KUCHING: The Commonwealth Association of Leadership Malaysia (CALM) serves as a platform dedicated to nurturing leaders with integrity among those aspiring to lead.
CALM president Yap Li Ling was one of the 12 Malaysians selected from a pool of 300 emerging leaders from across the Commonwealth to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s 11th Commonwealth Study Conferences (CSC) in Canada this past June.
According to Yap, the programme was an eye-opening experience that provided valuable insights into diversity and interaction with people from various countries.
“We gained profound insights into diversity and interaction with individuals from different stages of their country’s development, as well as people of varying races, religions, and societal backgrounds.
“This broadened our perspectives and aided us on our leadership journey, enabling us to give back and nurture more emerging leaders to lead Malaysia,” she shared with New Sarawak Tribune yesterday (Sept 14).
The programme was initiated in 1956 by His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, with the aim of studying and gathering perspectives on the human challenges faced by industrial communities in the Commonwealth.
To date, over 8,000 individuals have participated in CSC programmes worldwide, including several held in Malaysia.
Currently, CALM boasts around 34 members since its establishment in 2018, officially registered with the Registrar of Societies in Malaysia.
Yap highlighted that through CSC, CALM members were exposed to and engaged with participants from other Commonwealth nations. This knowledge and experience can be shared with fellow aspiring leaders in Malaysia.
“Malaysia is characterised by its diversity, democracy, inclusiveness, open-mindedness, and cultural sensitivity. Therefore, by instilling these values in leadership development, we aim to make a meaningful contribution.”
Yap also expressed the potential of establishing a CALM Sarawak Chapter, provided there is interest from Sarawakians.
“We aim to bring together individuals from different states to work on this together. This is a prospect we are exploring,” she added, noting that a regional CSC is in the planning stages for the next three years to provide exposure for young leaders in the region.
Meanwhile, CALM charter president Hanaa Wong Abdullah pointed out that despite the opportunities available for leadership development in the country, there is a challenge in finding a sufficient pool of talented leaders from the younger generation.
“The pool is relatively small, which makes finding leaders a more challenging task.
“Hence, it is our responsibility to motivate and inspire the current generation. In many ways, CALM provides a platform with a secure learning environment where they can apply their knowledge in their communities and contribute to their growth,” said Hanaa.
CALM, in collaboration with Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, is also organising the Leadership Fireside Talk: Unlocking Leadership Potential Through Transformational Leadership on Friday (Sept 15), with Her Excellency Ailsa Terry, the British High Commissioner to Malaysia, and Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian as guests of honour.
