Late October to early December 2025
By ~ National Representative Datin Gillian Lee


Scaling heights and crossing borders

The November 2025 State Elections in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, presented an unexpected hurdle for the local Inner Wheel (IW) Clubs, delaying their Orange The World (OTW) events until early December. However, this delay did not dampen their spirits; instead, it fuelled a determination to think “outside the box” and find new ways to amplify their message.


A Summit “Soft Launch”

The Campaign achieved a literal and symbolic high point even before the official 16 Days of Activism began. In a spectacular soft launch on 24th October 2025, two Rotarians and friends of Inner Wheel from Brunei and Miri, Sarawak - who were deeply enthused after learning about the cause - brought OTW to the summit of Malaysian Borneo in a show of solidarity.

Despite the inclement weather that weekend, the skies cleared just long enough for the climbers to reach the 4,095.2-metre summit of Mount Kinabalu before torrential rains and clouds enveloped the mountain: a powerful symbol of resilience in the face of adversity.


Advocacy Across the Region

Once the State Elections concluded, the momentum shifted into high gear across District 331 with a series of impactful community events:

Cultural & Family Awareness: On 30th November 2025, IWC Kuching organised a Family Walk at the Petra Jaya Botanical Gardens in Kuching, Sarawak, and a first-of-its-kind OTW Cultural Walk at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Damai.

• Healing & Empowerment: IWC Freesia-Rose Penampang, Sabah (IWCFRP) hosted a community talk on “Ending Violence Against Women”, uniquely paired with an “Inner Healing” session to support survivors.
  
• Education for the Vulnerable: On 4th December 2025, IWCFRP brought the Campaign to the BCCM Grace Learning Centre, a school for stateless children living in the district of Penampang, Sabah. Seventy-five students, together with their principal and teachers, attended a vital session on “Stopping Violence Against Women and Girls”, and “Bullying”, led by Ms. Daflonia Daniel from the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM). The Talk resonated deeply with the students, sparking a wave of passionate participation during the interactive sessions.
  
• Mass Mobilization: On 6th December 2025, the region turned orange once more. Over 170 participants joined the OTW Walk at the Tropical Rainforest Ujana Park organised by IWC Kota Kinabalu (Sabah), while the members of IWC Sibu (Sarawak) painted the Sibu Waterfront orange in their OTW t-shirts.
  

Borderless Fellowship

The 2025 campaign drew to a close with a powerful display of international solidarity. The final OTW Global Walk took place in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, where Inner Wheel members from Miri, Kota Kinabalu, and Kuching joined their Bruneian Rotary partners-in-service. A walk through the beautifully landscaped Jalan Menteri Besar Park was followed by a fellowship lunch, deepening the bond between the two organizations.

A Lasting Impact

For the Clubs of District 331, the 2025 OTW Campaign was more than a series of events; it was a bridge. It successfully raised urgent awareness for the need to “End Violence Against Women” across Malaysian Borneo and Brunei, while fostering a renewed partnership with Rotary that promises many more joint community service projects and activities in the years to come.