It was a rocking Australia Day 2014 reception!
The Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur celebrated Australia Day on 22 January, ahead of the official date on 26 January with a grand reception at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Acting Australian High Commissioner, Mrs Jane Duke, hosted this year’s reception following the completion of His Excellency Mr Miles Kupa’s term as High Commissioner to Malaysia.
The guest of honour was Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water, Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili, who represented the Malaysian Government. Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Ongkili shares a strong connection with Australia as a former Colombo Scholar and alumni of La Trobe University.
The event was the Australian High Commission’s largest Australia Day event to date, with more than a thousand guests present. It was attended by distinguished Malaysian guests from a range of sectors including government, politics, business, education, arts, defence, security, as well as the diplomatic corps and members of the Australian community residing in Malaysia.
This year’s event was themed Australia Rocks! and celebrated Australia’s stunning landscapes, excellence in the arts, culture and entertainment. The reception also showcased the best produce that Australia has to offer, with guests enjoying a range of fine Australian meats, seafood, wine, cheeses, fruits and desserts.
Renowned Malaysian singer and alumni of University of New South Wales, Ida Mariana, sang the national anthems of Malaysia and Australia during the formal ceremony. Ms Mariana also performed an opening song, I Still Call Australia Home, as guests entered the grand ballroom.
Mrs Duke said: “Australia has particularly substantial and long-standing historical ties with Malaysia. Every year, we become more interconnected, our people-to-people links deepen and the bilateral relationship grows from strength-to-strength.
“In fields as diverse as trade, education, defence, border protection, law enforcement, the arts and culture, and many others, Australia and Malaysia share extensive cooperation. We look forward to developing even closer ties in the years to come,” she added.
Mrs Duke was pleased with the excellent turnout of guests and expressed her thanks to everyone present for their assistance and contribution in advancing the relation of Australia and Malaysia.
The Australian High Commission extends its thanks to sponsors for the Australia Day 2014 reception including Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Meat & Livestock Australia, Boh Plantations Sdn Bhd, Nerada Tea, Southern Rock Seafood Sdn Bhd, Curtin University Sarawak Malaysia, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Monash University Malaysia, AmBank Group, Toll Group, Lynas Corporation, Blackmores (M) Sdn Bhd, Leighton Contractors (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Victorian State Government and Lend Lease Corporation.
