(From left, foreground) Yeow and Roland along with SMG and Heineken Malaysia senior management and staff watching the lion dance performance at Menara Star in Petaling Jaya during the brewery team’s visit in conjunction with Chinese New Year. — Photos by AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star
Chinese New Year spirit filled the air with the presence of three “tigers” and two “lions” prancing at Menara Star in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
The performance was part of Heineken Malaysia Bhd’s visit to Star Media Group (SMG).
Dancing to the beat of the Chinese drums, the tigers and lions brought cheer to a large crowd gathered at the entrance of the building.
Heineken Malaysia Bhd managing director Roland Bala, who led the brewery’s management team, said the visit with the theme “Cheers to a Bolder Tomorrow” was to show appreciation to SMG for all its support over the years and solidify the bond between the two companies.
He said the brewery encouraged its customers to engage their inner courage and embrace the formidable force between the strong zodiac symbols in the coming Year of the Dragon.
Roland (seventh from left), Yeow (eighth from left), Ng (third from right) and senior management from Heineken Malaysia Bhd and SMG at the loh sang ceremony.
“Chinese New Year is a time for celebration as we are hopeful for a prosperous year, whereby we can pursue our bold ambitions.
“We would also like to thank our friends from the media and consumers through a series of promotions, exclusive merchandise and in-mall experiences on a grand scale,” he added.
Roland and his team were greeted by SMG chief executive officer Alex Yeow, chief content office Datin Paduka Esther Ng, chief business officer Lydia Wang and other senior management officers.
Ng said the upcoming Chinese New Year would be a promising one for the print media industry as it would be the Year of the Wood Dragon.
“This year’s Chinese zodiac is the wood dragon and it will be an auspicious one for the newspaper and print books industry.
“We are glad to have Heineken Malaysia over at Menara Star.
“They have been coming over yearly and been a great supporter. This year, they are our first client to visit us with Chinese New Year cheer and we are glad to share the celebration with them,” said Ng, who hopes for abundance of prosperity and good fortune this year.
The senior management team from both companies later enjoyed a loh sang session.
Staff from SMG also participated in a few games organised by Heineken Malaysia.
Both companies also exchanged festive greeting plaques as a symbol of support and cooperation over the years.
Roland presented to Yeow a plaque which bore the message “gan gan chong” which means “cheers to a bolder tomorrow” in Mandarin.
Yeow returned the gesture by gifting a plaque which bore the message “lucky long long”.
Dragon translates to “long” in Mandarin and SMG hopes for a long and prosperous year ahead.
