ASEAN Summit: Platform For Student Volunteers To Build Character, Witness Regional Diplomacy
By Nurhafizah Tan
KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 (Bernama) -- Welcoming guests, guiding directions, and setting up meeting rooms may seem like small tasks for others, but for 97 young volunteers at the 46th ASEAN Summit, it is a defining stage to build their character, gain invaluable experience, and shape their futures on the regional or even global platform.
Hailing from various universities across Malaysia, these volunteers from the Student Volunteer Foundation, aged between 21 and 28, played more than just behind-the-scenes roles.
Instead, they seized the opportunity to understand the intricacies of international protocol, engage with world leaders, and represent Malaysia as a youthful, capable, and ready nation.
For 24-year-old Jeremiah Lucas Jugo David from the Raja Melewar Teacher Education Institute, volunteering was not merely a part-time activity but a form of national service and a chance to witness regional diplomacy firsthand.
'This opportunity not only allows me to contribute to the nation but also to understand the complex management of international protocols, which is something rarely exposed to youth,' he told Bernama at the event.
The Kuching-born volunteer added that it was important for youth to participate in such programmes as it could help mould a more holistic, skilled, and globally competitive generation.
Meanwhile, 28-year-old Muhammad Izzat Ibrahim, a PhD student in Special Education at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), said the experience boosted his confidence and gave him practical insight into managing official protocols and interacting with foreign dignitaries.
'At Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), we welcomed ASEAN foreign ministers from the Philippines, Timor-Leste, and others. Most were very friendly and warmly received us young volunteers,' he shared.
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