15/03/2026

ON SUNDAY March 15, 2026 X theSunday Special

I N a quiet corner of Damansara, creativity was brewing – not just in FR̆ HH FXSV EXW LQ FRQYHUVDWLRQV Liberal Latte, a cosy cafe known for its minimalist charm and communi W\ FHQWUHG HWKRV UHFHQWO\ KRVWHG LWV ¿UVW Pitching Party, an initiative by The Bloom 6RFLHW\ GHVLJQHG WR VSDUN FROODERUDWLRQ DPRQJ ORFDO FUHDWLYHV HQWUHSUHQHXUV DQG FKDQJHPDNHUV The event, co-organised by Hajar Abdul Zubir of The Bloom Society and Ahmad Helmi Azhar of Liberal Latte, brought WRJHWKHU DURXQG SDUWLFLSDQWV ± D PL[ of artists, small business owners, students and curious community members eager to share ideas and connect around a common goal: To build something meaningful WRJHWKHU “ :H KDYH D VSDFH ZH KDYH D FRPPXQLW\ DQG ZH ZDQW WR EULQJ SHRSOH WRJHWKHU WR VKDUH LGHDV FROODERUDWH DQG JURZ ,I \RX KDYH D EXVLQHVV LGHD RU FUHDWLYH SURMHFW WKDW FRXOG XWLOLVH WKLV VSDFH DW /LEHUDO /DWWH ZH¶G ORYH WR KHDU LW DQG H[SORUH how we can build something together,” +DMDU VDLG H HU ZRUGV FDSWXUHG WKH VSLULW RI WKH GD\ ± FROODERUDWLRQ RYHU FRPSHWLWLRQ FRQQHFWLRQ RYHU FORXW T KH FRQFHSW ZDV VLPSOH \HW SRZHUIXO *LYH SHRSOH D VDIH DQG VXSSRUWLYH HQYLURQ PHQW WR SLWFK WKHLU LGHDV ZKHWKHU WKH\ ZHUH D QHZ EXVLQHVV D FUHDWLYH SURMHFW RU D FRPPXQLW\ LQLWLDWLYH $ERXW VHYHQ SDUWLFLSDQWV WRRN WKH VWDJH WKDW DIWHUQRRQ HDFK ZLWK D GL̆ HUHQW YLVLRQ EXW D VKDUHG GHVLUH WR PDNH VRPHWKLQJ PHDQLQJIXO T KH SLWFKHV UDQJHG ZLGHO\ LQ VFRSH DQG DPELWLRQ 2QH SDUWLFLSDQW 1LUPDQ .DPDO LQWURGXFHG KLV LGHD IRU D WKULIW VKRS WKDW ZRXOG DOVR GRXEOH DV D UHVW\OH VSDFH “It’s not just about selling second-hand FORWKHV , ZDQW WR WHDFK SHRSOH KRZ WR PHQG DQG XSF\FOH ZKDW WKH\ DOUHDG\ RZQ Sustainable fashion should be accessible, QRW HOLWLVW ´ KH H[SODLQHG H LV FRQFHSW UHVRQDWHG GHHSO\ ZLWK WKH FXUUHQW ODQGVFDSH ,Q 0DOD\VLD ZKHUH IDVKLRQ ZDVWH LV RQ WKH ULVH ± 0DOD\VLDQV UHSRUWHGO\ GLVFDUG DURXQG WRQQHV RI WH[WLOH ZDVWH DQQXDOO\ DFFRUGLQJ WR 6:&RUS ± 1LUPDQ¶V LGHD UHÀHFWHG ERWK a growing environmental consciousness DQG D FUHDWLYH RSSRUWXQLW\ A QRWKHU SUHVHQWHU $LQD WRRN D GL̆ HU HQW DSSURDFK +HU SLWFK ZDV IRU D KHULWDJH IRRG H[SHULHQFH FHOHEUDWLQJ ,UDQLDQ FXLVLQH LQVSLUHG E\ KHU JUDQGPRWKHU¶V UHFLSHV “ )RRG FRQQHFWV SHRSOH , ZDQW WR KRVW small, intimate dinners where every dish FRPHV ZLWK D VWRU\ ± D PHPRU\ D SLHFH of history,” she said, her voice warm with QRVWDOJLD T KH FURZG QRGGHG LQ DJUHHPHQW $LQD¶V LGHD WKRXJK VLPSOH HFKRHG D VHQWLPHQW PDQ\ 0DOD\VLDQV FRXOG UHODWH WR 7KH GHVLUH WR SUHVHUYH FXOWXUDO LGHQWLW\ WKURXJK IRRG 2WKHU SLWFKHV H[SORUHG GLYHUVH ¿HOGV IURP DQ LQGLH SRGFDVW DLPHG DW VXSSRUWLQJ HQWUHSUHQHXUV WR D GLJLWDO SODWIRUP FRYHU LQJ IDVKLRQ WHFKQRORJ\ QHZV (DFK LGHD though distinct, shared an underlying EHOLHI LQ FRPPXQLW\ GULYHQ LQQRYDWLRQ Power of belonging F RU $KPDG FR IRXQGHU RI WKH VSDFH DQG the mind behind Liberal Latte, the Pitch ing Party was more than a networking HYHQW ,W ZDV DQ H[SHULPHQW LQ FXOWLYDWLQJ D VHQVH RI EHORQJLQJ

