KUALA LUMPUR, 6th August 2017: HISTORY Con 2017, the first-ever mega entertainment convention in Malaysia saw popular HISTORY® and LIFETIME® celebrities such as “Horny” Mike Henry (Counting Cars), Jaime Dempsey (Ride N’ Seek), Justin Mott (Photo Face-off), iconic comedian Harith Iskander (Celebrity Car Wars), Matt Preston (MasterChef Australia judge), and Malaysia’s favourite chef, Jasbir Kaur (MasterChef Asia finalist) gather once more at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) for the official closing ceremony on 6th August. The stunning mega finale showcase was closed by Deputy Managing Director of A+E Networks Asia Pacific, Prem Kamath.
Precluding the official closing ceremony, as part of HISTORY’s 10th anniversary celebration in Asia, 10 Malaysian luminaries were honoured for their significant contributions to the nation’s life and culture with the inaugural HISTORY Maker Awards. Guest-of-honour and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Y.B. Dato’ Nogeh Gumbek officiated the award ceremony with the stellar attendance of the awardees, namely Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid (better known as Lat), Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Khoo Kay Kim, Cheah Soon Kit, Karamjit Singh, and more.* Refer to HISTORY Maker Award Recipients factsheet for full details.
“HISTORY Con 2017 received overwhelming response from visitors of all ages,” said Prem Kamath, Deputy Managing Director of A+E Networks Asia Pacific. “It has been a great success in bringing Malaysians together for an enriching experience that celebrates the past, present and future.”
Malaysia’s first-ever HISTORY Con, which housed a host of exhibitions and activities for all ages and interests, from automotive fans and aspiring chefs to history buffs and sports enthusiasts, saw thousands thronging to see their favourite HISTORY® and LIFETIME® celebrities, or event try their skill against Malaysian badminton legends Hafiz Hashim and Cheah Soon Kit, including riding as passengers of accomplished rally driver Karamjit Singh.
Over the course of three days, visitors availed themselves of five unique zones including a range of outdoor activities. The Motoring Zone encompassed both classic cars and motorbikes, including “live” airbrushing demos, while the Games Zone attracted scores of football fans with its FIFA 2017 Borneo E-Arena Qualifier 2 and Mini Escape Room.
The Malaysian History Zone with its interactive exhibition from the National Museum and nostalgic display from POS Malaysia was further livened up with a blast from the far past in the form of life-sized dinosaurs, and national pride ran high in the Sports Zone with badminton tournaments and a special exhibition from the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Last but least, the exclusive LIFETIME® Experience Zone captivated visitors with cooking demonstrations, free screenings of LIFETIME® Original Movies, and free photography at the unique light graffiti photo booth.
HISTORY® is available on ASTRO 555 and 575 in HD; for more information about HISTORY®, visit www.historyasia.com.
RECIPIENTS – BIOGRAPHIES
EMERITUS PROFESSOR TAN SRI DATO’ DR. KHOO KAY KIM
National Historian; Helped to formulate the Rukunegara
Widely regarded as the country’s National Historian, Tan Sri has dedicated his life to studying, researching, preserving and glorifying the history of our nation. A formative figure in the field of Malaysian history, his seminal work has shaped the post-independence study of history in modern Malaysia.
He was among those instrumental in the formulation of the Rukunegara (National Principles) following the aftermath of the 1969 race riots, to promote unity and harmony among races.
Serving for over fifty years at the Department of History, University of Malaya, he has authored countless works in English and Malay and is currently Emeritus Professor in the History Department of the University of Malaya. As a well-respected scholar in Malaysia, his views on national issues are often sought for and heard by the government.
DATIN PADUKA MARINA MAHATHIR
Social Activist
Datin Paduka is a distinguished social and political author and activist. In her long-running column Musings in The Star, as well as on social media platforms, she regularly addresses issues regarding Islam, HIV/AIDS, gender and women’s rights.
She was President of the Malaysian AIDS Council for 12 years and on the Board of Sisters in Islam from 2010-2016, where she continues to serve as chair of the Finance and Fundraising Committee.
In 2010, she was named the UN Person of the Year by the United Nations in Malaysia for her regional and international involvement in HIV/AIDs and gender empowerment. For her work on human rights issues, she was bestowed the highest French honour, the Chevalier de Legion d’Honneur in 2016.
She continues to advocate for education and empowerment, especially for young women, through various channels such as Zafigo.com for women travellers in Asia and the Middle East, and Feefo.TV, a digital TV channel with content focussing on women’s rights.
DATUK MOHAMMAD NOR KHALID
Iconic Malaysian Artist
Better known by his professional name, Lat, Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid is a household name whose works reflect the realities of Malaysian life and the world beyond, appearing in national newspapers such as New Straits Times and Berita Minggu; his series in the New Straits Times ran for 40 years! His deft comedic touch on everything from kampong life to Malaysia’s social and political scenes, and poetic attention to small details in everyday life, has endeared him to readers in Malaysia and across the globe.
He was awarded the title of Datuk by the former Sultan of Perak, who recognized the value of his unbiased and honest portrayals in promoting social harmony and understanding. He is also a recipient of the Fukuoka Prize in Arts and Culture for capturing and preserving a unique part of Asia’s culture.
Today, young Malaysians know him through the animated series Kampong Boy, based on his book of the same name, first published in 1979. This nostalgic work has been translated into more than 10 languages worldwide.
