To form ‘One Malaysia Club’ in India – Minister of Tourism, YB Dato Sri' Dr.Ng Yen Yen

PuteraMIC India Chief meets Dr Ng Yen Yen, Tourism Minister in Chennai

The Minister of Tourism, YB Dato Sri’ Dr.Ng Yen Yen arrived in New Delhi last Sunday to promote Malaysia and launched the ‘One Malaysia’ campaign and toured five Indian cities – Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai.

During her visit to Chennai, she have addressed her interest to turn the Malaysian students as little Ambassadors to promote Malaysia as a brand for a holiday destination, either educational, cultural or social visit.Malaysian celebrations in India should not only include the Malaysians but we should look into opening up for more of the locals to join us which will play a great role to build bridges and promote our culture and tradition to them.

With regards to this, Dr.Ng has agreed to send a dance master to train a couple of students with Tarian One Malaysia which we can utilise to demonstrate on our culture better.Besides this, Dr Ng has also suggested the MSA to form a One Malaysia Club which will play a role to promote the Prime Minister’s missions as well as Promote Malaysia as an Endless Experience. This programme will be fully backed by the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia.

Students should also look into assisting each other when there are troubles among the Malaysians and also try organizing more community service projects which will indirectly promote the objective of People 1st and Performance now, similarly with the PM’s mission of One Malaysia.

Dr.Ng Yen Yen has personally informed to convey her love and regards to ALL the Malaysian students in India. We should also start to emphasize and build the spirit of One Malaysia among every nation.

Interaction Session between Students and Malaysian Agencies

An event organized by Tourism Malaysia, supported by the Malaysian Students Association of Chennai & PuteraMIC India

for more report, please browse through: http://www.evenkatesrao.blogspot.com/

DYMM Yang Dipertuan Agong's Birthday Celebration 2009

The Consulate General of Malaysia to Chennai hosted the DYMM Yang Dipertuan Agung's Birthday Celebration last Sunday, 7th of June 2009 at the AKDR Golf Village, Chennai. About 100 Malaysians attended & a word of Thanks to the Consul General and the Education Consul for inviting 50 Malaysian students.

Among the students participated were from Ramachandra Dental College, Saveetha Dental College, Meenakshi Dental College, Ragas Dental College, St.Joseph's Engineering College, Masterskill College (Chettinad Health City)

The Malaysian Students Association of India

3 PuteraMIC India guys were elected into the main council of the Malaysian Students Association of India which represents 2700 Malaysian Students in India.

The new committee for the Malaysian Students Association of India was elected on 3rd of May 2009 during the Konvensyen Kepimpinan Pelajar 2009 (KKP) which was held in Mount View Resort, Nandi Hills, Bangalore. KKP 2009 was attended by 120 delegates which represents 1800 Malaysian students all over India.

The Chief Guets of the event was the High Commissioner of Malaysia to India, Yang Berbahagia Dato' Tan Seng Sung.

Below are the list of the new office bearers elected.

President: En.Mohd Al-Hanafi bin Ismail
Deputy President: E.Venkates Rao
Secretary: Cik. Hadhinah Ahmad Puaad
Treasurer: Cik. Nor Hazimah RosleBureau's:
Akademik & Kerjaya: Cik. Loke Xi-Mun
Kerohanian: En. Mohd. Habib Hassan
Kebajikan: En.Anandh Inbarraju
Sukan & Rekreasi: En. Adi Imran Mohd Jusoh
Kebudayaan & Kesenian: Pn. Nur Ain Abd Razak
IT, Mult & Penerbitan: En.S. M. Wazien Wafa
Perhubungan & T.Khas: Cik. S.Subhashini

Regional Head:
Manipal: En.Mohd Firdaus Mohd Aslam
Mangalore: En. Mahfidz Abd. Jalil
Belgaum: En. Vignesh Thanalingam
Davangere: Cik. Syarifah Nurul Akmar
Salem: En. Ahmad Zuhairi Yahya
Chennai: Venkates Rao

Malaysians Students Jam @ Pelita Nasi Kandar

Date: 15th March 2009

Time: 12 noon

Venue: Pelita Nasi Kandar, T Nagar.

