Social Media: Instagram @leeziijia

Location: Malaysia 

23-year-old Lee ZiiJia is a Malaysian badminton player best known for his stunning gold medal win at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and the 2021 All England Open Badminton Championship. His outstanding performances in the sport won him a place in the Badminton Association of Malaysia in 2015 when he became the junior champion in the Perak and Selangor Badminton Open. Lee’s Instagram shows his badminton highlights, as well as snippets of him rapping during his free time. 

Social Media: Instagram @dramalinabakril; TikTok @dramalinabakri

Location: Malaysia

Nur Amalina Che Bakri is best known for being one of the most admired women in Malaysia for her PhD research in surgical innovation and breast cancer, helping women develop wearable devices that’ll help them gain agency over their bodies and recovery.  

Social Media: Instagram @nadine; TikTok @nadinelustre

Location: Philippines

Actor and singer, Nadine Lustre is one of the Philippines’ most well-known creatives thanks to her work in entertainment, fashion and beauty. From her film and television work from diary ng Panget, On the Wings of Love and Never Not Love You, to her visual album, Wildest Dreams which shot to iTunes’ top charts across Asia, Lustre has won the hearts of both the young and old. 

Social Media: Instagram @nadinelist

Location: Indonesia

Actor and founder of Sea Soldier, a campaigning group that raises awareness on issues such as mangrove deforestation, dwindling turtle egg numbers and illegal dolphin capture, Nadine Chandrawinata found her passion for sea life preservation after seeing the amount of plastic she found in the water around Indonesia. 

Social Media: Instagram @raychenviolin

Location: Taiwan

Violin master Ray Chen has been one of Taiwan’s greatest classical performers since he was a child, performing at the opening concert of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics when he was eight. In 2012, the violinist became the youngest soloist to perform at the Nobel Prize concert. Aside from releasing three albums and winning numerous awards, Chen also co-founded an online music tuition platform called Pocket Conservatory.

Social Media: Instagram @abaotw

Location: Taiwan

R&B singer Aljenljeng Tjaluvie, also known as Abao, is a member of the Paiwan indigenous Taiwanese ethnic group who started singing in the Paiwan language in order to get in touch with her roots. Her second solo studio album, Kinakaian won the 31st Golden Melody Awards, shining a spotlight on Taiwanese indigenous identity. 

Social Media: Instagram @natasha.moor

Location: Hong Kong

Natasha Moor, CEO and founder of Natasha Moor Cosmetics not only juggles a beauty company, but she also runs a public relations and events company. Her passion for beauty led her to start a blog, followed by gigs as a makeup artist. After four years of learning the ropes of makeup, Moor founded her cosmetics company, which quickly caught the eye of consumers and brands such as Sephora alike. 

Social Media: Instagram @lajah

Location: Hong Kong

Filmmaker and co-founder of GoodFellas Pictures, Derek Tsang is the first Hong Konger to direct an Oscar-nominated film. Despite being an already well-known face in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, Tsang became even more popular after his film, Better Days was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 2021 Academy Awards. 

Social Media: Instagram @d.avidyang

Location: China 

British-Chinese David Yang started his career as a high-fashion model, strutting poses for brands such as Valentino and Prada. Last year, the film studies graduate decided to enter into the music field as well through a Chinese variety show, Super Band, winning the eyes, ears and hearts of fans all over China. 

Social Media: Instagram @yungraja; TikTok yung.raja1

Location: Singapore 

Singaporean singer, songwriter and rapper Yung Raja broke into the entertainment industry with his 2018 single Mustafa. Since then, the rapper has become one of the most exciting musicians in the city, even breaking into the international stage with his song Mami. 

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