Cancer remains an important problem even despite the social and economic upheavals which have come to forefront during this Covid-19 pandemic. Malaysians continue to suffer in many ways from cancer- with more than 60% of our community being diagnosed in late stages, and prematurely dying from this disease, with tremendous impact on their families and communities.
The National Cancer Society of Malaysia has continued to work through these many decades to help all Malaysians with management of cancer- and we need to continue doing so through the challenges posed by the pandemic, as well as in its aftermath.
It is to tackle these challenges ahead that we are embarking on innovative strategies, and more importantly, creating opportunities for working together with concerned members of society to aid us in doing more for all Malaysians. We need leading members of society who can provide us with new ideas and new direction.
Our honorary sustainability and development ambassadors would be the perfect people to us with tackling these challenges and we hope to gain invaluable experience in this endeavour.
Mr. Ragunath Murthy, also known as Pak Joe, currently serves as Chief Rainmaker, advising startups on marketing, new business opportunities, and strategic growth. With over 35 years of experience, he has been a distinguished leader in the life insurance industry, possessing a diverse skill set that spans sales, marketing, recruitment, and corporate strategy. He expertly bridges traditional and digital marketing approaches, having worked extensively in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and briefly in Dallas, USA. His leadership roles have included Chief Distribution Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Agency Officer, and Chief Client Officer.
Pak Joe’s commitment to cancer advocacy took root when he sponsored the National Cancer Society Malaysia’s Purple Truck, a mobile clinic. This pivotal moment ignited his passion for supporting cancer-related initiatives. Since then, he has become a dedicated advocate, driving efforts for better access to care, increased research funding, and comprehensive support services for those affected by cancer. Beyond his sponsorship, he has been instrumental in creating numerous collaborations and partnerships for the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM), furthering its mission to combat cancer and enhance patient care.
Prof Dr Elil Renganathan, Professor of Public Health and Policy; Former DG Representative for Evaluation and Organizational Learning at World Health Organization
Prof Dr Elil received his MD from Germany, and later undertook postgraduate training in London (PhD, MSc and DTM&H). He has many years of experience working on the epidemiology, prevention and control of communicable diseases, including field work with Member States, UN agencies, NGOs and academic institutions. Over the past twenty years, he has held positions in international health with substantial supervisory and managerial responsibilities, including five years spent setting up an Italian-funded research and training centre for tropical diseases in Egypt before joining the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1997. From 2003-2006, he was Director of WHO’s Centre for Vulnerability Reduction based in Tunisia, but with a global mandate. From September 2006 until August 2009, he was Executive Secretary of the WHO Secretariat on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property which facilitated the critical Intergovernmental Working Group process that led to the Global Strategy and Plan of action on Public Health, Innovation and IP. From August 2009 to July 2013, he was Director of the Department of Planning, Resource Coordination and Performance Monitoring. The department played a lead role in the reforms related to programme and priority setting; results-based management and the financing dialogue.
He is Professor of Public Health and Policy at Monash University Malaysia. He is also currently a Board Member of ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn. Bhd.
Languages: Fluent English, German, Bahasa Malaysia and Tamil, working knowledge of French.
Mr Partiban Ilangovan’s career trajectory reflects a remarkable confluence of financial acumen, strategic vision, and a constant pursuit of innovation. More than a decade of experience has seen him excel across a diverse range of industries. He demonstrably optimized investment strategies at LTC Venture Capital, spearheaded ground breaking blockchain solutions at OCTOWILL PTE LTD (SG), and bolstered his fintech expertise by collaborating with the AR-RAHNU industry to implement cutting-edge payment gateways at Alpha Fintech SDN BHD. Significantly, his proficiency in Islamic inheritance and Shariah compliance ensures adherence to ethical standards in all his undertakings.
Now, at the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM), Partiban brings his honed skills in financial analysis, strategic planning, and marketing to the forefront, spearheading impactful business initiatives. His focus is on cultivating sustainable income streams that will empower NCSM’s mission of eradicating cancer and fostering positive healthcare outcomes for all Malaysians.
Partiban’s unwavering commitment to ethical practices, coupled with his dedication to innovation, make him an invaluable asset in the fight against cancer. His well-rounded background positions him to make a significant contribution to NCSM’s continued success.
Mr Jahanath Muthusamy has over 40 years’ experience in the insurance field, having joined Guardian Royal Exchange Bhd (later to become AXA Affin General Insurance Bhd.) in 1975. During this period, he was actively involved in the Insurance Institutes and Insurance Associations of both Malaysia and Indonesia, serving in various capacities.
