Kent Malaysian Society

A Night To Remember

Kent Malaysian Society — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:15:56 +0000

“Ask any Malaysian who has been in Kent long enough. We had a dream, a dream to once again host a Malaysian Night in the University of Kent….. And now, just look at where we are!”

Our president’s words ring true; we have longed to host a Malaysian Night in Kent for a long time. On the 4^th of February 2012, our dream came true.

It took months of planning and brainstorming. Daily rehearsals were a must for cast and dancers alike. The props team laboured over every tiny detail needed and the technical team scrutinised the script to ensure lighting and sound effects went off at the correct times. Everyone involved in the Kent Malaysian Night sacrificed a lot of time and energy towards it, and it was definitely worth it!

Photo taken by Rahman Ahmad Ismail.

Produced by our own Edward Chung, our play titled ‘Elis in Wonderland’ was based on the classic tale ‘Alice in Wonderland’ that we grew up watching, but with a Malaysian twist. It included cultural performances from the three main races of Malaysia as well as a modern dance, snippets of songs and a witty script that kept the audience (consisting of both Malaysians and non-Malaysians) very entertained throughout the play and made the night a huge success.

Photo taken by Ezjay Lim.

Although pulling off our first Malaysian Night in a long time was extremely time consuming and left us all exhausted, every single one of us finished the night with a smile on our face. We had worked hard and all of our efforts paid off. And though the night is over, new friendships and bonds were formed between us: the cast, dancers, singers and backstage crew that will definitely last a very long time.

Click here to watch the play.

Click here to view the photos.

Click here to download the booklet.

Aveena Yogaraj

Secretary 2011/2012

Malaysian Society, University of Kent.

Chinese New Year Dinner 2012

Kent Malaysian Society — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:25:30 +0000

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The start of a new academic term meant that Malaysian Society should plan something for members to look forward to after a fortnight of shuffling back and forth from mundane classes again. So on the 30^th of January 2012, we decided to celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Dragon. 38 of our members gathered together at Century, a Chinese restaurant in Canterbury, on the auspicious 8^th day of the Chinese New Year to herald in the year together.

Members paid £15.50 per head for the dinner. While that may seem pricey, we definitely ate our money’s worth. At that specified price, we were allowed to order as much as we could eat the whole night, and we certainly ate to our heart’s content! The dinner also included Yee Sang (raw fish salad), the traditional Prosperity Toss that we usually have in Malaysia.

The night was full of joy and laughter, as the pictures can show you. The scrumptious food was enough to leave a smile on everyone’s face, and we left the restaurant with full stomachs and light hearts – all ready to face our Kent Malaysian Night 5 days later.

Aveena Yogaraj

Secretary 2011/2012

Malaysian Society, University of Kent.

Ye Olde Christmas Dinner

Kent Malaysian Society — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 01:19:10 +0000

With a month-long break to look forward to, December really did start off as a season to be jolly for all of us. And what better way to celebrate than to have our very own Malaysian Society Christmas Dinner? So on Wednesday, the 7^th of December, we made our way to the Old Buttermarket Pub for a pre-booked dinner. The semiformal dress code in mind, everyone turned up looking incredible.

With an amazing selection of food, friendly staff who even helped us take a group picture (and it was no easy feat, fitting about 30 people into the shot!) and a very nice atmosphere, the pub was a great place for us to gather together and catch up for the last time in 2011. The Secret Santa gift exchange that was planned beforehand served to brighten the event even more.

Click image for more photos!

The next time the Malaysian Society meets, we would have said goodbye to another year and welcomed in 2012. Let us hope the New Year will be as eventful as this one! Enjoy the holidays everyone!

Aveena Yogaraj

Secretary 2011/2012

Malaysian Society, University of Kent.

Nottingham Games 2012

Kent Malaysian Society — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:42:36 +0000

On the 12^th of November 2011, 65 members of the Kent University Malaysian Society headed to Nottingham University via coach for the annual Nottingham Malaysian Games – some as participants and others as supporters. We departed from Darwin bus stop at 3 a.m. and reached Nottingham University at about 6:30 a.m., where we spent time catching up with our Malaysian friends from universities all over the UK before heading to the Sports Hall for the Nottingham Malaysian Games Opening Ceremony.

After the opening ceremony, participants parted ways and headed to whichever building their games were being held in. The other members (who were later joined by participants who had finished with their games) spent time wandering around the beautiful campus and exploring the city centre. Members also got to satisfy their craving for Malaysian food though the Food Fair that was placed at three locations throughout the large campus. At about 7 p.m., we left Nottingham University.

Although disappointed that we didn’t manage to obtain any medals this year, what counts is that we all tried our very best and had a lot of fun at it! Let’s hope we have better luck next year Kent touch this!

Aveena Yogaraj

Secretary 2011/2012

Malaysian Society, University of Kent.

Fireworks Video

Kent Malaysian Society — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:43:12 +0000

Here are the videos of the recent fireworks display at Leeds Castle, Kent. Videos were shot and edited by Teh Sarah and Liyana Alia. Our apologies for the shaky hands, but hope you guys enjoy!

Leeds Castle Fireworks Spectacular

Kent Malaysian Society — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:29:41 +0000

“Remember, remember, the fifth of November, Gunpowder Treason and Plot”.

