#Valentines2015: Stay In & Get Cosy With Our All-Time Fave Romantic Korean Films

Did you know that Valentine’s Day in South Korea is a bit different from Valentine’s Day elsewhere in world? In fact, Valentine’s Day is one of 12 “love days” celebrated on the 14th of every month in Korea. These days range from the popular (White Day, 14th March) or depressing (Black Day, 14th April), to the bizarre (Hug Day, 14th December) and everything else in between.

In any case, Valentine’s Day is widely celebrated in Korea, just like everywhere else in the world. But unlike it being a catch-all holiday like it is in the rest of the world, on 14th Feb, women give chocolate to men as a sign of affection. Men who receive these gifts will give a gift in return on “White Day”.

In the recent years, however, retailers have begun targeting not only women but also men. Hence, many stores put heavy focus on advertising chocolates just before Valentine’s Day. Of course, many advertisers capitalise on both Valentine’s Day and White Day by anchoring in early season sales of jewellery, sweets, lingerie, and other sentimental gifts.

This Valentine’s Day, however, we’re going to do something different but at the same time, Korean-themed. Instead of chocolates (or jewellery, or sweets, or lingerie), we’ve rounded up some of our favourite romantic Korean movies to share with all y’all ;)

From the ones that will make you laugh until you beg for mercy to the ones that will reduce you to choking back on your tears, enjoy:

Christmas In August aka 8월의 크리스마스 (1998)

Somewhere in Seoul, Jung-Won (played by Han Suk-Kyu) runs a small shabby photo studio. A humble shack passed down from his widower father, the studio is a space where Jung-Won goes about with his daily routine of dealing with fussy customers, enlarging photos of class heartthrobs for the neighbourhood kids and photographing pictures to place on funeral altars.

For Jung-Won, life seems to be a series of peaceful events, but in reality his time on earth is too limited for comfort. Barely in his mid-30’s but perhaps too aware of the meaning of death, Jung-Won accepts his fate despite the subtle gestures of concern coming form his old father and younger sister. Life goes on as usual until one day he meets Darim (played by Shim Eun-Ha) who works at the Traffic Control Division of the local district office is a regular customer at the studio.

Her daily visits to develop snapshots of parking violations and her somewhat bold attempts to capture his attention stirs a feeling inside Jung-Won with which he deals in anticipation. As his health gradually deteriorates, Jung-Won is faced with the painful duty of bidding farewell to family, friends, to the studio and to Darim.

In 1997, architect Sung-Hyun (played by Lee Jung-Jae) moves into the home “Il Mare” that his estranged father built. One day, he pulls out a letter from his mailbox. The letter is from a young woman who addresses the new occupant of the “Il Mare” house. Sung-Hyun is surprised because he is the only person to have moved into the home. More letters arrive and in those letters her predictions are accurate. She warns about a flurry of snow on a certain day in January of 1998 and an ensuing flu virus.

Eun-Joo (played by Jun Ji-Hyun) is convinced that her letter has traveled back in time to December of 1997 and starts writing regularly to Sung-Hyun. Eun-Joo decides to ask Sung-Hyun to find her cassette recorder, which she lost at a train station. Sung-Hyun goes to the train station and gets a glimpse of Eun-Joo.

In a corner of the neigbourhood electronic game room sits Kang-jae (played by Choi Min-Sik), the man bumming around with a cigarette butt in his mouth. His old friend from the heydays of ruling the backstreets has become boss of a crime organisation while he was merely endowed with a small video shop for his contributions to organised crime. Even this meagre business mostly constituted of selling porn videos to teenage delinquents is as unstable as his fighting skills.

The only time his mucous-ridden, bloodshot eyes brighten up is when he is sitting in front of the game machine…this is what makes him not just a browbeat but a ‘third rate’ browbeat.

An incident inadvertently forces Kang-jae to sign a life-risking contract with the boss of a major gang, a difficult decision but one that Kang-jae believed would help him return home triumphantly. Then out of the blue, he receives a letter:

Kang-jae…thank you for everything. With your help, I’ve been able to continue working in Korea. Everyone here is so kind. But you are the kindest of them all. Because you have married me.

After a brief moment of confusion, Kang-jae remembers the time when he went through a fake marriage for a few bucks. The warmth Kang-jae was feeling from the letter takes him into unfamiliar territory.

Gyun-Woo (played by Cha Tae-Hyun) is a college student, more interested in picking up girls, drinking with his buddies and avoiding his nagging mother whenever possible. While riding the subway, a drunken girl (played by Jun Ji-Hyun) then changes his fate forever. She’s nearly unconscious on the train and vomits on an older guy. She then leans over to Gyun-Woo and everybody assumes she is his girlfriend!

Gyun-Woo soon finds himself in a relationship he didn’t ask for, but soon unable to forget this sassy girl.

Also known as the less popular prequel to “My Sassy Girl”, Windstruck centres on a story about female police officer Kyung-Jin (played by Jun Ji-Hyun) who spots a purse snatcher fleeing on foot. She’s off-duty, but gives chase anyways. Kyung-Jin arrests a man named Myung-Woo (played by Jang Hyuk), who she mistakes for the purse snatcher. The two are then paired together to patrol an area popular with underage students.

A Moment To Remember aka 내 머리속의 지우개 (2004)

27-year-old fashion designer Soo-Jin (played by Son Ye-Jin) goes into a convenience store to buy a Coke, but accidentally leaves it on the counter. Remembering the Coke, Soo-Jin walks back to the store and sees a man (played by Jung Woo-Sung) walking out of the store with a can of Coke. Soo-Jin, believing the drink is hers, snatches it from the man’s hand and downs the drink in one gulp. Later on the bus, Soo-Jin remembers that she also left her wallet at the convenience store. When goes back to retrieve her wallet, the clerk hands her the wallet and the can of Coke she left behind. Oops.

One day, while surveying a construction site that her father is in charge of, Soo-Jin sees the same man she mistakenly believed took her drink. The man’s name is Chul-Soo and is he the foreman at the construction site. Soo-Jin begins to fall for Chul-Soo and begins to woo him. A relationship develops and Soo-Jin and Chul-Soo eventually marries.

Life seems great for the couple, but Soo-Jin’s forgetfulness worsens and she soon learns she a rare form of Alzheimer’s.

Han-Na (played by Kim A-Joong) is a very large girl with a warm heart. She also possesses an unbelievable voice. Han-Na wants to become a pop-singer, but due to her extra-large appearance, can only work as a faceless singer. She provides the vocals for a popular singer named Amy (played by Ji Seo-Yun), a beautiful young lady that can’t carry a note to save her life.

Han-Na is also in love with Amiys music producer, Sang-Joon (played by Joo Jin-Mo), but it’s a one-sided love. One day, Han-Na is invited to Sang-Joon’s birthday party and receives a red dress from him to wear to his party. Han-Na is excited, yet scared. The dress is revealing and quite extravagant. With her very large figure, she is not sure if she can wear such an outfit. Han-Na does eventually go to the birthday party in the red dress, but is mortified when petite Amy appears in the same red dress. During the course of the birthday party, Han-Na absorbs more emotional trauma and she simply disappears for one year.

Han-Na then returns as the beautiful Jenny.

K (played by Kwon Sang-Woo), a radio producer who loves a woman named Cream (played by Lee Bo-Young), is told that he has only a few months left to live. Because he knows Cream’s biggest fear is to be left alone, he keeps his illness a secret and urges her to marry a guy named Ju-Hwan (played by Lee Beom-Soo). One day, Cream announces that she is in love with Ju-Hwan.

Set in Amsterdam, Daisy tells the story of a love triangle between a young girl and the two men in her life. Hye-young (played by Jun Ji-Hyun) is a painter in Amsterdam who looks after her grandfather’s antique shop during the week and earns extra money as a street painter on weekends. It’s through her painting that she meets Jeong-woo (played by Lee Sung-jae), an Interpol cop who is chasing a criminal, but keeps Hye-young in the dark about his real work. The other man, Park Yi (played by Jung Woo-sung), is a hit-man who found a soft spot for her and watches her from afar for some time.

However, being shy and ever mindful of the dangers of his professional career Park Yi can only make small gestures to her while still staying in the shadows. Hye-young is dying to meet the man who leaves flowers on her doorstep every day, and built a bridge over a stream for her after she once fell in. Both men try to woo her from afar while still hiding their identities, as she remains alone but moved by these incredible gestures to her. It’s only a matter of time before the hit-man and Interpol agent cross paths and things really begin to unravel in this action-fueled romance story.

35-year-old architect Seung-Min (played by Uhm Tae-Woong) receives a visit at his office from a woman. Seung-Min doesn’t recognise the woman at first, but then realises the woman is Seo-Yeon (played by Han Ga-In). Seo-Yeon is his first love, but he hasn’t seen her since his freshman year in college. Seo-Yeon now has a request. She wants to hire Seung-Min to rebuild her home on Jeju Island.

15 years ago, Seung-Min (Lee Je-Hoon) is a naive young man beginning his architecture studies in college. He first meets Seo-Yeon (played by Bae Suzy) in his Architecture 101 class. As they work on a class project together, Seung-Min and Seo-Yeon begin to fall in love.

Back to the present day, Seung-Min is hesitant to take Seo-Yeon’s job offer. Seo-Yeon persists and even goes to his boss with her wish. Seung-Min now has no choice, but to take on Seo-Yeon’s home project. Old memories of love and heartbreak will soon resurface, as they find themselves at different junctions in their lives.

That’s all we’ve got, peeps. What were some of your favourites? Were they on the list too or did we not include them? Let us know which ones you simply will not have enough of until today and maybe even after this Valentine’s Day ;)

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#GDA Artiste Profile: Lee Hi

Born Lee Ha Yi in 1996, Lee Hi is YG Entertainment’s latest “baby K-Pop idol”. She was initially one of the finalists of Survival K-Pop Star (a reality TV singing competition) but was scouted and signed to the company after capturing the attention of YG’s CEO, Yang Hyun-syuk.

At only 16 years old, Lee Hi is still a student and is currently studying in the School of Performing Arts in Seoul. At only 16 years old, she is perhaps the only K-Pop artiste to have trained for such a short amount of time before launching a solo career. At only 16 years old, Lee Hi sounds like a cross between being the younger version of Duffy or Adele. Who can believe that she’s only 16 years old?

She was first introduced to the world in Epik High’s first song after their long hiatus, “It’s Cold”. That small feature was big enough to spark K-Pop fans’ curiosities.

