KOTA KINABALU – The Malaysia Day weekend at Magellan Sutera Resort last night, was rocked by the inaugural Petra Kasih concert, which was held to celebrate the soft launch of The Vibes news portal as well as the Petra Kasih initiative.
Hundreds of guests, ranging from leaders of rival political parties to renowned celebrities, media personnel and business tycoons were entertained by the star-studded performances of some of the greatest names in the music industry as they wined and dined on the lavish spread.
Some of the more prominent political names who graced the event were PKR president and Port Dickson MP Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim; former Sabah deputy chief minister Christina Liew (PKR); senior Umno officials; Bersatu Sabah’s number two Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun; former tourism, arts and culture deputy minister and Balik Pulau MP Bakhtiar Wan Chik and; DAP’s Tg Bungah assemblyman Zairil Khir Johari.
“After touching down in Kota Kinabalu, I went straight to attend the soft launch of a new news portal The Vibes last night. Hopefully this portal can give fresh competition to the local media industry.
“I hope it can ensure that democracy and press freedom principles continue to live on,” said Anwar on a Facebook post regarding The Vibes.
The new portal’s aspiration for balance and inclusivity was reflected in last evening’s colourful collection of personalities who enjoyed themselves at the launch.
Renowned academics and scholars such as the famed Bridget Welsh, as well as Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun, were seen having a great time and had also promised their support and contributions to the news website.
Kavita Kaur, "the Voice of Malaysia" Patrick Teoh, actor and former Finas chairman Datuk Hans Isaac, were among the celebrities that had wished "the best vibes" for the portal.
From the diplomatic circle, Belgian ambassador Pascal Gregoire, Croatian ambassador Ivan Velimir Starčević and Sri Lankan ambassador Air Chief Marshal Kapila Veedhiya Bandara Jayampathy, honoured the event.
With the tagline "From Every Side", The Vibes aims to be a neutral news portal focusing more on exclusive articles while giving its readers a perspective that is as balanced as possible.
"The Vibes will take the middle path. We will be critical but constructive. We are conscious of our role as the fourth estate and endeavour to live up to our responsibilities and the people's expectation of us.
“The Vibes is a free portal without a paywall as we believe the news… critical news and our agenda to promote moderation, social justice, inclusivity and diversity must be accessible to all,” said its managing editor Terence Fernandez.
The Petra Kasih concert saw musical legends Datuk Zainal Abidin, Datuk Afdlin Shauki, K-Clique, Vince Chong, Dasha Logan and The 15 belting out their hits as the guests were feasted and feted.
The Vibes executive director Datuk Ahirudin Attan said the portal has among the best names in the industry, including Himanshu Bhatt, Eddin Khoo, Shazmin Shamsuddin, Mohd Hazli Hassan and veteran newsman Musa Scully.
"I am excited with the team Terence has put together and expect them to raise the standard of journalism in this country with insightful and impartial reporting," he added.
Meanwhile, the Petra Kasih initiave is an effort to assist communities hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic.
It's chairman Masidi explained that it is comprised of four main programmes: a micro-financing investment scheme, a farm upscaling programme, the introduction and the cultivation of a new high-value crop and the Ikhlas concert in support of the local creative industry.
"This is a timely intervention by the Petra Group to help Malaysians hit the hardest and I'm thankful that it is starting in Sabah," he said, while calling on other corporations to emulate Petra's initiative. – The Vibes, September 20, 2020
