Susi leads the school of Maahad Lil Aytam with a wealth of international, academic, and professional experiences and credentials. Having excelled in her studies as a Penang youth, Susi proceeded to the University of North Florida (USA) to earn a Bachelor of Technology in Industrial and Electronic Engineering; she then continued on to the University of Pisa (Italy) to earn a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in International Trade. Outside of academics, her motivation to help others and promote racial harmony was recognized in both 1992 and 1993 when she qualified as finalist of the prestigious Caring Award presented by the University of North Florida and the Caring Institute in Washington DC. In these ways, Susi possesses a background that gives her a unique cosmopolitan perspective and provides her with the skills necessary to lead a successful learning movement.
Returning to Malaysia after her studies in 1993, Susi has since demonstrated her commitment to the local community by opening up her home to young women– many of whom are orphans and/or come from poor families—so that they may learn the Quran. As she has a daughter, and also an adopted son, Susi feels personally impelled to address our community’s social ills, which include, but are not limited to: rape, teenage pregnancy, delinquency, poverty, and orphaned youth. Driven by her commitment to share her resources with others less fortunate, Susi possesses a distinct vision in her spirit of humanitarianism that goes beyond the confines of race, nationality, culture, and religion.
It is Susi’s philosophy to constantly put her beliefs and values into practice and to be a “doer” rather than a “talker.” Having made her “umrah” in early 2012 and being committed to spreading the teachings of Allah (SWT) to underprivileged girls, Susi is excited to direct Maahad Lil Aytam and invest in future generations of ummah. As a Certified Islamic Estate Planner and former Mandarin teacher at the Islamic International School in Kuala Lumpur, she is personally and professionally invested in serving the Muslim community.
As Susi fluently speaks Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, English, Italian, — and can read Arabic—she is ready and able to share her wealth of knowledge with others, within and outside the Muslim community. Not only does she possess the “know-how” in caring for her own farm animals, local crops, and fruit trees, she also serves as council member of the Malaysian Environmental NGOs (MENGO) and the Environmental Management and Research (ENSEARCH). In this way, Susi carries with her a global, inclusive worldview that has the potential to benefit us all in profound ways.