For 2010, however, we've decided to do things a little differently: the ten Blue Chilli Awardees this year are all young firebrands who are spearheading change and contributing to their communities. Check these peeps out!
Puspawati Rosman, 29, Lawyer
"Most people think that legal awareness does not concern them directly," lawyer and legal activist Puspawati says. "They think it's only for lawyers -- and when the time comes, they will seek a lawyer's advice. But how many of us can afford to retain lawyers, actually?"
She is an active member of the Selangor Legal Aid Centre, and is a founding member of Lawyers for Liberty.
Tan Zi Hao, 21, Artist/Arts Activist
"The alienation of art is due to a lack of art education," Tan says. "There is a lack of exposure, awareness and understanding." Many of Tan's projects are set in Sri Kembangan, and designed to interact with its inhabitants, and educate them about fine art.
In late 2008, Tan was involved in Projek Semai. Currently, he is working on a performance piece titled Your Neighbour Shares the Same Rubbish. Contact him at zihao_tan@hotmail.com.
Jecyrina Nagarajah, 28, Community Staff
Jecyrina is attached to Malaysian Care, working with childern with special needs. "What they need is opportunity and acceptance. We need to get out of this "charity" mindset and see them as our "equals" because they can contribute to society as they grow into adults too," she stresses.
Jecyrina feels that can incorporate people with special needs into our society. "Everyone can start by being their friend," she says.
Soh Sook Hwa, 28, Human Rights Activist/Organic Farmer
In 2004, KL-born, former Universiti Sains Malaysia student leader Soh Sook Hwa was fined RM200 for allegedly campaigning during the March general election. She took up a case against the government in 2005, making her the first person to challenge the legality of the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) in this country.
Sook Hwa, who made the award-winning documentary Kayuh, believes that real change starts from the grassroots level. "When we put all the little actions on the track, we are heading to a better tomorrow."
John-Son Oei, 23, Youth Activist
"Everything that affects us is political," says Extraordinary People Impacting Community (E.P.I.C.) coordinator John-Son Oei. "Many people can relate with feeding the poor, saving trees, or helping orphans -- but deliberately stay away from political issues. They don't realise that many of the challenges our society faces are intertwined with the policies and laws that govern us."
Since the launch of their voter registration campaign in March 2010, E.P.I.C. has managed to register a whopping 22,000 new voters.
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