Visiting Bayan Baru Mandarin Toastmasters Club, Penang Island - July 14, 2011

Out of the blue, I decided to pay a visit to Bayan Baru Mandarin Toastmasters Club which meets at PSDC, Penang Island on every 2nd and 4th Thursday 8:30pm. Our Bayan Baru (English) Toastmasters Club member ES Tan recently told me that he had joined the Mandarin Club which was the trigger for this timely visit. It was the first meeting of the Bayan Baru Mandarin Toastmasters Club and it was a Speechcraft meeting with 8 speechcrafters delivering their Project 2 including our dual member ES Tan. It was great to hear enthusiastic speeches in Mandarin and to listen to the many experienced evaluators who offered valuable tidbits. I really enjoyed the meeting and got to brush up a bit on my Mandarin particularly in the listening department.

How many Clubs in Penang (Pulau Pinang)?

(Updated July 14, 2009)

If you are looking to join or visit a Toastmasters Club in Penang, Malaysia, here is my list to help you decide.

Some clubs are extra dynamic. Some are smaller and cosier. Others may not meet as often. So do call ahead using this Toastmasters Internatioanal Official Directory. If not sure, you can post here. Most community clubs will welcome walk-in guests who are interested to know more about the Toastmasters program for self-development in communication and leadership skills.

Note: (Year of Charter, Membership, Meeting Time)

I) PENANG ISLAND (Community Clubs)
Bayan Baru (1996, 43, 1st, 3rd Thu 8pm)
Butterworth (1980, 13, 2nd, 4th Wed 8pm)
YMCA (1985, 20, 1st, 3rd Thu 8pm)
Penang (1979, 11, 2nd, 4th Tue 8pm)
Achievers (2005, 20, 2nd, 4th Thu 8pm)
Gurney Hydro (2007, 20, 1st, 3rd Wed 8pm)
Farlim (2005, 23, 2nd, 4th Wed 8pm)
Vista Penang (2002, 22, 1st, 3rd Tue 7pm)
Sungai Ara (2006, 13, 2nd, 4th Tue 8pm)
Penang Advanced (2002, 13, 2nd, 4th Fri 7:30pm)
Helping Hand Advanced (2009, 20, 1st, 3rd Mon 8pm)
Oracle Advanced (2009, 20, 2nd Sat 2pm)
Penang MCA (1997, 20, 1st, 3rd Tue 8pm)
Bukit Gelugor (2006, 24, 2nd, 4th Wed 7pm)
MCA Batu Ferringhi (2005, 6, 4th Thu 8pm)
Penang Junior Chamber (2008, 7, 2nd, 4th Sat 1:30pm)
Voices (1999, 20, 2nd, 4th Thu 8pm)

Bayan Baru Mandarin (1998, 24, 2nd, 4th Thu 8:30pm)
Penang Hokkien Assn. (1999, 22, 1st, 3rd Wed 8:30pm)
Chee Hoon Khor (2002, 11, 1st, 3rd Thu 8:30pm)
Charismastic Leader (2000, 10, 1st, 3rd Tue 8:30pm)
Superstar Mandarin (2008, 8, 2nd, 4th Tue 8pm)
Talkup Advanced Mandarin (2005, 6, 2nd Wed 8:30pm)

PenangMuslimLeagueTamil(2004,20,1st,3rdTue8:45pm)
Penang Tamil (6, 2nd, 4th Wed 8:45pm)

YMSC Penang Bilingual (2007, 11, 2nd & 4th 9:30pm)

II) PENANG ISLAND (Inhouse Clubs)
Intel Penang (1993, 25, 1st, 3rd Thu 6pm)
Intel Malaysia Speakup (2006, 6, 1st, 3rd Fri 3pm)
Penang Seagate (2002, 35, 2nd, 4th Thu 12pm)
PDC (1989, 20, 2nd, 4th Thu 4pm)
Dell Penang (2005, 21, Thu 6pm)
Penang Adventist Hospital (2007, 21,1st,3rd Wed 5:25pm)
Penang Altera (2008, 22, 1st, 3rd Mon 12pm)
Motorola Penang (2005, 27, 1st, 3rd Thu 12pm)
Motorola(II)CyberSpeakers(08,23,2ndThu,4thMon12pm)
Institut Perkim-Goon 1 (2004, 20, 2nd, 4th Sat 10am)
Renesas Semiconductor (2003, 26, 2nd, 4th Tue 6pm)
RenesasSuccessPenang(2007, 20, 1st, 3rd Tue 6:30pm)
RDM (2008, 6, 2nd, 4th Thu 6pm)
Benchmark Penang (2007, 13, 2nd, 4th Wed 12pm)
Equator (2008, 8, 1st, 3rd Wed 6pm)
USM Alumni (2007, 8, 2nd, 4th Tue 4:30pm)
Venture (2008, 0, 2nd, 4th Thu 5pm)
Pentamaster (2009, 25, 2nd, 4th Fri 12pm)

III) PENANG MAINLAND (Community Clubs):
Seberang Jaya (1998, 20, 1st, 3rd Tue 8pm)
Bagan Ajam (2006, 26, 2nd, 4th Fri 8:15pm)
Bukit Mertajam Bigfoot (2006, 9, 2nd, 4th Wed 8pm)
MEF (2003, 20, 1st, 3rd Thu 8pm)
Sungai Bakap (8, 2nd, 4th Thu 8pm)

Wellesley Mandarin (2003, 13, Wed 8:30pm)
CES Mandarin (2008, 6, Wed 9pm)


IV) PENANG MAINLAND (Inhouse Clubs):
Amphenol (2009, 20, 1st, 3rd Wed 5:30pm)
Ann Joo Steel (2005, 6, 2nd, 4th Wed 12:30pm)
MDT (2008, 22, Mon 12pm)
Team Flantech(2008, 20, 1st, 3rd Wed 8pm)
Mattel Malaysia (2008, 29, Tue 12pm)

How the first Mandarin Toastmasters in Penang started..

