a photo of herself as a young police officer, also sharing that she used to play badminton and hockey for her school. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
Koshy shows a photo of herself as a young police officer, also sharing that she used to play badminton and hockey for her school. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
One in seven
Koshy, who travelled from Malacca by bus to Kuala Lumpur for the oral interview at the Federal Police Depot at the then Jalan Gurney (now Jalan Semarak), said she was “shocked” at the high number of interested candidates.
In those days, occupation choices for women were limited to jobs such as teachers, clerks, nurses and it was difficult even for men to be admitted into the police force, she said.
“So many you know, 600 or 700 for the interview... I thought nobody will go; and then within a week their reply came, I was one of the seven selected,” she said.
She added that her “flair for languages” may have contributed to her being selected, noting that she then already spoke English, Malay, her mother tongue Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Punjabi, Hokkien and Cantonese.
“I had the advantage of having HSC, the other one is language, games, Girl Guides, I was in the debate team in school, I was head girl in Sultan Abu Bakar Girls’ school in Muar,” she said, referring to the Higher School Certificate qualification — the equivalent of today’s STPM -- that she was preparing for prior to the interview.
Despite the danger of joining the police force during the Malayan Emergency, Koshy said her India-born parents “were not worried” when she was selected but were only thinking of service for the nation.
“They were very, very proud that someone in the family had gone to serve the country, especially in the police uniformed branch and then when your court cases come out, your name comes out in the papers,” said Koshy, a second-generation settler born in Johor.
A group photo of Malaya’s first batch of female police inspectors (from left): Khairunisa Karim, Zaharah Rautin, Koshy, Irene Lee Saw Leng, their trainer Barbara Wentworth, Raja Nor Jasmi Raja Shahar Shah, Ng Lee Sin, Lee Yoke Lin. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
A group photo of Malaya’s first batch of female police inspectors (from left): Khairunisa Karim, Zaharah Rautin, Koshy, Irene Lee Saw Leng, their trainer Barbara Wentworth, Raja Nor Jasmi Raja Shahar Shah, Ng Lee Sin, Lee Yoke Lin. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
Training as equals
Officially joining the police force on October 8, 1955 along with three Malay and three Chinese women, Koshy said they were treated equally and received the same level of training as their male counterparts.
She remembers they were given free room and board plus a monthly allowance of 200 dollars; new recruits would be up by 7am daily for an hour of physical exercise or marching, followed by classes from 9am to 1pm on topics such as criminal law, procedures for court cases and police investigation.
Afternoons would see the recruits exercising and training in weapon handling and shooting with the primary weapon being the pistol, she added.
Before the standard six-month training together with the other trainees, Koshy’s batch of seven had an additional three months of special training on investigating and prosecuting cases involving women and children.
“When we came in, there was a European lady from London, she was a specialist — Miss Wentworth, Barbara Wentworth, she was an ASP… came here to specially train us... once she trained us all up, they sent her back. So our training was all English standards,” she said.
A photo shows Koshy leading female police officers in the 1957 parade to celebrate Malaya’s declaration of independence, with the march from the Kuala Lumpur railway station passing through the Dataran Merdeka area to the end of Batu Road (now Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman). — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
A photo shows Koshy leading female police officers in the 1957 parade to celebrate Malaya’s declaration of independence, with the march from the Kuala Lumpur railway station passing through the Dataran Merdeka area to the end of Batu Road (now Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman). — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
Independence and police duty
Koshy also had the honour of leading the platoon of female police officers in the first-ever Merdeka parade in 1957 on August 31.
Having joined the police force at the tail-end of the Malayan Emergency which lasted from 1948 to 1960, Koshy said she and her fellow women recruits were not sent to deal with the communists.
“We didn’t go for border jaga and all that, they got their Home Guards and special security; we were more on crime policing, police investigation, crime — for women mostly on outraging modesty, rape, beating… we specialised in women and children,” she said, noting that she was later transferred from the KL depot to Muar where her husband worked as a teacher.
Having experience in criminal investigation, Koshy said she spent most of her career in the lower courts prosecuting criminal cases, recalling how those accused of crimes often shuddered in fear at her no-nonsense attitude in court.
