Newsletter of the Embassy of Switzerland in Malaysia
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Newsletter of the Embassy of Switzerland in Malaysia November 2015 Foreword from Ambassador Michael Winzap Ladies & Gentlemen, dear compatriots It gives me great pleasure to be contributing for the first time to the Newsletter of the Embassy of Switzerland in Malaysia. My wife Marina and I have arrived in Kuala Lumpur some weeks ago and we are looking forward to discover this beautiful country and its welcoming people. After having spent the last three years in Amman, Jordan and being accredited in the Hashemite Kingdom and in Iraq, we are very happy to have moved to this part of the world. My main aim is to contribute to the strengthening of the Swiss-Malaysian relations in several fields. Although the consular affairs are handled since 2012 by the Regional Consular Centre at Embassy of Switzerland in Bangkok, and no changes of this situation is in the planning or envisaged, I am very much interested in meeting Swiss citizens and the representatives of Swiss companies living in Malaysia in order to hear from them about their experiences, to know what they expect from the Ambassador or his staff as well as to find out how a fruitful mutual collaboration can best be established and ‘operationalised’ to promote Swiss interests in Malaysia effectively. Therefore, please do not hesitate to present your proposals and ideas. Upon my arrival in Malaysia, I have had the pleasure to meet and accompany several delegations. You will find information about these meetings in the following pages. This month we also had a visit from a Swiss Member of Parliament, Mr Philipp Hadorn, who was here to attend a Roundtable discussion on the abolition of the death penalty organized by the Parliamentarians for Global Action. As you certainly know, the right to life and the respect for human dignity is at the core of Swiss foreign policy. On a personal note, I am looking forward to the presentation of the Letters of Credence to His Majesty the Yang di- Pertuan Agong in the near future. Only after this ceremony, I will be fully empowered to act as the official representative of Switzerland in Malaysia. I hope you will enjoy reading this edition of the Newsletter and also do take the time to give us some feedback on how best the Ambassador and the team at the Embassy can be of assistance to you. As it is also the closing of another year, Marina and I, together with the staff at the Embassy want to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a very Blessed Holiday season. Kind regards Michael Winzap EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 1 Current Events 16 th European Union Film Festival (EUFF) The Embassy of Switzerland is participating in the 16 th European Union Film Festival (EUFF), which is an annual event with Golden Screen Cinema (GSC) which showcases a collection of films from all over Europe. The EUFF will be held in Kuala Lumpur from 29 th October – 8th November, in Penang from 12 th – 18 th November, in Kuching from 26 th November – 2nd December and in Kota Kinabalu from 10 th – 16 th December 2015 respectively. This year, Switzerland will be showcasing a fiction titled ‘Eine Wen iig, Dr Dällebach Kari’ (Someone like Me) directed by Xavier Koller. The screenings will be on: 30 Oct (Fri) @ 7.00pm at GSC Pavillion Kuala Lumpur 01 Nov (Sun) @ 4.10pm at GSC Mid Valley 07 Nov (Sat) @ 8.40pm at GSC 1 Utama 13 Nov (Fri) @ 7.10pm at GSC Gurney Plaza Penang 29 Nov (Sun) @ 5.20pm at GSC City One Megamall Kuching 12 Dec (Sat) @ 4.30pm at GSC Suria Kota Kinabalu Synopsis: Kari Dällebach was born with a cleft palate. His mother takes care of him like a bird that has fallen out of the nest. As a young man Kari decides to become a barber and despite his handicap he wins the heart of Annemarie with his humour, charm and sensitivity. His happiness seems almost complete – but Annemarie’s middle class parents have already made other plans for their daughter… ‘Eine Wen iig, Dr Dällebach Kari’ won the 2012 Swiss Film Prize “Quartz” in both categories: Best Actress and Special Award of the Academy. For more information about the EUFF 2015 and its schedule, please visit the following webpages: https://www.facebook.com/myeuff or http://www.euff.com.my/ ‘The Swiss Touch in Landscape Architecture’ Exhibition in Penang ‘The Swiss Touch in Landscape Architecture’ Exhibition will be extended to Penang after its debut in The One Academy of Communication Design at Bandar Sunway from 19 th – 23 rd October 2015. This exhibition comprises of 36 panels highlighting Switzerland’s role in the evolution of landscape architecture which not only placing emphasis on designs alone but also integrating different aspects of ecological sustainability. Details of the exhibition: Date: 16 th – 30 th November 2015 Venue: 1st Avenue Mall 182, Jalan Magazine 10300 Georgetown, Penang