PAPAR: The scheduled opening of a special cinema at Parklane City, in Benoni this June.
10Star Cinemas Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Onn Norshal Hamzah said they would need about 50 staff to run the cinema, which is under construction now.
In fact, he said it is the company’s objective to focus on hiring the locals here, in line with the cinema community concept that focus on providing employment opportunities for the locals and contributing to their livelihood.
“We need about 30 staff whom are locals whom we will train them in manning the cinema including for technical aspect, film programming, front desk as well as handling our own cinema concession food and beverage like selling pop-corn and snacks.
“Also, we estimate an additional 20 staff who can work as part-timers, which is optional, because we plan to make it as a 24-hour cinema showcasing movies at 12 midnight, 2am and 3am shows.
“We plan to do this here based on good response in our Tawau cinema which displayed good and encouraging response when we show the movies at 2am and 3am especially during school holidays and festive seasons.
“I am optimistic that people from the southern part like Sipitang and Lawas would stop by to watch the wee hours’ shows while enjoying various food facilities due to Parklane City’s strategic location which can be likened to a satellite town,” said Onn Norshal, after visiting the site at Parklane City.
The developer WSG Group Managing Director Datuk Susan Wong Siew Guen and project director Vanessa Wong were present.
Since it is a cinema community, Onn Norshal said even the developer and contractors for the cinema must be selected among locals unless Papar does not have what it wants, and then they would look in the State Capital and lastly in the peninsula.
He said similar concept also applies to their cinemas in Tawau, Sandakan and Kota Marudu where they focus on hiring locals from the respective districts which is part of giving back to the local communities.
To a question, he said normally the hiring would start a month before the opening as the new staff need to be trained.
“According to Susan, the possibility of handing over the cinema building would be in April this year and we need about two months to develop and renovate our cinema plus training of the staff.
“Therefore, the opening of the cinema would be tentatively in June this year,” Onn Norshal said, adding that advertising on hiring can be carried out in March, interview session in April and hiring in May.
He said the company is investing RM5 million to establish its flagship cinema here that will have six halls, including a VIP room, which is believed to be the first in Sabah that has 35 to 40 seats and offers reclining seats, a lounge and other services that can be used for private screening.
Susan said construction of the cinema building has reached 65 per cent completion and progressing well.
She is optimistic that the cinema would be handed over to the cinema company in early April together with its Occupation Certificate (O.C).
“People are excited with the opening of the cinema as the old one was closed more than 10 years ago.
“It is also my mother’s dream to have a cinema in her hometown here as he has many happy childhood memories at the old cinema. I am glad that I am able to make her wish come true,” Susan said.
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