KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 6): CIMB Foundation has teamed up with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) as an effort to empower youths to start playing a role in shaping Asean’s future by organising its fifth edition of Young Asean Leaders (CIMB YAL) event.

In a statement today, the non-profit organisation's chief executive officer Datuk Hamidah Naziadin said it is imperative that youths be empowered to help us shape the future of Asean, for they are the ones who will inherit it from current leaders.

“The key to Asean’s future success lies in these youths, whom we hope will develop into holistic strategists and effective change agents who can successfully embrace the new frontier, anticipate the next, and most importantly, address the pressing needs of tomorrow to ensure Asean's sustainable success as a region,” Hamidah said.

“And what better time than during their undergraduate years to inculcate in them, the importance of embracing and promoting Asean's diversity to maintain its strength, peace and prosperity as an economic bloc, supporting over 630 million people?” Hamidah added.

Themed Sharing Economy Beyond Boundaries, this year’s programme brought together 50 undergraduates from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam for a four-day workshop on Asean's economic future.

The workshop discussed Asean's identity and unity, entrepreneurship in the fourth industrial revolution, socioeconomics of Asean countries, as well as online web creation and e-commerce.

CIMB YAL is an annual event that promotes learning, networking and cross-cultural understanding amongst Asean youths.

Established in November 2007, the foundation is set up to implement CIMB Group Holdings Bhd’s corporate social responsibility and philanthropic initiatives.

In the past 10 years, the foundation has disbursed RM120 million through 962 projects, benefiting 700,000 people in the communities served by CIMB Group.