Siew Yong: Keeping my mind active is often good, but there are moments when I feel tired and drained, especially after
many meetings, and I worry that I’m neglecting my family (Photo: Puan Sri Siew Yong Gnanalingam)
Puan Sri Siew Yong Gnanalingam greets us warmly as we arrive at her home. Dressed in a sleek striped shirt and black pants, she moves briskly from room to room, gathering her belongings and thoughts. It is clear that even at the sweet age of 77, she juggles several roles simultaneously, adding to an already full plate.
She has graciously set aside an hour for our chat before a lunch meeting with two trustees of the Asian Women’s Leadership University College Project, of which she is chair. Her day is filled with back-to-back meetings, all leading up to her departure for Hong Kong in just a couple of days to care for her grandchildren while their parents attend the French Open.
“My family keeps telling me to slow down, take it easy with all these commitments and spend more time with them,” she confides, her tone not one of complaint, but reflection. Elected as the first Asian Soroptimist International (SI) president for the 2024–2025 biennium, she has been with the global volunteer movement since 1993. She is also a member of the board of trustees for the Women’s Institute of Management (WIM), Nanyang Press Foundation (both since 2002) and Sejahtera Foundation (since 2009).
“This balancing act has become a problem as the role and responsibilities of the position are very demanding, especially in terms of [making] time to accommodate the chairing and attending of meetings and travelling for official events.”
The foundations she is involved in are aware of her predicament, and have been flexible about her commitments. “I only attend the meetings when I can, while undertaking heavy roles will only be possible after I complete my two-year term as SI president.”
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Soroptimist journey
When she was approached about joining the charter of SI Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Siew Yong recalls, she was unaware of its existence and had no interest in joining, being then too busy with her job as public relations manager of Malaysia Airlines. Soroptimist was founded in 1921 in California, the US, at a time when service organisations were not inclusive of females. The name, loosely translated from Latin, means “best for women”.
“I was persuaded to become a member, and of course, I have no regrets, even though I didn’t contribute much to the charter from January 1994 for a good three years. My journey only began after taking early retirement from MAS and I agreed to take on the position of vice-president. As circumstances would have it, I was quickly moved up to become the president in 1998 instead of 2001. From then on, there was no turning back. Once in, I wholeheartedly subscribed to its mission of transforming the lives of women and girls through education, empowerment and enabling opportunities.”
Prior to taking on her current role, she already had the opportunity to show Malaysia off twice when she hosted the SI South West Pacific (now known as SI South East Asia Pacific Federation Conference) in Kuching in 2014, “knowing very well we will be hosting the world convention in Kuala Lumpur five years down the road, as I had already accepted the responsibility to organise the big event that will be held for the first time in an Asian city”.
In both instances, the beauty and uniqueness of our diverse cultures were maximised. The conferences received high ratings from attendees, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the local committee members and the support from SI’s state and federal convention bureaus. “Although the Asian — and specifically Malaysian — influence was evident, the focus must be global. We were deeply honoured to have the former queen, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, officiate the opening ceremony.”
In her current role, Siew Yong is actively engaged in promoting the organisation’s mission and high-level advocacy work. She attends international conferences, when invited, to highlight SI’s contributions to issues affecting women and girls as well as share unique experiences and data from grassroots projects. She is scheduled to attend the governors’ meeting in Iceland and a conference in Edinburgh before the year ends.
“I am privileged to lead our efforts on the global stage, particularly at the UN Commission on the Status of Women Assembly in New York, where I proudly represented SI and spoke at CSW68. My role also includes promoting the newly established SI Foundation and advancing our global projects that align with our mission.”
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Nature state of mind
The theme for the biennium, “Save Mother Earth, Save the Future”, was announced at the SI Convention in Dublin last year because of her passion for the cause. “I did not attend the convention in person to receive the chain of office, as I was in mourning after Tan Sri’s passing in July. Instead, I sent a video message.” (Her late husband Tan Sri G Gnanalingam was founder of Westports Holdings Bhd.)
This campaign aims to harness the collective strength of the organisation’s global network, with about 65,000 members across 118 countries, to address the pressing challenges our planet faces. The focus is not only on healing the environment but also supporting women and girls grappling with poverty and gender inequality resulting from climate and environmental issues.
The goal is to create a ripple effect of positive change, where individual efforts build into a powerful force for a sustainable future. Members are encouraged to lead by example within their homes and communities, inspiring younger generations to take responsible action to reduce their environmental footprint.
“At the heart of this campaign, I am committed to motivate members to take tangible steps that make a difference. Simple actions like reducing, recycling and reusing plastics, conserving energy and minimising food waste are crucial. These actions serve as a foundation for broader educational initiatives aimed at raising awareness of the interconnectedness of environmental health and human well-being.
“For example, I was deeply inspired by a young girl in Kenya who began planting trees at the age of four and has since grown 1.3 million trees, while rallying her community to join the cause. This story exemplifies the impact dedicated individuals can have, and has reinforced my message to Soroptimists on the importance of environmental stewardship.”
Looking ahead, she is focused on expanding their efforts to address the environmental crisis caused by plastics. On Earth Day this year, she held a successful webinar featuring experts who discussed critical issues such as water scarcity, food security and the detrimental effects of plastic pollution. The event highlighted the theme “Planet vs Plastic”, underscoring the urgent need for action.
“From my experience attending the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) conference in Nairobi early this year, the strict enforcement of plastic regulations left a lasting impression and further solidified my resolve. I was deeply impressed by Kenya’s commitment to addressing the plastics hazard, particularly as host country of the UN Environment Programme.
“Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the flight attendant announced that passengers were prohibited from bringing any plastic material into the city, with fines imposed on those who did. We were also instructed to bring our own water bottle to the UNEA sessions. This experience left a lasting impression on me about how every country should treat plastics. It’s Mother Earth’s illegal drug!” she exclaims.
In addition to expanding educational and action plans on plastics, she has every intention of supporting projects that aid women and girls affected by climate change, from floods to droughts and food loss due to environmental challenges.
“Once [such projects are] adopted by the SI Foundation, we’ll raise funds to bring relief and hope to those impacted by these crises,” she says excitedly. “However, prevention is better than cure and as such, we look forward to supporting a project that contributes to saving our ecosystem. One possibility is the planting of trees in Kenya as a reforestation effort to reduce global warming and carbon emission.”
She is pleased to see a strong emphasis on ESG (environmental, social and governance) practices in our country, with organisations like Climate Governance Malaysia providing insights. With the theme she is championing, Siew Yong hopes more environment-centred projects will be proposed and supported by companies aligned to this cause, tailored to the specific issues in each country. She is optimistic that with many companies focusing on it, particularly in developing countries, they can secure funding and practical joint actions from ESG-compliant bodies.
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Past experience
Having served on the board of trustees for various foundations such as WIM and the Sejahtera Foundation, her approach to leadership and advocacy within SI has been profoundly influenced by these experiences. Since joining WIM, Siew Yong has adopted the principle that she will only serve if she can contribute meaningfully.
This commitment led her to introduce initiatives like the prestigious Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Award, which recognises women leaders who have overcome significant challenges to achieve success through their own hard work, resilience, creativity and leadership. The award, held over several years, celebrates remarkable women from diverse backgrounds, each of whom inspired others with their journey to the top.
As the appointed chairperson of the WIM Tan Sri Napsiah Omar Chair for Women’s Leadership in 2002, she facilitated the Women Leaders Award, which honoured the crème de la crème from various sectors and backgrounds. In 2023, she held a Young Women Leaders’ Forum themed Inspirational Young Leadership, further demonstrating her dedication to nurturing future female leaders.
Drawing from her experiences, she acknowledges each trustee or director brings unique strengths, experiences, knowledge and skills to the table. By maximising these attributes, the committee can share responsibilities and work collectively towards a common goal, making sure tasks are successfully undertaken at the highest possible level. This same principle is applied within SI, where she ensures the skill set of each chair and director is recognised and utilised effectively, fostering a collaborative environment that drives the organisation towards achieving its objectives.
“When I served as president of the region of Malaysia from 2005 to 2007, I chose the theme ‘No War, Only Peace’ as the SI Quadrennial Project was called the Limbs for Life initiative. It raised funds to provide prostheses for war victims in Angola, Afghanistan and Georgia.” During her campaign, she created a brochure that incorporated a message from former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad — who then also chaired the Perdana Global Peace Foundation — and organised several fundraising events including the Peace at Home, Peace in the Country, and, Peace in the World forum.
With the support of an advertising firm, Siew Yong launched a press campaign under the theme “Soroptimist Region of Malaysia Women Against Violence”, showcasing how women instinctively prefer peace over war. The advertisements highlighted women’s actions being inherently protective, caring and anti-violence. She continues to promote the “No War, Only Peace” message, knowing too well the devastating impact of global conflicts on women and children. Her campaign gained international recognition, winning gold at the 48th Clio Awards ceremony in the US.
She also initiated a Safe Mall Survey throughout the country in response to the tragic case of Canny Ong, who was abducted from a shopping centre parking lot before being raped and murdered. The survey revealed both strong and inadequate security measures in malls, providing essential feedback for improvements to ensure the safety of women, girls and children.
In 2012, Siew Yong launched the “Walk The Talk — Stop Violence Against Women” campaign, in which SI Clubs across the federation held public walks to raise awareness of this UN initiative. “In Malaysia, I wanted the first [such event] to be exemplary, envisioning a 16-day journey from Perlis to Sabah, inspired by the lyrics of the Malaysia Berjaya song. With vital support from the Royal Malaysia Police, we successfully held it along major highways and in eight cities, involving the public and three women participants.”
The highly successful campaign led to additional one-day walks with different themes and increased participation from men over the following three years.
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Reflections in time
It’s incredible how she finds the time and energy to keep going, doing all that she does. “There are two sides to it. Sometimes, when I’m excited about what I need to do, it energises me. Other times, it feels like it’s taking a toll. Keeping my mind active is often good, but there are moments when I feel tired and drained, especially after many meetings, and I worry that I’m neglecting my family. I know I need to find a better balance, but this is easier said than done,” says the mother of three — Ruben Emir, Shaline and Surin — and doting grandmother of seven, with one more grandchild due in September.
Asked what advice she would offer young women aspiring to take on leadership roles in international organisations like SI, she says one important aspect is the belief in what they do, as this will ultimately help those they are out to serve.
“Whatever role you take on, you have to believe in yourself and the fact you will give your best. No doubt you have to accept it is hard work and a great deal of time is demanded of you. You then have to ask yourself if you are willing to give [that] to the cause? If not, please do not go for it. I believe in ‘thinking out of the box’ to offer your best and be different and creative in what you can do, in all the positions you undertake.”
When not busy with SI, her favourite role is “Nana”, she says, beaming. She cherishes every moment spent with her grandsons, who are studying in London and Hong Kong, and her granddaughter in Malaysia. “I’m also a social butterfly, always ready for fun and parties with good friends. I believe that’s what keeps me young at heart and in spirit.”
This article first appeared on Aug 19, 2024 in The Edge Malaysia.
