The Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur celebrated Australia Day on 27 January with a stylish reception attended by over 1,000 distinguished guests from Government and Malaysian society.
The guest of honour was the Honourable Senator Chong Sin Woon, Deputy Minister of Education, representing the Malaysian Government.
The event, themed Taste of Australia, celebrated the fine produce, diverse cuisine and spectacular experiences on offer in Australia. The rich ethnic diversity of Australia has produced an exciting and multicultural cuisine which has gained recognition around the world, with chefs, winemakers and producers innovating with the finest produce.
Guests sampled some of the outstanding Australian produce available in Malaysia, including succulent seafood, high-grade meats, artisan cheese, classic Australian desserts and quality wines. The food and wine was served against the backdrops of the beach, city and outback to highlight the sensory experience of dining in some of Australia’s iconic locations.
The Australian High Commission held a photography competition in the lead up to Australia Day, inviting Malaysian residents to capture their take on the theme to win return flights to Australia provided by competition partner Malaysia Airlines Berhad. Collin Cheong Yeong Guang from Sarawak took the prize with a photo of a rural landscape in Gippsland, Victoria. A collection of the photos submitted can be viewed at the Australian High Commission’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/ausinmalaysia.
The Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, H.E. Mr Rod Smith said: “Our Australia Day reception provides a great opportunity for us to celebrate Australia Day and give our guests a taste of what Australians and tourists love about Australia. It is also an opportunity to thank our Malaysian friends for the ongoing cooperation across many areas including defence, education, foreign policy, trade and investment, border protection, law enforcement, and the arts and culture. We hope to continue our close ties in those areas.”
The selection of produce for the reception was provided by Meat and Livestock Australia, Southern Rock Seafood, BGS Trading Sdn Bhd, Euro-Atlantic Sdn Bhd, Pikzern Marketing Sdn Bhd and Lucky Frozen Sdn Bhd.
Other generous sponsors included AmBank Group, Blackmores Malaysia, Lend Lease Projects (M) Sdn Bhd, NS BlueScope Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Malindo Air, Monash University Malaysia, Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd, State Government of Victoria, Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia Airlines Bhd, Servcorp, Spotlight Stores and Mars Foods Malaysia Sdn Bhd.