Towards the end of 2023, the Ferrari Owners’ Club Malaysia (FOCM) threw a gala dinner to commemorate its 10th anniversary, a milestone in the club’s ongoing journey. The gala, held at Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur, was also significant in that it was an opportunity for many out-of-town FOCM members to visit the newly inaugurated Ferrari Malaysia showroom by the marque’s official importer and dealer Ital Auto Malaysia, located at Four Seasons Place. In the showroom, guests could cast their eyes on the striking Ferrari Purosangue, the first four-door offering from Maranello, as well as the recently unveiled Ferrari Roma Spider.
At the hotel, the scene was set with the foyer abuzz with activity and many luxury references including French perfumer Henry Jacques, Italian leather maestro Poltrona Frau, Spanish high porcelain artist Lladro, Danish audio specialist Bang & Olufsen, and the unmistakable scent of coffee from Italian coffee machine manufacturer De Longhi. Keeping spirits high were Telmont champagne and Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch whisky. Guests, many of whom were dressed to the theme of The Great Gatsby, took turns to marvel at the array of luxury showcases and strike a pose for the 360-degree camera.
Before long, emcee Nadia Heng announced the arrival of His Excellency Massimo Rustico, the ambassador of Italy to Malaysia, accompanied by FOCM president Abu Rizal Bakri Dato’ Sulaiman and the executive director of Ital Auto Malaysia Zahir Kelvin Ong Abdullah. In his opening remarks, Abu Rizal offered his heartfelt gratitude to FOCM members who continued to portray the spirit of fellowship by supporting each other through thick and thin, and always showing strong participation for the club’s philanthropic activities, with financial contribution as well as their time, automobiles and willing dedication towards these events. “Tonight’s gala dinner, celebrating a significant anniversary in FOCM’s history, is only possible because we can all come together in solidarity,” he said.
Throughout the night, a joyful air resonated among the 400-plus guests at the Grand Ballroom of Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur as they were serenaded by the soaring vocals of songbird Jeryl Lee, recent winner of China’s reality singing TV show The Next 2023. In between, guests were regaled by videos of FOCM activities including the many memorable drives that took place in the preceding years.
Arriving at one of the highlights of the evening, the always anticipated auction showcased an impressive list of spectacular limited-edition and piece-unique gifts. These included a Lladro porcelain dragon numbered 288, a vanity number plate bearing FF296, and an FOCM-customised Louis XIII jeroboam complete with a trip-of-a-lifetime to visit the home of Louis XIII in Cognac. Excitement reached a fever pitch as the emcee Heng, together with the gala dinner’s organising committee chairman Datuk Abu Bakar Fikri Dato’ Sulaiman and past FOCM president Datuk Tan Su Cheng, oversaw the intense bidding with the entire room held in thrall of the high stakes.
With the winners finally declared, lots hammered down and lucky raffle winners announced, it was time to party to the high-energy performance of Malaysian hip-hop artist Namewee, who delighted the crowd with his signature tongue-in-cheek lyrics and crowd favourites that had all the guests on their feet. The evening drew to a close to the up-tempo beats of DJ Rachel B, a fitting finale to the 10-year journey of FOCM.
Photography: Ken Lim, Liew Kok Yew, Danny Oh of Momenz Creation
