We have come to our final series of this season! We are wrapping up Season 3 in celebration of the Arts. We have poetry reading, freestyle dancing, acoustic performances and a flash mob. Come and celebrate with us and end Season 3 with a BANG!

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES:
Poetry by : See Tshiung Han , Sherril Netto & Sheena Baharudin.
Freestyle dance performance by : Muid Latif.
Acoustic performance by : Darren Ashley & friends and Reza Salleh.
Flash Mob by : Girl Effect Malaysia Flash Mob 2011, headed by Aishy Vimal.

The Performances

So who is See Tshiung Han?

See Tshiung Han grew up in Canada, where he attended the birthday party of David Cronenberg’s son. Since returning to Malaysia, he discovered there would be no scones at Najib’s tea party. He has performed at numerous events as well as readings. He organized and hosted the Say Goodnight Twitterverse open mic at Cloth and Clef and as part of the Poetry Underground collective. He currently moderates the poetry reading group at Silverfish Books.

So who is Sherril Netto?

Sherril Netto, workaholic by day, poet by night, almost rings the story of Dr Jackel and Mr Hyde. Sherril finds solace away from the hustle and bustle of the work place and enjoys the quiet of her abode, a glass of wine in one hand and a pen in the other; a note pad all ready to welcome the raw scribbles of her inspired words. Nebula’s Quill brings her writings to cyber space and amazingly has touched the hearts of complete strangers at the other end of the globe. Truly a remarkable poet.

So who is Sheena Baharudin?

An educator, poet, slammer and travel junkie, Sheena Baharudin’s poems reveal that she finds solace in Divine Love and enjoys waves of goose bumps crashing on her every time she finds a good read, that she loves teaching literature to wide eyed souls in IIUM yet secretly fears growing roots under her awkwardly large feet that would then stop her from seeing as much of the world as possible. These poems of hers have been seen canoodling with literary giants and the city’s enfant terribles (Poetry Underground, KL Slammers) at the KL Poetry Slams, Readings, MAP Arts Festival, The Annexe Gallery, KLPAC and even in her classes just to wake up the uninspired and the sleepyheads.

So who is Muid Latif?

Muid Latif is a digital artist and multi-discipline creative practitioner. He began his career as a Multimedia Designer, working in web agencies on online projects. He became an established figure who promotes ‘Creative Oriental Digital Crafting’ (CODC) influenced by South East Asia culture through his commercial and personal artworks in many local and international exhibition.

So who is Darren Ashley?

Darren is known in the industry as the multi-talented beatboxer/vocalist, drummer, guitarist and music composer with a knack for multi-tasking on stage.Amidst his busy schedule, Darren’s passion for music led him to dive into other ventures of his interests in the arts. Recognized by Bo (Seven, Cosmic SpaceMunkys, Bedroom Sanctuary) he was introduced into the singer-songwriter scene not too long ago. He has been known to never let an audience down with his fresh bag of tricks, sounds, electronics and a light-hearted vibe to every show.

So who is Reza Salleh?

One of the top names in the Malaysia’s acoustic scene, Reza Salleh has been called the quintessential singer-songwriter by his audience and peers alike, a title he lives up to with his personal brand of alternative acoustic folk rock. He is a central figure in Malaysia’s thriving singer-songwriter circuit and is often seen in an intimate, solo acoustic format or backed by a tight, dynamic 5-piece band. His music, despite early influences by the Seattle grunge scene and the vocal stylings of African-American artists, is a diverse mix and is rarely limited by genre or tone.

So what is Girl Effect Flash Mob 2011?

The Girl Effect flash mob is headed by 14 year old Aishy Vimal.
Aishy & friends have made a stand to highlight that The Girl Effect is the potential of 600 million adolescent girls to end poverty for themselves and the world. But while those 600 million adolescent girls are the most likely agents of change, they are often invisible to their societies and the world.

facebook event page – RSVP and invite your friends

We continue to celebrate Women this Month! Thursday’s session we have the passionate Dato’ Ruby Khong who is known for her hands on approach with the Kechara Soup Kitchen, feeding the homeless and less fortunate. With a special performance by the multitalented Nadia Aqilah!

