“I’m starting with the man in the mirror/ I’m asking him to change his ways…” The chorus of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”, performed by the Asian Youth Ambassadors (AYA) Choir Project with Mia Palencia at the AYA Dream Malaysia Awards 2008, captured the type of spirit which the Awards aims to celebrate and reward.

 

Held at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) on 9th November, the Awards aims to give recognition to individuals and institutions for their spirit of perseverance in their efforts to better themselves as well as their community and nation. Although only in its fourth year since its launch in 2005, the Awards ceremony was attended by around 500 Malaysians from all walks of life, supported by a 170-strong crew of volunteers from ACTS Church.

 

Rousing drum-rolls started off the AYA Awards 2008 as Deafbeat, a drum troupe comprising deaf musicians, performed the opening act of the night. Then came a video presentation detailing the history of the Awards, before the emcees for the night Dave Yeow and Eleanor Chua entered to introduce themselves as well as to invite Chairman and Founder of AYA, Kenneth Chin, on stage for his speech. He spoke about the aims of the Awards to recognize people who would overcome obstacles to make a difference, as well as to foster national unity in Malaysia. The latter aim was certainly apparent throughout the night as the ceremony was graced by multicultural performances by Kumpulan Tarian Mahkota Perpaduan from the Jabatan Perpaduan Negara dan Integrasi Nasional (JPNIN) and Ravi Shanker & team who performed colourful Malay and Indian dances respectively. The AYA Choir Project performed its debut under the baton of Mia Palencia, a popular local singer-songwriter, singing with tuneful accuracy Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” and “Keep the Faith”. The songs effectively brought across the main message of the Awards: to bring change to our world by first starting with ourselves, and to persevere despite the odds.

 

The highlights of the night were of course the announcements of the Most Outstanding Youth and Youth Friendly Company of 2008. Video clips which featured interviews with the nominees capturing their passion and vision were shown, and the nominees were invited onto the stage amidst much cheers and applause from the audience. The Youth Friendly Company award went to SMASH, a non-profit hybrid dance and martial arts studio aiming to provide youths a more wholesome alternative to clubbing and other unhealthy activities. Meanwhile, Dhinu Dhanveer Singh, a social worker and co-founder of a youth-run non-profit organization SOLS24/7 providing life-skills education to the disadvantaged in places such as East Timor and Cambodia, was named Most Outstanding Youth.

 

Both Dhinu and Soong Sai Mun, co-founder of SMASH, agreed that the awards would definitely encourage them to continue inspiring others to achieve extraordinary things and be a part of a better Malaysia. According to Dhinu, AYA provides an opportunity to unsung heroes in Malaysia as getting the recognition encourages them to keep doing what they are doing.

 

“These people not just faced their challenges to do what they are doing, but they also gave back to their community,” said one of the judges for the AYA Dream Malaysia Awards, Sajeera Nair. The very impressed Sajeera explained that the nominees were people who were willing to leave behind what is comfortable and go out of their way to achieve something or to give something back to society. “They make you realise that so much can be done by ordinary people. And they deserve a pat on the back. When you are appreciated, you would do even more,” she added.

 

What the audience carried back with them from the night is an important aim of the AYA Dream Malaysia Awards as it aspires to raise awareness that an outstanding spirit can make a real difference in our world and is something valuable worthy of reward and recognition. When asked what they thought of the Awards, members of the audience said that it did inspire them and cause them to think more about the value of choosing to persevere for a worthy cause. They were encouraged by the nominees’ stories of passion and determination to overcome obstacles so as to ensure a better future for themselves and Malaysia.

 

Truly, as the singers sung that night, “no message could have been any clearer: if you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change”! The AYA Dream Malaysia Awards shouts it out loud and clear, and it is hoped that this potentially life-changing message will continue to spread and resonate in the hearts of Malaysians.