In 2002, he was seconded to PT Assurance AXA as the President and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and a member of the Board of Directors.
He returned to AXA Affin General Insurance Malaysia at the end of 2006 and assumed the role of CEO and a member of the Board of Directors until his retirement in October 2012. He remained on the board of PT Assurance AXA until 2012.
From 2013 to 2015, he was appointed as a Senior Advisor to Solution Providers Pte Ltd, a Swiss insurance solution provider/consultant based in Singapore. He was the Senior Independent Non-Executive Director of RHB Insurance Bhd (appointed to the Board in 2016) and Chairman of the Investment and Risk Committees. 24th May 2020, he was appointed as Chairman – RHB Insurance Berhad.
Mr Jahanath is also a Certified Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner and Managing Director of Talent Lynx, a Company involved in training and coaching.
Mr Jai holds a First Class Economics degree from University Malaya and a MBA, majoring in E-Commerce from Edith Cowan University, Australia.
His 20-year plus career includes stints in two trade promotion agencies, namely Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) and MATRADE and media publications (New Straits Times newspaper and Malaysian Business magazine). He also had a spell at Institute of Strategic & International Studies Malaysia when he was seconded there as its Chief Editor for a multi-disciplinary report commissioned by the Malaysian Cabinet to assess the impact of Malaysia’s privatisation programme.
At MATRADE his experience included leading trade promotion and communication projects in various regions. In 2008, he became Malaysia’s first Trade Commissioner in Bangkok and during that period was instrumental in opening up MATRADE’s and MIDA’s offices in Bangkok, MATRADE’s office in Myanmar as well as co-founding the Malaysian Myanmar Business Council (MMBC) and IndoChina-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce (connecting all Malaysian Chambers of Commerces in IndoChina).
In 2012, he became Malaysia’s Trade Commissioner in Frankfurt, where he co-founded the German Malaysian Roundtable network (www.gmrt.de), an initiative that still operates in seven cities across Germany and Austria as well as a German-language business publication called Malaysian Insights magazine (www.malaysia-insights.com), to promote Malaysia’s bilateral trade and investment with countries in Europe.
An ardent promoter of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he presented Malaysia’s trade perspective vis a vis SDG at United Nation’s SDG Summit 2019 in Kuala Lumpur.
Mr Raymond D’Cruz is currently the Managing Director of RDA Ventures, a holding company in renewable energy assets in Southeast Asia.
Raymond’s industry experience spans more than 25 years across Banking, Luxury Retail, Chemicals and Consumer sectors. He was the Chief Transformation Officer at East West Banking Corp in the Philippines from 2017 to 2019. Throughout his career, he played a pivotal role in assisting the Board of Directors and C-Level Executive teams in designing strategies and implementing transformation plans. His expertise lies in articulating and building new ways of working and thinking, encompassing leadership, culture, structure, strategy, operations and technology to improve short-term business performance and ensure long-term sustainability.
Raymond is a Singaporean and has attended leadership programmes such as Orchestrating Winning Performance (OWP) at IMD Business School Lausanne, Switzerland and the Global Executive Leadership Programme from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France. He holds a Master of Business Administration in International Management from Asia Pacific International Institute in Auckland, New Zealand and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from La Jolla University in San Diego, California, USA.
Mr. G. Saravanan is a seasoned Chief Information Officer (CIO) with extensive experience in the healthcare IT industry. He currently leads Thomson Group’s information technology division, where he spearheads a team of professionals focused on implementing best practices for healthcare IT excellence.
Throughout his career, Mr. Saravanan has developed a strong understanding of IT strategy for the healthcare sector. He has a proven track record of ensuring successful implementation of all systems necessary to support a hospital’s operations and objectives. His experience spans across Southeast Asia and the Middle East, working within hospital environments in both client and consultant roles.
Mr. Saravanan possesses a deep knowledge of various healthcare IT domains, including 5G strategy, hospital IT operations, hospital systems, telemedicine device ecosystems, business processes, legal frameworks compliance, healthcare data management, standards adoption, development and implementation, project management, enterprise architecture, infrastructure, business architecture, and solution architecture extending to software requirements analysis, design, development, and deployment.
His expertise is further bolstered by a comprehensive range of certifications:
- Healthcare IT Certifications: HL7® Certified Professional (including v3), DICOM® Certified Professional.
- Healthcare Data Security Certifications: ISO 27001® Certified Professional (Healthcare Data Security Framework), CISM® (Certified Information Security Architect), HIPAA® Healthcare Security Certified Professional (US).
- Project Management & Architecture Certifications: PRINCE2® Practitioner Certified Project & Programme Management (UK), TOGAF 9.1® Certified –Enterprise Architecture.
