I was invited by the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) to join a panel to talk about 'Entrepreneurial Ventures.' The panel was part of Conference on Research Funding and Powering the Innovation Engine held on 24th August 2017 at MIDA, KL Sentral. It was organised by Malaysia Investment and Development Authority (MIDA) and the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC).

The panel comprised:

1. Dr Tanuja Rajah (Program Manager, Global Accelerator Program - Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC))
2. Mr Zaim Mohzani (Co-Founder and Principal, Nation Building School)
3. Mr Zaky Moh (Senior Director of Business Development and Entrepreneurship Division, SME Corporation Malaysia)
4. Dr. Mohan V. Avvari MBA  (Deputy Dean (Business Engagement and External Relations), University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus) [Moderator]

Dr Mohan, the moderator asked me touch about youth development, particularly for university students...

I was invited by the International Council of Malaysian Scholars and Associates (ICMS) to moderate a panel of esteemed speakers on the topic of global inequality. The panel was held in tandem with their annual Malaysian Public Policy Competition (MPPC). It was held on 20th August 2017 at Sunway University.

Speakers

1. Dr Chandra Muzaffar (Founder & President, International Movement for a Just World - JUST / Chairman, Board of Trustees, Yayasan 1Malaysia)
2. Dr Kenneth Simler (Senior Economist in Poverty & Equity Global Practice, The World Bank)
3. Mr Ali Salman (Director Research, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs - IDEAS)
4. Zaim Mohzani (Co-Founder, Nation Building School) [Moderator]

Topic: 'Tackling Inequality on a Global Level'

We had a vibrant and insightful session. Some of the points were...

 I was invited by United Kingdom & Eire Council of Malaysian Students (UKEC) to speak on “Political Awareness and Maturity Among Youth” for their 11th Malaysian Student Leaders Summit (MSLS). I had to the privilege to speak alongside Minister in Prime Minister's Department, YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy binti Shukri and YB Dr. Ong Kian Ming, Member of Parliament for Serdang (DAP).

I spoke on young Malaysians' level of political participation, proposed policy to encourage civic engagement and challenges ahead.

You can view the presentation on UKEC Facebook page.

Here's my slide presentation:

Topic: ​Next Generation Leadership: What Does The Younger Generation Think of the Future of ASEAN? What Does ASEAN 2025 Vision Mean to Today’s Youths?​

Points of discussion: ASEAN must become more relevant to the younger generation. How can ASEAN consciousness be further improved? How can the younger generation participate in ASEAN decision making processes?

Speakers

1. Dato' Ramesh Kodammal (Council Member, ASEAN Business Advisory Council)
2. Mr. Ivanpal S. Grewal (Political Secretary to Minister of Plantation Industries & Commodities)
3. Dr. Oh Ei Sun (Adjunct Senior Fellow, S. Rajaratnam, School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)
4. Mr. Ehon Chan (Executive Director, MaGIC)
5. Mr. Zaim Mohzani (Principal, Nation Building School)
6. Mr. Voon Zhen Yi (Manager, Programme & Research, Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS), ASLI) [Moderator]

The points I raised during the panel discussion...

I'm launching an opportunity platform simply called Leadership Opportunities for Malaysian Youth or LOMY. 

I've come to realise one too many young people are unaware of opportunities available in this country. 

As the name suggests, LOMY connects you with opportunities to develop your leadership skills. We exist as an opportunity platform so that every single youth in Malaysia — citizen or noncitizen — can benefit from opportunities to grow as a leader. ​

Any opportunities — conferences, scholarships, competitions, fellowships, internships — as long as it helps youth in Malaysia. It is my hope that LOMY can help in youth development, particularly in training, education and employment.

Currently, LOMY will be a Facebook group (because it's simple, it works and people are always on Fb). When it gains traction, we can make it a portal or an app. 

We will be curating opportunities from credible sources such as Youth Opportunities and All Events In City. We will also be sharing exclusive opportunities from partners. This won't be a one-way street as it's open for anyone to post opportunities, subject to terms and conditions. 

I'd like to invite you to join the group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/opportunitiesmy. 

If you'd like to receive exclusive opportunities, please sign up as a member at http://bit.ly/joinopportunitiesmy​.

If you are interested to feature an opportunity or join the leadership, please email us at opportunitiesmy@gmail.com.

Global Shapers Kuala Lumpur (GSKL) organised an Open Day to engage key stakeholders of Malaysian social ecosystem on 5 August 2017 in Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur.

We've been around since 2011 and have been organising various community projects such as My First Job (career guidance for students), Better Streets (urban rejuvenation project) and After5 (personal development for Form 5 SPM leavers). Despite our presence, not many people know of our organisation, what more our mission. So, we decided to organise a day for our partners and prospective allies to meet and chat with us.

This idea on Commonwealth Youth Movement came about when I was attending  a town hall with Tim Hitchens ​(CEO, Commonwealth Summit 2018) and Kishva Ambigapathy (Chairperson, Commonwealth Youth Council) on 18 July 2017 in Kuala Lumpur. During the engaging session with both Commonwealth leaders, it dawned on me that while there's much excitement and enthusiasm during the event, the conversation will quickly die off once the event is over. There must be a better way to not only continue the conversations on Commonwealth but to turn the ideas into action. After pitching to both Tim and Kishva, I told them I write to them on an idea to democratise access to the Commonwealth. And so, I did. 8 days later, after sharing the idea with Coordinator of Commonwealth Youth Council, I'd like to share it with you.

What do you think of this idea? Is it feasible? Am I missing out on any key points? Let me know in the comment section below.