ALIFE: Stop Using Concerts As Political Leverage

Malaysia’s largest live event organisers are standing together to stop all the politicking that’s happening in the concert and live show industry. Event organisers are working hard to support artists, gig workers, live performance venues and to bring in tourists, in line with the national strategy to ensure the stable economic growth of the country.

“We’ve had enough. Throughout Covid we have been fighting to keep the lights on, and we’ve had many assurances that things will get better and we will get the support we need. All these empty promises have not been kept,” says Para Rajagopal, chairman of ALIFE and founder of PR Worldwide.

PAS has recently called for the cancellation of a number of high-profile concerts by international artists. According to Zed Zaidi, president of Persatuan Seniman Malaysia, artists who had passed checks by the Foreign Filming and Performances by Foreign Artistes Application Centre (Puspal) should be permitted to perform in Malaysia because the benefits would boost the local arts industry. Star Planet’s Chief Coordinating Officer, Carmen Liew, asserted that they were simply bringing in outstanding entertainment and boosting tourism. Event organisers would obtain consent and carefully follow the policies of the relevant authorities before organising an event to ensure that all shows are permitted.

“How are we expected to continue building business in Malaysia if we have rogue governments and individuals making statements that have not been thought of or discussed properly?” says Iqbal Ameer, CEO of the Livescape Group. This does not reflect well, and all decisions, big or small, should be based on merit and economic benefits.

“We need the rakyat to voice out their concerns and not allow particular groups to dictate what is deemed as appropriate and normal behavior elsewhere, as hedonistic behavior in Malaysia. Everyone sees this as a political move. Divisive politics must be stopped as it affects everyone’s well-being,” remarks Rizal Kamal, ALIFE President.

This country’s ‘political circus’ continues to impact good, honest, hard working people. Some event organisers are already looking to build their business in neighbouring countries as they are welcomed there instead.

Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia have seen an increase in tourists, attributed primarily to a revival in entertainment, with music festivals such as Creamfields, WE THE FEST, Djakarta Warehouse Project, and Zoukout returning after a three-year hiatus.

The event organizers that have pledged are below:


WkndFest Vol. 1: Lineup Includes (G)I-dle, Mamamoo & Momoland

2 weeks ago, news broke that one of the biggest K-pop concert is happening in Malaysia with WkndFest Vol. 1: K-pop Edition.

Following the announcement of the first K-pop boyband iKON (아이콘), the organisers have now unveiled a list of K-pop girl groups that will be included in the line-up as well.

It looks like WkndFest Vol. 1: K-pop Edition is set to have a ton of girl power with the likes these 3 popular girl groups:

The details to WkndFest Vol. 1: K-pop Edition are as follows:

Ticket sales were originally expected to go live on 30th May 2019 but it has been pushed back to 12th June 2019. Ticket prices were also adjusted from the previous announcement, which prompted suspicion from fans as to whether WkndFest Vol. 1: K-pop Edition is a scam.

As highlighted by a few fans, none of the artists mentioned have made any announcement to their involvement to WkndFest Vol. 1: K-pop Edition. Plus, concert-goers would want to know the full lineup before making purchasing the concert tickets.

Who else do you think might be included in the lineup?

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(UPDATE) Hype’s Now Playing: Zedd – Beautiful Now

Though known for producing music in the electro house genre, Zedd’s recent tracks show influences from progressive house, dubstep, and classical music. After surprising fans with the release of “Addicted To A Memory“, the young DJ/producer has released “Beautiful Now”, a brand new track off his highly anticipated album, “True Colors”.

Featuring American singer-songwriter Jon Bellion, the track opens with a seemingly emotional intro which quickly transcends into a thumping bridge and breakdown. It’s a blissful explosion of Zedd’s trademark techno beats, which creates a melodic tune together with Bellion’s deep vocals. Undeniably a flawless production, Zedd manages to produce a heart-pounding track that has us smiling from ear to ear with its addictive melody and banging bass.

“Beautiful Now” was first revealed at a purple-themed cave party hosted by Zedd himself.

The official music video for “Beautiful Now” finally made its debut online.

The video, which featured Zedd himself as a knife-wielding troublemaker, is an emotional, thoughtful series that explore the meaning of love, loss and everything in between. From a lesbian romance to a suicidal teen to an old man on a mountain-climbing adventure, all those involved learn that they can still have beautiful memories, even when things are at their worst.

Zedd’s “True Colors” was released on 19th May via Interscope Records. The album also featured “I Want You To Know“, a collaboration with Selena Gomez.

For more information, visit Zedd’s website or Facebook page.


#WorkoutPlaylist: 5 Different Playlists To Suit Your Preferred Workout

Let’s face it, motivation is the key to keeping you primed and focus when working out. Sure, sometimes the push and encouragement from a friend or trainer helps too, but it also boils down to you being able to focus on your own to achieve your dream weight/appearance or to simply keep fit.

From pushing and lifting heavy weights in the gym, to stretching and doing asanas during yoga to picking up the pace during a run or a fast-form of cardio workout, we’ve come up with 5 different playlists to help you get your heart rate rising and pumping.

3. Songs for something a little more relaxing but just as intense:

There you have it – 5 different playlist created by the Hype Malaysia team to help keep you motivated during your workout.

Do share your fave workout tunes with us too by sounding off in the comments section :)


Your Taobao Orders Might Be Missing After Cargo Ship Sinks From Collision

Uh oh! We have received some bad news for customers who have purchased their items using the Taobao (淘宝网) app recently. Apparently, it is most likely that buyers will end up loosing the purchases.

This is because a cargo ship carrying over 879 tons of 11.11 sale goods was involved in a collision with another ship that happened near the Fuzhou City, China, as reported by Mothership.sg.

As a result, orders are unlikely to be delivered to customers, as all the items had reportedly sank along with the cargo. The unfortunate incident happened on 20th November (Wednesday) at around 9pm.

According to E.T News and CGTN (via Mothership.sg), 2 of the ship crews were reportedly found dead. Thankfully, 7 other crew members suffering from injury were rescued and were taken to the hospital.

As a result of the unfortunate incident, Taobao has stepped in to clarify that customers will get refund on the missing items. However, refunds are only available exclusively on the Alipay (支付宝) platform for now. Mothership.sg further added that this incident marked the first time “Taobao has failed to ship its items due to an accident.”

For those of you have ordered goods from Taobao, do make sure to double check the status of your items to avoid unwanted circumstances.

Sources: Mothership.sg, VOCKET. / Featured Image: Mashable SEA.

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UNIQLO: 2 New Fashion Collections We’re Currently Obsessed With

UNIQLO appears to be on top of the game right now, with one collection set to drop at the end of May and another in June. You’ll never run out of outfits to wear with so many possibilities from various collections!

UNIQLO’s collections are so versatile that they give us new and exciting ways to express ourselves via our clothing. The two collections we have for you today specifically are not only rich in colours, but in graphics and prints as well. Here are the two UNIQLO collections for you to look forward to:

This is UNIQLO’s first collaboration with MARNI, an Italian high-end fashion house. In a characteristically MARNI aesthetic, this long-awaited collaboration with MARNI has produced a collection that is vibrant and filled with playfulness. The UNIQLO LifeWear aesthetic, which is defined by clever designs and technical skills, has been combined with the MARNI aesthetic, which is defined by unique shapes and vivid prints, to create a wardrobe that is fresh and new, and can be worn by everyone as everyday wear.

The core UNIQLO pieces serve as a blank canvas for MARNI’s signature use of colour, along with pop-style, warm graphic prints created specifically for this collection and presented in larger and smaller iterations in a striking play on proportions. The extra twist provided by loose shapes and bold balloon volume enhances classics for everyday usage, in contrast to monochromes and patterns.

The gingham prints and solid colours are designed in an easy silhouette that is suitable for the current trend of exquisite ease.

Items: women’s & men’s outerwear, pants/skirt, shirts, cut & sewn, dresses, accessories.

Availability: full lineup at UNIQLO Fahrenheit88 Store and the uniqlo.com online store (*Selected items available at selected stores include EM)

The collection honours and celebrated Tatsuya Endo’s manga work, which has won numerous awards since its debut in Shonen Jump magazine in March 2019. All nine volumes of this series have sold over 18 million copies as of May 2022.

In April of this year, alas, the long-awaited Japanese television anime show based on the manga premiered. This is the first SPY x FAMILY apparel collaboration, highlighting both the dark and light sides of the main protagonists; the Forger family.

The UTs include the main characters; spy Loid Forger (code name Twilight) and two other members of a family he invented to carry out his mission, as well as the SPY x FAMILY anime series’ distinctive logo and graphics. Anya Forger, a telepathic girl he adopted, is one of them. Yor Forger (nicknamed Thorn Princess), a professional assassin, is the other.

The UT design showing Anya, one of the most popular SPY x FAMILY characters, was inspired by the Stella Star, which Eden Academy in the series awards for outstanding achievements. The Anya fans of the series will love a graphic picturing her within the UT pocket.

Availability: All UNIQLO stores and uniqlo.com


#VietJetAir: Vietnamese Airline Launches KL Route; Offers 50,000 Tickets For RM0

Remember the video of them bikini-clad stewardesses which went viral not too long ago? The stewardesses in question were from Vietnamese low-cost carrier VietJet.

As part of its plan to expand operations in Southeast Asia, Vietjet has launched a new international route connecting Kuala Lumpur with Ho Chi Minh City.

The route will operate daily from 1st June 2016 onwards. Flying time per sector is about 1 hour and 55 minutes. The flights depart from Ho Chi Minh City at 9:30am (local time) and arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 12:25 pm (local time). Return flights take off from Kuala Lumpur at 1pm (local time) and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City at 1:55pm (local time).

To celebrate, Vietjet is giving away 50,000 promotional tickets from just RM0. The promotion, which runs from 12th to 18th April 2016 between 12pm – 2 pm every day, is applied for all tickets on routes connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Kuala Lumpur, Tainan, and Taipei. Travel period for Ho Chi Minh City – Kuala Lumpur route is from 1st June to 10th October 2016 (excluding public holidays).

We know what you’re thinking! Will passengers be treated to a bikini show on board? Unfortunately, no.

According to Vietjet vice president Nguyen Thi Thuy Binh, the carrier has always upheld the customs and traditions of a destination. “Besides, Kuala Lumpur isn’t a beach destination,” she said during the press conference in Kuala Lumpur. She went on to add, “There’s always something exciting on board our flights.” Some of the activities hinted at include singing performances, magic shows and meet-and-greet sessions with celebrities on board.

