Shirley Lai Named General Manager of The Year by Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards (HAPA)

Kuala Lumpur, 17 November 2016 – Ms. Shirley Lai, the Group General Manager of both Fraser Place Kuala Lumpur & Fraser Residence Kuala Lumpur was awarded the HAPA General Manager of the Year – The Ambassador of Hospitality recently. The award was presented to Ms. Shirley Lai, during the grand HAPA Regional 2016 – 2018 Series Awards Presentation & Gala Masquerade Night which was held in Kuala Lumpur.

It was an exciting and memorable moment for Fraser Place Kuala Lumpur as it is the very first HAPA award won by this award-winning property. Ms Lai was thrilled and overwhelmed as she received the prestigious award. This outstanding recognition was based on a 90% benchmark score set by the HAPA Judging and Audit committee.

“I am overwhelmed by this Award and would like to thank all my bosses and team mates for having allowed me the opportunity to excel in my areas of work and responsibility. I am fully committed and passionate of my role and will continue to perform my utmost best for the hospitality industry”, said Ms Lai.

Ms Lai is a high-profiled hotelier who holds a solid background both regionally and

internationally with 38 years of hospitality experiences. She is also backed with a Higher Professional Diploma in Management from University of Cambridge International (UK) and an MBA in Tourism & Hospitality Management from Tourism Institute of Australia.

HAPA organized by World Asia Publishing (M) Sdn Bhd, aims to elevate the overall quality and service standards of Asian hospitality. HAPA’s recognition is based on benchmark scores set by the HAPA committee where those that meets and exceeds the benchmark will be recognized. The year 2016 marks a great achievement for HAPA as it celebrates its 13th Anniversary. HAPA Regional Awards has been a key event in the hospitality industry in Malaysia and Singapore, and in 2008, included properties and personalities from Indonesia and Thailand.

Since the birth of HAPA in 2002, its founder, Jennifer Ong, has always maintained the need for the hospitality industry to show its charitable side. Each year, a selected charity foundation is named as the beneficiary of the HAPA Awards Series. The recipient this year is the National Cancer Society of Malaysia in support of the University Malaysia Medical Centre and Hospital Kuala Lumpur for cancer children.

The HAPA Awards Series has created a platform for the industry to benchmark and improve themselves in line with the industry trends and new challenges, and ultimately enhancing the levels of service among hospitality practitioners.