Women share personal experiences and success stories at forum

By SHARON LING
sharonling@thestar.com.my

A DREAM came true for artist, entrepreneur and television personality Datin Lynda Ghazzali when she organised and hosted the first Women’s Forum in Kuching on Sunday.

Lynda, the executive chairman of Hawa Ghazzali Holdings Sdn Bhd, initiated the forum with her husband Datuk Ali Ghazzali as a platform to bring together women of different backgrounds to share their personal experiences and success stories.

“My dream is to encourage and inspire women to develop themselves and succeed in life. We chose four successful women as the speakers to cover different topics such as business, charity and education, with myself as the host and presenter,” she said.

On stage: The participants and speakers posing for a group photo.

The forum, organised by Hawa Ghazzali subsidiary Azzalyn Entertainment Sdn Bhd, was attended by 60 participants who discussed women’s issues with the speakers.

“It was very informal. We did it in the style of a talk show and the participants had a good time interacting with the speakers.

“We discussed all kinds of issues such as Botox injections, how to take care of employees, how to run a business, beauty products and how to raise children and keep them away from social ills,” Lynda said.

She added that the participants gave the thumbs up for the forum and wanted more sessions.

“We received a lot of good comments. Many of them said they learnt a lot and really enjoyed themselves.”

The forum will next be held in Kota Kinabalu on May 8, followed by Kuala Lumpur (June 12), Brunei (June 26), Kuantan (July 3) and Miri (July 24).

Ali, who is Hawa Ghazzali president, said it aimed to develop and promote women by bringing together successful women and served as a platform for women to network.

Nora: She shared her experiences with the participants.

“Some successful women struggled early in their careers. Others may still be struggling. Through the forum, we will be able to help those who are struggling. They can learn from the mistakes of others and pick up tips from those who have succeeded.

“We want to lead by example and help women to develop themselves,” he said.

One of the speakers, NK Laboratories Sdn Bhd managing director Nora Khamis, said she shared about her experiences in running a business and coping with her family at the same time.

“I talked about what I went through to reach this stage in my business despite limitations in time, resources and funds, and also that it’s important to have a positive attitude,” she said.

The forum was a good platform to inspire those still seeking direction in lives and trying to achieve their goals, he added.

“My aim is to encourage everyone, men included, to find their way to success,” she said.

Another speaker was Brisik Dagang Sdn Bhd manager Nusmawati Yunus, who runs the Dua Musim, Brisik and Teratai restaurants in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.

She gave tips on how to run a restaurant business and talked about her company’s apprentice training for those interested in the food and beverage sector.

“We aim to help those interested in setting up a restaurant but don’t know how to start. They can train with us to gain experience and start their own business with guidance from us.

“We are ready to receive apprentices or interns from universities, colleges and government bodies. We welcome Sarawakians to train with us,” she said, adding that she had 12 apprentices.

Other speakers were Persatuan Kebajikan Anak-Anak Pesakit HIV/AIDS Nurul Iman Malaysia founder Norlina Alawi and Universiti Teknologi Mara Sarawak Assoc Prof Dr Fatimah Bujang.