She said most of the cases involving domestic violence against women and children that she handled were straightforward and successfully prosecuted.
Drug cases were not prevalent then even up to the 1970s, with crimes mostly revolving around offences such as robbery, theft, assault, murder, molest, cruelty to wife and children, rape and outraging of modesty, she said.
The largest photo on a page of Koshy’s photo album shows her receiving a letter of commendation in 1962 from the Malacca chief police officer for her investigation and prosecution work. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
The largest photo on a page of Koshy’s photo album shows her receiving a letter of commendation in 1962 from the Malacca chief police officer for her investigation and prosecution work. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
Turmoil again
The country experienced turbulence once again on May 13, 1969 and this time, Koshy was stationed in Malacca.
Koshy recalls being on duty and in charge of co-ordination from within the police station, as authorities imposed a strict curfew on Malacca but gradually relaxed curfew hours as the situation in Kuala Lumpur improved over the following days.
While Malacca did not experience trouble, police were on standby there and in other states throughout the country to avert anything that may spark off chaos, Koshy said.
“Malacca didn’t have much (trouble), mostly KL, but we were ready lah, because sometimes it spreads fast,” she said.
The unrest in Kuala Lumpur quickly died down, she said, adding that she served in Malacca for a number of years where she was promoted to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police and was then shifted back to the police-training centre in KL.
Koshy shows the Ahli Mangku Negara medal awarded by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Pingat Jasa Kebaktian Melaka medal given by the Malacca government for her services as a police officer. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
Koshy shows the Ahli Mangku Negara medal awarded by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Pingat Jasa Kebaktian Melaka medal given by the Malacca government for her services as a police officer. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
Life after the police force
After retiring with the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police, Koshy joined the Film Censorship Board for seven years.
Koshy, who turns 82 this month, keeps herself active with qi gong every morning at 7am and continues to serve in the choir — that she has been part of since 1992 — at St Mary’s Cathedral in Kuala Lumpur.
No one else from her family has joined the police force, with all three of her children and her grandchildren venturing into banking and medical-related professions respectively.
Photo and story by The Malay Mail Online
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Syakilla Salni Jefry Krishnan
Her accomplishments allowed her to end the 2016 season with a bang, a total of 2,115 points in her grip. She was this close to winning her second Premier League Series title, but lost to Emilie Thouy in Germany.
Just six months ago, Syakilla defeated world champion Sara Cardin and won gold in Dubai. She also earned a silver in Austria and bronze in Turkey.
She is set to be a forefront runner for Gold in Olympics for Malaysia in 2020.
You can read about other inspiring Malaysian Indian women I have featured before on our facebook page. I am to introduce and future many more inspiring women on a weekly basis.
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Madhu Barghavi Vijayakumar
Madhu Barghavi Vijayakumar has written her first children’s book at the age of seven. The launch of her 24-page book titled The Golden Parrot and the Magic Teapot attracted almost a full house at the auditorium of the National Museum recently.
Diagnosed with autism two years ago, the girl has become an inspiration for families with autistic children. A nervous Barghavi read out on stage one of her two short stories in the book, accompanied by her mother Jegadeswari Krishnan.
“It’s amazing she has come this far, a girl who earlier didn’t want to read and write or hold a pencil,” said her personal tutor Mahaletchumi Tavamany.
Just three years ago, Barghavi had poor motor skills and Mahaletchumi had to train her to work with clay, marbles and play dough to strengthen her grip.
“Even now, she still doesn’t like writing that much.
“She prefers activities like listening to people read books,” said the special education teacher.
Mahaletchumi has been spending an hour to tutor Barghavi weekly since 2014.
Jegadeswari said the idea of the first story about the golden parrot in the book came to Barghavi last year when her school teacher gave her an empty booklet to write a story.
“The booklet only had illustrations as she hates writing but she repeated the story to me a few times so I encouraged her to write it,” she said.
“It took her a few weeks and immediately after that, she came up with the second story on the magic teapot.”
