Meet The Stars Of Malaysia Airports Who Were Awarded For Going The Extra Mile
From returning lost items to putting out fire and calming passengers, they do it all.
Published For Malaysia Airports - 26 May 2026, 12:03 PM
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Every journey through an airport carries a story
For some, it is the beginning of a holiday. For others, it is a long-awaited reunion, a return home, or the next step in an important journey. Across Malaysia Airports, these moments unfold every day, guided by frontliners whose work often happens quietly in the background.
Behind many of these journeys are frontliners whose work often happens quietly.
They are the ones who notice when someone needs help, step forward before being asked, and bring calm, confidence, and care into the passenger experience. Sometimes, that support comes through a smile. Other times, it is found in quick thinking, patient listening, or a kind gesture that stays with a passenger long after they have left.
To honour these acts of service, Malaysia Airports celebrates exceptional frontliners through its Best Front Liner Awards 2026.
With the theme "Guardians of Excellence", the awards recognise individuals who embody professionalism, empathy, resilience, and the willingness to go beyond what is expected.
This year's recipients come from different parts of airport operations, but their stories share the same heart: helping passengers travel with greater ease, confidence, and peace of mind.
For Noorasmida Mansoor, the conversation was lost in translation, but her kindness still found a way to shine through
It was a routine shift at KLIA Terminal 2 for airport frontliner Noorasmida Mansoor, the kind where questions come and go, and passengers move in a steady blur.
Suddenly, a call came through about a distressed passenger with a language barrier.
By the time Noorasmida reached the scene, the Chinese national was visibly shaken. She was alone, overwhelmed, and unable to communicate in English or Malay, her anxiety growing with every passing moment in the unfamiliar bustle of the terminal.
In a place where everything moves quickly, moments like this can escalate just as fast.
Without hesitation, Noorasmida stepped forward. She spoke gently, using simple gestures and a calm presence to bridge the gap where words could not. She stayed close, offering reassurance while quietly coordinating with the terminal team to ensure help was on the way.
"I did my best to comfort her, and ensured that she was calm," Noorasmida shared.
For Noorasmida, it was not an extraordinary act, but part of what the job demands.
Because sometimes, in a place designed for constant movement, what people need most is someone who can help them feel safe and at ease.
A simple thing like a forgotten laptop can become a race against time, as Shafiq Aris discovered
It has been a long day at work for Shafiq Aris, Aviation Security officer at Tawau Airport, just when something caught his attention. A laptop, left behind.
It sat quietly in the terminal, unclaimed, just another item that could have been logged and sent through the usual process. At Tawau Airport, these things happen. Items are misplaced. Procedures are followed.
But as Shafiq looked at it, his thoughts went elsewhere.
He pictured the owner mid‑journey, perhaps already on the way home or rushing to their next destination. Then the realisation would hit. A bag opened. A quick check. Then a second, more frantic one.
And that sinking feeling.
The laptop could hold work that mattered, documents that could not be replaced, pieces of someone's life stored in a single place. For a brief moment, Shafiq considered the standard route. Log it. Secure it. Let the system take over.
Then he made a different call. He chose speed over process.
Instead of waiting for the passenger to retrace their steps, Shafiq took it upon himself to track them down. Upon receiving necessary approval and agreement from the passenger, what followed took him beyond the airport, right to the passenger's doorstep, where he returned the laptop himself.
Relief replaced panic in an instant.
"My motivation comes from the support from my family, especially my parents, and how they have always encouraged me to help others when they are in need," Shafiq said.
Serving at Tawau Airport means adapting constantly. A large number of passengers passing through are from China, and communication is often not straightforward.
"80% of the passengers at Tawau Airport are from China, so the language barrier is a significant challenge. I was not fluent in Chinese, but I had to learn," he shared.
So he did. Picking up what he could, adjusting along the way, finding new ways to connect beyond words.
Because in his line of work, it is about vigilance and awareness. Reading the situation. Thinking one step ahead. And knowing when something small is not small at all.
When crisis struck, people like Marsden Anak Mandes stepped up to the challenge
For Marsden Anak Mandes, Senior Fire Officer and Operations Chief of the Airport Fire and Rescue Service (AFRS) at Kuching International Airport, preparedness is part of the job. Every shift comes with the understanding that when emergencies happen, decisions must be made fast, and there is little room for error.
