Rubiah: Women must always ‘ngesep’ wherever they are, vital for leadership roles

KUCHING (Sept 19): Women must always ‘ngesep’ — a Sarawak Malay term meaning to be properly dressed or groomed — no matter where they are, said Datuk Rubiah Wang.

The Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development stressed that appearance and personality are important elements of women’s leadership, particularly in rural communities.

“It does not mean that we only ‘ngesep’ when we attend official functions in the city or at hotels. Even at village or community-level programmes, we must also ‘ngesep’ so that our aura and personality are seen, and the community’s confidence in rural women’s leadership will continue to grow,” she said.

Rubiah said this in her speech when closing the Sarawak Rural Women’s Leadership Seminar 2025 organised by the Institute for Rural Advancement (Infra) Sarawak here today.

“In Sarawak, we say it is not only when we go out that we ‘ngesep’, but even at home we should ‘ngesep’. This is because appearance and personality play a very important role in ensuring women’s development, careers, and involvement in the community are always visible,” she said.

Rubiah commended Infra for including a seminar session on personality and grooming.

“This is often overlooked by rural women, but it is essential if we want to move forward and improve our image as leaders in society,” she said.

Nearly 300 participants from Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, and Sri Aman attended the seminar, themed ‘Wanita Inklusif, Desa Progresif’.

Rubiah also touched on other issues affecting rural women, including mental health, family law rights, entrepreneurship, and participation in leadership structures such as village security and development committees (JKKK).

“Women are no longer just followers. Women are leaders together. They may be leaders who are not always seen, but they play a very important role in the progress of their communities,” she said.

She pointed out that many rural women in Sarawak are still facing challenges such as limited access to education and training, lack of capital for micro-enterprises, low awareness of health issues, and domestic violence.

At the same time, she expressed confidence that Sarawakian women would take advantage of opportunities provided under government programmes, including training under Infra and entrepreneurship support through Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara).

She also urged rural women to seize available opportunities and actively engage in community leadership roles.

“Women in Sarawak are increasingly involved in grassroots leadership, including in JKKKs and even being nominated as councillors. This shows growing recognition of women’s role in leadership at various levels,” she said.

Among those present were Infra director Abd Jalil Ismail and Sarawak Infra head Annie Liaw.