Jegadeswari, who wanted to nurture the author in her daughter, then found a family who offered to sponsor the publication cost.
Priced at RM28.90 and published by Rakyat Media Industries, proceeds from the book sale will go to non-profit organisation Love Autism Society of Malaysia (Persama).
Persama patron Tan Sri Dr M. Kayveas, Persama founder Thila Laxshman, and director of a film on autism Redha, Tunku Mona Riza were also present yesterday.
“Don’t mould your child. What I did was accepting her as she was and try to encourage and empower her in the face of adversity.
“I don’t see raising her as a challenge but an experience.
“I didn’t try to change anything in her and she has grown on her own,” Jegadeswari said.
Story and pic by the Star
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Shoba Mary Thomas
28-year-old Shoba Mary Thomas is a Masters of Science (Research) student from Universiti Malaya and a recipient of the Yayasan Penyelidikan Antartika Sultan Mizan (YPASM) Berth Support to Rothera Research Station in Antarctica grant.
As part of her second polar research expedition which ended on March 5, she is studying microbiological communities in maritime Antarctica. Her research paper sketches the effects of environmental variability and regional change on the diversity and survival of these microorganisms.
Thomas shares, “The Antarctic is an important place because of the global effects on seawater … the sea levels are rising, and global weather patterns are all determined from there."
Rothera Research Station, where Thomas has now spent a total of six months, is run by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), and located on Rothera Point, Adelaide Island on the west of the Antarctic Peninsula.
The station lies south of the Falkland Islands and south-east of Punta Arenas in Chile. In Rothera, scientific research is actively carried out all year round, even during winter.
Thomas is studying microbiological communities in maritime Antarctica at the Rothera Research Station, south of the Falkland Islands, Argentina.
Rothera is able to accommodate around 100 people in the summer months (mid-October to April) and during the winter (April to mid-October) it is kept running by about 20 dedicated staff.
Just how did a girl from Kelana Jaya, Selangor end up in polar research?
“Funnily enough,” she says, “after Form Six, I was offered microbiology at UM and I had no idea what it was! I wanted to be a doctor but I’m so glad that didn’t work out … it was a bullet dodged and I got to go to Antarctica instead!”
The SM Seri Aman schoolgirl who did her STPM at SM La Salle in Petaling Jaya says that studying microbiology turned out to be a blessing.
“It is so much fun looking down microscopes at cells. Also, I always enjoyed playing around in dirt when I was a little girl, and now I am being allowed to do it for my degree … much to my Amachi’s dismay!” Thomas says, referring to her grandmother’s vexation at the unladylike occupation.
Thomas is one of several Malaysians who have been sent by the YPASM to Antarctica. YPASM was launched in 2012 with a mission to sustain Malaysia’s presence in polar research and strengthen research capacity in global frontier sciences.
“In my final year as an undergraduate, I found that although my project was great, my friend’s work was so much more interesting and so I started looking out for polar projects like hers.
“I was lucky to be at the right place at the right time as my supervisor Dr Geok Yuan Annie Tan was involved in polar research, so I stayed on with her. I was very excited. The ecosystem is so unusual in Antarctica. I would like to continue with polar microbiology even after my Masters.
The young scientist is the eldest of four siblings. Her parents – Alexander Thomas and Achamma Mathews – passed away in 2010 and 2012 respectively. Thomas and her brothers have managed to fend for themselves, with much encouragement and support from family and friends. There have been ups and downs, but embarking on this polar adventure was never a point of concern for her.
“I was not afraid. The BAS takes good care of you. I had to attend a one month pre-deployment course in Cambridge, during which they prepare you for what to expect. You learn basic first aid, Malaysians are put through a sea survival course, you get a kit bag with an outer jacket, boots, gloves and thermal wear,” she explains, sharing how her research liaison, Prof Dr Peter Convey, a terrestrial ecologist and senior research scientist at BAS, was particularly helpful in the assimilation process.
“My biggest worry really was that I had not planned out my science properly … remember, there are no shops in Antarctica to buy stuff!”
Whether it is petri dishes, chemicals or filters, Thomas says it is imperative that planning is precise for the three-month stay.