The time frame in which Lee Hi had to prepare for her debut after K-Pop star wrapped was only half a year but her debut single, “1, 2, 3, 4” achieved an “all-kill” on the charts the moment it was released. Lee Hi released her second single, “Scarecrow”, in November 2012. But the one true testament to her instant success was still “1, 2, 3, 4”. The song not only reached #1 on all the main music charts, it also sat pretty on top of the charts for five consecutive days. Pretty mind-blowing coming from a rookie singer!:

[youtube id=”C-1llWrXI28″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

On top of that, Lee Hi is also currently in the running to bag the “New Rising K-Pop Star Award” at “Samsung GALAXY The 27th Golden Disk Awards in Kuala Lumpur”!

Here’s another fact: Lee Hi is slated to make an appearance at “Samsung GALAXY The 27th Golden Disk Awards in Kuala Lumpur” (GDA).

To purchase tickets, hit up TicketPro or any of their participating outlets right now! Tickets are priced at RM999 (Samsung GALAXY Zone) and RM688 (Rockpit). We hear that tickets are going to go fast so hurry!

For more information, visit their official website.


#VacayWithAirAsiaX: 10 Wonders Of South Korea’s World-Class Port City, Busan

If you’re a K-Pop/K-Drama/general K-entertainment fan, you would’ve probably already heard a million and one things about South Korea. More often than not, just Seoul alone.

And if you haven’t been to Busan, I have oh, only about 10 reasons why going to Busan will be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.

The second largest city in South Korea, Busan is a world-class port city that is known for its beaches and mountains. Unlike the countryside-ish Jeju Island, Busan has more than just beautiful and sprawling nature to offer because of its city life as well as its shopping! In short, it’s the best of both worlds.

Here’s a list of Busan wonders that’s making me want to go back, stat!

Probably the most popular beach in South Korea and the main attraction in Busan, Haeundae Beach (해운대해수욕장) spans 1.5km long with an area of 58,400㎡. The name “Hae Un Dae” was given by scholar Choi Chi-Won, who was fascinated by the beach and carved the words “Hau Un Dae” on a stone wall. It’s quite a hit with tourists as scores of them visit the beach annually between June to August, and it’s easy to see why. The sand on the beach is clean and white, composed of sand from the Chuncheon Stream and shells that have been naturally eroded by the wind over time. It makes for the perfect place to hold cultural events, festivals, games, and even buskers.

I was there just last week and it’s Autumn in South Korea now so there were less beach activities, but still makes for quite a nice place for a stroll.

About a quarter of South Koreans are Buddhists, which explains why Buddhist temples are such an integral part of the Korean landscape. In fact, most temples in the country boast impressive architecture designs, and one of the more impressive ones is Haedong Yonggungsa Temple (해동 용궁사) in Busan. First built by Buddhist teacher Naong during the Goryeo Dynasty in 1376, the temple is located on a cliff right next to the sea. Haesu Gwaneum Daebul (Seawater Great Goddess Buddha), Daeungjeon Main Sanctuary, Yongwangdang Shrine, Gulbeop Buddhist Sanctum (enclosed in a cave), and a 3-story pagoda with 4 lions can all be seen looking out over the ocean. The sound of the waves hitting the rocks mixed with the soft Buddhist chants does kind of lull you into a state of meditation. In not so many words, it’s very “zen”.

Fun fact: There’s even an underground praying chamber that holds drinking water which is said to make people 10 years younger. Tried it. Not sure if it worked for me.

3. Gwangan Bridge or Diamond Bridge (부산 광안대교)

During sunset, at first glance, the Gwangan Bridge (otherwise known as the Diamond Bridge) resembles San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

Stretching over 7.4km from from Namcheon-dong (Suyeong-gu, Busan) to Centum City (U-dong, Haeundae-gu), the Diamond Bridge is the largest bridge over the ocean in South Korea. Whether you’re looking at it from a distance or overlooking nearby attractions (Gwangalli Beach, Dalmaji Hill) from it, it’s a feast for the eyes. At night, the Diamond Bridge is dotted with beautiful lights that changes every day and every season, which makes for a pretty romantic setting. And if that’s not enough to satisfy the curious tourist in you, you can even book a yacht to go around and under the Diamond Bridge!

If, like me, you’re a city slicker who hasn’t had the opportunity to go on a luxurious yacht ride because you live in a place like say, Kuala Lumpur, with no beach in sight, then Busan is your jam. With so many sailing and yachting opportunities, you’d be hard pressed to find time to do anything else. Depending on the package you choose, the features vary in terms of things to do and the time you’ll spend on the yacht. I went with Yacht B, which offers both regular sightseeing tours as well as functions on the sea. While on-board for about an hour, I got to experience the foot soak and pig out on barbequed light snacks.

The yacht’s journey started from the yachting center in Haeundae, past the scenic marina of Busan, and drifted at a rendezous point below the Gwangan Bridge. Not something I’d forget anytime soon :)

For more information on Yacht B, visit their website.

5. Gamcheon Cultural Art Village (부산 감천문화마을)

Despite its poor history, the Gamcheon Cultural Art Village (부산 감천문화마을) is a sight for sore eyes. I was told that the village was once the poorest part of Busan, with houses barely big enough to fit a family of 3 and no proper sanitation. During the Korean War, refugees fled their homes for Busan, which was the only part of the Korean peninsula that North Korea never held. But the original owners have either passed on or moved out, leaving behind a heritage settlement. As such, the government decided to “dress” these houses up with pastel paints, wall murals, and art installations, and turned it into what it is today – the Gamcheon Cultural Art Village. It still has its little alleyways, which makes it all the more quirky. And some houses have either been transformed into tiny stores or cafes. No wonder people call it the “Santorini of the East”.

It’s easily Asia’s artsiest little town. But that’s just my own opinion, of course. Feel free to pay the Gamcheon Cultural Art Village (armed with a camera, of course) and see it for yourself!

South Korea is very heavily influenced by the Americans be it fashion, brands, technology, or other trends. In fact, the coffee culture has taken South Korea by storm, with cafes and coffee joints mushrooming all over the country. Busan has an entire street dedicated to this trend, called the Haeundae Dalmatigil Cafe Street. The street is lined with internationally known coffee outlets like Starbucks as well as popular Korean cafes such as Angel-In-Us, Hollys Coffee, A Twosome Place, Tom N Toms Coffee, Coffee Gurunaru, and more. A big plus point is that Haeundae Dalmatigil Cafe Street also offers a nice view of Haeundae Beach.

My opinion? Skip the Starbucks outlet and go for any one of the many Korean cafes. They’ve got awesome desserts (waffles, “bingsu”, cakes) to boot too :)

When in a marine city, don’t pass up on the chance to soak it all in. And where better to get the best of both worlds (city and beach) in Busan than The Bay 101?

The Bay 101 is a yacht club and a new-ish hotspot in Busan where you can have beer, fish & chips, coffee, and ice-cream while soaking in the fantastic, sprawling landscape. On one side, you’ll get a pretty perfect view of the sea while on the other side, you’ll come face-to-face with Busan’s towering city skylne. And by nature of it being primarily a yacht club, there will be yachts and boats docked along the bay as well as ongoing sailing activities. I imagine this to be a great place to hang out after work for drinks or on weekends catching up with friends. I kid you not, it’s nice to just sit back, take deep breaths, and watch the world go by.

8. Gwangbok-dong Fashion Street (광복로문화패션거리)

I thought that I’d be able to escape splurging (on shopping) while I was in Busan but boy, was I wrong. And no, nobody has to go all the way to Seoul to buy their favourite innisfree/Tony Moly/Etude House/Nature Republic/Missha/The Face Shop sheet masks by bulk because Busan has it very own “little Myeongdong” called Gwangbok-dong Fashion Street (광복로문화패션거리)!

It’s easy to guess why it’s called “little Myeongdong” as it houses many brands that you will find in the Seoul’s Myeongdong. There, you’ll be able to find the famed Korean skincare brands and fashion outlets plus everything else from Foot Locker to ABC Mart, and even standalone stores for kicks such as Onitsuka Tiger, Reebok, Nike, and more. The Gwangbok-dong Fashion Street is also where the absolutely delicious number one Busan street food Ssiat Hotteok (seed-stuffed pancake) is available. So good that I went back for seconds.

9. Haeundae/Dongbaek Park Observation Deck

I’ll be honest and say that I’ve never seen a observation deck as long Haeundae/Dongbaek Park’s. It snakes along the Haeundae beach cliffs next to Dongbaek Park and eventually leads to the Nurimaru APEC House. The trick is to really take your time while walking along the deck because the scene from the deck is beautiful so it is the best place to stop and snap the best landscape shots e.g. selfies, panoramic pictures, wefies, Instavideos, groupfies repeatedly! Somewhere along the way, you might see a familiar little mermaid statue sitting on the rocks, overlooking the sea. The statue represents Princess Hwangok from the Naranda, a country of mermaid and mermen beyond the sea. Legend has it that she married King Eunhye of the Kingdom Mugung but she missed Naranda so much that she shed many tears longing for her homeland as she gazed at the topaz bead given by her grandmother-in-law.

Familiar story? Yes, it’s pretty much Haeundae’s version of Denmark’s “Little Mermaid” fairy tale.

When by the beach or anywhere remotely near the ocean, for that matter, expect seafood. Lots of seafood. So trust me, spend about a week in Busan and you’ll never eat another piece of seafood for awhile. By nature of it being a port city, it means that fresh produce from the sea is an abundance. But the good thing is that by nature of it being South Korea, there are also restaurants that serve Korean barbeque. In Busan, they get the best of both worlds – awesome seafood and awesome Korean barbeque. The portions are huge too, what with the various types of “banchan” (side dishes served with Korean cuisine) so just be prepared to really pig out while you’re there.

Note: Some restaurants in South Korea serve a minimum of 2 pax per table so if you’re a lone traveler, it might be difficult for you to dine in a restaurant.

Special thanks to our friends from AirAsia X for flying me to Busan and for the wonderful experience :)

AirAsia X, the world’s best low cost airline* flies from Kuala Lumpur to Busan 4 times a week. Book your flight at the lowest fare via AirAsia’s website now. Seriously, now.

For more information, visit the Busan Tourism Organisation website and AirAsia’s website.

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Rapid KL Commuters Beware! Annabelle Will Haunt Those Who Misbehave On The Train

After calling out misbehaving commuters on social media, Rapid KL has enlisted the help of Annabelle to remind all passengers to behave when using the trains.

