Heartfelt conversation with the courageous Myanmar refugees in Malaysia

April 2026

By Ledy Simarmata, Co-founder of VINSY group & Host of Asia Forward Podcast

What a wonderful Sunday morning! On April 26, 2026, with the kind invitation from my McCain Global Leaders (MGL) fellow Za Tu Hkawng, I had the privilege to share with the first cohort of Myanmar refugees living in Malaysia. They are participants in Zaw's Character-Driven Leadership Training program. This is another rewarding moment for me as a human being who happens to be the Co-founder of VINSY Group and a Host of Asia Forward podcast. We touched on various aspects of life and leadership journey, and there were certainly heartfelt moments in this conversation. I also got to revisit my early years of being a nationwide news anchor (this was a long time ago) in Indonesia. This virtual leadership training was facilitated by Kachin Refugee Committee (KRC). These incredible participants include students, volunteers, service workers, teachers, church leaders, and NGO workers. This is the 5th week of their training with the last week’s speaker was a staff member from the United Nations Headquarters, New York City. Thank you Zaw for your truly amazing work and I'm proud to be your MGL fellow!