Suriani Kempe with The Impact Award, which was created by the pewter craftsmen at Royal Selangor
Cover Suriani Kempe with The Impact Award, which was created by the pewter craftsmen at Royal Selangor

The president of Family Frontiers has been a vocal advocate for Malaysian mothers

"Gender equality means that you will fight for Malaysian women who want the right to be able to grant stability for their children,” said Suriani Kempe in an interview with Tatler Malaysia that took place right before GE15.

Tenacious and fearless, Kempe is a stalwart figure in the fight for human rights and social justice, most notably in standing alongside Malaysian women married to non-Malaysian men who are seeking citizenship rights for their children born overseas. In a landmark decision in September 2021, the High Court decided in favour of these women 

See also: Rekha Sen on Her Fight for Citizenship for Children Born Abroad to Malaysian Mothers

The victory, however, was short-lived when the Court of Appeal overturned the decision in August 2022. Kempe remains undaunted. Family Frontiers is taking its fight to the Federal Court that has fixed December 14, 2022 to hear its, as well as six Malaysian mothers', application for leave to pursue their appeal against the Court of Appeal ruling. 

Kempe's unwavering faith in justice and fairness is recognised with the Impact Award at Tatler Ball 2022. She received a pewter trophy by Royal Selangor and a voucher from Beauty & Co..

The Impact Award is in honour of all the mothers who, despite knowing that they would face backlash and criticism, stepped up to the plate for their children as well as the future generation. It is also a shoutout to the Malaysians who have showed solidarity with Family Frontiers in its fight for equal citizenship rights.

- Suriani Kempe -

Kempe is also the co-founder of Queer Lapis, an non-governmental organisation that uplifts the LBTQ community, and Kemban Kolektif, a women-owned consultation service provider that focused on matters related to human rights, women's rights, movement building, as well as structural and political change. She has also worked with other NGOs such as the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality and All Women’s Action Society. She has also spoken at numerous human rights panels. 

Chopard was the premium sponsor for Tatler Ball 2022. The ball was also sponsored by Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, BMW Malaysia, The Melium Group, Hennessy, Beauty & Co., Armani Beauty, Spritzer, Acer, Royal Selangor, Botier, Malaysia Airlines, Qing Gallery, and The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi.

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