The public transportation provider wittily wrote on Facebook, “Dear valued customers, lately we’ve been receiving surprise visits from Annabelle. Mind your manners while you’re on our trains or….she will haunt you FOREVER.”

In the first photo, Annabelle is seen taking a ride on the train whereas in the 2nd photo, she sits at one of the gate entrances.

For the uninitiated, Annabelle is a Raggedy Ann doll alleged by demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren to be haunted. Also, if horror is your thing, “Annabelle: Creation”, a movie based on the scary doll is set to release on 9th August.

Upon seeing the post, many netizens praised Rapid KL for its humorous public awareness campaign. One Facebook user commented, “Whoever is handling the Rapid KL’s social media platform, he/she deserves a raise.” Meanwhile, another wrote, “Admin, you are so entertaining. I rarely follow corporate page like yours. But this one, Rapid KL won my heart. Your sarcasm is acceptable. Well done!”

In speaking with NST, a spokesperson from the company said that the purpose of the cheeky campaign was to generate civic awareness among the public. “We hope that the public’s social etiquette will be improved, not only when using the public transportation but also when they use any public facilities,” added the spokesman.

Well done, Rapid KL ? We can’t wait to see what else you have installed for us.


Hype’s Must Watch: “Mad Max: Fury Road”

Believe it or not, only madness can survive in our post-apocalyptic future. Case in point, the new trailer for Warner Bros’ upcoming action film, “Mad Max: Fury Road”.

Directed, produced, and co-written by George Miller, “Mad Max: Fury Road” is the 4th instalment of the “Mad Max” franchise. “The Drop” actor Tom Hardy is starring in the film as “Mad” Max Rockatansky, a character originally played by Mel Gibson in 1979’s “Mad Max” and its subsequent sequels “Mad Max: The Road Warrior” (1981) and “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome” (1985).

After offering us a first look at the film through a Comic Con trailer, Warner Bros further gave us a glimpse into Miller’s post-apocalyptic world through a brand new trailer on YouTube.

The world depicted in the film is a world filled with brutal warfare on the road. Humanity is broken as everyone fights for the necessities in life.

Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa. They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe, from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.

Charlize Theron will portray Furiosa while Hugh Keays-Byrne, who appeared as Toecutter in “Mad Max”, is set to portray Immortan Joe. The film also stars Nicholas Hoult, Nathan Jones, Zoe Kravitz, Riley Keough, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

After spending around 30 years in development hell, “Mad Max: Fury Road” will finally “rise from the ashes of this world” when it hits theatres on 15th May 2015.

Check out the movie’s official stills in the gallery below:

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

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#Vape: Laws Proposed, To Be Enforced By The End Of 2016

Vapers, it might not be easy to get your hands on your weekly dose of vape juice or even vape in public any more.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said that laws to regulate the vape industry has been proposed, ranging from the manufacture of the products to the smoking of e-cigarettes. The laws will be implemented by the end of 2016.

The Health Ministry will not be drafting the laws alone, as they will be working hand in hand with other ministries and agencies, depending on the legal areas involved. Although he did not reveal the name of the parties involved, Subramaniam did state that his ministry would be responsible for enforcing the regulations.

This news was disclosed by Subramaniam at a Cabinet meeting that took place yesterday (Wednesday, 11th May 2016). He said:

The laws will involve all aspects of vape, including its distribution. Once the draft is completed, we will present it to the Cabinet, have it gazetted and enforced.

Vaping has been a controversial topic in Malaysia and the decision to regulate the vape industry came as the Education Ministry banned vaping in 20 public universities in Malaysia and after the Health Ministry raided vape outlets nationwide.

What do you think of the move to regulate the vape industry in Malaysia? Do you agree or disagree with the move? Leave your thoughts in the comments box below.

Sources: The Star Online, Free Malaysia Today.


#MYHaze: Experts & Officials Say Haze Crisis To Affect Southeast Asia Until 2016

Let’s be real now, how much more haze can Malaysians take? We can’t remember the last time we saw clear blue skies and fluffy white clouds. In fact, that sounds like a place in a land far, far away.

Unfortunately, it’s likely that it’ll stay this way until past New Year’s.

According to The Straits Times, citing experts and officials, the Indonesian forest fires that have caused choking smoke to drift across Southeast Asia are spreading to new areas and are unlikely to be put out until next year.

Indonesia has come under increased pressure from its neighbours to contain the annual “haze” crisis, which is caused by slash-and-burn agriculture practices, largely on Sumatra and Kalimantan – but it has failed to put out the fires.

“Maybe it will last until December and January,” said Mr Herry Purnomo, a scientist at the Center for International Forestry Research, adding that hot spots had reached Papua, a region that usually avoids widespread fires.

“It is because people are opening new agriculture areas, like palm oil,” he added.

A senior official at a company active in Indonesia’s forested areas said the haze could continue until March.

Separately, Malaysia’s Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafa warned that international efforts to douse raging Indonesia fires will fail and Southeast Asia could face several more weeks of choking smoke until the rainy season starts.

Malaysia enjoyed a brief spell of lowered haze last week, but the government – which has repeatedly ordered school closures across wide areas as a health precaution – did so again on Monday (19th October) as skies once again reverted to the now-familiar soupy gray.

Schools were closed in several states and in the capital Kuala Lumpur as pollution levels climbed well into the “unhealthy” range under the government’s rating system.

“Unless there is rain, there is no way human intervention can put out the fires,” he told AFP on the sidelines of Malaysia’s parliament session, warning that the blazes were spread across “huge areas” of Indonesia.

Even the multi-nation effort now under way “is not enough to put out the fires,” he added. “We hope the rains will come in mid-November. It will be able to put out the fires,” Wan Junaidi said.

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#MyTeksi: Taxi Drivers Protest Against Ride-Sharing Applications GrabCar & Uber

Taxi drivers who used the MyTeksi application have vowed to abstain from it and refused to provide service to the application’s customers in a protest against ride-share applications Uber and GrabCar. The strike, which began yesterday, will go on for 7 days.

Around 300 taxi drivers protested in front MyTeksi’s headquarters, which is located at Jalan Kemajuan, Petaling Jaya, yesterday morning. The protest, which caused traffic congestion, demands for the axing of Uber and GrabCar, as they stated that the aforementioned applications goes against the rules and has been eating into their income.

Mathavan Subramaniam, secretary for the Subang Jaya Taxi Drivers Association (PPTSJ), elaborated that GrabCar is an illegal entity, as it goes against various ground rules set by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD).

Taxi drivers have to undergo a health screening test before being eligible for a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence, which in turn is a prerequisite to drive a taxi. However, GrabCar is not subjected to this rule. Their vehicles are not inspected by Puspakom and they do not have the safety authorisation to carry passengers. This is a clear violation of SPAD rules, but GrabCar is still in operation.

He further explained that the applications’ low rates has caused a loss of business for a huge amount of taxi drivers:

When the industry is as such, how are we supposed to make a living and take care of our families? We are unable to pay rental to the taxi companies, sometimes.

While complaints have been lodged to the SPAD, no visible action has been taken, with Mathavan saying, “We have sent many reports to them, but they only said one thing: “We will inform our enforcement team to take action”.”

Kamarudin Mohd Hussain, the deputy chairman for Malaysian Taxi Drivers’ Transformation Association (PERS1M), conveyed his disappointment with SPAD for not acting in the best interest for the industry.

He not only chided SPAD for failing in their duties, but also expressed his betrayal at MyTeksi:

Until today, SPAD has not been responsible and has failed in its duties; and I urge (Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib Razak to revamp SPAD and its officers. The industry is becoming more and more damaged because people do not care about the industry.

We have been promoting MyTeksi and have been urging passengers to use the app to get a taxi, and now this is how they (MyTeksi) repay us.

A memorandum was submitted and received by Vincent Tan, marketing manager for MyTeksi. However, Kamarudin has stated that a larger protest will take place if the terms of the memorandum were not agreeable.

GrabCar, a fairly new application owned by MyTeksi, works in the same way as Uber, allowing customers to hail commonplace vehicles belonging to anyone who has a driver’s license. Uber has also been embroiled in several controversies since its inception, not only in Malaysia, but also in France. In Malaysia, taxi drivers have been protesting for a ban against Uber while in France, 2 Uber leaders were taken into custody by police as part of a probe into the ride-sharing application.

What do you think of the fiasco? Do you think the ride-sharing applications should be banned? How many of you depend on these apps to hail a ride? Let us know in the comments box below.

Sources: Malay Mail Online, The Rakyat Post.


Hype’s Movie Review: Taken Deep “Into The Woods” For A Whimsical Fantasy Ride!

To wrap this all up with one simple sentence, it felt like Disney was doing to “Into The Woods” what they did to “Maleficent” last year. The only difference is that “Into The Woods” is actually based on a Tony Award–winning Broadway musical of the same name. But unlike “Maleficent”, “Into The Woods” features various popular classic fairytales such as Rapunzel, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood.

So the story goes as such: A childless baker (played by James Corden) and his wife (played by Emily Blunt) are informed by a quivering, quavering neighbour witch person (played by Meryl Streep) that their barrenness is a result of her curse. Reason for curse? It was because the baker’s father was, and we quote the witch, “Rooting through my rutabaga, Raiding my argula”. Whatever that means.

To lift the curse, the childless and squabbling couple need to journey into the woods (hence the movie’s title), that scarily inviting place where protections and inhibitions are removed, to retrieve key items from various fairytales (hence the fairytales mashup) in progress. If they can produce a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold within 3 nights something will finally be cooking in the oven of the baker’s wife’s belly.

But it’s set to be an adventure because obtaining those items means seeking help from others who pass through the nearby woods and all these other people have their own hidden agendas.

We won’t spoil the film for you, but we will say that the cast deserves credit for putting on nice performances for their respective “Into The Woods” roles. For example, it was really nice to see Emily Blunt doing something completely different this time around, since the last we saw her was in “The Edge of Tomorrow“. Also, Meryl Streep was perfectly casted for her role as the witch! Not that we should be surprised because after all, it’s Meryl Streep, who has claimed only about 151 awards and over 400 nominations in her career.

And there was also Chris Pine (as seen in the picture above), who was quite spot on with his portrayal of an arrogant Prince.

