Attendance of IEM 59th Annual Dinner 2018

On Saturday, 21^st April, 2018, I attended the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM)’s 59^th Annual Dinner & Awards Night 2018 at the Grand Lagoon Ballroom, Sunway Resort hotel & Spa, Bandar Sunway.  As the secretary of the institution’s Standing Committee on Information & Publication (InfoPub), I didn’t have to pay for the seat (a table was understood to cost RM 4,000).

I left home at 6.00pm and reached Sunway Resort Hotel before 7.00pm.  Cocktail and pre-dinner drink reception was served since 7.00pm before all guests were to be seated at 8.00pm.

I was seated together with members of my InfoPub committee, viz. Ir. Chin Mee Poon, Ir. Dr. Oh Seong Por and Ir. Ong Guan Hock.  There were three other young engineers (understood to be Council Members) at our table, and hence 3 empty seats.

The new President of IEM for the Session 2018/2019 is Ir. David Lai Kong Phooi..  He was the Vice Chairman of the InfoPub Standing Committee for the Session 2012/13 and subsequently the Chairman of this Standing Committee for the Session 2013/14.  He delivered his Welcome Address at about 9.00pm

The Guest of Honour was the Minister of International Trade & Industry Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed but he was busy in election campaign and sent his ministry’s Director-general to represent him.

The dinner commenced at 8.30pm and menu was Asian combination platter comprising: 

Dish # 1: Chilled smoked duck breast with tomato salsa, Thai style chilled cooked baby, scallop with apple and guava, milky chicken dumpling and long prawn spring roll;

Dish # 2: Braised shunde seafood soup;

Dish # 3: Boneless chicken with Mongolian sauce topped with Dhall chips;

Dish # 4: “Yong Zhou” fried rice with silver anchovies (didn’t understand why this normally last dish of Chinese wedding receptions came so earlier?);

Dish # 5: Steamed whole pompano fish with fresh ginger and soya sauce;

Dish # 6: Deep fried tiger prawn with oriental spicy sauce;

Dish # 7: Braised baby abalone with golden money bag in oyster sauce; and

Dish # 8: Chilled lemongrass jelly with hone y sea coconut and malva seeds.

I found the food only so-so.  The live band singing during the dinner was very noisy and we had to yell to chit-chat with one another.

Before the end of the dinner, there was a lucky draw session of only 3 prizes (2 no. mobile phones and 1 no. i-Pad).  The dinner ended at about 11.10pm.

Thinking there would be discount for car-parking for guests, we paid a flat rate of RM 7 near the lobby lift before proceeding to the car parks.  It turned out the normal parking rates for Saturday and Sunday are RM 3 for the first 2 hours and RM 1 for each subsequent hour.  In my case, the most I should pay for 5-hour parking is only RM 6, i.e. RM 1 cheaper than paying for the flat rate.  There was a feeling of being cheated by the organizer.

I returned home slightly past 12.00am midnight.

Pic from right: Ir. Dr. Oh SP, Ir Chin MP, Ir. Mohd Khir Muhd (formerly Buletin Editor and newly elected IEM Hon. Sec.), the blogger

A pose with Ir. Chin Mee :Poon

Lobby of Grand Lagoon Ballroom

A glimpse of the Grand Lagoon Ballroom

Pic from left: Ir. Ong GH, Ir. Dr. Oh, Mr. Chin MP and the blogger

Photo taken by another phone camera

Our former Bulletin Editor Ir. Mohd. Khir  (having dedicatedly served for 4 continuous years) joined us for a group photo

The main table of VVIPs

Sculpture in Sunway Resort Hotel 

Night scene of Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa

(Note: A few group photos are provided by courtesy of Ir. Chin and Dr. Oh)