It was a crisp morning, and the atmosphere was perfect for a casual meet up at the neighbourhood mamak, for a cup of teh tarik, and probably some nasi kandar. Being in Chennai, the neighbourhood mamak is of course, Pelita Nasi Kandar, the usual Malaysian hangout.

Organized by Sangeetha, who leads the student affairs and welfare bureau of the Malaysian Students Association of Chennai, the gathering was more of a laid back get-together for all the Malaysian students to meet and interact.The crowd started trickling in at about 12.30 or so, and there was a pleasant surprise waiting for all of us.

Dato Ramesh, director of Pelita Nasi Kandar, happened to be in town. He bumped into us and looking at the crowd of hungry students, he spontaneously said that he will host the lunch, and all of us had nasi kandar, on the house! Not to mention ice kacang as dessert to top that!The students were from all over Chennai, from universities such as Saveetha Dental College, Ragas Dental Collge, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College, Sri Ramacanchra Medical College, St Joseph College and Loyola College.

There were also students from VInayaka Missions University in Salem and Manipal Medical College as well as NIT, Trichy.It felt like we were all back home, catching up with friends, over some nasi kandar. The mood was lively with students getting to know each other and some were just happy to release some steam from the hectic college life that we all lead. After devouring the oh-so-delicious lunch laid out in front of us, some of the students left while others stayed on to continue socialize.

It came to a point where we were asked to leave the upstairs area and move downstairs as they had to clean up the mess we created.The lepak-ing continued with more teh tarik and stories outside, as Pelita is the only place in Chennai where we can stay on for hours and simply enjoy the Malaysian air. Then the crowd started to disburse, leaving the key people of MSA Chennai to do their post mortem about the day’s gathering.

Everyone left Pelita with a sense of satisfaction, and a sense of joy of having met fellow Malaysians.

Prepared by,
Sandiya Supramaniam

‘Let’s Spread the Love....

‘Let’s Spread the Love....

'A community service project by Malaysian Students Association of India & Putera MIC India

Date: 22nd Feb 2009
Time: 2pm – 6pm
Venue: Bala Mandir Kids Home, T Nagar, Chennai


This event which was initially supposed to be held on Valentines Day had been brought forward to the 22nd of Feb due to the protests in the city. As the bulk of the crowd seemed to have problems locating the home and were delayed, those who were there on time started off with an ice breaker. We mingled with the kids and played a few games and got to know them. They opened up quickly and warmed up in no time.



The event then started off with the kids being divided into a few groups as there were 60 kids who were about 5 to 10 years of age. Each group had a few volunteers with at least one Tamil speaking volunteer. However, this could not last as the kids were getting agitated. So, all the groups were combined. A couple of games were played, including passing the parcel. The kids were really excited to see balloons and they all seemed to want more and more balloons so a game was played to see who could blow the biggest balloon. It continued with the paper dance game. The kids’ hidden talents really came out in this came and we saw many potential dancers in the crowd. The best part was trying to get the kids to grasp the concept of this game, as most of them seemed a tad bit preoccupied. However, with all our help, they managed to get the game moving.This was followed by a wonderful dance performance by the kids.



They danced for two songs and watching them perform for us really put a smile on everyone’s face. The songs they danced to were reflections of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses. To watch these kids endure so much hardship and yet dance to the glory of God was quite a sight.



Then it was our turn. Devi from Saveetha University performed a traditional Indian dance, much to all the kids’ delight. This was followed by the souvenir presentation of a stationery set by Major Maniam, President of MASI & Mrs. We then took a group photograph of all the volunteers and the kids at the main compound of the home. We stumbled upon the younger kids who were out for the evening, and they simply melted everyone’s hearts!