Still interested? Tickets can be booked via their website or their Facebook page. Payment can be easily made with debit and credit cards of Visa, MasterCard, JCB, and American Express and ATM cards issued by 24 Vietnamese banks with Internet banking.

Vietjet recently won the IOSA Certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) after just over 3 years of operations. The airline was also declared Best Asian Low-Cost Carrier at the TTG Travel Awards 2015.

Sources: Malaysian Digest, TRP, AsiaOne.

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McDonald’s Malaysia MD Stephen Chew Pens Appeal To Malaysians

(Featured image from malaysiaedition.net)

Just a measure of how much this has spiralled out of control, McDonald’s Malaysia MD Stephen Chew just wrote an appeal on behalf of the fast-food corporation’s 12,000 employees in Malaysia. This is coming after its outlets were attacked over the past week by protestors who championed the boycott McDonald’s Malaysia movement.

The anti-campaign stemmed from allegations that fast-food giant McDonald’s funded Zionists in Israel because former McDonald’s Chairman and CEO Jack Greenberg was a Jew. The truth is that Jack Greenberg left McDonald’s more than 10 years ago and no longer functions as head of the US-based company. That and the fact that McDonald’s Malaysia is simply a franchise owner.

Nevertheless, as the accusations spread like wildfire on the interwebs, McDonald’s Malaysia is still struggling with the issue despite having tried to fend off the rumour that they’re funding Israel against the Gaza conflict. At times, it got so bad that innocent employees were harassed for no reason whatsoever. Refer to this video of some youths verbally attacking a cashier girl at a McDonald’s Malaysia drive-through counter:

Furthermore, according to the appeal, which was posted up by The Malaysian Insider, Stephen Chew stated that McDonald’s Malaysia’s staff comprises of 95% Malaysians, among which 85% are Malays. Does it make sense that they had to suffer the consequences of McDonald’s rumoured indirect involvement in the Israeli Gaza conflict then?

On behalf of the 12,000 employees at McDonald’s Malaysia, I am writing to make an appeal to all Malaysians to please stop hurting fellow Malaysians. In the past month since the conflict began in the Gaza region, we have faced boycott calls, as well as angry demonstrations in front of some of our restaurants. Every attempt we made to clarify the misconceptions with the protest organizers was rejected.

Now, we cannot keep silent anymore because our staff which comprises of 95% Malaysians, among which 85% are Malays, have faced countless attacks ranging from personal harassment to public attacks.

We have been operating in this country for 32 years now and the culture in McDonald’s Malaysia is unique. While business is important to us, our first priority is, and has always been, our people and our customers. This is an important principle that defines us and our company. We are truly like a big family here and we sincerely care for each other. Some of us have worked in the company for over 30 years.

While it troubles us to see our franchisees’ businesses affected, it is heartbreaking for us to see their livelihoods affected as they have families to care for. Our people have also broken down in tears because of threatening telephone calls. There were also incidents where our people were physically intimidated and publicly humiliated, and of property being vandalised. Some were even afraid to go back to their hometown for Hari Raya for fear of being harassed.

Our staff in uniform have been publicly humiliated. Others were shunned by their peers when they went to the mosque. Even the children of our staff have been singled out in their schools, confused by warnings by some teachers not to go to McDonald’s.

I am truly saddened by how the boycott has evolved into one of hurting our people.

We knew we had to respond when our critics declared last Friday a “National Boycott McDonald’s Day“. And we responded positively. Everyone in our headquarters rallied together and we agreed that we would all go to different outlets to provide moral support to our crew. Indeed we are proud to be called family because our crew showed great courage and strength, where others would have crumbled under such difficult circumstances.

I also want to thank fellow Malaysians who came to our stores to support us and speak a kind word to our staff. Someone just said two words, “Good job”, and it brought tears to the eyes of our staff. Others left heartwarming notes of encouragement in the stores for our restaurant teams, as well as posting online asking them to stay strong.

ll these mean a lot to us, and we want to believe that these acts of kindness reflect the true heart of Malaysians.

McDonald’s is not just my extended family. Anyone who works at McDonald’s would feel the same. And we will do all we can within our means to protect each other from becoming a victim of twisted truths incited by anger and hatred. We can understand peoples anger over the conflict in Gaza which has claimed thousands of innocent lives. But what we cannot accept is Malaysians venting out their anger at fellow Malaysians over what’s happening in Gaza.

Malaysians are already hurting from all the national tragedies and many other issues we are facing today. We don’t need any more hurt. We need healing as a nation. We need to love our fellow Malaysians more than we hate others.

Just to give you an idea of what has been happening at McDonald’s Malaysia outlets nationwide, we’ve sourced some pictures from this site:

We can’t agree more with his statement though. There are better ways to fight for your cause if your cause is indeed to help the Israeli Gaza conflict. Punishing McDonald’s Malaysia isn’t one of them and as Malaysians, we are made of better stuff.

So, why not play your part by visiting Viva Palestina Malaysia to find out what you can do to help? There’s also Candies4Gaza, which is a page dedicated to the children of Gaza. Be truly Malaysian, guys.

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Golden Globe Awards: Chloé Zhao Becomes First Female Asian To Win Best Director

Asians across the globe were crying happy tears together with Chloé Zhao as she made history at the Golden Globe Awards 2021!

The 39-year-old filmmaker is the first Asian woman and only the 2nd woman (Regina King and Emerald Fennell) to win the prize for best director. Chloé was 1 of 3 women nominated for directing “Nomadland” in the directing category.

Chloé Zhao takes home the award for Best Motion Picture Director for Nomadland. #GoldenGlobespic.twitter.com/YvPeTUvn1b

— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) March 1, 2021

“I especially want to thank the nomads who shared their stories with us,” Chloé said in her winning speech. The “Eternals” director also singled out real-life nomad Bob Wells for his involvement in the movie. “This is what he said about compassion. Compassion is the breakdown of all the barriers between us. A heart to heart pounding. Your pain is my pain. It’s mingled and shared between us.”

“Now this is why I fell in love with making movies and telling stories because it gives us a chance to laugh and cry together and it gives us a chance to learn from each other and to have more compassion for each other,” she remarked. “So thank you everyone who made it possible to do what I love.”

Congratulations to Nomadland for taking home the award for Best Motion Picture, Drama at the #GoldenGlobes!pic.twitter.com/0JFBzERv6s

For those who don’t know, “Nomadland” is a semi-fictional film that centres on a woman named Fern (played by Oscar winner Frances McDormand) who travels around America as a modern-day nomad. The heartwarming movie also won Best Picture in the drama category.

Barbra Streisand, who was the first woman to win directing honours at the Globes in 1984 for “Yentl”, took to Twitter to offer her congratulatory message, saying “it’s about time!” Many others also praised Chloé for being an inspiration to all the Asian girls out there.

It’s about time! Congratulations Chloé! Well deserved!

— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) March 1, 2021

i’m the most proud of chloé zhao. she’s gonna make history this award season. she’s an inspiration to so many people, young girls, young ASIAN girls (including me). she deserves all the love and i’m so proud of her. good nignt 🥰

not even kidding i’m sobbing abt chloe zhao’s win this is so inspiring to me GO ASIAN WOMEN

— flor ☆ (@littlewomenfiIm) March 1, 2021

Chloé Zhao remains the most awarded filmmaker in a single awards race for NOMADLAND, with 34 awards for directing, 13 for screenplay, and 9 for editing. pic.twitter.com/vpeCNJknXa

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) February 27, 2021

To quote journalist Diep Tran, “In a time where Asian-Americans are being attacked because we’re still seen as foreign and a disease, Chloe Zhao winning the Golden Globe’s means so much.”

Do check out our review on “Nomadland” here.

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Towa Bird On How “Wild Heart” Reflects Her Growth Within Romantic Relationships

“I lovе you till the death, You’re a bullеt in my chest” – that’s our favourite lyrics from Towa Bird’s latest single, titled “Wild Heart”. Her debut single under Interscope Records sees the half-Filipino, half-English artist reflecting on love and independence.

In working with Thomas Powers from New Zealand-bred indie-pop band The Naked and Famous, who is also her main collaborator on the LP, Towa Bird says that “Wild Heart” is the perfect introduction her debut album’s combustible sound and unguarded introspection.

“It’s energetic and bold, but also incredibly vulnerable and soul-baring — more of that to come,” Towa explains. “I wanted this song to be something to dance to, but also show you parts of me that you’ve never seen before. The song is about personal growth within my romantic relationships and addresses my past self and actions I’ve taken. I’m personified as a reckless cowboy who meets a girl, gets caught in her grip, and — to his surprise — becomes completely devoted to her. It illustrates the person that I once was and the person I’ve grown into not nearly perfect, but definitely not as much of an asshole.”

Here are some of the feedback from fans:

With her debut record due out later this year, fans can expect more intimate exploration of queerness, identity, and the complexities of love from the 24-year-old artist ;)


#BAT: Tobacco Company Confirms Cigarettes Price List Is False

British American Tobacco (BAT) Malaysia has urged the public not to spread a false cigarette price list on social media.

The pricelist is believed to have been circulated on social media since yesterday (Tuesday, 24th March).

To be fair, we too saw it circulating on our Facebook newsfeeds as well as Twitter timelines but something was seemingly “off” about it. Perhaps it was the way, “Bermula 1 april 2015,harga rokok di setiap atau permis berdaftar adalah berikut.” was written. If it was official, the person who was tasked to prepare this would’ve probably capitalised and spaced.

In fact, we’re not sure if “harga rokok di setiap atau permis berdaftar” makes any sense. What is a “permis”, anyway?


Hype OnSite: tyDi Brings The House Down At Play Club @ The Roof

No stranger to the music scene and definitely no stranger to Malaysia, Australian DJ tyDi made his way back to Kuala Lumpur last Friday, June 4th to treat his fans with a fantastic night of partying. The super charming and super talented 27-year-old who hails from Queensland, Australia, brought his own unique sound to Play Club @ The Roof proving that he is definitely one to keep a look out for.

tyDi put his spin to some commercial tracks on Friday but it was his own original tracks that really got the crowd going. The dance floor at Play Club @ The Roof was beyond packed, tables everywhere in the club were flooded with people and there was barely any room for anyone to walk but no one’s complaining because tyDi was tearing the roof off the club!

The owners of Play Club @ The Roof also took it on themselves to surprise tyDi with a birthday cake and champagne as a belated birthday celebration for him. Lucky for us and of course, with thanks to our friends from Play Club @ The Roof, we managed to catch up with tyDi before partying the night away. Here’s what went down:

Hey hey! You’re very pretty, haha! I’m great, thanks! Yourself?

