Malaysia PALTUM Chapter
Australian Alumni in Malaysia Raise RM6000 for Victorian Bushfire Appeal
IAEI Malaysia’s hosted its first major Australian alumni event in a regional city in Malaysia – The Australian Alumni Golf Competition and Networking Dinner in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The Sabah Australian Alumni Association (SAAA) committee with its strong camaraderie organised an exciting and challenging golf competition and a dinner that was full of laughter and light moments of reminiscing about their time in Australia.
The golf competition was held at the Sutera Harbour Marina Golf & Country Club on Saturday morning and saw thirty golfers including the Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah, YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Pairin Kitingan a Colombo Plan scholar from University of Adelaide, the President of SAAA, Mr Willie Wong and the former State Secretary of Sabah, Tan Sri Datuk Khalil. A total of 13 cash and gift prizes were presented. The top two winning team prize category went to Team Melbourne and Team New South Wales, both teams with alumni from various Victorian and New South Wales institutions respectively.
The Networking Dinner held on that same night, presented an opportunity for all Australian alumni and especially the non golfers to network. The guest of honour was the Federal Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, YB Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili who is a graduate of La Trobe University. In his remark to around seventy guests at that dinner, Minister Ongkili said ‘Malaysia and Australia remain the closest allies and keeping up such networking and contacts will help continue the close bilateral ties’.
The highlight at dinner was an auction of several items including an Aboriginal painting and a Chinese porcelain plate to raise funds for the Victorian bushfire victims. A total of RM6000 (approximately A$ 2600) was raised for donation to the Australian Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal 2009.
There were journalists and photographers from various local media at both events, with significant press coverage.
For more information on the event including for media articles and photographs, please contact Amy Gonsalviz, Business Manager tel: +6 03 2146 5529 or email: amy.gonsalviz@aei.gov.au.
La Trobe University Alumni Relations recently organised Alumni Networking functions in Singapore and Malaysia.
Pictured - Andy Choong and Her Royal Highness, DYTM Tuanku Lailatul Shahreen Akasah, the Crown Princess of Perlis Malaysia.
An enthusiastic group met Ruth Delagas, Alumni Manager (Students) in Singapore at the Hilton Hotel and discussed future directions of the alumni group.
A networking lunch was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at Le Meridien Hotel. La Trobe graduates from the mid-eighties up until 2007 gathered together and exchanged stories about their time at La Trobe University.
The event was honoured by the presence of Her Royal Highness, DYTM Tuanku Lailatul Shahreen Akasah, the Crown Princess of Perlis Malaysia, who graciously invited all those in attendance to visit her estate in Perlis later in the year.
Chintan Bharwada, Manager, Alumni Relations, said, “La Trobe University Alumni Relations is currently reinvigorating alumni chapters in Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore and Malaysia are seen as key countries for expanding La Trobe’s international alumni network due to their long and extensive history with the University. Alumni from both countries are already making plans to hold dinner functions in September 2008 in conjunction with the off-shore graduation ceremonies."
Andy Choong
Andy.G.Choong@GMail.Com