Mr. Saravanan’s dedication extends beyond certifications. He actively contributes to the healthcare IT community as a Representative to Healthcare HL7 SDO (Standard Development Organization) with HL7 United Kingdom, and holds a Professional Membership with the International Association of Software Architects (IASA®). He is a Lifetime Member of the Malaysian National Computer Confederation® and a Founding Member of Qatar Toastmasters International.
This combination of experience, certifications, and active industry involvement allows Mr. Saravanan to effectively lead and manage complex IT projects within the healthcare industry, while also promoting best practices and innovation.
Mr. Murali Rao is an experienced and dynamic leader with over two decades of working experience in the Construction, Mechanical & Electrical, and Civil Engineering industries. He has expertise in managing major government projects and infrastructure development for multinational corporations.
Murali is a Certified Construction Project Manager Level 6 under the CIDB Act 520 in Malaysia and a Certified Construction Manager at Level 7 certified by OTHM (U.K.). He is also a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the U.S. and Malaysia.
Currently, Murali is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Aspect Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd and Project Director of Teras Khidmat Sdn Bhd, Construction Companies. In this role, he is responsible for developing strategic plans, establishing long-term goals, and ensuring operational efficiency and financial control. He has extensive experience in managing government and Private construction projects.
Murali’s professional skills include Project Management in Civil, Environmental, and Mechanical Engineering, operations and maintenance management, government liaison, tender processes, contract negotiation, and compliance with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards. He has worked on various projects, including the Kompleks Penyayang Sinar Kasih (KPSK) home for the elderly and orphanage in Penang, as well as the construction and installation of a new 11kV TNB substation for a client.
In addition to his professional experience, Murali is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Studies (DBA), expected to be completed in 2025. He has also obtained various other certifications, including a Master’s in Business Administration, a B.Eng. in Mechanical and Offshore Engineering, Six Sigma Yellow belt (US), Digital Marketing Fundamental (US), Diploma in Quantity Surveying (U.S)
Beside his business as an act of giving back to the community, he has contributed for the development of schools, for underprivileged students, even constructed library for a Tamil school. He also serves in various NGO’s besides being an Ambassador for National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM), He is also currently (2023-2025) serves as Deputy President of Penang Indian Economic Development & Entrepreneurship Association (PERUMI), as a Committee Member in Malaysian Leprosy Relief Association since 2023 and in Women’s’ Aid Organization (WAO) since 2013. He is also a certified Mental Health First Aider certified by Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA), recently the Penang State Government conferred an Award for Social Service known as ‘’Pingat Jasa Masyarakat’’(PJM) in recognition for his contribution to the society. Further, involved in Training and Development for young Adults and youths internationally via the Bahai Community.
Traccie Chan is a pioneering Malaysian humanitarian who has uniquely combined pageantry, dance, and advocacy to create lasting social impact, particularly for children with cancer. Her journey as a “Queen for Kids” began in 2016 when she made history as the first Asian to win the Ms. Global United title in the United States, a charity-focused pageant.
Following this achievement, Traccie took on the role of Official Pageant Director of the Malaysia Global United Pageant (MGUP) in 2017. Through this platform, she has mentored hundreds of women aged 13 and above, transforming traditional pageantry into a vehicle for community service and leadership development. Her innovative approach focuses on creating “Queens for Kids” who use their influence to support children in need.
One of her most significant initiatives is the Light it up Gold campaign, which she founded upon returning to Malaysia in 2016. This campaign, represented by the gold ribbon symbol, has made remarkable progress in childhood cancer awareness and support. The initiative has impacted over 1000 children with cancer and raised significant amount through coordinated efforts with dance coaches and performers who “dance for a cause.”
As founder and director of Dare 2 Dream Management (established 2019), Traccie has orchestrated numerous international and local events that combine performing arts with charitable purposes. Her previous work as Managing Director and Co-Founder of K&T Dance Academy (2009-2021) laid the groundwork for her current mission, which expanded in 2023 with the founding of Dare2Dream Academy, focused on developing young performing artists.
What sets Traccie apart is her holistic approach to social change. By integrating pageantry, performing arts, and humanitarian work, she has created a sustainable model for community service that empowers women while supporting children in need. Her work demonstrates how traditional platforms like beauty pageants can be reimagined as vehicles for meaningful social impact.
Through her various initiatives, Traccie has established a legacy that extends beyond individual achievements to create systemic change in how society approaches both women’s empowerment and children’s advocacy. Her story illustrates the power of combining personal passion with public service to achieve lasting social transformation.
