(From left) Savarimuthu, Ho, Prof Harmandar, IAA Global managing director Dagmara Szulce, UiTM Art and Design Faculty Dean Prof Dr Ruslan Rahim, IAA Global chairman and president Srinivasan Swamy, UiTM Communications and Media Studies Dean Prof Azizul Halim and John.
Professor Harmandar Singh has been inducted into the International Advertising Association (IAA) Malaysia Hall of Fame.
Better known as Ham in the local advertising industry, he is the publisher of the MARKETING magazine.
The International Advertising Association (IAA)’s Malaysian chapter celebrated its 25th anniversary by honouring three marketing communications industry leaders and two local educational faculties into its Hall of Fame.
IAA Malaysia President John Chacko said, “Our honourees have made a great leaps in our industry through their professionalism, selflessness and dedication over the course of many decades.”
Ham’s achievements include starting an advertising school, writing a weekly column for New Straits Times and The Star, founding and organising industry events including APPIES Marketing & Congress Malaysia, Malaysian CMO Conference & Awards, and leading media missions for MERCY Malaysia to Nepal and Syrian refugee camps in the Beqaa Valley.
The award recipients were Ham, Datuk Ho Kay Tat and Tony Savarimuthu.
The Edge publisher and chief executive officer Datuk Ho Kay Tat, a past IAA Malaysia president, was awarded for his leadership and fortitude in exposing the 1MDB financial scandal in a series of articles.
Tony was awarded the IAA Inspire Global Champion Award for his numerous contributions in advancing IAA and the marketing communications industry. He is the CEO of Merdeka and Dentsu LHS, having served the industry as a two-term 4As president, chaired the first Malaysia’s Most Valuable Brands project, and introduced a multitude of initiatives to maintain high standards within the industry.
Two UiTM faculties – Communications and Media Studies and Faculty of Art and Design – were also inducted into the IAA Hall of Fame.
They were all inducted in Kuala Lumpur in a recent ceremony attended by IAA world president Srivinivasan K Swamy and IAA Malaysia president John Chacko.
A personal citation from industry veteran Eddy Chin to Ham:
His unquenchable curiosity
and unflappable propriety
have ensured for the communications
community not just news, but insights
into news.
Alone, he has been the
straight-eyed harbinger here,
the eureka alert there.
All to the good: individual practitioners
and their practices have had to pause,
and find meaningful common ground
as collegiate rivals who are arm-linked
on real issues affecting their business
and their fate.
Ham is the dogged archivist more abreast
than others because he sees beyond
his playing field, to seek, to find,
and to share.
This streak – indeed this penchant—
will not be stopped.
That’s why an induction into this
hallowed Hall of Fame that is IAA.
Because this propensity is rare
and enviable. Like this accolade.
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