​Ainul Forms Asia’s Youth Coalition

Ainul Sailed Aboard Nippon Maru For 52 Days from Japan and Back

In a world that can seem overwhelmed by pressing global challenges, our only hope rests on the shoulders of our youth. Judging by the status quo, a rebalancing of Asia's shared future is already overdue. Thankfully, a group of Asia's dynamic delegates have set about turning the tide. In 2017, Ainul Afifi Zafirah, 21, a Bachelor of Technology (Hons) Petroleum Geoscience student at UTP got her big break to impact change at the 44th Ship For Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Programme (SSEAYP).

In short, SSYEAP is a programme that seeks to foster closer friendship ties between Japanese and Southeast Asian youths. Forming an informal Asian youth parliament, Ainul sailed aboard a ship called Nippon Maru for 52 days from Japan and back. Ainul, a keyboardist, rhythmic gymnast and a part time gymnastic coach, says, "Japan is providing the motivation to prepare Asian youths to lift their stakes in impacting global change. The outline of the joint-effort is already visible."

"At every country we stopped by, we stayed with our host families' houses. For me, the highlight of the voyage was, at every stop, we had a courtesy call with the Prime Minister of each country," explains Ainul.

"From Japan, the ship sailed to Cambodia, followed by Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and back to Japan," she says.

On the basis of fundamental youth measures, In 2017, a total of 340 ambassadors from Japan and ASEAN countries were selected to take part in the programme.

Ainul shares, "During the voyage, every ambassador acted as a delegate representing their respective countries. Broken into eight groups, the meeting of cultures discussed various pertinent issues at youth level."

Fully sponsored by the government of Japan, the programme got strong backing from Malaysia's Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Centered around UN's Sustainable Development Goals, the programme convened top delegates from each country following a tough selection screening at a Rakan Muda branch in Klang.

Speaking of the selection, Ainul says, "I had to undergo various stages of selection. During the camp selection, they assessed us in all sorts of ways where I was also asked to sit for a psychometric test to measure our moral compass, thinking and disposition."

While Ainul and other candidates were drilled about their general knowledge and enthusiasm, Ainul was happy that the opportunity connected her with like-minded ASEAN youths.

Regulating change

After her return, this is what Ainul makes of the key takeaway of the programme. She says, "To impact change, Asian countries need to work together to overcome the formidable challenges that lie ahead."

"The main objective of the voyage was to draw up the region's youth aspiration. We can no longer work in isolation to sustain the prosperity Asian countries have enjoyed for decades."

Following this, Ainul gathers that Malaysia remains a comparative bright spot for youth development. She says, "We are considered very lucky. Throughout the voyage, I got to experience Cambodia. Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in ASEAN. Because of this, we need to take into account the continent's youth voice to challenge the status quo so that everyone can thrive and nobody gets left out."

In turn, Ainul shares that she now feels more appreciative of Malaysia. The voyage and the visits have cultivated a heightened sense of responsibility in her.

Ainul says, "Life on the cruise ship was very unlike anything else. It's even more exciting because when you travel the seas, you don't really notice the change of time."

She adds, "If you are lucky, you'll be able to see dolphins in the gulf of Thailand at night. What's more exciting was, if you sail to the middle of the sea between peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak, you could stargaze and see the whole constellation."

Further, the holistic exchange program has exposed Ainul to the nuances of different cultures across Asian. As she chronicles her journey, she also witnessed how youth has the power to reshape the world's future.

Last but not least, sharing her routine during her 52 days voyage, Ainul says, "Everyday, there's an assembly. The most treasured memory I experienced was, every time we were about to reach the shore of a new country, it was really amazing to see the country's flag being hoisted and its national anthem sung."

"I'm really thankful for the support I received from UTP's Centre of Student Development (CSD). Events like these are encouraging more youths to act responsibly. It has also taught me that in order to grow, we need to teach our youths not to be afraid to voice out their opinions.

Ainul Afifi Zafirah is another prime example of UTP's profound career connected learning and industry collaboration. From the work we do, we foster long-term relationships with our global social-impact partners to prepare our students, people and researchers as global citizens.

As a leading university in engineering, science and technology, our graduates are driven to exceed their professional objectives and contribute towards overcoming capability deficit across all sectors and industries.

Published on 19 February 2020