By Sheila Ramalingam
Over the years, I have had the privilege of observing many bright, responsible, and driven students step into leadership roles within the faculty, university, and even at the national level. These young individuals – Malaysia’s future leaders – often organise forums, dialogues, and conferences that aim to confront current national and global challenges. Their goal is simple yet noble: to engage meaningfully with those in positions of authority, to ask difficult but necessary questions, and to better understand the reasoning behind policies and decisions that affect the rakyat.
With this vision in mind, these students dream big: they hope to invite cabinet ministers and deputy ministers, heads of statutory bodies and governmental agencies, senior government officers, and key private sector figures to speak at these events. It is, to them, a golden opportunity to hear directly from those shaping the country’s direction. In turn, such events serve as a rare space for genuine dialogue, critical thinking, and the testing of ideas, essential ingredients for nurturing a thoughtful and responsible generation of future leaders.
However, a troubling pattern has emerged. Despite sending early invitations and making all the necessary arrangements, students are frequently met with silence. Or worse: last-minute cancellations. Confirmations given in good faith are too often withdrawn, sometimes just days or even hours before the event, leaving students scrambling to restructure panels, reissue promotional materials, and explain changes to attendees who were expecting prominent names. From the outside, it may look like the students failed to deliver. But behind the scenes, the reality is quite the opposite.
To be clear, we understand that leaders are busy and their schedules are fluid. Emergencies do arise. But a pattern of declining engagement, especially when the reason is a more ‘high profile’ event or an opportunity for media presence, raises serious concerns about the example being set. If the message we send to students is that their work is unimportant, that their platforms are not worthy of our time, then we must ask ourselves: what kind of leaders are we shaping for tomorrow?
The disappointment is not just logistical, it is deeply personal. These are students who look up to the very individuals who ignore or cancel on them. Many see such engagements as formative experiences, moments that shape their understanding of what leadership entails. And when those in power choose to ignore invitations, or cancel engagements in favour of ‘more important’ events, citing reasons such as being ‘double booked’ or ‘called away at the last minute’, it sends a troubling message: that keeping one’s word is conditional, and that students are not worth prioritising.
This behaviour, whether intentional or not, shapes the values of future leaders. If they are repeatedly shown that commitments are optional, or that optics outweigh accountability, it becomes harder to instil the qualities of reliability, humility, and integrity. We cannot expect a culture of principled leadership to flourish if we do not demonstrate what that looks like ourselves.
It may seem a small matter: a faculty or a university event, a student forum. But for those involved, it is a lesson in how leadership can either uplift or demoralise. If we truly believe in developing the next generation of capable and ethical leaders, then we must begin by honouring our commitments to them.
Leadership is not just about holding office or delivering grand speeches. It is about accountability, consistency, and respect. It is about honouring your word, especially when it is given to those who look up to you. When students see current leaders treating commitments lightly, cancelling without remorse, or prioritising popularity over mentorship, they internalise those behaviours. And when they one day lead with the same disregard, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
Tomorrow’s leaders are watching, learning, and taking notes. Let us give them something worthy to emulate.
Dr. Sheila Ramalingam is the Deputy Executive Director of UMLEAD, International Institute of Public Policy and Management (INPUMA), and Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Universiti Malaya.
