Breakout Session Speakers

Mr Cruyff Chua 

Freelance Practitioner 

Mr Cruyff Chua is a freelance linguist, translator, language educator, and voice talent specialising in English–Mandarin communication. His professional work spans translation, proofreading, bilingual education, and voice performance, enabling him to approach communication from both linguistic and audience perspectives. Having worked across commercial, educational, and public-facing projects, he believes that effective communication extends beyond linguistic accuracy—it requires cultural understanding, clarity, and genuine human connection. 

Beyond his professional practice, Cruyff is passionate about nurturing the next generation of language professionals. He designs and conducts translation and interpretation enrichment programmes for Singapore schools, introducing students to real-world language challenges through engaging, practice-oriented learning. His growing portfolio in translation education reflects his commitment to making the profession more accessible, inspiring young learners to appreciate the value of multilingual communication while developing practical bilingual skills.  

Cruyff also serves as a volunteer Citizen Translator, contributing his expertise to make information more accessible to the wider community. Through his combined experience in localisation, education, and voice communication, he enjoys sharing practical insights on how language professionals can bridge cultures, build trust, and create meaningful connections across diverse audiences.  

Ms Li Kunqi 

Founder and CEO, CaptionCube 

Ms Li Kunqi is the Founder and CEO of CaptionCube, a homegrown social enterprise specialising in translation, subtitling, captioning and transcription. 

She founded CaptionCube with a vision of building a more inclusive society, beginning with improving access to information for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. The company has since grown to serve clients across broadcast, government and corporate sectors, including supporting Mediacorp’s subtitling needs. 

With over a decade of experience leading a language services company, Kunqi brings a management perspective on the use of AI in translation and communication. She works closely with her team to balance the efficiencies of technology with the human judgement needed to preserve accuracy, clarity, tone and cultural context. 

CaptionCube also creates inclusive work opportunities for persons with disabilities. For its social impact, the company was recognised by raiSE in 2026 as one of the first 17 verified Leading Social Enterprises. 

Mr Hadi Saparin 

News Editor, Berita Harian and Director of Malay Heritage Foundation

Mr Hadi Saparin is News Editor at Berita Harian and Director at the Malay Heritage Foundation where he oversees news coverage and commentary on issues affecting the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore. With more than a decade of editorial leadership, he has written extensively on language, society, culture and public policy, including the evolving impact of AI on work and communication.  

As an experienced journalist and editor, he brings valuable perspectives on communication meaning clearly, responsibly and effectively in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.  

Ms Rilla Melati 

General Manager, Malay Heritage Foundation 

Ms Rilla Melati Bahri is the General Manager of the Malay Heritage Foundation, where she leads efforts in heritage preservation and cultural engagement. She also serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC) and was co-founder of Mini Monsters Ltd, an educational company dedicated to creating bilingual Malay children’s content and publications. To date, Rilla has authored more than twenty Malay children’s picture books. 

Rilla brings with her a wealth of experience built across media, education and cultural work. She is a familiar face to many as a long-standing TV personality and broadcaster at Mediacorp, a background that has sharpened her instincts for storytelling, audience engagement, and communicating with warmth and authenticity. Her work today sits at a meaningful intersection – navigating how cultural nuance, identity, and the human touch in language can be preserved and celebrated even as AI and technology reshape the way we communicate.

Mr Vadi PVSS 

Artiste 

Mr Vadi PVSS is a distinguished Singapore theatre practitioner and TV artitse whose contributions span acting, directing, writing, producing, lyricism, and the translation of well-known literature. A passionate advocate for meaningful theatre, he has dedicated decades to bringing powerful stories to life while making world classics accessible to Tamil-speaking audiences.

As a translator, Vadi has skilfully adapted acclaimed international works into Tamil, preserving their emotional depth, dramatic tension, and cultural relevance. His translations are not mere linguistic conversions but theatrical recreations, allowing audiences to experience universal themes through the richness of the Tamil language. Productions such as On the Penal Colony and The Trial, both written by Franz Kafka and several other stage works stand as testament to his commitment to expanding the Tamil theatrical repertoire. He also directed Macbeth in Tamil translated by cultural medallion winner P Krishnan, as well as co-adapted and translated another Shakespearean work of Titus Andronicus. 

Equally accomplished on stage, television and radio, Vadi has portrayed a wide spectrum of memorable characters while mentoring aspiring performers and championing theatre as a vehicle for education, social reflection, and community engagement. His work seamlessly blends artistic excellence with intellectual rigour, reflecting both his theatrical passion and legal training. 

Whether translating important works, crafting original lyrics, directing a production, or commanding the stage, radio and TV as an actor, Vadi PVSS continues to enrich Singapore's Tamil theatre landscape, inspiring audiences and nurturing future generations of theatre practitioners. 

Ms Letchumi Jaiganth 

Senior Editor (Current Affairs), Mediacorp

Ms Letchumi Jaiganth is a Senior Editor with Mediacorp’s Tamil News and Current Affairs division. A broadcast journalist with extensive experience in news, current affairs and strategic communications.  

Over a career spanning more than three decades, she has worked across education, journalism, corporate communications and media leadership. These included roles at Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) and the Singapore Sports Council.  

Currently leading Mediacorp’s Tamil Current Affairs department, she drives impactful narratives and audience engagement while maintaining high editorial standards through a weekly current affairs broadcast over television and radio. Notably she helms the broadcast of all national level events including National Day Message, National Day Rally and General Elections coverage for the Tamil News and Current Affairs. A mother of three, she has also balanced family life with her youngest daughter achieving at the national athletics stage. Her eldest daughter is a pharmaceutical life sciences grad and a Bharatanatyam artist, while her son is pursuing his university studies with a SAF scholarship.