The Speaker

So who is Dato’ Ruby Khong?

Dato’ Ruby Khong is the President of Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK), socialite, mother of three beautiful grown up children, and the director of an international petroleum company. Despite the many hats she wears, she remains committed to the plight of the less fortunate.

With her hands-on approach, this passionate, upbeat, very bubbly lady is a true leader in her own right. Under her guidance, KSK has expanded its services from a distribution of 20 food packets per week back in 2006, to more than 1,300 packets per week. In September 2010, Ruby’s accomplishments reached another milestone with the opening of KSK’s permanent soup kitchen off Jalan Imbi, allowing this non-profit organisation to offer services such as regular medical aid, counselling and job placement.

Ruby is often seen on the streets and backlanes of Kuala Lumpur with her team serving the homeless and less fortunate. A loving mother who believes in leading by example, her work has resulted in her children joining her full-time in her community work upon their graduation from leading British universities.

The Performance

So who is Nadia Aqilah?

Nadia Aqilah Bajuri was born on August 16, 1985 in Batu Pahat, Johor and raised in Ampang, Selangor. Her early beginnings in the musical scene saw her as a member of two female bands/groups, M’Braze (1998-2000) and Luscious (2000- 2007) Desiring to further pursue entertainment, Nadia ventured into acting and dancing, was quickly noticed and offered roles in various local musicals and television programmes, notably “Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical,” “P. Ramlee The Musical,” “Emil Emilda,” “Sindarella,” “Merah Puteh” and “Tari Tirana.” But singing is where Nadia’s passion ignites. Her professional musical influences range from Mariah Carey to Ella, Aisyah and Francissca Peter.

facebook event page – RSVP and invite your friends

We continue to Celebrate Women this month. Thursday we have the literary dynamic duo Sharon Bakar & Bernice Chauly! To top it all off we have a special acoustic performance by Liyana Fizi!

The Speakers

So who is Sharon Bakar?

Sharon is a freelance writer and teacher-trainer based in Kuala Lumpur. Her work has appeared in a number of Malaysian publications. She has taught creative writing in partnership with the British Council, and now runs her courses at Learning Works in Bandar Utama. She organizes Readings, a monthly event for local writers, at Seksan Gallery in Bangsar. It is Malaysia’s longest-running live literature event.

Sharon edited a collection of short fiction called Collateral damage for Silverfish Books, and has recently published a collection of pieces by writers who have read at Readings@Seksan and its sister event Ceritaku (organised by Bernice Chauly who is also the co-editor of the book).

Sharon blogs as Bibliobibuli (thebookaholic.blogspot.com) focusing mainly on writing and publishing in Malaysia.

So who is Bernice Chauly?

Bernice is a writer, poet, photographer, filmmaker and lecturer. She has published two collections of poems, Going there and Coming Back (1997), The Book of Sins (2008) and a collection of short stories, Lost in KL (2008). She studied TESL and English Literature in Winnipeg, Canada and has worked extensively in the arts in KL for the past 20 years. An ex-journalist, radio correspondent, food writer and publisher, she has also written, acted and directed for the stage and screen.

Her upcoming book Growing Up With Ghosts is a fictive memoir of sorts, based on her Punjabi/Chinese family’s history and stories. Her work has been published in regional and international anthologies and she has performed in festivals all over the world.

The Performance

So who is Liyana Fizi?

Liyana Fizi plays a mix of acoustic indie tunes tinged with folk, bossa, and jazz. Gaining acknowledgment for her melodic songwriting, the singer/songwriter made her first debut as one of the founding members of Malaysian indie-pop band Estrella. Everyday musings and inward thoughts are the main elements of her music, using simplicity as the main staple.

facebook event page – RSVP and invite your friends

We have dedicated the month of March to Celebrating Women! We have Lina Tan, founder of Red Communications & a live acoustic performance by a young talented singer/ songwriter Zalila Lee!

The Speaker

So who is Lina Tan?

