Reaching for the Skies - The WIM Story: From an Idea to a High Achiever NGO

Two women leaders from Negeri Sembilan sat over lunch one day and plotted the creation of a unique Women’s NGO – Women’s Institute of Management, Malaysia. Tan Sri Napsiah Omar was a Cabinet Minister and Dato Dr. Nellie S. L. Tan-Wong is a practising Chartered Accountant who has held leadership positions in international women’s organisations in Geneva and New York.

They started with just enough money in the bank to incorporate WIM as a Company Limited by Guarantee and Without Share Capital.

This was 25 years ago. WIM celebrates her 25th Silver Anniversary in 2018. The two women took the rugged path by employing unusual strategies for fundraising and organising training programmes for thousands of marginalised women in all the states of Malaysia. They further conducted training programmes for men and women who were directors of private limited companies, conferences on women’s leadership and in the prickly area of integrity and corporate governance. Today, WIM is also eyeing to organise programmes for the millennials. WIM’s boards and committees are managed by volunteers.

Unusual fundraising WIM efforts include raising RM2 million at a fundraising dinner during a launching conference, the sale of 20 copies of poem autographed by the then and current Prime Minister, YAB Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamed and raised RM20,000/- and speaking at a dinner at the Ritz Hotel, London sponsored by British Telecoms, which raised Sterling £10,000/-, which at that time converted to RM70,000/-

WIM also had the good fortune of being selected and sponsored by Telekom Malaysia Berhad to create a Website and become the first Malaysian women’s NGO to appear in the Internet. Up till today, WIM’s website has attracted 157 countries around the world and visits by international VIPs and organisations such Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, a Queen Mother from South Africa, a US Women in Government delegation comprising US women state representatives and congress women, the First Lady of the Republic of Zambia, the wife of the United Nations’ Secretary General, etc.

WIM’s pride and loyalty as “Malaysian” is supported by their decision to construct their 6-storey Wisma WIM at Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Kuala Lumpur with 100% made in Malaysia materials. Unique features of Wisma WIM are that it has a Glass Ceiling, features the Malaysian National Flower, the Bunga Raya, at its Atrium, Women’s Hall of Fame and the Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah VIP Lounge. This Building is free from encumbrances and provides WIM with much needed revenue to pay for its administrative budget and implement its many training programmes. WIM does not receive any annual government grant. WIM has secured training projects from the UNFPA since the late nineties, active in the training of issues, such as Domestic Violence and the threat of HIV /AIDS

WIM has one of the best Gallery of Traditional Malay Costumes from all the States of Malaysia, designed by the late expert, Puan Azah Aziz-which has attracted many visitors.