Meet the 1st M’sian scientist inducted into UK’s prestigious Royal Society

Free Malaysia Today

FMT Lifestyle speaks with Ravigadevi Sambanthamurthi about her love for science, what inspires her to give her best, and how teamwork is vital to her success.    Story by: Sheela Vijyan  Shot by: Fauzi Yunus  Presented by: Theevya Ragu  Edited by: Maheshan Morgan    Read More:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2025/06/27/from-nature-tables-to-uks-royal-society-ravigadevis-love-for-science   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP    #FMTLifestyle #RavigadeviSambanthamurthi #RoyalSociety #UnitedKingdom

Transcript

00:00Dare to dream big. Dare to fail. Don't be afraid to fail.

00:07But you have to get your... I mean, you can dream. That's very, very important.

00:10Please don't ever stop that. Don't ever think you can't do it.

00:13Don't let anybody else define your limits.

00:19Turning 70 years old is a significant milestone for anyone.

00:23But for Ravika Devi Sambandan Murthy, the occasion will be even more special.

00:28On July 11th, just two days before her birthday, she will be officially inducted into UK's Royal Society as a fellow.

00:38She will be the first Malaysian scientist to receive this honour.

00:43As part of the ceremony, Ravika Devi will also sign the Royal Society's Charter Book,

00:49which holds the signatures of some of history's greatest scientific mind.

00:53FMT recently spoke with Ravika Devi to get to know the woman behind this remarkable achievement.

01:00Her interest in science took root early, sparked in part by a nature table at her primary school.

01:07So the children were encouraged to bring anything from the house, to put it there, and then you have to explain.

01:13And when she was in secondary school, she developed a special love for chemistry.

01:25She fondly recalls the dedication of her teachers at Convent Bukit Nanas,

01:29especially her late chemistry teacher, Mrs. Maniam.

01:32She played a key role in my love for chemistry, one particular.

01:39She really knew how to house the world, plant the love of the subject.

01:45That's why I said teachers are so important.

01:48They play such an important role in getting the kids to appreciate that subject.

01:53Education was a priority for her parents,

01:56who encouraged her to pursue a career she would enjoy and to always give her best.

02:00Recognizing the importance of oil palm to Malaysia's economy,

02:05Ravika Devi was determined to contribute to advancing the science behind the plant,

02:10leading transformative research in oil palm biochemistry and genomics.

02:14The groundbreaking research she conducted with her team

02:17has been published in the prestigious science journal Nature.

02:21She is also the recipient of numerous accolades.

02:24Ever the humble scientist, she attributes her personal success to team efforts.

02:29So we can be the best if we want to, you know?

02:32We just need the right ecosystem to thrive.

02:36And I was just so blessed that I had the right ecosystem,

02:40both in terms of infrastructure, support from the bosses,

02:44support from my staff, from my team.

02:47I think very important is, in order to be a good leader,

02:51you must also be a good team player.

02:53You cannot be one and not the other.

02:55And so I think that was a very important ingredient.

02:59Teamwork also helped her balance the demands of career and family,

03:03this time with her husband, whom she describes as very, very supportive.

03:08To younger women scientists in Malaysia,

03:11she shared this message of encouragement.

03:14Dare to dream big.

03:16Dare to fail.

03:17Don't be afraid to fail.

03:19But you have to get your...

03:22I mean, you can dream.

03:23That's very, very important.

03:24Please don't ever stop that.

03:25Don't ever think you can't do it.

03:27Don't let anybody else define your limit.

03:29But at the same time, you have to be grounded in good science.

03:32You have to get your basics, right?

03:36And what about doing it?

03:39I mean, you can do it.

03:41We need you.

03:42We need more women in science, you know?

03:43You can do it in science, you know?

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