Photo taken by Shira

Click image for more photos!

Every year since 1605, Britain celebrates Guy Fawkes night to rejoice the foiled attempt of the Gunpowder Plot to blow up the House of Lords. Also known as Bonfire Night, fireworks light up the night annually much to the delight of thousands of spectators all over England.

This year, the Malaysian Society of the University of Kent saw 40 of its members attend the Leeds Castle Fireworks Spectacular in Maidstone. The society trip began at 2pm as the attending members departed from the Keynes Bus Stop with a pre-booked coach.

At the Castle grounds, blankets were laid, cameras were readied and the members had a picnic while waiting for the show to begin. Some of them also took this opportunity to explore the castle grounds and roam around the mini food festival set up.

As the evening turned dark, we gathered again at one spot for the much anticipated show. At 5.30pm sharp, needless to say, it was our group which shouted the loudest during the countdown to the fireworks! The Leeds Castle fireworks display was without doubt, well worth watching. With perfect music synchronization, impressive use of spotlights and even laser lights accompanying a brightly lit skyline filled with bursts of colourful fireworks, a full half an hour of the show kept us wanting more!

It was truly an enjoyable weekend getaway for those who made it and we headed back to Canterbury very satisfied with our outing. Definitely looking forward to having more fun with the Kent crew at our next society trip!

Aina

President 2011/2012

Malaysian Society, University of Kent.

Deepavali Celebration 2011

Kent Malaysian Society — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:34:10 +0000

Click image for more photos.!

All around the world, Deepavali, or Diwali, the Festival of Lights, was celebrated on the 26th of October 2011. It was no different in Kent, as the Malaysian Society organized a celebration as well.

The night started with some naan and chapatti, served with various dippings – tikka, raita, chutney and vegetable curry, along with pizza. Guests were also invited to participate in creating ‘kolam’s, or ‘rangoli’s. The patterns had already been designed, so guests had fun filling in the designs with coloured salt. While they did that, a member of the Malaysian Society, Tan Sher Min, narrated the history behind the celebration of Deepavali.

Later, guests were given the chance to apply mehndi on their hands. The traditional temporary hand design was a hit as almost everyone tried it out. Our night continued with group dancing with vice president, Shannon Yew, and society member Shamrina teaching guests the steps required for the dance. This was followed by a game where participants were divided into teams of five. Each team had to answer a set of questions about Deepavali and the Hindu culture, and make words out of some letters that had been hidden all around the place.

The night ended on a bright note – guests were surprised with indoor sparklers to really capture the essence of the ‘Festival of Lights’. It was definitely a good night, and an amazing celebration.

Aveena Yogaraj

Secretary 2011/2012

Malaysian Society, University of Kent.

Diwali

Kent Malaysian Society — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:35:51 +0000

Deepavali is in less than a week’s time and the society is organising an event for this festive celebration. There will be finger food/snacks, henna, kolam and some activities prepared for you to enjoy. Let’s just say it is a nice gathering to make ourselves feel more at home.

This event is FREE for paid members and £2 for non-members. To join, visit Kent Union website or head to over to the Mandella building to pay your membership.

See you next week!

Screening of the Imperial Malaysian Night

Kent Malaysian Society — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:53:01 +0000

There will be a screening of the Imperial Malaysian Night.

Date: 20th October 2011
Venue: KLT5
Time: 6:00pm – 8:45pm

As most of you know, Kent Malaysian Society is planning to have our own Malaysian Night this academic year. Watching this would provide a rough idea for what we hope to accomplish. We showed snippets of the performance during the first general meeting but now we have the full play! Do come if you are interested in getting involved or if you just want to spend the evening hanging out with us.

Some of you seniors have attended the Imperial MNight last year, so we are screening the play from two years back, Born to be Vile. The play was a sold out show as it is a comedy with a very witty script, so you might want to catch it.

We will be looking forward to see you!

Aqil Borhanuddin

Publicity Officer 2011/2012

Malaysian Society, University of Kent

Raya Celebration 2011

Kent Malaysian Society — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:11:58 +0000

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On the 8^th of October 2011, The Kent University Malaysian Society held a belated Raya Aidilfitri celebration. The event took place in the Junior Common Room in Rutherford College. The response was overwhelming – about 110 people showed up, consisting of both members and non-members.

What would our Raya celebration be without makanan from Malaysia? Nothing! So seniors spent hours laboring over their pots and pans, trying to bring the true spirit of Malaysia to the celebration in any way they could. Among the hidangans that were served were ‘soto ayam’, ‘ayam rendang’, ‘karipap’ and so many more. Our efforts paid off, as everyone who came seemed to enjoy every morsel tremendously. In fact, many went back for second and even third helpings.

The Raya event was also a chance for members to mingle and familiarize themselves with each other. As there were so many people in attendance, there was never a quiet moment, and everyone was interacting freely. However, an ice-breaking game was also prepared for members to get to know the committee members better, and a lucky draw was held to make the night even more enjoyable.

All in all, the night was a success, and I’m sure that we all can’t wait for the next incredible event on our list – Deepavali!

Aveena Yogaraj

Secretary 2011/2012

Malaysian Society, University of Kent.