Community Leadership Workshop, 18 December 2017

About 30 officials and community leaders from Kuala Lumpur participated at a Community Leadership Workshop organised by KITA-UKM at Puri Pujangga Hotel, UKM on December 18th, 2017 from 9am till 1.00pm.

At this workshop KITA Principal Fellow Datuk Dr. Denison Jayasooria and James Raj presented the finding of the recently completed survey of 25 neighbourhoods where the local leaders are undertaking a community based approach in resolving local issues. In 2016, six neighbourhoods had undertaken programs and they had submitted their reports for review and analysis.

In the final summary, Dr. Jayasooria noted five key pointers for 2018 and beyond. First, that all activities must be focused on problem solving and not ad hoc in nature. Second, that local leadership development was key to ensure there is local ownership of the collective project. Third, there needs to be a focus on ensuring that there is greater number of people participating and this must be noted from ethnicity, gender and age to ensure all sections are participating and feel included. Fourth, the need for greater levels of cooperation with all the local-based organisations such as residents’ association, places of worship and religious groups and other social organisations and groups active in the local neighbourhood matters. Fifth and finally, there is need to strengthen networking with all relevant agencies. This dimension is inter-agency cooperation.

Also presented were the Director of the KL Department of National Unity & Integration (JPNIN), En. Halim Hassan, his deputy, En. Zulkhairi Zainal and Puan Habibah Jaafar.

More photos of the workshop can be viewed at KITA Facebook.