SIMANGGANG: A three-day leadership programme involving 100 secondary school students in Sri Aman is strengthening efforts to groom a new generation of principled and capable future leaders.
The ‘Next Gen Leaders – Be the Leader, Unlock Your Future’ programme, a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative on Empowerment and Community Health for DUN N28 Lingga, was held at Hotel Sri Simanggang starting Wednesday.
It brought together students from four secondary schools – SMK Lingga, SMK Simanggang, SMK St Luke and SMK Sri Aman – with each school represented by 25 students and two accompanying teachers.
Lingga assemblywoman, Dayang Noorazah Awang Sohor, said the initiative focuses on building self-confidence, communication skills, critical thinking and teamwork among participants.
“Efforts like this are important in producing a generation of young people who are principled, credible, and capable of becoming future leaders,” she said when officiating the programme.
She added that the Sarawak Government remains committed to strengthening education, including implementing free higher education for Sarawakian students beginning 2026 at four state-owned institutions.
Throughout the programme, participants took part in various leadership activities conducted by experienced facilitators led by Dr Nur Aida Kipli from the Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies, UiTM Sarawak Branch, together with Ir Masayu Kiprawi, a senior engineer from Black Dot Management Sdn Bhd.
The closing ceremony and certificate presentation were officiated by Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, Datuk Dr Ripin Lamat.
In his speech, he described the programme as a vital platform to equip students with leadership values, competitiveness and readiness for future challenges.
“Students should make full use of the educational and human capital development opportunities available to enhance their employability and build a brighter future,” he said.
The programme also featured evaluation activities, including awards for Best Student, Promising Youth, Best Group and Best Presentation, as well as a lucky draw to encourage participation.
