YAB Pehin Sri Haji Taib Mahmud - "From Belacan To FM" book lauching at Pullman Hotel 9.11.2011

On the 9th November 2011, I was the emcee for the launching of a book entitled "From Belacan to FM" written by Dato Haji Affandi Tahir, my former CEO of a local radio station di Sarawak. The Chief Minister of Sarawak, YAB Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud was the guest of honor and a lot of state deputy ministers and VIPs were invited to witness this historical event. The event was hosted and sponsored by Dato Muhammed Kassim, the Group Executive Chairman of Corridor Development Corporation Berhad, who is also a good friend of the author. CDC Berhad is the publisher for the Malaysian Corridor Magazine, the magazine that features the latest news and updates on all the five development corridors in Malaysia, namely SCORE, SEDIA, ISKANDAR, ECER and NCER. You can visit the website at www.cdc-msia.com.my.

YAB Pehin Sri Hj Abdul Taib Mahmud, Chief Minister of Sarawak, (on the left) Dato Muhammed Kassim, Group Executive Chairman CDC Berhad, (on the right) Dato Haji Affandi Tahir

In his opening speech Dato Muhammad said he immediately agreed to sponsor and host the launching as soon as he knew of Dato Haji Affandi's book. As the book was a memoir about the Dato's career in broadcasting and life experiences growing up in a small village and then successfully reaching corporate top level. I was not surprised that he sponsored because I knew that Dato Muhammed was also a media man before he migrated to the Peninsula Malaysia. Broadcasting is a good place for those who want to explore their talents. From this field, you can even make it to becoming a State Representative, political party committee and also a multimillionaire businessman. Dato Muhammed ends his speech by congratulating Dato Haji Affandi for his achievements in life and the launching of his book. Dato Muhammad was not even scheduled to give a speech that morning. He only knew about it when he reached the hotel but I think he did pretty well.

Dato Haji Affandi & I

I invited the author after that and he talked about his days in the broadcasting industry, his side of the story about people he met and a little bit of the history of his village back then, before Malaysia was formed. The guests were touched by his story when he mentioned about the late Datuk Amar Puan Sri Laila Taib, the late wife of the Chief Minister. The guests were muted awhile when he disclosed about her kindness and concerned about the colon cancer he suffered a few years back. Dato Haji Affandi Tahir sobbed and struggled while reading his text about Laila, and he managed to hold his grip to continued with his speech. I found his speech reflective and well executed. 

After his speech, as the MC, I invited the Chief Minister to the stage to deliver his speech then he remained on the stage for the symbolic launching gimmick.   We had prepared and rehearsed the launching gimmick a few times before this. The lights were dimmed and when the song "chok chok kendung" was played, a postman dressed in the 60's outfit came in riding a red bicycle caring a parcel, containing the book. The audience including the Chief Minister was mesmerized by the gimmick especially when I requested the author to signed the resit of acceptance which was a regular scene back than. The guests applaud when I gave the rationale behind the launch gimmick.

CDC Berhad Group Executive Chairman Dato Muhammed Kassim also donated 1,000 copies of the books for all the school libraries in Sarawak and he also personally donated RM25,000 to Laila Taib Cancer Charitable Trust which he handed a mock cheque over to the Chief Minister. This was followed by the presentation of a memento to the Chief Minister by the author.  It  was a picture of both of them shaking hands during his visit to RTM, Kuching when he was the Federal Minister of Information in 1976. Everything went well on the stage and the timing which was our main concerned was executed right to the dot.

I invited all the VIPs off the stage to be seated to have lunch together with the rest on the guests. During lunch the author who was seated at the main table couldn't even enjoy his food because he was approached by many guests who wanted to get their book autographed . Dato Haji Affandi Tahir gladly did so and the sales of the books increased by the minute. At the main table the Chief Minister looked pleased about the event.    The officers from the protocol department said it is seldom  we can see how approachable the CM is during an event like this. The Chief Minister was seen talking with almost all of he guests invited and willingly agreed to give photo opportunities with those at the main table. 

I thank God for the smoothness of the event without any unwanted issues and failure. Here are the pictures for the event.

The Stage

The Pullman lobby, the red carpet is ready

The VIPs table setup.

The seating arrangement. 

The reception cum selling counter.

The invited guests

The Protocol Officials 

The VIPs table after the official ceremonies are done. The guests stated to overwhelm the table to get an autograph.