Upon graduating with a Film and Television degree from USM (Malaysia Science University) in 1991, Lina entered into the world of television commercial production, working in production houses in Malaysia as Producer.

In 1999, Lina founded Red Communications to focus on creating innovative and meaningful content. She has created a variety of television programs and commercials, specializing in youth, kids and women issues. Lina believes that content can provide entertainment for the masses and yet be socially responsible, making her company’s mission to inspire change through innovative content. This is evident by the range of creative work produced in Red Communications and the Awards received for it.

In 2004 Lina formed a subsidiary company called Red Films which produces feature length films. Beginning with Visits: Hungry Ghost Anthology the first and most successful Digital film in terms of box-office to be screened in Malaysia’s digital cinemas, followed by Gol & Gincu which was screened in Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and International Film Festivals in Bangkok, Tokyo, Amsterdam and Busan, Korea. Other films include “KAMI the movie” and recent release “Pisau Cukur” (Gold diggers) which is a 2009 box-office hit.

The Performance

So who is Zalila Lee?

Zalila Lee has been playing in the Malaysian music scene since 2000. Starting out from playing covers at local bars and restaurants, the then part-time musician kept her songwriting
strictly to herself. She moved on to making small appearances at numerous musical events

Zalila Lee writes songs from a mix of genres, which include: Blues and Folk. This singer/songwriter is known for her rhythmically driven guitar playing.

facebook event page – RSVP and invite your friends

Another great session lined up this Thursday, with the Group Chief Financial Officer, DRB-HICOM Berhad, Dato’ Lukman Ibrahim. In addition to that we have a special performance, by a talented young woman Diandra Arjunaidi who will be kicking off Live & Inspire’s Celebrating Woman Month!

The Speaker

So who is Dato’ Lukman Ibrahim?

Y Bhg Dato’ Lukman is currently Group Chief Financial Officer for DRB-HICOM Berhad, one of Malaysia’s leading corporations, playing an integral role in the Automotive Manufacturing, Assembly and Distribution industry. He has spent over 19 years in the Automotive industry in various portfolios including helming as CEO of PHN Industry and has served in Proton Part Centre, Proton Berhad, and Automotive Corporation (Malaysia).

Lukman has received a string of awards over the years such as Best CEO On KPI for DRB-HICOM Group of Companies & Proton’s Best Quality Performance.

Lukman graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude) 1989 and Master of Business Administration, 1990 from Temple University, Philadelphia, USA. Apart from being a Fellow member of ACCA, he is also a member of Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA).

The Performance

So who is Diandra Arjunaidi?

Recently listed as Female Magazine’s 50 most gorgeous people, Diandra is a nineteen year old, bedroom songstress who was discovered on youtube in November 2009.

facebook event page – RSVP and invite your friends

Another great session lined up this Thursday, with the Executive Director and Founder of JobStreet.com. Join us for more fun & discovery learning on Thursday!!!

So who is Mark Chang?

Mr. Mark Chang is an Executive Director and Founder of JobStreet.com. He has also been its Chief Executive Officer since its inception. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas, Austin, USA in 1988 and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA in 1990. Prior to founding MOL Online Sdn Bhd in 1995 and subsequently JobStreet.com in 1997, Mark was with Kendall International, a US healthcare company, for six years, starting as a process engineer in 1990 before being promoted to manufacturing manager in 1992 and regional director of sales and marketing for Malaysia in 1994. He left Kendall International in 1996 to establish JobStreet.com. Under his direction, the JobStreet Group has expanded regionally.

facebook event page – RSVP and invite your friends

Wishing you a great Happy Chinese New Year! Hope the year of the Rabbit is one of creation & discovery This week we are back again with another talented guest speaker- electric violinist Dennis Lau. Join us for more fun & discovery learning on Thursday!!!

So who is Dennis Lau?

Dennis Lau is an electric violinist, songwriter & producer. He obtained a Bachelors of Music graduate under the Newcastle Australian Music Degree Program. Dennis began his musical adventure with the piano at the tender age of 3. He then went on to obtain several diplomas in classical piano. Dennis’s violin training started at the age of 8.

