Admit it or not, we sometimes entertain ideas about what it would be like to pack our bags and seek our fortunes in foreign lands. Most of us, if we don’t make that decision in our 20s, never find the courage to do it at all.

Christina Chelliah was a 30 year old corporate lawyer and former beauty queen 
(2002 Miss Tourism World Malaysia and first runner-up of the 2002 Miss Universe Malaysia) when she decided to embark on what she called a ‘kamikaze’ mission. With four suitcases and just USD 1500 in her pocket, she emigrated to the United States and forged her future on sheer grit and tenacity in a city that never sleeps.

On this episode of Beyond Breakfast, this self-confessed hustler shares her journey - from sharing a small room with her brother in New York City whilst hustling for any gig that would sustain herself, to passing the New York Bar and then the Qualifying Lawyer Exams for Admission to the Roll of Solicitors in England and Wales (she is expected to be admitted to the Bar in the UK this summer), making her a triple-qualified attorney admitted on three continents. And in March this year, Christina was sworn in to serve as a Special Master to the Supreme Court of New York.

We ask: is the grass really greener on the other side? Would she have achieved this same level of success had she opted to stay in Malaysia? And - is one ever too old to start over somewhere new?

Produced by Shazmin Shamsuddin
Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

Beyond Breakfast with Shazmin Shamsuddin - Christina Chelliah

On the final episode of Autism From the Inside Out, where Shazmin Shamsuddin speaks with her guest, Beatrice Leong, about being an autistic advocate. In this episode, Beatrice shares why she chose the path of advocacy. 

She explains that she feels there is no clear pathway for autistic individuals to navigate society and that advocating for greater understanding and acceptance is crucial. Beatrice also reflects on the challenges she has faced as an advocate and the importance of self-care in her work. Through their conversation, we gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of advocacy and the need for greater representation and inclusivity in society. Join us as we explore the path to advocacy and the vital role that autistic advocates play in creating a more compassionate and equitable world.

Beatrice Leong is a documentary filmmaker and entrepreneur attached to a health tech startup initiative and runs an autism advocacy group called AIDA. Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at age 35, she dedicates her life path to reframe our understanding ASD to foster greater understanding from and for a meaningful participation and inclusion of autistics themselves across all levels of society. 

Produced and co-presented by Shazmin Shamsuddin

Autism from the Inside Out : Ep 6 - Autism and Advocacy

President of Malaysian Pharmacist Society takes us behind the medicine counters

Professor Amrahi Buang has been on the frontline of healthcare for over 3 decades. He has worked in both public and private hospitals but a major part of his career has been in a teaching hospital, mainly University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC).

This week he takes us on a journey behind one of the most important and oft overlooked areas of healthcare, the pharmacist.

A pharmacist is often the closest person we can access as they are available in all neighbourhoods and during retail hours. Medications for cold, coughs, fever and sore throat are all easily accessible and they in turn act as a conduit to reaching the public with necessary information the fastest.

In this episode we also talk about the main areas of concern for pharmacists, what they need to do to constantly update themselves in their particular neighbourhood environment and why their communication needs to be clear.

As we continue to highlight the important areas in healthcare, do DM me on Twitter @manvirvictor to suggest or even ask questions on areas that you feel we haven't covered yet.

Healthcare Today with Manvir Victor Ep 19 : Why pharmacists are so crucial for our healthcare

On Artizens this week, hosts Datuk Kamil and Manvir speak to Rekha Menon who decided a few years ago to quit the rat race as a media consultant to become a full time artist after a family tragedy made her reevaluate her life. 

With the support of her parents, who she says are her biggest fans, Rekha continues to push on and has made several inroads into her now chosen career.

Her paintings have been featured in Bali, India, Singapore and she travels extensively and connects with artists all around the region. 

She considers herself still a novice and constantly is learning to find her “voice” through her art. 

Her artwork can be seen on her Instagram page, @rekhss.art 

As Artizens continues to showcase and present both local and international creative talent, if you have any suggestions, do DM us @othman_kamil or @manvirvictor on Twitter or follows us for more.

