13th General Assembly of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia

Academician Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid FASc (the Moderator cum scene-setter)

Tan Sri Prof Zakri Abdul Hamid is currently the Chairman of Atri Advisory and spearheading the Wyss Foundation and National Geographic’s Campaign for Nature 30×30 initiative in the ASEAN region. He was also appointed the Pro-Chancellor of Multimedia University in Malaysia, Chairman for Business Council for Sustainable Development Malaysia, as well as the Chairman for INGSA Science Advice Network for the ASEAN Region. Previously he held the post of Science Adviser to the Prime Minister of Malaysia and former Director of the Institute of Advanced Studies, United Nations University. He is the founding Chair of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and a former member of the UN Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board.

Professor Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria (Honorary Professor at KITA-UKM)

Prof Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria has been actively involved in the sustainable development work in Malaysia. Currently, he is Head of the Secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG), appointed by the Malaysian Parliament House. Datuk Denison is also a member of the National SDG Steering Committee under the Economic Planning Unit. Due to his vast experiences in SDG, he also served in national and international committees and was appointed in several actions and advisory councils by the ministries. His contribution to the promotion of SDGs has earned him the UN Award in 2017.

Datuk Denison is also an advocate of human rights and ethnic relations. He is appointed as a member of the National Unity Advisory Council. Datuk Denison was formerly engaged with the Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA) National University of Malaysia (UKM) and of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM). He is currently the Co-chair of the Malaysia CSO SDG Alliance.

He has a PhD in Sociology from Oxford Brookes University. He is also a Chevening Alumnus.  To date, Datuk D has authored 35 books and booklets and published 27 articles.

Distinguished Professor Dato’ Dr Rajah Rasiah FASc (Asia – Europe Institute, UM)

Distinguished Professor Dato’ Dr Rajah Rasiah focuses his interest on technology and international development, specifically in Industrial Policy and Innovation. His policy‐oriented research in Asia, Africa, and Latin America has contributed to the conceptualisation of technology and its link to development. He has disseminated his findings through over 300 peer-reviewed journals and 30 books.

Over the years, his research output has served as the basis for guiding industrial policy in developing economies such as Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Timor‐Leste. His expertise is sought after by ministries to provide advice on industrial development and human capital through various projects conducted for the EPU, Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, Ministry of Welfare, Malaysian Trade Union Congress, as well as the State Governments of Perak and Penang.

Lakshmi Lavanya Rama Iyer (Head of Policy and Climate Change, WWF Malaysia)

Ms Lavanya represents WWF-MY on various national and international engagements on climate change, biodiversity and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She was part of the WWF Network Leadership team on Climate and Energy, attending international meetings and negotiations on SDGs. Ms Lavanya also represents WWF-MY in many engagements with the Malaysian Government on environmental policies, recently on the preparation of Malaysia’s SDG Voluntary National Review and the 12^th Malaysia Plan.

As part of the core group of the CSO-SDG Alliance, Lavanya is also a member of All Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM) on SDGs, a bipartisan group of Parliamentarians working on localising SDGs in their constituencies. She has also participated in many forums to highlight the integrated nature of the environmental pillar in achieving all the SDGs.

Previously, she coordinated Malaysia’s Second National Communication to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), worked at the UN in Geneva on post-conflict issues and practised law in Malaysia. Ms Lavanya was also an expert reviewer of Malaysia’s First Biennial Update Report, prepared the technical report on Adaptation for the Forestry and Biodiversity sectors for Malaysia’s Third National Communication to the UNFCCC and co-authored a study for the Academy of Sciences Malaysia on Climate Change and Water Resources Adaptation, amongst others.

Ms Lavanya is a Chevening Scholar with an MSc in Sustainability (Climate Change) from the University of Leeds and a law degree from the University of Kent.  She is passionate about ensuring that nature’s contributions that underpin everything is properly recognised and valued by society and integrated into development and economic agendas.

Tan Mei Ling (Senior Country Operations Officer, World Bank Country Office in Malaysia)

Mei Ling is currently the Senior Country Operations Officer at the World Bank Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Finance Hub in Malaysia.

Prior to joining the World Bank in 2016, Mei Ling was in PEMANDU, the performance monitoring and delivery unit under the Prime Minister’s Department.  PEMANDU worked with the Ministries to ensure the delivery of the Government Transformation Programme and Economic Transformation Programme.  She was the Associate Director for Strategic Reform Initiatives in Human Capital Development.

Mei Ling commenced her career in Accenture (formerly known as Andersen Consulting) in 1995 and served clients in the airline, heavy machinery, automotive, transportation and oil & gas industries. She is experienced in the supply chain, business process improvement and change management.  Mei Ling was formerly an account director in an international HR and talent consulting company.  She has also worked in MDeC, where she led the team to promote Malaysia as a regional hub for shared services and outsourcing.

Mei Ling is a recipient of the Chevening-Cambridge Trust Scholarship Award.  She has an MBA from the University of Cambridge and minored in Sustainable Development.  Her first degree is in Food Science and Technology (first-class honours) from University Putra Malaysia.