#UM1stBday: What’s going on behind the scenes?

We are pleased to have the opportunity to interview Rebecca Lau (Becca), Sukania Prem Kumar (Suki) and Jocelyn Loh, the three #foreverinterns at the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR). They may be new, but are currently the ‘key people’ playing the important roles of organising the launch of the MCCHR’s Resource Centre + UndiMsia!’s 1st birthday bash. Let’s read the sweet and sour moments they’ve had in preparing for the event.

 

 

How much time have you guys been spending in organising this event?

Suki: Oh! Organising this event has taken up my whole life!

Jocelyn: It’s hard to put the time that we have spent in numbers. Organising this event has been the core of our lunch time discussion every day.

Becca: Jo, you are unable to put it in numbers because you have not done enough!

Well, I was assigned the job of organising this event on the very first day of my internship with UndiMsia!. That was two and a half months ago. Since then, I have put in all of my time every day – apart from eating, showering and sleeping to this event.

What role do you play in organising the launching of the Resource Centre? Did you face any difficulties?

Becca: At first we were so stressed when we were assigned to this event. We could not even come up with a theme for the party. Just coming out with a name for the event cost us one month.

Jocelyn: I am in charge of the flyers and video-making. In coming out with the design of the flyers, we went through some freelance designers who didn’t have the time to spare. We have to be very cautious on the design of the flyers. But I must thank our designer for having the patience to bear with us, especially with so many amendments being made!

We are also in the process of shooting a video that tells the history of UndiMsia! and how it was formed. This will be screened during the launch.

Suki: I am responsible for the performances and the publicity of the event. Our chosen form of publicity was to host a flash mob. Prior to this, I never knew how intricate a flash mob really is. Choreographing was not easy, even though we reused most of the dance moves from a certain MV (for those who don’t know what this is, it’s ‘music video’). You have to take into account not only your dancing capabilities but the likes of others as well.

Fortunately, handling performances was pretty straightforward since I know both performers personally.

Tell us, in your opinion, what would be the most exciting programme throughout the celebration?

Jocelyn: Of course it’s the auction!

Becca: The auction! We have invited some well-known individuals to join us. They are open for bidding (for a date)! We can’t reveal their names but one of them is currently the DJ of a local radio station.

We have various individuals coming from different backgrounds on the bidding list. We aim to portray UndiMsia! as a movement capable of accommodating not only individuals coming from the legal profession and law students, but everyone who is concerned about this country.

What happens to the proceeds of the auction?

Becca: All proceeds collected from the auctions will be donated to the Resource Centre. We are not expecting a large sum of money, as the targeted guests will be mostly youths and students. This (auction is just for fun.

Who is Emeka Agu? His name is on the event’s flyers.

Suki: Agu is a Nigerian student who plans to read law in the UK. He has been studying in Malaysia for more than four years. He’s 17. His cover of Oppa Gangnam Style has 9000+ views. (Awesome!)

What about ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’? Are we going to have a play based on that novel?

Suki: To Kill a Mockingbird is a band! The members are in the midst of completing their A levels, but still manage to find time to satisfy their musical appetite. No, we didn’t choose them because their name has legal connotations. They have recently released their single online.

The band members are Maha, Prasad, Harith and Amanda.

What else have you guys done in promoting the Resource Centre?

Suki: We are going to do a flash mob at some hotspots within the Klang Valley. Of course, we can’t tell you the venues here. “Galloping” and “horse riding” are the words I can give to let you guess as to what we are going to do during the flash mob.

 

How many guests do you expect us to have on the 15th of September?

Becca: 300. We are expecting most of them to be youths. However, others are also welcome as UndiMsia! is open to all.

Jocelyn: We are targeting 300 guests. We hope to have more new faces to join us, understand us and move with us.