Over the years, this blog spot has served us well. But we have reached the stage where it is no longer enough for our Business Council. It has fallen into disuse as we have done quite a bit more on social media - Facebook especially - and as the number of events and occasions we are involved in grows. There just isn't time to blog between events!
Therefore the AMBCQ is currently embarking on the creation of a new website to serve our membership better. If you are interested in our doings and goings on in the meantime, you can always join our Facebook group, follow us on Twitter, Linked In or Google +. Or better still, join our membership. We are still the biggest and most active AMBC in Australia, and probably the most fun as well.
Cheers!
Some of the highlights from our recent events over the last 6 months
I originally started writing this post somewhere in June - but things have been so busy, I didn't get to finish it off at the time and upload the photos. And now we are about to embark on our annual Australia-Malaysia Ball. So it is definitely time I update everyone on some of our recent events and news. There have been more, including a number of citizenship ceremonies and other events, but these are the highlights. Each one of these events could in itself be a post, but I'll try and give a brief overview of each.
Visit to Logan City Council with MIDA and Dinner with MIDA on the Gold Coast
MIDA Sydney representatives, Gulam and Balqis, came on a visit to Queensland. We accompanied them to meet with Logan City Council, (followed by a quick visit to our favourite Logan restaurant, Yahoo), and then the AMBCQ hosted a dinner for MIDA on the Gold Coast. We have a number of new members on the Gold Coast and it was great to meet up with them.
Parkinson Ward Dragon Boat Festival, Forest Lake
As anyone who follows this blog will know, we love dragon boat - it has been a great activity to be involved in, bringing in new members, promoting the AMBCQ, and creating a real sense of camaraderie and teamwork. Three years ago we had our first regatta at the Parkinson Ward Dragon Boat Festival, and three years later we are still having a great time. Unfortunately, we didn't improve on last year's result - we came third this time, while we have come second for the last two years. But that just gives us something to strive for next year! The Festival is organised by Councilor Angela Owen-Taylor and the Hakka Association and it is a great community event.
Dinner
forum with prominent Malaysian lawyer, Edmund Bon, Partner with Chooi and Partners, and former Malaysian Bar Council Committee member
The AMBCQ hosted Edmund Bon at Sun Fay Restaurant at Indooroopilly. We were also joined by Cr Steven Huang, Councillor for MacGregor Ward, who has been a great supporter of AMBCQ. Edmund spoke about issues facing the Malaysian legal profession currently, and also issues arising from the recent General Election. It was a great opportunity for members and supporters to discuss the landscape in Malaysia following the conclusion of the 13th General Election. Dinner
with David Gibson MP, Member for Gympie and Chair of the State Development, Infrastructure
and Industry Committee David gave us a very interesting insight into some of the issues facing regional Queensland, specifically Gympie. He spoke about the recovery of the area since the floods earlier this year, as well as the ongoing fallout from the previous Government's Mary River dam project. The project was ultimately scrapped, but the whole process saw a lot of upheaval in the electorate over many years, upheaval which still is not fully resolved. He also gave us a briefing on his role as the Chair of the State Development, Infrastructure and Industry Committee and some of the key infrastructure issues currently facing the State.
Lunch
with the Hon Julie Bishop MP, Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Minister for
Foreign Affairs and Trade
The AMBCQ took a table at this event, and we were privileged to be able to share a few minutes with the Deputy Opposition Leader to discuss issues related to Malaysia and the Malaysian community. We also presented the Deputy Opposition Leader with a hand crafted map of Asia to recognise her contribution in her role.
Live
Malaysian Election Coverage with cross overs to Malaysian candidates and
commentators
We hosted an open event for Malaysia watchers in conjunction with the Malaysian Election . We had live updates of the count, plus live cross overs via Skype to candidates, election workers and commentators. Dinner
with the Hon Lawrence Springborg MP, Minister for Health, at Parliament House
The AMBCQ was privileged to be able to host this dinner at Parliament House, which was facilitated by Freya Ostapovitch MP, Member for Stretton. Freya has been a wonderful supporter and she was very helpful in organising the event. Lawrence speech gave an indepth explanation of many of the issues in the Health Department and how the Government is dealing with these very difficult issues. Health has been a real problem in Queensland politics for a long time, and it was great to hear the many reforms that Lawrence is introducing as Minister.
