ASSEAN Senate History

HISTORY

ASSOCIATION OF JCI SENATORS IN THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASSEAN)

 

FORMATION

The Association was a creation 10 years in the making. It all begun in 1990 when a group of JCI Senators from the Philippines and Malaysia met and their bond of friendship eventually brought along like- minded JCI Senators from Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia to form an Association; particularly when they frequently met during the business conference at the BIMPT-EAGA (East ASEAN Growth Area which is a sub-regional economic co-operation initiative in South East Asia). They were a group of idealistic individuals and all they wanted was to have fun fellowship, business networking, friendship and socializing within the Asean countries.

On 8 December 1999, a total of 22 JCI Senators from five countries namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand convened in Bangkok. It was on this date that they decided to setup an Association that is semi-structured as JCI but with the same basic relational philosophies that they have nurtured during the earlier years. They all agreed to minimize, if not eliminate, the Jaycee kind of politics inherent in their organization.

Together JCI Senator Rene Florencio (Philippines) and the late JCI Senator Datuk Haji Ahmad Ali Lope (Malaysia) took the lead to form what is today the Association of JCI Senators in the South East Asian Nations (ASSEAN).

BIRTH

Following the decision on 8 December 1999, the Asean Jaycee Senate was born.

The first Board of Directors elected were:

Charter President : JCI Sen Rene Florencio (Philippines)
Deputy President : JCI Sen Datuk Junior Pang@Aaron (Malaysia)
Vice Presidents : JCI Sen Hillman Sulaiman (Indonesia)
  : JCI Sen Pridi Wongjenson (Thailand)
  : JCI Sen Chong Swan Let (Singapore)
Secretary General : JCI Sen Renato Lim (Philippines)
Honorary Treasurer : JCI Sen Jose Halili Co (Philippines)

The induction of the officers and the first Board of Directors meeting was held in Manila on 28th January 2000.

SYSTEM

A system was mutually agreed upon to maintain the bond of friendship and hopefully a lasting friendship will continue for a long period of time:

  1. The Presidency will be rotated within the member countries;
  2. Only members who are active Senators in ASEAN from the country where the President is coming from will be entitled to vote;
  3. Jaycee Senators from the other countries will not be allowed to directly or indirectly get involved in the election of the incoming President;
  4. As an organization, it shall not get involved with the politics of any JCI Senate and regular JCI organizations.
  5. There will be quarterly meetings every year to be hosted on a voluntary basis by member countries.
  6. There will be a half day “Business Opportunity Session” during the quarterly meetings.

EXPANSION

In 2012, a few Senators from Vietnam and Cambodia joined the Association.

GROWTH

Over the last twenty years, the Association has grown tremendously. They received JCI Senators visitors from all over the world and have good networking with JCI Senators groups from Europe, The Americas & Caribbean, Mongolia, Taiwan and Japan.

Members of the Association have cultivated a strong bond of friendship that goes beyond boundaries & business, they have enjoyed warm hospitality, signature cuisines and various places of interest that each hosting country have to offer.

In the spirit of humanitarian and socio civic works, they would pool resources to offer assistance during calamity and also assisted young JCI in their meaningful projects.

CHANGED OF NAME

In 2013, it was decided that the name of the Association will be known as the ‘Association of JCI Senators in the South East Asian Nations (ASSEAN)’.

MEMBERSHIP

From a small group of like minded individual, the members have increased through the years and now have about 180 members.

CHARTER PRESIDENT

  • 2000-2001 JCI SEN. RENATO FLORENCIO (PHILIPPINES)

PAST PRESIDENTS

  • 2002 : JCI SEN. DATUK AARON PANG (MALAYSIA)
  • 2003 : JCI SEN. PRIDI WONGJENSON (THAILAND)
  • 2004 : JCI SEN. VICTOR TAY (SINGAPORE) – D
  • 2005 : JCI SEN. ERICK SAN JUAN (PHILIPPINES) – D
  • 2006 : JCI SEN. DATO’ SERI PROF DR WONG ENG KONG (MALAYSIA)
  • 2007 : JCI SEN. TADDY PETKUL (THAILAND)
  • 2008 : JCI SEN. JORGE L. BANAL (PHILIPPINES)
  • 2009 : JCI SEN. JULIUS WONG (MALAYSIA)
  • 2010 : JCI SEN. WILLIAM TAY (SINGAPORE)
  • 2011 : JCI SEN. YUGI PRAYANTO (INDONESIA)
  • 2012 : JCI SEN. DOUGLAS NAZARENO (PHILIPPINES) – D
  • 2013 : JCI SEN. AR. DOMINIC CHUO (MALAYSIA)
  • 2014 : JCI SEN. DATO’ SERI DR DEREK GOH (SINGAPORE)
  • 2015 : JCI SEN. ANTON SANTOSO (INDONESIA)
  • 2016 : JCI SEN. REYNALDO C. BAUTISTA (PHILIPPINES)
  • 2017 : JCI SEN. GEORGE CHU (MALAYSIA)
  • 2018 : JCI SEN. DR. BENJIE NG (SINGAPORE)
  • 2019 : JCI SEN. NELSON S. TAN (PHILIPPINES)
  • 2020/21 : JCI SEN. DR. PARLINDUNGAN PURBA (INDONESIA)
  • 2022 : PRESIDENT JCI SEN. DATUK DR. MARCUS MOJIGOH (MALAYSIA)