RQH QHHGV LV D SODFH WR WDON DERXW WKHLU LGHD RXW ORXG ± DQG SHRSOH ZKR ZLOO OLVWHQ VXSSRUW DQG FKDOOHQJH WKHP ´ $KPDG SRLQWHG RXW Ahmad was candid about his own HQWUHSUHQHXULDO MRXUQH\ %HIRUH ODXQFK LQJ /LEHUDO /DWWH KH KDG H[SHULPHQWHG with several ventures, including two ODXQGURPDWV WKDW HYHQWXDOO\ FORVHG “ 7KRVH IDLOXUHV WDXJKW PH D ORW (YHU\ SURMHFW HYHQ WKH RQHV WKDW GLGQ¶W ZRUN KHOSHG PH XQGHUVWDQG SHRSOH EHWWHU DQG WKDW¶V WKH KHDUW RI HQWUHSUHQHXUVKLS ´ KH VDLG ZLWK D ODXJK H LV SKLORVRSK\ QRZ FHQWUHV RQ ORQJ WHUP LPSDFW UDWKHU WKDQ VKRUW WHUP SUR¿W Building the future of creative collaboration A V WKH HYHQW GUHZ WR D FORVH SDUWLFLSDQWV PLQJOHG RYHU FR̆ HH H[FKDQJLQJ FRQWDFW GHWDLOV DQG GLVFXVVLQJ FROODERUDWLRQV 6RPH KDG DOUHDG\ DUUDQJHG IROORZ XS PHHWLQJV +DMDU VPLOHG DV VKH ORRNHG DURXQG WKH URRP YLVLEO\ HQHUJLVHG “ 7KLV LV H[DFWO\ ZKDW ZH ZDQWHG ± IRU SHRSOH WR FRQQHFW DQG ¿QG QHZ RSSRUWXQL WLHV

