UESSB delegates from Malaysia and APO Secretariat representatives.

The APO Secretariat welcomed a delegation from USIM Education & Skills Development Sdn. Bhd. (UESSB), Malaysia, on 24 November. The delegation was led by Chairman Dato’ Jabar Azman Jaafar and included Board Members Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Jailani Muhamed Yunus and Zuraiman Baharum, CEO and Associate Professor Dr. Jamal Abdul Nassir Shaari, and Assistant Manager Abdul Halim bin Hassim. In the absence of Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata, who was on an official mission in Vientiane, Lao PDR, Secretariat representatives conveyed his apologies and extended a warm welcome to Chairman Dato’ Jabar and the delegation. Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Jailani Muhamed Yunus was recognized for his past assistance in the implementation of the APO’s Training of Trainers in Green Productivity (GP) program alongside the MPC and National Institute of Public Administration Malaysia in the early 2000s, which contributed to institutionalizing the GP concept among APO member economies.

Associate Professor Dr. Jamal Abdul Nassir Shaari outlined the UESSB’s focus on education, skill training, and consultancy. He emphasized that the primary objective of the visit was to explore collaborative opportunities with the APO, aiming to integrate productivity concepts and initiatives into educational programs and the organization’s services.

The delegates shared insights and discussed the challenges faced in the Malaysian education and industry sectors. Key areas of interest included the adaptation and certification of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices; strategy and/or approaches to retain a quality workforce; and development of culture-specific standards. Those standards aim to complement practices in Malaysia, thereby enhancing the national productivity movement.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to ongoing communication and exploration of collaborative opportunities, underscoring the APO’s role in sharing sustainability knowledge and fostering economic progress in the Asia-Pacific region.