JUST TO SHARE (Lau Tai Onn): Attendance of IEM Annual Dinner on 20 April, 2019

The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM) held its 60th Annual Dinner & Awards Night on Saturday, 20 April, 2019 at Sunway Resort Hotel & SPA, P.J. and I was invited to attend in the capacity of my position as the Secretary of the Standing Committee on Information & Publications (InfoPub).

I left home at 6.15pm by car and reached Sunway Resort Hotel at about 7.05pm. There was Cocktail & Pre-Dinner Drink Reception in the lobby of the function hall.

I met former InfoPub Ir. Yam Teong Sin at the washroom, Ir. Tu Yong Eng at the lobby, and a few former colleagues of Minconsult S/B like T. Roy and others also at the lobby.

I was seated with newly acquainted Ir. Lai Sze Ching (vice president 2014-2019, council member 2019/2020, chairman of Standing Committee of Professional Practice 2015-2019 among many other positions), Ir. Mohd. Radzi Salleh (former council member), Ir. Jeffrey Lee Sheu Tiong and a few others. The only InfoPub member in my table no. S76 was Ir. C.M.M. Aboobucker. Other InfoPub members saw were Ir. Dr. Oh Seong Por, Ms. Michelle Lau and Ir. Yee Thien Seng seated in other tables as they are also members of other Technical Divisions, Section or Branch.

The guest-of-honour of the night was supposed to be Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, but he sent Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok as representative.

The dinner started at 8.30pm with such programmes as performance by International LED violinist, Grace Tan and speed painting (of Teresa Kok’s portrait), welcoming address by IEM President Ir. David Lai Kong Phooi followed by introduction of the newly elected Deputy and Vice Presidents, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer and etc., speech by Teresa Kok, children’s choir, conferment of the IEM Honorary Fellow Awards 2019 to Past President Dato’ Ir. Lim Chow Hock, The Late Ir. MC Hee (posthumous) and Past President Academician Dato’ Ir. Prof. Dr. Chuah Hean Teik, slide show of engineering hall of fame, conferment of the IEM Award for Contribution to Engineering Industry in Malaysia 2019, and other presentation of awards.

I left the dinner at about 10.15pm after having taken 5 dishes out of a total 8, after paying the parking fee of RM5 at the machine (instead of RM10 at the reception counter).

I reached home at about 11.30pm after missing some junctions along the way as my mobile phone’s battery power was exhausted and I could not use Waze to lead my way home.