They are musician Jes Ebrahim, 23; hip-hop entrepeneur Nicholas Siau, 22; stand-up comic Thenesh Skip, 24; community organiser Sarah Amer, 24; and entertainer Hannan Azlan, 21.
Here we take a closer look at why Hitz believes in their choice talents for the future.
Hitz credits Jes Ebrahim with being a resolute youth who has not let a head injury suffered last year restrict him from continuing to play his music with a smile.
Jes is the frontman of Malaysian folk/rock band Moonsoon Market. Jes writes and sings on all the band’s tracks besides also having his own solo projects.
One such project is Wayang Di Bayang. It is a series of band performances set in the dark projecting the band’s shadows. It made its debut at the Bintang X Bulan event in April.
For an up and coming rapper, Nicholas Siau is very much in tune with the trends and whims of his generation, Hitz said.
Using the moniker Nemo, Siau has a self-describing LP for his first effort, called NRETBTSNPEFASS (Not Rich Enough to Buy the Scene, Not Poor Enough for a Sob Story), and it will be out soon.
Hitz calls it an exploration of young life in contemporary times, with Nemo not downplaying his privileges nor his roots.
The LP also features two tracks where Siau raps in Malay – “PPA” and “Bootleg Greentea”.
Since starting his showbiz career as a publicist at the PJ Live Arts theatre in Jaya One, Thenesh Skip has since gone on to bigger and better things.
Following up with his Open Mic performances at PJ Live Arts, Thenesh has expanded his stand-up comedy skills to other comedy venues, including Crackhouse Comedy Club.
He now shares the stage with other renowned stand-up comics and even gets to tour the nation, most notably with the likes of Prakash Daniel, Keren Bala Devan, Kevin Jayaram and Andrew Netto through The Angrey Indian Show: Machas Rock The Mic.
According to Hitz, Thenesh is also a social media specialist, and is working on his own comedy sketch channel called District Lumpur.
As a community organiser, Sarah Amer showed her passion for women’s issues last year by organising programmes such as workshops, discussions, performances and activities all under the umbrella of an event called Kota Wanita in conjunction with International Women’s Day.
Following that, Sarah has continued her efforts by initiating a series of panel discussions, simply called Bukan Sekadar Bicara, Hitz said.
Describing Hannan Azlan as a talented free spirit, Hitz adds that she is bold, brave, energetic and insane, yet sensitive and warm.
After having taken the local stand-up scene by storm with memorable performances comprising comedy and original songs with one-liners delivered to deadpan perfection, Hannan’s star continues to rise. She will be showcasing her talent in Hong Kong’s Take Out Comedy next month.
It will be her first performance outside Southeast Asia, in her fairly short eight-month stint as a stand-up comic.
According to Hitz, Hannan is essentially a writer who also produces and performs her own material. One of her compositions, “I’m Frightened By a Lot of Things But That Shouldn’t Stop Me From Trying, Right?” won her an Audience Choice Award at the Short + Sweet Festival last year.