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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.”
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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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