Remarks by President Halimah Yacob at the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia

Your Majesty, the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, Royal Patron of the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia

Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Azizah, President of the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia

Dato’ Jeyadhevi Subramaniam, Chief Commissioner of the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia

Ladies and girls,

Good afternoon. I am delighted to join all of you here today at the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia. It is heartwarming to see so many bright and engaged young women in our midst today. And I sincerely thank Your Majesty and Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Azizah for taking time to welcome me and my delegation.

As Patron of Girl Guides Singapore, the Girl Guiding movement holds a special place in my heart. Through a myriad of programmes and projects, Guiding not only provides our young women with a sense of camaraderie but also inspires them to take an active interest in the wider community and strive to make a positive difference. For example, in conjunction with the celebrations for this year’s World Thinking Day on 22 February with the theme “Our World, Our Peaceful Future”, Guiders were empowered to think critically and speak up for salient causes like environmental sustainability and the upliftment of women and girls.

I am also heartened to see the growing links between the Girl Guides movements of our two countries. Just last year, the Girl Guides International Camp held in Singapore welcomed girls of different ages and nationalities, including our friends from Malaysia. In addition to developing empathy and leadership, such platforms also help our young women develop cross-cultural understandings and a global perspective. As technologies further shrink our world, a transnational network of friends and mentors will be a great resource. In this regard, I could not agree more with Her Majesty when she called for greater exchanges between the Girl Guides movements of our two countries during her visit to Girl Guides Singapore last October. Such exchanges can also play an important role in strengthening the longstanding people-to-people ties which undergird our excellent bilateral relations.

In preparation for my visit today, I was impressed to learn about the creative activities that the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia regularly organises for its members across all ages. For example, poster contests and TikTok challenges were launched as part of the campaign for World Thinking Day. The campaign culminated in a celebration in Terengganu graced by Her Majesty the Raja Permaisuri Agong, the Sultanah of Terengganu Her Majesty Nur Zahirah, Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Azizah, and Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.

Many of you have also attended regional and international conferences. These include the International Cultural Jamboree and the Global Youth Mobilisation Asia Pacific Regional Youth Summit held in India, as well as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workshops, including the ASEAN Cybersecurity Skilling Programme Empowerment Sessions. I am confident that these varied experiences will stand all of you in good stead for your future endeavours. 

An important goal for the Girl Guides movement is to provide young girls with the necessary skills, abilities and competencies to navigate the world at large. I am sure that the qualities and values that the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia instils in you will enable you to become effective members of society.

In closing, I encourage all of you to make the most of your time in the Girl Guides by being open to new experiences and seizing every opportunity to broaden your horizons. As you grow and share more responsibilities at home, in the workplaces, and beyond, I hope you will embody the very best of the Girl Guides movement and give back generously to your community. I also hope to see more women in politics and in leadership positions. This will require more support from men, including our fathers, husbands, brothers who are important sources of support in our lives. I look forward to the many ways each of you will make our world a more inclusive, harmonious, and secure one for everyone – regardless of race, language, religion, nationality, or indeed gender. Thank you.

Let me also take this opportunity to wish all Muslims here selamat berpuasa. Thank you.