Welcome the year 2020 with a celebration meal at Maple Palace
The flair that truly put Maple Palace on the world map of Asian delicacies are found in its ability to serve an intricate recipe using fish maw. A signature and traditional dish in Chinese cuisine, it warrants hyperbolic merits for its distinctive aromas known to have been passed on from generations ending with eastern dynasties centuries before. Its ingredients may still mystify the modern tasters of today.
Fish Maw Soup with Crab Meat & Dry Scallop
This mouth-watering dish wraps the most festive of sea delicacies, the abalone, matched with the buttery meat of the Grouper – are much tastier than the title suggests. The trick may well be the sauce, or gravy, which is prepared to dress this match made in heaven. Extracted from the essence of stewed abalones, the sauce blends fermented beans, fresh eastern condiments and sweet baby bakchoy converging and heightening its flavors just from steaming these beautiful ingredients together. If you are hungry, indulge it with a bowl of piping hot rice.
Steamed Estuary Grouper with Fresh Abalone
Rice cooked to perfection using claypots, fired up with intense heat from charcoal, are found to taste simply glorious. A method that continues to be many’s favorite, today, its supporting ingredient play an equally important role; the demands in its precision as a soulfully satisfying dish. Paired with juicy stewed mushrooms and sweetness from the Chinese sausages, it’s a heartening dish that stirs the soul for all things wistful and good.
Dato’ Mark Yeoh Director of YTL Hotels and Resorts
Good hotels are everywhere. The edge is always customer service. You can have gold taps and diamond chandeliers. At the end, what matters in hospitality is always the service.
Scion of the formidable YTL empire, Dato’ Mark Yeoh is the youngest son of the late Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay, a billionaire and philanthropist who founded YTL Corporation. Executive director of YTL Hotels and Resorts, Dato’ Mark Yeoh is also part of YTL Power International’s mergers and acquisitions team involved in the acquisition of ElectraNet SA (Australia), Wessex Water Limited (UK), PT Jawa Power (Indonesia) and PowerSeraya Limited (Singapore).
Born in Klang, young Yeoh grew up in Kuala Selangor with his early education at Pasar Road School before attending Victoria Institution. Completing his A Levels at Brighton College UK, he went on to read law at King’s College London and passed the bar exams at Grace Inn. “I was the only son who was not gainfully employed at that time, therefore was summoned back to help the family. I started the hotel business without knowing a single thing.”
At his first ITB Berlin, the world’s largest tourism trade fair in 1988, Malaysia was unheard of and often confused with Malawi. Dato’ Yeoh took steps to place Malaysia on the map with the help of the Ministry of Tourism which launched many projects to promote Malaysia. Three decades and many welcoming slogans later, YTL Hotels and Malaysia finally established a respectable position on the world tourism barometer. “Competition is very tough now. Vietnam which never used to be a market is now an aggressive player. My first trip to Maldives, there were hardly any resorts, and I still remember the pillows made from coconut husks.”
There is a secret formula that holds YTL Hotels in good stead. “Our tagline ‘treasured moments, treasured places’ means that we are the purveyors of dreams and fantasies. We have every moment count. That’s the mantra we’ve been driving into our staff. Our hotels’ high occupancy rates reflect the popularity of our properties and our abilities to fulfil guests’ wishes.”
Hotel business is like fashion, there is no cookie cutter approach. You need to reinvest and reimage every seven years, to stay relevant and profitable.
For someone who started with not knowing a single thing in the hospitality industry, Dato’ Yeoh certainly has been put through the wringer. Yet he emerged an effective and revered leader and entrepreneur. “We call our staff stars. In most leadership structures the boss is the head of the pyramid. Ours is a reverse pyramid. I’m the most unimportant person in the company because I don’t see the customers. The moment my team wear the uniform when they start work, they are on parade. The show starts and they must smile, greet, be courteous. The challenge is to produce stars who understand our philosophies. That’s why we have the YTL International College of Hotel Management where we invest in training and hotel development programmes. Youth is the future of our business.”
With properties in Asia and UK, Dato’ Yeoh’s brand of management is holistic and immersive. “Working with partners like The Marriot and Hilton allows us to be more focussed, where we can dissect and segmentise our areas of expertise. The universal distribution system in the world is such that the big will get bigger so it’s good to have partnerships with these giants.”
