Jul 9, 2024 | Entertainment, Faces & Happenings
Star Planet Sdn Bhd’s representatives together with internationally acclaimed musician and composer AR Rahman had the honor of meeting with the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Prime Minister’s Office in Parliament building. The Starplanet’s team and AR Rahman were warmly received by Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
During the courtesy visit, Rahman expressed his admiration for Malaysia’s rich cultural diversity and its vibrant arts scene. He highlighted the importance of cultural exchanges in fostering mutual understanding and strengthening bilateral relations between nations. Rahman also discussed potential collaborations in the fields of music and arts that could further enhance cultural diplomacy between India and Malaysia.
Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim acknowledged Rahman’s significant contributions to the global music industry and the well-being of humanity. He praised Rahman’s efforts in promoting cultural harmony and his dedication to philanthropic causes through his music.
The legendary musician and composer known for his groundbreaking contributions to music globally, continues to extend his influence far beyond the realm of entertainment. Through his unwavering commitment to humanitarian causes, he has exemplified how music can transcend boundaries and uplift communities worldwide.
Dato’ R. Rajendran, YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and A.R. Rahman
Rahman thanked Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim for his gracious hospitality and reiterated his commitment in promoting music and cultural exchanges between India and Malaysia. Rahman presented a bouquet of flowers and a souvenir to the Prime Minister. Also present during the courtesy visit were Datuk Ramanan Ramakrishnan, Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, Dato’ Alan Foo, Managing Director of Star Planet and Dato’ R. Rajendran, Director of Star Planet.
Rahman was here yesterday for a meet-the-fans session prior to his eagerly awaited mega concert scheduled for July 27th at the National Stadium Bukit Jalil at 8pm. The fans meet session drew over 1,200 attendees who had the opportunity to get up close and personal with Rahman.
Organized by Star Planet, the A.R. Rahman Live in Kuala Lumpur 2024 mega event will showcase Rahman’s iconic hits and beloved songs, enhanced by extraordinary visual and audio production. Joining A.R. Rahman on stage in July will be an exceptional lineup of singers, including Mano, Srinivas, Sri Rascol, Shweta Mohan, Shakthisree Gopalan, Blaaze, and ADK, with more singers to be announced soon.
Sep 27, 2023 | Faces & Happenings
The inaugural Brazilian Film Festival in Kuala Lumpur, hosted by the Embassy of Brazil in Malaysia, was a resounding success. The grand launch of this remarkable festival was recently held at GSC Mid Valley, setting the stage for an enchanting cinematic journey through Brazil’s vibrant storytelling and cultural tapestry. The event, bringing the vibrant spirit of Brazil to the heart of Malaysia, was hosted by H.E Ary Norton de Murat Quintella, Ambassador of Brazil to Malaysia and was graced by the guests of honour, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister, and YAM Tunku Mariam Zaharah almarhum Sultan Iskandar.
YAM Tunku Mariam Zaharah almarhum Sultan Iskandar, H.E Ary Norton de Murat Quintella and Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah
The festival showcased the rich tapestry of Brazilian cinema, featuring three outstanding films – Aquarius, Bacurau and Amazônia Groove. The movies were screened in the Portuguese language and English subtitles. Aquarius, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, tells the compelling story of Clara, a resilient widow fighting against developer pressures. Bacurau, also directed by Filho, takes viewers on a suspenseful journey as a remote Brazilian settlement faces an unknown enemy. Both films received critical acclaim, with Bacurau even earning a place on former American President Barack Obama’s list of favourite films.
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Screening of Amazônia Groove
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Amazônia Groove, a captivating documentary, delves into the music and cultures of communities along the Amazon River, offering a unique perspective on the region. The film, partly shot in Belém, State of Pará, showcased the Amazon’s beauty, which recently hosted the Amazon Summit and will host the United Nations’ COP-30 in 2025.
