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WHO WE ARE
Nurul Izzah Anwar
Chairperson
Nurul Izzah Anwar was formerly Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh, serving her third term in the Malaysian legislature up to the year 2022. Her long political career began with the creation of the People’s Justice Party (KEADILAN) in 1999 where she played a vital role in its establishment. To this day, she remains a member of KEADILAN after serving as the political party’s Vice President from 2010-2018. She is currently serving her fourth stint as Vice President after her reappointment in 2022. Prior to being an MP, Nurul Izzah was known as a strong proponent of political and civil rights with a special interest in prisoners of conscience, bent on pursuing a holistic reform agenda to expand Malaysia’s democratic space.
Her current work on the ground revolves around projects that empower the most vulnerable segments of her constituency. Some of her initiatives as MP for Permatang Pauh include Program ROSE in collaboration with Universiti Malaya (a cervical cancer screening program for underserved women based at the University of Malaya Medical Centre), the Permatang Pauh Women’s Project (upskilling B40 women), and the 2021 Permatang Pauh Multidimensional Poverty Study headed by Professor Fatimah Kari, a forerunning expert in Malaysian multidimensional poverty. She also recently launched 'Talian Prihatin', a telephone service providing free mental health support catered to her constituents. Run by trained volunteers, the hotline offers private individual counselling, while also operating as a port of call for victims of domestic violence.
Her initiatives and programs are often the result of active collaborations with a range of NGOs, academic institutions, and other local entities to ensure that these programs remain sustainable within the local ecosystem in the long run.
Rashaad Ali
Managing Director
Prior to founding SERI, Rashaad worked as a policy advisor to a Malaysian Member of Parliament. He also was as an analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore with a research focus on federalism, institutionalism and public policy, publishing in academia as well as in media.
Rashaad also spent four years as an editorial manager at an e-commerce An avid musician, Rashaad has played drums in local bands for over 10 years and can still be found behind the kit at live music venues across the city.
Dr Helmy Haja Mydin
Senior Policy Advisor
Helmy is a co-founder of SERI and its first CEO. A practising respiratory specialist, he is the Head of the Lung Centre at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur and a co-founder of Asthma Malaysia, a NGO advocating greater empowerment for patients with asthma.
One of twenty global recipients of the Inter Academy Medical Panel's Young Physician Leader award and a part of Tatler's Gen T, Helmy was appointed as a technical adviser on tobacco control and a special adviser to two previous Health Ministers. He is a columnist with The Star, and is regularly sought after by the media for his views on issues related to policy.
Yolanda Augustin
Senior Strategy Advisor
I am a Malaysian oncologist with a passion for global oncology and social justice. I believe that quality healthcare is a fundamental human right. I currently co-lead a research programme at St George's University of London with Professor Sanjeev Krishna, focusing on developing affordable therapeutics and diagnostics for cancer in Low and Middle Class Income Countries (LMICs).
Our work brings together interdisciplinary experts from academia, global health and industry, with research collaborations in Malaysia, Vietnam, India and Senegal. Our current research is focused on drug repurposing for cancer and affordable point-of-care diagnostics for HPV DNA screening for cervical cancer. We also work with community health care champions in rural communities on removing barriers to equitable healthcare access and delivery
Syafiqa Zakaria
Goverment Affairs
Syafiqa graduated from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) in International Affairs with interest in wealth and education gap before working as a parliamentary officer for Permatang Pauh Member of Parliament. Syafiqa previously was an intern with the Parliamentary Office of Lembah Pantai; where she eagerly learned how does this social work in real politics with real people.
Optimistic in completing her Master of Political Science in 2021. If you don’t catch her in the office, Syafiqa might be at a nearby cafe; sipping a cup of coffee and having a slice of cake while drawing in her sketchbook and secretly thinking on how the world can be a better place.
Nur Sakinah Alzian
Senior Researcher
Sakinah is a graduate in Bachelor of Arts (Economics and Sociology) from Sciences Po Paris. Her passion for policy research began during her time volunteering as a writer and editor in Malaysian student organizations in France. She also ran a podcast with her best friend sharing about the challenges of studying abroad.
Sakinah is interested in the issues of education, gender and urban inequality and how they intersect to affect individuals of the community. She volunteered in several NGOs working on those issues such as AFEV France and G4G Malaysia.
A polyglot, she can handle French bureaucracy over the phone, and order food in Korean but she loves her Sarawakian dialect the most. During her free time, she reads tear-inducing books and binge-watching K-dramas.
Yohendran Nadar Arulthevan
Research Consultant
Yohendran Nadar Arulthevan joins SERI with a wealth of experience from his tenure as a consultant at the World Bank, where he played a pivotal role in producing flagship reports such as the Malaysia Economic Monitors and the Climate Change Institutional Assessment for Malaysia. His journey also includes research, advocacy, and outreach internships with UNICEF and Malaysian think tanks, such as the Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) and the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS).
Holding an honours degree with distinction in Economics from the University of Malaya, Yohendran combines a deep understanding of public policy with expertise in project management and stakeholder engagement. His commitment to advancing equitable and just policy solutions drives his work at SERI.
Outside the office, Yohendran enjoys hiking, exploring new cafes, and spending cozy moments at home.
Aliya
Intern
Aliya is a recent graduate with a master's degree in anthropology and sociology from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Passionate about understanding human behavior and tackling social issues affecting Malaysian society, She recently transitioned into a new career path more aligned with her personal interests, having previously worked in the solar energy industry. In her free time, she loves discovering new coffee spots and small local cafes for catch-up sessions with friends and family. Music is a constant in her life, as she frequently swaps between different genres. On weekends, she enjoys inventing new languages with her 3-year-old twin nieces. When seeking peace, she finds comfort in lying in bed, staring into nothingness, lost in thought.
Violet Lee
Intern
Coming from an International Relations background at the University of Malaya, Violet is keenly passionate about public policy. Her specialisation in Anthropology and Sociology has led her to focus particularly on the societal impact of public policy. Prior to joining SERI, she gained diverse experience working at a cultural and educational company, a marketing agency, and served under the Prime Minister’s Political Secretary.
Hailing from the serene landscapes of Kedah, Violet develops a strong connection to nature, which has driven her involvement in hands-on environmental projects. This includes a two-month stint in Sri Lanka, where she worked on a major reforestation initiative with various stakeholders.
A true adventurer at heart, Violet enjoys solo travel, diving and embracing new challenges.
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