LMCR2102 SET 3

PROTOCOL AND EVENT MANAGEMENT

SEMESTER 2 2023/2024

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT #2

NAME: FARHAIN BT MOHD MUSTAPA

MATRICS NUMBER: A197767

LECTURER: RAJAN MUNUSAMY

Question 1

All organizers must understand the principles of seating arrangements. To start, the honored
guest is seated in the middle followed by the most senior in ranking guest - seated on the right
side of the honored guest. In simple terms, all the guests are to be seated according to seniority,
next to each other either along the same row or on opposite side. Below is the Diagram 1,
illustrating the seating arrangements in an official function:

Diagram 1
The invited guests, [2] and [3] are seated along the same row as the honored guest on the stage.
Guest [2] is the most senior ranked– seated on the right side of the honored guest followed by the
next senior ranking, Guest [3] – seated on the left side of the honored guest and Guest [2]. On the
side note, the number of guests to be invited on stage should be limited to either 3, 5, or at
maximum 7. This is so that the audience are able to recognize the honored guests of the function.
Also, invited guests that are directly related to the function are the host, the speech presenter, the
chairman of function and special guest (if any). These invited guests are allowed to be on stage.
For the namely three guests; the honored guest, the host, and the chairman of function. The
seating arrangement would be Guest [1] as the honored guest, Guest [2] as the host and Guest [3]
as the chairman of function.

Next, the most senior after Guest [2] and Guest [3] are Guest [4] until Guest [9]. They are
considered to be the guests invited to function. Between Guest [4] and Guest [5], Guests [4] is
the more senior because he is seated on the right side of the honored guest while Guest [5] is
seated on the left side of the honored guest. This also applies to Guest [6] and Guest [7], Guest
[8] and Guest [9], and so on.

To simply remember, the honored guest is to be seated in the middle, then on right side of the
honored guest are the most senior ranked guest, also seen as the even number in seniority while
on the left side of the honored guest are the more senior ranking, also seen as the odd number in
seniority. This is not uncommon when organizers invited the total of odd numbers - [3], [5], [7],
[9] of guests to the functions. However, for organizers that invited the total of even numbers –
[2], [4], [6], [8] of guests, the seating arrangements are changed which is on the right side of the
honored guest would be the odd numbers while on the left side of the honored guest would be the
even numbers. This also applies to the important invited guests on stage when there is an even
number. Therefore, it is recommended for the organizers to better have the total odd numbers of
guests if possible.

Furthermore, if one of the spouses are invited to functions, it would be considered as the even
numbers of guests. The married couple will not be seated next to each other. Normally, the
husbands will be seated on the right side according to their seniority ranking while the wives are
on the left side, seated according to their husband’s seniority ranking. If the invitation is for the
wives, then the seating arrangement follows their seniority ranking (seated on the right side) with
husbands seated on the left side according to their wife’s seniority ranking.

Other than that, there are certain times where both husband and wife are invited to certain official
functions. If they are not the guests seated on stage, then the husband and wife can seat next to
each other. Lastly, for invitation to single-named persons. The seating arrangement can be mixed,
men and women seated next to each other according to their seniority ranking.

Question 2

For an international conference such as the Southeast Asian countries, the national flags that
represent the countries are required to be flown in an alphabetical order and there are number of
ways to arrange the flags, whether from left to right, from the middle or the row separated into
two sections. It does not matter as long as all the national flags are positioned in alphabetical
order and according to the requirements of international conferences. Since Malaysia is the host
of the national conference, the Malaysian flag is required to be positioned as the first flag
followed by guest(s) countries - Vietnam, China, Thailand, Denmark, Indonesia, Singapore and
Brunei. Their national flags are positioned according to the alphabetical order. The arrangements
for the national flags to be flown can either be from left to right, right to left or from the middle.

Correct features of the National Flags

As a protocol-officer in charge, it is important to give attention to the features of every national

flag as it symbolizes a meaning to each country. Wrong features of the flag would disrespect the
guest(s) countries and the image of that country in public eye. Therefore, it is important to
confirm every detail before flying the flag on the day of international conference.
MALAYSIA
The national flag of Malaysia, also known as the
Stripes of Glory is composed of a field of 14 equal
width, alternating red and white stripes along the fly
and a blue canton bearing a crescent and a 14-point
star known as the Federal Star.

BRUNEI

The flag of Brunei consists of a yellow field divided

by diagonal black and white stripes; superimposed
over it is Brunei's crest, featuring a crescent facing
upwards surrounded by hands and a parasol, all in
red.

CHINA
The flag of China consists of a red field with five
gold stars in the canton; one large star is surrounded
by four smaller stars surrounded in a semicircle and
set off towards the fly.

DENMARK
The national flag of Denmark is red with a white
Nordic cross, which means that the cross extends to
the edges of the flag and the vertical part of the cross
is shifted to the hoist side.
INDONESIA

The national flag of Indonesia is a simple bicolor

with two horizontal bands, red (top) and white
(bottom) with an overall ratio of 2:3.

SINGAPORE
The national flag of Singapore is a horizontal
bicolour of red above white, overlaid in the canton
(upper-left quadrant) by a white crescent moon
facing a pentagon of five small white five-pointed
stars.

THAILAND
The flag of Thailand shows five horizontal stripes in
the colours red, white, blue, white and red, with the
central blue stripe being twice as wide as each of the
other four.

VIETNAM

The flag of Vietnam is a large yellow star centered

on a red field.
Arrangements of the National Flags

On the day of International Conference, the host country (Malaysia) will be positioned as the
first flag to be flown. The next flag are the guest(s) countries, according to alphabetical order to
be flown which is Brunei, China, Denmark, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Picture 1

The flags are from left to right and arranged with alphabetical orders:

1. Malaysia
2. Brunei
3. China
4. Denmark
5. Indonesia
6. Singapore
7. Thailand
8. Vietnam
 Picture 2

The flags are from right to left and arranged with alphabetical orders:

1. Malaysia
2. Brunei
3. China
4. Denmark
5. Indonesia
6. Singapore
7. Thailand
8. Vietnam
 Picture 3

The flags are from the middle and arranged with alphabetical orders:

1. Malaysia
2. Brunei
3. China
4. Denmark
5. Indonesia
6. Singapore
7. Thailand
8. Vietnam
 REFERENCES

• Tohar, M. 2010. Protocol & Etiquette in Managing and Attending Functions. Universiti
Putra Malaysia Press, Kuala Lumpur.