Latest edition of the annual event has put Malaysia on the world map
I write this a couple of hours after returning from the 15th edition of the Annual Art of Speed event.
For those who don’t know Art of Speed, or sometimes known as AOS, is the biggest automotive custom culture in Malaysia and perhaps even in the region.
For those who know, AOS is a must attend annual event that has become synonymous with the love of everything automotive, art and music.
You attend AOS not just to immerse in the culture, but you attend AOS to awe at the sheer display of passion for everything from Hot Wheels collectibles to modified cars that you cannot see anywhere else.
You attend AOS to get to know the latest up and coming artists in the region yet also get to know like-minded people who can turn a classic Volkswagen Beetle into a replica of the iconic Porsche 356.
And that’s before we get into motorcycles. AOS is where you see motorcycles that look impossible to ride but you also see the very latest from brands like Triumph, Lambretta, Vespa and Royal Enfield.
AOS has humble beginnings. I remember attending one of the earliest chapters which was held at the then up and coming Citta Mall in Ara Damansara. From attracting a few hundred people over the weekend, AOS now brings together tens if not hundreds of thousands of people.
And the organisers of AOS are a husband-and-wife duo by the name of Asep and Deni. Two of the friendliest yet steely eyed couples you will ever meet.
The power couple are the very definition of go-getters. They know what they want and they know how to get it, and they’re not afraid of putting in the leg work.
Over the years, they have transformed AOS from a regular mall-rat event that people simply pass by, to one where giants like Petronas want to be a part of.
In fact, Hot Wheels chose AOS to launch their immensely popular model of the Proton Saga. Such is the stage the couple have created.
AOS has become such a popular event that the Menteri Besar of Selangor himself will attend it – guards and outriders in tow.
This year, I chose to attend the event as a regular attendee. Even though there was a media pass that gave me access to just about anything, I wanted to experience it as a regular event attendee.
And besides, what are friends for if we can’t support them with a RM45 ticket, the five-year old kid in tow got in for free.
I drove over to the event venue on a Sunday morning with the family and some friends. AOS has exclusively been hosted at the Malaysian Agro Exhibition Park Serdang (MAEPS) since about 2015.
MAEPS has a collection of huge halls so filling up all of them and their surrounding areas is no easy task.
I parked the car where the public would, took the tram to the ticketing area, stood in line and bought the wrist band that gave us access to all the halls.
There was a concert the night before called SoundCircus but I missed that, but some friends were raving about it so it must have been great.
Anyway, the entire process of getting there, paying for parking, parking the car, buying the ticket and simply loitering around was as seamless as it sounds.
I say this with humility, but I have attended some of the biggest automotive events in the world and AOS is one of the best organised events you will attend. Of course, not everything is perfect as it should be, but it is good enough where it is not a problem.
So, in all my praise for AOS and what is has become, I would also like to say that this is an event that has put Malaysia on the map. Fans of custom culture from all over the world including from Japan, the United States, Australia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and many more throng into the country to attend it.
And guess what they do before or after the show? They visit the country, spend money with the local businesses, thus boosting our economy even though it may be at micro levels, but it does.
This is an event that the government should be proud of, the Tourism Ministry should use to promote the country at some level.
And the last I checked, if you do great things for your country without expecting much, you might just get a Datuk-ship. So, give the organisers their deserved titles.
Afterall, they’re not only putting on a great show, but theirs is a show that does not disrupt anyone’s life, and lives are not lost in the dozens just because of it.