Q: Aww thank you! I’m good, thanks for asking. Any upcoming plans for the rest of 2014?

Yes! I have a new album coming out on September 16th and it’s called Redefined. I spent 3 years working on the album and I’m not sure if I can swear but I am f*cking excited about it because 3 years is a lot of time to be working on something. With my last album Shooting Stars — I told people that it was my baby. I thought that once I made that album and people heard it, I could never top it but that did not stop me from trying. It took me three years and I know I have something that is definitely going to put my old album to shame.

Yeah big ones. A lot of my favourite artistes that I have always wanted to work with. For example, Dashboard Confessional. Chris Carrabba the man behind the band is on one of the tracks. There are so many incredible vocalists on this album and I worked with so many fantastic writers on it. Every track on the album has a vocal.

Q: Cool! Now the DJ MAG Top 100 is coming up. Who do you personally think will be in the Top 5?

To be honest, I don’t really care. Do you know why? Because I don’t think the Top 5 is legitimate. It doesn’t make sense, it’s not true. Think about it — Avicii is one of the top selling artistes in the world, he sells out stadiums. I mean let’s look at some of the biggest DJs in the world and this is no disrespect to amazing people like Hardwell who I’ve met. He’s a great guy and an incredible person and I love him but Armin van Buuren again, without him I wouldn’t have a career. He’s very worthy of what he has had with the number one. But these days with the Top 100, it isn’t accurate. It doesn’t describe who is the most famous. If it was a list of talents sure, but then again it’s impossible to measure talent. You can’t measure subjectivity, you can’t measure art so all you can measure is popularity. If you want to try and measure popularity then the DJ MAG Top 100 is not doing that very accurately because the guys in the Top 3 are not selling the most songs nor the most shows so to be honest I don’t know who is going to win. I think the person who is going to win is the person who spends the most money advertising.

Q: I’m guessing you’re not going to be competing then?

Absolutely not. I hope I’m not part of the list. I was on the list before and I don’t want to be part of it anymore.

Q: Yeah, what was that like? How did it feel?

At the time, it meant a lot to me. I believed it, I was ignorant. I believed that I was the number 48 DJ in the world but now I’m a little older, a little wiser and when I look at the list and see the people on the list it makes me think “how could I have been so arrogant to believe that I could be number 48 in the world when people like Daft Punk are below me?” That doesn’t make sense and I can’t be that intellectually dishonest with myself so really, all the best to everybody in the DJ MAG Top 100 but it’s not for me anymore. I want to be known for my art, known for the fans who come to my shows because they adore my music.

Q: How would you say your sound has evolved over the years?

My sound has become a lot more diverse for sure. That sounds very ambiguous but I’ve grown as a song writer. When I first started out I had a certain amount of knowledge in the music industry then I got a degree in music — I studied theory and classical training. I’ve really developed in the years and with this new album I have worked with some of the biggest song writers in the world — song writers who are the best at the game. I’ve gotten into the studio with them, we write the lyrics and melodies together and as an artiste myself, I’ve learn to create more than just a beat. I’ve learn how to make songs that could stay in your heart forever. I feel and hope that my music and my new album is timeless and not disposable like how I find dance music to be now.

Q: That’s great. Can’t wait till your album drops! What do you think about the party scene in KL?

Me too! I’m so excited about it! The party scene in KL is great! There’s a reason I have been back to this city for about fifteen times now. The fans here, they go crazy and they get my music so it’s really great!

Q: Are you expecting a crazy night tonight?

I sure am!! I saw the line out there, the people are pumped up – it looks like it’s going to be fantastic!

Q: You’ve been to KL a couple of times now, what do you love most about this city?

You know it is without a doubt that KL is one of my favourite places to play at. It’s not just because of the fans, the whole culture and attitude as well as how kind people are here – it’s truly amazing. People here are very welcoming and that is a beautiful thing for me because I don’t really have a home. I travel every week, I’m in a different country every week so yes, I can confidently say that KL is one my favourite cities.

Q: That’s fantastic! I’m glad you love it here. One last question, how do you like to kick back when the party is over?

Oh now, that’s a question that could be dangerous. Hahaha! If we are talking about young and single tyDi, then I would probably be waking up the next day with two beautiful girls. Hahaha!!! But that’s not the case lately. I am definitely a lot more calm and settled now. When I’m done with a show, I like to just go back to my hotel room, enjoy a glass of red wine and listen to calming music or watch a movie to calm my mind.

Now if you missed out on tyDi, fret not as Markus Schulz will be making his way to Play Club @ The Roof on June 25th! Don’t forget to come out and play then! ;)

Here’s Nothing Really Matters by tyDi feat. Melanie Fontana! Enjoy!

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Party On But Party Safe

So many parties, so little time. So many of you want to let loose at the end of the week and paint everything you see red. But before you rock up to a party and dance until your feet beg for mercy, here are some things to consider before “FUN!” starts screaming, “DANGER!”:

It’s always good to consider how you can keep yourself and your friends safe. After all, you know what they say, “Better be safe than sorry!”.

So yes, party on, but party safe by minimizing common threats to your safety with the above steps.


Hype’s Movie Review: “The Secret Life Of Pets” Will Bring You On An Adventure

Prior to watching “The Secret Life of Pets”, we were expecting it to be stellar. A movie involving pets (psst, we’re huge pet lovers by the way) – what could go wrong?

The movie is every bit as lovable and endearing as we anticipated, and let us tell you why it would be the perfect movie to watch with your kid, or your kid cousin, or your niece/nephew.

In “The Secret Life of Pets”, the human characters take a step back and allow the spotlight to shine on our beloved animal companions.

The 1-and-a-half hour movie tells the tale of a Jack Russell terrier, Max, who leads a happy life with his owner Katie. Unfortunately, his seemingly perfect life is shattered when Katie brings home Doug, a shaggy and huge dog from the pound. Having to share the love and attention of Katie, Max plots to have Doug eliminated from the house.

However, their animosity causes them both to get in trouble. After getting entangled in a series of events involving a fluffy but human-hating rabbit named Snowball, Max and Doug ends up at the other side of New York.

Meanwhile, back home, Max’s friends – Gidget (a white Pomeranian), Mel (a pug), Buddy (a dachshund), Chloe (a tabby cat), Norman (a guinea pig), Sweetpea (a parakeet), and Pops (an old basset hound) – enlist the help of Tiberius, a carnivorous and vicious red-tailed hawk, to search for Max.

Thus begins the adventure of a lifetime for the domesticated animals.

Yes, we all kinda knew that Doug and Max would be rescued at the end of the movie, and yes, we are aware that the story might be predictable, but the predictability didn’t stop the audience (in this case, us) from being 100% engrossed in the movie. The adorableness and likability exuded by the characters compelled us to keep our eyes glued to the screen.

From the moment the humans exited the house and the pets showed their true colours, we knew that it would be one of the better movies involving talking animals. The pets revealed their true colours – a usually silent dog turns into a headbanging rocker; a classy pet becomes a scruffy animal; and an obedient cat changes into a gluttonous eater.

The transformations were amusing, and it goes to show that your pets might not be who you thought they were ;)

Our favourite character from the movie would be Tiberius, who, as we mentioned, is carnivorous, and tries to devour his “mates” at every chance he has. The end result is a very conflicted character, who tries to do good but is sometimes hindered by his natural characteristics.

Also, let’s talk about the main character, Max. His huge watery eyes, annoyingly cute face, and soft-hearted personality made him all the more endearing to us. He might appear to hate Doug a lot, but his kind personality would not allow him ignore his enemies when they’re in trouble.

The same goes for Doug. He may appear to be selfish and annoying, but his sad backstory will explain all his motivations. Once his story is unraveled, you’ll understand what compelled him to do all the bad things he has done, and you’ll learn to forgive him for it. You won’t be the only one experiencing that, as Max will eventually learn to forgive Doug for his actions too.

The sad story of Snowball and his gang of “Flushed Pets”, who were thrown aside by their owners, also touched our hearts. They live in the sewers and the gang comprises of a huge amount of animals; which is hardly surprising, considering how many pets are abandoned per day. Hating domesticated pets and humans, they plot to destroy humanity and their animal counterparts who seek comfort from humans. Determined to carry out their evil plan, Snowball and his sidekicks realise that all they want is to feel belonged.

For the young uns (and also for the adults), this movie would be the perfect example for them to not abandon their animal partners. The pets that we take home with us only want us to love and care for them. Your life might be an endless cycle of changing pets, but to the pets, you are their whole life. So, remember to always cherish your companions!

“The Secret Life Of Pets”, which stars Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, and Kevin Hart, opened in Malaysia cinemas on 8th September.

For more information, visit the movie’s website or Facebook page.

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#MISIM: Local Cycling Duo’s Skimpy Shorts Spark Debate On Twitter

Despite making the nation proud by winning the gold medal at the Japan Para Cycling Cup 2015, Malaysian cycling duo Muhammad Afiq Afify and Mohamad Hafiz Mohamed Sufian became the subject of debate for all the wrong reasons.

It all began on Monday (2nd November) when mobile prepaid MVNO service provider Tune Talk tweeted a congratulatory message to the local cycling duo, along with a photograph of them posing with their medals in matching skintight yellow-and-black attires.

Tahniah Hafiz Sufian & Muhammad Afiq yg memenangi pingat emas utk Malaysia di Japan Para Cycling Cup 2015! #MISIM pic.twitter.com/225Lh5IoUt

— Tune Talk (@TuneTalk) November 2, 2015

Translation: Congratulations Hafiz Sufian and Muhammad Afiq for winning the gold medal for Malaysia at the Japan Para Cycling Cup 2015! #MISIM

However, the duo’s skimpy bicycle shorts immediately drew a heated online discussion on the microblogging site instead.

As both Muslim women and men are prohibited in Islam from exposing their aurat, Twitter user Adi Johari responded to the tweet under his Twitter handle @omgbbqsauce with a post: “Tapi sayang tak tutp aurat.” (Translation: But it’s a shame they did not cover their “aurat”.)

They won for Malaysia and the focus is on, 3, 2, 1… pic.twitter.com/jI5a9jQbxJ

— Khairy Jamaluddin 🇲🇾🌺 (@Khairykj) November 2, 2015

Johari’s comment didn’t go unnoticed as Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin took a screenshot of the reply, posted the image on his Twitter account, and said: “They won for Malaysia and the focus is on, 3, 2, 1…”

The image immediately sparked debate online, with some Twitter users taking Johari’s side by saying that the post was meant to be sarcastic. Some users rebuked Johari instead by telling him that such attire was necessary for cyclists to be more aerodynamic. Twitter user @SanjivT expressed his “pity” for the cyclists whose victories were overshadowed by an unnecessary debate.

