KOTA KINABALU: Varsity students must equip themselves with mental strength and resilience to overcome any adversity that may unexpectedly present itself .
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said that students, like Malaysian diplomats, must learn the necessary skills in handling problems and finding solutions to ensure they are successful in life.
“To me, resilience is a skill set that we learn to develop over the course of our lives. It is something that we can build long before we experience adversity. It is about learning what does it take for you to find strength in any challenging situation.
“It’s also about applying those skills when they are needed the most. The skill of developing resilience is not only important at the individual level but also at the broader institutional level, like issues that are of national and international interest to Malaysia.
“Developing resilience is extremely challenging at the Foreign Ministry as it is the country’s first line of defence and consequently most exposed to global developments.
“For these reasons, it is imperative that our diplomats continue to learn, to be equipped with necessary skill sets to promote, project and protect Malaysia’s interest proactively and effectively at every stage,” he said.
Anifah was speaking to students at the Public Diplomacy and Outreach Programme, jointly organised by Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and non-governmental organisation KK Befrienders at UMS Chancellor Hall, here.
Present were UMS vice-chancellor Prof Dr D Kamarudin D Mudin and Anifah’s wife, Datin Seri Siti Rubiah Abd Samad, who is the chairperson of KK Befrienders.
In sharing his experience, Anifah, who is also the Minister Mentor for UMS, noted three challenges faced by Malaysia and its officials that required mental strength and resilience.
There were the MH370 and MH17 incidents as well as securing the safe return of Malaysian diplomats, who were prohibited to leave Pyongyang, following instances surrounding the death of Kim Jong Nam, who was the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
In all three events, Anifah said that everyone, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, had to have a clear mind to handle the crisis management, setting aside personnel feelings that surface following a tragedy to focus on the respective job.
“I can only imagine how the Prime Minister felt for the loss of his people from MH370 and MH17. This is what we call management in crisis, which can lead to emotions but he (Najib) was very calm and prioritised what we should do.
“What I am trying to say is that in any adversity, it is important to calm down and prioritise what needs to be done. As a leader, you must show confidence to your people and not panic, and that was exactly what the Prime Minister did during those trying times,” he said.
Anifah noted that all the three situations had taken a heavy toll but he was surprised that none of his officers required psychological counselling after going through such harrowing experiences.
“Malaysia is in good hands with able officers, who are well-trained and dedicated. We have 106 officers around the world and some are posted in challenging environments with no electricity.
“I know some diplomats who had wept at places they served because they couldn’t communicate with their families and just like the life of students, Maggi Mee is very important to some diplomats,” he said, to laughter and applause from students.
Towards the end, Anifah reminded UMS students to develop a strong mind to face trials along the way as it would help them flourish into well-rounded citizens and perhaps even future diplomats.