We then retreated into the home once again where refreshments were being served. One of the kids was unaware that we were getting refreshments as well, and she offered what little food she had to one of the volunteers. That was a humbling moment. Despite the fact that these kids had so little, they were still willing to share. It’s funny how young adults can learn so much from a group of kids without roofs over their heads.



More food stuff was distributed to the kids, courtesy of a few of the volunteers and donors.. The kids were over the moon when they saw the pudding and nata de coco, biscuits, chocolates, and etc.They were also given crayons for them to bring out the van Gogh. This was followed by a treat by the kids for our birthday boy, Venkates Rao, who was coincidentally celebrating his birthday on that very day. Then it was time for the kids to leave the hall and return to their dorms. We gave them a good farewell and sent them off.



Among those who were kind enough to come were Major Maniam and his family, Mr Lim and students from various universities in Chennai such as Meenakshi , Saveetha & Ragas Dental College. The group from Sri Ramachandra Medical College formed the bulk of the crowd and they did an amazing job at organizing the events of the day. “The main objective of this project is to mold and engulf our Malaysian students on the spirit of serving the less fortunate kids as well as our community and nation in the upcoming future” said the student leader, E.Venkates Rao.



By the end of the day, all of us were dead tired, but the satisfaction of brightening someone’s day left a lasting impression on all of us. Sometimes we take things for granted and complain about the smallest setback we face. Knowing that these kids have almost nothing, and yet they are so carefree and grateful for something as simple as a sweet, really puts things into perspective. In a nutshell, this event was a success as we managed to achieve all the objectives we set out to accomplish. Most importantly, we managed to put smiles on 60 kids faces that day, and that feeling was beyond words.


Prepared by:
Sandiya Supramaniam


For more pictures, please visit www.evenkatesrao.blogspot.com

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2009 - Chennai

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2009 was held on the 7'th - 9th of January 2009 at the Chennai Trade Center. MIC have sent a delegation of 150 people leaded by the party President Dato Seri' S.Samy Vellu.

During Pravasi
(Day 2)

Panel of Chief Ministers

His Excellency Narendra Modi, addressing about Gujarat

Arrival of the President of India, Excellency Pratibha Dewisingh Patel for the Valedictory

Governor of Tamil Nadu, His Excellency S.Barnala

The President of India Presenting the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Sam­­­­­man award to Tan Sri Vadiveloo

The President of India, adressing for clossing ceremony.

A picture with the Award winner (Tan Sri) & Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, Vayalar Ravi

During Pravasi...

(Day 1)

Welcome note by the Prime Minister of India - His Excellency Manmohan Singh

MIC President, Dato Seri' S.Samy Vellu addressing during a session

Human Resources Minister, Datuk Dr.Subramaniam addressing about Education during a session.

Catching up with the MIC National team...

With the Party President

Putera Team with YB Dato' S.K.Devamany

Putera Chennai & MIC Youths with Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, His Excellency Vayalar Ravi
Press Coneference


Before Pravasi....

Welcoming the Party President from the airport

Welcoming the Deputy Minister in JPM, YB Dato S.K.Devamany from the airport

Welcoming YB Asojan & YB Vidyananthan from the airport

We Welcome all the delegates....

Deepavali Celebration in India - 2008

A SPARKLING START: Malaysians celebrate Diwali in the city on Thursday
Lakshmi Kumaraswami TNN Chennai:

Colourful rangolis and diyas adorn the entrance of the house. Children, dressed in their best clothes, run around waving sparklers in the air. Inside, everybody is all smiles, greeting each other with a cheerful ‘Happy Diwali’. The sound of crackers, laughter and the clink of glasses fill the air. The scene resembles a typical Diwali party. But this one’s a bit different. For 90% of the guest list isn’t even Indian. In fact, they are all Malaysian. The ‘Diwali Open House’ is an event Major S Manian, president of MASI (Malaysian Association of Southern India) has been hosting at his home in Chennai since 2002. “We have all the Malaysians living in the city over for dinner. They burst crackers and have a great time,” he says as he greets guests along with wife Leela. The festival, known only as Deepavali there, is celebrated in this manner even in Malaysia. “This festival is celebrated by everyone irrespective of race or religion,” says Anuar Kasman, consulgeneral of Malaysia in Chennai. Khairuddin, education consul for the Malaysian consulate adds that the festival coincides with other important festivals of the country. “Our country is a melting pot of cultures, so when Id and Deepavali coincide, we call it Deepa Raya,” he says. So how different is it celebrating the festival in India? “Well, people burst crackers, but that’s completely banned back home,” states Kasman. Khairuddin, who has been in the country only for two weeks, adds that celebrating the festival in India is more exotic. “And wet,” he adds with a laugh, indicating the weather. Wan Naimah Wan Daud, vice consul says the festival gives them a chance to dress up. “I’d love to wear a saree, but I need someone to tie it. So I’ll stick to this for now,” she says, showing off her pink salwar kameez. Noor Arif Mohammed Noor, director of tourism in the consulate says the festival is celebrated with pomp. “But in Malaysia, Malay, Chinese and Indian festivals are celebrated this way. And that makes us truly Asia,” he finishes.

Source: The Times of India - Chennai Edition, 24th Oct 2008

Hari Raya Celebration

On the 17th of October 2008, the Consulate General of Malaysia in Chennai hosted the Hari Raya Open house at the Consul General's residence. Diplomate officers, key Malaysians and students attended this open house.

Malaysian Students from Saveetha Dental College, Ramachandra Medical College & Anna University, Chennai.
Sitting, frm left: Vice Consul, Ms.Wan Naimah Wan Daud, Counsellor of Education - Mr.Khairudin, Mrs Anuar Kasman, Consul General - Mr.Anuar Kasman, Trade Commissioner - Mr.Zainuddin, Mrs Zainuddin, E.Venkates Rao

Malaysian Students from Manipal and Meenakshi Ammal Dental College, Chennai.
Sitting, frm left: Vice Consul, Ms.Wan Naimah Wan Daud, Counsellor of Education - Mr.Khairudin, Mrs Anuar Kasman, Consul General - Mr.Anuar Kasman, Trade Commissioner - Mr.Zainuddin, Mrs Zainuddin.

Putera Chennai Guys during Raya

1st of October 2008, Chennai. The Putera Main team visited the Consul General's house for Raya pertama and followed with the Vice Consul of MATRADE, En.Khaifil and Asst Vice Consul Immigration, En.Azam's house on the Raya kedua..

Next Raya open house will be held on the 11th, 12th and 18th of this month.

Further reports with pictures will be uploaded soon.

Thank you.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

Putera Chennai Wishes
SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI, MAAF ZAHIR & BATIN
to all Malaysians especially the Muslims.

Salam Aidilfitri & Salam Mesra!

daripada:
PuteraMIC Chennai.

Executive Council Members of Putera Chennai / South India

From left: Deputy Chief, I.S.Anandh, Head of Bureau's - Venisha, Rupinee, Amirtha,
Kiveena, Advisor, Major S.Maniam, Diong, Chief, E.Venkates Rao
Back row: Information Officer, C.Saravanan & Treasurer, P.Kuvilan
(not in picture: G.Chellappan, Ashvini, Ranganayaki Devi, Maheswaran (Manipal), Dr.Raja Soorian (Bangalore), Vigneswaran (Belgaum),

Dato G.Palanivel's visit to Salem

6th July 2008, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. The Vinayaka Mission University, Salem has conferred Honaris Causa Degree (doctorate) to the Deputy President of MIC, Dato' G.Palanivel and this occasion was also attended by the President of Indian Dental Association, Consul General of Malaysia, En.Anuar Kasman and other VVIP's.