Is “Into The Woods” for everyone? Nope. Would we bring a child to watch this? We’re not sure. Would you bring a child to watch “Maleficent”? Exactly. At least we know that anyone from the young teenage years to working adults will be able to enjoy the slickly produced “Into The Woods”. Especially if you’re a fan of whimsical fantasy and musicals!

Even if you’re not, just remember to bring your sense of humour and you’re all set ;)

Check out the production pictures in the gallery below:

And if that’s not enough to entice you, “Into the Woods” features an all-star ensemble cast including:

“Into The Woods” will be released in a cinema near you on 15th Jan.

For more information, visit the movie’s official website.

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#Malaysia: Vehicles Trapped As Flash Floods Hit Klang Valley After Downpour

Scores of vehicles were trapped when flash floods hit several key roads in Kuala Lumpur following a downpour during the rush hour this evening (Thursday, 12th May).

Bernama’s Twitter and the Fire and Rescue Department’s Twitter shared photos from 4 roads that were badly hit as of 8:48pm – Jalan Pudu, Jalan Pantai Bahru, Jalan Semantan, and Jalan Bangsar.

Banjir kilat sekitar bangsar-pix by PCX bikers pic.twitter.com/4rgc5aaOfy

keadaan di pintu masuk Universiti Malaya. sila berhati hati. pic.twitter.com/syAMkQUVoi

— FriendOfBomba (@Friendofbomba) May 12, 2016

Empat jalan utama terjejas akibat banjir kilat yang melanda ibu negara (Gambar @bombaJBPM) pic.twitter.com/or9EcqQUrD

Additionally, several Malaysian netizens who were on the roads at the time also took to social media to post up pictures of the flash floods.

One Facebook user shared photos from Jalan Duta, which showed several cars trapped in knee-deep water. In one of his posts, he urged his friends, “Don’t come anywhere near Jalan Duta. Please spread the news and tell the cars stuck on Jalan Duta to reverse if possible. There are hundreds of car soaked in water already.”

According to The Star Onilne, The Fire and Rescue Department later sent out a media alert to say that crews were dispatched to 2 locations in Kuala Lumpur after emergency calls were made by people trapped in the floods.

A total of 20 firemen were sent at 7:26pm to a location in front of Duta Vista in Jalan Duta where 100 vehicles were trapped along the road towards Damansara and Kuala Lumpur, forcing motorists to leave their vehicles.

It added that another 13 Fire and Rescue Department personnel were sent to the Jalan Lingkungan Budi gate of Universiti Malaya at 7:58pm as 15 cars were stranded in flash floods and strong currents.

“11 people were rescued including a woman who was having breathing difficulties,” said the Fire and Rescue Department.

Were you caught in the flash floods too? Leave a comment below if you’d like to share your experience with us.

Sources: Bernama’s Twitter, The Star Online, Bomba’s Twitter / Featured image: Friend of Bomba Malaysia.


Uncharted Review: Bland Treasure Hunt Derails & Fails To Find Its Gold

After the dizzying heights set by “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, superstar Tom Holland graces the big screen once again as a beloved gaming icon in Sony Picture’s “Uncharted.”

The “Uncharted” games are some of the most beloved console adventures out there. It is no surprise that Hollywood loves adapting popular franchises. Nevertheless, it is no secret that such an adaptation has been caught in development purgatory for years (which was around the time the first “Uncharted” game, Drake’s Fortune” was released). Heck, baby Tom Holland would have still been practising his Billy Elliot moves back then.

So, after an unfortunate script leak and multiple cycles of directors later, we finally have the tale of Nathan Drake and his buddies to grace our screens and uhh… it’s kinda “meh”?

When we meet Tom Holland’s Nathan Drake in the movie, he is flipping bottles and shaking drinks for a living. Nevertheless, his street smarts and knowledge of the unknown draw the attention of seasoned treasure hunter, Sully (Mark Wahlberg). They agree to help each other gather clues that would lead them to the long-lost treasure of Magellan’s expeditions.

Nathan’s story here partly draws inspiration from “Uncharted: A Thief’s End”, whereby we explore the past of that character. Nate’s brother, Sam, is someone who has been out of sight for years. Nathan has no clue as to his whereabouts and when Sully shows signs of knowing where he is, Nathan jumps at that chance.

Alas, the duo isn’t the only party searching for the prize as Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas) believes he is the rightful heir to the famed fortune. With the expedition becoming less of a heist and more of a reckless adventure, can Nathan and Sully put their differences aside to get to the gold?

Now, if you are one of those people who felt that the “Uncharted” trailer just does not possess the vibe of the games, the actual product will do nothing to alleviate that. We’re not sure if it’s the “Spider-Man” effect, but watching Tom Holland on-screen feels less like his Nathan Drake is another variation of Peter Parker. Wahlberg’s sardonic portrayal of Sully also feels off but this is the least of our concerns.

The problem here somehow lies within the characters, their relationships, and overall chemistry with one another. They don’t really anchor the audiences, and if you’re practically new to this world, it will frustrate you. While there are attempts to create dramatic character moments and emotional layers, it all falls short due to the lack of commitment to really double down on these ideas. Character development feels more and more like an afterthought as the adventure progresses.

There is a key relationship being explored here: Nate and Sully’s. We see how they meet and how they interact along the way. It is full of mistrust. They still don’t know how to open up. That is all fine for character development. However, the movie tends to shy away from this and only references it again once the momentum is lost. It consistently loses focus on reaching its best potential with the two.

The addition of Chloe Frazer (Sophia Ali) and Jo Braddock (Tati Gabrielle) into the mix are welcome wrenches to Nate and Sully’s plans. Nevertheless, their motivations are such a blur that after a while it becomes less clear as to what anyone is doing any longer. Poor Antonio Banderas suffers the same abysmal fate in his character, Moncada, whereby he’s the main threat to Nate and Sully’s plans but fails to display any fangs.

If there is one plus point, it is Tom Holland. Yes, we know what we said. He doesn’t really fit with the Nathan Drake we have come to know over the years. However, the movie benefits a lot from Tom’s presence as he exudes his wholesome charms and wit to his version of the character. He’s cool, quippy, and he flips bottles at the bar for fun. Without Tom, there would have been nothing to root for. The movie as a whole would have come crashing down into a barren desert without a parachute.

Speaking of crashes, the other bright spots in the film come from its action setpieces. The perilous circumstances make for some bombastic sequences. Be it running and leaping across rooftops, parkouring around, or hanging from chandeliers and cargo planes, it’s a nail-biting affair that showcases the performers’ peak physicalities. They’re being thrown around the set and balancing on gimbals. It helps that Chung-Hun Chung’s frames expertly navigate the scope and scale of the action.

One sequence that is particularly interesting to watch comes during the final act. It stands out due to the extravagant nature of suspending two 16th century boats in mid-air. It’s not every day you see something like that, ya know.

Ultimately, the messy nature of “Uncharted” can only thrill you in spurts and will not truly engage you. That’s a shame because we love the video-game franchise not just for its massive action-packed ideas but also for Nathan, Sully, and Chloe along with their dynamics. We’re not sure if this was the studio trying to rely solely on fans’ knowledge of the source material. Indeed, that would have been a crazy thought considering you have a general public audience who wouldn’t know of anything other than Marvel movies these days.

Indeed, we’ve seen better films of the same heist-adventure genre. If we’re talking about recent features, the Ryan Reynolds-Dwayne Johnson outing, “Red Notice”, comes to memory. Oh yeah, it was a dumb flick. But, hell yes, it delivers the fun, combining action, adventure, sarcastic humour, and heart in the best combo possible. In a way, “Red Notice” is somehow a better “Uncharted” film than what the “Uncharted” film itself attempts to be. If that doesn’t prove a point, we don’t know what else would.

Indeed, the film itself tries to balance its way out of being a complete trainwreck. It also attempts to set up a franchise future through its two credits stingers. By its end, there is a promise.

Even if this origin story doesn’t pan out the way fans or audiences would like, we’re still willing to give the benefit of the doubt to its future. What does the inscription on Drake’s ring state again? Oh yes, Sic Parvis Magna – aka greatness from small beginnings.

All throughout the film, the theme of trust pushes itself to the forefront. Can Nathan trust Sully? Can Chloe trust Nathan? In the same vein, it would be fair, as members of the audience, to reflect as to whether we trust this team of creatives to move forward with this property.

The movie ends on a promising note with Nathan and Sully. Again, with this whole drab origin out of the way, the franchise can now kick into high gear while fixing its very glaring issues to make audiences care more and make it stand out among the tons of heist-adventure films that have come before. Focusing on getting its characters right and getting us to care more about them should be their primary focus moving forward. Nevertheless, is it already too late for that now?

“Uncharted” releases in theatres nationwide on the 17th of February 2022.

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#allkpop: Popular K-Entertainment Website Hacked By..A Taeyeon Fan?

Of all the strange K-Pop/K-entertainment news in the world, we never thought that we’d ever come across this.

Popular K-entertainment website allkpop posted up Taeyeon’s latest music video, “Rain”, only to receive the strangest response a reader-who-is-also-a-hacker could give.

You can barely see the scrolling text against Taeyeon‘s newly released music video playing in all its supersized glory in the background but it says, “TAEYEON SLAYING AGAIN HATERS KNEEL BEFORE YOUR QUEEN.”

Also, upon refreshing the page, you’d be greeted with this, a different “variation” of the hack:

We don’t know who’s behind it but it’s either a Taeyeon fan who clearly worships the ground that she walks on and wants everyone to do the same or a troll who’s having the time of his/her day life.

On another note, we’re pretty sure that the team at allkpop are trying their best to get the page up and running as per normal. Meanwhile, feast your eyes on the music video for Taeyeon’s latest single, “Rain”.


#OneDirection: Zayn Malik Leaves Tour Due To Stress

Sorry Directioners, but Zayn Malik is on a time out.

Zayn Malik has sensationally quit the One Direction tour due to stress. The One Direction band member pulled out of a commercial recording in Hong Kong on 19th March (Thursday) so he could fly back to United Kingdom to be with his family.

Malik’s trip back to the UK also means that One Direction will perform their next few concert dates without him.

Zayn has been signed off with stress and is flying back to the U.K. to recuperate. The band wish him well and will continue with their performances in Manila and Jakarta.

News of Malik quitting the tour comes after pictures of Malik with a girl that wasn’t his fiancee appeared online.

