Moderator's Script
Assalamualaikum and good afternoon to everyone who is with us today. My name is Misyer Tajudin and I will be the host for today’s session on ASEAN Future Sustainability Leaders 2023 Competition, with the theme “Living with Sustainability and Inclusiveness”.
We are blessed that all of you are able to join us for this call to action. In alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in which countries all over the world have committed themselves to prioritise progress for those who are furthest behind by integrating the goals into our everyday lives, UNITAR International University is proud to be the organizer for this year’s competition.
Ladies and gentlemen, the heat wave that we are experiencing across Southeast Asia and other parts of the continent in recent weeks have been described as the worst heat wave in history. Almost on a daily basis we hear of death being reported as heat waves are expected to become more frequent and intense as climate change accelerates. People talk of the return of the El Nino phenomenon associated with warmer sea surface temperatures that are bound to bring about droughts and floods, all of which are already happening in unlikely places. Climate change also drives up temperatures and is forcing everything out including species that were previously isolated. These species are now running into each other’s paths, which will increase the risk of spreading viruses and other pathogens from one to another, fuelling spillover effects that could accelerate the emergence of the next disease, or much worse another pandemic. And we know that our current health systems are not prepared for the dual burden of climate change and escalating pandemic risks.
That is why we need to start to see the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a step in the right direction towards meaningful transformation that will boost our capacities and capabilities to face these challenging times. We need to see them as the precursor to creating stronger institutions, building smarter partnerships, empowering communities, and inculcating the innovative thinking that could turn our societies into sustainable and inclusive systems. But we are far from getting it right. Look around us and we can still see that we are far behind. Many are still not aware of the SDGs, and very few really understand how to implement them. Which brings us to why we are committed to organize this competition to ensure that more and more people from younger age groups are exposed to the importance of SDGs who would grow up enjoining the right principles and living more informed lives.
As an institution of higher education, we know the importance of knowledge and its impacts on society. We need to stand up to what is right, we need to fight for moral reasons. We need to pass laws and struck down laws for moral reasons. We need to wage war on poverty, not on poor people. We need to sacrifice and care about our neighbours. We need to focus on building great, big things, make ungodly technological advances to cure physiological and mental diseases, ensure economic growth, curb social illnesses, and not focused so much on AI chatbots that are atrophying human intelligence. We should aspire to intelligence and not belittling it. Most importantly, we need to start to see that we can only do this right if we are better informed and knowledgeable. People say that the first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. Well, we do have a problem when it comes to living a sustainable and inclusive life today.
Ladies and gentlemen, this competition invites students in schools, colleges, and universities around the ASEAN region to discuss matters relating to the social, economic, and environmental issues highlighted by the SDGs. The first round will take place nationally, and the winners will represent their respective countries into the second round, which will pit national winners against each other for the coveted title of ASEAN Future Sustainable Leaders champion. This competition is also aimed at fostering the spirit of teamwork, inculcating leadership talents among the younger generation while providing exposure to everyone on the significance of social, economic, and environmental sustainability. With the right kinds of effort and support from various parties, we hope that we can live in a world that promotes equality, safety, and happiness.
Ladies and gentlemen, in our quest to begin this journey, we are fortunate to be in the company of greatness today. To start the ball rolling, we have Pn Freida Razali, who is the Senior Manager at Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) to deliver the Keynote Address. This is followed by the Special Speech from the President of AAEW (ASEAN Accounting Education Workgroup) Prof Dr Rozainun Bt Ab Aziz, who is also the Dean of Faculty of Business at our university. Then we will get ready for the officiating Speech and official launching of the competition by our VC, Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato' Sri Ir. Dr. Sahol Hamid bin Abu Bakar. Finally, we will hear from Malaysian film actress, TV host, model and singer, Ms. Maya Karin Roelcke about her own account of being a Sustainability Advocate. Afterwards, there will be a Q&A session before we conclude.
Please allow me to brief everyone on our housekeeping rules. Please be aware that:
- Microphones should be on mute, video off, during the entire session.
- The session will be recorded.
- Q&A session will require that questions to be typed in the chat box. Preferably, the person asking the question should identify to whom the question is addressed to.
Before we begin, let’s spare our precious time for the doa recitation by Tuan Haji Syed Munir Barakbah.
****
Thank you Tuan Haji. Next, without further delay, let’s invite Pn Freida Razali from MGTC to deliver her Keynote Speech. For your information, MGTC is an agency under the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change mandated to drive the country in the scope of green growth, climate change mitigation, and green lifestyle. Let’s welcome Pn Frieda.
****
Thank you Pn Frieda for the enlightening coverage. (Highlight a few key points). Next, let’s give the floor to Prof. Dr. Rozainun Abdul Aziz for her Special Speech about the competition and the traditions behind its establishment over the years.
****
Thank you very much Prof. Dr. Rozainun. (Highlight a few key points).
Now, for the most integral part of our session today, let’s invite our VC, Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato' Sri Ir. Dr. Sahol Hamid bin Abu Bakar to deliver his Officiating Speech before officially launching the competition. For your information, our VC has been a keen researcher in the areas of flood mitigation and weather forecasting throughout his academic life and would surely be able to share his deep-rooted passion in these areas, parallel to the university’s endeavour into this sustainability competition.
****
Alhamdulillah, thank you very much to our beloved VC for officially launching this much awaited event. InsyaaAllah with our best of capabilities, and the support from our partners inside out, we will work hard and smart to make this a meaningful event for our institution as well as for the stakeholders involved.
Next, let’s hear from Ms Maya Karin about her experience juggling her hectic schedule with the responsibilities as a sustainability advocate. For your information, she’s been involved in various campaigns for the Malaysian Nature Society, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), as well as the River of Life outreach project to name just a few. She’s also the ambassador for the government’s recycling initiative, and spokesperson for the Geological Institute of Malaysia. With great pleasure, let’s welcome Ms Maya Karin and let her share with us her sustainability journey so far.
****
Thank you very much to Ms Maya Karin for her most inspiring session with us just now. (Highlight a few key points).
In lieu of everyone’s busy schedule, let’s get straight to the Q&A session. We have a few here.
Q1: Q2: Q3: Q4: Q5:
****
That basically wraps up our event for today. It’s been an engaging session and I hope everyone has benefited from this session before we shift to second gear and get the competition running. On behalf of the University, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of you who joined us today, and to our special guests, Pn Frieda, Prof Dr Rozainun, our VC and Ms Maya Karin and her team, InsyaaAllah, we hope that all of you will be able to lend your continuous support to make this competition a success. To our hardworking team at the faculty, the marketing department and corporate communications and branding department, the office of special projects, this event wouldn’t have been possible without your passion and patience. We pray that the synergy will live through until the completion of this competition and beyond.
Before we go, let’s take a group photo. That’s a wrap. It’s been great pleasure to be with all of you today. Thank you. Goodbye. Godspeed. Assalamualaikum and good day, everyone. This is Misyer Tajudin, signing off.
Tiada ulasan:
Catat Ulasan