JOHOR BAHRU: After 15 years, the Johor Bahru Happy & Joyous Club (JBHJC) is still continuing to make people laugh and spread the message of good health and fitness all over Malaysia.

The club recently marked their 15th anniversary with pomp and splendor with members, NGOs, charitable bodies, friends and the press among their midst at a luncheon.

After all these years the club’s vision is to unite Malaysians to a better well-being and unity with laughter.

JBHJC’s objectives is to bring people of diverse walks of life together and bring everlasting peace through laughter.

And their slogan is “we don’t laugh because we are happy; we are happy because we laugh” is indeed apt.

The day’s event included a luncheon followed by dances, singing, games and fashion show. Everyone in the ballroom had a gala time indulging in the various activities which brought smiles and laughter to all present.

One item of the programmme was the fashion show displaying the finest traditional outfit. Participants also had the opportunity to view the joyous community drum circle presentation by members of the JBHJC.

Another activity that kept everyone in stitches was when each group had to wrap themselves in sarongs and fit in. The most bigger number of persons which could fit in the loop was declared the winner.

Hilarity and gaiety reverberated in the ballroom with broad smiles seen on everyone’s faces.

President of JBHJC Koh Mui Cheng said their main aim is to promote good health, joy and world peace through laughter.

“Laughter is a rather strong emotion that is positive and powerful which can enable individuals to master themselves and to change the world to a better place,” said Koh.

She explained that by inner laughter it means spirit of the laughter where the laughter spreads to one another expanding more joy and peace to everyone participating.

She stressed that one of World Laughter Day’s motives is to eradicate sadness and bring cheer and happiness to all.

“Laughter in real life does not guarantee the amount you laugh. So to get the benefit, we need to laugh longer and more heartily,” she said.

She said we must also breathe along with it, and events like this can help Malaysians get involved and reap the benefits of laughter yoga.

She hopes that in this year and many more years to come they would be able to create the awareness of the importance of peace and laughter among our Malaysian family and around the globe.

JBHJC began in 2008 with the first Laughter Yoga activity in Johor Bahru. The club’s activities expanded to include clowning, drum circle, dancing, singing, fun art and other activities related to the objectives of the club.

The members, she said had shared laughter events with Rotarians, Toastmasters, Lions, schools, hospitals, senior homes, city councils, NGOs, hospitals and corporate companies.

She also mentioned that the Joyous Community Drum Circle, the first drum circle in the state was set up in 2016 with the objective of community bonding with the values of inclusion, co-operation and appreciation through music with the use of drums and percussion instrument.

She pointed out that regular drum circles were held at the Cerebral Palsy Association, Hospital Permai, Wellness Centre, recreational parks and at shopping centres.

In July 2016, the club organized the 1st Malaysian Laughter Yoga Conference with delegates from 13 countries.

She also went on to say that several clown workshops for NGOs were conducted free of charge with the objective that individual NGO will be able to have their own in-house clowns whenever the need arises.

She said, “The art of clowning is fun and therapeutic too,” adding that, the joyous compassionate clowns are well sought after, bringing and sharing joy, happiness to various homes, hospitals and NGO events.

For as long JBHJC is around they will ensure at least one person in every household to embrace and share joy, care and harmony through the elements of joy: laughing, singing, dancing and playing.

Now, the JBHJC aims to continue bringing back the joy of laughter, which is life’s simple pleasure that makes us human.

In 2014, the club received the Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Award (IMSHA) under the organization category for Social Innovator.