A view from the stage of  the VIPs table.

YB Datuk Talip Zulpilip, Assistant Minister of Tourism and Dato Haji Salleh Sulaiman, Organizing Chairman for the launching. 

 Feisal Kassim Avarathar, The Stage Manager for the launching and I 

 

 The signature of the author 

 From Belacan To FM is on sale right now at RM25 a copy. Most of the primary and secondary schools library will have a least a copy. Thanks to Dato Muhemmed Kassim for the personal donation. 




 Hamzani Production

Exxon Mobil Seminar, Friday 14th Oct 2011

Why run, when you can fly. The Exxon Mobil Industrial Lubricants motto's for heavy machinery and industries. I was invited for the second time by Timur Lube Sdn Bhd, Kuching to emcee the seminar in Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites.

The participants arrived at around 8:00am and after registering their names, all of them received a goody bag with all the information about the seminar and the update on Exxon Mobil products and services. Most of the participants are from the government departments and semi government companies, people who are involved in the heavy machinery sectors. The media was also invited and later they were invited to another room for a press conference about the event. 

Now, I understand a little bit more about lubrication by listening to what the invited speakers were saying. Do you know that crude oil in America was found by the Red Indians? They used it as a medicine for headaches and stomachaches.Yes, they eat it. Putting other stuffs in order to increase your car engine capacity and longevity is not advisable, this is because it might makes your engine having major problems, especial the temperature of your car engine. 

Here are some pictures from the seminar.

The flying red horse

The backdrop

The goody bags

Mr. Kevin Law, Timur Lubes Executive Director during the introduction of Timur Lubes Sdn Bhd

The participants giving their full attentions during the seminar

This is during the grease experimental game

Juliette Xu, Regional Account Manager Distributor Markets & Mr Kevin Law, Executive Director of Timur Lubes Sdn Bhd

The group photo

The half day seminar was a successful event, the evaluation forms was all filled up.
We all proceed to Aurora Court's for lunch right after the group photo.
My thanks to Timur Lubes Sdn Bhd and their team for inviting me to host the seminar.

Hamzani Production

Shell's Pump & Stand to Win RM500,000 contest.

Last Thursday on the 6th October 2011, I was the emcee for the prize giving ceremony for Shell's "Pump and Stand to win RM500,000, which was held at a Shell's petrol station in Petra Jaya. The Shell's gas station located on the left right after you crossed the Satok bridge, before the first round about.
I've done a few emceeing there before, mostly for Shell and also once for the owner itself.
Thanks to Artiste Colony Sdn Bhd, the Selangor based agency company which engaged yours truly to be the emcee for this event.

The program begins when a convoy lead by a big bikes club in Kuching arrived at the venue together with the grand prize winner in a blue SUV and later joined by the Shell's team and the Shell's contractors assuring the winner of the second week, RM20,000 weekly's winner towards the canopy area.

I started the show with a brief information about the Health Safety Security Environment (HSSE), one of the thing I must do in any Shell's events because their policy is safety first. After introducing the invited guests and explaining why the event was held that day, I invited Mr Leslie Ng, the Shell's Retail National Sales and Operation Manager to say a few words and later presented the prizes. I also invited Encik Jasme Mohd Johan, the new Retail Regional Manager to accompany Leslie on the stage. I am glad we did the dry run twice, it's because not everyone are tune in during the 1st one and having the second will make it clearer to everyone involved, especially the timing, the sound crew is in-tuned and the guests are aware. I find this beneficial to an emcee in any function involving a professional company at any level of capacity.

The weekly winner is a degree holder in Mechanical Engineering, Fredrick Aidan John won RM20,000, according to him, he received the call from Shell's team while shopping with his parents, who was there to witness his his graduation day in Johor a day before. Sweet luck my dear friends. All the weekly grand prize winners will have the prospect to win the half a million ringgit, which will be known after the 10 weeks contest is over.
I hope I have the same luck like him one day, soon. 

I only managed to take a few pictures from the event but none of mine. Have a look.

The stage

The view from an angle near the petrol station

The sitting area in site the canopy

The crew from Artiste Colony Sdn Bhd doing the final touch up of the area

The ethnic dancer group "Kulung Punai" during the rehearsal

The winners. From left is Encik Jasme Mohd Johan, Mr Goh Hin Hin the RM2000 winner, Mr Fredrik Aidan John the RM20,000 winner and Mr Leslie Ng.