However, the One Direction member has denied any wrongdoing and has even taken to Twitter to share his thoughts:

I’m 22 years old… I love a girl named Perrie Edwards. And there’s a lot of jealous fucks in this world I’m sorry for what it looks like x

— zaynmalik1D (@zaynmalik) March 18, 2015

The U.K’s Mirror reports that Malik hopes to rejoin the band for their South African tour on 28th March (Saturday).

For more One Direction news, stalk them via these platforms: Website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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#Lightsaber: EXO Turn Into Jedi Knights In #StarWars Collaboration Video

There has been an awakening, have you felt it?

In conjunction with the upcoming release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens“, K-Pop idol boy group EXO turned into Jedi knights in the latest music video for “Lightsaber“, their latest collaboration project with the Walt Disney Company Korea.

All EXO members lent their voices to the song, but only Baekhyun, Kai, and Sehun of EXO-K are featured in the collaboration video.

The song opens with Darth Vader’s iconic breathing before transitioning right into the snyth-pop sound that grows into a frenetic EDM breakdown. While it’s not a bass-heavy track, “Lightsaber” has a catchy hook and infectious repetition, making it very ear-pleasing.

As for the video, it is set in a modern day “Star Wars”-inspired world where Sehun, Baekhyun, and Kai are shown wielding their respective lightsabers. Sehun can be seen taking a stroll down a street before walking into a club with a sign that shows “Jedi Only”. Kai, whose right arm is injured in the video, is shown checking out a cut on his face in the mirror while Baekhyun is seen walking around in a grocery store.

The light flickered towards the ending of the video and it seems to suggest that they’re getting into the fight mode as they are interrupted by an unknown force.

“Lightsaber” is now available on Apple Music. As for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, it is set to be released on 18th Dec 2015.

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


#Oscars: Get The Complete Oscars 2016 Experience On HBO

HBO Asia is set to bring the complete Oscars experience direct from Hollywood, across multiple screens on TV and connected mobile devices, in addition to red carpet exclusives and backstage interviews on the network’s website and social platforms.

We all dream in gold. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/ld2BkarOGT

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) January 13, 2016

This Thursday (14th January), starting with the live nominee announcement of the 88th Annual Academy Awards, Guillermo del Toro, John Krasinski, and Ang Lee, together with Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, will announce the nominations of all 24 Oscar categories at a special 2-part live news conference in Beverly Hills.

Del Toro and Lee will announce the nominees in the following categories: Animated Feature Film, Cinematography, Costume Design, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Song, Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing.

Krasinski and Boone Isaacs will take the stage to unveil the nominations for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Directing, Film Editing, Foreign Language Film, Original Score, Best Picture, Production Design, Visual Effects, Adapted Screenplay, and Original Screenplay.

The 88th Annual Academy Awards will be broadcast live exclusively on HBO this 19th February at 9:30am, with a same night primetime encore at 8pm. The awards show will also be streamed live on Astro On The Go.

Hosted by Chris Rock, who previously hosted the awards show in 2005, the 88th Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center in Hollywood.

I think I'm gonna start doing this before I get on stage from now on. #Oscarshttps://t.co/3Y8agMC7AE

— Chris Rock (@chrisrock) January 12, 2016

For the week leading up to the awards, HBO will honour past winners with a recap of 2015 Oscar-winning movies, airing every night at 9pm. The full schedule is as follows:

The Oscars’ live nominees announcement will be broadcast live on HBO / HBO HD (Astro Ch 411 / 431) at 9:30pm on 14th January while the awards will be broadcast live exclusively via HBO on 29th February at 9:30am, with a same night primetime encore at 8pm.

For more updates, follow the Oscars’ Twitter account or visit its official website.

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#BTTF: Self-Lacing #2015NikeMag Set For 2016 Release; Michael J. Fox Sports First Pair

In Robert Zemeckis’ “Back to the Future II”, Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly travels forward in time to the present to a small town in California on 21st October 2015.

Most of the high-tech items in the film are fictional, including the self-lacing Nike Mag shoes.

However, those pair of futuristic shoes will soon become a reality.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) joined Nike in announcing the debut of the self-lacing Nike Mag shoes in spring 2016. In a coordinated effort, they also presented the first pair of the shoes to Michael J. Fox.

Legendary Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield apparently teased the special gift through a handwritten letter.

We wanted you to be the first to receive a pair… In addition to your personal pair, we’re creating more pairs for support in aid of the Foundation in 2016.

The letter I received from Tinker today. Thanks @Nike pic.twitter.com/UIolXrkUVC

— Michael J. Fox (@realmikefox) October 21, 2015

In a press statement, Nike, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Parker revealed that they “started creating something for fiction”. And now, they “turned it into fact”.

By imagining the future, we create it. Product that comes alive, with on-demand comfort and support when you need, product that senses you and adapts to you is right around the corner.

Through their official Twitter account, the MJFF posted a photo and a video of Fox trying on the very first pair of self-lacing Nike Mag sneakers.

This is real. This is today. Coming spring 2016. cc: @RealMikeFox @Nike pic.twitter.com/KPswXNojvA

— michaeljfox.org (@MichaelJFoxOrg) October 21, 2015

Michael J. Fox models the first self-lacing @Nike Mag pic.twitter.com/bgPWM5CKBE

Nike and MJFF have previously collaborated to release 1,500 pairs of non-self-lacing version of the shoes in 20111.

A 10-day auction for the limited edition shoes was held by the renowned sports brand to benefit MJFF. The auction managed to raise more than USD9.4 million for MJFF. It helped speed their efforts to find a cure for Parkinson’s and drew critical awareness to the importance of Parkinson’s research.

It is unclear how many pairs of the 2015 Nike Mag will be made available, but the 2015 Nike Mag as a limited edition release that will only be available via auction, with all proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

The specific details on the auctions will be posted via Nike News and via Twitter @Nike in Spring 2016.

Meanwhile, the President of the United States Barack Obama turned out to be a “Back to the Future” fan too. In honour of #BTTFDAY, he reached out to Fox on Twitter and said:

Happy Back to the Future Day, @RealMikeFox! Ever think about the fact that we live in the future we dreamed of then? That's heavy, man.

— President Obama (@POTUS44) October 21, 2015

Fox seemed genuinely touched by this as he responded to his tweet by saying:

Mr. President, I never dreamed I'd be talking about the future with someone who's making History. https://t.co/i5swY8ksEB

Awwww. Such cuteness! And those shoes. We desperately want a pair of those shoes. Who’s with us?

Sources: Nike, The Michael J. Fox Foundation.

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Producer Fadzil Teh: “You Need Over 1 Million Followers To Be An Actor”

Well-known producer Fadzil Teh defended the decision made by the streaming-based TV station which stipulates that actors who want to appear in the channel must have more than a million followers on Instagram.

Fadzil through a post on his Facebook page supported the decision which set the conditions for an actor to be selected based on the number of followers on their social media. Fadzil said his company welcomed the matter and encouraged fans of the artist to watch the content on the channel, Harian Metro reported.

“As a producer, the existence of this streaming-based TV channel to some extent gives our industry players the opportunity to expand their local work abroad. In fact, this channel is from abroad. They only started to open space for our local artists to produce drama-type content in their channel, I think it’s something that should be welcomed,” he remarked.

“Even though the conditions imposed are quite strict in terms of the number of ‘followers’ of the artist, for me, it is not a major problem. Instead, it should be considered as a challenge for every production company in producing better quality work. At the same time, the drama produced also features actors who are popular so it’s a bonus,” Fadzil added in his statement to Harian Metro.

However, the producer’s view on the matter via his Facebook post has garnered various responses from the public including from some of the people in the industry. There are those who think that the TV channel’s decisions are inappropriate apart from the fact that some of the actors with millions of followers online only rely on their popularity and acting rather bland on screen.

According to Fadzil, the issue is baseless as there are several artists who are very talented in acting and have more than a million followers online. The number of followers he deemed as a bonus for them in terms of getting more job offers.

“In fact, many of the actors who have millions of followers online are talented. Popularity and the number of followers are a bonus for them and an advantage for them in terms of job offers. So in my opinion, talented actors out there with lesser number of followers need to step up their game and be more active on social media,” he said.

Fadzil concluded his statement stating that industry players nowadays need to keep up with the trend and suggested for them to abide by the conditions set. “It is not appropriate to put the blame on only one party,” he remarked.


#Singapore: Uncle Continues To Eat Bee Hoon Despite Approaching Python

What would you do if you see a snake slithering towards your direction? Most people would probably dash away in fear of their safety.

An elderly uncle couldn’t be bothered by the approaching scary reptile and was seen nonchalantly enjoying his bee hoon while everyone around him was panicking.

Facebook user Jeff Cym shared the snake encounter, which took place at Bukit Gombak coffee shop, on the Nature Society (Singapore) Facebook page on Sunday (4th June). In the video clip, diners at the eatery were fleeing the scene after spotting the giant python.

Funnily enough, the old man who sat one table away from the snake had no intention of abandoning his meal. Curious customers could be seen whipping their smartphones out to snap photos and record the commotion.

In an attempt to chase the snake away, a man in a sleeveless green shirt tried to use a chair to prod the creature. The snake was provoked and retaliate by attacking the chair aggressively. That’s was the moment the clip concluded.

“The snake entered the eating area while many were still having their breakfast. Was chased out once but it wanted to return almost immediately despite the crowd of people. The man used the chair to deter it from returning. He did not mean to provoke it,” Jeff Cym shared.

No word yet on where the snake came from, but some suspected that the nearby construction site may have something to do with it.

Sources: Nature Society (Singapore)’s Facebook, Asia One, Stomp/ Featured image: Asia One.

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Twisties Malaysia Calls For Aspiring “Superstarz”!

Malaysia’s all-time favourite savoury snack Twisties announced the start of auditions for Twisties Superstarz X this week, calling young Malaysian talents who have the “X” factor to seize their chance to become the next music icon.

This year the competition returns – bigger, bolder and better than before, in the form of Superstarz X.  Beyond just looking for a talent who can sing, the Twisties Superstarz X is on a greater mission to discover the next icon – a Superstar with the “X” Factor.

[youtube id=”WQNtRZHqf5g” width=”600″ height=”350″]

To find the ultimate entertainer, Twisties Superstarz X will be conducted through three phases: on-ground and online auditions, online voting, and grooming sessions combined with challenges (The Voice, The Rhythm, The Style, and The Superstar). The finalists will be groomed by Malaysia’s top stars Altimet and Prema Yin.

