INTERVIEW | Under the blue skies on the coast of Penang Island, a young university graduate took an unusual path, teaching water sports enthusiasts windsurfing and wakeboarding.

The visual communication graduate from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) then went on to work as a kickboxing coach and fitness instructor, while also being active in the independent music scene. She even performed in the UK at 27 when she was in a band with her brother Riz.

More than a decade later, this outgoing woman, Syerleena Abdul Rashid, is the newly elected Bukit Bendera MP.

Syerleena joined DAP in...