#Zunar: Malaysian Cartoonist Banned From Leaving The Country

Political cartoonist Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque aka Zunar, who was on his way to Singapore for a conference, was stopped at the immigration counter in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Monday (17th October) under Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar’s orders.

Zunar also took to Twitter to share a snapshot of him being stopped at the immigration counter. In his caption, he wrote, “I was stopped at KLIA from leaving Malaysia few minutes ago. under police instruction”.

I was stopped at KLIA from leaving Malaysia few minutes ago. uner police instruction pic.twitter.com/nBbwlDuvJS

— Zunar Cartoonist (@zunarkartunis) October 17, 2016

According to The Star, the 54-year-old artist mentioned that the travel ban could have something to do with his sedition charges for insulting the judiciary of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial.

“But I have not been convicted yet and they have no right to stop people from leaving the country,” Zunar said, adding that he will consult his lawyer to remove the ban. His case is expected to start on 22nd November, with a potential penalty of up to 43 years in prison.

Born in Gurun, Kedah, Zunar’s cartoons is best known for its sharp satirical humour and controversial content. Some of his works include “Papa”, a daily-news comic strip, “Ofis Corner”, “Liza”, and “Even My Pen Has A Stand”.

In 1998, he was involved in the “Reformasi” movement following the sacking of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the then-deputy prime minister.

For more information, visit Zunar’s website.

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The Full List Of Smartphones That Will No Longer Support WhatsApp

A recent update on WhatsApp’s FAQ page showed that the company is stopping their support for millions of smartphones.

The phones affected by this change, however, will only be those that still use older versions of iOS or Android. The version specified by the Facebook-owned company are iOS 8 and Android 2.3.7 (Gingerbread).

The official end date for the support for these versions will be on 1st February 2020. This means that WhatsApp users that fail to update their phone’s system version might have their services cut after the specified date.

Seeing that the iOS 8 was released 5 years ago in 2014 and Android Gingerbread was introduced almost a decade ago in 2010, it’s easy to assume that no one will be affected by WhatsApp’s cease of support. However, knowing that the messaging app is used by over a billion people worldwide, some people might not have the financial power to make that change.

Here are some prominent phones that WhatsApp will cease their support on:

It should be noted that all windows phones will also cease to receive support for their WhatsApp app. To put it simply: no matter how new your windows phone is, the messaging app will no longer support it. While iPhones is pretty straight forward with which phone will no be receiving support, Android and its open source is a bit tricky.

However, you can easily check out whether your vintage piece is supported or not via the link here.


Fancy Buying Up Tony Stark’s Point Dume Home?

“Iron Man” fans, let’s be honest, your hearts shattered a little when Tony Stark’s Malibu home was destroyed in the Marvel-inspired “Iron Man 4”, didn’t it? Especially when it was tragically smashed to bits and washed into the Pacific Ocean, coupled with Tony Stark’s prized collection of luxury cars just rolling off the cliff without a care in the world – you get the picture.

While it was all incredibly devastating to watch, here’s the thing, the Point Dume home was digitally created. In fact, even the house (with its crazy sprawling interior) was entirely digitally created.

Despite the Point Dume location being protected and restricted to any sort of developments, rumours were rife last year when a real estate website listed the home for sale at US$25 million. Many took the listing for real and Iron Man fans were sent into a frenzy, thinking of ways they could get their names on the title deed of the “4-bedroom, 6-bathroom” home with a private beach. There were even realistic pictures to prove the home was real.

Sorry, peeps. But if it makes you feel any better, here are some awesome realistic pictures of the purported home:


Bride Freaks Out When Ex-Boyfriend Shows Up At Her Wedding

Weddings are supposed to be a wonderful time for everyone to gather and celebrate the newlyweds. Well, things turned unexpectedly sour for a bride from Lombok, Indonesia.

In a TikTok clip that went viral on social media earlier this week, the bride, known as Aolina Alfia Lestari, went hysterical after noticing her former lover up at her wedding. The man, known as Adrian Hidayat, had reportedly attended the wedding to congratulate the couple.

Hidayat was also shown walking up to the bridal dais to meet the newlyweds in person. After witnessing that, the guests started cheering loudly, realising that Dayat was the bride’s ex-boyfriend. He was also seen hugging the groom, as his ex-GF was visibly shaking, unable to control her emotions.

After the bride’s family realised what was happening, they immediately brought Hidayat down from the bridal dais and tried to calm her down. However, it appeared that the bride couldn’t hold back from sobbing profusely before she ended up passing out on the couch.

Following the unexpected commotion, Dayat clarified to Kompas that he didn’t attend the ceremony uninvited. He was, in fact, invited by the couple themselves! “I came because of the invitation, and I appreciate it. I was there with the bride’s family,” he told the news outlet. For those wondering, the former flames had dated for two years.