@mayazhrdn_ @omgbbqsauce Kami hanya ucapkan tahniah bukan cari kekurangan orang. Korang jangan gaduh please 😊#KitaGeng

In an attempt to end the argument, Tune Talk later posted another tweet by saying that they were “just congratulating them, not looking for their flaws”. They added, “You guys please don’t fight. We are one gang.”

Earlier in June this year, Malaysian gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi received the similar treatment from the online community. She won the gold medal at the recent SEA Games in Singapore, but drew “unwanted attention” from netizens who complained that she did not cover her “aurat” and wore leotard that showed the shape of her private part.

The term “aurat” refers to parts of a Muslim’s body that must be clothed. However, criticisms are often targeted against women as they are expected to fully clothed in protection of their honour and intergrity.

As at time of writing, Sufia and Afiq have not commented on the matter regarding their attire yet. But what do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.

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“I Am Hardwell” Vietnam Announced!

Oh, what? What did you say? The “I AM HARDWELL” tour dates in Australia could be just a little too expensive for your allocated partying budget? Then have we got awesome news for you!

But first, just a little information on the current world #1 DJ and his epic world tour before we break out the “good stuff”.

Hardwell (real name Robert van de Corput) has performed at world’s biggest festivals such as Tomorrowland, Mysteryland, Sensation, Coachella and Ultra Music Festival. His “I AM HARDWELL” has been running for more than a year now! Having announced his (super far away from us) North American stops, it was recently revealed that Hardwell, will be adding a tour date in the Southeast Asian region for his solo world tour after all:

Yes, in beautiful Saigon, to be exact. And that’s not all! According to the “I AM HARDWELL” tour website, his Vietnam show will feature one of his best friends and fellow DJ/producer, Kill The Buzz.

If you haven’t heard of Kill The Buzz (how come?!), he’s featured in this video of Hardwell skydiving to fulfil his DJ Mag bet.

Tickets will go on sale on 4th August (Monday) so if you really, really want to catch Hardwell before his solo world tour it’s officially over, be prepared to start clicking.

Also, if you really, really love Hardwell, don’t forget to vote him for this year’s DJ Mag Top 100 DJs!

For more information, visit the “I AM HARDWELL” Facebook page.


Hype’s Exclusive: Hyuna Talks “Unpretty Rapstar”, Solo Career, & Her Favourite Thing About M’sia

Mention sexy and who do you think of? Well, K-Pop artiste HyunA would be the first to pop into our minds.

And just last Friday (7th October), we had to chance to meet the beautiful and talented idol. She was in town for H-Artistry 2016, which took place at the Malaysia International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC) in Mines Resort City on 8th October (Saturday).

Fresh off her solo comeback in August, the rapper is currently on her solo Asian fan meet tour, “The Queen’s Back”, and is slated to visit Singapore on 26th November. She is also featured in “Hyuna X19“, a reality show showing the most down-to-earth sides of the artiste. The show began on 16th August, and ended its run after 5 episodes.

As we were hardcore fan of the show and HyunA, we jumped at the chance to interview her. We did not know what to expect, as her onstage persona was chic and tough; but in reality shows, she often shows the humorous, bubbly, and cute side of her. So when the singer stepped in the conference room for the interview, we were quite taken aback at how polite she was.

All we wanted to do was shout, “Saranghaeyo, unnie!“, but yup, we did our best to contain ourselves and to remain professional and calm. Trust us, it wasn’t easy.

A photo posted by Hyun Ah (@hyunah_aa) on Sep 27, 2016 at 9:55am PDT

Welcome to Malaysia! You’ve visited Malaysia a few times, what’s your best memory of the country?

People here in Malaysia are really great, everybody here is treating me really nicely, and yeah, people in here Malaysia are great, they’re friendly.

Congratulations on the release of your solo album! How does it feel like to be a solo artiste?

First of all, I feel very happy to be a solo artiste and I expect a lot from myself. Because of my solo career, I have had the chance to meet a lot of overseas fans and I’m really excited about it. Especially about my performance at H-Artistry, I’m really excited about seeing fans from every different parts of the world and especially Malaysia. I have a lot of schedules right now, and sometimes it might feel a little overwhelming but I thank God for it as I really like performing. I’m actually trying to enjoy the schedules and not stress over it.

Just wrapped up an interview with, yes, you guessed it.. it’s @hyunah_aa! Special thanks to our friends from @hartistrymy for making this happen ❤ #HyunA #Music #KPop #현아 #hartistrymy #daretodream #HArtistry

A photo posted by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy) on Oct 6, 2016 at 8:48pm PDT

Amidst your busy schedules, we’re sure that you have some free time. What do you do then?

I like doing best what everyone else loves – staying at home. And it’s because I’m not much of an active person. I have such a wide variety of schedules and shows when I’m working that I prefer to stay at home whenever I can. Is this too boring for you guys? (laughs)

No, no, it’s okay, we can totally relate! On to our next question. It’s not easy having such an ideal figure, how do you find the time to train and exercise even with all your schedules?

I used to live without exercising much but as time went on, I exercised quite a lot, and I liked to run. Nowadays, I have so many schedules packed up but I’m doing weights to tone my body and to maintain my figure. But today, I couldn’t wear anything revealing because of the rules here. Don’t worry though, I still have my beautiful body inside! (laughs)

A photo posted by Hyun Ah (@hyunah_aa) on Sep 15, 2016 at 6:26pm PDT

You’re known for not only your choreography, but also your position as a rapper. Do you have any plans to join “Unpretty Rapstar”?

“Unpretty Rapstar” actually did not extend an invite to me. Yet. There are just too many rappers out there who are skilled and talented. However, if there’s a chance (she’ll join the program). I’m a big fan of the show and I do watch it religiously.

If you weren’t an idol, what would you think you would be doing right now?

I have actually never thought of this question before because I have always wanted to be a singer since I was young. Even having this interview today and the H-Artistry performance tomorrow is something I feel honoured to be doing. I’m very thankful and every day, it’s hard to believe that I’m a singer. I really like being a singer. It’s really hard to imagine being anything else other than a singer.

A photo posted by Hyun Ah (@hyunah_aa) on Sep 3, 2016 at 1:33am PDT

We had fun talking to the humble singer and only have kind words for her! Hope to see you again soon, HyunA :)

Special thanks to our friends from Milk PR and H-Artistry for arranging this interview.

To check out some fun facts about this year’s event, click here. For more information on H-Artistry 2016, visit www.h-artistry.com.my.

For an insight into HyunA’s daily life, don’t forget to follow her on Instagram. Also, remember to check out her official Facebook page for updates!

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#missA: J.Y. Park Teases Fei’s Solo Debut!

Meng Jia may have left miss A, but JYP Entertainment has confirmed that the group’s other Chinese member, Fei (페이), will be making her solo debut at midnight on 19th July. Her first single will be titled “Fantasy”.

A post shared by J.Y. Park (@asiansoul_jyp)

Park Jin Young, the man behind the entertainment powerhouse, took to Instagram to announce the good news with a long and touching message.

“Um Jeong Hwa, Park Ji Yoon, Ivy, Sunmi, and now, my 5th muse! When producing a female solo artiste, the most important thing is to reveal her hidden attraction. This artiste, her charm is very rare ’cause she has warmth and sexiness at the same time. Usually girls have one or the other but she has both so the song called #AnythingFantasy will include 2 sides of her.”

Fei, real name Wang Feifei (王霏霏), made her K-Pop debut through miss A, a Korean-Chinese female idol group, in 2010 alongside members Min, Jia, and Suzy. Their debut single, titled “Good Girl, Bad Girl”, won “Song Of The Year” and “Best Dance Performance” at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in 2010.

The girls quickly became one of the most popular girl groups in the K-Pop industry thanks to their powerful dances and charismatic performances. Their most recent album, “Colours”, which held their hit title track, “Only You” (다른 남자 말고 너), was released in March 2015.

It will be very interesting to see what Fei has to offer as she is possibly the first Chinese female singer to make a solo debut in the K-Pop industry. As a member of an idol group, she will also be competing with other female idol member-turned-solo singers such as SNSD’s Tiffany and Taeyeon; APINK’s Eunji; f(x)’s Luna and Amber; and former 4Minute member HyunA.

Fei’s debut single “Fantasy” is slated for release on 19th July.

For more information, visit miss A’s Facebook page.


Kim K Gets A Bloody Facial – For Real

It looks like soon-to-be Mama Kim Kardashian is recovering well from her pregnancy scare a couple of days ago and having been taking leaps. Of course, we mean doing slightly crazy things – but nothing out of the ordinary from a day in the life of Kim K.

Over the weekend, Kim Kardashian got a bloody facial. No, we weren’t trying to be rude. You read right – a bloody facial. There’s no indication to exactly when she tried out the vampire-like skin treatment but a bloody facial is a bloody facial.

The 32-year-old reality TV star has never been shy about spilling her beauty routine on her shows i.e. spending USD2,200 a week on face, hair, and body treatments. So this one’s not that different – except that the procedure involves drawing blood from your arm. Yes, your own blood. After which, platelets will be spun out before splattering the blood back onto your face with nine very small, acupuncture-like needles.

According to Dr. Sofia Rubbani (an Oculoplastic Surgeon at Glow Aesthetics and Surgery on Long Island, New York), it works by temporarily plumping up lines as the body’s platelets and growth factors stimulate the production of collagen and improve the volume and texture of the skin. But it’s not cheap, of course. It costs about USD1,000 per session.

Before the producer, Kim said, “I love trying anything that makes you look and feel youthful”. She later posted two pictures of the gory beauty procedure on Instagram:

Uh, what a price to pay an amount of blood to pay for beauty.


#PrayForMalaysia: Proof Of The Nation’s Unity

The “Pray for Malaysia” programme held in conjunction with the National Day represents the strength and solidarity of Malaysians in facing tough times.

According to deputy director-general of Special Affairs Department (Jasa) Datuk Abu Talik Harun, the programme set to take place at Dataran Merdeka on 15th August, is to show gratitude and to remember the tragedies that has affected the country recently. He said this in a press conference held after attending the pre-launch “Pray for Malaysia” programme at the Malaysian Tourism Centre (MaTIC).

The programme is co-organised by the Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Council (MAIWP); Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, the Cheras Education Foundation and TV Al-Hijrah.

