This year's Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list recognizes four Malaysian youngsters from varied backgrounds for their achievements.
The list honored Asia's top 300 trailblazers and entrepreneurs, including national team member Sivasangari Subramaniam, The Hive Southeast Asia principal Angel Low, animator Erica Eng, and Eat and Cook co-owner Lee Zhe Xi.
According to The Star, there are ten categories on the list. Forbes praised Sivasangari's fortitude after being involved in a car accident that left her with face fractures and a C1 vertebrae damage in 2022.
"Seven months later, Sivasangari won two gold medals at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023, then in April 2024, she won the Professional Squash Association (PSA) GillenMarkets London Classic in London.
"She defeated three of the world's top five players, winning after an 81-minute final battle. Subramaniam, who is now ranked 13th in the world, has her sights set on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, according to the statement.
Formes highlighted Low in the field of finance and venture capital.
"Low is a principal at The Hive Southeast Asia, a $50 million (RM234 million) fund established by Tuas Capital Partners, Sunway Group, and Palo Alto-based The Hive to invest in businesses in Malaysia and the ASEAN area.
"She also serves as the general manager of AI Nusantara, a Selangor Digital School initiative and one of The Hive Southeast Asia's initiatives that prepares students for the digital future using AI and machine-learning education.
"Previously, she worked as an investment analyst for Malaysia Venture Capital Management and a project analyst at Huisheng Consulting Group," added the statement.
Eng is categorized by Forbes as media, marketing, and advertising. She just adapted her webcomic into a graphic novel.
"She authored 'Fried Rice' in 2019, a story about a talented young artist named Min and is based on Eng's journey of having her application to study in America denied. In 2020, the webcomic received an Eisner Award, the comic industry's equivalent of an Oscar.
"Eng finished a graphic novel adaptation of her webcomic in 2022 after receiving an online bachelor's degree in animation and visual effects from Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
"The book contains 30 pages with greater content than the webcomic." "She published herself her work after being turned down by several publishers," it stated.
She is now working on a webcomic titled "Beloved" about growing up in a Christian environment and what it means to maintain one's faith as one ages.
Lee is categorized under the arts category. He is currently a co-owner of Eat and Cook, a Malaysian restaurant that serves omakase (where the chef chooses what to serve).
"Lee's childhood recollections of culinary with his grandma inspired him to become a chef.
"After being unemployed during the epidemic, Lee partnered with a university classmate to launch Eat and Cook in 2021, which was originally a six-seater facility in a mall.
"Within a year, it moved to a 32-seater facility, was ranked 79th on the 2023 Asia's 100 Best Restaurants list, and received an American Express One To Watch Award. It was named a Michelin Recommended Restaurant in 2023 and 2024, according to the statement.
