Kota Kinabalu: Two-time Malaysian National Poetry Slam champion Serene Lilana Ambrose is preparing to bring her voice and perspective as a young Sabahan to the TEDxLikasBay 2026 stage, where she hopes to challenge adults to take the younger generation’s opinions seriously.
Serene, who defended her national title for the second consecutive year, will join the official speaker lineup at the event scheduled for Nov 8 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (Sicc) here.
She said one of the messages she hoped to convey was that young people could make a meaningful difference, but needed adults to listen rather than dismiss their views because of their age.
“Gen Z is not a lazy or strawberry generation. We are told to be more social or vocal and get off our phones, yet the second we are, our opinions are dismissed as if we are still little kids that you don’t have to listen to. In order for us to have a voice, we must first listen,” she said.
Serene hoped to see more people from her age group attending the talk, adding that young people should recognise their ability to influence change and contribute to society.
“You can make an impact and a change. Taking action, in a world where action is critical to making a difference, could change the world that your future generations live in,” she said.
She also hoped the platform would encourage leaders to pay greater attention to the concerns of younger generations, who would eventually inherit the decisions made today.
“That leaders of the day take notice, make amends to mistakes and know that children like me are worried about the state and country that they will inherit,” she said.
Serene said defending the title was more challenging this year, reflecting on her latest national poetry slam victory, particularly with the strong competition from other participants, She said the poems she performed were also more personal, drawing from experiences that had shaped her life.
This year’s theme, “Memories That Carry”, inspired three original pieces, including “Time Heals All Wounds”, written in honour of her father’s eight-month struggle with illness before his passing in April.
Her other pieces, “Who Were You” and “Race of Life”, explored self-identity, the pressures of growing up and the tendency to rush through life, with the latter receiving three perfect scores of 10 from three judges.
Meanwhile, preparing for TEDxLikasBay has required Serene to balance rehearsals with school examinations, missed schoolwork and extracurricular commitments, including Model United Nations and the Duke of Edinburgh programme.
Despite sharing the stage with more experienced speakers, Serene said she did not see age as a barrier to having something meaningful to contribute.
“No matter what age you are, if you have something of importance to say you should go for it,” she said.
She said she viewed her participation not only with pride but also as a responsibility to encourage other young Sabahans to express their views.
“I want to use my voice to make people think, question things and hopefully see the world from a different perspective,” she said.
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