Convention Platform to Seek Solutions

Convention platform to seek solutions By Samuel Aubrey

KUCHING: The meeting of minds from various countries in this region, even for a Toastmasters convention, can be an important platform to overcome problems caused by the current economic downturn and other global crises.

LET’S GET STARTED: Tengah (centre) leads the beating of the drums to declare open the conference. He is accompanied by Gomez (left) and organisingchairperson Zabariah Matali.
Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan said the Toastmasters fraternity had the power to influence people due to their training in persuasive communication skills and leadership.

With these skills, he said members of Toastmasters would be able to communicate and funnel global issues into smaller bits and pieces, so that the people can see the larger picture and contribute to making positive changes.

“So what relevance has all these global concerns and issues to the Toastmasters fraternity? I would argue that there is a whole world of relevance and significance to all Toastmasters.
“Members of the Toastmasters fraternity have two important tools or skills that non-Toastmasters do not possess. You have both communication and leadership skills and the confidence in sharing the global concerns and issues with all your members, friends and families,” he said at the official opening of the 16th annual Toastmasters International District 51 convention here yesterday.

Five hundred delegates comprising members of the Toastmasters fraternity from District 51, which covers Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, are attending the convention.
According to Tengah again, the global economic crises had made it more important for countries in the Asean region to collaborate and form partnerships to uplift themselves from the depressing situation.

“The meeting of minds from various countries as I understand it here — Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei — is one testimony of the importance of collaboration and partnerships for a common cause of improving ourselves. “This power of collaboration if we are to extend it to other spheres of our lives, can do wonders to the depressed situations that we encounter together in the region,” he said. Toastmasters clubs in the region are part of Toastmasters International, a non-profit educational organisation to help members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills.

Through the thousands of member clubs, Toastmasters International offers a programme of communication and leadership projects designed to help men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening, and thinking. For the convention here, the organisers chose ‘Act to Inspire and Motivate’ as its theme. The three-day event, which comprises speech contests and education sessions, is conducted in English and Mandarin.

Malaysia Airlines managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Idris Jala leads the panel of prominent speakers to share their experiences and inputs during the conference.
The other speakers are Prof Zaharom Nain from Universiti Sains Malaysia Penang, former president of Kota Kinabalu Municipal Council Datuk Adeline Leong, and Toastmasters District 51 past governor R Sivanganam.

Also present at yesterday’s opening ceremony were Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Bolhassan Di, Sibuti MP Ahmad Lai Bujang and Toastmasters District 51 governor Joseph Gomez.

(taken from Borneo Post Online - 19th April 2009)

UM TMC.