Looking fantastic, those giant yellow balloons really make an impact!
Down by the water at Manly, what a lovely venue.
We were very pleased to support our friend and AMBCQ member Diana from House of Events this week at her Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser event for the Cancer Foundation. And what a fabulous event it was! The morning tea was at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron at Manly, which is a really beautiful venue, right on the water, of course. Comscentre, a very strong supporter of AMBCQ, also supported the event. I have to say just about everything I can think of was perfectly pitched! The food, the little yellow cupcakes, the prizes, the jumping castle, and the giant yellow balloons! And being during the school holidays, I really appreciated that kids were welcome and in fact encouraged to come along. You can imagine how much they enjoyed themselves with a jumping castle and the Club's playground at their disposal. What a fantastic morning!
It's so big, it's almost a planet!! We could only squeeze one balloon into the car.
All the children who came along were given the chance to bring home one of these giant yellow balloons - we could only take one in our car. It is much loved by our daughter Ilmi and I'm afraid she's going to be very sad when it finally bursts or goes down.
Events like this are never easy to pull off, but Diana did an amazing job. It is true, everyone is always busy, and each of us have a million things to do each day. Not everyone is willing to put themselves out in order to create an event to bring people together in support of an important cause. It is great to be able to attend a wonderful, fun event, AND support the Cancer Foundation. I'm looking forward to next year's event already!
If anyone would like to engage the services of a very good events planner, I would be happy to put you in touch with Diana and House of Events.
Kiong speaking to Diana while our Ilkka enjoys the chance to play with one of the balloons.
I won something! A BMW pack with hats (enough for all our kids!), a picnic set, and a big umbrella. We just need the car to go with it now. ;)
The Queen's Birthday Honours were announced last week, and while all the recipients are of course exceptional (or they would not have been recognised in the first place!), there are a number of notable recipients from an AMBCQ perspective: Dr Simon Longstaff, Greg Vickery and Prof Yew-Chaye Loo, all three of whom I have had the pleasure of knowing or working with outside the AMBCQ as well as within an AMBCQ context.
Professor Yew-Chaye Loo AM
Firstly, we’d like to congratulate AMBCQ member and prominent Griffith University academic, Professor Yew-Chaye Loo for being awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). Malaysian born Professor Loo is the Foundation Professor of Civil Engineering at Griffith University and Director of Internationalisation and Professional Liaison for the Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology Group at Griffith University, and was awarded for his services to civil and structural engineering. Professor Loo has written a truckload of books and articles on engineering, and many of his works are considered seminal. This is not the first time Professor Loo has received such an acknowledgement. He also was recognised by the Chinese Government (through the World Chinese Venture Model Association in conjunction with the China Association for Promoting International Scientific and Technical Cooperation) "the 2011 World Top 10 Enterprising Pioneer of Chinese Descent". In 2011, the AMBCQ gave Professor Loo a commemorative plaque in recognition of this honour at a function in Kuala Lumpur.
It is a wonderful honour to be bestowed upon Professor Loo and an acknowledgement of the calibre of the staff of Griffith University.
Kiong Chan, AMBCQ President, Kevin Field, Principal Conductor of the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and Greg Vickery AM AO at the AMBCQ/QYO reception for the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, December 2012, Brisbane. Greg has been a strong supporter of the QYO, among many other artistic organisations in Queensland.
Another prominent Queenslander to acknowledge is Greg Vickery AM. It is the second time Greg has been recognised with one of these honours, and this time he has been appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO). Greg served as the Indonesian Honorary Consul, the National Chairman and President of Red Cross, and President of the Queensland Law Society, among many other roles. Greg played a prominent role as the Honorary Consul for a long time, and performed many duties that went beyond the call of his role to serve the Indonesian community in Brisbane and Queensland for many years. He is also a very strong supporter and patron of the arts scene in Brisbane, as well as being a highly respected and well known legal figure.
