MIRI – Three young Malaysians were chosen to represent the country at the China-ASEAN Young Leader Growth Programme, held in Nanning, China, from 17 to 19 September.
The Malaysian delegation comprised Mohammad Hafidz Rohani, Managing Director of Iana Corporation Sdn Bhd from Miri; Chua Sern Teen, Chief Executive Officer of Smarter Solution Edge Sdn Bhd; and Tan E Yang, Secretary-General of the Young Entrepreneurs Committee, Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce.
The forum was organised in conjunction with the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and featured the participation of ASEAN Secretary-General H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn and H.E. Mr. Chen Gang, Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Committee of Guangxi and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Guangxi People’s Congress. Both presented certificates of recognition to the delegates.
In his address, Dr. Kao highlighted the crucial role of youth in shaping the future of the ASEAN region. He noted that the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 aspires to create a peaceful, sustainable and inclusive future, with young people at the forefront as innovators, agents of change and future leaders.
He explained that the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Strategic Plan offers a roadmap to achieve this vision, emphasising youth empowerment as a key factor in strengthening regional identity and resilience.
The programme gathered 32 emerging leaders from ASEAN and China, focusing on a “Five-in-One” approach that combined trade and economic cooperation, research, learning seminars, industry dialogue and small-scale high-impact projects.
Speaking about his selection, Mohammad Hafidz Rohani expressed gratitude for the chance to showcase Malaysia at the international level.
The participation of the three delegates reflects Malaysia’s commitment to nurturing young leaders capable of advancing regional collaboration, people-to-people connectivity and innovation-driven growth.