Dato’ Yeoh’s superpowers in the hospitality realm are evident in some of his latest triumphs. One of them the Monkey Island Estate, a centuries-old retreat in Bray-on-Thames, Berkshire that nestles on an island in the River Thames; The Academy, London is a charming collection of five restored Georgian townhouses centrally located in London’s West End and finally the Higashiyama Niseko Village will be opening in December 2020, channelling unparalleled luxury to Japanese skiing in a hand-selected hideaway destination.
“Change is like the wind and there’s no stopping it. Therefore, it’s imperative that we continuously evolve for the better.”
Humility is important for all of us, and more so for people who are successful and highly revered.
The belief that once you’ve achieved everything (or most things) you’ve strived for, you’ve lived and learned life. But that’s quite the opposite for Quill Group’s new Chief Executive Officer, Koong Wai Seng because he never stops learning and doesn’t limit himself to only what he’s good at.
“Regardless of your position or level in your company, I believe that you shouldn’t stick to what you know, rather, explore what you don’t know. If you only practice within your expertise, you’ll never expand your knowledge. Continue to learn, because the more you learn and immerse yourself in the areas outside of your abilities and skills, the more you’ll grow,” explained Koong.
Perhaps, that’s the “secret” to his success with an impressive accolade of more than 20 years of experience in a variety of industries including audit, financial advisory, leisure, hospitality, healthcare, property development and property investment in a number of listed property development companies.
He is a member of the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA). Koong started his career at Arthur Andersen & Co before joining a public-listed property group for 13 years, where he served as chief financial officer and later as the group finance director. He was also the executive director of Sunway Group and Tropicana before assuming his position in Sunsuria in 2016 and moving to his most recent at Quill.
But he doesn’t boast about these C-Suite positions, rather, he would prefer to be known as a Change Leader because “Change is like the wind and there’s no stopping it. Therefore, it’s imperative that we continuously evolve for the better,” he said, adding that this is the core of his management philosophy.
According to Koong, part of growing and becoming a good leader is being curious, or in local layman’s term, a “busy body”.
“I make myself participate in various departmental meetings like marketing, finance, HR and logistics as it helps me to acquire knowledge of the company’s operations in its entirety.
Part of all this is also to be present and be part of your team regardless of their positions – talk to them, take them out for lunch or coffee and really get to know them. It builds meaningful relationships and trust.”
Koong made it all by merit and hard work as he was born in a low-income family where his mother would sell fruits by the roadside to support the family.
“Regardless of your position or level in your company, I believe that you shouldn’t stick to what you know, rather, explore what you don’t know. If you only practice within your expertise, you’ll never expand your knowledge…”
“I studied very hard and always set high standards for myself. I met my wife (then girlfriend) and we now have three boys,” he said.
Koong will be 62 in 10 years but he is not aiming to retire by then. In fact, he wants to be more involved with his work on a deeper level taking on a more philanthropic mission so that he can leave a legacy for his kids.
“For the new generation who want to be successful, it’s imperative that you associate yourself with high achievers because birds of a feather flock together – you will all lift each other up to reach your milestones sooner, so that you can achieve financial freedom earlier.”
Dr Hayden Pooke Chief Executive Officer of Tonic Asia Group
My own personal purpose is to be the vessel for transformation, that is the reason I get up in the mornings, to try and make a difference
There is a higher purpose in life and for chiropractor, Dr Hayden Pooke, it is to transform people’s lives and make a difference. Not one to letthe small things irritate him, he believes strongly in being the light that brings changes to people and in any situation. This was translated into his profession of helping his patients gain pain-free lives. “My own personal purpose is to be the vessel for transformation, that is the reason I get up in the mornings, to try and make a difference,” he said.
Ascending Batu Caves Earlier this year with his niece, Alexandra
Having fun in the office with work Colleagues
Hayden playing 1st Team Rugby For his high school, Michaelhouse in South Africa in 1992
Pooke and his wife, Dr Tamara Gien Pooke, came to Malaysia a decade ago when he was headhunted by Tonic Asia Group’s founder, Dato’ Dr Thomas Ong. Ong, who founded Tonic Asia Group in 1997, wanted Pooke to help him transform his clinics and expand throughout Malaysia. South African-born Pooke, had wanted to migrate to Australia when he came to Malaysia. He arrived here in 2009 and is now in the midst of applying for permanent residency here. “My wife and I love it here. There are a lot of opportunities especially to introduce chiropractic and integrative physical medicine in Malaysia,” he said.
