Entrepreneur honoured for humanitarian work
PETALING JAYA: Social entrepreneur John-Son Oei is among winners of the 5th Annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards.
The co-founder and chief executive officer of Epic Collective will be receiving the Dedication Award – one of six Core Principles Awards – on Sept 23 in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States.
Among his initiatives was Epic Homes which built homes for underprivileged Malaysian communities in as fast as three days.
“I feel excited that Epic’s work had been recognised across the world.
“This is testament to the immense impact that my team and the Epic community had managed to create,” Oei told The Star in an interview.
Epic, which stands for Extraordinary People Impacting Community, has won accolades and a huge following among youths since 2010.
They have built over 100 homes with the help of over 5,000 volunteers from more than 50 countries and over 40 organisations including multinational companies.
“This award encouraged us to continue giving our best especially since we’re not just representing Epic but also our nation Malaysia,” added Oei.
For the record, Oei, in 2016 was listed among promising young leader under the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia in the Social Entrepreneur category.
The Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards, will be hosted by professional ring announcer Michael Buffer, who is world-renowned for his famous trademarked phrase: “let’s get ready to rumble!”
Besides Oei, five other young humani-tarians from around the world, aged 30 or younger, will be honoured for their humanitarian work.
The awards received are aligned with their respective fields of work and mirrors one of Muhammad Ali’s Six Core Principles: Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect and Spirituality.
In 2014, Nasi Lemak Project founder Mastura Mohd Rashid received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award by the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur for her work in helping the homeless and needy.
I feel excited that Epic’s work had been recognised across the world. This is testament to the immense impact that my team and the Epic community had managed to create.
John-Son Oei