KUCHING: Sarawak continues to move forward in strengthening leadership development by establishing the Leadership Institute, a dedicated institution that aims to produce credible, ethical and far-sighted leaders to face the challenges of the 21st century.
Sarawak Premier, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg said that to ensure the institute functions effectively and has sufficient resources, the Sarawak Government will provide a special endowment, encompassing expertise, global networks and supporting infrastructure.
According to him, the institute will be a centre for leadership transformation to ensure that future leaders not only have intellectual capabilities, but also strong leadership ethics.
“Leadership development cannot be done alone. It requires strategic collaboration with various parties to ensure its success.
“Today marks a historic step in the journey, and I am pleased to announce that this Leadership Institute will become a reality,” he added.
He said this during his speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Contemporary Leadership International Summit 2025 (CLIS2025) here, on Tuesday.
Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari stressed that excellent leadership does not solely depend on natural talent, but rather requires systematic development through structured training, mentoring and strengthening of universal leadership values.
He also proposed that if contemporary leadership is the answer to today’s challenges, then it needs to be practiced systematically and institutionalised to ensure the sustainability of quality leadership in the long term.
“Great leadership is not borned by chance, it needs to be nurtured, shaped and strengthened with the right knowledge and principles.
“Therefore, we cannot let the development of future leaders happen by chance. It must be based on a planned, inclusive and far-sighted system,” he added.
The establishment of this Leadership Institute is expected to put Sarawak with a solid foundation in producing future leaders who are not just skilled but also capable of driving the state towards excellence.
This step will place Sarawak as a pioneer in the development of systematic, progressive and resilient leadership.
Also present were the Speaker of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, Sarawak Secretary, Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Deputy Sarawak Secretary (Economic and Development Planning), Dato Sri Dr. Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel, Chairman of the Malaysian Research and Education Foundation, Emeritus Professor Dato’ Abang Abdullah Abang Ali, heads of departments and other guests of honour. -UKASnews
