As Star Golden Hearts Award enters its ninth year, its chief judge Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye continues to lead a panel of social sector leaders and experts in their respective fields to celebrate unsung heroes.
The Alliance For A Safe Community chairman hopes the award will continue to unearth deserving changemakers whose stories will ignite inspiration and spark positive changes in the community.
"Year after year, SGHA grows bigger and stronger. It has successfully recognised unsung heroes who personify the spirit of national unity, from selfless altruists to those with sustainable and life-changing initiatives.
"My fellow judges and I hope to discover more laudable changemakers who deliver positive differences in their communities and beyond," he said.
Describing these changemakers as the bedrock of society, Lee calls upon all Malaysians to nominate deserving heroes to be rightfully honoured for their exceptional contributions.
Nominees will undergo a stringent selection process, including screening, shortlisting and judging by a panel of esteemed judges.
This year's panel sees the addition of three new judges specialising in the environment, wildlife and social entrepreneurship field.
The first new judge Shah Redza Hussein is the Perak State Parks Corporation director and a keen conservationist for over 25 years. Over the years, he was actively involved in various NGO work, especially in conservation, environmental protection, indigenous and marginalised community development, among others.
The second new addition to the panel is Irshad Mobarak, a celebrated naturalist, conservationist and educator who has appeared in several international environmental and wildlife documentaries. He also plays the role of consultant, advisor and curator for a few resorts and property developers on nature and wildlife conservation.
The third new judge, Muhammad Hafizul Khair Bin Mohd Yusuf, is the Institut Keusahawanan Negara (INSKEN) social entrepreneurship unit manager with vast experience in Malaysia's social entrepreneurship (SE) scene. He also serves as one of the secretariats for the SE Accreditation Committee, working alongside the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (KUSKOP) to ensure the highest standards in the SE ecosystem are met.
The other judges on the panel include Star Media Group chief content officer Esther Ng and Yayasan Gamuda head Ts. Lim Hui Yan, Gamuda Berhad group chief sustainability officer Ong Jee Lian, prominent social advocate Syed Azmi Alhabshi and child protection consultant and Social Welfare Department former assistant director Vijayakumari Pillai.