The brand, TAGS for Tonic Asia Group, was developed after Pooke joined the company and in a few years, the group has expanded to include 11 centres and two hospitals in Malaysia, including East Malaysia. “It put chiropractic medicine on the map as a serious healthcare provider in Malaysia,” Pooke said. Soon, the TAGS clinics that started out as spine and joint specialist centres, integrated the centres to include physiotherapy. As Pooke puts it, chiropractic and physiotherapy services work hand-in-hand as one deals with the body’s alignment while the other on the core muscles.
The TAGS Spine and Joint Specialists Centres nationwide were proven to be successful with its focus on providing low-risk, healthier and non-invasive care for issues involving the joint and spine. Pooke said they meet their patients’ expectations 90 per cent of the time. “Seeing a chiropractor and being adjusted is not invasive and it facilitates and optimises movements for the patients,” he said. In many cases, he said patients find themselves pain-free after a few sessions at TAGS but stressed that treatment for each individual patient is different as it involves various factors that includes lifestyle, posture and diet.
“Treating Asians are different from caucasians as their physiology makeup are different.”
The recent popularity for chiropractic treatments mean that there is a future in this profession and the International Medical University Malaysia (IMU) is the only university in the country to offer a Chiropractic Bachelor’s Degree. Dr Tamara is a programme director for the degree in IMU and Pooke said this spells a bright future for the industry in Malaysia. He said chiropractic degrees offered by universities outside of Malaysia are focused on treating Westerners so most chiropractors learn how to treat Westerners and not Asians. “Treating Asians are different from caucasians as their physiology makeup are different,” he said. He said chiropractors who graduate from IMU will be trained to treat Malaysians and this will give them the advantage over foreign-trained chiropractors.
When he is not adjusting a patient’s alignment, Pooke is an avid wine collector with a growing collection at home. He also likes to spend his time in the kitchen whipping up creations to entertain his guests, family and friends. “I love to cook, I learnt to cook since I was six years old,” he said. He said his love for cooking has become something that he can use for business networking too where he brings business associates home and treats them to delicious home-cooked meals.
EZ Australia was launched 5 years ago and it was the initial trust and support of the Melburnians that made this magazine where it is today. Hence we have decided to acknowledge the selected few Melburnians that have contributed and shaped this beautiful society as ‘Faces Of Melbourne’.
It was as if the universe conspired to make the CHT Gala Dinner 2019 one of the most celebrated events in Melbourne this season. Held at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, the event saw to the attendance of more than 300 socialites, entrepreneurs, tycoons and the well-heeled, in their finest attire. Designer evening wear, sequins, tuxedos were the order of the night, while some even spotted capes and lacey trains.
Master of ceremonies Ian Goldsmith started the glittering event by introducing the CEO of CHTNetwork Australia Ping Ch’ng who gave an inspiring speech. The audience was also held captive by brother and founder of CHTNetwork Ch’ng Huck Theng who concluded his speech with flair and panache, “Thank you, thank you, thank you, I am Ch’ng Huck Theng.”
Performances by Voci Classiche opera singers Cosimo Ciccone and Rada Tochalna
The evening took on a high note with spell-binding performances by Voci Classiche opera singers Cosimo Ciccone and Rada Tochalna who delivered an unforgettable and moving repertoire that left the audience in awe. Reigning over the runway was the creative and talented international designer KL Ho who recently showcased his collection at the New York Fashion Week. In Melbourne his work is nothing short of spectacular.
Winners of the Best Dressed Awards, Nicole Yap, Penny Sun, Nicole Pugsley, Christina Chia, Mazita, Nicole Chow & Ping
Winners of the Best Dressed Awards, Nicole Yap, Penny Sun, Nicole Pugsley, Christina Chia, Mazita and Nicole Chow, paraded on the runway for all to admire and emulate their ensemble of the evening. Ripples of excitement floated through the glitterati when famous auctioneer Toni El-Helou from Biggin & Scott took the floor to auction off art masterpieces, dinners cooked by celebrity chefs, media and photography services from KMT Events and DLX Creative respectively.
