KUALA LUMPUR, 7 MAY 2009 – Malaysia’s minister of tourism has told the country’s women IT professionals that they must continue to “learn, learn, learn”.
Speaking at not-for-profit organisation Gorgeous Geek’s ‘Women in Leadership’ conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s former minister of women, family and community development, and now minister of tourism, Dato’ Sri Dr Ng Yen Yen called on all women to “learn, learn, learn”, emphasising the need for continuous education to ensure successful leadership.
“In view of the current economic climate, there is a greater call for women to empower, reinvent and innovate themselves to stay resilient and attain success in the given conditions,” said the minister. “Even the government recognises this need for human capital development and is persisting in its vision by resolutely pumping US$161 million (RM570 million) in funds to retrain retrenched workers by December to make them more relevant to the current job market.”
Attended by more than 300 participants, the full-day summit included sessions by industry leaders such as Ng Wan Peng of government agency MDeC (Multimedia Development Corporation), Microsoft Malaysia managing director Yasmin Mahmood and Cisco Malaysia managing director Anne Abraham.
Gorgeous Geeks was established after the Women in Technology Luncheon, organised by Microsoft in conjunction with its annual technology conference, Tech.Ed SEA, in 2007.
Re-learn and re-skill
“Looking at the challenging economic situation we face currently, it is important, now more than ever, for everyone working in the field to increase their level of competitiveness by re-learning or re-skilling,” said Gorgeous Geeks Malaysia president, Alecia Heng. “Along with workshops and seminars, this conference is part of Gorgeous Geeks’ overall plan to provide women in the IT industry with the right tools, knowledge and networks to advance their career,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter whether a woman is working in an entry-level job or leading an organisation. The issues women face at work and at home have been compounded by the challenging economic situation,” said Microsoft Malaysia’s Yasmin Mahmood. “I urge all career women to step up to the plate and not be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to problem solving, to challenge stereotypes and break down barriers which have previously made it difficult for us to fully realise our potential.”
