Ong (left) presenting a memento to guest of honour past international director Dr Datuk K. Nagaratnam.
FOSTERING teamwork, diversity and inclusivity is what Lions Clubs International District 308B1 Malaysia will focus on for the 2022/23 term.
Its newly installed district governor Dorothy Ong Lee Ping said those were the values that would realise the theme of her term “We are the world together we can”, and is a call to unite for a common goal to serve the community.
In her address during the inauguration ceremony, Ong stressed on the importance of developing youths, promoting gender parity and diversity as well as greater collaboration with public and private sectors.
She added that in order to continue its vision as a leading organisation in humanitarian and community service, Lions should place more emphasis on working together with the corporate sector for more corporate social responsibility (CSR) collaborations and gathering resources to help those in need.
Ong was elected district governor for the term 2022-2023 and will oversee seven states – Johor, Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Federal Territory, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan, which comprised over 130 clubs and some 4,000 members.
Lions Clubs International District 308B1 Malaysia District Governor Dorothy Ong (front row, centre) with special guests and her newly appointed cabinet officers. — Photos: IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
Having been a Lion for 25 years, Ong takes over the baton from immediate past district governor Tan Teoh Teik Choon after being installed as district governor on June 26 during the 104th Lions Clubs International Convention in Montreal, Canada.
Ong said she had always believed in collective power and its capacity to realise goals even from a young age, adding that the trust, confidence and responsibilities given by Lions members would give her a clear focus and direction to lead the district.
“The composition of teamwork, diversity and inclusivity is extremely important to work towards a common goal, which is, coming together as a team to serve our communities and around the world without borders,” she said.
Ong, who hails from Penang, also urged her fellow members to think out of the box when it came to working with the public and private sectors following the economic challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite being a formal black-tie event, the inauguration ceremony was cheerful and lively with energetic roars from Lions members as their presence was acknowledged.
Ong herself debuted the official district song, singing with fellow cabinet members on stage.
Besides Ong’s inauguration, the ceremony also saw the installation of 132 of her new cabinet officers for the new term.
