From village life on the banks of the Sarawak River to shaping national policy in Putrajaya, Dato’ Sri Nancy Shukri has led with quiet strength, deep cultural grounding, and an unwavering commitment to public service. As Malaysia’s Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, she’s championed women’s empowerment, youth opportunity, and inclusive leadership.
In our Jun/Jul 2025 issue, MillionaireAsia puts the spotlight on this East Malaysian trailblazer who’s redefined what it means to lead with purpose. We follow Nancy’s journey from a childhood shaped by strong female role models to a career in politics that continues to break barriers and uplift communities.
We also continue our mission to spotlight the women shaping Southeast Asia’s future – with stories, programmes, and partnerships designed to empower, inspire, and ignite change.
She Put Boys to Shame
Winifred Duraisingam’s cricket story started on the streets of Banting, where she bowled against boys who underestimated her until she took them out one by one. She created her own path, making history as Malaysia’s women’s national cricket captain.
She put boys to shame, and they’ve never forgotten it.
“If I run into them today, they still say, ‘I still remember what you did to me’,” Winifred Duraisingam recalls.
Now 31, the Women’s National Cricket team captain has been a force to be reckoned with since she was a child.
“I first started playing cricket on the streets, against the boys.”
At that time, girls playing cricket was unheard of and the boys avoided her.
Then her uncle said, “you take the ball and I will teach you how to bowl”.
“It came with the rule that whoever got the wicket would go on to bat,” says Winifred.
She soon proved to be unstoppable.
Winifred’s family was no stranger to the sport. Her elder brother and cousin were on the national cricket team. Her uncle was a coach, who people would gather along the streets to watch and learn from.
With no girls’ cricket in schools, she blazed her own path. She’d trail her brother to his matches, and have her own matches with her uncle on the sidelines.
A casual cricket match between neighbourhood teams would change her entire trajectory.
With her short hair, most opponents just assumed she was a boy. In truth, she was the only girl on the team.
During that fateful match, she happened to bowl to a former national cricket player.
She got his wicket and bowled – just like she always did.
The former national player stepped out and asked her uncle: “Who is that boy?”
“That’s my niece!” her uncle replied.
It was a simple exchange but it changed everything.
Malaysia was just in the process of forming its first women’s national team for cricket, and they were having tryouts.
It was serendipity; the former men’s national player suggested Winifred give it a go.
That set her off on her full-blown journey into the world of cricketing.
Her talent was clear: Winifred was instantly selected to be part of the national team, opening the bowling for the games at just 14 – a role reserved for bowlers who can deliver the ball skillfully and quickly. The young star made her debut in the team’s match against Singapore – which they proudly won.
“I still open the bowl until today,” Winifred beams.
She considers being the only player invited to represent Malaysia at the FairBreak Invitational T20 in 2022 her biggest achievement to date. Hosted in Dubai, this was the world’s first women’s invitational cricket tournament and it brought players from 36 countries together. Winifred shared the pitch with global icons like Stefanie Taylor from West Indies and Sophie Devine from New Zealand, among other international players.
The thought of facing international cricketers she had only ever seen on TV was terrifying at first.
But excitement soon took over.
“Cricket is…” she says before quickly correcting herself: “Was my number one.”
Her full-time job is teaching geography and physical education at SMK Lembah Keramat.
Her schedule is tight and relentless.
Mornings start with cricket training at 8.30am. By noon, she’s in the classroom. If there’s no training in the morning, she hits the gym after work instead, working out until 8.30pm. Then back home for dinner, a shower, and lights out by 10.30pm.
Weekends are packed, with Winifred squeezing in two training sessions a day, from 9.30am to 12pm, and then from 3.30pm till 6pm. Sundays are set aside for friendlies.
“My weekends are always occupied and Monday begins again with the same cycle,” she says.
It’s all an exercise in passion and discipline. It’s exhausting.
But, she says simply: “Once you like doing something, you will somehow find a way to do it.”
Cricket may be her “diehard passion,” but faith and family are never far behind.
On Easter Sunday, she politely rescheduled an interview to be with family.
It’s a habit that’s long been part of her rhythm: whether returning home from campus when she studied for a Bachelor of Education in Sports and Recreation at UKM every weekend, or keeping weekends sacred for her loved ones now.
“Even if the visit was less than 24 hours, it was something,” says Winifred.
It is a routine she keeps up to this day.
Despite being based in Kuala Lumpur, she still considers Banting home. It it at least an hour away, but it is where she grew up, where her family still lives, and where she returns every weekend after training.
Although initially more inclined to being a coach, Winifred says she considers her job teaching in school a form of coaching too.
Her family have been her biggest supporters in a journey that’s not been without challenges.
During her university days at UKM Bangi, she struggled to commute to training in Puchong, which was slightly under an hour away – until her family stepped in and bought her a car.
The challenges throughout her pursuit of passion has taught her discipline, humility, and given her the gift of making many friends abroad.
But the person who set it all in motion – who saw the spark and gave her the ball – is someone she remembers with particular fondness.
She fondly remembers her late uncle with gratitude: “Without him, I don’t think I would have known what cricket is.”
From street games in Banting to international stadiums, Winifred Duraisingam has rewritten what’s possible for women in Malaysian cricket. And she’s still not done.
Hot off the press
From village life on the banks of the Sarawak River to shaping national policy in Putrajaya, Dato’ Sri Nancy Shukri has led with quiet strength, deep cultural grounding, and an unwavering commitment to public service. As Malaysia’s Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, she’s championed women’s empowerment, youth opportunity, and inclusive leadership.
In our Jun/Jul 2025 issue, MillionaireAsia puts the spotlight on this East Malaysian trailblazer who’s redefined what it means to lead with purpose. We follow Nancy’s journey from a childhood shaped by strong female role models to a career in politics that continues to break barriers and uplift communities.
We also continue our mission to spotlight the women shaping Southeast Asia’s future – with stories, programmes, and partnerships designed to empower, inspire, and ignite change.
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