PENANG-born academic and volunteer police officer Prof Dr Cheah Phaik Kin has been honoured with two major titles at the Top Women in Security ASEAN Awards 2025, earning her the Security Researcher Award and the Country Award for Malaysia.
Prof Dr Cheah said she was flattered by the recognition and credited the honour to the collective efforts of those who have supported her research and community work.
“I am sincerely grateful to ASEANAPOL executive director, police colonel David Vinluan, for nominating me for the awards and for recognising the role of academic and community-based contributions in strengthening regional security,” she said in a release.
Prof Dr Cheah, daughter of The Star’s former Regional Associate Editor (North) Anna Cheah, received the awards at the Security Event Asia held at the Sands Expo Convention Centre in Singapore on Nov 12.
She comes from an illustrious family, as her elder sister, Dr Cheah Phaik Yeong, is a full professor at the University of Oxford and is attached to the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) in Bangkok.
She said the double win demonstrated the value of academic research in addressing current public safety issues in Malaysia and across ASEAN.
“I am still in dazed but deeply thankful for being honoured with two awards representing Malaysia among the ten ASEAN countries that is truly humbling,” she said.
Prof Dr Cheah said the achievements reflected the combined efforts of her institution, students, collaborators and the Royal Malaysia Police Volunteer Reserve.
“I am sincerely grateful to Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) , the Royal Malaysia Police Volunteer Reserve, colleagues, students and partners who have believed in our shared mission to keep communities safe,” she said.
She added that the awards strengthened her resolve to continue building awareness on job scams, crime prevention and community safety.
“This recognition is not mine alone, but it belongs to everyone who has supported the journey of research, teaching, volunteering and raising awareness on job scams and public safety,” said Prof Dr Cheah, who is currently based in Utar Kampar.
Prof Dr Cheah said her work would continue to evolve in response to emerging threats, with a focus on communication strategies and public engagement.
“We keep learning, we keep serving, and we keep people safe,” she said.
Prof Dr Cheah, who serves as a Lance Corporal with the Royal Malaysia Police Volunteer Reserve, is known for blending her academic work with practical policing experience.
She pioneered the country’s first academic study on volunteer policing, which has contributed to greater understanding of the role played by reserve officers in supporting law enforcement.
Her research also covers policing practices in Malaysia, the United States and the United Kingdom, with her findings published in several international journals.
Beyond research, she led a regional anti–job scam campaign in 2025 with ASEANAPOL and the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation, supported by partners in the United Kingdom and the United States.
The campaign, which involved her public relations students, reached communities across ASEAN through digital platforms, highlighting the importance of youth engagement in public safety.
Prof Dr Cheah has also shared her expertise at international forums including sessions with Scotland police and the UK Association of Special Constabulary Officers.
She holds advisory and visiting roles at universities in the United States and the United Kingdom, strengthening cross-border collaboration in security research.
Apart from that , her work continues to focus on community resilience, and cross-national cooperation to address evolving security issues in the region.
Story by Edmund Lee