The inaugural A2ELP cohort in Kuala Lumpur, 2011, a great bunch of people chosen for this unique opportunity. I'm on the far left and Simon is behind me.
One other person I'd like to acknowledge is Dr Simon Longstaff who also became an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). Simon is a prominent philosopher and educater in ethics, and is associated particularly with the St James Ethics Centre. Simon was a key facilitator for the ASEAN Australia Emerging Leaders Programme (A2ELP) in 2011 which was supported by the Australia Malaysia Institute and held in Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with the Asia Pacific Roundtable. I was privileged to be chosen for the programme, and Simon was a great mentor and facilitator to all of participants.
Some of our guests - Stu Myerscough from Air Asia, Dr Peter Yeoh OAM and Mrs Alice Yeoh, with Kiong Chan, AMBCQ President
The last month has been extremely busy for AMBCQ - so much so that I have not had much of a chance to update this blog. Although there is a lot to write about, I will just share with you first our recent event with the Senator the Hon. Bob Carr, Australia's Foreign Minister. This event was a real highlight for all members and guests who attended and we considered it an enormous privilege to host the Foreign Minister. We also hosted another special guest, the Hon. Bernie Ripoll MP who is Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer and Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business. The significant positions they both hold and the high degree of relevance of their portfolios to AMBCQ members meant that the presence of both gentlemen at our event was of great interest to members of our Business Council.
Bernie Ripoll speaking to Kiong Chan and Scott Hutchinson, of Hutchinson Builders
Senator Carr covered a wide range of topics in his speech - ASEAN, MAFTA, US-Australia and US-China relations, the Asian Century, Australia's position on the Security Council, Australia's economic resilience and many more topics. And of course, he had some lovely stories to share with us regarding Malaysia, as his wife Helena is Malaysian-born. He is a great speaker and the depth and rigour of his analysis and his knowledge is of course impressive. But you would expect no less from a leader of his calibre, a former Premier of New South Wales and current Foreign Minister.
Bernie Ripoll also made a great speech, speaking about some of his recent experiences representing the Australian Government at the Asian Development Bank meetings in India. He brought up the issue of Australia's economic resilience and spoke about what Australia is doing right in an international context.
Senator Carr
Both of our guests participated in a discussion panel with Kiong and I toward the end of the event, and we discussed a series of strategic and international issues, focusing on Australia's trade agreements, Malaysia, US relations, and of course China. It was a robust and insightful discussion, and much appreciated by the audience. Senator Carr and Mr Ripoll were very generous with their time and spoke to many of the guests before the official event started and stayed until the end to hear from them as well. The AMBCQ presented Senator Carr with a gift - a replica antique map from 1680 crafted by master map maker Edwin Clark. The map shows some of the gaps in knowledge that were around in that era, and how much time and technology has advanced our knowledge of the world. We also presented Bernie with a gift - another replica antique map crafted by Edwin, this time the 1823 Oxley map, which is the first map of Brisbane, made by John Oxley in the earliest days of European contact. Bernie is the member for Oxley and was thus delighted to receive it.
Rather than write too much about the event, the video below provides some of the speeches from the event. It was a truly great event, a privilege to be involved and a joy to interact with these two wonderful leaders.
Shona, Bernie Ripoll, Senator Carr and Kiong Chan during the discussion panel
Kiong presenting a gift to Senator Carr to thank him for being our guest
Finally, after a long wait and much anticipation, the Malaysian Parliament was dissolved today, signalling that the 13th General Election will soon be called. The upcoming election will also mean the dissolution of the State Parliaments.The date of the election has been the subject of speculation for a very long time - even two years ago, there was a sense of anticipation that the election was imminent, and that sense has dragged on through crisis after crisis, and prediction after prediction. Speculation as to the date is ongoing - the Electoral Commission has still not set a date. Malaysian elections are generally a lot shorter than what we are used to here in Australia. While a seven day official campaigning period is not unheard of, and it is widely expected that the election date will be set for sometime before the end of April.