Contestants of the Twisties Superstarz X stand the chance to win amazing prizes:

The timeline for the Twisties Superstarz X is as follows:

To join the Twisties Superstarz X contest, cast your votes or connect online, hit up their website.


Press Pause On Florence

Ironically, this is indeed a “sweet nothing”.

Florence + The Machine vocalist, Florence, wants to take some time off from the music business. After she finishes with her European tour, she’ll use her time to write a musical that she longed for. She recently confessed to The Evening Standard saying, “I’ve been on tour since I was 21. I need a break and to have the chance to do normal things, like go to the supermarket and hang out with my friends”. (Source)

“I’ve only just moved out of my mum’s house, so I’d like to settle into my new place and start getting inspired again. If I started writing songs now, all they’d be about is tour buses and hotel rooms”, she added.

Also, the 26 year-old “Dog Days Are Over” hitmaker is planning to write a musical with an old school friend of hers. She’s definitely not playing around as she hopes that her play will get into the West End because that’s her big goal.

Aww. We’ll miss you and would like to hear from you soon!


Dia Frampton: As Sweet As They Come

25 going on 26, Dia Frampton earned her fame when she became a contestant on the first season of NBC’s The Voice. Under the watch of coach Blake Shelton, she eventually became a runner-up. But The Voice wasn’t the half Korean half Dutch’s singer-songwriter first introduction to the music industry.

Dia Frampton first brandished her vocals in “Meg & Dia”, an American rock band founded by Dia and her sister, Meg Frampton. As a band, the sisters released a couple of albums (including “Cocoon” in 2011) before they announced that they were disbanding so that they could go back to school and Dia could concentrate on building a solo career. And NBC’s The Voice paved the path for her. Her solo album, “Red”, in which she either wrote or co-wrote the songs, was released in December 2011. After which, Dia shot off on her whirlwind promotional tour.

[youtube id=”X5qYWuMw25E)” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Last week, Dia Frampton was in town for her first Malaysian solo concert. We spent an evening with the lovely singer-songwriter at the Universal Music Malaysia headquarters and got to know her beyond just her music:

Hi Dia! Tell us, how different is now that your sister is doing her own thing and that you’re doing this on your own?

“I think even with or without The Voice it would’ve ended up this way, us kind of going out separate paths. We live about 13 hours away from each other now so we kinda see each other like, during Christmas or Thanksgiving. I saw her for Christmas, we got together, and we were cooking together. She has an online jewelry company right now called ‘Chandler the Robot’. It’s called that because she loves ‘Friends’! I actually invited her to come out with me during tour but it’s somewhat short but she couldn’t. I think it has given..more so me because I’m the little sister, an opportunity to find myself. I’ve always kinda been in her shadow – not in a sad way but because I look up to her so much that she has been such a big influence in my life. To not have her there to rely on or second guess my opinion has forced me to become stronger and to be more solid in my convictions.”

How different is it now writing songs without your sister being present all the time?

“About the same because really, as ‘Meg & Dia’ we didn’t write as much together as you would think. I often would write a song and then she would write a song, and then..we would kinda help put the finishing touches in her song and my song and vice versa. I would write a full-on song and ask her what she thinks, she would add production to it or tell me which parts or lyrics she didn’t like and I would change it. So we actually wrote separately. But we did get to write a song together for ‘Red’ which is called ‘Hearts Out To Dry’ which is probably the most special song to me.”

How has being on The Voice contributed to your solo career?

“The Voice opened doors for me to work with producers that I would’ve never gotten an opportunity to work with otherwise. I got to work with ‘Foster the People’ and have them write and produce a song with me, I got to work with the producer of ‘Florence + The Machine’, I got to work with Greg Kurstin on ‘Don’t Kick The Chair’ – he’s my favourite producer ever. I just picked his brain about all the artistes he has worked with, all the sounds like what keyboard did he use for this or what instrument did he use for that..”

Now that you’ve started your solo career, how has your songwriting process changed?

“I think it’s really, um, it changed mostly from working with these producers that I look up to so much..I’ve learnt so much from them. I think I’ve grown in that sense. Even now, I’m starting to write my new record in a week and I feel so much more knowledgeable about the two things that are the most important things to me in songwriting – getting a message that I want to say and conveying it in the most simple but poetic way. In the past, I start with a message and kinda get lost along the way and it gets mixed up and there would be so many parts that don’t need to be there. And now it’s like, what I want to say and how can I say it in the best way.”

What advice do you have for young adults or aspiring singer-songwriters who want to someday make it big?

“Perform as much as possible! I mean, I started in a very unglamorous way – at the age of nine and ten..I was playing almost every month at any old folks home. I would go during lunch time and I would sing for 30 minutes, and I always sang older songs that they would know because they were mostly people in their 60s, 70s, and 80s. So I sang a lot of Patsy Kline and some old country numbers. Even then I got so nervous whenever I sang there but they were all just eating lunch! But I started there and then I moved on to rodeos and county fairs with maybe 60 people watching. It was just a long process. The first tour I went on was in a car and it was literally, driving from cities to cities with this band. We’d sleep in Walmart parking lots, in park parking lots, or in parks. One time in Berkeley California we slept in the park because our bass player was snoring so loud and the cops came to kick us out. I had to go back and sleep in the car! But really, I think it’s just about getting out there as much as possible and I think that with Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, it’s such a good social media network that’s available to you. That’s a big reason that I’m here – it’s that I was able to tweet people in Malaysia from my bed in Utah or LA or wherever I am. It’s also a bad thing in the sense that lots of people get stuck just posting videos on YouTube when one of the most important things is not to play virally in front of people when you’re not even really playing in front of them. Go play at your local bar, go play at your cousin’s birthday party. Go play anywhere. Just practice being nervous.”

Aww. She’s really as sweet as they come. It’s hard not to be instant fans. Thank you for speaking to us, Dia! Already looking forward to hearing more of your music. And thank you, Universal Music Malaysia for making this interview happen.

Dia Frampton’s debut album, “Red”, is now available at a music store near you! Alternatively, you could also purchase her album off iTunes here.

For more information, visit her official website or send her your love via Twitter.

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The Apprentice Asia: Can You Handle The Heat?

AXN’s latest original production, “The Apprentice Asia” is set to make waves across Asia this May 2013! Also known as the brand new Asian adaptation of “The Apprentice”.

“The Apprentice” was created by reality TV guru Mark Burnett (The Voice, Survivor) with multi-billionaire Donald Trump as host and co-executive producer. It has been a worldwide runaway success since its debut in the United States in 2004. The Asian adaptation of the mega hit reality series, “The Apprentice Asia” will be hosted by aviation tycoon Tony Fernandes; with the production helmed by Fremantlemedia Asia.

The reality series will also feature a panel of judges such as Mark Lankester (CEO of Tune Hotels Group) and Kathleen Tan (CEO of AirAsiaExpedia).

Call for participation began as of 15th November 2012, for entries from aspiring and/ successful entrepreneurs with big business ideas, from backgrounds in various enterprises from sales and marketing, real estate, accounting to consulting management.

The elimination competition format will then pit 12 Asia-based business executives against each other and the winning apprentice will stand to walk away with a dream job under Tony Fernandes!

For more information, visit their website.


Hype’s Now Playing: French Montana – Dontchu

French Montana fans have been eagerly waiting in anticipation for his second upcoming studio album, “Mac & Cheese,” slated for release later year. While fans are going to have to wait a little longer, the Morocco-born American rapper revisited one of his leading tracks of his “Mac & Cheese 4: The Appetizer Mixtape” with the premiere of his “Dontchu” music video

Directed by Kid Art, the six-minute long video stars Montana as a baller, playing high stake tables at a high class casino. The video also sees Montana “getting too much money” as he appears to be set up by a number of mobster casino owners who hire a hit woman is hired to end Montana’s reign.

What happens to Montana? Does he make it or will the mobsters win? Watch the video to find out. ;)

While fans are still demanding for the release of his sophomore album featuring stars like Kanye West and Rick Ross, the release of this cinematic music video proves to be enough to curb the appetites of fans hungry for some “Mac & Cheese”.

For more on French Montana, hit up his official website or Facebook page.


#Halloween: Malaysians Slam Insensitive #FlightMH370-“Inspired” Costumes

As it is, Halloween celebrations in Malaysia faced great controversy recently as Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (ISMA) alleged that the celebrations are organised by non-Muslims worldwide to shake the faith of Muslims and turn them godless. As such, the National Fatwa Council released an edict to say that Muslims are prohibited from celebrating the Halloween festival.

What’s worse is that now, our Malaysia Airlines’ Flight MH370 tragedy, which which took the lives of 239 passengers in March, was turned into a Halloween joke by certain insensitive quarters, resulting in the ire of netizens.

According to The Star Online, a search for #flightmh370 on Instagram and Twitter showed at least 6 individuals who made Halloween costumes related to the tragedy.

One Instagram user with the handle nystone01 uploaded a picture of 3 zombie-like individuals in cheongsams, while showing off their cabin crew identification cards, bearing the Malaysian Airlines logo. The picture was accompanied with a hashtags such as “somethingwong” (which takes the mickey out of the stereotyped Chinese pronunciation of “something wrong”), “Malaysianairlines”, and “flightmh370”:

An Instagram user, Maylimchinai, commented on the image and said that it was disrespectful and wrote, “Our country is still hurting from the missing flight, but you seem to think it is okay to make fun and publicise it to the world.” She later took a screen shot of the image and shared it on Facebook, in turn getting the attention of more Malaysians who seemed disappointed by the act.

nystone01 has since deleted her Instagram account as at time of writing, the URL leads to a “Page Not Found” error.

That having said, there were many other such inconsiderate individuals who took our MAS tragedy to their advantage and disrespectfully dressed up in the same #flightmh370 theme. They even made it into Buzzfeed for their “brilliant costume ideas”.

It was also found that the individuals who posted these pictures were not Malaysians:

Our take? This isn’t a case of too soon. This is a case of “should have never happened”.

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(UPDATE) #SlideTheCityMY: Huge Water Slide Attraction Ready To Make A Splash In Malaysia!

Though it only takes a few seconds to complete, there’s nothing more fun than splashing down a water slide. But what if we told you that someone is going to close off an entire street for everyone to shoot down a water slide in the middle of the city?  Sounds like a good idea, ain’t it?

Well, grab your swim trunks and slap on some sunscreen. The global urban water chute phenomenon, “Slide the City”, is ready to make a splash again when it “slides” into Malaysia!