Then came a call on 23 June 2025.
An RMAF CN235-220M aircraft had suffered a nosewheel failure while landing. On board were 27 individuals. Every second mattered.
What followed was a situation where timing, coordination, and composure became critical. Communication had to be immediate and precise. Every member of the emergency response team needed to know exactly where to be and what to do. Any delay could have escalated the risk further.
Marsden stepped forward to lead the operation.
Amid the pressure unfolding on the runway, he coordinated his team with calm focus, ensuring emergency procedures were carried out accurately while preparing for a safe evacuation.
There was no room for panic. Only action.
Through the team's swift response and Marsden's leadership, all 27 individuals on board were evacuated safely without incident.
The operation later received official recognition from the Royal Malaysian Air Force, acknowledging the professionalism and readiness demonstrated by the AFRS during the emergency.
"Challenges and difficult situations are unavoidable anywhere, but what matters most is always knowing the right action to take," Marsden shared.
For him, the role goes beyond emergency response. It is about staying ready long before a crisis happens.
Everything is a rush in the airport, but Zarrul Eiman makes it his mission that no one is left behind
On most days at KLIA Terminal 1, Zarrul Eiman, Customer Experience Management team member, is in constant motion.
Managing crowds. Answering questions. Keeping passengers moving through a space that rarely slows down.
Then came a situation that demanded everything at once.
A transit passenger had misplaced a pouch. At the same time, there was a language barrier, making it difficult to understand what had been lost and where to even begin looking.
With a connecting flight to catch, time was not on their side.
Moments like this can quickly unravel. Confusion builds. Frustration sets in. Small problems start to feel much bigger.
Zarrul knew there was no time to let that happen.
He stepped in, piecing together what he could from gestures and fragments of information. Working quickly, he traced the missing pouch, then personally escorted the passenger to retrieve it, moving with urgency through the terminal.
The clock was ticking, but so was everything else around him.
Even as he helped resolve the situation, Zarrul remained tuned in to the flow around him, continuing to guide other passengers and manage the crowd as needed. It was a careful balance between focus and awareness, knowing that every decision carried weight.
Within minutes, the passenger was back on track and safely guided to the check-in counter.
For Zarrul, clarity in moments like these is non-negotiable.
"The first thing is safety. We also focus on providing accurate information and assisting with empathy," he said.
That mindset extends beyond time-sensitive situations.
There are moments when the challenge is not speed, but emotion.
"I had an experience with an aggressive passenger at the check-in counter," he shared. "I listened to his concerns and invited him for a short chat to help calm him down."
What could have escalated instead softened.
"The next day, he came back to thank me," Zarrul said. "You have to be a listener first."
In a space defined by constant movement, his approach remains steady.
Accidents happen, and in these moments, it's people like Haireen Wan Akmal Bahari who chose to go above and beyond
You have just checked in. Your next flight is coming up. Everything is on track. Then, in a fleeting moment, you realise something is missing. Your wallet.
You check your bag once. Then again. A little faster this time. The reality begins to sink in. No cash. No cards. No clear way forward, in a place that is not home.
This was the situation one passenger found themselves in.
At KLIA Terminal 2's Plaza Premium Lounge, Haireen Wan Akmal Bahari noticed the shift immediately. The uncertainty. The quiet panic of not knowing what to do next.
There were options. Direct the passenger elsewhere. Pass the situation along. Instead, she stayed.
From that moment, Haireen guided the passenger through every step. She accompanied them to the police station, helped retrieve their credit card details, and worked through the logistics until they were able to secure a new flight ticket.
What began as a stressful interruption slowly became something manageable, one step at a time.
"When there is a language barrier, I try to find a way around it and calm the situation," she said.
To Haireen, challenges are part of the job, and every problem has a solution.
"If a guest is not satisfied with our facilities, we can overcome that with our service."
Beyond helping guests, she also supports her own team by guiding new colleagues and helping maintain service standards at the lounge.
These are the airport frontliners who often go unseen, turning moments of uncertainty into calm with quiet acts of care
They may not always be the first people we notice at the airport, but they are often the ones who turn stressful moments into manageable ones.
The airport is where they spend their days helping thousands of people move safely, calmly, and confidently from one point to another.