“Hopefully this programme would remind all Malaysians to continue praying for the country, let us not face anymore bad news,” Abu Talib said. He added that the “Pray for Malaysia” programme would start with prayers as well as special performances by popular Indonesian speaker Habib Syech Abdul Qadir Assegaf and local nasyid groups Inteam, Al-Mawlid, and Anak Warisan Kedah.

“Pray for Malaysia” would be attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and senior government officers with an expected attendance of 200,000 people.

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Malaysia Gets Flag Wrong; Swimmer Tagged With Singaporean Flag Instead Of The Jalur Gemilang

You’d think that there’d be less blunders by now considering the amount of backlash that the SEA Games has been getting.

For the first time in 16 years, Kuala Lumpur is playing host to the SEA Games. More popularly known as Kuala Lumpur 2017 (#KL2017 on social media), the multi-sport event kicked off on 19th August 2017 and is now underway, with 404 events in 38 sports in its schedule. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been going as smoothly as we’d like.

Barely 3 days into the games, an upside-down Indonesian flag fiasco in the SEA Games booklet caused an uproar. Indonesians were up in arms over the misprint, which was first spotted by Indonesian Youth and Sports minister Imam Nahrawi.

Malaysian Minister of Youth & Sports YB Khairy Jamaluddin issued a public apology on Twitter before meeting Indonesia’s Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi in person to apologise, and work is currently underway to reprint the SEA Games booklet. Indonesian President Joko Widodo (better known as Jokowi) later said that he has forgiven Malaysia and also hoped that Indonesians would not react excessively to the mistake.

Baru sahaja berjumpa @imam_nahrawi untuk memohon maaf secara rasmi kpd rakyat Indonesia atas kesilapan percetakan bendera RI. Tkasih Bpk. pic.twitter.com/YOO8ICRVja

— Khairy Jamaluddin 🇲🇾🌺 (@Khairykj) August 20, 2017

Yesterday, a snapshot of the medal tally on a television screen surfaced, which showed that the broadcast station got the wrong flags to the wrong countries. In fact, 8 out of 11 flags were wrong e.g. Vietnam has the Singapore flag and Singapore has the Thailand flag, Thailand has the Indonesian flag and Indonesia has the Vietnam flag, the Philippines has the Myanmar flag and Myanmar has the Philippine flag, etc.

The most awkward was when Malaysia got our own country flag wrong.

During the broadcast for finals of the 50m freestyle, while the announcer was introducing the athletes, Malaysian swimmer Keith Lim Kit Sern’s infographic had the Singaporean flag instead of the Jalur Gemilang (Malaysian flag). Also, it said “KUL” (abbreviation for Kuala Lumpur) instead of “MAS” or “MAL” (abbreviation for Malaysia), which is odd and sticks out like a sore thumb because athletes are supposed to be representing their countries, not cities.

Source: mothership.sg, Sport Singapore / Featured image: YouTube screenshot.


The One Direction Sex Scandal

“Get your clothes on, I’ll get you a taxi”, were the final words an Australian waitress heard from popular boyband One Direction’s Zayn Malik.

21-year-old Courtney Webb was left feeling absolutely shattered when 20-year-old Zayn told her to leave his North London home immediately after they had sex. Not only did it make her feel like an object, Zayn was also not as single as he initially claimed. As a matter of fact, he was (and is still currently, we think?) dating his girlfriend of one year, purple-haired “Little Mix” singer, Perrie Edwards.

Courtney said that she had no idea the pop star had a girlfriend until the following day. Quite literally, Courtney was clueless even while she had sex with Zayn under a drawing of Perrie Edwards. She only realized that he had a girlfriend when she saw a pair of Perrie’s false eyelashes and make-up lying around. Furious, she confronted Zayn who then said, “Don’t worry about her, she’s on tour.”

She also said of Zayn booting her out abruptly:

As soon as we finished having sex he wanted me out of the house and out of the way. His behaviour was disgusting. We had literally just finished having sex, but he was like, “Cool, done – see you later”. It was horrible. I didn’t argue and I was all ready to go. He’s an absolute s**t. How dare he – not only to me but to Perrie?

But revenge is a dish best served cold – or should we say, topless? Because Courtney secretly took photos of Zayn as he lay sleeping next to her in bed. She now has incriminating photographs of Zayn on her mobile phone. One or two of which have already been released to “The Sun”.

We’d love to see how the heartthrob wiggles his way out of this one. Good luck, Zayn!

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#SuperJunior: Idol Group To Release Album In Second Half Of The Year

ELFs (as fans of Super Junior are lovingly known as), rejoice!

We know it has been a tough 2 years, with your beloved idols enlisting in the army one by one. But there’s good news ahead, as after more than 2 years of waiting, Super Junior is slated to make a comeback in the 2nd half of 2017.

Super Junior released “Devil” in September 2015, and it was a farewell gift to fans as majority of the members had to fulfill their mandatory military service. So far, Eunhyuk, Siwon, and Donghae are still in the military, but they are slated to be released in June and August. Meanwhile, Ryeowook just started his conscription on 11th October and Kyuhyun is slated to enlist this year.

The current active members are Leeteuk, Heechul, and Yesung, who completed their service as early as 2015. Shindong and Sungmin also recently made their return to much fanfare.

While fans are expecting at least 8 members to join in the comeback, it remains to be seen if Kangin, who is on an indefinite hiatus due to his DUI (drinking under the influence) incident, will be participating in the album release.


#MTVEMA: Final 10 Artistes In The Running For “Worldwide Act” Announced

MTV has announced the final 10 artistes in the running to be named “Worldwide Act” at the “2014 MTV EMA”, one of the biggest global music events of the year that celebrates the hottest artistes from around the world. After 7 weeks, 3 stages of voting, and millions of fan votes via mtvema.com, the competition has been narrowed down from 286 musical acts to just 10.

Legendary rock guitarist Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators and one of the UK’s biggest rock bands Biffy Clyro will play an intimate show for fans at Glasgow’s iconic O2 Academy on 7th Nov (Friday) ahead of the awards. The intimate gig will be filmed for MTV and broadcast as part of the popular MTV World Stage franchise in more than 160 countries internationally.

The 2014 MTV EMA “Worldwide Act” nominees are:

Fans can vote for their favourite artiste now at mtvema.com. Voting will close at 6:59am SGT on 9th Nov (Sunday). Previous winners of “Worldwide Act” include: Chris Lee (2013), Han Geng (2012) and BIGBANG (2011).

The “Worldwide Act” winner will be revealed at the “2014 MTV EMA”, which will broadcast live to MTV channels worldwide from the SSE Hydro in Glasgow on 10th Nov (Monday) at 2am (TH/WIB) and 3am (SG/MY/PH)*. Global hip hop superstar Nicki Minaj is set to host the 2014 MTV EMA.

For more information, visit their official website.


(Video) Jackson Wang Allowed Fans Touch His Shirtless Body During Concert In Bangkok

Jackson Wang (王嘉爾/왕잭슨) has been a very busy man. The artiste officially kicked off his first-ever headlining tour, “Magic Man World Tour” last week on Friday (25th November).

The first concert was held at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Judging from the postings on social media, it’s safe to say that the show was thoroughly entertaining. Fans clearly can’t get enough of the GOT7 member especially after what happened at the concert.

— Jackyverse (@jackyverse) November 25, 2022

— 👷มาร์คต้วนคือที่สุด˚🍳🌟MarkBleB˚💚 GOT7 🍯🥞 (@maegamae) November 25, 2022

Jackson sent the crowd into a frenzy when he took his shirt off on stage, flaunting his lean physique for the fans to see. He then made his way to the barricade to interact closely with the crowd. He even made the effort to get closer to them. Not only that, the “LMLY” singer even allowed fans to touch his bare chest and arms! How lucky!

Videos capturing the moment were shared on Twitter users @jackyverse and @maegamae’s accounts. It didn’t take too long before the clips began going viral online. At the time of writing (Monday, 28th November), the videos have amassed over 461k and 14k views on Twitter, respectively.

During the concert, Jackson even gave one lucky fan a lap dance! Jackson brought a female fan up on stage for his performance of “The Moment”. During the performance of his song “Dead”, the female fan shyly embraced the “Blow” rapper on the stage!

In case you missed it, Jackson will be coming to Malaysia for his “Magic Man World Tour” next month on 17th December. On top of that, he’s also set to hold an exclusive fan meet event the next day!

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RM520 Mil MAPS Ipoh Theme Park To Be Auctioned Off?

The Movie Animation Park Studio (MAPS) in Perak was one of the state’s biggest main attraction since it was opened back in June 2017. Not only that it was exciting for children, but it also attracted adults with its picturesque surroundings.

Unfortunately, it was closed down and abandoned after less than 3 years of operation, making the full-of-potential theme park look like a paranormal spot.

Recently, a newspaper column from a local news outlet that was posted on Viral Perak’s Facebook account captioned with, “(We) hope the CEO of Megah Holdings see this column,” has managed to make MAPS become the talk of the town once again.

The column put up by Ernst And Young (EY) Firm has advertised MAPS as a property that is to be auctioned on the basis of “as is where is”. In other words, sold along with the rides, main entrance gate, offices, cafes, etc. with no renovations done.

The cost of building up the theme park was allegedly stated to be approximately around RM520 million. However, last December, the rumour was refuted by Perak MB, Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad himself. He denied that the state government had ever spent RM600 million for MAPS, according to Malay Mail. He also added that the theme park was developed by Perak Corp Berhad Development Sdn Bhd (PCBD) rather than the Perak state government.

Despite the alleged cost of half a billion to build up the theme park, the amount of the starting auction price of the 52 acres property has yet to be disclosed. The property is expected to be sold by the 1st of April 2022 according to the advertisement.

Are you curious to find out what will happen to the MAPS theme park property?


Michael Bublé & Lea Salonga On What To Expect For Kumu’s “Sing For The Stars”

Today’s technology has made it more accessible for anyone to become a star. All you need is a good camera, stable internet connection, a laptop, creativity and you’re good to go. You can even use only your smartphones to film your content. However, it has become simultaneously easier and harder to get noticed.

You may have all the right tools to get you started but do you have the ‘It’ factor? Do you have what it takes to stand out from the rest and become a star? This is where you have to rely not only on your talents but your skills, knowledge and basically everything you got.

Live streaming app, Kumu, recently announced a new virtual singing competition that is set to take the world by storm. The Kumu multiverse has branched out into discovering musical talent with the launch of its new campaign “Sing For The Stars,” an all-digital international singing competition with participation from four-time Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter Michael Bublé, and Tony award-winning musical theater legend, Lea Salonga, as the star judges.

