In their second celebration on the KLFW stage, L’Oréal banded together 22 women from Malaysia and Singapore and let them take to the runway to commemorate their empowerment. This year’s cohort includes accomplished women we’ve already got our eye on, such as Inspire cover stars Belle Sisoski (August 2024) and Kim May Chee (May 2024), as well as athletes, actresses, influencers, scientists, advocates, pageant queens and entrepreneurs among others.
From the list of 18 women representing Malaysia, here are six new inductees for the year that we believe are women to watch.
Shivaani Mariapun
As a postdoctoral research associate at Cancer Research Malaysia (CRMY), Shivaani Mariapun is one of the leading scientists in the nation furthering our understanding of breast cancer. Focused on predicting the risk of cancer among Asian women, her work and that of CRMY, bring us closer to saving more lives every day. She was the recipient of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science National Fellowship in 2019 and has only continued to put her efforts into making the world a better place.
Purnima Wijendra
Purnima Wijendra is an advocate for women in tech. As the co-founder of the all-women TechSprint Academy, she paves paths in education and training for women in coding, a space that’s more often than not dominated by men. Other organisations she is involved in include the Kuala Lumpur School of Artificial Intelligence, a non-profit that offers opportunities for education in the AI space. She is the current head of artificial intelligence at Mandrill Tech, with a life-long goal of closing the gender gap in the technology space. There’s definitely more to look forward to from Purnima as she continues her journey.
Michelle Chin
An entrepreneur and a woman with a mind for money, Michelle Chin is the co-founder of Oyen, the country’s leading digital pet insurance platform, as well as Her Duit, a personal finance platform that aims to empower women to take charge of their finances. Her Duit started in 2020, amidst the pandemic, when financial health was at the forefront of most of our minds. Since then, she has amassed more than 23,000 followers who are interested in Michelle’s journey to break down the barriers that keep people out of the loop when it comes to money management.
Racheal Kwacz
A “supermompreneur” as she was introduced, Racheal Kwacz is a child and family development specialist who pioneered the Racheal Method, which promotes respectful parenting within the Asian context. Integrating brain-based approaches to parenting and family development, her methods have gained acclaim on the local and global stage. Her sold-out parenting masterclasses and workshops have created a new generation of empowered mothers and children that will grow to make the world a better place.
Yap Sue Yii
Empowering women, and single mothers particularly, with Komuniti Tukang Jahit, Yap Sue Yii is a social entrepreneur who stumbled into the industry in 2018. Looking for a solution to an operational issue with her first start-up Royal Demure, Sue Yii saw an opportunity to empower women by providing training in sewing, and thus Komuniti Tukang Jahit was born. Now seven years later, it supports more than 300 women from the B40 community by giving them the skills and opportunities to better their lives through the sales of handmade, handsewn goods.
Erica Eng
Erica Eng is a Johor-based comic artist who gained recognition from her webcomic Fried Rice – which was serialised into a graphic novel and hit bookstores earlier this year. Fried Rice took home the Eisner Award in 2020, making Erica the first Malaysian to win that coveted prize. Telling a story inspired by her own life, Fried Rice bridges cultural divides with its slice-of-life depictions of the young Min, the main character in the webcomic. An animator and illustrator by day, this 25-year-old artist has more in store for us to see as she continues to hone her craft.
Discover more inspiring people and their stories here.