United We Stand

On 12th May 2007, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park was cramped with fun-loving staff of UEM Group’s. From far above, they looked like green and yellow ants roaming around, filling every corner of the area. That day, the amusement park was closed for public to give way to UEM Family Day Carnival event. “Celebrate Our Unity” was the motto for the family day this year.

The event was launched at around 9.15am by Dato’ Ahmad Pardas Senin, the CEO of the UEM Group. Few minutes later, the Managing Directors from all the companies of the UEM Group were brought around the cheering crowd on All Terrain Vehicles (or affectionately referred to as ATV) while on the stage, Naz (TV3 host - My Australian Adventure) quickly announced their names and positions. Woooppsss, there came Basariah Abd Latif, the Director of Group Corporate Relations and Communications, waving excitedly to the left and to the right. Then came the Managing Director of PLUS Expressways Bhd (my MD actually), Noorizah Abd Hamid looking steady and calm on the fast moving ATV. The launching did not stop there just yet. The balloons were released into the air and there were some fireworks too. I marvelled at how things were meticulously organized.

The carnival continued with dance performance, aerobic, telematches, singing competition and stage performance by a local hip-hop band. Leaving the wet park, I made a bee-line for the dry park with seven others. Having made our minds to board on the Pirate’s Revenge, we joined the long queue. The ship went swinging back and forth and all around, and we went screaming “No more, no more!” all the way. So terrifying!

Next ride was the “Lost City of Gold” rollercoaster, to which I found not scary enough. But I screamed along with the rest of the riders. Well, it might sound like a fake scream, but who could possibly detect it when everybody was busy, errrr… screaming their hearts out.

Two rides down, many more to go. I was about to call it quit when suddenly I saw this one ‘thing’ resting still on a high platform. It was HOT! No, not the weather. The ‘thing’, which looked like another scream machine was a hottie. Riding on it would be super-exciting! Checking out my heartbeats (oh yes, I did and please don’t laugh), I thought it was ok to try. This machine was called G-Force X (Anti-Gravity Machine). It looked like a steel capsule on a slingshot. Once I got inside, I was belted and harnessed to my seat. I felt like I was in a big round cage except that I didn’t do any dirty dancing in it hee… hee… hee… The machine operator checked my safety harness, and I checked my nerve. The machine operator checked my partner’s safety harness, and I checked my nerve again. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe … aaarrrghhhhhhh!!! There I went, catapulted 60 meters upwards into the air at 120 km/hr that I thought I left my soul behind at the platform. Then the capsule rapidly descended to earth. It bounced up and down for several times before the ride was complete. Pheww, so glad it was over.

It’s getting really hot by then (yes, now I am talking about the weather) and it’s time for me to say goodbye to fellow friends.

But it would never be the end of the extreme games for me.