On 15 August 2026, the IEM Young Engineers Section (IEM YES) held its Orientation session from 10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. in a hybrid format, opening the doors of the Section to newcomers, student members and young engineers who simply wanted to know more about what YES does. The session drew 16 participants on site and another 34 joining online, a turnout that set an encouraging tone for the 2026/2027 term.
The morning began with an introduction to The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM) and to IEM YES itself. Participants were walked through what the Institution stands for, how the Young Engineers Section fits within it, and the membership pathway — the different tiers of membership, what each one requires, and how a student member progresses towards graduate and corporate membership over time. The Section’s event calendar was also presented, giving newcomers a clear picture of the technical visits, competitions, summits and networking sessions they can take part in throughout the year.
To keep the energy up and to test how much had actually been absorbed, a quiz was held on all things YES. Participants competed keenly for the answers, and the eventual winner walked away with a prize. It was a light segment, but a deliberate one: the questions covered the very details a new member needs to remember about the Section and its structure.
The programme then moved into the sharing sessions. Jason, the Organising Chairman of NATSUM 2026, spoke about his own journey in IEM YES and how he arrived at the point of leading a national summit. His message centred on two ideas. The first was the value of a team — that no event of any real scale is carried by one person, and that a chairman is only as effective as the committee standing with him. The second was on opportunity: people do not go looking for opportunities so much as opportunities come to those who are ready for them. Being prepared, he stressed, is what turns a chance encounter or an unexpected invitation into a genuine turning point.
The session closed with Yiren Lim, the immediate past chairman of IEM YES, who broadened the view beyond Malaysia. He spoke on YEAFEO — the Young Engineers of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations — and on the themes of centrality and mobility: how ASEAN engineers connect across borders, and how professional recognition and mobility open doors for young engineers regionally. Drawing on his own journey as YES Chairman and later as YEAFEO Chairman and Secretary-General, he showed the audience how far a volunteering path within the Section can eventually lead.
The Orientation ended on a strong note. For a session aimed at newcomers, it delivered exactly what it set out to do: explain the Institution and the Section clearly, show the opportunities available, and let two experienced peers speak candidly about the road they had walked. To everyone who joined us, welcome to IEM YES — and to those who have yet to join, our doors remain open.
