Stephen's love for his home country of Malaysia motivates his desire to help and review small, historic businesses and those most in need around his city of Kuala Lumpur.

"I have an emotional connection to small businesses run by older or multiple generations," said Stephen. "They keep our local culture and history alive. We all need to ensure these gems remain with us as long as possible," Stephen said. "Unfortunately, because of price pressures as well as economies of scale, a lot of traditional vendors find it hard to survive. I've always had a passion to experience and try to preserve those traditional foods and places as much as I can. I frequent small stalls, write a review, take helpful photos, mark accessibility, [etc.]"

He created an impressive 71 lists, like Kuala Lumpur: 20 Best Local Food, and is constantly looking for new ways to engage his community. His community connection extends to those in need. In 2021, Stephen started mapping the makeshift food banks popping up outside restaurants and businesses around Kuala Lumpur. These food banks allow businesses and individuals to drop off food, so Stephen wrote a Local Stories post on Connect, hosted a virtual meet-up, and fleshed out the idea, so it could be replicated in other cities. "It's not a Stephen thing. It's all of us."

Want to learn more about this incredible Local Guide? ? Check out his contributions on Google Maps and follow his profile on Connect.