CHEAH SOON KIT
National Coach for Badminton Doubles; former national badminton doubles player; Olympic medalist
A former national badminton doubles player, Cheah Soon Kit has never strayed far from the court. He is best known for winning the 1992 Thomas Cup (with doubles partner Soo Beng Kiang) and receiving the silver medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics (with doubles partner Yap Kim Hock). Cheah also made it to the 1993 and 1997 World Championships, partnered with Soo Beng Kiang and Yap Kim Hock, respectively.
Cheah retired after the 2000 Sydney Olympics but was recruited in 2002 to coach the women’s doubles team, Chin Eei Hui and Wong Pei Thy. Under his guidance, they achieved remarkable results, winning the 2005 Manila SEA Games and 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. The pair also qualified for the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and reached a career high of being ranked No. 1 in the world.
In 2015, he returned to serve as the men’s doubles back-up coach, helping to guide Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani to the finals of the Malaysian Masters badminton championships earlier this year.
Now, newly-appointed as National Head Coach for Men’s Doubles, Cheah has pledged to groom Malaysia’s talents, setting his eyes set on the 2018 Thomas Cup.
KARAMJIT SINGH
Malaysian National Rally Champion
Affectionately known as the ‘Flying Sikh’, Karamjit Singh made his rally debut in 1986 at the Castrol Rally in Malaysia. He subsequently joined the Petronas Racing Team, opening up more opportunities to showcase his skill.
He has represented Malaysia in the world of rally racing for over two decades, winning the Malaysian National Rally Championship a record 12 times as well as the 2001 Asia Pacific Rally Championship for Drivers, and the 2002 and 2004 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship for Drivers.
In 2002, he became the first Asian driver to win the FIA Production Car World Championship for Drivers on his first attempt, earning him the well-deserved title Malaysian Sportsman of the year.
Y.B. DATO’ SRI DATO’ RICHARD KOH
Founder, Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer of Only World Group Holdings Berhad (OWG)
Known as the ‘King of Malaysian Theme Parks’, his many years of expertise makes him a sought-after consultant throughout the region.
Since his humble beginnings in 1973, when he founded a specialist contractor business focussing on designing and building theme parks, Dato’ Sri Richard Koh has soared to new levels. His most recent accomplishment is Penang’s largest indoor theme park located at the iconic KOMTAR in Penang. Known as The Top, it features a Rainbow Skywalk on the rooftop – the first such feature in the world – and an Observatory Deck on level 65 offering a 360-degree panoramic view of the Penang skyline in addition to its indoor rides and attractions.
Founder of the Malaysian Association of Amusement Themepark & Family Attractions (MAATFA), he also served as President for 10 years before being appointed Honorary Advisor of MAATFA. A member of the ASEAN Advisory of The International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions (IAAPA) since 1978, he was also part of the board of directors of IAAPA from 2013 to 2016.
Armed with an unflinching desire and passion to succeed in his field of choice, Dato’ Sri Richard Koh continues to chart new territories, aiming to take the leisure industry to world class standards in experience and expectation, and to the highest levels in the entertainment world.
JOEL NEOH
Founder, Fave Group
Joel Neoh is one of Asia’s most recognised and successful young entrepreneurs and the Founder of Fave, an Online-to-Offline (O2O) local commerce platform. Under his leadership, Fave has grown to be one of the top mobile commerce platforms in Southeast Asia; and he has also acquired the Groupon businesses in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
As a Kuala Lumpur native, Joel was one of the initial founders of the Groupon businesses in Asia, and headed up the Asia Pacific region for 4 years. He played an instrumental role in establishing the high-growth business model that propelled Groupon into a multi billion dollar business, with thousands of employees spanning 12 countries.
Joel firmly believes in the importance of creating a world-class work culture to inspire employees. Under his leadership, his companies have been listed amongst WorldBlu’s Most Democratic Workplaces.
Joel has co-founded several successful companies including social news platform Says.com, and invested in a string of technology venture capital funds and startups across Asia. In 2013, Says.com merged with Catcha Media and the company was rebranded as REV Asia. REV Asia was recently acquired by Media Prima for over RM100mil.
Joel has received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
FAYE JONG SOW FEI
Aspiring Scientist; winner of the 2014 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
Not many 17-year-olds have an asteroid named after them, but Faye is one such individual. She earned this privilege after winning the top prize at the 2014 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), beating over 1700 other entries from 70 countries with her environmental management project using bio-waste to create organic cloth and fabric dyes.
In 2014, she also won the PZU Foundation Award from the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) held in Warsaw, Poland. The following year, she delivered the keynote address at the 30th Shanghai Adolescents’ Science and Innovation Contest and was invited to speak at TEDxYouth@KL 2015, the youngest presenter at the event!
JOYCELYN LEE AND ANDREA TAN
Founders of Pit Stop Community Café
An experienced journalist and public relations practitioner, Joycelyn Lee had served as Country Head of international PR firms Burson-Marsteller and acting General Manager of Fleishman Hillard, before embarking on a new phase, dedicated to serving others.
Andrea Tan, a graduate in economics, had years of experience in journalism, with in-depth knowledge in information technology before moving to become a media analyst.
Together, they set up Pit Stop Community Café as a social enterprise, serving as a hub and experiential centre for volunteers while reaching out to marginalised communities and minimising food waste. They serve affordable lunches by day and run a pay-as-you-can dinner service six days a week. They also run several programmes including a Culinary Arts Training Programme for Underprivileged Youth, on-the-job training programmes, job registrations and placements, as well as an ongoing Food Rescue programme.
