PART 2; OPENING OF MAJESTIC HOTEL KUALA LUMPUR

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
THE RESURRECTED MAJESTIC HOTEL KL OPENED LAST NIGHT ON 8 DEC 2012 WITH A GRAND GALA IN ITS 1,200 PAX BALLROOM.

Dato Mark Yeoh, director of YTL Hotels and Jenny and Irene Tan, daughters of Tan Meng Tan the Bar Captain of the old Majestic who were presented with a special plaque print of their father

KK Tan, June Wong (sporting new hairdo cut 3 hours earlier) and Tan Sri Francis Yeoh MD of YTL Group and the brains behind Majestic and everything else under the YTL umbrella
Freddie Cole, brother of Nat King Cole, belting out the ironic song 'I Am Not My Brother, I Am Me'

Ramli, his wife Pearl who is the daughter of Dato Maria Menado who is next to her and former Chief Psychiatrist Tan Sri Mahadevan

2 superstars; Dato Maria Menado, dubbed the Most Beautiful Woman in Malaya in 1957 by Times magazine and Kee Hua Chee, dubbed Greatest Journalist This Side of the Universe for Eternity by the Gods

Located diagonally across the old picturesque Railway Station, the new Majestic Hotel will now take pole position as the first and only Leading Hotel of the World in Malaysia. What a huge feather in the cap of YTL Hotels and a major accolade as it is no easy to be a member of Leading Hotels of the World, the world's most prestigious line-up of luxurious and full-serviced hotels.

Said Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, MD of YTL Group worth around RM 9 billion, "In the 1990s when YTL was building Bintang Walk, duties on luxury goods were a staggering 40% which explained why Malaysians wnet down to Singapore to do their shopping. Or further afield to Hong Kong. 

"When the then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir asked how Malaysia could overtake Singapore, I suggested the whole nation, not just Kuala Lumpur or Penang, should abolish the crippling taxes and duties that made shopping in Malaysia so unreasonbly expensive. I said all duties on branded goods should be abolished except cigarettes and liquor. Since 1999 when duties were lifted, we have become a major shopping centre and around ten days ago, CNN listed Kuala Lumpur as the 4th Most Important Shopping Centre, after New York, London and Tokyo! Isn't that amazing? 

"We have to thank visionary Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad for looking at the big picture and giving up the 40% tax revenue in exchange for potentially bigger returns which have materialised.  Let us all give a round of applause to Tun Dr Mahathir!"

Alas, the great man was unable to attend but will attend a gathering in his honour at Majestic Hotel in March next year, provided the world does not end on 12/12/12 or 21/12/12 when we are all supposed to die in an fiery firestorm of tidal waves, earthquakes, typhoons and volcanic eruptions that will split the planet asunder. I don't mind as my place in heaven has been reconfirmed twice so I am safe as houses which will collapse like a pack of cards when the time comes.

Continued Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, "Tun Mahathir also commented many tourists tended to fly to either Singapore down south or Bangkok up north while Malaysia is stuck inbetween. I said why not build an Orient Express train that would start from Singapore and journey across Malaysia till Bangkok? After all,  70% of the journey from Singapore to Bangkok would pass through Malaysia! And the train carrying high net income tourists could stop at Kuala Lumpur and Penang enroute? The Prime Minister said, "Great idea. When can you start?"

Ditto for the Majestic Hotel though it took some 18 years for the entire project to come to fruition last night.

Said the staunch Christian Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, "I wish to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for making everything possible."

The original Majestic Wing which is the actual historic hotel circa 1932 has 47 suites while the new, 15-storey Tower Wing has 300 plush rooms. Very similar to Bangkok's Mandarin Oriental hotel with original building circa 1881 and new tower block. And also Hong Kong's Peninsula hotel with original 5-storey building and brand new tower at the back.

The Majestic Wing has Colonial Cafe, The Bar and Tea Lounge. The Tower Wing has the Reception, Contango restaurant, 16 meeting rooms, Grand Ballroom for 1,200, gym and swimming pool.

Now Kuala Lumpur has joined the likes of Peninsula Hong Kong, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Raffles Singapore and The Strand Yangon! Majestic KL is positioned as the best hotel in Malaysia though it lacks a shopping mall like Suria KLCC which is annexed to Mandarin Oriental KL or Starhill Gallery, an airconditioned walk from Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott.

