Safrina Ibrahim

Former Head of Social Development, Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) in Johor Bahru

“When you know that there will be rapid development, you should start to prepare. When you know that there will be tourist attractions, you should start to think, ‘What can I do to improve myself, to partake, to improvise, to enhance [my life in this context]?’”

Safrina brought her academic interest in social change to her work at the Iskandar Regional Development Authority where she served as the head of their Social Development office. She was responsible for conceptualizing and operationalizing social development programs in villages likely to be severely impacted by large-scale regional economic development plans. She has helped empower villagers seeking self-generated employment. She speaks of the three possible paths for villagers in the Iskandar region: they can view themselves as victims, as passive observers, or as participants in the growth stimulated by industrial development. Her focus is on getting them to adopt the third mindset. She is convinced that everyone has a role in and an opportunity for gain from social and economic change.