A Royal Reflection – A Story Of Glory

Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, December 5, 2013

Beautiful inside out ...

Being a woman does not mean you can’t show your remarkable ability

Being a wife does not mean you can’t be far more precious than jewel

Being a mother does not mean you can’t be amazing to the world

That is how it has been proven by Her Royal Highness Princess Zarith Sofiah bint Alhmarhum Sultan Idris Shah when she was invited to Sultanate of Oman as a guest-of-honor at the Sultan Qaboos Award for Voluntary Work, and to give a speech during the ceremony.

Her Highness Princess Zarith Sofiah addressed about the connotation and significance of doing charitable work that women as well can contribute tremendously especially in the roles of wives and mothers.

During her visit to Sultanate of Oman and Sultan Qaboos University from December 4 - December 7, 2013, she was accompanied by her lovely daughter, YAM Tunku Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah and his charming son, YAM Tunku Abdul Jalil, the Tunku Laksamana of Johor.

Dr Ali Bin Saud al Bimani, Vice Chancellor of Sultan Qaboos University and Her Highness Sayyidah Dr Mona bint Fahd Al Said, Assistant Vice Chancellor for External Cooperation receive the delegation where they appraised the existing coalition amid the Sultan Qaboos University and the Malaysian higher educational organizations.

The meeting truly strengthened the ties between the two countries by facilitating scholars and faculty exchange in various fields namely health sciences, nursing and engineering.  For record as of today, there are eight students from Malaysia under this exchange program and 70 Malaysians attached in various units at Sultan Qaboos University.

The Royal with the backbone of the Malaysian Embassy 

Her Highness Princess Zarith Sofiah and her entourage also took the opportunity to visit Nizwa, the old capital of this country.  Located about 140km from Muscat, this oldest city was the center of trade, religion, education and art.

The Royal with the Perwakilan Muscat Ladies

As Malaysian, we are truly pleased and proud of the ties more so this royal visit really received distinguished respectable, attention and reputation throughout the sultanate.  Her Royal Highness and delegation were so pleased to receive the overwhelming warm hospitality and be showered with affection from the people of Oman and everyone they met throughout the visit.

In conclusion, having achieved all that grandeur and still being a humble princess, Her Royal Highness Princess Zarith Sofiah has shown the true blaze of glory of a royal reflection.  For that, we love Her Highness even more!

“Great leaders do not tell you what to do … they show you how it’s done”

Demonstrasi Masakan oleh Kedutaan Brunei

Muscat - 10 November 2013

Masakan Brunei adalah sangat mirip dengan masakan jirannya di Malaysia dan Indonesia. Ada sesetengah masakan atau kuih muih diberi nama yang sama kecuali mungkin ada sedikit perubahan dari segi rasa dan resepi.

Perwakilan Muscat telah berbesar hati menerima kunjungan Kedutaan Brunei ke Rumah Malaysia. Datin Hajjah Norbayura bte Hj Lamit iaitu isteri kepada Duta Besar Brunei di Muscat bersama teman beliau, Puan Hajjah Norsiah bte Hj Muhammad telah sudi meluangkan masa hadir untuk mengadakan demonstrasi masakan kepada ahli-ahli.

Puan Hajjah Norsiah telah berkongsi dua resepi masakan tradisional Brunei iaitu Bingka daging dan Pais udang. Bingka daging biasanya dihidangkan sebagai juadah minum petang dan di majlis kenduri kendara manakala Pais daging adalah sejenis lauk yang dihidang dan dimakan bersama nasi putih.

Demonstrasi masakan yang berlangsung selama hampir dua jam ini dirasakan berlalu pantas kerana kami ahli-ahli leka dengan segala tips dan petua yang diberi pada setiap proses untuk membuat juadah ini.

Lebih kurang 16 orang ahli termasuk Datin Musrifah hadir untuk mempelajari masakan tradisional Brunei ini. Perwakilan Muscat mengucapkan berbanyak terima kasih pada Kedutaan Brunei.

Resepi Bingka daging dan Pais Udang diboleh didapati dari blog Dari Dapur Muscat. Lebih banyak gambar di Perwakilan Muscat FB.

Malaysia Marks Its 56th National Day In Sultanate of Oman

Muscat, 6^th November, 2013 – Malaysian Embassy hosted its 56^th National Day celebration at Crown Plaza, Muscat.  Year 2013 also observes 30 years diplomatic and culture binds between Malaysia and Sultanate of Oman.

His Excellency Dato Rustam Yahya

In his short and precise speech, His Excellency Dato Rustam Yahya, the Malaysian Ambassador to Sultanate of Oman acclaimed the growth and the success of the mutual ties between the two countries.  His Excellency also emphasized on few ‘links’ in culture between Malaysia and Sultanate of Oman.  The most significant namely the resemblance of Omani halwa in Muscat and the quite similar taste and dish in Malaysia that is called ‘halwa muscat’.