Artizens Ep 8: Rekha Menon finds her voice through her art

In 1996, Sharizan Borhan exploded onto the scene when he won the Best New Artist award at the Anugerah Industri Music (AIM) with the song, Hadir. 

Since then, he has become a great entertainer, much sought after voice-over talent and emcee for many high level corporate events. 

From his humble start at The Singing Shop and initial defeat at talent show Asia Bagus, Sharizan regales us with how it all started, where it has taken him, and where he hopes it will continue to lead.

Sharizan also gives us a sneak peek into his next passion project, and invites us to follow him on social media to find out where you can experience his enthusiasm and energy. 

Artizens is a platform where you can promote your project or talent so do DM us at @othman_kamil or @manvirvictor on Twitter to find out how you can be on the show.

Artizens Ep 9 : Sharizan still singing his way into our hearts.

This week on Healthcare Today with Manvir Victor, we delve into autism, the stigmas that still prevail amongst some, and how to get your child assessed if you think they might have autism.

Datuk Dr Raj Karim is a specialist with women and children’s health, Dr Kamal Kenny is a consultant and social psychologist, whilst Suresh Unnikrishnans’ youngest son has been diagnosed with being on the spectrum. 

According to Datuk Raj, the MOH Klinik Kesihatan has the requisite skills and knowledge to assess children. If they find any signs of the child being ‘on the spectrum’ they can refer them to a specialist. 

Here we discuss insurance companies and how parents can be better prepared to choose the right company to insure their children. 

Being ‘on the spectrum’ is explained both clinically and by a parent and we explore support groups that exist to aid parents and caregivers. The key takeaway being having autism is not a disadvantage but a springboard to developing other key skills and talents. 

For more questions about this or any other healthcare issues, you can DM me on Twitter @manvirvictor.

Healthcare Today with Manvir Victor Ep 20 : unpacking the meaning of being ‘on the spectrum’

Amanda Nell Eu just got back from the trip of her lifetime. While at the Cannes Film Festival to premiere her directorial feature debut Tiger Stripes, she was awarded the Grand Prix Jury award. 

The movie, which hopefully will be available in local theatres soon, had been on a 5 year journey, literally around the world, in its making.

From the spark of an idea, to collaborating with a like-minded producer, this project saw her travelling the world to learn from the many film and script labs before she perfected her script and was ready for production. 

She reveals how Covid-19 affected the production and the lengths international partners went to  help make this movie a reality. 

As we discover her story, we realise what Malaysia needs to do to encourage and develop local talent who have the ability to tell great local stories at a global level.

Artizens Ep 10 : Tiger Stripes stripped down to its core

Admired for his approximately 30 years of rapidly growing, disruptive online businesses, Georg Chmiel has built significant expertise on a global scale in strategy, innovative technologies and corporate finance.

The founder of Chmiel Global Advisory has led more than 30 acquisitions and been taken over 6 times.

He was instrumental in creating already three unicorns during his career and is known to significantly grow shareholder value for all companies he is and was involved in.

Chmiel is the Co-Founder / Chair of Juwai-IQI Holdings, the largest proptech group in Southeast Asia with more than 30,000 sales agents.  

He is also the non-executive Chair of Spacetalk (ASX:SPA), Director of Centrepoint Alliance (ASX:CAF), the Prop Tech Group (ASX:PTG) and BUTN (ASX:BTN). 

His vast experience has garnered him a position as Senior Advisor of brioHR.com, one of Southeast Asia’s fastest growing HR platform and madeComfy.com, one of the most innovative short term and holiday rental platforms in Australia.

On Top Guns with Anne Edwards, Chmiel shares how the many global issues like global supply chain shortages, war in Ukraine and Covid-19 related economic issues can be overcome by entrepreneurs and businesses.

He also spoke of his new venture Spacetalk, an affordable smart watch for kids (and later also for senior citizens) which Chmiel intends to introduce in Malaysia for the safety and well being of its people.

Top Guns: Tech entrepreneur Georg Chmiel, the unicorn birther

Professor Dr Vickneswaran Mathaneswaran is a Malaysian neurosurgeon and one of the top in his field globally. Besides being an integral part of the University Malaya Neurosurgery team, he is also an inventor of many groundbreaking innovations. 