So what makes Kumu’s “Sing For The Stars” different from any other online singing competition out there? Speaking at the exclusive virtual press conference last week (Friday, 11th March), Kumu’s SVP of Strategy and International, Anand Roy, explained more about this first-of-its-kind singing competition. “‘Sing For The Stars’ is all about giving back control to the musicians and performers. Their performance and how they choose to showcase their talent will be entirely up to them,” he said.

Michael Bublé and Lea Salonga also joined the press conference last week. During the Q&A session, both the celebrity judges shared their expectations and what they’re most looking forward to for the “Sing For The Stars” competition.

“We’re not necessarily looking for the pitch-perfect voice. What matters is their uniqueness and the way they tell their story through music,” said Michael. He added that they’re also looking forward to discovering who the artists are along the way throughout the competition.

Lea shared that genre of music also does not matter in this competition. “We’re looking at artists, something special that makes them unique. We might even discover that the biggest star from this contest might not even end up being the winner,” she said.

According to Kumu Founder and CEO Roland Ros, the new audience-grabbing online singing show is dedicated to discovering the best of both Filipino and foreign talents who dare to dream big. Many has since joined the contest since its launch and as of right now, the ‘Sing For The Stars’ contest are down to their Top 30 contestants.

The grand champion for the competition will take home $10,000 in cash, a one-year record contract with Warner Music, and their own mini-concert inside the Kumu app, plus a one-on-one coaching session from none other than Michael Bublé.

A post shared by kumu.music (@kumu.music)

Don’t miss out on all the fun and check out the “Sing For The Stars” Top 30 contestant by simply downloading the Kumu app, available on the Apple App Store, Huawei Store and Google Play store.

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Encore Melaka Theatre Poise To Debut In July 2018

Encore Melaka Theatre is set to open to public on 1st July 2018, and will host a visual feast like never before.

Brought to you by Datuk Wira Boo Kuang Loon and directed by Wang Chaoge, “Encore Melaka” will feature world-class performances that focuses on Melaka’s heritage and culture as well as touching life stories of the locals.

“I’m a Melaka boy and I’ve always wanted to do something for my hometown. To be honest, I felt shy whenever my friends from overseas visited me because besides bringing them to the historic sites in the daytime and maybe host them for dinner, there’s nothing to show them at night,” said Datuk Wira Boo.

In a press statement, the CEO of Yong Tai Berhad, a tourism and cultural-related property developer, stated that he believes “Encore Melaka” will elevate Melaka’s status as the ultimate tourist destination in Malaysia when they “hear the true voice of the local community”.

He added, “We are pushing the envelope for performance art – the integration of storytelling with innovative stage technologies is never-seen-before in Southeast Asia. Performed by a dedicated local cast of 200 who have trained and rehearsed for over 4 months, we are giving the audience an immersive experience.”

“Encore Melaka” is the first “Impression Series” project outside of China. With a total seating capacity of 2000 audiences, this state-of-the-art theatre has a few unique features including a 360-degree rotating audience platform, multi-stage, and a 240-metre wide stage.

The official description of Encore Melaka Theatre reads:

“The theatre comprises of blue and white, colours of purity and eternity. The simplicity of Encore Melaka Theatre reflects the unpretentious society inviting the world o the compelling story of Melaka.”

200 performers, multi stages, 1 performance – here’s a taste of “Encore Melaka”:

The details to “Encore Melaka” are as follows”

Early bird prices start from RM98 (Standard) and RM188 (Premium). For more information, visit Encore Melaka’s official website or contact +06 270 7777.


6 Men Charged With Rape & Murder Of Indian Woman

She was a 23-year-old physiotherapy student who studied hard and had the dream of someday becoming a doctor, to help others from her humble beginnings. But on 16th December, when she boarded a bus with a male companion after watching “Life of Pi”, her life was cut short.

She and her male companion were attacked by a gang of men for hours as the bus cruised through the streets of the Indian capital last month. It was said that the bus even passed through police checkpoints during the assault. She was battered and raped by the men – they even used an iron bar to assault her, inserting it into her body and causing severe organ damage. After which, both victims were eventually thrown from the moving bus, dumped naked on the side of the road, and left to die.

Her male companion, who was with her throughout the entire horrific ordeal, survived.

She, on the other hand, had to undergo three abdominal operations before being airlifted to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore for treatment. Upon her arrival, Mount Elizabeth Hospital’s medial team’s investigations showed that she had also had a cardiac arrest, on top of an infection of her lungs and abdomen, as well as significant brain injury. Her condition at that time was described as “extremely critical”.

The woman succumbed to her injuries two weeks later. According to Dr. Kevin Loh (chief executive of Mount Elizabeth hospital):

Despite all efforts by a team of eight specialists in Mount Elizabeth Hospital to keep her stable, her condition continued to deteriorate over these two days. She had suffered from severe organ failure following serious injuries to her body and brain. She was courageous in fighting for her life for so long against the odds but the trauma to her body was too severe for her to overcome. The Mount Elizabeth Hospital team of doctors, nurses and staff join her family in mourning her loss

Five Indian men have been formally charged in court with the gang rape, criminal conspiracy, and murder, with the sixth due to be tried separately in a juvenile court as he’s 18 years old. The accused have admitted to torturing and raping her “to teach her a lesson” because she initially fought back and bit three of them. They’ve also described how it was the 18-year-old suspect’s suggestion to throw the victim’s naked body out of the moving bus.

The details of the crime and the news of the gruesome incident shocked much of India, and the bar association at the court said none of its members are willing to represent the accused. Nobody wants to be their defence lawyer.

Internationally, the case provoked furious protests close to the seat of government in New Delhi and innumerable debate about the prevalence of sexual crime in India, where a rape is reported on average every 20 minutes. Keep in mind that those are just the reported ones. A lot more go unnoticed. The world now questions the Indian government’s inability to prevent violence against women and demands the six men to be hanged as murder carries the death penalty.

The Indian court will examine the charges on Saturday.

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“How To Catch A Star” In Malaysia

This March, the good people from Gardner & Wife Theatre are bringing an UK children production, “How To Catch A Star” by Blunderbus Theatre Company to Malaysia!

Based on the best-selling children’s classic by Oliver Jeffers and performed by UK’s Blunderbus Theatre Company, the childrens’ theatre company already so well known here in Malaysia with their productions of “The Selfish Crocodile”, “Giraffes Can’t Dance”, “Elmer The Elephant”, and “The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark”.

This gentle, reassuring tale is brought to life with an irresistible blend of live music, puppetry, and storytelling especially for children aged 3 till 7, and grown-up stargazers!

This book was Jeffer’s first illustrator book, and debuted in 2004. That same year the book was shortlisted for “Booktrust Early Years Award (Best New Illustrator)” and in 2005 it was awarded a Merit for the “CBI Bisto Book of the Year Awards”. He is widely known for his picture books for children, and his style of illustration uses mixed media and is recognised for its subtle narrative and use of space in composition.

“How To Catch A Star” plays at the Performing Arts Centre of Penang (penangpac) from 6th till 10th March and at PJ Live Arts from 12th till 31st March. Deets are as follows:

Show Times: Tuesday to Friday (10am), Saturday (11am and 3pm), Sunday (2pm and 5pm)

Ticketing: Purchase your “How To Catch A Star” tix online here or call them at 0172289 849


(UPDATE) #LeoBurnettPlagiarism: Ad Giant Leo Burnett Malaysia Accused Of Plagiarising #RubberBoy

We live in a time where creative ideas are no longer uniquely creative, be it due to the fact that ideas are often reused, or a result of plagiarism.

Earlier this year, local advertising agency Dentsu Utama was accused of plagiarising a 21-year-old European design student’s work for a WWF ad campaign titled “Cross River Gorilla” which went on to win a Silver Award for “Outdoor Advertising” at Malaysia’s Kancil Awards.

This was followed by an investigation by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia (4As), which resulted in the disqualification of a number of Kancil Awards won by Dentsu Utama. The fiasco ended with Dentsu Utama and its representatives resigning from the 4As and also returning all 71 Kancil awards including “Agency of the Year” (AOTY).

Now, another incident has been brought to light by independent filmmaker Tan Chui Mui of Da Huang Pictures.

After it was announced that advertising giant Leo Burnett Malaysia’s Petronas Chinese New Year (2016) ad titled, “Rubber Boy“, made it to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (a global event for those working in the creative communications, advertising, and related fields) and the only Malaysian entry to have been shortlisted, news emerged that the festive TVC was plagiarised.

Tan revealed via several Facebook posts that she and her team had originally pitched the same story to Leo Burnett back in December 2014.

In her first post, she claimed, “For many months I was just keeping quiet. As I do not like to waste time complaining. But I can’t believe how an Ad Agency like Leo Burnett can just use the story I had pitched to them without asking my permission. And when my team Bea Meow and We Jun met them, their lawyer told them that Malaysian law does not protect idea. And the creative writer said they had only used two of the major scenes, not the whole story.”

As seen in the screenshot above, Tan’s Facebook post has been shared over 500 times.

To add on to her claims, Tan said her team invested a lot into the pitch, including location-and-cast scouting and research for visual references, before submitting the script. She also uploaded several screenshots as proof of her work, including the presentation slides and the initial discussion with Leo Burnett (via a Facebook Message group chat) when they contacted her back in December 2014 for the pitch.

In speaking about why she chose to voice out now, Tan said that she was triggered by the “Rubber Boy” Cannes Lions nomination, adding that Leo Burnett did not pick her idea initially because they said that it was a “common story” and not original. However, it was not only plagiarised but also submitted to Cannes Lions.

Her posts have garnered some heated response from the creative industry, with many cheering Tan on and voicing their support for her to fight back, as well as calling the act (of plagiarism) out to be disgraceful for an agency of Leo Burnett’s standing and demanding for an explanation.

In reply to Tan’s accusations, Leo Burnett’s Creative Director James Yap took to his Facebook to respond with his side of the #LeoBurnettPlagiarism story. His post detailed the conception of “Rubber Boy” and explained that it came from a personal family story. You may read his post in full below:

Amongst the many comments that emerged following James’ Facebook post, one netizen said, “Subject is the same but the story is completely different. How is that plagiarism? My grandparents were rubber tappers. Growing up, I lived in a rubber estate in Kluang called Coronation Estate. I too can tell dozens of my stories from the same subject matter.” while another stated, “Again, which part was stolen? Boy growing up in a rubber estate or the part the parents cannot afford to buy a new toy or the part that the mother/father had to work so hard for his education. Sounds too generic to make any claim.”

