The gala dinner held on the occasion of WOU’s 4th Anniversary was truly splendid, entertaining and fun. The celebrations at the Gurney Hotel marked exactly four years since the university was officially launched by the then Minister of Higher Education, Dato’ Mustapa Mohamed.
Over 150 staff from the main campus and Penang regional office, as well as RO directors and staff who were in Penang for the two-day ORP meeting, attended the Red Carpet-themed evening.
PROF WONG (CENTRE, STANDING) AND DR SEAH (RIGHT, IN BLUE SHIRT)) RAISE THEIR GLASSES.
Also present were Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Wong Tat Meng and wife Dr Annie Foo; Deputy Vice Chancellor (SPACE) U K Menon, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Operations) Dr Seah Soo Aun, and Assistant Vice Chancellor (Academic Support) Prof Dato’ Dick Ho.
Distinguished guests included Wawasan Education Foundation (WEF) chairman Dato’ Seri Stephen Yeap and wife Datin Seri Irene Yeap, Puan Sri Sue Dhanarajan, WEF director and CEO of Heng Lee Group Loo Choo Teng and wife Peggy, and Heng Lee company secretary Yip Mun Leng.
In true style and flair, ladies came in their stunning, resplendent dresses and evening gowns while the men looked equally good in suits and batik attire.
The night started with a bang as the organising committee from the Staff Recreational Club and Corporate Communications opened with an entrance dance to the song ‘Forever’ by Chris Brown.
DATO’ SERI STEPHEN YEAP.
Prof Wong took a moment in his speech to commend staff who received their well-deserved promotions this year. He concluded by leading everyone in a toast to the success of WOU. Prof Wong also contributed six bottles of wine which were given away in a table lucky draw.
Dato’ Seri Stephen Yeap, in his speech, called on staff to work together towards improving the university’s recruitment numbers.
As guests began to tuck into their 8-course Chinese dinner, singer Ray Rozells and his band, the Jazzhats, kept the atmosphere lively with upbeat numbers and evergreen favourites, getting the crowd on the dance floor in no time.
It wasn’t long before the Fashion Pageant commenced, with each department represented by ladies and gentlemen dressed in dazzling outfits and stylish ensembles. It was fun to watch the participants parade their costumes on stage, to whistles and applause from the audience who were judges for the night.
Crowd favourite Trinnie Chandran (HR) was crowned the winner, while Shangetha Silvamony (SBA) and June Cheah (Registry) were voted first runner-up and second runner-up respectively.
In the karaoke competition, Raja Halim (GSA), emcee for the night, started the ball rolling by flawlessly singing a Hokkien number. Seven other participants took part, belting out various English, Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia songs much to the delight of the listeners who even presented them with flowers on stage.
Samuel Low (Marketing) emerged the singing champion, with Lim Yao-han (Corporate Comms) second and Ishan Abeywardena (SST) coming in third.
The lucky draws featuring more than 60 prizes throughout the night clearly kept the crowd on the edge. Among the prizes were buffet and travel vouchers, electrical appliances, printers, and an iPad!
PROF WONG PRESENTS THE PRIZE TO TRINNIE.
A speechless Trinnie could not believe it when her number was called for the third prize featuring a Philips sound system. Teoh Soo Ling (Comms) was the winner of a 32-inch Samsung LCD television, while the grand prize, an iPad, went to Manpreet Kaur (Registry).
Everyone gave their thumb of approval for the truly entertaining night that ended close to midnight.