On this week's episode of Healthcare Today with Manvir Victor, he speaks exclusively on some of these innovations and studies that he has been a part of. 

One of those innovations is the 3D printing of the brain, which is now becoming something that the medical world at large is taking notice of. In this video here, one can better visualise how surgeons can prepare better putting life saving techniques into action  

Prof Vicky also talks about equitable access for healthcare and how it is something that PPUM, a public and private facility innovated in early 2012. 

Besides this, Manvir talks to him about the use of video clips transfer for mobile phones, which surprisingly began in Malaysia. 

From this episode we learn that once again, Malaysia has the right ingredients i.e. the correct talent with great innovative ideas, but we need a better system to appreciate and promote these ideas lest they leave our shores for opportunities overseas. 

With his team at PPUM, one can appreciate why our neurosurgeons are quite sought after by our neighbours. 

For more similar programmes and comments, do follow @manvirvictor for the latest in healthcare globally.

Healthcare Today with Manvir Victor Ep 21: Top neurosurgeon highlights global firsts from Malaysia

Chen Yin Wen and Syahmi Norman count themselves among the young directors that have won the BMW Shorties film competition in the past few years. 

The pair recently sat down with Datuk Kamil Othman and Manvir Victor to talk about their careers before and after winning the prestigious award on the latest episode of Artizens. 

Chen has been hard at work making documentaries, a passion for her. Her award-winning BMW Shortie, Like Toy Dolls has helped propel her ideas and her work to an international audience. 

The same happened for Syahmi, whose production Fasa was something that struck a chord with those who watched it. 

The BMW Shorties have been around for 17 years, crowning 15 grand prize winners thus far. This year they will select a grand prize winner, whilst partnering with the Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest) for the first time. The event is scheduled to take place from July 23-29. 

As we look at some of the past winners, one can only hope that other organisations that are mandated with raising the standards of our creative works like Finas, can think outside the box and build from this momentum to help the local creative talents. 

For more insight and even comments on this podcast, do follow or DM @othman_kamil or @manvirvictor on Twitter.

Artizens Ep 11: BMW Shorties 2023 to announce winners in July

E-cigarettes are an ever-growing phenomenon with increasing recognition and acceptance globally. The Malaysian Perception of Smoking and Vaping Survey states that a clear majority (69%) of smokers want to see legislation that would allow for the distribution and sale of e-cigarettes as a viable alternative to help them quit smoking regular cigarettes. 

However, the much discussed and mooted Generational End Game proposes that both smoking and vaping be banned for those born after 2007. 

E-cigarettes have proven to be effective in reducing smoking rates in countries like New Zealand, the UK and Japan, hence why some believe regulating vape and vaping products separately from cigarettes is crucial, as the smoking of tobacco and associated chemicals does most of the harm. 

Exploring this topic with host Shazmin Shamsuddin on Beyond Breakfast is Professor Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh - Chairman of the Malaysia Society for Harm Reduction (MSHR), Tengku Aslahuddin Ja’afar, the President of Vape Consumer Association of Malaysia (VCAM) and Balan Kashmir, a local artist and Harm Reduction advocate.

We weigh the risks and effectiveness of vaping as a smoking cessation tool along with the long-term health effects of using vaping devices, its impact on society and youth, and concerns about addiction.

We discuss the potential challenges or unintended consequences of over-regulating vaping products, such as potential limitations on individual autonomy or freedom of choice, and explore how vaping rights can be effectively advocated for and protected, while still taking into account the potential health risks and other concerns associated with vaping products.

Can education and public awareness campaigns be used to support both vaping rights and developing responsible vaping behaviour? Can negative public perception be flipped to understand and accommodate those with nicotine addictions to successfully wean themselves off potentially more harmful substances found in cigarettes? We explore this and more. 

* The Vibes does not advocate smoking or vaping. This discussion is to understand the importance of proper legislation in the context of the larger debate surrounding the potential inclusion of nicotine in the Poisons Act.

Beyond Breakfast with Shazmin Shamsuddin - Christina Chelliah

TheVibesNews.Podio

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