The debate is ongoing as at time of writing, and James’ post is quickly gaining traction.

On top of James’ response, Leo Burnett’s Business Director Eswara VAN Sharma also responded to Tan’s claims. Eswara uploaded side-by-side comparison photos of Tan’s presentation slide and the treatment that was received by Leo Burnett, and urged netizens to “see both sides of the story before you judge for yourself”.

Eswara’s post showed that there was a significant difference between Tan’s presentation slide and the treatment that Leo Burnett received.

This was quickly debunked by Tan, who said that her original PowerPoint presentation deck was edited. “All the creative workers beware, do not make the same mistake by sending a presentation deck in power point format,” she added.

Meanwhile, on Twitter, several Malaysian netizens have voiced their opinions, from budding suits/creatives to the bystanders who are following the #LeoBurnettPlagiarism story as it unfolds.

“If Yasmin Ahmad was still alive, she wouldn’t have let this fly #LeoBurnettPlagiarism” read one comment, while another said, “I’m so sad to hear about #LeoBurnettPlagiarism as this company is on the list of my dream company later if I have an Advertising degree :(“

Leo Burnett’s Chief Executive Tan Kien Eng has since asked to meet with Tan over her claims. He wrote on Facebook, “I do not support plagiarism. I contacted my team after being informed of the post here and the Leo Burnett writer has explained his side. I would like to meet both parties to fully understand the situation before taking any action.”

Leo Burnett Malaysia has released an official media statement with regards to the above issue. In their statement, they stood their ground that the “Rubber Boy” TVC was not based on plagiarised material or script, and explained that it was from their internal pool of talent at the agency.

“Leo Burnett does not condone or endorse plagiarism of any kind. Credit is always given, wherever it is deserved. The allegation that Rubber Boy is based on plagiarised material or script is incorrect.

The creative team at Leo Burnett that worked on Rubber Boy for the Petronas CNY short film has affirmed this and we stand by their version of how the Rubber Boy story and script were developed.

The Rubber Boy story is based on an idea that our internal pool of talent at Leo Burnett, in close collaboration with our client collectively worked on.

As part of the creative journey from idea to shooting script, the client-approved script is shared with the prospective directors, and we guide them to evolve a treatment of our script. The purpose of this treatment is to add details and nuances to the script. Key elements such as the setting in the rubber estate and the character of the child and his motivations and circumstances, along with the key message, are always in the agency script that was briefed to all the directors involved.

During this process, many suggestions are exchanged back and forth, and the treatment is evolved under the close guidance and supervision of our creative team.

The final decision is accorded to the treatment which best meets our and our client’s objectives. After this, we work closely with the chosen director, from the actual shoot to the post-production process, to ensure the best possible outcome.

As such, we reiterate that the allegations of plagiarism are baseless.

Nevertheless, we have reached out to the party making the allegations and await their response.”

The 5-minute long Petronas “Rubber Boy” TVC on YouTube, a heart-warmer and a tearjerker all at the same time, centres on the struggles of a poor schoolboy and his mother. It recently bagged a gold at the inaugural Appies Malaysia Marketing Congress 2016 (The Appies 2016 Malaysia). To date, the video has had over 3 million views.

To take it from the top again, after all things said and done, it’s rare to come across uniquely “creative ideas” anymore in this day and age. Most ideas are often rehashed with added “value” or “flavour” and reused. This does not only apply to advertising but also movies (remakes, reboots), music (remixes, covers), fashion (cycle, evolution), trends, etc.

What are your thoughts on the #LeoBurnettPlagiarism fiasco though? Let us know in the comments below.

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#ZoukClubKL: Malaysia’s Superclub Slated to Relocate In January 2015

Come January 2015, Zouk Club Kuala Lumpur will be relocating from its current site at Jalan Ampang to its new home at TREC and Kuala Lumpur’s largest F&B enclave located along the bustling downtown Jalan Tun Razak. This is as its lease expires on 31st December 2014.

To many, the club’s current location has been iconic for the past decade, with some calling it “home”. Even international DJs/producers recognise Zouk KL as a prominent Malaysian landmark. But it doesn’t mean that the good times will come to an end when it moves to its new site!

With a built-up space of 60,000 sq ft, the new RM38 million nightspot will be the most expensive club ever built in Malaysia! The new Zouk KL comprises 5 clubs, a VIP bar lounge, member’s lounge, cafe and a rooftop deck overlooking the Royal Selangor Golf Club. Zouk KL will also offer a dedicated VIP concierge service.

TREC – which stands for “Taste, Relish Experience, Celebrate” – is developed at an investment of RM323.6m. Comprising 5 zones, the lifestyle and entertainment hub sits on a 7-acre site situated directly opposite the upcoming Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) – the new financial hub of Kuala Lumpur – on land owned by the Royal Selangor Golf Club.

The 5 zones of TREC, each featuring a unique theme, will offer casual and fine dining, indie cafes, wine bars, pubs and lounges. Oh so perfect. Sounds like just the place made fit to house a club like Zouk Club KL!:

TREC is the brainchild of Cher Ng, co-founder and executive director of Zouk KL, and a joint venture between Ng, Malaysian entrepreneur Dato’ Douglas Cheng and public-listed Berjaya Assets Berhad. He started his career in Singapore as a DJ with Zouk Singapore club in the 90s and co-organised the ZoukOut music festival (2000 and 2001) before establishing Zouk KL in 2004.

Check out this gallery for more artist impression images of TREC:

Meanwhile, the party sure ain’t over yet for Zouk Club Kuala Lumpur fans. Mat Zo and Ummet Ozcan are set to bring the roof down this August and we are so going to be there! Can’t say no to a few great parties now, can we?

For more information, visit their official website or Facebook page.


#Batman: Caped Crusader To Get His Own LEGO Movie!

Following the success of the Warner Bros. hit The LEGO Movie, it has now been confirmed that Batman is getting his own big-screen spinoff. The LEGO incarnation of Batman proved to be so immensely popular that not only he’s getting is own show, the movie is also being fast-tracked.

Because after all, hasn’t 2014 been truly the year of Batman (in terms of the Warner Bros/DC portfolio)? Furthermore, Batman was one of the highlights of The LEGO Movie, stealing every scene he was in. With Arnett taking Christian Bale’s gravely voice to an extreme degree, the character was arrogant, dark, sarcastic and just too-cool-for-this-adventure.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Chris McKay, the animation supervisor on The LEGO Movie, was initially set to direct that project’s sequel. However, the movie is being pushed back and McKay is now helming the LEGO Batman movie, which is being written by author-screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith. Warner is eyeing a 2017 release for the Batman spinoff, possibly even on the original date for The LEGO Movie 2.

The next LEGO movie to be released is Ninjago, due to open 23rd Sept 2016. The LEGO Movie sequel will now presumably be released after 2017. Will Arnett will reprise the voice of the Caped Crusader. Roy Lee, Dan Lin, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the custodians of the LEGO screen brand, are producing.

LEGO Batman already heads a very popular franchise. There have been at least 3 video games as well as a straight-to-video “LEGO Batman: The Movie — DC Super Heroes Unite”, where Troy Baker provided the voice for the Dark Knight.


Future Sound Asia Presents #NewWorldPunx Live In Kuala Lumpur

New World Punx to create memories for Malaysian dance music lovers!

New World Punx also known as NWP is the high-energy DJ duo collaborative project consisting of Markus Schulz and Ferry Corsten. The name derives from Schulz’s hit, “The New World”, and Corsten’s massive anthem, “Punk”.

No stranger in the dance music world and certainly no stranger to Malaysia, both Schulz and Corsten have played massive shows in Kuala Lumpur individually and now, things are about to get a whole lot crazier!

Having recently brought us Borgeous, Future Sound Asia is now bringing Schulz and Corsten to Malaysia to perform together as New World Punx. This will mark NWP’s debut in Malaysia and the event will be supported by local talents BATE, Chukiess & Whackboi, Eva T, and HULKAS.

Tickets: RM100 (Phase 1), RM120 (Phase 2), RM140 (Phase 3).

Tickets for the event are available online at BoxTix.

For more information, hit up Future Sound Asia’s Facebook Page.

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Hype’s Now Playing: DJ Earworm – United State Of Pop 2014 (Do What You Wanna Do)

It’s that time of the year again − the time for DJ Earworm’s infectious “United State of Pop” mashup.

What started as a simple mashup 7 years ago has turned into something that people expect as the end of every year. Every year since 2007, DJ Earworm has taken the calendar year’s 25 most popular and biggest pop songs and combined them into one incredibly popular, happily constructed mashup dubbed the “United State of Pop”.

This year, his mashup “United State of Pop (Do What You Wanna Do)” includes a range of artists from Taylor Swift and Sam Smith to Iggy Azalea and Jason Derulo to DJ Snake. Yup, you read that right – DJ Snake’s “Turn Down For What” is in the mashup. DJ Earworm’s 2014 edition has got to be our favourite “United State of Pop” mashup to date as it touches all corners of mainstream music culture.

Taking the music videos and lyrics from each track featured in the mashup, DJ Earworm mixes these 25 tracks into one, creating what we would consider the entire 2014 in a nutshell. Watch the video below for the 2014 edition of “United State of Pop (Do What You Wanna Do”):

A Great Big World ft. Christina Aguilera – Say Something
Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – Problem
Bastille – Pompeii
DJ Snake & Lil Jon – Turn Down For What
Hozier – Take Me to Church
Idina Menzel – Let It Go
Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX – Fancy
Iggy Azalea ft. Rita Ora – Black Widow
Jason Derulo ft. 2 Chainz – Talk Dirty
Jeremih ft. YG – Don’t Tell ‘Em
Jessie J ft. Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj – Bang Bang
John Legend – All Of Me
Katy Perry ft. Juicy J – Dark Horse
Lorde – Team
Magic! – Rude
Maroon 5 – Animals
Meghan Trainor – All About That Bass
Nico & Vinz – Am I Wrong
One Direction – Story of My Life
Passenger – Let Her Go
Pharrell Williams – Happy
Pitbull ft. Ke$ha – Timber
Sam Smith – Stay With Me
Taylor Swift – Shake It Off
Tove Lo – Habits (Stay High)


#klia2: AirAsia Rebrands KLIA2 As LCCT KL With New Tagline – “Asia’s Low-Cost Hub”

AirAsia is now welcoming air passengers to LCCT KL, dubbed as “Asia’s Low-Cost Hub”.

