The AYA Awards 2009 happened last Sunday evening … and T4YP was there to experience the glitz and glamor of the occasion in person. Here is the first of two perspectives on the event from the eyes of Chris Ling and Nalina Samynathan (Company/Stage Manager for T4YP 2009).

The Youth-Friendly Company Finalists (From L to R: Leaderonomics, AFS Malaysia, T4YP)

Chris Ling writes: The last time I had to wear a full suit, I was nowhere near klpac and the idea of being able to work here was still very much of a distant dream. So much can change in just a matter of a year or two.

The reason for the formal attire was the Asian Youth Ambassadors (AYA) Awards 2009 ceremony, a most note-worthy (fifth year running) yearly event held to honour individuals and companies who are far-sighted enough to invest in the future of young Malaysians.

I represented T4YP along with Nalina Samynathan, our Company/Stage Manager for 2009 who was most intrigued by the overwhelmingly warm welcome she received from each and every member of the Hospitality Team on her way up to Pentas 1.

Add to that the surreal feeling of having a “personal attendant” allocated specifically to us for the entire duration of the evening. Personally escorted through the all-too-familiar surroundings of klpac really does mess with your mind.

The ceremony in itself was a glitzy, well-executed affair, featuring song and dance performances as well as a twenty minute “talk-show” segment highlighting the true stories – inspiring stuff, to say the least – of the four Most Outstanding Youth of the Year Award nominees.

Ultimately, T4YP didn’t win the award but it was more than enough to have been considered in the top three out of a total of eighteen who were nominated. (A note of thanks to those of you who did cast your vote for T4YP when the opportunity arose.)

The recipient of this year’s AYA Youth-friendly Company of the Year Award was Yayasan Antarabudaya Malaysia (AFS Malaysia), an international, voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit organisation that provides inter-cultural learning opportunities to young people, primarily secondary school students. More info on AFS Malaysia and the work they do can be found here: http://www.afmas.org.

I cannot begin to describe how relieved I felt to finally be able to exchange my shirt and tie(!) for a T-shirt at the end of the evening. For me, it was akin to changing out of a costume, albeit a comfortable one.

How strange and yet fulfilling it is to have been able to receive a token of appreciation honoring the work of more than 35 undeniably talented and enthusiastic young people to date that have made T4YP what it is today. Representing them onstage that night was such an honor.

A final thought: I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be back at klpac bright and early the very next morning in my trademark T-shirt, shorts and slippers sans the exuberance of the crowd from the night before.

(Excerpted with the kind permission of Living Arts Malaysia.)