This lively occasion was attended by dignitaries from Sultanate, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines and Singapore together with Malaysian expatriates in sultanate.

Scrumptious food was served and enjoyed by all

The celebration ended around 9:30 pm and a big thank you to all Perwakilan ladies for the contribution in making this event a successful one.  

Amouage - Tour Of A Perfume Factory

Muscat - 31st October 2013

"A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future" - Coco Chanel. Some may agree or may not agree on this quote but perfume seems to be a woman's best friend. Studies carried out, nearly 80% of all women will make a perfume purchase at least once each year. The reason of purchasing perfumes could vary to everybody but it's mostly just to make us woman smell great and feel better with ourselves. Not only does smelling great make women feel good about themselves, but it will make them feel attractive also.

We buy perfume and wear it daily but not many of us really know how perfumes are made. Because of that Perwakilan Muscat on the initiative from Puan Sofia has organised a tour visit to the famous luxury local perfume factory house - Amouage.

The Perfume House was founded by His Highness Sayed Hamad bin Hamood Al Busaidi, a senior member of the Omani Royal family and established by Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said. At the moment Amouage operates three major global offices, in Kuala Lumpur- Malaysia, Muscat- Oman and London- United Kingdom and three sales offices in Dubai –UAE, Riyadh- Saudi Arabia and Doha- Qatar. Behind the wheel we find Mr. David Crickmore as CEO and Mr. Cristopher Chong as Creative Director for the company.

Amouage - a word created from "amour" with an Arabic word meaning "waves" uses the traditional materials such as frankincense and myrrh. There are 120 different natural ingredients used - silver frankincense is one of the main ones.

Our tour started from the briefing of all types of ingredients used in the perfume. We were being introduced to each of the ingredients that were displayed in the jar. Little that we know, some of the ingredients that we can find in our kitchen are actually used to make perfume!

We then learned how the perfume was processed traditionally where flowers and plants are placed on odourless vegetable fat in a room temperature to capture the fragrant compounds. In 1983, Amouge had only 6 tanks in possession to make only 4 different kinds of perfumes. Today, the perfumes are created in Grasse, France and the last process of manufacture and bottling are done in Amouage's factory in Oman.

Amouage produces maximum 2500-3000 bottles daily and sometimes 5000-1000 bottles daily production depending on demand. Our last tour stopped at the Gift Shop. We sampled each of the perfumes.. first on the wrists and then on the paper wands. As to represent an Omani image with its Arabic touch, the bottles and caps of men fragrances carry the familiar Omani symbols which is the shape of Khanjar, the traditional Omani dagger. As for the women fragrances, it is a dome shape of Ruwi mosque in Muscat.

Amouage produces not only perfume but also creams, lotions, bath oils, candles and room sprays. Not only that, but Amouage also sells impressive leather goods as well. Leather is an Italian cow skin and is made in the same factory produces of the Gucci and Salvatore Ferragamo products.

We spent an interesting hour long informative tour in the factory. Each of us walked out smelling good with the perfumes tested on us, plus the free sample gifts which everybody loves!

"Each step can change a life" - 10th Annual Cancer Walk

Muscat - 29th October 2013

Recently, The Oman Cancer Association (OCA) has organised their yearly event of the 10th annual walkathon at the Qurum Natural Park. As all of us know, this walkathon is to raise awareness on all cancers. It is also known that October is the breast cancer month and  it is also reported that 25% of women in Oman are on breast cancer accounts.

The importance of the walk, themed "each step can change a life" really carries a big meaning. The event started with the performance by the Royal Oman Police band. It then followed by the Zumba dance for warming up.

The walk started around 5pm and was only 2km around the big fountain in the park. There were people from all walks including school children, employees of various companies proudly carrying their banners, mothers pushing children on the strollers, people on wheelchairs and not to forget our Perwakilan Muscat members. Perwakilan Muscat members never fail to participate in this yearly event.

It is reported around 5000-6000 people participated in this walk. The park was visible with the colour of pink and blue tshirts that everybody wore to show the symbolic of the walk.

Free water was stationed and given free to walkers along the park. Food like subway sandwiches, doughnuts, cupcakes and shawarma were also available for sale.

Everyone who was involved in this walk took each step for different reasons. May all of us take this inspiring opportunity to unite as a community to honour cancer survivors and raise awareness.

Sambutan Hari Raya Aidil Adha 2013

Muscat -15hb Oktober 2013

Sambutan Hari Raya Haji Aidil Adha pada tahun ini disambut meriah oleh rakyat-rakyat Malaysia di Oman. Seperti biasa, setiap tahun Kedutaan Besar Malaysia akan menganjurkan ibadah korban untuk rakyat Malaysia yang menetap di sini.

