A Merdeka Down Under

Event Coverage 95 Comments

As wrong as this sound, I just had the best Merdeka Day celebration in Melbourne.

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It all started when a friend of mine Ash, who is doing very well as a club DJ in Melbourne, e-mailed me and asked if I would like to emcee the Merdeka Day party he’s organizing over there.

At first, I was confused why he would want to fly me all the way to Australia just to do literally 5 minutes of talking and 10 seconds of counting down. But since he’s gonna pick up the bill and I hadn’t got plans for the long weekend, I thought why not.

I grew up on the other side of the country in Perth, Western Australia, but Melbourne always hold a special place in my heart. During my days as a student activist, many times I travelled alone to Melbourne to attend union meetings and such.

It was then that I learnt how to study maps, source cheap hotels and travel on an arse-tight student budget. I familiarized myself with Melbourne inside out. Those travel-planning skills I developed come in handy later in life when I finally earned enough to fly around and see the world on my own.

Coincidentally, quite a number of people I know were in Melbourne over the same weekend.

Ming, Tim and Audrey were all down to meet up with their team from Nuffnang Australia, and I also caught up with Pierre over hot chocolate at the newly-launched Lindt Cafe.

Heck, I even managed to re-live my student days by sneaking into Melbourne University and attending a Finance lecture for fun.

I was so nostalgic that I took a photo of the lecturer. But I don’t think he was too impressed.

Of course, the real reason I flew to Melbourne was because of the Merdeka party organized by Malaysians for Malaysians over there.

I was bloody hell nervous because:
1) I have never emceed an event before IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
2) Would the crowd even respond to me?
3) WTF. I don’t even have the looks appropriate enough to advertise for a club event.

Seriously! The way they promoted my appearance, it’s as if my name was Paris Hilton.

I cringed when I saw my face on the poster alongside LapSap – two trendsetting DJs from Zouk KL and Kim Ong – a forever poised and talented speaker in her own right.

Talking rubbish on my blog is easy. On the mic I am absolutely hopeless. What should I say to hype up the crowd? There’s nothing else I could think of apart from the usual “Are you ready? I can’t hear you! I SAID. ARE. YOU. READY!?”

And that is just so lame and World Wrestling Entertainment.

Crowd started pouring in as soon as the doors opened. By 11pm, the two whole floors of CQ Bar were already filled to the brim by 1,500 crazy revelling Malaysians.

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The crowd who attended that night was impressive. The evening in Melbourne beats any clubbing night in KL a hundred times over. Everyone was well-dressed, everyone was within the same age group and the gender proportion was so well-balanced.

No case of batangs more than lubangs over here.

Another thing I was pleasantly surprised was the amount of kennysia.com readers who attended the event. Had absolutely no idea I have THAT many readers in Melbourne!

Thank you to everybody that night who took the effort to take photos with me, stop and talk to me or buy me drinks. I was very, very humbled.

The highlight of the night was no doubt, the countdown to 31st August.

Kim: All the sexy ladies in the house make some noise!
Crowd: WOOOO!!!
Kenny: All the Malaysians in the house say “Yeah!”
Crowd: YEAHHHH!!!

It was electric.

The adrenaline rush I got when all 1,500 people cheered at the same time was just incredible. Together, we counted down to zero, chanted “Merdeka” three times a la Tunku Abdul Rahman 1957, then sang Negaraku so loud that my voice turned hoarse.

That 5 minutes on stage was quite simply, one of the best moments I had in blogging. There is no other way to describe it.

DJs LapSap and Kim felt exactly the same way. Those Malaysians in Melbourne were some of the most insane ones they had ever performed in front of. Many of those who attended thought it was even better than any Merdeka events held in Malaysia. Haha!

One thing for sure.

 

 

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Not many people got home sober that night.

The Ramadhan buffet at Borneo Convention Centre, Kuching is pretty good.

95 Replies to “A Merdeka Down Under”

  13. Quote:
    The evening in Melbourne beats any clubbing night in KL a hundred times over.
    True Or Not,Kenny.
    Peoples wife always better than yours.
    Never see Big Snake PangSai……….

    Reply

  14. woh…i never been to melbourne before and i have absolutely no idea that there are so many Malaysian in melbourne….awesome man….too bad i can’t go there…maybe i should try my luck next year…

    Reply

  16. It’s funny how we all celebrated Merdeka so enthusiastically when we were in Melbourne and then when I’m back in M’sia.. I couldn’t care less 😛

    Reply

  17. I’ve the video of the first countdown. Let me know if you want it. I’ll find a way to send it to you.
    Cheers,
    Blue Civic.

    Reply

  25. Hello Kenny. I am studying in melbourne right now. i am not a party-goer but i am excited when you announced here that you are coming to melbourne. i like to read your blog. a very nice platform to keep me updated with social news and happenings!

