Malaysian youths do well on Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia.
This year’s Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list recognizes four young Malaysians from various backgrounds for their accomplishments.
The Hive Southeast Asia principal Angel Low, animator Erica Eng, Eat and Cook co-owner Lee Zhe Xi, and also national player Sivasangari Subramaniam were among the 300 trailblazers and entrepreneurs recognized.
The list is divided into ten categories.
Forbes recognized Sivasangari’s tenacity in the Entertainment and Sports category following her 2022 car accident, which resulted in face fractures and a C1 vertebral injury.
Seven months later, in April 2024, Sivasangari was victorious in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) GillenMarkets London Classic, held in London, and claimed two gold medals at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023.
“She beat three of the top five players in the world, claiming the win after an 81-minute final match. Currently ranked 13 in the world, Subramaniam has set her sights on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles,” it said.
Forbes also featured Low in the finance and venture capital category.
“Low serves as a principal at The Hive Southeast Asia, a $50mil (RM234mil) fund created by Tuas Capital Partners, Sunway Group, and Palo Alto-based The Hive to invest in startups in Malaysia and the ASEAN region.
She also serves as the general manager of AI Nusantara, a Selangor Digital School project and one of The Hive Southeast Asia’s projects that uses AI and machine learning to educate kids in preparation for the digital future.
It said, “Previously, she was an investment analyst at Malaysia Venture Capital Management and a project analyst at Huisheng Consulting Group.”
Forbes ranked Eng in the media, marketing, and advertising sector. She recently published a graphic novel based on her webcomic.
“She wrote ‘Fried Rice‘ in 2019, a tale that centers on an aspiring young artist named Min and is based on Eng’s experience of seeing her application to study in America rejected. In 2020, the webcomic won an Eisner Award, the comic industry’s equivalent of an Oscar.
After receiving an online bachelor’s degree in animation and visual effects from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, Eng finished a graphic novel version of her webcomic in 2022.
It said, “The book has 30 pages more content than the webcomic. She self-published the book after being rejected by multiple publishers.”
Her current project is a webcomic titled “Beloved,“ which explores what it means to grow up in a Christian home and maintain one’s faith as one age.
Lee is in the arts heading. At the moment, he owns Eat and Cook, a restaurant that offers omakase-style Malaysian food chosen by the chef.
Lee has always desired to become a chef, inspired by his early recollections of cooking with his grandmother.
“After facing unemployment during the pandemic, Lee teamed up with a university classmate to open Eat and Cook in 2021, originally a six-seater space in a mall.
In less than a year, it moved to a 32-seat location, earned an American Express One To Watch Award. It was number 79 on the 2023 Asia’s 100 Best Restaurants list. The restaurant was also a Michelin-recommended restaurant for 2023 and 2024.
