About 200 people had a smashing time at the joint Family Day themed ‘The Pirates of Penang’ organised by Wawasan Open University and DISTED College.
Staff and family members gathered today at the ‘pirate conclave’ on DISTED grounds featuring mock pirate flags, barrels of gunpowder, wine, rum, and tobacco, plus a treasure chest to bestow the appropriate mood.
THE ‘PIRATE’ GROUNDS FOR FAMILY DAY.
Wawasan Education Foundation (WEF) Chairman Dato’ Seri Stephen Yeap, in addressing the crowd, said, “We have reached a milestone as DISTED has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wawasan Open University since beginning of this year.”
He recounted how DISTED College, founded in 1986, was later owned by WEF while years later, the Foundation also set up WOU. He remarked, “Hence the Foundation owned two institutions. For the last seven years, WOU and DISTED were two brothers, but since beginning of this year, it has been owned as one single entity because the balance sheets are all consolidated into one. So you have the same blood relationship now.”
DATO’ SERI STEPHEN YEAP SHARES HIS THOUGHTS.
“It is a milestone also due to the integration of the services, and the sharing of infrastructure, information, and solutions to problems. This sharing will benefit the Foundation. We are one family bound together by the balance sheet,” he added, thanking DISTED’s Dr Liew Yueah Cin and his organising committee for the Family Day.
Earlier, everyone had fun participating in the various games that intriguingly bore pirate sounding phrases. The ‘Fire in the Hole’ challenge pitted teams of three in active rivalry, where each with a balloon tied to their legs and clinging to one another, had to pop the other teams’ balloons. Dr Liew (DISTED) and family emerged winners for this event and also champions in the Pirate Race which required participants to walk fast with balloons tucked between their legs or bodies.
DR LIEW (RIGHT) AND WIFE PARTICIPATING IN THE RACE.
As for ‘Treasure Hunt’, each group was given props like newspapers, markers and stickers to improvise and create their very own pirate-like look on themselves. The winning team was from WOU and comprised of Dr Tung Lai Cheng (SBA), Parameswari Thandayuthapani (SBA), Ong Theng Theng (SELC) and Ooh Seow Ling (SFLS). Dr Tung was also adjudged the Beautiful Pirate.
The Family Day also featured the ‘Cannonball Blast’ which required participants to aim and throw water-filled balloons into cut-out holes on a hanging banner, and ‘Bread Ur Way’ which saw a few brave participants plunging head first into flour to find the hidden sweets.
DR TUNG (2ND FROM RIGHT) AND HIS ‘MATES’.
The much anticipated climax was the lucky draw which awarded shopping and meal vouchers of various amounts. The top winners from WOU included Sharon Alice Wiessy’s (ETP) daughter Ashley Leona, who won a RM100 Kashmir Restaurant meal voucher, and Security Guard Md Noor Din (GSA) who won a Hotel Royal lunch voucher for two persons.
Among those who attended the half-day event were Datin Seri Irene Yeap, WOU Board of Governors Chairman Tan Sri Emeritus Prof Gajaraj Dhanarajan and member Loo Choo Teng, WOU Deputy Vice Chancellor (Operations) Dr Seah Soo Aun, Registrar Yeong Sik Kheong, and DISTED President Dr Koo Wee Kor.
DR SEAH WINS A RM10 COFFEE BEAN VOUCHER. AT LEFT IS YEONG.