Thomas arrived at the Rothera Research Station on Nov 30 last year.
When not in the laboratory, Thomas was able to pick up many news skills, including co-piloting a Twin-Otter plane and seeing some amazing wildlife.
Among the skills Thomas has to acquire is flying a small plane.
“I also learnt how to snowboard and I learnt to drive a rib (which is a little boat with a 40cc engine that can seat up to six people).
Thomas said another thing she quickly grasped was independence.
“Over there you have to do things for yourself and there’s a certain degree of maturity that comes with that. One learns how to adapt. I learnt to become resourceful.
“I also learnt to do a lot of physical things … I hadn’t realised how ‘unphysical’ I was in Malaysia!”
Strangely, the weather was a breeze for Thomas, who reckons temperatures ranged between 7°C and -5°C.
“But with snowstorms and blizzards it can get rather cold at times. Winters are much worse though, and no Malaysian has ever wintered in Antarctica yet!”
Women in science
All said, Thomas is super thankful for the opportunity that she has been afforded.
“From a work perspective, the samples collected will allow a better view of the trends of bacterial responses, as more data points improve resolution. This gives more meaning to the analysis and the conclusions drawn from the analysis,” she offers, in true geek fashion.
She is also grateful that everyone – in Antarctica, Britain and Malaysia – has been very supportive of women in science. “I have faced no discrimination at all when it comes to work.”
“I never thought I would ever get these opportunities … I always had such average dreams! I guess 18-year-old me would be pretty impressed with what I have done! Although it wasn’t exactly a dream of mine, when the opportunity presented itself, I’m glad I grabbed it.
“I do think that for many young women, we don’t dream big enough and that’s a shame because there’s so much that young Malaysian women can do,” she says, citing other female researchers and scientists who juggle families with young children and research work as her inspiration.
The National Antarctic Research Centre has many brilliant, hardworking female scientists that Thomas looks up to.
“As I am early in my career as a researcher, they are my role models,” says Thomas, adding that the foundation for being strong originated at home, from being raised by strong women.
“Mum (and Dad too!) allowed me to be me – scabby knees and weird childhood interests in creepy crawlies and everything. That freedom that they gave me to pursue my interests has been instrumental in shaping me.”
Read the full article here
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M Rajamani
#mrajamani
Between 1964 and 1968, a Malaysian sportswomen completely lit up the running track, earning her the title 'Asia's Queen of the Track'. In 1964, M.Rajamani's breakout performance in national level sports saw her representing the country at the Tokyo Olympics. It was the first time, the 21 year old Rajamani had set foot outside of the country.
She also blazed her way to multiple gold medals at the 1965 and 1967 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, and made history in 1966 by becoming the first Malaysian woman to win a gold medal in any sport at the Asian Games. That same year, she was awarded the inaugural National Sportswoman of the Year award; a feat she repeated the following year.
With the 1968 Mexico City Olympics firmly set in her sights, Rajamani began training in earnest. It was during one such training session that it began to rain and Rajamani took shelter under a structure with 2 of her fellow athletes.
3 days later, Rajamani awoke in hospital to find out that they had been struck by lightning. One training partner, did not survive the strike. Rajamani was comatose for 18 hours and suffered traumatic memory loss. At 25, the very peak of her career, Asia's Track Queen was forced to retire. She continued to contribute to the country's sports development through coaching and teaching, and today was honoured at the #beaXSuperwomanevent which celebrated 6 of Malaysia's heroic women
❤️Text and photo by sareesandstories
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Meera Samanther
Meera Samanther is a lawyer/activist and President of the Association of Women Lawyers Malaysia, is a proud advocate of women’s rights. Meera’s introduction to women’s rights came in 1995 when she joined the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) as a volunteer. She began by taking on groundwork such as bringing women to the shelter or the police station, handling their phone calls and helping with WAO programmes for women and children. Two years later, she was appointed secretary of the association and then to the board before eventually taking over as president. She also became a committee member of the Association of Women Lawyers (AWL) at that time.