As most Malaysia watchers will know, the results of the 12th GE were unprecedented, a shock to the whole political system. After more than 50 years of rule of single party rule, the Opposition won a significant number of seats, enough to make Malaysia look like a mature and active democracy. The Opposition parties won more than 80 seats in the 222 seat Parliament. Barisan Nasional, the long ruling coalition was reelected but lost its two thirds majority - significant as the two thirds majority allows for changes to the constitution.
On face value, most Australians would wonder what all the fuss was about. The Government did not change and indeed 80 seats is not even close to taking power. But it was indeed a revelation for electors and politicians as to what the possibilities for democracy in Malaysia. It gave the electorate a glimpse of the power they as voters had always had, but never really believed in or had confidence in.
The extended speculation also signals the changes that the 12th General Election wrought on Malaysian society and political psyche. The results of the 12th GE completely changed expectations across the board and it is clear to see, whatever side of politics you support, that the landscape has changed irrevocably. There has indeed been a fresh and renewed interest in all things political and a scrutiny and expectation of transparency that would have seemed unthinkable a decade ago. How times change.
Many positive outcomes have come from the previous election, including increased transparency, a focus on performance rather than rhetoric, a more engaged and vocal electorate, and accountability for all. Hopefully the next election will bring even more positive change for Malaysia, no matter which side of politics wins.
I originally wrote this article for 'New Media and the Informed Citizen'. New Media and the Informed Citizen is Paradigm Infinitum's ongoing comparative study of new media and its impact on politics and citizen engagement in Australia and Malaysia.
We recently spent several days assisting the Malaysian Government's Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council on a visit to Queensland. The MHTC were visiting Brisbane to participate in the Travel Expo at the Brisbane Convention Centre and had decided to try and engage some of the key stakeholders here in Brisbane while they were here.
What is Healthcare Tourism? It is basically going overseas to access medical or healthcare. This can range from routine but expensive procedures or care, such as dental care, optometry services, and podiatry, to major procedures such as plastic surgery and hip replacements and major operations. And why would the Australian market do this? Because of relative healthcare costs, waiting lists, and access to specialists. Often the cost of having a procedure undertaken here can be as or more expensive than flights, having the procedure undertaken in a top private hospital, living expenses and hospital stay while overseas. Plus you get a holiday to relax and recoup.
Malaysia's Government has identified Healthcare Tourism as a key new growth industry for Malaysia. Thailand is already doing well out of this industry, and it is a natural fit for Malaysia given the standard of healthcare, currency exchange rates, and its current status as a tourism centre. About 10,000 Australians already access healthcare in Malaysia - these are mostly expatriates and their families as well as tourists. The infrastructure is all there, now it's just a matter of marketing it to the world.
During the visit, MHTC hosted luncheon for stakeholders and we invited a limited number of AMBCQ members to participate. MHTC Director, Dr Mary Wong, gave a very informative talk about the industry and its possibilities in Malaysia. We also heard from a prominent doctor from Prince Court Hospital, one of Malaysia's leading hospitals, Dr Gee, who is a specialists in bariatrics. Dr Gee discussed some of the practicalities of undergoing surgery in a private hospital in Malaysia, and the specialists operations and support provided to patients.
Healthcare Tourism has been in the news lately and was featured rather negatively on TV on a recent 'A Current Affairs' story. Interestingly enough, the online comments in response to the story were strongly supportive of overseas healthcare options, and were quite cynical of the critics and their "vested interests".
As anyone who follows this blog will know, we love dragon boat - it has been a great activity to be involved in, bringing in new members, promoting the AMBCQ, and creating a real sense of camaraderie and teamwork. Three years ago we had our first regatta at the Parkinson Ward Dragon Boat Festival, and three years later we are still having a great time. Unfortunately, we didn't improve on last year's result - we came third this time, while we have come second for the last two years. But that just gives us something to strive for next year! The Festival is organised by Councilor Angela Owen-Taylor and the Hakka Association and it is a great community event. 
