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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-09-19 Daily Xml
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AUSTRALIAN MALAYSIAN COMMUNITY

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:37): Today it is my pleasure to rise to speak about the contributions made by Malaysian migrants and students in enriching the multicultural landscape of South Australia. I would like to specifically use three events to highlight some of the key achievements of the Australian Malaysian community, being the Malaysian Carnival 2012, the Australia Malaysia Business Council Merdeka Gala Dinner, and the Malaysian Club Rasa Sayan cultural night.

First, the Malaysian Carnival: last Saturday, it was a pleasure to attend the 2012 Malaysian Carnival with the Leader of the Opposition Isobel Redmond, and the shadow minister for education David Pisoni, the member for Unley. The annual event is in its fifth year. It was held at Victoria Square on 15 September 2012 and attracted around 10,000 people. The carnival featured a showcase of multicultural performances on stage including three mock weddings—Malay, Chinese and Indian mock weddings—very colourful and interesting.

Food stalls sold delicious Malaysian cuisine—I really like the hot and spicy food—and there was an exhibition booth with Malaysian Airlines and Malaysian tourism information. Elaborate traditional costumes and friendly faces by a strong pool of student volunteers greeted festival-goers with open arms, making everyone feel really welcome and to join in the festivities.

Danial Fahmi, the SA chairman and project manager of the Malaysian Carnival 2012, and his organising committee have done a spectacular job, and I congratulate the South Australian Malaysian Students Council of Australia (SA chapter) for making the 2012 Carnival such a big success. Furthermore, I would also acknowledge the growth of the Malaysian Carnival and the national body of the Malaysian Students Council of Australia, because this council wishes to be known as a 'council of opportunity', as it has provided opportunities for Malaysian students to develop their confidence and experience by expanding their mind and thinking skills to be leaders of tomorrow's society.

The second dinner I attended was the Merdeka Awards Dinner, which was about celebrating the Independence Day of Malaysia. It was a pleasure to represent the Leader of the Opposition at this event, which was held on 25 August 2012 and was hosted by the South Australian chapter of the Australia Malaysia Business Council. The dinner also serves as an awards presentation evening. These awards were established 14 years ago and were built to recognise and reward the excellence of Malaysian students who are in their final year of study in South Australia across the three universities. This year the awards were renamed the Sir Eric Neal Awards, after its patron and long-term supporter, former South Australian governor Sir Eric Neal.

The four students who received the Merdeka awards were Malaysian students chosen by an independent panel for their excellence in their academic achievements and community work as well as their ability to welcome and integrate with the local community. I wish to congratulate first prize winner, Faustina Foong. The second prize was a tie for the first time that went to Leong Su Ling and Musfirah Syahira, and the third prize went to Danial Fahmi. They are outstanding individuals and students who have aimed to promote leadership and innovation by fostering Malaysian culture in their bodies of work. Congratulations to the students.

These awards would not occur without the support and assistance of the South Australian Chapter of the Australia Malaysia Business Council. I would like to congratulate the President, Mr Sathish Dasan, and the hardworking committee for building a closer business relationship between Australia and Malaysia, as well as fostering stronger cultural links and recognising the achievements of Malaysians students.

Thirdly, I would like to acknowledge the Malaysia Club of South Australia because I went to their Rasa Sayang cultural night on 11 August. The Malaysia Club of South Australia was launched on 30 May 2010 and it has been a privilege to see this social club grow and gain respect amongst the Malaysian and Australian mainstream community.

I would like to acknowledge the great leadership of the President of the Malaysia Club, Dr Evelyn Yap, together with a dynamic committee which has become truly a force to be reckoned with. They are hardworking and they are talented. They have developed a successful club that is welcoming and shares the diverse Malaysian cultures, food and fun with their guests. It was a great honour to be invited as a guest speaker and a judge for their traditional costume parade. Rasa Sayang is a popular Malaysian folk song and the meaning of it is 'feel the love'. There was a lot of love to be shared amongst members on the night.

Time expired.

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