Entertainment was provided by Freddie Cole, the brother of Nat King Cole! Freddie Cole, who looks like Nat King Cole, used to be pestered with songs made famous by his brother he penned a song "I'm Not My Brother, I 'm Me"!

This he sang together with 'Pretend' and 'I Love You' and Christmassy songs. 



Dato and Datin Mark Yeoh

Dato Mark Yeoh announcing the performance of Freddie Cole, brother of Nat King Cole

The Majestic Chicken Chop like it was served in 1932, based on the original recipe

Delightful Bread and Butter Pudding

Irene and Puan Seri Cecilia Lim whose hubby Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay owns Genting Highlands and is one of Malaysia's richest men

Irene and Puan Sri Cecilia Lim of Genting Bhd

Irene, Puan Sri Cecilia Lim and Jennifer Ong

Guest, Puan Sri Cecilia Lim and Jenny Hui of Lady Jane

Puan Sri Cecilia Lim, top couturier Jenny Hui and top blogger Kee Hua Chee

Guest, Puan Sri Cecilia Lim, Jenny Hui who designed Puan Sri Cecilia's gown and Kee Hua Chee who wrote this
Rich ladies all dressed in Valentino from head to bag to toe

Rich ladies in Valentino from head to toe

Too bad they were not all in red as Valentino is famous for his red baju. The dress at left costs RM 38,000 so they mus be loaded tai-tai

Malaysia's Most Gorgeous Couple; Dato Seri Lim Huah Leong and Datin Seri Wendy Lim, look at her cleavage, I mean magnificent RM 300,000 diamond brooch which simply drew my eye to view her cleavage
 
Malaysia's Most Gorgeous Couple; Datuk Seri Lim Huah Leong and Datin Seri Wendy Lim

My favourite billionaire; Tan Sri Chua Ma Yu who is busy building St Regis hotel and residences as we speak

Gail Featherstone, wife of British High Commissioner and Puan Sri Sharon Chua

Dato Maria Menado and Tunku Marina her grand daughter
Dato Maria Menado and grand daughter Tunku Marina
Dato Maria Menado, dubbed the Most Beautiful Woman in Malaya in 1957 and she still looks great at 80 and Kee Hua Chee, dubbed Greatest Journalist This Side of Observable Universe in 2012 and still looks divine at 35

Jenny Hui of Lady Jane, Pearl the daughter of Dato Maria Menado, Ramli her husband and guest

Jenny Hui, Pearl, Ramli and guest

Datuk Professor Jimmy Choo and Jennifer Ong

Datuk Professor Jimmy Choo and Jennifer Ong

Datuk Professor Jimmy Choo, Jennifer Ong and Christopher Lim

Dato Maria Menado, Jennifer Ong and Christopher Lim

Dato Maria Menado, Jennifer Ong and Christopher Lim

Pearl and Ramli, not Pearl & Dean

Dato Maria Menado and Tan Sri Mahadevan the former Chief Psychiatrist to the Malaysian Government

Dato Maria Menado and Tan Sri M Mahandevan

Ramli, Pearl, her mother Dato Maria Menado and Tan Sri Mahadevan

Ramli, Pearl, Dato Maria Menado and Tan Sri Mahadevan

Freddie Cole in action on stage





Dato Mark Yeoh, Jenny Tan and sister Irene Tan whose father Tan Meng Tan, was the Bar Captain at the Majestic Hotel

Jenny F.L Ng nee Tan and Irene Tan holding the print of their father Tan Meng Tan the Captain of Majestic during the 1940s. He related the tale of how a flustered and agitated lady who stormed to a table occupied by a man and a lady (not his wife) and sat in front of them and glaring angrily as obviously she was a friend of the man's wife. Tan Meng Tan came to take her order and she said, "Give me a Code 55 and 2 bulat". The Bar Captain Tan Meng Tan was momentarily taken aback as there was no such cocktail...then he realised she wanted a gun Colt 55 and 2 bullets! He managed to calm her down and take her away without bloodshed.

Jenny Tan and Irene Tan, daughters of Tan Meng Tan the Captain of the old Majestic

Kee Hua Chee and guests