Iconic event, A Journey Through Time III Returns with a Green Message

Kuala Lumpur, October 13, 2009
 
Starhill Gallery, in collaboration with Tourism Malaysia, proudly announced the third chapter of Asia’s largest luxury watch and jewellery showcase – A Journey Through Time III. Driven by the numerous successes of its predecessors, this annual year-end celebration of high-end, quality timepieces is a testament to the inexorable effort by both parties in developing the Malaysian tourism industry into a sustainable major income generator as well as promoting Malaysia as the one-stop centre for luxury acquisition in all of Asia.
 
Present at the press conference were the Minister of Tourism, Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, Tan Sri Dato’ (Dr.) Francis Yeoh, Group Managing Director of YTL Corporation Berhad, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Tourism, Dato’ Ong Hong Peng, Director-General of the Ministry of Tourism, Dato’ Mirza Mohammad Taiyab Beg, and Dato’ Abdul Ghaffar A. Thambi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Tourism.
 
Scheduled to run from the 3rd till the 13th of December 2009, A Journey Through Time III will be held at Kuala Lumpur’s commercial and cultural icon, Starhill Gallery for the third consecutive year. Entitled ‘Time & the Environment’, this year’s theme pays homage to Nature, in an effort to increase the awareness of climate change and other environmental issues that the world is facing today.
 
“Time and elements of the environment are fundamentally intertwined. But the environment is showing signs of buckling under the strain of sustaining Mankind because nothing but time is infinite,” said Tan Sri Dato’ (Dr.) Francis Yeoh, Group Managing Director of YTL Corporation.
 
“Environmental problems and issues are far-reaching and wide, and it is a societal as well as a business concern. Malaysia is a fascinating holiday destination and we are blessed with an abundance of amazing natural wonders like our jeweled islands and lush million year old rainforest, which draws millions of visitors to our shores every year. But with all the environmental problems we are currently facing, we might very well lose these natural treasures faster than we anticipated,” continued Tan Sri Dato’ (Dr.) Francis Yeoh.
 
“Thus, with A Journey Through Time established and recognised by the global watch industry, we felt it timely that we should use this world-class event to help generate more awareness on climate change.”
 
Referring to the paper her ministry recently presented to the World Tourism Organisation in Astana, Kyrgyztan, the Minister of Tourism, Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen said in her speech, ''Malaysia, a small country of 27 million people, have received international arrivals of 22 million visitors. And our objective is very clear, and that is 1Malaysian:1Tourist, so our target is now set to 27 million international arrivals, a figure which they (the other delegates) thought was unattainable. But I believe – that in working with YTL, and with all of you – we can achieve it.''
 
“And through simple programmes such as our Ministry’s Homestay programme, to the most luxurious and sophisticated programmes like A Journey Through Time, we can also talk about the important issues regarding the environment. And of course, it was none other than Tan Sri Dato’ (Dr.) Francis Yeoh who chose and put forward this important theme – a lifestyle of environmental protection and climate change awareness – in the midst of luxury,” added Ng.
 
''It's up to us today – through any means, be it through tourism, or art – that we always alert ourselves that the duty to protect Mother Earth is on us – and nobody else,'' Ng observed.
 
To underline the support for this year’s environmental-consciousness theme, a special talk entitled ‘Time & the Environment Insights’ will be held on December 9th, 2009 and led by Dr. Bernard Cheong, who is well-known throughout the horological circle as one of the most influential watch collectors in the world. Through this talk, horological experts and champions of the environment will present a series of alternative views relating to the environment and the luxury acquisition industry.
 
Remaining true to its tradition, A Journey Through Time III will continue to present yet another eleven days of astounding horological events and exhibitions, accompanied by exquisite culinary delights and world-class live entertainment.
 
Some of the highlights included in this year’s list of attractions include Richard Mille’s Asian debut of the RM019 and RM025, which was nominated at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2009; Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new masterpiece, the Master Grande Tradition; Asia’s first peek of DeWitt’s Répétition Minutes Tourbillon GMT Antipode; Bedat & Co.’s much sought-after Rainbow Collection; Romain Jerome’s astronomical Moon-DNA Collection; and Mouawad’s RM15 million dollar white & yellow gold necklace and the USD30 million dress, The Nightingale.
 
There will also be four new additions to Starhill Gallery’s ever-growing collection of luxury brands. Valentino, Sergio Rossi, Kenzo and Carrera y Carrera will be celebrating the opening of their flagship boutiques in Asia.
 
As for entertainment, heartthrob Stephen Rahman-Hughes; Hong Kong’s singer/actor/celebrity chef Maria Cordero; homegrown acclaimed violinist, Dennis Lau; as well as Malaysian powerhouses Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and Ning Baizura have all signed on to deliver outstanding performances for the esteemed guests and visitors of A Journey Through Time III.
 
As the grand finale, this year’s haute horological journey will be celebrating with none other than the incredible Katherine Jenkins, the award-winning Welsh mezzo-soprano. Katherine has released five classical number-one studio albums to date, selling 4,000,000 copies worldwide. She has also performed in a large number of concerts around the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. Katherine is set to take centre stage on the final night on the 13th December 2009.
 

Text of Speech By Tan Sri Dr Francis Yeoh, CBE

A Journey Through Time Press Conference
13 October 2009, Tuesday

Our Guest of Honour, Yang Berhormat  Dato' Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, Minister of Tourism Malaysia,

Distinguished guests, global watch retailers, members of the media,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here today.