Pada tahun ini sebanyak 17 belas ekor kambing telah dikorbankan. Kambing-kambing ini disembelih di "Bausher Slaughterhouse" di mana kemudiannya dibawa ke Kediaman Rasmi Duta Besar untuk dilapah. 

Aktiviti tahunan gotong royong melapah dan memotong daging ini bermula dari jam 8.30 pagi. Sebahagian daripada daging diambil untuk dimasak jamuan pada tengaharinya manakala sebahagiannya disedekahkan kepada yang memerlukan di kawasan Ghubrah.

Dianggarkan sebanyak 100 orang tetamu yang hadir pada Majlis Makan Tengahari Aidil Adha ini. Antara tetamu yang hadir adalah dari Saudi Arabia, UAE dan Kuwait.

Majlis yang meriah sambutan ini berakhir pada jam 3 petang. Selain kita dapat mengenangkan kebesaran Hari Raya ini, ia juga dapat merapat serta mengerat silaturrahim antara satu sama lain.

Selamat Menunaikan Haji 2013

Seramai lapan orang jemaah haji rakyat Malaysia akan berangkat mengerjakan ibadah haji dari Oman pada musim ini. Mereka adalah Puan Amizian Azlina & Encik Ahmad Kamel, Puan Roziana Ismail & Encik Nasarudin, Puan Joanna Soraya & Encik Rizal Zuhairi dan Puan Noor Epi Zaidah & Encik Mohd Fadel.

Puan Zaileha Japar bersama suami telah berbesar hati mengelolakan kenduri doa selamat di rumah mereka di Al Ansab kepada rakan-rakan jemaah pada malam Khamis, 3 Oktober 2013 baru ini. Majlis doa selamat ini telah dikendalikan oleh bapa kepada Puan Roziana Ismail.

Alhamdullilah, majlis ini telah berjalan lancar dengan dimulai solat jemaah Maghrib, bacaan yasin & tahlil serta disudahi dengan solat jemaah Isyak.

Ramai rakan-rakan telah hadir bersama dengan menyumbangkan makanan seperti lauk pauk dan kuih muih.

Jemaah Haji akan berangkat ke Madinah pada penerbangan jam 8.30 malam ini.

Perwakilan Muscat mengucapkan selamat menunaikan haji kepada rakan-rakan jemaah. Semoga mereka mendapat Haji yang mabrur, selamat pergi dan kembali.

Perwakilan Blog Launch And Farewell Gathering

Muscat – 17^th September 2013.  Today, we live in a fast moving world and information are always at your fingertips.  Realized it or not, Internet really plays an important role to make our lives more lively and is the solution to all our curiosities about news, weather and most of all for home makers - the recipes!

Thus, Perwakilan Muscat took the initiative to conduct the first blogging class in May 2013 at Rumah Malaysia, Al Khuwair. This fun and edifying class was attended by eight Perwakilan members and was conducted by Puan Intan Falisha Mazlan who has poured her experiences and skills in information technology with the assistance and support from Dr Aliza and Puan Amizian Azlina.

And, today the Perwakilan Muscat can proudly officiate the long awaited Perwakilan Muscat very own blog.  This event was held at Rumah Malaysia and was attended by Perwakilan Muscat members and Ras al Hambra Badminton team players for the exclusive support.

This Perwakilan Muscat Blog was officially launched by The Ambassador of Malaysia to Sultanate of Oman, His Excellency Dato’ Rustam Yahya.  In his speech His Excellency was pleased with this initiative and it was a commendable effort by the members and he also stressed that today we must rightfully respect the freedom and power of statement.  On the hindsight, His Excellency also teasingly accentuated that in any kind of situation even in blogging, Perwakilan ladies must not neglect the duty to their husbands and families… J

Welcome speech by YBhg Datin Dr Musrifah Rustam,
the wife of His Excellency

The blog introduction was made by Puan Intan Falisha Mazlan followed by the launch by His Excellency Dato’ Rustam Yahya.

Officially launched!

Refreshing - The new look! The new blog!

In conjunction with this get together, Perwakilan also took the opportunity organizing a farewell party for Puan Monica Bonny and Puan Runa.

Puan Monica Bonny (second from left) and Puan Runa
(third from left) with His Excellency and wife

To make the farewell get together more exciting, the theme of ‘animal print’ was chosen by the committee and the best dress was won by none other than Puan Monica Bonny.

The hall of Rumah Malaysia has turned into
a cute little safari!

Bihun soto prepared by our very own
Datin Musrifah! Yummy!

Food and dessert 

The event concluded by 12:30pm after everyone enjoyed the scrumptious food prepared by Perwakilan members.

In the sporting spirit - as always!
Happy faces of Perwakilan Muscat ladies
in their animal print!

Surely, we look forward for more get together and more fun!