My friends the media seen here taking pictures.

The guests mingling and chatting. Sometime this is the only time for old friends to meet and updating one another.

The men and women in red are the Shell station owners and operators. They are the most sporting people I've seen every time they get together.

Makan time, right after the event finished. Everyone was happy because the foods and drinks were a plenty.

The Kulung Punai dancers and the crew from Artiste Colony Sdn Bhd.

All done, seen here the crew from Artiste Colony Sdn Bhd and Alex Tan the photographer having a break and making report to HQ.

I did not managed to get anyone to help me take my picture this time but in a local newspaper you can see my hand during the prize giving ceremony. I hope Alex Tan,  the photographer took some nice pictures with me in it. See me in the next event.

My updated motto is this Chinese proverb saying

" If you want happiness for an hour; take a nap.   If you want happiness for a day; go fishing.   If you want happiness for a month; get married.   If you want happiness for a year; inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime; help someone else. 

AHRS event Friday, 23th September 2011

I was engaged by VAG Services to emcee the launching of AHRS at Jalan Matang, right behind Emart Supermarket. AHRS stands for Asep Handro Racing Sport, an Indonesian company dealing with motor sports apparels, safety gears and anything involving motor sports.

QP Juragan Motosport is the sole distributor in Malaysia and it is in Kuching Sarawak, at Jalan Matang. So if you want to know more about it, do visit the shop right behind Emart Supermarket and opposite Petronas gas station Jalan Matang and you can talk to Qadapi Boli the Operation Manager

Here are some pictures from the event.

Posing on the mini stage for the event

The bikes are for the racing team which was also introduce to the public that day, the team is called Cargloss AHRS QP Juragan Gertaq Racing Team

ARHS team, from the left is Asep Handro Owner pt. AHRS Indonesia, Sri Yuswati, the VP Director of Cargloss, 
Harry Suherman, President Director Cargloss, Qadapi Boli, Operation Manager of QP Juragan Motorsport

The view from the shop of the launching area

Some of the invited guests, mostly from the motorbikes club members in Kuching

The three important men in the world motor sports in Asia

At the end of the show, I took the opportunity to have a picture with them

On the left is the Khuss, the media guy

The whole event when well without any mishaps and the invited guests was treated with a hi-tea at the site. The rain starts to fall right after the whole event finished.

Happy Holidays

Holidays, holidays, happy holidays and happy everything.

So, happy holidays, eat while you can eat make sure you save some space of the new day and the day after.
More coming up this year end, so stay in touch. Meanwhile, take a look at this video.

My Mukah

Mukah, one of the places that i wanted to visit this year.I have a few reasons to go there, reason number one, is “umai”, "umai" and more "umai" and I want to see how Mukah look like now. I want to smell and listen to the sounds of home, the language they used are mostly Melanau, so I feel like in my late mom's old kampung, about 30 minutes drive from Mukah. They all speak and understand Melanau actually, even a Chinese guy I talk, speaks like a real Melanau. Adaptation is what made human the best creature ever created.
 

A regular sight in Mukah

One of the many jettys in Mukah

The colorful fishing boats.

The jetty across the river

An old Melanau house by the river, a sight that might not be around anymore soon.

An old man fixing his nets.

This is what Mukah  look like now.

This used to be a busy road in Mukah

A Chinese temple facing the river mouth

Another old house I consider as a land mark for Mukah, when ever I see this house, I know I am nearing the river bank. 

This empty space used to be occupied by a few wooden shop houses

Another major road toward the riverside

This wooden shop houses right in front of the King Ing Hotel , the "umai" place for me.

This parking space in the picture was where what used to be a row of wooded shop houses

The riverside

Another view of the Chinese temple

The busy market

My favorite part of the market, the wet market

Yummy!

Ah Lai, Ah Ngaa and I by the river

If you planning a holiday and you want a quite surrounding, you want to see the traditional fishing industries, the authentic foods, histories, myths and believes, Mukah is a must go place for you. You can drive or take a bus and flying in with MasWings from Kuching International Airport. The are plenty of hotels and inns at a very reasonable rate but you need to book early during Pesta Kaul in April. 

I am going to miss Mukah, the people and "umai". I hope I have another opportunity to come back and stay a bit longer to visit all the places in Mukah.