KOTA KINABALU: Experienced members of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Intan should mentor younger women and give them opportunities to take on real leadership responsibilities, said Deputy Chief Minister II cum Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
He said this would help prepare the next generation of women leaders while ensuring the experience and lessons gained by earlier generations were passed on.
“Share what experience has taught you, including the mistakes. Sometimes a quiet word of encouragement from someone who believes in you is enough to give you the confidence to step forward,” he said.
Masidi said experienced members should also allow younger members to plan and lead projects, while providing guidance when needed.
“There will be occasions when they do things differently. Give them room to learn and the support to improve,” he said at the JCI Intan Golden Jubilee Celebration Dinner at Pacific Sutera Hotel here last night.
He congratulated JCI Intan on reaching its 50th anniversary, saying sustaining a voluntary organisation for five decades required commitment, particularly from members who also had responsibilities towards their families, careers and other obligations.
He paid particular tribute to the pioneering women who established the organisation, saying they faced resistance but persevered because they believed women should have equal opportunities to learn, lead and serve.
“For 50 years, JCI INTAN has shown what women’s leadership can achieve. It has given generations of women the experience of organising activities, working with others and taking responsibility,” he said.
Masidi also recognised every president and member who had carried the organisation forward, noting that much of the work in a voluntary organisation was done quietly, including preparing meetings, finding resources, encouraging members and ensuring projects were completed.
He said the theme of the celebration, “Strengthening Youth Leadership in a Global Ecosystem”, highlighted the need to prepare young people to work with people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds.
“Here in Sabah, we know the value of living and working with people whose backgrounds differ from our own. Listening respectfully and finding common ground are habits our young people can carry into any workplace or international setting,” he said.
Masidi said technology had made it easier for young people to connect with others, but access to information did not remove the need for sound judgement.
“Young leaders must learn to check what they read, listen before forming an opinion and take responsibility for what they say and do,” he said.
He said leadership was ultimately about responsibility, adding that people needed to know their leaders would keep their word, treat them fairly and follow through on commitments.
“When something goes wrong, they need a leader who will acknowledge it and help put it right,” he said.
Masidi said JCI Intan provided young people with opportunities to practise these leadership habits through community projects, where members learned to manage budgets, work with teams and make decisions.
He added that members also learned the importance of giving the people whom a project was intended to help a say in how it was carried out.
As JCI Intan begins its next 50 years, Masidi urged younger members to make good use of the trust placed in them.
“Volunteer for the work. Ask questions when you are unsure. Listen to the people you serve, and see your commitments through,” he said.
He also encouraged younger members to use their friendships and connections beyond Sabah to learn how others solved problems, bring back ideas that could work locally and share what Sabah could teach others.
“When choosing a project, begin with a clear question: whose lives will this improve, and how? That question will help you decide where your time and resources can do the most good,” he said.
Masidi said the pioneers of JCI Intan had created opportunities for the women who followed them and every generation now had the opportunity to do the same for the next.
“That is a fitting way to honour their work,” he said, congratulating past and present leaders and members of JCI Intan on their Golden Jubilee and wishing the organisation a happy 50th anniversary.