Before you jump to the conclusion that klia2 has been replaced by the previous low cost carrier terminal (LCCT), let us assure you that klia2 will still be operating. The only difference is that AirAsia has rebranded klia2 to LCCT KL in their promotional efforts, in a bid to “reinforce Kuala Lumpur’s position as the leading low-cost gateway to Asia and beyond”.

What this means is that technically, klia2’s official name will still remain as klia2. The signages around the airport will remain the same, but when promoting klia2 on their website, newsletters, and social media platforms, AirAsia will instead refer to it as LCCT KL.

As AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes said:

As we grow towards becoming the Dubai of Asia, we want the world to know that the best value fares are here in Malaysia.

This is to encourage tourists who uses AirAsia’s “Fly-Thru” service to choose Kuala Lumpur as their transit destination.

Fernandes also explained LCCT KL is synonymous with low-cost, and would therefore attract more tourists to shop and spend.

Earlier, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) managing director Datuk Badlisham Ghazali rejected the idea, as he, like many other, thought that AirAsia meant to officially rename the terminal.

We cannot name a terminal at our whim and fancy as it was a registered name and the government named it as klia2 not MAHB. We cannot prevent them from calling to LCCT KL (…) but they cannot put it on their tickets and counter notice boards.

MAHB also released a statement stating that the budget airline would be violating aviation laws if they continued with their campaign.

In the latest turn of events, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said that Fernandes agrees that an official name change of the airport was unnecessary. However, they are free to “brand and promote it” in any way they want to attract more people to fly into klia2.

Fernandes also explained that “he had never intended to change klia2’s name”, but only wanted to market it differently in the rebranding exercise. “We went into the meeting with the minister (…) to get the message across that we want to promote to the world that klia2 is a low-cost hub. I think this is understood clearly by the minister,” said Fernandes in a statement to The Star.

Malaysia’s LCCT was opened in March 2006 to cater to the multitudes of low cost airlines. The idea of an low cost carrier terminal was formed to minimise the daily operating costs of an airport, thereby allowing customers to save up a large amount of money. klia2 was built to replace LCCT, and started operations in May 2014. It was dubbed as the world’s “largest purpose-built terminal” dedicated to low-cost carriers.

Trust us, you’re not the only one dumbfounded with the name change. Although MAHB, the Transport Ministry, and AirAsia are not at loggerheads over the rebranding/renaming exercise anymore, we are still questioning if the move is necessary, as it only serves to confuse passengers. Judging from the comments on AirAsia’s Facebook page, we’re not the only ones who think so. Several netizens left comments asking if the “warehouse-lookalike” LCCT has been reopened, with another inquiring if AirAsia had opened a new airport.

What are your thoughts on the rebranding project? Do you think it’ll increase the number of passengers who transits in KL? Tell us what you think!

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Benedict Cumberbatch & Jamie Foxx Make Their Way To Malaysia

Film and TV star Benedict Cumberbatch, most known for his portrayal of detective Sherlock Holmes in the British BBC TV series Sherlock is set to host the 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on March 26th, 2014!

Apart from his role in Sherlock, Cumberbatch has appeared in a series of highly successful films over the last few years, including this years Oscar winning movie 12 Years a Slave and the Academy award nominated August: Osage County. He also appeared as Julian Julian Assange in the Wikileaks movie The Fifth Estate and as the Dragon Smaug, in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

Joining Cumberbatch in Kuala Lumpur for the Laureus World Sports Awards is none other than Oscar and Grammy award winner Jamie Foxx. Set to perform at the event, Jamie Foxx is a versatile entertainer who’s performances are enjoyed around the world. Foxx will be playing to a star-studded audience of celebrities from sports, entertainment and fashion at the Laureus Awards Ceremony on the evening of Wednesday, March 26th, 2014.

Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievements during the calendar year 2013, is the premier honours event on the international sporting calendar. The winners, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, will be unveiled at a globally televised Awards Ceremony staged at Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur.

The full list of Nominees for the 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards are as follows:


Boeing 747-8: This Ultra Luxe Plane Could Be The New “Air Force One”, Or Not

In Japan, a game-changing railway company has quickly upped the ante by commissioning a new luxury train called the “Cruise Train”. If you haven’t seen pictures of it, you should. It’s gorgeous but of course, it’s probably also made for the upper-class – expensive to develop and perhaps expensive to ride in as well.

In the US, they’re kind of doing the same thing – but with a plane.

Kirkland’s Greenpoint Technologies recently fitted out the industry’s first VIP Boeing 747-8 for a “private, undisclosed client”. Now, in case you didn’t know, the Boeing 747-8 is the world’s second largest commercial airliner after the Airbus A380. And it’s really huge at 4,786 sq ft of cabin space in the VIP version.

This plane in particular, which includes an “Aeroloft” above the main cabin between the upper deck and tail, has another 393 sq ft. This means that it actually features more than 5,000 square feet of cabin space. Plus, from the photos, the interior really looks incredibly plush, like something that’s straight out of an “interior design for sprawling mansions” coffee table book.

Which is also our way of saying that it looks like the kind of plane most people will never step foot in, let alone fly around in. So this is really as close as we would get to it.

Rich people and governments have ordered 9 VIP 747-8s, of which Boeing has delivered 8. Boeing generally delivers them with a bare interior to a finishing company, such as Greenpoint Technologies.

What a big step up this is, from the standard private jet to a personalised Boeing 747-8.

Interestingly, the US Air Force announced that it would buy 747-8s to serve as the “Air Force One” presidential aircraft. So, the above pictures of a Greenpoint Technologies VIP Boeing 747-8 that was fitted for a “private, undisclosed client”? Hmm. Something to think about. Just saying.

Meanwhile, check out some amazing facts about the “Air Force One” here.


#Baywatch: “Quantico” Star Priyanka Chopra Eyed To Join Reboot As A Villain

A female villain could be introduced in Paramount Pictures‘ upcoming “Baywatch” reboot.

Both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter are reporting that “Quantico” breakout star Priyanka Chopra is in early talks to join the cast of the upcoming “Baywatch” movie.

Chopra is the former winner of the Miss World pageant and one of Bollywood’s highest-paid actresses. She is also one of the most popular and high-profile celebrities in India.

She made her acting debut in 2002 in a Tamil film titled “Thamizhan” and Bollywood debut in 2003’s “The Hero”. She then began to appear in many other motion pictures, as well as a TV programme and a documentary.

In 2015, she began starring in the lead role of Alex Parrish in “Quantico”, an American thriller series created by Joshua Safran. She made history by becoming the first South Asian woman to headline an American network series.

With the rising demand for diversity in Hollywood movies, Paramount is eyeing Chopra for a role.

According to THR, the actress would play a villain in it. However, scheduling conflicts with “Quantico” and the film’s shoot “still need to be worked out”.

So far, it’s only been confirmed that “San Andreas” actress Alexandra Daddario will play Summer, a lifeguard and the love interest of Zac Efron‘s character. Model-turned-actress Kelly Rohrbach also recently signed on to play a character named C.J. Parker.

Both Summer and C.J Parker appeared in the original “Baywatch” TV series and they were respectively portrayed by Nicole Eggert and Pamela Anderson.

The original “Baywatch” TV series premiered on NBC from 1989 to 1999. It starred David Hasselhoff (the one and only), Parker Stevenson, Shawn Weatherly, Billy Warlock, Erika Eleniak, Peter Phelps, Brandon Call, and Holly Gagnier.

Although it was cancelled after its first season, it survived a setting change and large cast overhaul and became hugely successful – especially internationally.

The American action drama show also led to a spin-off, “Baywatch Nights”, and a reunion movie, “Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding”.

Plot details about the reboot remain scarce, but sources close to the project said that Paramount is taking a comedic route with the movie.

The reboot will also have little to do with the original show as it will centre on a by-the-book and very serious lifeguard (played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) who is forced to team up with a young rule-flouting hothead (played by Zac Efron) in order to save their beach from environmental destruction at the hands of an oil tycoon.

While it’s not verified, parts were reportedly being written for both Anderson and Hasselhoff to reprise their respective roles.

Best known for his work on “Horrible Bosses” and “Identity Thief”, Seth Gordon is directing this reboot based on a script written by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon.

Johnson will produce it with his partner Dany Garcia through their Seven Bucks Productions banner. Beau Flynn and Ivan Reitman will also serve as producers alongside Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Greg Bonann.

Filming will begin in February 2016 as the movie is slated for release sometime in 2017.

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7 Reasons To Experience Legoland’s Latest Build The Thrills Festival

Vehicles, racing, and speed – if those things are music to your ears, then set a date to visit Legoland Malaysia Resort as the theme park has been transformed into a world of racetracks, in celebration of the all-new Build The Thrills Festival.

Build The Thrills is not only one of the largest partnerships between Lego and Legoland, but also the theme park’s first ever vehicle and racing themed festival that promises a list of buzzing activities and entertaining shows to keep everyone’s engines roaring with excitement.

Visitors can look forward to a fresh and enhanced experience on popular attractions that include:

1. The iconic scaled-up Lego Ferrari 512 M model (that consists of 78,496 bricks and weighs 280kg, at 2700 x 1200 x 700 mm)

2. The all-time favourite Driving School (featuring a wider variety of vehicles safe for children to drive)

3. The Lego Mindstorms zone (STEM-based workshops, robotic maze racer + vehicle testing)

In addition, here are other highlights to enjoy at Legoland Build The Thrills:

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Sing and dance along with the stars of LEGO Friends of Heartlake City, who will all be performing in brand-new racing outfits at the Friends Rally Showcase. In addition to the daily opening and farewell shows, there will also be an impressive line-up of Stunt Shows, Tech Mech, and Bike Stunts.

Meet the LEGO racers: the Technical Builder, the Speed Champion, and the City Racer, all dressed in racing gear. Be sure to also catch the fantastic characters Emmet, Wyldstyle, Elvie and Bricky around the resort.

“Every activity we have curated for the festival at Legoland Malaysia Resort came through our passion. We want to create memorable moments for kids and their families as they spend quality time together and learn through play,” said CS Lim, Divisional Director at Legoland Malaysia Resort.

He added, “Guests can engage in thematic role-plays, take part in friendly challenges with awesome prizes and celebrate the best moments together with daily live performances we have prepared.”

“As children return to schools after a prolonged break, the event complements learning through play by enabling an immersive build experience, unleashing their imagination and stimulating their creativity. At Build The Thrills, we are generating both exciting and creative experiences such as pit stop building activities and testing centres, allowing children to embrace expressing themselves while interacting with others,” CS explained.

For more information on Legoland Build The Thrills, click here.