Speech By Minister of Tourism And Culture Malaysia At The Extravaganza Nite of Awards And Celebrations, The Global Malayalee 2015
SPEECH BYYB. DATO' SERI MOHAMED NAZRI ABDUL AZIZ
Minister of Tourism And Culture Malaysia
At The
Extravaganza Nite of Awards And Celebrations
The Global Malayalee 2015
Mahkota Ballroom, Istana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
28 November 2015 (Saturday), 8.00 pm
(Final salutations to be provided by organising secretariat)
His Excellency TS Tirumurti
High Commissioner of India to Malaysia
Yang Berbahagia Datuk Suseela Menon
President of the All Malaysia Malayalee Association (AMMA)
Mr Girish Ramachandran
President of AMMA Foundation
Tan Sri Datuk Ravindran Menon
Immediate Past President & Adviser to AMMA and also TGM'15 Adviser
Tan Sri, Dato',
Esteemed members from the Malayalam arts industry
Members of the media,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Namaskaaram. Swaagadham (means greetings, welcome) and Salam 1Malaysia.
1. I would like to express sincere apologies from the Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato' Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak for not being able to attend this event today. YAB Dato' Seri Mohd Najib conveyed his warms regards and best wishes to all of you present today. I shall now read his speech.
2. It gives me great pleasure to bid all of you a warm welcome or "Selamat Datang" to the Global Malayalee 2015 or TGM and to Malaysia "Truly Asia"ÂÂ. I am pleased and honoured to be invited to this significant event which will indeed play a major role in boosting tourism industry in Malaysia.
Ladies and gentlemen,
3. I am delighted that the All Malaysia Malayalee Association or AMMA chose to hold this three-day event in Kuala Lumpur. I understand that many of you have come from different countries and I hope you will enjoy not only this event but also the variety of attractions that Malaysia has to offer to our guests.
4. Malaysia and the Republic of India have shared long existing ties, bound by friendship and rich histories. In enhancing rapport to gain a better understanding of cultures between both the Republic of India and Malaysia, this evening's programme will undoubtedly serve as a connecting bridge for both nations.
5. In fact, India is one of the top ten tourist markets for Malaysia with a total of 770,108 tourists recorded in 2014. This is a significant increase of 18.3% compared to 2013. Our country has been their choice for leisure and shopping, corporate meetings, incentive trips, filming movies and weddings.
6. Earlier this year, I have also launched the Malaysia Year of Festivals of MyFEST 2015 campaign in Mumbai and Chennai which was held in conjunction with our Sales Mission to India from 9 to 17 February 2015 which covered five cities namely New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad.
7. Recognizing India as a strong component of our local business and tourism, Malaysia has supported and witnessed various Indian concerts, events and awards over the past few years, the most recent being the IIFA Awards.
8. Today's event is a showcase of the richness and beauty of Malayalee culture and arts. India is a very beautiful country and the state of Kerala, also known as "Gods own country" is famous for its closeness to nature and its highly-educated people.
9. Hosting the TGM truly represents the country's competence and expertise to hold globally-acclaimed events to cater to the region. Amidst this, I hope TGM gave you the opportunity to explore our dazzling Kuala Lumpur, which offers magnificent skyscrapers, shopping deals, popular attractions and, most importantly, our eclectic street foods.
Ladies and gentlemen,
10. I have been introduced to AMMA and AMMA Foundation since 2010 when the Honourable Prime Minister Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak officiated a luncheon organised by AMMA.
11. With around 400,000 Malayalees in Malaysia, AMMA has been around for over 40 years and together with its affiliates all over the country, did numerous social activities not only for the Malayalee community but all Malaysians.
12. Its education arm, AMMA Foundation, provides financial and other assistance towards educating underprivileged children. I must say I am indeed impressed with the AMMA committee members for volunteering their precious time to continue the legacy of their forefathers.
13. This first-of-its-kind event comprising a Symposium, Awards Gala Dinner and authentic Kerala Sadhya will indeed be an example for other communities to organise such events.
Ladies and gentlemen,
14. I am truly delighted to be able to meet so many great Malayalees in one room, and I am proud that Malaysia is hosting the inaugural TGM event. I do hope that that there will be many more to come in the future.
15. I wish to congratulate all recipients of the prestigious Global Achievement Awards and also all our Malaysian artistes and artistes from Kerala for supporting this event.
16. Lastly, I would like to congratulate Datuk Suseela Menon and Mr Girish Ramachandran together with the TGM Committee for putting up a spectacular event. I can imagine the hard work that must have gone into organising an event of this magnitude.
17. To all of our international guests, it is my ardent hope that you will bring home pleasant memories of your stay in Malaysia.
18. I wish you all a great evening and hope everyone will enjoy the show.
Nhanhi, namaskaram (means thanks and greetings).
Thank you. Terima kasih.
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