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The grand opening of Desaru Coast


I remember it was March 2018 when Desaru Coast conducted a mass recruitment exercise across the nation covering cities like Johor Baru, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Penang to offer over 4,000 hospitality related job opportunities with world-renowned hotels and resorts.
           
A scene from the musical drama show presented at
the official opening event of Desaru Coast

Held at the Persada International Convention Centre in JB, I was among the guests who were given a peek into the recruitment event for positions with Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, The Westin Desaru Coast Resort and the Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark which boasts the largest wave pool in Southeast Asia.
               
With the master plan for this new development in mind, I had flashbacks to the Desaru we experienced a few decades ago…

I was both optimistic and excited about this focus on Desaru again to revive it as an important destination not only for Johor but also in this region.

A speech by Chairman of Desaru Development
Holdings One, Dato' Ahmad Pardas Senin

Meanwhile construction was in progress to develop the properties within an integrated holiday destination that covers over 3,900 acres of land that enjoys 17km of beachfront.

Since late 2018, I’ve been a regular at Desaru Coast to attend a range of interesting events hosted at The Els Club Desaru Coast, Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, The Westin Desaru Coast Resort and the Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark, so I had the privilege of my own experiences at the various destinations here.

Fast-forward to July 2019 when I’m seated among the guests gathered in the Desaru Coast Conference Centre to witness a momentous event, the official launch of Malaysia’s latest curated integrated holiday destination in Johor – Desaru Coast – by the Sultan of Johor, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar.

A speech by Johor Chief Minister,
Dato' Dr Sahruddin Jamal

The event kicked off with the usual sequence and protocol of an official event in the presence of His Royal Highness, followed by speeches by Chairman of Desaru Development Holdings One, the master developer of Desaru Coast, Dato’ Ahmad Pardas Senin and Johor Chief Minister, Dato’ Dr Sahruddin Jamal.

“Today, an organization’s aspiration comes to life as we witness the celebration of the journey, the hard work and tireless dedication of the men and women of Desaru Development Holdings One,” said Dato’ Ahmad.

“Of course over and above that, the development of Desaru Coast would not be possible without the wise counsel and auspices of His Majesty, the Sultan of Johor and the state government of Johor and for that, I would like to express our profound gratitude.”

Another scene from the musical drama
choreographed by Pat Ibrahim, The Impresario

“It is our hope and ambition that Desaru Coast showcases to the world, the best of Johor and indeed, Malaysian hospitality and culture,” he added.

Guests were treated to Penawar, a musical dance and drama show, choreographed by Johorean, Pat Ibrahim, and performed by artistes from Pat Ibrahim Project Entertainment.

Dressed in colourful Malay traditional costumes, this energetic performance portrayed the early history of Tanjung Penawar and the legendary medicinal and magical value of the leaves of the Merambong plants, which are native to this coastal region.

A poem recital with its final lines that cordially
invited the Johor Sultan to
officially declare Desaru Coast open

The performance drew to a close with a poem recital and the words cleverly woven into its final lines cordially invited His Majesty, the Johor Sultan, to officially declare Desaru Coast open.

The logo for Desaru Coast is artfully designed in the image of Ketapang leaves and the Johor Sultan was invited to add his royal touch and paint the leaves on the logo as a gesture to officially launch this prestigious Johor destination.

His Majesty kindly obliged.  

So with careful strokes of his paintbrush, Desaru Coast was officially launched!

The grand launch of Desaru Coast also unveiled the inaugural edition of the Ombak Festival, designed to be an annual event with curated activities to showcase culture, music and food that highlight homegrown talents and products, local expertise and creativity.

The Johor Sultan adding his royal touch to the Desaru Coast logo to
officially declare Desaru Coast open.

“With Visit Malaysia 2020 and Visit Johor 2020 campaigns in view, Desaru Coast is prepared to collaborate and partner with various stakeholders in pursuit of a common goal to provide a well-rounded, end-to-end spectrum of guest experiences, which is our commitment to the wider tourism ecosystem,” said Roslina Arbak, Chief Executive Officer of Desaru Development Holdings One.

The three-day Ombak Festival kicked off at the Desaru Coast Riverside, the main venue of the festival, while an exciting line-up of beach activities and watersports were arranged at the beach. More about this in my next story.

For more info on Desaru Coast, visit website: www.desarucoast.com and Desaru Coast Malaysia on Facebook.

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