Invitation to Attend Civil Society Award ceremony

The KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) will be having its Civil Society Award ceremony on 28^th August 2008. The NGOs, activists and the public are invited to attend in order to acknowledge individuals and organizations on their contributions to civil society and to open up the democratic space.

KLSCAH hopes that this initiative will encourage more individuals and organizations to participate in pushing for social progress and to establish a civil society. The growth of civil society requires participation of all ethnic groups and all segments of the society. We thus invite all to join us in this activity and welcome feedback so that we can move forward to a more open and progressive society.

Details of the event:

Organizer : The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall

Data : 28 August 2008 (Thursday)

Time : 7.30 p.m.

Venue : Auditorium of KLSCAH

Agenda :

07.30pm registration and dinner

08.30 pm promulgation ceremony and speeches

1. Greetings by Tan Yew Sing, Deputy President of KLSCAH

2. Introduction by Ser Choon Ing, Chairman of the Civil Society Award

3. Brief history of the Malaysian civil society

4. “Ethnic Identity and Civil Society” by Mr Lee Ban Chen, veteran political commentator

5. Social movement and music performance by Mr Amin Iskandar, artist and writer

6. Civil society in today’s Malaysia by Mr Haris Ibrahim, human rights lawyer

7. The judges’ note

8. Closing (Music: Wind of Change)

Should you have further enquiry, please do not hesitate to contact the assistant secretary of the KLSCAH, Chan Kim Ming , 03-22746645.

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The promotion and strengthening of freedom and democracy depend on the growth of civil society. The first Civil Society Award to be given away by the KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) starts from 2008.

The purpose of the award is to acknowledge individuals and organizations on their contributions to civil society and to open up the democratic space and at the same time encourage such participation by more individuals and organizations.

This award also serves as an evaluation to the civil society organizations and even to the overall performance of civil societies. Besides, we should recognise the importance of civil societies as the third-sector and NGOs are moving our society to be more progressive. We hope that this would encourage the communal organizations to be more open and be more proactive in the public affairs.