The vibrant art scene of Brazil and the enchanting beauty of the Amazon showcased at the art expo
Prior to the screenings, an art expo highlighting Brazil and the Amazon added an enriching cultural dimension to the event. The festival welcomed over 100 VIPs and guests to enjoy these cinematic treasures. It also delighted attendees with delicious cuisine. Dato’ R Rajendran, CEO of RHA Media Sdn Bhd, was also present at the occasion.
Dato’ R. Rajendran, YAM Tunku Mariam Zaharah almarhum Sultan Iskandar and H.E Ary Norton de Murat Quintella
Sponsored by Vale Malaysia Minerals, a subsidiary of the renowned Vale mining company, the Brazilian Film Festival in Kuala Lumpur was a testament to the enduring cultural ties between Brazil and Malaysia. It offered a delightful glimpse into Brazilian cinema and the Amazon’s musical heritage, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended.
Aug 2, 2023 | Faces & Happenings
The recent 8th edition of Sustainability & CSR Malaysia Awards 2023 saw outstanding Malaysian corporations that have excelled tremendously in ESG and corporate social responsibility honoured for their ESG achievements and for boosting the socio-economic transformation of Malaysia. The recipients of these awards were selected by a panel of high calibre judges representing corporate and social bodies. The annual event afforded the opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of inspiring Malaysian companies for their sustainability and corporate social responsibility efforts in creating a better Malaysia, especially through their heart-warming and impactful initiatives in helping the marginalised and underserved communities in this nation.
The ceremony was officiated by Datuk Sri Hajah Nancy Binti Haji Shukri, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development.
55 Malaysian listed and private companies together with GLCs were honoured, recognised and awarded for rising up to reach out to needy communities and to engage in sustainability endeavours for the betterment of all Malaysians. Datuk Sri Nancy Shukri presented the awards in appreciation of their efforts and achievements.
Among the recipients of the awards are UMW Holdings, Yayasan Bank Rakyat, DRB-Hicom, YTL Construction, MR D.I.Y., UDA Holdings, Prudential Assurance, IOI Corporation, Fedex, OSK Holdings, SP Setia, Yayasan Sime Darby, TNB, Starbucks, Top Glove, KPJ, Mah Sing, Hong Leong Bank, Sunway Group, 7-Eleven, McDonalds, Media Prima Berhad, Kumpulan Perangsang, Pos Malaysia, Kenanga Investment Bank, Watson’s, Sun Life Malaysia, Alam Flora, Assunta Hospital, Edotco Group, Secret Recipe, Avarto Systems, Malaysian Sheet Glass, Lumut Maritime, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Oudganic Harvest, Disted College, Duopharma, Canon Marketing, Heineken, Flex Johor, UEM Edgenta, Malakoff, Biovisma, Hershey Malaysia, Capitaland Retail, Eastern Pacific Industrial Corp, Magnum Corp, Eupe Corp, Eco Foodsoft, Hektar REIT, Land Custody & Development Authority, Wipro Unza, Flex Penang and Lotus’s Stores.
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At the event, six outstanding personalities who champion ESG and CSR causes were also honoured. Among them were Dato’ Ahmad Fuaad bin Mohd Kenali, the CEO of UMW Holdings Berhad who received the ESG Champion Award, a recognition of his dedication to CSR and environmental stewardship. Datuk Sr Mohd. Salem Kailany, the CEO of UDA Holdings received the Sustainable Community Builder Award for his vision and achievement in ESG. Other personalities include Dato’ Sydney Quays, Dr Eswaran Nadarajan, Zulkifli Mawardi and Professor Dr Vikneswaran Nair.
According to Datuk Sri Nancy Shukri, the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development remains steadfast in its tireless pursuit of uplifting the lives of its esteemed target groups. “As we set out on this arduous mission, we recognise that success thrives not in individual endeavours but in collective unity. Therefore, we truly need the support and participation of various agencies, NGOs, corporate, and private sectors to achieve greater progress in social and community development.”
