Attendance at IEM 67th Annual Dinner & Awards Night 2026

On Saturday, 18^th April 2026, I left home at 5.15am to go to Sunway Resort Hotel, Bandar Sunway, P.J. to attend the 67^th IEM Annual Dinner & Awards Night 2026.

As I am a member of the IEM Standing Committee on Information & Publications (InfoPub), I was given a free seat which would otherwise cost RM588.

I have been a Student Member of IEM in 1979 while studying in my 4^th year in University of Singapore.  I became a Graduate Member in 1980, a Corporate Member since 1984.

I first joined the InfoPub as a member in the Session 2005/2006, appointed as its Secretary from Session 2007/2008 onwards until Session 2020/2021, a continuity of 14 years in total!

Todate I still remain as a member of both the InfoPub Standing Committee as well as the Bulletin Editorial Board.

I was pleased to meet up with a few old and new friends and had taken selfie photos with them: Mr. Michael Lee MC of Infra Segi Sdn. Bhd. (a long time contractor aquaintance, near to 30 years), Ir. Mohd Khir bin Muhammad, former IEM Vice President/former Hon. Secretary/former InfoPub Vice Chairman etc., Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. David Chuah Joon Huang, newly re-elected IEM Vice President/former Hon. Secretary/former InfoPub Vice Chairman, Dr.Ir.Ts. Wong Chee Fui InfoPub committee member among many other portfolios in IEM.

The Guest of Honour was YB Datuk Chang Lih Kong, Minister of Science, Technology & Innovation (MOSTI) and he was conferred the IEM Honorary Fellow 2026 during this function.

Only 4 persons turned up at my table no. 154 for InfoPub, i.e. Ts. Michelle Lau Chui chui, Ir. Dr. Wong Chee Fui (from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman), Ir. Dr. Suchithra Thangalazhy Gopakumar (from University of Nottingham) and me. Suchithra is a vegetarian. Initially only 3 of us consumed the foods for 10 persons.  At least 2 other members joined us for the later courses of dinner.

There were 8 courses of Chinese Set Menu, namely Asian Four Combinations Platter, Soup, Chicken. Fish. Prawn, Vegetables, Rice and Dessert.   

The finale showtime was performed by “The Godfather of Stand-up Comedy in Malaysia” Harith Iskander bin Musa who managed to draw a lot of laughter from the floor.

I left the dinner at 11.30pm before the lucky draw started, after giving my ticket to Michael Lee.  I returned home at 12.50am.

Announcement of IEM Annual Dinner & Awards Night 2026

My ticket

A pose with Mr. Michael Lee

A pose with Ir. Mohd Khir Muhammad

List of InfoPub members for our table. But only 4 turned up.

Food menu

A pose with Prof. Dr. Ir. David Chuah JH

A pose with Dr. Ir. Ts. Wong Chee Fui

My table of 1st course of dinner. Notice the empty seats in front of me?

Asian Four Combinations Platter

Braised Five Treasure Crabmeat Soup + Japanese Dried Scallop + Tobiko Caviar

Deep Fried Chicken Thigh + Red Ruby Potatoes

Deep Fried Whole Pompano Fish

Braised Fish Maw with Tau Kan/Broccoli/Goji Berrie Oyster Sauce

Steamed Fragrant Lotus Leaf Rice

Chilled Pineapple Puree with Passionfruit/Logan/Pomegranates + 
Steamed Black esame Bun & Mini Egg Tart

Guest of Honour  

Conferment of IEM Award for Honorary Fellow 2026 to Guest of Honour 

Earlier on 18^th April, 2026 from 9.00am till 12.10pm, I turned on my mobile phone to attend the IEM 67^th Annual General Meeting held at Wisma IEM, P.J. via ZOOM Apps.

I am most interested to watch the announcement of the results of  IEM Council Election for the Session 2026-2028 at 10.30am, to find out from my e-Balloting voting on 12^th March, 2026, how many candidates are successful.