Dato G.Palanivel also took this oportunity to met a couple of our Malaysian students who are studying in Penang International Dental College, Salem and also contributed some funds towards their future activities.

Chennai Council Meeting with National Chief & Secretary

20th May 2008, Singahsana Hotel, Petaling Jaya. The National Chief, Mr.Kalamalanathan PJK, National Secretary, Mr.Uvaraja & Asst Secretary Mr.Padma met the main council of Putera Chennai, Coordinator, E.Venkates Rao, Deputy Coordinator, Mr.I.S.Anandh, Secretary, Mr.G.Chellapan, Treasurer, Mr.Kuvilan for a discussion and briefing session.

A Dinner with En.Rabin - Officer from Prime Minister's Department

15th February 2008, Chennai. The main team Met Mr.Rabin - Officer from Prime Minister's office to exhange views of the student council and PuteraMIC in India, we also handed over a Memorandum requesting for more funds from the government to assist us in organising more events and youth development projects.

Chinese New Year gathering

10th February 2008, Chennai. We celebrated Chinese New Year at Mr.Lim's residence (Adyar) together with all our Malaysian students and, attended by Acting Consul General Ms.Wan Naimah Wan Daud, Trade Commissioner, Tourism Director, Vice Consul-Immigration, MASI President, Malaysian students & families. Besides being a gathering, it was also filled with various activities from the students which involved everyone to participate and being a normal tradition, the food was all prepared by our Malaysian aunties and even the Acting CG, a word of Thanks to them.

Pongal Sub-Committee Meeting

26th January 2008, Courtyard Marriot Hotel. We had our Sub-Committee meeting to discuss various issues especially a post-mortem session to know our field of improvement. This meeting was followed with a high-tea session as a token of appreciation to all our council members for all their cooperation and initiatives rendered towards making the pongal celebration such a grand success.

The Colors of Pongal Celebration from KL Tower @ Chennai City Centre

CHENNAI, 15th January 2008. PuteraMIC Chennai (Malaysian Student Council) has organized the Colors of Pongal Celebration from KL Tower at the Chennai City Centre which is a replica celebration from the KL Tower.

It is time for the harvest festival for fellow Indians and they gleefully celebrated with the Malaysians of multiracial and the public at the Chennai City Centre. This celebration was officially launched by the Vice Consul/Acting Consul General of Malaysia, Ms. Wan Naimah Wan Daud by lighting up the oil lamp and followed by boiling of the rice. This celebration is mainly conducted as a thanksgiving ceremony to the show gratitude to the hardworking harvesters and the soil that aids in the production of rice.

The boiling of the rice was started by all the ladies and students of different races where they setup the pot and waited around till the whole process completed. While waiting for the rice to be cooked, The celebration is carried on with activities such as Pongal Setup & Kolam Competition participated by Malaysian Students from various colleges in Chennai / South India to show their creativity of their setup in different ways such as Pongal year 2020, Pongal Muhibah ‘Multiracial’ and various more.

This event was continued with the Best Dressed Kid section for the day where we had 12 kids participated in this competition which consist a dressing of traditional and modern attire. During this celebration, they distributed ketupat which is a Malaysian culture with a ladoo inside to the public to mainly promote the Malaysian Culture to the Indians. At the end of the event, the pongal was distributed to everyone around.

‘This celebration was mainly organized to celebrate pongal with the public and different races as Malaysia being a Multiracial country and this year’s celebration was themed “Preserving Unity through Traditional values” as well as to promote our Culture and Tradition to the Indians’ said E.Venkates Rao, Chief of PuteraMIC Chennai / South India.

This was indeed a wonderful event where the public had an opportunity to see how Malaysians celebrate their festivals with different races together, this shows how Malaysians do accept other cultures as well. This event was attended by all the Malaysian Government Officials in Chennai such as,. Trade Commissioner, Tourism Director, MASI President, Vice Consul of Immigration and all Malaysian families & students in Chennai / South India.