February 2016 – Aziman Nasir

Aziman Nasir is optimistic, enthusiast, open-minded and adaptive young apprentice-leader. As an Administrative Officer, he has been exposed to different fields of work throughout his career such as project planning, leading administration and finance, grassroots engagement, and youth leadership. Recently, he has taken up the role as BSC’s Treasurer.

How did you first hear about Toastmasters?

I visited Toastmasters once during high school, but I was too young to think that there was a need for me to join. I came again once in early 2014 with a colleague who is a friend of Shawn. In March 2015, I visited the club to support a friend, who wants to improve her public speaking skills, which ironically, turns out I became a member instead.

Why did you join Toastmasters?

First and foremost, I want to inspire people. I believe the first step to this is to improve my structural thinking especially when it comes to delivering speech in public. I know that I need to get used to the nervousness and one day I will be able to think calmly even when I am on stage.

How long have you been in Toastmasters and how have Toastmasters helped you so far in your professional life?

I finally became a member of Brunei Speaker’s Club in late May 2015. It has been 8 months now and I’m able to communicate better with colleagues and other government agencies. Doing prepared speeches helps me to think about constructing my speeches more often. I rehearse and improvise it while I drive to work and again, while enduring the traffic back towards home.

You are also a BruHaha comics. How have Toastmasters helped you in BruHaha performance and vice versa?

It works for both ways, both platforms have greatly improve my confidence in public/stage show. Toastmasters helps me to ease my nervousness speaking in public and be more professional, and at the same time it helps with my delivery in Bruhaha. Bruhaha is another platform for me to express my passion in comedy and present it to the same (if not, more) crowd.  Bruhaha helps me to be more humorous too when I take an office role in Toastmasters.

How do you come up with joke ideas?

My life itself is a joke, I just have to pick a few. Jokes aside, my daily activities are my sources, things that might not be funny, but if I put a twist to them, or exaggerate them physically, they become funny. When I meet up with my friends, we spontaneously make fun on anything that we talk about on the spot. I use those as my materials, as long as I put in context.

You were selected to represent Brunei to participate in the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Professional and Academic Fellows program in the United States of America. Tell us about your experience there.

Before I set my foot in the land of freedom, I hoped to learn the best practices for assisting communities, supporting internal office work, and promoting strong policy to my current office tasks. The hands-on approach of the program, coupled with on-site job training would give me the opportunity to develop my leadership skills. However, in the whole 40 days, it turned out to be much more than that. I saw a lot of people with strong passion and desire to make their communities better. What impressed me was when they did any activities and programs, they didn’t do it half-heartedly. They put their time, resources and energy relentlessly to make it a huge success. That passion moved me, and I wish to make a difference here too, in our community.

 Who is your inspiration in life and why?

There are many individuals that I’ve encountered in my life that inspire me. My parents, my superior officers and colleagues. Above all, the most inspiring person in my life would be my father. I see him as a role model. My mother used to tell us stories on the hardships he endured during his childhood. He worked so hard, to make a better living for our family; and he still is, up till today. That is the kind of man I want to be, and the father I would model with for my future children.

 What are your goals in Toastmasters for this term (2015-2016)?

To obtain the rare Triple Crown badge! It’s going to be challenge; I will need your support and I will do my best to get it! Wish me luck and do push me harder to be better in this wonderful club!