By Vincent D’Silva

JOHOR BARU: Laughter is a universal language. It is a positive and powerful emotion that has all the ingredients for individuals to change themselves and to change the world in a peaceful and positive way.

And that’s what exactly the Johor Baru Happy and Joyous Club (JBHJC) has been doing for the past 13 years.

In an interview recently soon after the club’s Annual General Meeting, publicity director Pauline Foo Seh Eng said its vision is to ensure at least one person in every household to embrace and share joy, care and harmony through the elements of joy, laughter, singing, dancing and playing.

Representatives dressed up as rabbits for the table game during the luncheon.

Pauline said over the years they have been carrying out social and recreational activities that deliver more joy for the members.

“Public awareness on practices for a happy joyous lifestyle inclusive of good health and world peace are among its objectives,” she said.

According to Pauline, the club has organised a series of health seminars based on positive values in achieving mental and physical harmony for its members and the community.

Speaking on the benefits of laughter, she said it provides cardio-vascular exercise and increases oxygen supply to the brain.

“It relieves stress and tension and lowers cortisol (stress hormone) levels, strengthening the immune system,” she said.

She stressed that participating in the laughter yoga enhances relationships and can improve productivity at workplace.

Among the activities conducted last year was the 2022 Malaysia Laughing Championship which fell on 24 April and the World Laughter Day on May 1.

The club was also involved in the Majestic Johor Festival from September 8-18 and also took part in the Happy Halloween Zoom Laughter celebration on December 11.

She said the club activities expanded over the years to include clowning, drum circle, dancing, singing, fun art and other activities related to the objectives of the club.

On the works they have been doing, she said the members had shared laughter events with the Rotarians, Toastmasters, Lions, schools, hospitals, senior homes, city councils and NGOs.

The biggest achievement of the club was organising the 1^st Malaysian Laughter Yoga Conference with delegates from 13 countries in 2016.

She also pointed out that every year for the past eight years the club has been participating in the annual JB Arts Festival programme.

Pauline said the club has officially reached their 1000 daily live broadcast in December last year.

“The daily live broadcast done online was first set up to help connect laughing yoga members in Malaysia to maintain positivity through morning sessions that was specifically dubbed the“Zoom Laughter”,” she said.

She added that it then reached people worldwide especially during the Covid-19 period when quarantine and social distancing were in place for two years.

She called on the public to participate in the Laughter Yoga sessions as laughter is the best medicine and allows us to celebrate independence differently and more meaningfully.

She urged everyone to participate in laughter yoga. “We need to laugh longer and more heartily as this can help Malaysians get involved and reap the benefits of laughter yoga.”

For their contribution to society, the club in 2014 received the Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Award (IMSHA) under the organisation category.

The executive committee members of the Johor Baru Happy and Joyous Club. Pauline Foo is seen standing third from right.