AWL figures show that as of 2012, there were 9,631 lawyers in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor and 51% of them were women. As at February, there are 15,230 lawyers in Peninsular Malaysia of whom more than half are women.
Meera stepped down from her post in WAO in 2012 and became president of AWL. As president of AWL, Meera looks into the promotion of the rights, welfare and professional development of women lawyers and law graduates in Malaysia. Although she returned to practising law in 2000, she focuses mostly on pro bono work.
Her proudest achievement to date would be her involvement in the amendment to Article 8 (2) of the Federal Constitution in 2001 that prohibits gender discrimination.
Being a feminist, she says, means having to continually check oneself against the patriarchal thinking that is so ingrained in our nature.
“Articles and advertisements in the media stereotypically portray women as objects. Upon closer inspection, she says even the law itself is not as gender neutral as people perceive it to be. Existing laws, she says, are drafted based on male norms and standards, with women’s voices often left out of the discussion, in terms of making, interpreting and implementing the law.
Meera was first exposed to the concept of gendered law when she attended the Asia-Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development in 1988.
“The law is a double-edged sword – it can discriminate against or empower a woman. If you want to talk about change, we must look at the substance of the law, the culture of it and the structure. We hope to plant a seed of discontent among students to think about and develop a critical mindset towards the law,” she says.
Meera credits her husband, Lim Cheng Bock, who is also a lawyer, for his belief in her work. By doing so, he sets the right example for rest the of the family, she says.One’s feminism is most tested in everyday conversations and how you live your life, she says. Her passion for gender equality has inevitably rub
photo and story by: The ant daily
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Professor Kalaivani Cassandra Nadarajah
Professor Kalaivani Cassandra Nadarajah from the School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, UKM. Prof Kalaivani continues to build her professional expertise in plant microbiology, conventional rice breeding and water quality management. She is also the President of the Malaysia Chapter of the
Organization of Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) formerly known as TWOWS.
Mary Shanthi Dairiam
Mary Shanthi Dairiam is a Malaysian human rights and women's rights advocate and United Nations(UN) official. She has since 2004 served on the UN's Gender Equality Task Force,[2] and on the Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women.[3] From 2004 to 2008, she was also a member of the UN's CEDAW committee,[4] within which she was appointed Rapporteur in January 2007.[5]
In 2010, Dairiam was appointed as one of three UN experts to lead an inquiry into the Israeli navy's response to the Marmara flotillathat sought to break a blockade of Gaza.[6]
Dairiam is the founder and a current director of International Women's Rights Action Watch - Asia Pacific, a charity devoted to the implementation of the CEDAW convention.[7]
CEDAW Committee Member, 2005-2008;
In 2010, Dairiam was appointed as one of three UN experts to lead an inquiry into the Israeli navy's response to the Marmara flotillathat sought to break a blockade of Gaza.[6]
Dairiam is the founder and a current director of International Women's Rights Action Watch - Asia Pacific, a charity devoted to the implementation of the CEDAW convention.[7]
CEDAW Committee Member, 2005-2008;
CEDAW Committee, Rapporteur, 2007-2008; Member, Gender Equality Task Force,
UNDP, 2007- present;
Member, Advisory Panel, Disability Rights Fund, Boston, USA. 2008-present
Member of the Board of Directors, International Women Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW), Malaysia, 1996- Present;
Non Aligned Movement (NAM) Institute for the Empowerment of Women. Member of the Advisory Committee, Malaysia, 2007- Present;
The National Advisory Council on Women, Member, Malaysia, March 2005- present
Irene Fernandez
Irene Fernandez, a champion of the oppressed in Malaysia whose indefatigable advocacy for better treatment of foreign migrant workers prompted her government to denounce her as a traitor and human rights groups to shower her with awards.
Ms. Fernandez abandoned a career as a teacher in her early 20s to fight for social causes. She helped organize the first textile workers union in Malaysia and campaigned for women’s rights, improved consumer education and safer pesticides.
Her signature crusade was for the rights of the poorest and most marginalized people in her relatively rich country: the migrant workers who do the dirty, ill-paying jobs most native Malaysians shun. Foreigners account for more than 16 percent of the work force in a population of 29 million people, and more than half the foreigners are in the country illegally.
