President's Message

Oxbridge Malaysia - Society Information

Dear Members,

Welcome to our Society's website! We hope you will find plenty here to inform and update you. The website enables newcomers to join the Society and members to contact us, provide feedback and register for Society events - all online.

Over the last year we have been working to provide you with an even wider variety of events to suit all tastes and last year saw a full programme of talks, social and cultural events.

Details are below:

2011-2012 EVENTS

• 21 July 2011 - Small Bites, Big Ideas. Talk by Tunku Abidin Muhriz and Wan Saiful Wan Jan, co-founders of the think tank IDEAS, on the topic “Is Liberty Really That Important”.
• 18 September 2011 – Oxbridge Alumni vs Students Mini Games Carnival
• 23 October 2011 – Project Southeast Asia.  Informal gathering with the pioneer members of the University of Oxford’s Project Southeast Asia.
• 5 November 2011 – Guy Fawkes Night and Bonfire Party at Janda Baik for members and their families.
• 24 November 2011 – Oxbridge Mixologists.  Cocktail mixing classes at Celsius Restaurant and Bar.
• 9 December 2011 – Charity  Christmas Wine and Food Tasting  at the home of Mark Disney.
• 15 December 2011 – Small Bites, Big Ideas with Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda. He spoke on the topic “Malaysia – Trapped by Religion and Politics?”
• 16 February 2012 – Dinner Session with Judge Business School and Kuala Lumpur Education City (KLEC).
• 25 February 2012 – Visit to HRH the Sultan of Selangor’s Automobile Gallery.  A private viewing of HRH’s collection followed by refreshments and a guided tour of Istana Alam Shah.
• 22 March 2012 – Small Bites, Big Ideas with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.  Talk by Mr Chuah Chang Man, Chief Senior Assistant Commissioner on the subject “Challenges in Fighting Corruption in Malaysia”.
• 14 April 2012 – Public Speaking Competition for 4th and 5th Form Students. Preliminary Rounds and Semi Finals.
• 19 May 2012 – Oxbridge Malaysia and Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar Debate and Workshop.  Four speakers from the Society debated Doha style on the motion “This House Believes That Vision 2020 Is Feasible Not Fanciful”.  The attending students from schools all over Peninsula Malaysia were then divided into 10 groups for alumni-led workshops to prepare for five mini-debates on focused topics related to Vision 2020.
• 26 May 2012 – 53rd Annual Boat Race Dinner at the Olive Tree
• 23 June 2012 – 10th Annual Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia English Language Event at Sunway University.
• 1 July 2012 – AGM and President’s Cocktails.

The Vice-Presidents’ Cocktails for the Society Year 2011-2012 were held on 6 July 2012.

July 2011 saw the arrival of our boats and custom-built trailer from Australia and in accordance with Article 3 of the Society’s Constitution, the donor, Mr Bill Dobson of Benalla, Australia was elected to Honorary Membership of the Society in recognition of, and gratitude for, his donation of the Benalla boats and trailer to the Society.

Over the last twelve months, Society members have also been invited to attend various events organized by, or in conjunction with the two universities.  These included:

• 13 August 2011  - “Conversations with Wolfson College, Cambridge Series”
• 19 April 2012 - Tun Suffian Lectureship Royal Charity Dinner.  Remembering our late Patron Tun Suffian and Toh Puan Bunny and raising funds to endow a lectureship in his honour at his former college, Gonville and Caius, Cambridge.

The Committee is keen to expand the Society’s membership – a snip at RM100 for life membership! - and reconnect with alumni whom we can no longer contact. So, if you are already a member, but do not receive regular emails from us, or your details on the website’s Society Information pages are not correct, please update your contact details either via the website or you can email Emma Davidson, the Society's Secretary, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

I would particularly like to thank the following:

• HRH the Sultan of Selangor for the opportunity to view his Royal Automobile Gallery and for the hospitality within the palace.
• Mr. Bill Dobson of Victoria, Australia, our first Honorary Member, for his generous donation of the Benalla boats.
• KLEC for hosting the dinner with academics from the Judge Business School.
• Leong and his students for maintaining the Society’s boats.
• Axiata for their RM5000 donation towards the Society boats and Dato’ Richard Small for talking to Axiata on Oxbridge application procedures.
• Mr Nick Ashby for sponsorship towards the 2012 Boat Race which will be held as soon as a suitable date can be found for all parties.
• Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar (KTJ) for co-organizing and hosting the inaugural Oxbridge Malaysia and Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar Debate and Workshop, to Nina Disney for much of the inspiration and planning  and to KTJ, The British Council and MABECS for sponsorship.
• Sunway University for their continued practical and financial support of the Annual English Language Event.
• Society Member Volunteers for debating, moderating and facilitating at the Oxbridge KTJ Debate and Workshop, for proposing the toasts at the Boat Race Dinner, and for speaking and judging at the Oxbridge-Sunway English Language Event.
• My Committee for their unfailing enthusiasm, hard work, ideas and use of their homes for some of our events.

The Committee and I look forward to welcoming both new and existing members to our programme of events during the coming year.

Sincerely,



Margaret Hall
President