MalaysiaAsia Wins Best Tourism Article for Blog at Tourism Malaysia Awards

The Malaysia Tourism Awards 2012/2013 Dinner was held on 20th February 2014 at the Grand Ballroom of KLCC, where a total of 48 prestigious awards were presented to the top players in the tourism industry.

These awards are often regarded as the “Oscars” of Malaysia’s tourism industry, recognising those who have excelled in developing and promoting the nation’s tourism sector.

As someone who has always been writing online for Malaysia Asia, I never really had the opportunity to submit my work for such awards. However, in 2013, the Ministry of Tourism introduced a ‘blog’ category for the very first time, and I decided to submit one of my articles for it.

That was back in June 2013, and to be honest, I completely forgot about it. I was busy travelling around Malaysia and across Asia, as usual.

Jaclyn Victor performs during the Tourism Malaysia Awards Dinner

MalaysiaAsia Wins Best Tourism Article

In mid-January 2014, while I was on the road, I received an invitation to attend the gala dinner in Kuala Lumpur. There was no mention of being a finalist or nominee, but I replied “yes” and carried on with my daily work. It wasn’t until two days before the event that I received a final reminder.

The dress code for the Tourism Malaysia Awards Dinner was strictly black tie. For me, it was a rare occasion to be seen in a suit, but I must say, it felt pretty good being among everyone dressed so elegantly.

Many VIPs from the tourism industry were there—networking, socialising, and catching up. I even bumped into some old friends I hadn’t seen in years. It was actually quite refreshing to attend an event like this, as I’m usually there as a member of the media.

As the Malaysian Tourism Minister, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri, entered the rainforest-themed hall, the MC announced that both the minister and the Secretary General of the Ministry would present all 48 awards.

The guests cheered, and dinner was served shortly after. It was a Western three-course meal, followed by a performance by Malaysian Idol winner Jaclyn Victor, accompanied by Tourism Malaysia dancers.

Then, the award presentations began.

The first award, Best Homestay, was given to Sungai Sireh Homestay in Selangor. The night continued with a mix of performances and award presentations.

When it came closer to the media categories, I started to feel butterflies in my stomach.

The MC announced that there were 82 nominees in the media category. At that point, I honestly lost hope. There were so many talented writers out there, including international ones. When they introduced the Jury Merit Awards, I told myself there was no chance I would win anything.

Best Tourism Article for Blog

The winners were announced one by one: Best Magazine, Best English Article, and Best Chinese Article. For the Indian category, there was no winner.

At that exact moment, I was busy cutting into my Charred Beef Tenderloin and had just put a piece into my mouth.

Then suddenly, the MC announced:

“Best Tourism Article for Blog – David Hogan Jr, Malaysia Asia.”

My heart just dropped. The butterflies went into overdrive!

I quickly grabbed my napkin, wiped my mouth, stood up, and made my way to the stage.

That’s when I realised… I still had a chunk of tenderloin in my mouth.

One of the most embarrassing moments of my life—I was chewing as fast as I could while walking up to the stage. I tried to swallow what I could just before reaching the minister.

When I finally stood in front of him, I apologised for chewing, shook his hand, and he congratulated me before positioning me beside him for the photo.

Standing there on stage, I honestly couldn’t believe it. I was speechless—stunned, overwhelmed, and trying my best to hold a straight face while smiling.

Janice, my partner, was down below taking photos, while further back, I could see a sea of television cameras and photographers.

It was probably one of the proudest moments of my life—receiving one of the tourism industry’s most prestigious awards. And yet, all I could think about was how I had walked up there, chewing my way through it.

Receiving the award from the Minister of Tourism Malaysia.

Winners of Tourism Malaysia Media Category 2012/2013.

After the rest of the media category winners were called, we had a group photo on stage. I was still lost for words. Standing next to me was Esther Choi, who won Best Local Article in Mandarin—someone I hadn’t seen in almost a year.

I congratulated her, thanked the minister and the Secretary General once again, and made my way back to my seat. By then, I had completely lost my appetite.

Janice was just as stunned—we never expected this at all.

Friends came over to congratulate me, but it honestly took me the rest of the night to process what had just happened.

As the evening came to an end with the final awards and a closing performance, guests began to leave. I managed to catch up with some old friends from the Sabah Tourism Board and even made a few new ones.

It was truly a surreal experience. I was later told that the judging panel consisted of 59 judges, which made the win even more meaningful.

Me, Esther Choi (Best Mandarin Article) and Shahidan Jaafar (Best Malay Article).

Janice and I after the awards.

Thank You Very Much

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has supported me over the years—five years at that point—especially my family, for always encouraging me to do what I love.

Most importantly, to Janice, my partner and pillar of strength throughout this journey.

To my clients who have believed in my work, and to all my friends and readers—thank you.

Without your support, I don’t think I would have come this far. I promise to continue doing my best in the field of digital tourism. A huge thank you as well to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia and Tourism Malaysia for the Best Tourism Article for Blog Award.