Interview conducted on 3 July 2010 at MBO Harbour Place, Klang.

MBO Cinemas Chief Operating Officer, Ikmal Nizam Ariffin.

What does MBO in MBO Cinemas stand for?
MBO stands for Mcat Box Office. Mcat is short for "movie catalogue" because on top of exhibition, we will also be doing movie distribution later on.

When did MBO Cinemas first started?
MBO's first outlet was in 2005 at Galaxy Shopping Centre, Ampang and then we moved down south to Tuang, Melaka, Batu Pahat and many others.

Briefly tell us, what Klang residents can expect at MBO Harbour Place since it's so new and not many people know about it yet.
Well for starters, we are trying to bring the cinema closer to people's home. Within two kilometres radius, we're talking about a population of about 80,000 to 100,000 thousand people! We've got 11 halls in MBO Harbour Place and although the halls are not very big, we're trying to give Klang residents as many movies as they can watch. Moreover, this would be MBO Cinemas's third cinema location to have a 3D hall after Kuching and Ampang.

Box Office counter.

Concession counter.

Lounge area.

Moviegoers anxious to enter the newly opened cinema.

Harbour Place is already MBO Cinemas' ninth location nationwide, but yet other chains like Cathay, with only four locations, are more prominent in people's minds. Are there efforts to improve the branding of MBO Cinemas or are you more focused on immediate revenue?
The branding for MBO will come in due time, we're not in a hurry. We're building our brand as we go along. I believe what you're referring to is within the Klang Valley. It depends on where we are really, if you go down south, people there would be more familiar with us as we've established four outlets there already. It's only this year, we're slowly moving into the Klang Valley.

MBO Membership counter.

You have a member program with a membership card, which no other cinema chain seems to have. You also have a membership card which can be topped up, while other chains offer patrons e-payment options with credit cards and affiliated banks. Is this part of the "homely" and more direct business module of MBO Cinemas' personal touch or are there plans to tie-up with banks in future?
It's in our pipeline but because of this membership programme and because we're in locations that is not so crowded, the need for e-payment online and all these things weren't necessary. Having said that, since we're expanding in the Klang Valley, it is pretty important to have that feature in which you will see in the near future. Like really, really soon!

3D Hall with a seating capacity of 280 people.

You have one of the biggest if not the biggest 3D hall in the country in Kuching. Tell us, why 3D is the in-thing nowadays and will every cinema in Malaysia have 3D halls in the future?
I believe it's an American gimmick as their way of keeping moviegoers excited with lots more movies designed in 3D. It's something new that moviegoers can be excited about and also I think to curb piracy as well as, whereby you have to watch it in the cinema to enjoy the full 3D experience. As for 3D halls in every cinema in future, I think we're going towards that way. Slowly, but surely.

With the recent demise of Managing Director Mr Toh Kim Hock, how does this effect MBO Cinemas, if at all?
In has affected us in so many ways. MBO was his brainchild and his baby. It's sad that he didn't get to see it bloom. He was a great leader and a great man as well with a kind heart and I had the opportunity to work with him. I tried to learn as much as I can from him these past few years. I'm sure it's a great loss for MBO as a whole, but life's goes on.

What do think cinemagoers want the most? Comfort? Affordability? Convenience?
I would say affordability as we are trying to make our movie tickets affordable for everybody, especially 3D movies.

Eye-catching motifs at MBO Harbour Place.

Do you yourself watch movies at the cinemas? If so, how often?
I do watch movies in cinemas, but unfortunately not often because I've got no time! I try to go at least twice a month. Only recently, I had the opportunity to watch "The A-Team". I felt that it wasn't as good as the TV series; I guess they had big shoes to fill.

Where else can we expect MBO Cinemas to open in the future?
Our next outlet will be in Kepong Village Mall, which hopefully will open in time for Raya or maybe just after Raya. It'll have seven halls including a 3D hall. After that, we'll open an 8-screen cineplex at KSL City in Johor Bahru, which will also have a 3D hall and then we'll come back to the Klang Valley.