Senior citizens stole the spotlight at a fundraising gala dinner called Glamparents Showtime in Penang, where they donned colourful outfits for fashion shows, danced and sang before an enthusiastic audience of 500.
Loud cheers greeted couples who rolled back the years and strutted the catwalk with poise and charisma at the banquet hall in George Town, held close to Mother’s Day on 10 May.
For some of the participants interviewed, the secret to happiness and fulfilment in senior years was staying socially connected and active.
Retired couple Ricky Goh, 71, and Christine Chan, 67, said they appreciated the camaraderie at the gala.
“It was my first time on the catwalk. Many of our family and friends came to cheer us on,” said Ricky, a former telecommunications sales manager who founded a fitness dance group after retirement.
Chan, who used to be a kindergarten teacher, described the event as especially meaningful as it coincided with Mother’s Day.
“Such occasions are great for seniors like us to meet up and enjoy life together,” she said.
Gan Seok Peng, 61, a retired restaurateur, said she had wanted to be a model in her younger days but lacked the height and opportunity. “Now I’ve finally done it,” she said.
Her partner Goh Theng San, 62, also a retired restaurateur, said it was important to maintain a social life after retirement. “It allows one to pass time and stay sharp,” he said.
Dr Mecherl Lim, 76, a functional medicine practitioner who splits her time between Penang and Australia and regularly joins senior pageants, said she wanted to inspire more older women and grandmothers to come out and have fun.
“When your children are all grown up, it’s your time to enjoy life,” she said.
The event was organised by The Glammas, a community of senior women co-founded by Baby Goh and Engel Cheoh, with Baby Goh serving as organising chairperson.
The gala raised over RM70,000 through corporate donations, individual contributions and a live auction of art and jewellery. Proceeds were channelled to D’Home Mental Health Association and Rose Charities Malaysia.
Tan Lean Kee, wife of Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who attended the event, commended the Glammas and said the evening proved that there is life after 60.
“Seniors can continue to inspire, impact and live meaningfully. It’s not a time to slow down. The Penang2030 vision calls for a vibrant and resilient community, one where ageing is celebrated as a dynamic phase of life, marked by vitality, purpose and beauty,” she said.
Also present were State Social Development, Welfare and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Lim Siew Khim, D’Home Mental Health Association president Datuk Seri Leslie Lee, Penang Women’s Development Corporation CEO Datuk Ong Bee Leng, and Rose Charities Malaysia acting president Vince Yeoh.
Corporate donors Engfu Feedmill Sdn Bhd and Sand Bay Resort Semporna were acknowledged during a cheque presentation ceremony.
The entertainment line-up included a traditional inang dance performed in colourful nyonya kebaya, a ukulele performance by the Rose Charities Senior Ensemble, and children’s group performances that created an intergenerational atmosphere.
Baby Goh said: “Tonight was a beautiful reminder that when we come together with compassion, even small acts of kindness can make a lasting difference.”
Source: The Star
