Kursus Pengendalian dan Pengacaraan Majlis

Definition of master of ceremonies

1. a person who determines the forms to be observed on a public occasion
2. a person who acts as host at a formal event
3. a person who acts as host for a program of entertainment (as on television)

       Kolej Sakura recently organized “Kursus Pengendalian dan Pengacaraan Majlis”, which is a workshop which main motive is to hone students’ skills as a master of ceremonies. Held on the 25^th of March 2017, the workshop is split into two slots; one in the morning from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm, and one at night from 7.30 pm to 11.30 pm.

         Each slot began with the signing-in process, which lasted for half an hour, before the workshop starts. The speaker for the morning slot was Mr. Yulhardy Budiman, a lecturer and an assistant officer from the Chancellery and International Relations office of the UNIMAS Global division. He begins his slot with a few anecdotes of his past experiences as an MC, recalling funny tales and meaningful moments from the time he was merely a humble prayer reader at a ceremony to the time when he first became an MC.

     Mr. Yulhardy then introduced the key points of becoming an MC; knowing the guests, understanding the flow of the ceremony, arranging the placement of objects needed for ceremony, and knowing the level of preparations needed for the ceremony. He stresses that teamwork and trust are essential in organizing a ceremony, especially when things become more stressful. An MC should be confident and does not rely too much on his or her script. He states that the MC is basically one of the most important people in a ceremony as any changes must be informed to the MC first before anyone else. In his slot, Mr. Yulhardy split the participants into teams in which each team is given a chance to simulate a ceremony and presented an obstacle or a challenge which they have to solve to ensure the smooth flow of the ceremony.

      The guests for the night slot were Mdm. Siti Mariana binti Hamlin from the Undergraduate Studies Division, the principal of Kolej Sakura, Ms. Siti Nor Ain binti Haji Musa, and the college’s Felo, Ms. Noorfarida binti Saini. Mdm. Siti Mariana was the speaker for that particular slot.

         She introduced the different type of ceremonies, in which each type may require different ethics and procedures. According to her, an MC must be aware of the appropriate dress code, content and types of preparations needed depending on the type of ceremony. Generally, an MC should dress his or her best and show confidence and energy during emceeing. An MC should be as informative as possible, and learn to be spontaneous without relying on the script given. Due to the potential challenges in organizing a ceremony, an MC should also know how to remain calm and collected at all times.

         Both slots end with a presentation of a token to each of the speakers, and a group photo with all the participants.

Prepared by,

Imelia Kyra binti Mohamad Iskandar