First Club Meeting - Newspaper report: Lim Ah Lek of JB Mandarin Toastmasters (seated far right), Division N Governor Jayie Tan (seated far left), Protem President Ong Poh Hin (standing, second from right)




Charter Night Photo @Bukit Jambul Country Club, Penang
(Front Row) Club Sponsor SL Liew, Guest-of-Honor YB Koay Kah Huah, Charter President Ong Poh Hin, Club Sponsor Margaret Chan
(Back, left to right) Mah Swee Chin, Lim Seng Tean, Quah Kean Lim, Emily Tan, Poh Bak Lean, Amos Teoh, Ooi Poh Tin, Koay Kah Hin were all charter members.

I have just wandered into the Bayan Baru Mandarin Toastmasters Club website and am impressed by the achievements of the Club over the years.

Back in 1998, I had tried without success to ask bilingual Toastmasters to form the first Mandarin Club in Penang. I had seen how dynamic Mandarin Toastmasters Clubs were in Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak and Johor.

Although my Mandarin was rudimentary, I decided to take it upon myself to establish the first Mandarin speaking Toastmasters Club in Penang. I felt strongly it was a worthwhile venture.

With the help of Margaret Chan from the English Speaking Bayan Baru Toastmasters (7764-51), we advertised in the local newspapers. One of the first persons who called me was Ooi Poh Tin.

She asked me in Mandarin whether it was a public speaking or social club. "Shi bu shi ju le bu?" I replied "Bu shi". At that time, my Mandarin was still not so good. I thought she asked me "Jiao Yi Bu" - whether I was from the Education department. And so I said "No" but invited her to attend our first demonstration meeting to find out more.

The first demonstration meeting was held at Panther's Club, Relau in Penang Island which was located across the road from PISA. Arrangement was made for a Chinese newspaper reporter to attend our first demonstration meeting. But how was I going to explain the role of SAA or Table Topics session in Mandarin?

I had the Mandarin version of C&L manual but I wanted to put the best foot forward to the news media. Luckily as District Governor, I knew some of the Mandarin Toastmasters Clubs. Lim Ah Lek of Johor Bahru Mandarin came to the rescue and took a bus from JB to Penang to be present at our first demonstration meeting and to professionally answer all the questions asked by the guests and newspaper reporter.







We had members in our Bayan Baru Toastmasters who were Mandarin speaking and they all chipped in by becoming charter members too. Even our outgoing Bayan Baru President Janet Lim, incoming President Joachim Xavier and Rosalind Chan who did not speak Mandarin joined as Charter Members to help us get the minimum twenty members to start the Club.

Bayan Baru Mandarin (7050-51) was chartered on June 1998. For several years, many of us were dual members of both Bayan Baru English and Mandarin Clubs. I even completed up to C&L P5 in Mandarin. Both clubs still meet at the same location, now at PSDC on Thursdays but on different weeks but both clubs are no longer Siamese twins and have chartered each own independent separate journeys. Perhaps one day, we can reestablished closer ties again including waiving of guest fees or joint meetings.

Now back to 1998 again, at the Bayan Baru Mandarin Charter night, as the Club Sponsor, I had to give a speech in Mandarin. Again, Lim Ah Lek helped me through fax to write a splendid speech in Mandarin. However, my delivered speech was more impromptu than the text. It was like giving my icebreaker speech. Fortunately, the audience were very supportive and there was no YouTube then.




Here are some milestones.

Despite initial objections, I made a bold proposal to move Bayan Baru Mandarin from N2 area to be aligned with Division A Mandarin Clubs in Johor. That helped to accelerate the growth of Mandarin Clubs in Penang with Officer training in Mandarin, a Mandarin speaking Area Governor as well as inter-Mandarin club exchanges.

Eventually, Division M in District 51 was formed for all Mandarin Clubs covering Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia and Hong Kong. Mandarin Clubs in Sarawak and Sabah chose to remain in their own Divisions.

Another milestone that I am glad I was involved was this. When I was LGET, with the initiative from Lim Ah Lek and support of the 5th JB Annual Convention OC ET Lee, we officially formalized the Mandarin workshops/contests into District 51 Convention program.

I also helped to submit to Toastmasters International 3 more advanced manuals in Mandarin that was translated by the Mandarin Toastmasters Clubs in Singapore.





Eventually, I hope, although there are current obstacles, there will be a separate Mandarin Speaking District in Asia like the Spanish Speaking District of Mexico. I think the mindset that "not more than one District over one geographical region" can be changed. As Toastmasters, we need to adapt with the changing reality of the global community as Mandarin gains more prominence.

Though no longer active in the Mandarin speaking Clubs, I have benefited from the opportunity to deliver speeches in my begining Mandarin. It gave me much confidence when I later worked in China.

To Bayan Baru Mandarin Toastmasters and all other Mandarin Toastmasters Clubs in Penang - "Jia You"