Just when the guests thought things could not get anymore exciting, the latest issue of EZ Australia magazine was unveiled featuring Kim Lowman from Rothelowman Architects on the cover. This was followed by a rousing and boisterous raffle draw offering prizes like air tickets from Odyssey Travel, high tea and hotel accommodation from Sofitel, eight-course degustation meal from Silks at Crown, beautiful songket fabric from the Malaysian Consulate office, electrical goods from Buffalo, wines from Rochford Estate, Royal Selangor pewter, OMI dining vouchers, and beauty treatments from Secret De Beaute.
The exquisite menu for the night was specially designed by celebrity chef Jeffrey Tan (OAM) who paired beautiful wines with Sofitel’s delectable cuisine of salmon, duck, lamb, fine cheeses, pastries and desserts.
Finally, when the curtains closed, a great night was declared by all, with many exchanging contacts and promises to keep in touch, venturing into new social and business partnerships.
The 5th edition of the fashion week, which took place at Gurney Paragon Mall from 3rd to 5th May 2019, launched with a grand opening gala and had a large audience which included international celebrities, fashion designers, key opinion leaders in the fashion industry, social elites and members of the media.
Dancers from Euphoria Penang raised the curtain during the opening gala with their spectacular performance. It was then followed by a cameo from Christinna Kuan, the uprising fashion and beauty blogger. The 21-year-old presented her new cover song “Room” in front of approximately 300 invited guests.
The main focus of the Penang Fashion Week 2019 was the collaboration between Gurney Paragon Mall and the ASEAN Fashion Designers Showcase. Twelve reputable designers from ASEAN countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippine, Brunei, Myanmar and China who have accelerated the fashion dialogue in their respective countries showcased their masterpieces during the second day of the
Penang Fashion Week. The 12 designers are: • Hayden Ng (Singapore) – HAYDEN • Sylvia Lim & Jennifer Neo (Singapore) – TRIOLOGIE • Natacha Van (Cambodia) – NATACHA VAN COLLECTION • Lenny Agustin (Indonesia) – LENNY AGUSTIN • Bandid Lasavong (Laos) – MEN Folder • Micheal Ooi (Malaysia) – MOFactory • Pitnapat Yotinratanachai (Thailand) – PITNAPAT • Ho Thu Dang Thao (Vietnam) – TSAFARI • Pat Santos (Philippines) – PAT SANTOS COUTURE • Fadzil Hadin (Brunei) – CHANTIQUE BRUNEI • Zin Myat Myat Win (Myanmar) – ZIN • Li Zhen (China) – The ZRSH
Emerging designers form an essential part of the fashion industry, and they need to be supported and encouraged through a platform like Penang Fashion Week.
TikTok, the world’s leading short video platform has announced its strategic partnership with Penang Global Tourism in a Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony witnessed by Yang Berhormat Yeoh Soon Hin, Penang State EXCO of Tourism Development, Arts, Culture and Heritage. Penang Global Tourism is the first of Malaysia’s tourism boards to partner with TikTok in South East Asia.
The pilot programme in Malaysia for #TikTokTravel is an initiative that aims to inspire users to creatively capture and share their favourite travel moments. #TikTokTravel aims to become the go-to destination for social media fans’ various travel moments on mobile.
In Penang, this partnership will begin with a series of online initiatives to promote the state’s splendour. These include online challenges, bespoke filters and stickers. The campaign kicks-off with Experience Penang 2020, a campaign by Penang Global Tourism that showcases every aspect of Penang’s amazing diversity.
As part of the campaign, users can also take part in TikTok’s latest online challenge, #ExperiencePenang. Users simply have to capture their best moments in Penang and tag the post with the hashtag “#ExperiencePenang”.
George Clooney and NASA veterans joined OMEGA at Kennedy Space Center to pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing. The gathering of greats at Cape Canaveral in Florida brought actors and astronauts together to celebrate the world-changing Apollo 11 mission and to raise glass to the OMEGA Speedmaster: the first watch worn on the Moon.
After a day of discussions on a range of space-related subjects – including “Pushing at the Limits” and “The Moonwatch: Then and Now” – media and VIP guests enjoyed a “Golden Moments” dinner, attended by George Clooney, Amal Clooney, Charlie Duke and Thomas Stafford.
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The mood was light and the memories flowed freely as the astronauts shared compelling stories about the challenges they faced to ensure the Apollo project was a success. Though a huge star in his own right, OMEGA Ambassador George Clooney was clearly in awe of his boyhood heroes and made sure their extraordinary achievements were the prime focus of the event.