Dennis is now an accomplished musician in the local music scene and in contemporary/jazz rhythms. He has achieved a lot in a short span of time, already having shared the stage with Asia’s most prominent and popular artistes and celebrities and is also a regular guest performer on various television programs.

Aside from performing, composing, and working on his album, Dennis contributes to the evolution of the music industry through his other passion – teaching. Dennis manages to take time out from his otherwise extremely busy and hectic schedule to devote his skills, talent and patience to conduct music lessons for the young in his home studio.

Being the first instrumentalist signed under Sony Music Singapore, he recently produced a short film inspired by the song “Prelude in F Minor” which can be found in his limited edition CD/DVD album DiversiFy. His current project is acting in a leading role in a local movie production.

facebook event page – RSVP and invite your friends

So who is Wemel Cumavoo?

Wemel Cumavoo is co-founder and CEO of LTT Global Communications Sdn Bhd. He is a prominent businessman being in business for the past 30 years. This allows him to draw from a deep reserve of experience to provide insightful and creative solutions to business challenges. He sits on the Board of Directors of several companies ranging from education, resort to consumer products. In 2000 with the birth of the millennium, his interests in mobile and learning fascinated him, knowing very well this is going to be the next major revolution after the industrial revolution.

LTT Global Communications was formed and is among the initiators and pioneers of mobile learning globally. His entrepreneurial spirit, strong business acumen and visionary leadership has led to LTT Global being the recipient of several international and local awards.

He believes that Corporate Social Responsibility is part of any organisations’ big or small contributions back to society. He is a Mentor for the Mobile Content Challenge since 2007, a program jointly organised by Maxis, Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (SKMM) and Kementerian Penerangan Komunikasi dan Kebudayaan (KPKK). He speaks too, at local and regional events.

His passion is to see all young entrepreneurs become thriving enterprises.

facebook event page – RSVP and invite your friends

So who is Tan Sri Dr. Sulaiman Mahbob?

Tan Sri Sulaiman is the Chairman of Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) since 2009.

Prior to this appointment, Tan Sri Sulaiman served the Government of Malaysia for over 38 years in various capacities including the position of the Director-General of the Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister’s Department, Secretary-General of Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (then), and Undersecretary (Economics) of Ministry of Finance, as well as Head of Secretariat of National Economic Action Council during the financial crisis in 1998.

Tan Sri Sulaiman has served in several Boards of Directors, including Petronas, Felda, PIDM, and Multimedia and Communications Commission. He is also currently a Board member of Bank Negara Malaysia, Felda Global Ventures Holdings Sdn Bhd, ISIS, MIER and Deputy Chairman Kelab UMNO Pesara Kerajaan Malaysia.

Tan Sri Dr Sulaiman is trained widely in economics and has often contributed articles on the Malaysian economy in the local media, especially the Star, New Straits Times and the Edge. Tan Sri is also an Adjunct Professor (Economics) at the University of Malaya, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa and Universiti Tun Razak.

facebook event page – RSVP and invite your friends

So who is Juwita Suwito?

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Juwita Suwito started off in the professional music scene in her late teens as a backing vocalist for prominent Malaysian artistes.

She has since released two albums one EP and two singles. All received AIM (Malaysia Music Industry Awards) nominations – with her album Brand New World clinching the Best Local English Album award in 2005.

A former Malaysian Idol vocal coach is also a seasoned performer. She has toured to Singapore, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra, while her music has been released in Taiwan, Indonesia and Hong Kong.

Known as an artiste that thrives on a down-to-earth relationship with her listeners, Juwita has a passion to encourage youth to discover and realize their full potential. She is one of the founder directors of Four Forty Records, a social enterprise with a vision to impact society through music, and has also been conducting workshops from Sandakan to Singapore with her band Flippin’ Pages.

Juwita is currently on her maiden voyage into the world of theatre and debuted in the musical Follow the Light play at the PJ Live Arts in December 2010.

facebook event page – RSVP and invite your friends