Daniel Delaney has always known that he wanted to tell stories. But it was one of Malaysia’s most defining moments of crisis that turned his interest into purpose.
“When the MH370 incident happened, I thought to myself: Why are the communications like this? What’s going on?” he recalls. “In the arrogance of youth, I definitely thought I could do much better.”
Years later, he had the opportunity to meet Dato’ Najmuddin, one of the senior figures involved in the crisis, and that confidence was replaced with perspective.
“It is surreal to meet the person who contributed to who you want to be,” he reflects. “I realised that even today, I would not be able to handle even a fraction of what he did.”
Rather than discouraging him, that humility pushed Delaney into action. At university, he and a friend embraced experimentation, convinced that this was the safest time to take risks. One such attempt — to bring Syed Saddiq to their campus — was widely dismissed.
“Everyone said it was a pipe dream. All the other clubs were making fun of us,” he laughs. “But we started sending letters, ambushing ministers, and suddenly the university was paying attention.” The plan ultimately collapsed for reasons beyond their control, but the lesson stuck.
Listen to his story in the latest episode of The NexGen Show, a weekly podcast hosted by Malaysian advertising veteran Prof. Harmandar Singh that highlights young talent in the media, marketing, and advertising space.
New episodes drop every Sunday, 7PM on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
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