The judging Criteria for the Sustainability and CSR Malaysia Awards included clear purpose and goals of the company for the CSR initiative, the impact created or the significance of the CSR initiative, frequency of CSR events held, total amount of contributions given, transparency in reporting CSR initiatives, creative implementation of the CSR activities, strength of the CSR team and sincerity and the effectiveness of each initiative.
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According to Dato’ R. Rajendran, Chairman of CSR Malaysia, the environmental, social and governance is a framework for sustainability management, ethical practices and conscious consumerism that is gaining widespread popularity in the business world. Good ESG strategies include a plethora of sustainability factors such as a company’s efforts toward reducing its carbon footprint, going green, encouraging diversity or introducing employee wellness programmes. Initiatives that matter the most to a business and are the easiest to implement should be the main focus. As such, ESG paves the way for a company to gain investor confidence, reduce operating costs, earn customer loyalty and improve both asset management and financial performance.
CSR Malaysia’s Co-Chairman and Managing Editor Lee Seng Chee believes that transparency on sustainable and socially responsible practices need to be given due attention and action as the demand for it is on the rise. Stakeholders in the likes of investors, customers, employees as well as non-governmental organisations, to whom companies are accountable to, would want to evaluate the impact a company’s operations has on the planet. Valuable insights that can assist in creating long-term value for stakeholders can be gained from diligent environmental, social and governance or ESG analysis and reporting. “It most certainly can cause a great paradigm shift in the financial metrics of a company and provide a useful channel for better investment choices.”
CSR Malaysia Carnival featuring some 15 NGOs and foundations was also held in conjunction with the event. The objective of the Carnival is to connect them to various corporate companies that were present at the event.
The event was organised by ‘CSR Malaysia’, an initiative of Pertubuhan Amal Tanggungjawab Kemapanan Dan Korporat Malaysia.
Donation cheques amounting to some RM50 million were also presented to charitable causes by the companies at the event.
Corporate Malaysia’s aspirations go beyond mere profits or building world class buildings or infrastructures. These caring organisations promote sustainable economies by helping marginalised communities and making environmental efforts to preserve our heritage for future generations. “Sustainability is much more than just a buzzword for the businesses of today. Sustainable economic growth promotes jobs and stronger economies while countering the effects of climate change, pollution and other environmental factors,” said Lee, the Co-Chairman of CSR Malaysia.
Among the distinguished guests at the event were Datuk Dr Maziah Binti Che Yusoff, Secretary General of Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development, Y.A.M. Paduka Puteri Tunku Mariam bte Al-Marhum Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, Patron of CSR Malaysia and Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah, Group Chairman of UMW Holdings.
The event which was attended by some 550 corporate personalities not only celebrated the sustainability and CSR achievements of these outstanding corporations but also served as a source of inspiration for other corporations to emulate them.
Jun 7, 2023 | Faces & Happenings
The recent Anugerah Personaliti Industri dan Usahawan Malaysia 2023, themed ‘Anjakan Usahawan Terbilang, Julang Gemilang’, organised by NiagaTimes was a glamorous celebration dinner event. The occasion afforded the opportunity to give recognition to the excellence of micro, small and medium enterprises from diverse industries, and to appreciate their efforts in strengthening the country’s economy.
The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, Senator Saraswathy Kandasami was present as the guest of honour to officiate and present the awards at the ceremony.
There were 10 award categories and the award recipients consist of 60 outstanding companies and individuals. Among the award categories included “Syarikat Terunggul”, “Usahawan Cemerlang”, “Perniagaan kepada Perniagaan (B2B)”, “Kepimpinan Industri”, “Usahawan Pilihan” and “Wanita Dalam Perniagaan”.
