TEDxPOWIIS Youth

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Afzan Azmin

  Afzan is currently a Sixth Form student at POWIIS. He is a head student and throughout the years, has won accolades in the debate event of the World Scholar's Cup as well as various public speaking competitions.

• Benjamin Beh

  Benjamin Beh is a public speaking enthusiast, award-winning debater and has achieved numerous accolades in the World Scholar's Cup international academic competition. A Year 10 student, he aspires to lead a Malaysian society rooted in meritocracy and justice.

• Cheuk Ying Zhong

  Cheuk Ying is a Year 10 student at POWIIS. She is the school's current public speaking champion. She has featured regularly in school plays, public speaking competitions and debates, winning accolades including best debater at the regional round of the World Scholar's Cup. She is passionate about creating a just world that respects and includes people of all backgrounds, and invests her time reading fiction, history and philosophy.

• Craig Marsden

  Mr. Marsden has more than two decades' experience teaching Mathematics, both in UK and abroad. Currently, he is the Head of Mathematics at POWIIS. A former aerospace engineer, he has extensive experience teaching maths, was a school adviser in the Middle East and as an online tutor. Mr Marsden enjoys the outdoors; he enjoys open water swimming, hiking and travelling. He is a fervent supporter of his local football team as well as an avid Formula One fan, and he also enjoys building and painting models from kits.

• Daniel Quilter

  Daniel's personal goal is to help organisations to decarbonise and reduce their impacts on the planet. He believes that corporations are the future of conservation and leading our world to a more stable position. He is experienced in leading corporate volunteering programmes and have helped our clients win national awards for their CSR efforts. Since 2017, he has worked as a biodiversity consultant to agri-businesses, helping them to assess and report about the biodiversity on their plantations and also created action plans to help them improve their on site biodiversity. Since 2019, he has been involved in low tech plastic recycling and taking plastics directly from the environment to be processed and then through injection molding turned into something new. As the founder of award-winning social enterprise, Fuze Ecoteer, that runs conservation and eco-themed field trips and service learning, he specializes in marine conservation, designing experiential tours, cottage industries, Eco Leadership, public speaking, marine community conservation, ecotourism, responsible tourism and youth leadership.

• Gandhi Palanisamy

  Gandhi started his own litigation firm because he believed that legal representation needs to be personal, strategic and built around the client. A decade in the courtroom has taught him that winning isn't all about knowing the law, but preparation, clear thinking and the willingness to fight for the right outcome. Beyond the courtroom, Gandhi is also a certified trainer who runs his own human resources training firm, Mindspire Training & Consultancy. He focuses on corporate programmes related to workplace bullying, sexual harassment, contract litigacy and defamation. He is also known as Lawyer Gandhi on TikTok where he shares simplified explanations of Malaysian law for everyone to understand and use.

• Hadarm Kim

  Hadarm is a Year 9 student at POWIIS. He participates actively in debating and public speaking and received regional level accolades in the World Scholar's Cup over the past two years.

• Hanaeri Kim

  Hanaeri is a Year 10 student at POWIIS. She is an accomplished debater, and has earned awards at the global stage with the World Scholar's Cup. She also actively involved in stage plays as well as academic competitions. A dynamic achiever, Hanaeri believes in the power of determination, focus and hard work as the fundamentals of success.

• Khalifah Bennett-Odeny

  Ms Bennett is the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) at POWIIS and was previously as well, the Head of Girls' Hall. She is also a recipient of the FOBISIA Fellowship. She had previously taught in Kazakhstan and the USA, where she worked as an English and special education teacher. She enjoys the performing arts, American football, and spending time with her children.

• Leia Heah

  Leia is a Year 12 student and Principal's Scholar. She is not only an outstanding academic performer, but a highly-capable head student and talented volleyballer who has represented the state of Penang in Malaysia in various age-group competitions. She is driven by inspiring others towards growth and believes in leadership through impact.

• Mawar Marzuki

  Mawar was a teacher trainer and after retirement, continues to serve in the education field as a librarian at POWIIS. She is also an accomplished poet who has been recognised at various festivals and literary awards around the world. Her works has been translated to Spanish and Turkish, reaching readers across various regions. She has been invited to participate in many literary festivals including Egypt, Turkey, Thailand, Romania, Argentina, and presently Slovenia. She serves as the official translator for the Malim Literary Village at Pangkor International Poetry and Folk Song Festival, Malaysia, and acts as an international liaison, inviting poets from around the world and coordinating international literary exchanges. She is also the Vice President of the Penang Creative Circle, a member of the Penang Arts Council, as well as a member of Poets of the Planet.

• Peter Bekker

  As a teacher, Peter aims to bring inspiration and help to students, so that they may seek ways to improve the quality of their lives. Effectively contributing to a community of innovation, challenge and progress within an educational environment, he also delivers effective teaching of English Language through inspiring learners to find their purpose and discover their potential, and make a difference for others. With a career of more than two decades, he has taught English in Secondary Schools in South Africa, Qatar and Malaysia. He is currently the University and Careers Guidance Counsellor at POWIIS.

• Shakeel Sheikh

  Spanning more than twenty years, Dr. Sheikh has an accomplished career teaching Science as well as leading schools in UK, Bahrain, China and Malaysia. Currently teaching chemistry and Assistant Curriculum Leader of the Science faculty at POWIIS, he is a public speaking enthusiast with a knack of presenting usual ideas in an unusual way. He believes strongly in teaching for a sustainable world and has been pivotal to the school's environmental initiatives. He is also a Sixth Form tutor who strives to prepare his students not only for university, but to challenge their worldview and expand their perpsectives to embrace the dynamism of the post-modern world.

• Shawn Stanly

  Shawn Stanly is a teacher. While he is currently in the international curriculum, he used to train as a Teach for Malaysia trainee in underprivileged national schools in indigenous community villages. A graduate of Universiti Malaysia Sabah, his journey in education began in 2017 when he started tutoring children from high-need backgrounds, reinforcing his belief that every child deserves an education, and no child should be left behind. In his previous role as a teacher at SK RPS Banun, an all-Orang Asli school grappling with high illiteracy and dropout rates, Shawn introduced innovative, hands-on learning experiences. His projects, including a flight simulator and a beach-themed marine conservation class, made complex concepts accessible and engaging. His inclusive teaching methods significantly improved student motivation, attendance, and confidence. Shawn was awarded the RISE Educator Award in 2024, winning RM20,000 to establish a dedicated learning hub for his students. This recognition underscores his commitment to providing quality education and empowering students to reach their full potential

• Shekhar Singh Bhadoria

  Shekhar is a Year 10 student at POWIIS. He is deeply interested in public speaking and acting, and has participated in almost every school play and speech competitions at school since his admission. He is also a student leader with a strong belief in empowering others to achieve success on a similar level as he has.

• Zakwan Rashid

  As a final-year Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery student at RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus, Zakwan currently leads the RUMC Peer-Led Assisted Learning Society (PALS) as President, coordinating academic workshops, mentoring programs, and revision sessions to support student success. He also contributes to the university’s sports culture as Captain of the Touch Rugby team, Futsal team and serving as Sports Officer for the RUMC Student Association (RUMCSA) where he led participation in key events such as the Malaysian International Varsity Games (MIVG). His core competencies are in team management, strategic planning, and public engagement. He is commited to creating collaborative environments that enhance both academic and extracurricular success.