Hailing all the way from the US, the huge water slide party event is ready to turn our city into a humungous water park soon. Though details are currently kept under wraps, thousands of thrill-seeking buddies are expected to participate in the event which previously took place in major cities around the world, including London, Las Vegas, Sydney, Paris, and Amsterdam.

This event happened a while ago in Seoul, Korea too. Our editor Lainey spotted this giant water slide attraction while strolling through the streets in Sinchon earlier in June.

According to CNN, “Slide the City” was founded by T.R. Gourley, John Malfatto and David Wulf. Inspired by their own childhood memories, they opened the first slide in Salt Lake City, the company founders’ hometown, in 2013.

The 1,000 feet long and 24 feet wide water slide, which is the size of 3 or more football fields, is usually divided into 3 lanes designated for single sliders, groups of up to 9 people, and families with kids. It was made from industrial vinyl in the US and will carry sliders to an 8-to 10-inch deep pool at the finishing line. The company got the slide padded, but inflatable tubes are still required for a smooth and safe ride.

Kids are invited to participate the slide too, as long as they are over 46 inches tall and 5 years or older. Anyone under the age of 18 will need to get a sign off from their legal guardians too. Though everyone is encouraged to come dressed to impress, clothing with rivets or jeans are generally not allowed to ensure a safe slide.

Take a look at how the event was done in other cities here:

Food and drinks will be made available at the party and a live music event will be held too. Participants are encouraged to bring extra dry clothes, floaties, and water guns to squirt, spray, splash, and get all attending soaked :D

The pre-registration for Slide The City in Malaysia is now open :D

Head on over to this website and follow 4 simple steps to be one of the first few Malaysians to get the Slide the City tickets! The organiser will send you an email about the ticket purchase date and you can purchase the tickets at a special price!

Stay tuned to the event’s official website and Facebook page for more updates.


#Malaysia: Syakilla Tops Karate Ranking; Aims For Gold At World Karate Championships

Not only did Team Malaysia score high at the Rio Olympics (read: Badminton mixed doubles, men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s synchronised diving, cycling, Paralympics), but our very own karate expert Syakilla Salni Jefry Krisnan made history by being the first Malaysian to hold the #1 ranking in the World Karate Federation (WKF) Karate 1 Premier League Series for the women’s kumite below 55kg category.

The 25-year-old national athlete finished this year’s season with a whopping 2,115 points after 4 successive podium finishes out of the 7 legs she participated. Besides that, her teammate Shree Sharmini Segaran finished the season with 880 points and is ranked 8th.

According to The Star, Syakilla won bronze in Istanbul, Turkey earlier this month. In April, she also defeated world champion Sara Cardin of Italy in Dubai, wining gold.

On the other hand, Shree Sharmini bagged bronze medals in Salzburg and Istanbul.

As karate will be making its debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Malaysia Karate Federation (Makaf) has transitioned Syakilla and Shree Sharmini to the lower weight categories.

“We are proud to see Syakilla become the world’s #1 ranked exponent in her category. She is also the first South-East Asian exponent to do so,” said Makaf secretary Vincent Chen.

Meanwhile, Makaf is hoping that Syakilla can cinch gold at the World Karate Championships, which will be held in Linz, Austria, from 25th – 30th October.

Good luck at the World Championships Syakilla! We’re so proud of you :)

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Englishman Who Travelled 9600km To KL For Nasi Lemak Responded To Katie Morley After She Insulted Our National Dish

Nasi lemak is indeed one of the beloved local dish among Malaysians. Not only that, it is also well-known internationally for its unique and savoury taste.

Recently, UK native Katie Morley has declared that she’s not a fan of the national dish. The Telegraph reporter has in turn found herself in a sticky situation following her recent tweet in dissing the famed traditional treat, claiming that the dish was “wickedly bad”.

In the name of public interest, am sharing this wickedly bad meal British Airways treated me to during a 13hr flight. Behold: chicken curry served with anaemic boiled egg, topped with smelly, slimy anchovies. ANCHOVIES. I quite like plane food usually, and this was a 0/10 🤢 pic.twitter.com/ZmgbGa6znV

— Katie Morley (@KatieMorley_) January 15, 2020

The tweet has received backlash among keyboard warriors in Malaysia. In this case, they pointed that she was served with a poor version of the food. They argued that as a journalist as well as an influencer to the public, she should have used proper words in describing the food served by the airline.

As a response to the ongoing backlash, Katie posted another tweet to clarify the whole situation. She assured that she didn’t meant to offend the people. Instead, she stated that the tweet was intended to highlight her dissatisfaction towards the meal served by British Airways.

The issue also managed to catch fellow Englishman Darren Cronian’s attention. For those who don’t know, Darren was infamous for travelling 9600km to Kuala Lumpur just to try nasi lemak. He responded to Katie’s tweet by writing, “Malaysians are very passionate about the local food,” before hilariously adding, “I mean, I flew 6000 miles for it,” along with a laughing face emoji.

Many Malaysians have got in touch to say the meal I tweeted about yday is a popular national dish. I’d not come across it before & meant no offence. As many have pointed out, I was clearly served a v poor version by BA. Sure it can be lovely & hope to try the real thing one day!

— Katie Morley (@KatieMorley_) January 16, 2020

Moral of the story: Never underestimate Malaysians and their love for local delicacies. ?


#Malaysia: Education Ministry Confirms Student Data Leak

According to The Malay Mail Online, the Education Ministry confirmed that personal details of possibly 300,000 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) candidates were leaked to the public.

A police report was lodged by the ministry’s Daily School Management Division director Abdullah Mad Yunus yesterday at the Putrajaya police district headquarters (IPD).

Abdullah said that the data was purportedly leaked to a private higher learning institution for marketing purposes.

The data that was leaked include details about the students’ parents, their home addresses, phone numbers, and the monthly salaries of their parents. The institution would then use the data, which was considered private and confidential, and call the parents to promote their courses.

In a report by Malay daily Utusan Malaysia, Abdullah was quoted as saying:

The ministry had been aware of this issue since 30th December (Wednesday) and we have to find out the cause.

He said that the ministry is hoping that the police could conduct their probe and find the culprit behind the leaks. He added that they’re also checking whether the data was leaked from within or “other reasons which enabled the data to be obtained by outsiders”.

Abdullah said that the ministry could not determine the implications of the event, but so far, no parents have come forward with any concerns or complaints.

Sources: The Malay Mail Online, NST, Malaysia Kini.

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The Reason Behind Malaysia’s New Travel Ban To North Korea

Yesterday (Thursday, 28th September), the Foreign Ministry officially announced that a new travel ban has been imposed on Malaysians, preventing citizens from travelling to North Korea.

This fresh restriction may not come as a surprise to many. Still, as The Diplomat writer Prashanth Parameswaran expressed, it is still important for Malaysians to understand the broader context of the deteriorating relationship between Malaysia and North Korea.

North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes have been largely condemned by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) over the past few years. The meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in Washington, D.C. earlier this month has also led to halting of business between Malaysia and Pyongyang. For example, there were already reports in June that Malaysia had sent back existing North Korean workers and stopped issuing new work permits.

This comes after the death of Kim Jong-un’s estranged half-brother Kim Jong-nam, that happened in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year. Malaysia’s new travel ban is the latest move in response to the escalating North Korea situation. In view of the restriction, Malaysia’s Asian Football Confederation also stated that the AFC Asian Cup qualifying match against North Korea, which was supposed to take place in Pyongyang on 5th October, has been postponed.

Judging from the current situation, it appears that we’ll be seeing tougher enforcements moving forward.

Sources: The Diplomat, Channel NewsAsia/ Featured image: Reuters.


9/11, 11 Years Later

Over 3,000 deaths were reported on this fateful day, 11 years ago. In the days and the weeks following the attacks, especially today, we reflect upon the tragedies that struck America and are grateful to be alive.

11 years ago, we came face to face with the best and the worst of mankind.

11 years on and the lives and loves perished on 11th September 2001 are not forgotten. Our hearts and prayers go out to their family and friends.

May the victims and the heroes lost be forever honoured.


#Malaysia: Woman Warns Netizens Of Fake RM50 Notes At Pasar Malams

At first glance, the counterfeit RM50 note may look authentic but only upon close inspection will the person realised that he or she has been duped.

A Facebook user named Chloe Ng recently encountered a similar incident when she claimed to have received a fake RM50 note during a recent visit to the pasar malam (night market). The viral post has since been shared over 13,600 times.

This is not the first time we’ve heard cases of counterfeit cash, but Chloe’s unfortunate experience has certainly struck a chord with many netizens online. There have been numerous instances of fake RM50 and RM100 notes over the years and this has been a growing concern among Malaysians.

In the video uploaded on Chloe’s Facebook account, she reveals how easily the RM50 note can be taken apart as the 2 separate piece of papers were stuck together. Generally, counterfeit banknotes are produced in low quality and printed using ordinary colour printers. As such, it’ll easily wear and tear.

We’d like to encourage our readers to be more careful the next time you receive a RM50 and RM100 note. If you’re buying something at the pasar malam, perhaps it’ll be safer to prepare smaller notes before making your purchase.


#Apple: iOS 10 Update Adds New Emojis; Replaces Pistol Emoji With Water Gun

Calling all iPhone and iPad users, your new and improved emojis are on the way!

Apple’s upcoming iOS 10 update, which is said to be released in September 2016, will bring more than 100 new and redesigned emoji characters, including new female athletes and professionals (ie. weightlifters, detectives, runner, surfer, construction worker, etc), rainbow pride flag, water gun, and single parent families.

Among the redesigned emojis, the water gun emoji stood out the most as the green plastic toy gun will be replacing the revolver emoji. According to The Guardian, the change comes in the wake of continuing gun violence in the US, including the Orlando club shooting.

SMH also reported that Apple received a complaint, filed by Neven Mrgan of Panic Inc., in June, suggesting that “the current pistol emoji is a realistically rendered lethal weapon”. He wrote, “Apple would be doing a service to society by changing this image to a plastic toy gun, such as a bright pink or green water squirter”.

Although it’s uncertain whether Apple took his advice or not, we think that it’s pretty considerate of the technology company to make the change. Then again, its effort welcomed many netizens to question the point:

I’m so glad they did this now ALL THE CRIME IS GONE https://t.co/a8DEhhqRNK

Apple REALLY got rid of the gun emoji & replaced it with a water gun LMAO

Eliminating the gun emoji will totally stop bad people from committing crimes. They're world changers over at Apple, guys.