Among the award recipients were Koperasi Sahabat Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia Berhad (Anugerah Koperasi Pilihan), Steadfast Inspection Sdn Bhd (Anugerah Syarikat Terunggul Tahunan), Suke TV [Anugerah Stesen Televisyen Pilihan Malaysia 2023 (Hiburan & Bisnes)], Mohd Safee bin Mohd Sali (Anugerah Ikon Pejuang Kebajikan Pemain Bolasepak Profesional Malaysia), Resort Taman Eko Rimba Komanwel (Anugerah Pusat Ekopelancongan ‘Glamping’ & Rekreasi Terbaik), Perbadanan Perwira Niaga Malaysia [Anugerah Rangkaian Peruncitan Pilihan], Sushiwak Malaysia [Anugerah F&B Pilihan Tahunan (Restoran Sushi)], Mutualpro Team Services (M) Sdn Bhd (Anugerah Perniagaan Kepada Perniagaan (B2B) Terbaik), Akademi Pembangunan PKS dan Keusahawanan Malaysia [Anugerah Pusat Keusahawanan Universiti Terbaik Tahunan].
Also present at the ceremony were Dato’ R. Rajendran, Chief Executive Officer of RHA Media and Lee Seng Chee, Chairman of CSR Malaysia.
Mar 22, 2023 | Faces & Happenings
39 local culinary and tourism personalities and companies were honoured at the ASEAN Food & Travel Awards 2023
A total of 39 personalities and companies from Malaysia have been recognised as winners at the second ASEAN Food & Travel Awards 2023.
The annual award ceremony organised by the culinary and tourism portal, ASEAN Food & Travel Media in collaboration with two other publications namely ‘Top 10 of Asia’ and ‘NiagaTimes’ was held to celebrate the players of the culinary and tourism industry in the Southeast Asian region who remain committed to managing their respective businesses and have achieved outstanding successes in their own respective fields.
The event was officiated by Datuk Zainuddin Abdul Wahab, the Director General of Tourism Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
According to Dato’ R. Rajendran, the CEO of Top 10 of Asia publication, programmes like this play a role in motivating local entrepreneurs to reach for greater heights, even in the international arena. Therefore, the successful running of this program can be considered a huge achievement to inject the spirit of entrepreneurship into the industry and community.
Dato’ R. Rajendran with Datuk Zainuddin Abdul Wahab, the Director General of Tourism Malaysia.
Meanwhile, RHA Media’s Managing Editor, the publisher for ASEAN Food and Travel Media, Lee Seng Chee said, the awards event themed ‘Honouring Outstanding Malaysian Personalities and SMEs in the Food & Travel Industry’ saw as many as 10 award categories such as top personalities, hospitality, restaurants, food and beverages, travel agencies and others were presented at the ceremony.
‘ASEAN Food & Travel Awards’ was established to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of personalities and businesses across all key sectors of the food, travel, tourism and hospitality industries in the ASEAN region. This event is organised by ASEAN Food & Travel media, in line with the media’s objective to showcase and promote the best that ASEAN has to offer in the food and travel arena and at the same time give recognition to the industry’s outstanding personalities and organisations that put ASEAN on the world map.
The awards serve to celebrate and give recognition to outstanding businesses and individuals in the food & travel industry in the ASEAN region. This event in Kuala Lumpur, specifically honours outstanding Malaysian personalities, SMEs and entrepreneurs in the food and travel industry that have excelled in their respective fields.
The panel of judges consisting of media experts, researchers and food and travel critics impartially judged all entries received and they evaluated each entry based on the criteria provided. The judges presented their final list of winners for the purpose of award recognition.
Among the award recipients were Park Inn by Radisson Putrajaya Hotel, DeWan 1958 by Chef Wan, Boraombak Putrajaya, Geno Hotel, hotelier Christina Toh, Marini’s on 57, and celebrity chefs like Chef Dato’ Zamzani, Chef Sherson Lian, Chef Ili Sulaiman and Chef Dato’ Ismail Ahmad.
Datuk Zainuddin said that the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia and in particular Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board truly appreciate all the contributions and efforts of the industry players as the ministry can only achieve all its goals through them.