A Dinner with Malaysian Prime Minister, YAB Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at Chung Hwa Jalan Ipoh, KL

The PM official Car?

This is another very late post from me. 14th December 2009, 6.30pm, the whole Jalan Ipoh, KL was all jammed up with cars heading towards Chung Hwa Independent School for its’ 90th Anniversary Dinner. Our Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib was there to grace the event. I have to park my car in Kompleks Mutiara and walk towards the school. The whole school was packed with people like the Chinese sayings, in direct translation, ‘People Mountain, People Sea (人山人海)’. There were a total of 1200 dinner tables set up for this 90th Anniversary dinner. Since, my donation is very small, I have to sit outside in the open area, while the PM and other VIPs sit in the air conditioned hall! Ha ha ha! The other VIPs that attended this event were, Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah, chairman of Hua Zong, MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, MCA youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, president of the Association of Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Malaysia Tan Sri William Cheng and Datuk Kong Heng Sze, chairman of the Malaysian Seven Major Clans Association. With the rising interest in Chinese Independent high school, there is a surge in students sitting for the entrance exam. Around 1400 students sat for Chung Hwa Jalan Ipoh entrance exam last year but only 960 students managed to secure a place. The high standard Chinese Independent School UEC (Unified Examination Certificate) has gained wide recognition in many overseas university and also local private universities. For example, the National University of Singapore accepts students with UEC certificates even without STPM. This means that the students in Chinese Independent schools can enter many foreign universities after spending 5 years in secondary school instead of seven years through STPM(Form Six Exam Certificate). If you go through the Form One books of Chinese Independent Schools you will notice that they are already studying basic Physics, Chemistry, Additional Mathematics and Biology! Bravo, for a private school supported and built through donations by Chinese businessman and philanthropists to achieve such high standards in education. Ok, ok back to food....here are some of the photos I took of the events...

The event booklet and decorations around the school PM launching the event. Sorry the photo is quite dark because I forgot to turn on the flash. The second photo is the PM giving a speech, taken from the big screen near the place I sat. The lion dance welcome visitors. Lots of people attended the 90th Aniversary Dinner! Aiya, I didn't get to sit in the hall with the PM..... The globe that that PM used to launch the event. Singing Negaraku before dinner. Ok, makan (eating) time! Yay, first dish, the cold dish....can't remember the taste, very hungry mah, after waiting so long for the PM to arrive! All habis (finished) very fast! LOL! This is one thing I hate about Chinese style dinner, everyone use their chopstick to take the food! Ha ha ha, I got one drumstick! Muaha ha ha haha! The Garoupa is fresh but the sauce is rather thin and tasteless. As usual the shark fins soup is served also. Taste, so so only. I guess it is not easy to cook for so many people!

After the steamed prawns, I cabut (go home) early before the last dish of dessert was served, or else the whole road would be jammed up.