For more information about the exhibition at Bandar Sunway, please refer to page 6. EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 2 Past Events Swiss National Day 2015 well as international dishes. This delicious treats were meticulously prepared by the Renaissance Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Guests were also treated with various congratulatory cakes by business associates. Food stations, cocktail tables and the surroundings were adorned with flowers and drapes in the traditional red and white colours as well as Swiss and Canton flags displayed in all corners have created a celebratory ambience. Buntings and DVD screening of the beautiful sceneries of Switzerland provided by Switzerland Tourism were displayed to showcase Switzerland as a tourist destination. The crowd’s high spirit has indeed added to the festive atmosphere of this memorable The celebration of the National Day of the Swiss th evening. Confederation was held on 29 July 2015 in the Grand Ballroom of Renaissance Hotel Kuala Lumpur. More than 600 guests consisting of compatriots, members of the Malaysian and Swiss business circles, foreign diplomats and friends of Switzerland joined the Ambassador, H.E. Dr Rolf Lenz and his wife to celebrate this occasion. In conjunction with the Swiss National Day, the embassy also organised an exhibition to showcase some artworks from The INTI Centre of Art & Design (ICAD) and Sri KDU Primary School to present the This event was graced by The Honourable Datuk three Olympic values identified by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC held its 128th Azizah Mohd Dun, Deputy Minister Women, Family and th rd Community Development of Malaysia; H.E. Ueli Maurer Session from 30 July till 3 August 2015 in Kuala - Swiss Federal Councillor and Minister of Defence, Lumpur and the Swiss city of Lausanne, where the Civil Protection and Sport and his delegation; and the Headquarter of the IOC is based has been selected to Lausanne 2020 candidature delegation headed by its host the Youth Olympic Games 2020. president comprising of the Mayor of Lausanne and two Canton de Vaud State Ministers among others. The Apart from the exhibition, Pro Patria’s badges were also celebration started off with the exchange of official on sale to collect donations to the benefit of social and toasts, made by the Ambassador and the Guest of cultural works of national public interest. Honour to the King of Malaysia and the President of the Swiss Confederation followed by the National Anthems In the end of the evening, the guests were presented respectively. Dr Rolf Lenz and H.E Ueli Maurer each with a set of Vallotton postcards, Travel + Leisure gave a short address where Dr Rolf Lenz also took the magazine - Swiss Special Edition, sample of Kambly opportunity to bid farewell to his guests. Bretzeli and Kagi Swiss Wafer as well as a Presence Suisse lapel pin. The guests got to savour the Swiss specialities such as the ever popular Raclette, Swiss wines and desserts as EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND 16 Persiaran Madge 55000 Kuala Lumpur 3 “Swiss Game Design” Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur The HELP College of Arts and Technology has organised the “Swiss Game Design” exhibition and workshop in Kuala Lumpur in collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland and support from Pro Helvetia. The exhibition was held from 5th – 10 th October and the workshop was arranged on 7 October 2015 at the HELP College of Arts and Technology’s Campus at Fraser Business Park. The Official launch on 7 th October 2015 The event kicked off with an official launch in conjunction with a workshop presented by two Swiss independent game designers, Mr Adrian Stutz and Mr Florian Faller. The visit of these two Swiss artists was made possible with the support from Pro Helvetia and assistance from House of Electronic Arts Basel. This event was officiated by Mr Siow Aik Wee, Manager for Games and Programme Development from Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC); Mrs Narajana Jantan, Director of the HELP College of Arts and Technology and the Deputy Head of Mission from the Embassy of Switzerland in Malaysia, Mr Rolf Ott. Approximately 100 people attended the launch which consists of staff and students from the HELP College of Arts and Technology; students from Cochrane Secondary School, KDU University College, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology and all the way from Johor, University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia; Streamline studios as well as MDeC. After the official launch, Florian Faller presented a short talk about the ‘Swiss Game Design’ exhibition as well as highlighting the technological and creative potential of game design in Switzerland. After which, the attendees were given a tour of the exhibition by Mr Florian Faller and Mr Adrian Stutz.