— Bethany Bowra (@BethanyBowra) August 1, 2016

Reminder: The emojis will only be updated with the release of iOS 10.

What do you guys think about Apple’s new emojis? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Source: Apple, Lowyat.net, SMH, The Guardian / Featured image: The Guardian.

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#Rio2016: Diver Duo Pandelela-Jun Hoong Brings Home First Medal For Malaysia

All eyes were on our nation’s hope, Malaysia’s pair of divers Pandelela Rinong anak Pamg and Cheong Jun Hoong as they took on the women’s 10m platform synchronised at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil. Though the prospect of our athletes bringing home Malaysia’s first Rio Olympics medal was generally positive, we still held our breaths because of the suspense that ensued.

Previously, Pandalela earned a bronze in the 2012 London Olympics while Jun Hoong competed in the women’s synchronised 3m springboard.

Alas, what a day to be up early and alive!

The Malaysian duo successfully delivered Malaysia’s first medal at the Rio Games with a silver medal in the women’s 10m platform synchronised. Pandelela-Jun Hoong scored a total of 344.34 points after 5 dives at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre, finishing second behind China’s Chen Ruolin-Liu Huixia.

Chen Roulin-Liu Huixia who won the gold medal with 354.00 total while Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito-Roseline Filion settled for bronze with 336.18.

Upon the win, 23-year-old Pandelela gushed, “We are so proud to have won Malaysia’s first medal at this Olympics. There was pressure but we told ourselves to keep calm and focus on doing what we had been doing in training. I am so glad that our hard work has paid off.”

26-year-old Jun Hoong, who earlier missed out on a medal in the 3m springboard synchronised, added, “I told myself to forget what had happened in the 3m event and to focus on the 10m platform. Every day is a new day and my focus was on performing in the 10m platform.”

Congratulations, you two! #MalaysiaBoleh indeed :)

More information on team Malaysia at the 2016 Olympics here.

Sources: NST, The Star / Featured image: AFP.


Fun Facts: 13 Absolutely Mind-Blowing Taylor Swift “Secrets”

It just occurred to us that we’re this close to Taylor Swift’s The RED Tour Live in Kuala Lumpur! With her first ever concert in Malaysia looming just around the corner (it’s on 11th June, peeps!), are you armed with everything that you need to know about the multiple award-winning singer-songwriter? And by that, we don’t mean her whirlwind of a love life.

Here, we’ll fill you in on some things you probably didn’t know about Taylor Swift:. We’ll give you thirteen, since it’s her lucky number and all:

1. Taylor Swift was born in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. A computer repairman taught her how to play three chords on the guitar when she was 12 years old, and this inspired her to write her first song “Lucky You”:

2. Her family relocated to Nashville when she was 14 years old so that she could pursue a career in country music.

3. She lived on a Christmas tree farm in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and when the season came, she worked with the rest of the family. She wasn’t old enough to help secure trees to car roofs, so she was in charge of the bugs – specifically knocking the praying mantis pods out of the trees. Yup. Girl ain’t afraid of bugs, yo.

4. When she was 12 years old, she wrote a 350-page novel over one summer which has never been published. She has also said that she’d like to write her own biography because, “Years from now it would be cool to write a book about all the crazy stuff and the insane things I’ve gotten to do. My life moves so fast, I have to write it all down, otherwise I can’t remember where I was yesterday.”

5. Not only can she write and sing, she can also play guitar, banjo, piano, ukulele, and electric guitar. And because there’s nothing that she isn’t already good at (read: musical instruments), she’s also a talented painter.

6. Taylor Swift has a younger brother named, Austin Swift. He goes to Vanderbilt University and freelances for Getty Images as a photographer in his spare time. In fact, his photographer portfolio includes snapping photos of his big sis for a 2009 People magazine shoot.

7. Unless she’s had Lasik eye surgery, she must wear contact lenses, because as of just a few years ago, she was nearly blind. She said that she has a pair of huge glasses that she wears that are the ugliest pair of glasses you’ll ever see in your life.

8. When it comes to her current real estate, well, she bought a four-bedroom mansion in Belle Meade, Tennessee for her parents. But she lives between a three-bedroom duplex penthouse in Midtown Nashville, Tennessee and a three-bedroom cottage in Beverly Hills, California. She also owns an eight-bedroom summer home in coastal Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

9. She owns a Dassault Falcon 900 private jet and an airport hangar at Nashville International Airport which costs around USD40milion. Cray cray.

10. She once confessed that she’s obsessed with iPhone cases, and she loves all the vintage, handmade ones on Etsy. And even when it comes to fashion, she favours the more retro styles.

11. Her maternal grandmother, Majorie Finlay, was an accomplished opera singer, and it seems that the genes/talents were just passed on. She said, “I can remember her singing, the thrill of it. She was one of my first inspirations.” Well, that explains everything.

12. Taylor Swift was the first “Saturday Night Live” host to ever write their own monologue. It came complete with a song called, “My Monologue Song” that included jabs at Joe Jonas and Kanye West, plus a kiss for Taylor Lautner, whom she was dating at the time.

13. It’s well-known fact that a LeAnn Rimes concert convinced Taylor Swift that Nashville was the place she belonged. Artistes like Faith Hill and Shania Twain also played a big influence, as well as the Dixie Chicks. Oh, but she the one person absolutely swears by is none other than Britney Spears.

Taylor Swift’s The RED Tour Live in Kuala Lumpur will be happening at the Putra Indoor Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 11th June (Monday). And we’ll be there! Don’t forget to follow us via Twitter or Instagram to get live updates from the concert.

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Black Panther Grosses 1 Billion Dollars, But Takes A Dive In China

Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther” raked in another US$ 27 million this past weekend, topping the North American weekend box office for the fifth-straight weekend in a row, making it the first movie since James Cameron’s Avatar in 2008 to top the weekend box office charts for five straight weekends. That is an unprecedented record, especially for a solo superhero movie in its first outing.

The 18th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is now the 7th highest grossing movie of all time in North America, behind “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, “Avatar”, “Titanic”, “Jurassic World”, “The Avengers” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”. “Black Panther” is projected to outgross at least, “The Avengers” by the end of its run, which would make it the highest grossing Marvel Cinematic Universe movie and highest grossing comic book movie of all time, in North America.

“Black Panther” is doing big numbers outside of North America too, but perhaps not as big as many would’ve hoped, particularly in China. Over in China, the film took a huge dive on its second Friday. A couple of weeks ago, “Black Panther” opened in China with US$ 22 million on Friday. But presumedly because of the poor (and racist) word of mouth, the film dropped 88% on its second Friday, raking in only US$ 2.7 million. However, the film still made a solid US$ 96 million in 10 days, in China.

“Black Panther” is now the 14th highest grossing movie of all time, worldwide — the fourth highest grossing comic book movie behind “The Avengers”, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Iron Man 3”. Based on our estimates, the film should manage to outgross the likes of “Iron Man 3”, “The Fate of the Furious”, “Beauty and the Beast” and “Frozen” to be the 10th highest grossing movie of all time, worldwide. However, as of now, it seems like “The Last Jedi’s” US$ 1.3 billion may be slightly out of reach.


#LeftShark: Katy Perry Wows Super Bowl XLIX With Memorable Performance

On Sunday (1st Feb), pop icon Katy Perry made her entrance into the Super Bowl XLIX half-time show on a giant tiger operated by hidden puppeteers while belting out to her hit single, “Roar”. It officially marked what would later be known as mini concert with a high-octane showcase of Katy’s medley of hits. In fact, her Super Bowl stint saw guest appearances from other chart-toppers such as rapper Missy Elliot and Lenny Kravitz (who joined in to rock a duet of “I Kissed A Girl”).

A performances of that reputation and that size saw the support of her fans and well-wishers alike, including the likes of her ex-boyfriend Russell Brand, who promised baffled Brits that the half-time show would be “amazing”.

He even took to Twitter prior to the show to say:

Super Bowl may be baffling to Brits but half time show will be amazing. Good luck KP

— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) February 1, 2015

KP we mean Katy Perry’s gig also included backing dancers and three wardrobe changes, as well as a memorable “left shark”, before the half-time show came to an end with Katy singing “Firework” as actual pyrotechnics exploded and dazzled above her. Even if you weren’t a fan of the pop star, it’s a little hard to hate on her performance as she navigated through it seamlessly without as much as losing her breath or momentum.

Some might say that the flashy patterned costumes, the psychedelic setup, and the trippy dancers seem a little tacky but wait, this is Katy Perry that we’re talking about anyway. All is forgiven! :D

Also, her “left shark” friend gave us something even more to remember Katy’s Super Bowl stint by when he/she/it looked like he/she/it forgot to practice the needed dance moves, fumbled through more than half of “Teenage Dream”, casually flapped his/her/its way adorkably out-of-sync with the song, but still won us all over.

“Left shark” aka #LeftShark became such a Super Bowl XLIX hit and an Internet sensation that even Snoop Dogg himself wanted the limelight:

If you were wondering that was me in tha Shark costume !!

— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) February 2, 2015

And if this post hasn’t been filled with enough goodness yet, here’s the best part of it all!

The “California Gurls” singer marked the occasion by having “XLIX” (the Roman numerals for 49, marking the 49th Super Bowl) tattooed on one of the fingers of her right hand. She posted pictures of the tattooing process up on Instagram and captioned it, “I thought it would be appropriate to draw blood tonight.”

Not that we all need tattoos to remember her epic Super Bowl performance by ;)

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Contest: Win A Pair Of Platinum Tickets To “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in Concert”

“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in Concert” is happening in Kuala Lumpur this weekend and we’re giving away tickets!

The event is part of the “Harry Potter Film Concert Series”, a new global concert tour celebrating the “Harry Potter” films. It will feature the live symphony orchestra performing, to picture, every note from “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”, and audiences will be able to relive the magic of the film in high-definition on a 40-foot screen while hearing the orchestra perform John Williams’ unforgettable score.

The series kicked off in June 2016 and is scheduled to include hundreds of performances across more than 35 countries around the world through 2018. Yes, including Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia :)

Wanna be a part of the unforgettable event? Great! Thanks to our friends from Impact Entertainment Group, we’ve got 3 pairs of Platinum tickets worth RM488 each for 16th July 2017 (Sunday) to give away to 3 of our lucky readers. That’s 1 (ONE) pair of tickets per winner.

For more information on the Harry Potter Film Concert Series, hit up www.harrypotterinconcert.com.