Creative collaboration through Pitching Party

BY DAYANA SOBRI

“The Bloom Society is our way of NHHSLQJ FRQYHUVDWLRQV JRLQJ ,W¶V DERXW EULQJLQJ WRJHWKHU FUHDWLYH FXULRXV SHRSOH who care about culture, business and VRFLDO LVVXHV ´ $KPDG UHPDUNHG That focus on curiosity and inclu VLRQ ZDV HYLGHQW WKURXJKRXW WKH HYHQW 3DUWLFLSDQWV GLGQ¶W MXVW SUHVHQW WKHLU LGHDV DQG OHDYH ± WKH\ DVNHG TXHVWLRQV R̆ HUHG IHHGEDFN DQG FRQQHFWHG DIWHU HDFK SLWFK 2QH FRXOG KHDU VQLSSHWV RI FRQYHUVD WLRQV DERXW FROODERUDWLRQ ³0D\EH ZH could combine your food event with our art show,” or “I know someone who can KHOS ZLWK \RXU ZHEVLWH ´ “ ,W IHOW GL̆ HUHQW IURP WKH XVXDO VWDUWXS SLWFKLQJ VHVVLRQV 7KHUH ZDV QR SUHVVXUH WR KDYH D EXVLQHVV SODQ RU IXQGLQJ PRGHO ,W ZDV PRUH DERXW VKDULQJ DQG H[SORULQJ SRVVLELOLWLHV ´ VDLG 1XUXO D SDUWLFLSDQW ZKR DWWHQGHG WR REVHUYH A shift in Malaysia’s creative landscape T KH HYHQW UHÀHFWHG D EURDGHU WUHQG LQ 0DOD\VLD¶V SRVW SDQGHPLF FUHDWLYH VFHQH $FURVV FLWLHV OLNH .XDOD /XPSXU -RKRU Bahru and Penang, small community-led VSDFHV KDYH EHFRPH LQFXEDWRUV IRU LQ novation not through formal institutions EXW WKURXJK JUDVVURRWV LQLWLDWLYHV I Q WKH 'HSDUWPHQW RI 6WDWLVWLFV 0DOD\VLD UHSRUWHG WKDW FUHDWLYH LQGXVWULHV FRQWULEXWHG DERXW WR WKH QDWLRQ¶V *'3 HPSOR\LQJ RYHU SHRSOH

For Ahmad, the Pitching Party was an experiment in cultivating a sense of belonging.

A KPDG D IXOO WLPH SURIHVVLRQDO ZKR RQFH ZRUNHG LQ WKH 8.¶V WHOHFRPV LQGXV try, shared how the cafe’s journey began DV D SDVVLRQ SURMHFW EDFN LQ “ :KHQ , UHWXUQHG WR 0DOD\VLD , UH alised I wanted to channel my energy into something more creative and community GULYHQ 0DQ\ \RXQJ SHRSOH FDQ UHODWH WR WKDW ± IHHOLQJ XQIXO¿OOHG DW ZRUN DQG wanting to do something meaningful on WKH VLGH ´ KH DGGHG W KDW EHJDQ DV D VPDOO FR̆ HH EDU ZLWK a single counter and long communal table has since evolved into a multi-functional FUHDWLYH KXE 2YHU WKH \HDUV WKH VSDFH KRVWHG HGXFDWLRQDO ZRUNVKRSV PXVLF SHUIRUPDQFHV DQG FXOWXUDO GLDORJXHV “We’ve collaborated with universities, 1*2V DQG \RXWK JURXSV :H¶YH KHOG KLVWRU\ WDONV ¿OP VFUHHQLQJV DQG HYHQ VXPPHU VFKRROV ,W¶V DOO DERXW SURYLGLQJ D SODWIRUP IRU SHRSOH WR H[SUHVV OHDUQ DQG JURZ ´ KH UHFDOOHG L LEHUDO /DWWH¶V FRPPXQLW\ SDUWQHU LQ crime, The Bloom Society, is the bridge WKDW H[SDQGV WKDW PLVVLRQ 7KH LQLWLDWLYH functions as both a creative incubator and D GLVFXVVLRQ IRUXP ± KRVWLQJ VPDOO JURXS events, closed sessions and collaborative H[SHULPHQWV FRPELQLQJ DUW PXVLF DQG IRRG

HQFRXUDJH SHRSOH WR VSHDN OLVWHQ DQG EXLOG WRJHWKHU Because in the end, creativ ity thrives not in isolation but in FRPPXQLW\ $QG in Damansara’s Liberal Latte, that community HQFRX WR VSHD EXLOG W Be the e ity th isol FRP in Li th is a v W is very much alive, one con versation at a WLPH

Participants didn’t just present their ideas; they offered feedback and connected after each pitch. Participants didn’t just presen they offered feedback and connected after