26th September 2007 - A celebration of diversity and ethnicity – that was what the SEGi College International Cultural Night cum Moon Cake Festival celebration yesterday signified. SEGi College, Malaysia echoed with beautiful sounds of tribal beats and traditional folk tunes of 34 different countries during the inaugural International Cultural cum Moon Cake Festival.

The celebration in conjunction with the Moon Cake Festival on 25th September saw some 500 international students from SEGi College and other participating colleges bustling with joy and exhilaration as they celebrate and serenade in the showcase of tribal performances.

Present to officiate the event was Tuan Haji Mohd. Adnan Hamzar, representing the Secretary General of the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage, Malaysia and Lee Kok Cheng, Chief Operating Officer of SEG International Berhad and Principal of SEGi College, Malaysia. Also present at the festival were dignitaries from the High Commission of Nigeria, Palestine, Bangladesh, Kenya, Yemen, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and United Arab Emirates.

“This event is an opportunity for the international students to show and share their culture, food, clothes and dances with the rest of the community. International Cultural Night cum Moon Cake Festival is also a platform to promotes cross - cultural interaction and friendship among all students,” said Lee Kok Cheng, Chief Operating Officer of SEG International Berhad and Principal of SEGi College, Malaysia.

“Tonight is also a special night as we share two cultural and religious beliefs with you – the buka puasa for our fasting Muslim friends in the month of Ramadhan and the mid-autumn or Moon Cake celebration of our Chinese friends,” added Lee.

To mark the launch of the International Cultural Night cum Moon Cake Festival, student representatives of different countries paraded into the hall, proudly hoisting flags from the different continents of the world, and placed each flag on the stage. The hall erupted in cheers and claps signaling the students’ support for their own country as well as for other countries. Countries making their mark included China, Nigeria, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Korea and Malaysia.

In his keynote address, Hamzar said, “To know Malaysia, is to love Malaysia and in order to fully understand the culture of Malaysia, we have to reflect on the history of Malaysia – how it was influenced by the Portuguese, Dutch, British and Japanese prior to achieving its independence in 1957.”

Hamzar also added that the main element which brings us, the diverse cultures and ethnicity in Malaysia are two key elements – Unity and Respect.

“My sincere thanks and congratulations to SEGi College for successfully organising this culture night. You are all lucky to study in SEGi College, who has the same aspirations to develop international integration and achieve major excellence in diversity. I am confident that the future world will be safer because of the mutual respect and unity you have for one another,” said Hamzar.

After his speech, the night’s event kicked-off with the buka puasa. An assortment of food was laid on each sides of the hall, offering a buffet of feast that ranged from Malay customary to traditional African delicacies.

Right after the buka puasa the stage performances commenced with a special showcase of Iranian traditional dance and music. Included in their performance was a special multimedia presentation of Iran’s world heritage, Persepolis.

SEGi student’s club, Youth Abalaze then took their place on stage and gave a marvellous ‘black light’ performance, reflecting the importance of faith and belief. The performance truly captured the attention of audiences. Students were cheering and applauding each gesture formed.

The show continued with a special performance of Traditional Xin Jiang Dance by Mazea, beautifully adorned in bright red traditional costume. Mazea is a SEGi College student, taking English Level I.

Other performances notable during the night was the recital of the Bangladesh National Anthem by Ferdous Wahid. According to Ferdous, ”This is my first time performing in front of an audience of such a scale, in fact it is my first time performing, ever. I am reciting my national anthem, Amar Sonar Bangla or My Golden Bengali.”

When asked, Ferdous said, “This is such a fantastic event. I am excited because today is a rare chance to see 34 flags proudly displayed on stage. That means that I have friends from 34 countries present with me. This is such a rare event. Also, this is a chance and breakthrough for amateurs, like me to perform on stage.”

Included in the night’s arrangement was also a display of African tribal dances. Perhaps one of the ‘steamiest’ performance was the Makossa Dance, a collaboration of Nigerian students from SEGi College and other colleges.

The audiences were on their feet, everyone practically rushing to the stage when the performance commenced. Makossa is a type of music which is most popular in urban areas in Cameroon with strong bass rhythm and a prominent horn sections. It originated from a type of Duala dance called kossa, with significant influences from jazz, ambasse bey, Latin music, highlife and rhumba.

The students from the Faculty of Nursing also took stage, performing two distinctive Malay traditions - Zapin dance and famous Kelantan music, the Dikir Barat.  

Other equally exciting and entertaining performances held that night include a singing performance by Syed from Oman, Chinese folk and contemporary songs, reggae duet and traditional African dances. There was even a fashion show parading the various traditional costumes customary to Djiboutians. Throughout the night, a series of lucky draw saw students crossing their fingers, hoping to get lucky.

“It has been a year since I first step foot in Malaysia and I am so happy to be here tonight because this is the first event of its kind that I’ve attended. It is nice to indulge in the diverse cultures of our other peers, even if we are from different colleges,” enthused Isabella, a Kenyan student currently studying in Mahsa College.

“Tonight’s event demonstrates their commitment in sharing their culture in attempt to forge closer ties with their counterparts. I think it is not too much to say that it is a highly commendable effort by everyone involved. We are happy to be part of such an event which aims to develop cultural integration, peace, solidarity and harmony while performing our obligation in advancing Malaysia into the centre of educational excellence,” added Lee.

“We are proud of the level of commitment contributed by each and everyone involved and present to make this event a successful first of its kind in SEGi College,” smiled Lee.

The International Cultural Night cum Moon Cake Festival was definitely an event to remember. It was not about who performed better or whose culture had more to offer. It was simply a gigantic wake – an explosion of celebration where all contributors displayed sincerity in sharing their culture, their traditions and their lives with others.

To find out more about SEGi Group of Colleges, please call our campuses located in Kota Damansara (03-6145 1777), Subang Jaya (03-86001888), Kuala Lumpur (03-20702078), Penang (04-2633888), and Sarawak (082-252566), email to askme@segi.edu.my or log on to www.segi.edu.my