Transition Committee Site Visit: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

During its meeting in Kuala Lumpur, representatives from the Transition Committee (TC) visited the Malaysian Member Association and a local clinic steeped in history.

In the early morning of February 5, members of the Transition Committee drove through dense Kuala Lumpur traffic to FRHAM, the Malaysian member association. They were received by the Executive Director, Syirin Junisya, and the FRHAM Chairperson Dr. Philip Kwong, accompanied by three other office bearers from the National Council. Ms. Junisya gave a detailed presentation about the organisation, after which the TC members asked questions relating both to delivery challenges and the role of the governance structure. They discussed key issues for the reform process, particularly youth participation and leadership in the governance structure. Tracy Robinson, a TC member, asked about the youth committee and how it functioned. The Chairperson, Dr. Kwong, acknowledged that more could be done to create safe spaces for youth leadership and that the MA is committed to pursue this together with young people themselves.

One of the topics of conversation was the new MA Governance Reform Pilot Programme. As requested by the membership at the New Delhi General Assembly, the IPPF Secretariat Reform Support Team is currently developing this pilot programme to assist MAs to review and reform their governance. With Malaysia being the host country for their first meeting, the Transition Committee took the opportunity to discuss the programme with FRHAM. Both the management and governance of FRHAM expressed interest in the programme and will present a g case for competing to be one of ten MAs to participate in the pilot at their next National Committee meeting.

Leaving the FRHAM offices, the TC members paid a visit to one of the state member affiliate clinics called FreHA. The clinic was tucked away in a small industrial area, off one of the main artery highways to the city of Kuala Lumpur. The TC delegation was welcomed by the Honorary Secretary, Ms. Hajjah Wan Azizah, who, along with the other volunteers, were passionate and proud advocates of the organisation. The small clinic was like a museum, filled with images of IPPF’s and the Member State Affiliate’s illustrious history. Operated by a skeleton staff and with limited budget, the clinic’s infrastructure had deteriorated while it continued to serve an average of 400 people each year. The visit was an eyeopener for the TC, who witnessed the real challenges faced at the community level resulting from limiting funding. It was a stark reminder that IPPF urgently needs to change: for choice, by choice, if it is to remain relevant in a changing world. The visit did, however, illustrate the importance of one key ingredient in the ongoing success of the Federation: passion. The passion demonstrated by the volunteers and staff of the FreHA clinic was truly inspirational.