Malaysia (Commonwealth Union)_ Forbes Asia has named three renowned Malaysian women in the list of 50 women above the age of 50 from Asia-Pacific who are achieving new heights in their respective businesses and inspiring the region’s future generation. The magazine in its latest edition stated that the list, compiled in collaboration with Mika Brzezinski and Know Your Value, features inspiring women who are excelling in technology, pharmaceuticals, art, politics, and other fields and have demonstrated that success can be achieved at any age.
Professor Datuk Dr Asma Ismail, the 64-year-old Akademi Sains Malaysia president, was granted the National Academic Laureate Award in March 2022. She was the first female vice-chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia and served from 2016 to 2019, and she has served in a variety of notable academic posts during her career, such as head of the educational regulator Malaysian Qualifications Agency and scientific adviser to COP15. Typhidot, a quick diagnostic test for typhoid that is used globally, is one of the most notable breakthroughs of Asma.
Karina Robles Bahrin, the 52-year-old author, released her debut novel in 2022. The Accidental Malay received the 2022 Epigram Books Fiction Prize, making the author the second Malaysian and first Malaysian woman to win the prize for Southeast Asian authors. She was presented with RM78,000 and a deal with Epigram Books for publication. She was born and brought up in Kuala Lumpur. After her 20-year service in public relations, she moved to Langkawi to start a hotel and restaurant. The Accidental Malay is a satirical story that examines ethnicity, religion, and feminism.
Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, the 66-year-old lawyer and human rights activist, was the daughter of a renowned Malaysian urologist. She started her career as a lawyer in 1980 in England before being enrolled to the Malaysian Bar in 1982. The following three decades of her career were mostly devoted to commercial and corporate litigation. She received global attention in 2007 when she served as the president of the Malaysian Bar and led 2,000 lawyers in a protest demanding judicial reform. Sreenevasan was awarded the US International Women of Courage Award in 2009 for being a passionate supporter for Malaysian women’s rights.