The proverb “Footprints on the sands of time are not made by sitting down”, has never been more fitting when describing Tourism Malaysia and YTL Corporation’s tireless endeavours of putting Malaysia on the world map through the introduction of many world-class events.

One such event is why we are here today.

With the continued support and endorsement from Tourism Malaysia, A Journey Through Time 2009 will once more be hosted in Starhill Gallery, Kuala Lumpur from 3rd to 13th December 2009.

This is the 3rd year that Tourism Malaysia and YTL Corporation are working together to host this iconic event which has drawn more than 110,000 visitors since 2007. It signifies the continual efforts by both Tourism Malaysia and YTL Corporation in developing the Malaysian tourism industry into a sustainable number one income generator as well as promoting our beautiful country as the preferred destination to the travelers of the world for holidays, events, functions and luxury acquisition.

Considered Asia’s largest luxury watch and jewellery showcase, A Journey Through Time is unlike any other watch exhibitions in that it is not trade-focused or manufacture-skewed but rather retail-focused.

Here, at A Journey Through Time, we aim to please watch connoisseurs and discerning watch collectors, who are high nett worth individuals from around the region, by bringing in the latest and most exquisite timepieces and jewellery from top brands like Breguet, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Richard Mille, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Bedat & Co, Audemars Piguet, Franc Vila,  Armand Nicolet, Mouawad and many more.

This year, A Journey Through Time III dons a slightly different mantle to reflect on an issue long advocated by YTL Corporation and Tourism Malaysia. This year’s theme - “Time & the Environment” - will pay homage to Nature by creating more awareness on environmental problems facing the world today.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Time and elements of the environment are fundamentally intertwined. But the environment is showing signs of buckling under the strain of sustaining Mankind because nothing but time is infinite.

In recent weeks, natural disasters have been pounding down like gravels on unprepared nations, and the world has never been more aware of issues relating to the earth’s well-being than now.

We are only just beginning to understand the effects of Climate Change. It is a societal as well as a business concern. Malaysia is a fascinating holiday destination and we are blessed with an abundance of amazing natural wonders like our jeweled islands and lush million year old rainforest, which draws millions of visitors to our shores every year. With Climate Change happening, we might very well lose these natural wonders faster than we anticipated.

Thus, with A Journey Through Time established and recognized by the global watch industry, we felt it timely that we should use this world-class event to help generate more awareness on Climate Change. There will be a special talk titled the “Time & the Environment Insights” where horological experts and champions of the environment will present a series of topics relating to the environment and the luxury acquisition industry.  The talk is scheduled for 9th December 2009 and will be led by Dr. Bernard Cheong, who is well-known throughout the industry as the most influential watch collector in the world.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Interestingly, automatic watches and bicycles are the only ‘machines’ that don’t use any fossil or electrical fuels to power them.

Moreover, luxury watches and jewellery are heirlooms, pieces of stunning engineering work that are meant to be acquired, archived and kept for generations. These items of culture and value will not age or become redundant, but appreciates in value as the years go by, thus they are passed down from father to son in a bonding ritual as old as time.

A Journey Through Time III will continue to perpetuate this tradition with another year of wonderful horological experiences together with gastronomic adventures, world-class entertainment and milestone pieces making their Asian debut in Starhill Gallery.

Richard Mille, one of the most innovative brands around, will bring in the RM019 and RM025, which was nominated at the Grand Prix d’Horlorogerie de Genève 2009;
Jaeger-LeCoultre will present the new Master Grande Tradition, a masterpiece equipped with a silicone escapement that is a perfect blend of technical performances and noble watchmaking traditions;
and DeWitt will be presenting Asia’s first viewing of the Répétition Minutes Tourbillon GMT Antipode, an exceptional twin-face model housing the latest technological breakthroughs of 21st century.
Bedat & Co. will be showcasing the much sought after Rainbow Collection;
Romain Jerome, a brand of Titanic potential brings us another astronomical offering, the Moon-DNA Collection;
Mouawad will dazzle us with their RM15 million dollar white & yellow gold necklace and their USD30 Million dress called The Nightingale;
Adding more glitz and glamour to these 11 days of intense haute horology, Valentino, Sergio Rossi, Kenzo and Carerra y Carrera will also be celebrating the opening of their flagship boutiques in Asia.
On the entertainment front, we have signed on Stephen Rahman-Hughes, Maria Cordero, Dennis Lau, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza, Ning Baizura, and world renowned Katherine Jenkins to regale our esteemed guests at A Journey Through Time III.
With multiple unique experiences each year and with our Duty free incentives for luxury timepieces, A Journey Through Time will continue to draw in high nett worth individuals from around the region. We are confident that this annual year end event will once more deliver a world-class event in celebration of timeless timepieces and the environment.

Before I end, I would like to thank Yang Berhormat Dato' Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen for being here today and for endorsing this collaboration with Starhill Gallery that will continue to put Malaysia on the horological calendar. Her leadership will certainly enhance Malaysia’s image as a quality destination of choice.

I would also like to thank everyone for being here today and I look forward to welcoming you to Starhill Gallery’s for A Journey Through Time 2009, this December 3rd!

We hope that with A Journey Through Time 2009, our nation will continue to leave footprints in the sands of time for many more years to come.

Thank you and God bless all of you.