A prominent advocate for the rights of migrants and women in Malaysia for decades, Fernandez helped found the Kuala Lumpur based rights organization Tenaganita (Women’s Force) in 1991. Tenaganita provides legal services and conducts advocacy on behalf of migrant victims of abuse, trafficking victims, refugees, and asylum seekers. In recognition of her tireless work and leadership, Human Rights Watch in 1996 honored Fernandez with its human rights monitor award.
Fernandez was harassed repeatedly by the Malaysian government for her activism. In 1995 Tenaganita released a report documenting beatings and sexual violence against detainees by prison guards, and inadequate food and water in Malaysia’s immigration detention camps. Fernandez was arrested in March 1996 and charged with malicious publication of false news under the draconian Printing Presses and Publications Act of 1984.
After seven years of trial, she was found guilty in 2003 and sentenced to a year in prison. She was released on bail pending her appeal, but the government used her conviction to bar her from running for parliament in the 2004 elections. The conviction was finally overturned in November 2008, ending the 13-year case.
She was also a member of the organizing committee of the recently concluded People’s Tribunal on Malaysia’s 13th general election.
Fernandez had received numerous other awards, including the Amnesty International Award in 1998; the International PEN Award in 2000; the Jonathan Mann Award in 2004; and the Right Livelihood Award in 2005.
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Thursday, 8 February 2018
Anne Abraham
Anne Abraham
Chief Executive Officer at LeadWomen Sdn Bhd
After 25 years of serving in several key leadership positions in the corporate world, Anne left to establish a consulting and training organisation, Leadwomen Sdn Bhd, committed to changing perceptions and mindsets on the significance of balanced gender leadership. Wanting to live her passion and have more purpose in her work, she decided to focus her next phase in life in this space.
As founder and CEO of LeadWomen, Anne plays a pivotal role in guiding the company’s vision and mission towards developing and advancing women into leadership positions across the corporate and government sectors with a hope that it will also gain traction across the ASEAN Region.
She is the co-founder for the Malaysian Chapter of the 30% Club, setup to drive for 30% women on boards and senior decision making positions in all public companies. The Club is a business-led campaign, which is a part of a global movement, focused on achieveing gender balanced leadership across corporations.
As a strong advocate and supporter for women leadership development, she frequently speaks at events and sits on panels focused on empowering into Women in Leadership and Board positions.
She currently also serves as a board director of a Malaysian Public Listed Company, Chairman for Media Prima Digital and a member on the Panel of Women Entrepreneurs, SMECorp Malaysia.
Prior to LeadWomen, she was the Managing Director of SAP Malaysia and Cisco Malaysia, two of the largest global technology corporations in their segment. She was successful at building high-performance executive teams and leading technology and service organizations. In those capacities, she ensured that the diversity and inclusion agenda was aligned with the business strategy.
Chief Executive Officer at LeadWomen Sdn Bhd
After 25 years of serving in several key leadership positions in the corporate world, Anne left to establish a consulting and training organisation, Leadwomen Sdn Bhd, committed to changing perceptions and mindsets on the significance of balanced gender leadership. Wanting to live her passion and have more purpose in her work, she decided to focus her next phase in life in this space.
As founder and CEO of LeadWomen, Anne plays a pivotal role in guiding the company’s vision and mission towards developing and advancing women into leadership positions across the corporate and government sectors with a hope that it will also gain traction across the ASEAN Region.
She is the co-founder for the Malaysian Chapter of the 30% Club, setup to drive for 30% women on boards and senior decision making positions in all public companies. The Club is a business-led campaign, which is a part of a global movement, focused on achieveing gender balanced leadership across corporations.
As a strong advocate and supporter for women leadership development, she frequently speaks at events and sits on panels focused on empowering into Women in Leadership and Board positions.
She currently also serves as a board director of a Malaysian Public Listed Company, Chairman for Media Prima Digital and a member on the Panel of Women Entrepreneurs, SMECorp Malaysia.