The success rates of my voting are as follows:

1. Vice-president.  One out of 3 candidates voted successful: Prof. Dr. Ir. David Chuah Joon Huang

2. Hon. Secretary: Ir. Alex Looi Tink Huey

3. Hon. Treasurer: My voted candidate not elected

4. Civil Representative: My voted candidate not elected

5. Structural Representative: Ir. Lim Su Hian

6. Multi-media Representative: My voted candidate not elected

7. Ordinary Council Members: Only 2 out of 6 candidates voted successful: Ir. Dr. Tan Inn Shi and Ir. Rusnida Talib

Incoming 38th IEM President Ir. Yau Chau Fong

Secretariat Nurul Aida helping the President to wear the chain

Presidential Address

Prior to announcement of IEM Council Election 2026-2028 results 

Attendance at CNY Open House at Fern Lodge on March 1, 2026

My wife Soh Ai and I were invited to attend the CNY Open House of her 6^th uncle Choo Seng Hock and wife Stephanie at Fern Lodge, Taman Tan Yew Lai, KL on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

We left home at 11.30am and managed to reach our destination at 12.15pm. The Open House reception was scheduled to start at 12.30pm and we were the first guests to arrive.

Other relatives present included: 5^th uncle Choo Seh Eng and wife Doris, 3^rd auntie Choo Ah Nya and hubby Tan Tong Suan, daughter Ling Ling & son-in-law, 4^th auntie Choo Bee Bee, eldest son of late 2^nd auntie Cattle Ooi and 2 sons,  and many others.

My 3^rd son Wai Yu also joined us at about 2.30pm.

We were treated with Thai style buffet food and beverage, and many other cookies. The “Lou Sang” or “tossing for prosperity, health and success “(also in Thai style) was my first in this CNY of the Horse.

I had a good chat with the two uncles and Cattle.

Soh Ai and I left at 5.20pm and reached home at 6.30pm.

Arrival at Fern Lodge 

Pic from right: Choo Bee Bee and Choo Ah Nya

 

Short clip of Lou Sang

A pose with Choo Seh Eng (朱世荣)

A pose with Choo Seng Hock (朱成福)

The Invitation

A Brief Account of CNY2026 Celebration at Rantau Panjang, Perak in February, 2026

My wife Soh Ai returned early to her hometown at Rantau Panjang, Perak with her youngest brother Sze Teong and wife Kitty Wan on Thu., 12/02/2026 to celebrate CNY2026.

I left home to Rantau Panjang with my 3 sons Wai Kit, Wai Yu and Wai Kei (2nd son Wai Jen is still in Japan) at 1.00pm on Mon., 16/02/2026.  Wai Kit drove us with his Tesla EV.

Traffic along N-S Highway was a bit heavy from KL to Tapah and better thereafter. We stopped by R&R Tapah Northbound for EV charging. It rained quite heavily as we reached Taiping at about 6.00pm for dinner.  The food court we found from Googling was closed upon arrival and we had to settle at a nearby Restoran Nasi Kandar.  We reached Rantau Panjang enroute Batu Kurau at about 8.30pm.

On CNY Day 1 (Tue., 17/02/2026), Soh Ai’s 3rd uncle (aged 91) from Kulim, Kedah came with his daughter Phaik Yee from UK, son Andrew and family members to visit his younger sister, Ah Ma (lit. “Granny” in Hokkien) i.e. my mother-in-law (aged 88). I had a long and good chat with uncle.

A pose with Soh Ai's 3rd uncle 朱世南

A group photo with our visitors

3rd uncle with his younger sister 

On CNY Day 2 (Wed., 18/02/2026), Soh Ai’s eldest sister Sock Kim, hubby Chooi KH and their two daughters Ji-Ni (with hubby Allen and 3-yo son Rhys, from Perth, Australia) and Ji-An (with hubby Reuben and 4-yo daughter Aria), Soh Ai’s sister-in-law Yen Li and children XinYi, LeYi and Jia Wei came from Bukit Mertajam for reunion dinner. Somehow her brother Sze Hean was absent for unknown reason.

After buffet dinner, we had a group photo followed by Ah Ma taking photos respectively with her children, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great grandchildren. It was a memorable and pleasant occasion for all present!  

Food for reunion dinner

Group photo of all present

Ah Ma with her three children

Ah Ma with her two daughters-in-law

Ah Ma with her eldest son's family

Ah Ma with her grandchildren

Ah Ma with her two great grandchildren

On CNY Day 3 (Thu., 19/02/2026), we departed from Rantau Panjang at 8.45am and had breakfast at Selama town before leaving for KL.

The returning journey was quite smooth along the N-S Highway and we reached home at 3.00pm, concluding our memorable CNY2026 trip to Rantau Panjang.

Supermarket at Selama town closed for good

Breakfast at Selama town

Shell Petrol Station at Tapah Southbound for EV charging