Also in attendance at both the daytime talks and “Golden Moments” celebratory dinner were Astronaut and artist Nicole Stott, NASA pilot and ISS commander Terry Virts, ESA astronaut and NASA veteran Jean-François Clervoy, and former NASA engineer and the man behind the Moonwatch, Jim Ragan.
Influential captains and upcoming leaders were honored during the launch of the EZ Malaysia Special Edition – Faces Of Penang at the Imperial Court Restaurant at The Top. Organised by CHTNetwork in collaboration with EZ Malaysia, this event was to present 50 influential Penangites from various industries below the age of 50 and have contributed to the society.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, a Guest Of Honor at the event praised the organiser for showcasing the beauty of Penang and its young talents to the world. Furthermore adding to his speech, he was confident that this project would be successful in reaching millions of readers through the print, digital and social media platforms of CHTNetwork.
From left : Alvin Poh, Anne Lee, Boey Tze Nin, Dato’ Cher Chen Chiang, Ch’ng Huck Theng, Puan Sri Datuk Joanne Phor, Tan Sri Datuk Alex Ooi, YAB Chow Kon Yeow, YB Yeoh Soon Hin, Dato’ Seri Damien Chua, Datin Poon Lee Fah, Allen Tan From left : Eric Tiw, Cheryl Ng, Tan Boon Cheong, Esther Loh, YAB Chow Kon Yeow, Ch’ng Huck Theng, Jimmy Foo, Fifi Ch’ng, Dr. Lim Ban Keong, Chef Petr Feher, Chef Audee Cheah, Franco TanFrom left : Syed Aidid Syed Mohamad, Ravin Vello, Seah Kok Heng, Stephen Soon, Mei Tan, YAB Chow Kon Yeow, Ch’ng Huck Theng, (represent Nigel Law), Leon Lee, Kevin Wong, Katharine Joan Chua, June Goh, Joseph GohFrom left : Toh Bok Piew, Desmond Toh, Ann Lee, Vincent Chew, Waqar Saeed Bhatti, Wong Soon Ping, YAB Chow Kon Yeow, Ch’ng Huck Theng, Edwin Yeoh, Wilson Yeoh, William Koay, Tan Wei Xin, Tan Loy Sin
CHTNetwork president Ch’ng Huck Theng also cited the importance in branding and showcasing the bright and capable Faces Of Penang as an important step forward to connecting them to the world with the intention to further strengthen the economy through exploring business opportunities in both local and markets abroad.
Among those who attended the function include state executive councillor and PETACH chairman Yeoh Soon Hin, Director of Tourism Malaysia Penang Jonathan Bagang, Penang Port Commission chairman Jeffrey Chew and Malaysian Hotels Association (Penang Chapter) chairman Koo Boo Lim, Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau chief executive officer Ashwin Gunasekaran, Penang Tourist Guides Association president Chin Poh Chin, Ideal Property Group executive chairman Tan Sri Alex Ooi and executive director Puan Sri Joanne Phor.
Sant’Agata Bolognese, May 6, 2019 – A few years after the movie release of “The Italian Job”, it was revealed that the car used in the film was not the one destroyed during the on-screen accident. Since then, many made it a hunt to locate the opening-scene Miura. 50 years later, Lamborghini Polo Storico has finally certified the Miura P400, chassis #3586, as the original car used in the Paramount Pictures film in 1969.
The orange Miura P400 (technically “Arancio Miura”) with white/black leather interior has been the most pursued Miura in recent decades: it appears at the start of the film, driven by the actor Rossano Brazzi on the Great St Bernard Pass. In the movie the car was destroyed. In reality, Paramount also depicted an identical, crashed Miura.
After almost 50 years, and having passed through the hands of different enthusiasts, both Italian and international, the P400 was bought in 2018 by the current Liechtenstein collector, Fritz Kaiser, who is also the Founder of “The Classic Car Trust”.
Lamborghini Polo Storico, inaugurated in 2015, is Automobili Lamborghini’s department dedicated to preserving the heritage of the House of Sant’Agata Bolognese. Its activities include the restoration and certification of all Lamborghinis produced up to 2001, as well as the reconstruction of spare parts for classic Lamborghinis.
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