MALAYSIANA: Stories of Spectacular Malaysians

Dr Khoo Teng Jian
Physicist, ATLAS Experiment, CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research); and Research Assistant,Humboldt University of Berlin

Malaysia can play a meaningful role in frontier physics when talent, collaboration, and sustained ecosystem support come together.

At CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), high-energy proton collisions unlock insights into the fundamental building blocks of matter. Within the LHC, highly energised protons collide, producing short-lived elementary particles that quickly decay into more stable and heavier particles. Complementing the LHC, the ATLAS detector, acting as a three-dimensional “camera”, tracks and records these events in exquisite detail, enabling scientists to test and refine the Standard Model of particle physics.

Dr. Khoo led ATLAS’s trigger system that filters ~30 million events per second by roughly 10,000 times. Efficiently discriminating huge volumes of data is vital, especially under limited research funding. As ATLAS Trigger Coordinator, Dr. Khoo also headed a global team of ~350 scientists, demonstrating Malaysian leadership within one of the world’s largest scientific collaborations. Leading such a dispersed community—many of whom have never met in person—requires uniting them around a shared purpose: delivering the best possible data.

Looking ahead, sustained funding and stronger local research hubs are needed to stay embedded in big science. While there is a number of Malaysian physicists working abroad, there are also local collaborations between UM, UKM, and UTM that advance particle physics in the country. Strengthening local science requires steady funding for students and lab development as well as industry partnerships – especially in the growing custom silicon sector.

Dr. Louisa Shobhini Ponnampalam
Marine scientist; and Co-Founder & Executive Director, The MareCet Research Organisation

Grassroots determination can turn limited resources into impactful national conservation effort when science, community, and policy align.

Founded in 2012, MareCet began with humble roots but bold ambitions. With just RM5,000 raised from a jumble sale, Dr. Louisa co-built MareCet, Malaysia’s leading marine research and conversation non-profit NGO, dedicated to researching and protecting marine mammals in local waters. Now, the organisation is recognised not only locally but internationally for its conservation efforts.

From acoustic detectors beneath the ocean to drones surveying from the air, MareCet dedicates itself to grow awareness of our marine ecosystems. Years of fieldwork confirmed pantropical spotted dolphins in Johor and Bryde’s (Eden’s) whales in Kedah, revealing our local seas that are rich yet vulnerable. These findings highlight the urgency of addressing threats such as bycatch, pollution, and underwater noise to protect our marine life.

Conservation of marine mammals is vital as they are indicators of ocean health. The ocean sustains people – providing food, oxygen as well as livelihoods. When marine mammals are thriving healthily in our oceans, it signals a healthy ocean. Thus, protecting them and their habitats simultaneously safeguards our food security and shared future.

Prof. Dato’ Dr. Jafri Malin Abdullah
Neurosurgeon; and Professor of Neurosciences & Chairman, Brain & Behaviour Cluster, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)

Prof. Jafri transforms Kelantan into a world-class neuroscience hub, proving vision, collaboration, and persistence can power Malaysia’s brain economy.

World-class expertise can thrive beyond Kuala Lumpur when vision meets persistence. Innovation does not have to start in capital cities. Prof. Jafri founded Southeast Asia’s first Department of Neurosciences at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kota Bharu, transforming the East Coast into a hub of brain science and training over 140 neurosurgeons, 120 scientists, and 50 clinical psychologists over the past 25 years.

Collaboration and education power Malaysia’s brain economy. By training local talent and forging partnerships from Cuba to Canada, his team developed advanced neurosurgery programs and a national brain data bank. Their research connects brain health with economics, mental well-being, and national productivity.

Dreams become reality through persistence and purpose. The centre now spans a network of neurosurgeons, scientists, and psychologists working globally. The key to this success is to never give up on dreams – an advice given especially to the younger population as they are the shapers of the next era.

Annice Lyn
Documentary & sports photographer; and Co-Founder, Women Photographers Malaysia

Photography is a universal language of hope and humanity that shows how powerful the lens can be in giving purpose and capturing stories that shape who we are.

Photography connects us through shared emotion and truth. It captures what words cannot, and moments that make people stop, feel, and remember. Through her lens, Annice reveals that the power of images is to bridge empathy and human connection, reminding us that every voice and story deserves to be seen and heard.

Photography holds no boundaries and provokes understanding. Her work spans from Olympic arenas to refugee homes, showing that stories transcend privilege and social status. Whether capturing athletes in moments of triumph or individuals facing hardship and identity struggles, her photographs reveal resilience, dignity, and shared strength.

Photography is a tool for change and responsibility. Annice believes that photographers are accountable for the stories they tell. Each image has the power to inform, reform, and unite – preserving the past, constructing the future, and reminding us that with great platform comes great responsibility.

Quotes

“We [at CERN] build a community united by a common purpose of delivering the best possible data. We improve and we address challenges – by adapting to new hardware capabilities, evolving experiment priorities, and building up robust procedures to ensure resilience.”
– Dr Khoo Teng Jian

“Just because something is unusual or never been done before, it does not mean that it cannot be done. Please, where possible, take a chance on the treasure – that is Malaysia.”
– Dr Louisa Shobhini Ponnampalam

“Everything begins with a dream. To make it into a reality, do the impossible: never say never, never give up, and follow it through to the end.”
– Prof Dato’ Dr Jafri Malin Abdullah

“Hope, no matter how bruised, is what keeps us standing. Hope is what motivates us to turn crisis into an opportunity. Together we can have a Malaysia where stories matter, and where every voice is valued.”
– Annice Lyn