Prior to LeadWomen, she was the Managing Director of SAP Malaysia and Cisco Malaysia, two of the largest global technology corporations in their segment. She was successful at building high-performance executive teams and leading technology and service organizations. In those capacities, she ensured that the diversity and inclusion agenda was aligned with the business strategy.
Mahaletchumy Arujunan
Mahaletchumy Arujunan is a Malaysian Scientist. She is currently the executive director of Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (Mabic). Mahaletchumy joined MABIC in Jan 2003 as a Project Officer and later took over as the Executive Director in May 2005.[1]
Mahaletchumy Arujunan was listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the field of biotechnology by the 7th edition of The Scientist American Worldwide View: A Global Biotechnology Perspective Journal
She is also a recipient of 2010 TWAS Regional Prize for Public Understanding of Science for East, Southeast Asia and Pacific Region.
She also founded the country’s first science newspaper, The Petri Dish.
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Professor Dr Sheila Nathan
Professor Dr Sheila Nathan from the School of Biosciences and Biotechnology of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) is truly a molecular biologist.
She was awarded Anugerah Akademik Negara in 2014.
Her research is about developing therapeutics against melioidosis, a fatal disease caused by bacteria, Burkholderia pseudomallei, a soil and water pathogen that is endemic in Thailand and Northern Australia. She collaborated with Prof Dr Mah Wah Tan and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Denise Monack of Stanford University on the melioidosis project.
Prof. Nathan is also the Director of the Comparative Genomics and Genetics Research Centre at the Malaysia Genome Institute (GENOM Malaysia).#indianmalaysian #inspiringmsianindianwomen
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Inspiring #malaysianindian women
Professor Dr #sheilanathan
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Capt Janaky Devar
Malaysian born Indian National Army (INA) veteran Capt Janaky Devar was barely 17 years old when she first saw Netaji Bose; in 1943 when he came to Malaya and addressed a huge gathering at the Selangor Club to appeal for donations and volunteers for the fight for India's independance.
The INAs Azad Hind Fauj - is comprised equally of Indian prisoners of war and Indian emigrants living in Southeast Asia.
She fought for the freedom of india and later for Malaysian independence in the land of her birth. In 1946, she became one of the co-founders of the Malaysian Indian Congress. Later she became a senator in the Malaysian parliament.
Janaky was the first Indian woman to donate her jewellery to raise funds for INA. She went on to join and become second in command for the rani of jhansi regiment, the world's first female army regiment.
When the regiment was instructed the regiment to break into groups of 150 and move out of Rangoon (now Yangon), the group that Devar was leading had a rough retreat as their train was bombed and the women had to walk to Bangkok which took 26 days of night marches braving bombs and machine guns firing at them.
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Sybil Kathigasu
SYBIL KATHIGASU was a resistance fighter who saved countless lives during the Japanese Occupation. Sybil Daly was born in Sumatra to Irish and Indian parents, and grew up in Malaya. She trained as a nurse and midwife and after marrying Dr Adson Clement Kathigasu, they operated a clinic in Ipoh.
When Malaya was taken by the Japanese in 1942, they went into hiding. Sybil and her husband started providing medical aid and information to the underground resistance at the Kathigasu shophouse dispensary in Papan, Perak.
The couple were captured by the Japanese and tortured. Sybil suffered ripped fingernails, hot iron-scalded legs, beatings with bamboo sticks and the infamously cruel “water treatment”. She was left with a damaged spine, broken bones and a fractured jaw. She died in 1948 from acute septicaemia due to an old wound on the jaw, resulting from a kick of a Japanese boot.
Her life has been immortalised in the series, Suatu Ketika: Sybil... Apa Dosaku? based on her memoir, No Dram Of Mercy.
Sybil was the first Malayan woman to be awarded the George Medal, a recognition of civilian bravery in the face of enemy action, by England’s King George VI.
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About The Malaysian Indian Women
This site aims to chronicle and introduce inspiring Malaysian Indian Women.
The instagram account focuses in celebrating stylish Malaysian Indian Women - be it in modern or traditional clothes
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