Samuel Isaiah acts as the programme director of the non-profit organisation Pemimpin Global School Leaders (GSL) and works to improve school leadership in Malaysia.

In 2022, Pemimpin GSL launched the inaugural Malaysia Teacher Prize that aims to identify and celebrate the best educators in the country. The award is the Malaysian edition of the Varkey Foundation's Global Teacher Prize, launched in partnership with YTL Foundation and supported by the Malaysian Education Ministry.

Prior to joining Pemimpin GSL, Samuel rose to prominence owing to his outstanding dedication and sacrifice in educating the Orang Asl (native indigenous) children at the rural primary school SK Runchang, Pahang. Isaiah set about making sure his students received the best education—even if it meant him having to make a daily 200 km commute to and from the school.

He adapted the lessons to the children’s needs, introducing his own innovative teaching methods to inspire interest in learning. As a result, the average pass rate skyrocketed from 30 to 85 per cent, and eventually to 100 per cent. Isaiah also organised a crowdfunding project to create a fully equipped classroom with laptops and tablets, providing the same learning experiences for the children as their peers in urban areas.

He was one of 10 finalists for the Varkey Foundation and Unesco Global Teacher Prize in 2020, selected from over 12,000 nominations worldwide, for his contribution to his profession. A Fullbright scholar, Samuel completed his Master’s degree in Educational Policy and Leadership at State University of New York.