Speech For Minister of Tourism and Culture At The Tourism and Culture Gala Night: Watch And Jewellery Of The Year Awards Presentation
SPEECH FORYB DATO' SERI MOHAMED NAZRI BIN ABDUL AZIZ
Minister of Tourism and Culture
At The Tourism and Culture Gala Night: Watch And Jewellery Of The Year Awards Presentation
Mayang Sari Ballroom,
JW Marriot Kuala Lumpur
27 November 2015 (Friday), 7.00 pm
(LIST OF SALUTATIONS TO BE PROVIDED BY ORGANIZING SECRETARIAT)
Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato' Dr. Francis Yeoh,
Group Managing Director of YTL Corporation,
Yang Berbahagia Dato' Yeoh Seok Kian,
Deputy Managing Director of YTL Corporation Berhad.
Yang Berbahagia Dato' Yeoh Soo Min,
Executive Director of YTL Corporation Berhad.
Mr. Joseph Yeoh,
Vice President of YTL Land and Development and YTL Hotels and Properties.
Respected officials and representatives of participating watch, jewellery and fashion brands of A Journey Through Time,
Esteemed members of the media,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Salam Sejahtera and Salam 1Malaysia.
1. A very good evening and welcome to the significant Tourism and Culture Gala Night: Watch and Jewellery of the Year Awards Presentation, the grand finale to this amazing and eye-opening days of A Journey Through Time IX.
2. Tonight we are gathered here to celebrate the appreciation of skilled craftsmanship and stunning designs, in both timepieces and jewelleries. Also, tonight we shall proudly witness the award 2015's best of the best, in watch and jewellery.
3. The Ministry of Tourism And Culture Malaysia (MOTAC) has always been supportive of Starhill Gallery's A Journey Through Time ever since its inception nine years ago.
4. MOTAC has seen it grow both in scale and reception each year. Now in its ninth year, we remain strong in support for the grand endeavour that Starhill Gallery has put in to organize such a prestigious event that is both revered and anticipated by all watch and jewellery aficionados in Asia.
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentleman,
5. With the year almost coming to another end, I am pleased to say that 2015 has been another amazing year for Malaysia and in particular the tourism and culture sectors. This year, Malaysia has yet again successfully hosted a calendarfull of festivals of every genre; from cultural to state events, from entertainment to shopping extravaganzas, various fun-filled activities that catered to the interests of various categories of holidaymakers.
6. Undoubtedly Starhill Gallery's A Journey Through Time has been one of the main year-end finale event in Tourism Malaysia's calendar.
7. I am pleased to know that this year, A Journey Through Time has evolved itself to become more inclusive by widening its target audience and reaching out to younger consumers. It has included experiences that would appeal not only to seasoned collectors and watch and jewellery aficionados but also to beginners or those who are curious and wish to get to know the beautiful world of watch and jewellery.
8. I am also happy to note that this event has again brought exclusive and unique experiences to Malaysia such as the exclusive collaboration with iconic designer Julien Macdonald and worldwide-first Julien Macdonald Retrospective exhibition, the first-in-Malaysia Omega showcase of limited edition James Bond collection and talks by renowned watch experts, specially-curated cuisines and others.
9. I believe that many of these visitors to this event will also take time to enjoy the unique experiences in travel, dining, culture, leisure and shopping that 1Malaysia Truly Asia has to offer. This is in line with affordable luxury shopping as one of the five focus themes under the Tourism Transformation Programme to achieve the country's tourism targets of 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion receipts by 2020.
10. Truly, beyond being just a showcase of luxurious brands and high-end names, A Journey Through Time opens the eyes and minds of the people on the dedication and appreciation of skilled craftsmanship and cherished work of art. This is indeed priceless.
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
11. This evening, apart from celebrating the finale to another successful A Journey Through Time, we are here to witness the announcement for the winners of Starhill Gallery's Watch and Jewellery of the Year Awards 2015.
12. The list of nominated brands is impressive, and so are their pieces. It will be hard to choose a winner. At this juncture, I wish to congratulate all those who have been nominated as their work is exquisite and indeed are all winners in their own right.
Ladies and gentleman,
13. The Ministry of Tourism And Culture Malaysia (MOTAC) is proud to be apart of A Journey Through Time this year and we look forward to years of successful smart-partnership with YTL Group and Starhill Gallery.
14. I would also urge other corporate players and stakeholders in the retail and tourism sectors to emulate YTL's initiatives in contributing to the socio-economic development of the country and promote Malaysia as one of the top travel destination for international travellers.
On that note, I wish everyone an enjoyable evening.
Thank you / terima kasih.
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