YBrs. Encik Unny Sankar Ravi Sankar a Malaysia diplomat made history after becoming the first Malaysian to receive the ‘Icons Of Change International Awards 2026′. This is a global recognition that honours individuals and organizations that drives sustainable development and creates positive impact in communities all around the world.
The award was given in conjunction with the United Nations-designated International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development 2026.
Currently, he is the Minister of Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Malaysia in Beijing, and plays an important role in strengthening economic and trade relations between Malaysia and China. And is focused on building partnerships that support trade, investment, technology exchange and sustainable economic growth between two countries.
Before this, he was the Director of the China Section and Europe II Section, for the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI). He was in charge of matters related to Malaysia’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation and economic relations with China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, the European Union and other Western European countries.
Unny Sankar takes this recognition as a meaningful honour and believes it shows the importance of building stronger international partnerships.
He also said both Malaysia and China are working together in areas like green development, renewable energy, electric vehicles, digital economy, and emerging technologies. These efforts supports Malaysia’s New Industrial Master Plan 2030 and the 13th Malaysia Plan, and contribute to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
MITI with pride sees this recognition of Malaysia’s excellence in public service and international engagement. The ministry said his leadership and commitment have helped strengthen Malaysia’s economic and trade ties on the global stage. Unny Saankar has a Bachelors of Science (Honours) in Biochemistry from Universiti Malaya and Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University. In 2023, he was recognised by Britishpedia’s “Successful People in Malaysia”.
His recent award not only brings recognition to Malaysia but it’s an inspiration for future efforts towards sustainable, inclusive and resilient economic development.
Sources: Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry FB, Bernama