    Reply

  32. Hey Kenny,
    If you ever get married and have a child…
    You should name him ‘Malay’…
    His full name would be
    ‘Malay Sia’
    🙂 Happy Merdeka

    Reply

  38. That night is really crazy.. What a great night. But i thought that there will be the second Merdeka on 2am. I waited for it but I end up everyone went home and tired..

    Reply

  43. Wow.. looks like you had fun in Melbourne.. I want to start budget travelling too liao 🙂
    and yes..the Ramadhan Buffet at BCCK is great 🙂
    It’s time to trim your hair liao Kenny 🙂

    Reply

  50. Hey kenny,
    That night was awesome,
    till i got to go out with some friends who are mostly drunk and some got into a fight.
    Great to have you around Melbourne to celebrate lol

    Reply

  53. yup, i can understand how you feel. i never felt merdeka day or any other malaysian festival is that special when i’m at home, but celebrating these big festival in UK really give the oommpphh/joyous mood as we feel the power of missing home and malaysian here are quite united to be honest.

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  59. why is it that malaysians are so patriotic and enthusiastic celebrating merdeka when they are overseas but somehow when they are back home, they are less enthusiastic and some might even say racially prejudiced?
    I say it’s not the merdeka they are happy about. it’s just an excuse to get together and party.

    Reply

  61. Yeah yeah yeah,
    If you think you’re so smart, move your ass from Malaysia. Go to Australia or where ever and start demanding this and that. Chinese school, equality or what ever damn thing. You will suffer esp in perth with anti-cina sentiment. Fuck you never appreciate peace in Malaysia. Kennysia babi celebrate MERDEKA with his BABI folks in Melbourne. All BABI FACE drinking like fat rhino and scream like shit. And then having sex like a hoar..

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  66. I absolutely agree. It’s not about the ‘Merdeka Spirit’ ever. Quite simply, it’s a lot of booze and squeezing into a room full of sweaty bods. Bad taste.
    Anyway, Kenny – looking good there!

    Reply

  69. -.- i duno why you guys still bother giving comments, not like his gonna read it.
    his more like a celebrity than a actual blogger already

    Reply

  75. I agree with sean too… No matter how i heart Malaysia, Merdeka day to malaysia now means nothing.. Is just an excuse to party…
    will refrain to celebrate merdeka day until the next government take over…

    Reply

  76. i don’t know about all of you, i found out that the “OI WTF!” is the funniest thing that i ever seen… hahahhahahahha!!!!

    Reply

  80. i got that post card invitation to the party in my aparment’s mailbox. i was like ‘wow, kenny sia is coming to melb’ … then the next thing i did was chuck that post card into recycle bin.. working ppl cant go to that kind of non weekend party

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  81. Hi Kenny,
    The last pic in your merdeka post is a real attraction.I go to your blog just to check out that last pic laugh out LOUD everytime i see it because i know that guy and it’s just sooooo FUNNY to see him on your blog.HAHAHAHA!
    Good to see u that night tho. Cheers!
    =D

    Reply

  84. The strategy plan by Najib is using “good cop” & “bad cop” routine but on the larger scale on the state of Selangor itself. You see how the Federal government is sending conflicting signals to the population at large what it intent to do with this 1Malaysia.
    On one hand, you have the 1Malaysia call, asking for charging of the protestor by the PM, then you have the other hand defending the protestor by the Ministry of Interior. Then you have Police concluding the investigation and handing their report for AG to take action, but the AG then handed back to the Police to ask for more investigation. Its all pretty obvious who are the devil hands causing the cow head incident, we all know it is UMNO people doing it. Given if this is the Pakatan doing, I bet you in no time, the Police & AG will start charging & acting very fast to wallop the Pakatan people.
    Najib has call for the recapture of Selangor, one strategy is to antagonise and flare more organise racial incidents to irritate the people in Selangor. The COW HEAD incident is one such strategy. While the citizen of Selangor between Hindu & Muslim is antagonise, like Pakistan vs India senario, then BN can comes to grip again showing their formula works, that they need BN and BN can solve this issue because the MIC & UMNO can control their people, thus retain back their old power base and continue with their corruption and swindling of the rakyat money.
    People of Selangor should be wise and calm, reflect properly the strategy use by BN to regain back Selangor. We can all live in peace and sent these racist bigots back to the stone age!

    Reply

  85. Nahhh he was completely sober all night, that pic was snapped at the wrong moment making them both look high hahaha.
    Doesn’t make it any less funny though, all of us who know him are laughing here. =D

    Reply

  90. I am really touch reading this…
    Look around what happened in homeland?
    it sound that we are more corporate outside…

    Reply

  91. bro, didn’t Tunku Abdul Rahman screamed merdeka 7 times? i think most malaysians are misled due to lots of short clips showing him saying it 3 times only..
    maybe u should check this out? hehe

    Reply

  92. wei, si mi lah. i didn’t know you were in melbourne. my merdeka was so boring. had i known there were some happenings that night i’d have gone too. mehh….

    Reply

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