Dayat then clarified that he had no intention to cause trouble, but instead, wanted to have a good relationship with his former partner and her husband. “I came to the wedding with good intentions. I was willing to travel from West Lombok all the way to the eastern side of Lombok to wish them happiness,” he said.

It still did not explain why the bride was overwhelmed with emotion. Perhaps she wasn’t expecting to see him, despite sending out the invitation? But if you’re curious, feel free to watch the whole commotion here:

What would be your reaction if your ex showed up at your wedding?

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Rockin’ Out With Johnson’s Motorcar

We’re less than two weeks away from Johnson’s Motorcar‘s first ever trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. And it seems like we’re not the only ones who are super excited about their energetic, cross-cultural rendering Celtic rock performances in conjunction with the St. Patrick’s Day at Malones Irish Restaurant and Bar! We know this because we spoke to them recently via e-mail and they simply couldn’t stop gushing about coming here.

Check out what else went on in our exclusive interview with the Celtic rockers:

Hi there! Thank you for taking time off to speak to us. Where are  you guys now and what are you currently up to?

“Thanks very much Hype, it is most certainly our pleasure. We are all based in Tokyo and as well as our Johnsons Motorcar shows we are all working on various other musical projects as well as rehearsing some new material for our shows in Malaysia. “

As a band, why did you guys choose to play Irish music, which is quite a unique choice, when there are so many other genres out there? What inspired that and how did it all begin?

“Martin was inspired to play Celtic music on the violin since, as a young child, he first heard Irish band ‘The Chieftans’ as a young child. He formed Johnson’s Motorcar when he moved to Japan and though other members came and went he recruited Irish native Blacko to play guitar. In the summer of 2008 the pair decided to take their music to the streets of Tokyo. One day while busking outside a train station, Rinamame heard the music from a distance and had such a strong nostalgic feeling that she approached them and asked if they would consider her as a drummer. We all got into a studio and literally only half way through the first tune we played, we’d all decided to work as a 3 piece acoustic unit. We carried on like this for 2 years gradually gaining notoriety for our energetic shows until we were approached by an independent label to put out a record. It was at this point that we decided to recruit a bass player and electrify our sound and we haven’t looked back since.”

If you could describe your music in the form of a story, how would you best describe it?

“Once upon a time music was pure. They were the tunes and songs of the old days. The stories of the ancients told through music and song. Some feared that the stories would be lost and would fade away into a blur of technological trickology, but others still believed they could be saved. Then one day in Japan, a group of friends from all over the world got together and decided to re-tell those same stories in a new way. In a way they knew that people would enjoy. They decided to use old time rock’n’roll as a way to express those old songs and to get people to listen to and remember them. That group of friends formed a band, they called it Johnson’s Motorcar. They brought their rockin’ folk and music to the people who drank and laughed and drank and danced all night long. After a few years of rocking all over Japan, they decided that people across the world would enjoy their new versions of the old tunes. ‘But where should we go first?’, they wondered. ‘What country would best appreciate and enjoy our differing cultures? Where can we find kind, decent and fun people who want to have a good time with you no matter where you come from?’, they asked themselves. The more they thought about it the more the answer seemed obvious. So they’re coming to Malaysia.”

Are your upcoming Kuala Lumpur gigs going to be your first time in Malaysia? If so, what have you heard about Malaysia that you are most looking forward to?

“For all members this will be the first time in Malaysia and we’re really HYPED about going. We’re keen to experience the mix of cultures and the friendliness for which Malaysians are renowned. We are also extremely happy that the Guinness in KL is a lot cheaper than it is in Tokyo.”

Share with us what was your most memorable St. Patrick’s Day celebration and why.

“For the last number of years we have been putting on our own event in Tokyo, ‘The Mother of all Paddy’s Nights’. They were all pretty memorable…as far as we can remember.”

What can Malaysians expect from your St. Patrick’s Day gigs in Malaysia?

“They can expect up tempo, rocking versions of traditional tunes and songs from Ireland, plenty of what we call in Irish ‘Ceol agus craic’ (music and fun while drinking).”

“Greetings from Japan! Johnson’s Motorcar is super hyped about our upcoming visit to Malaysia and can’t wait to visit your beautiful country. We’re working on a whole bunch of new material which we’ll be debuting in KL and look forward to seeing you at one of our shows in Malones KL. PEACE!”

Peace, indeed! Don’t forget to catch Johnson’s Motorcar live at Malones Irish Restaurant and Bar. The band will be performing for three nights in March. Deets are as follows:

Venue: Malones Irish Restaurant & Bar, KLCC

Venue: Malones Irish Restaurant & Bar, Jayaone, Petaling Jaya

Venue: Malones Irish Restaurant & Bar Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur

For more information, visit their Facebook page.

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Concert Review: A Legendary Night To Remember With Anuar Zain & Ziana Zain

Fans were over the moon when it was announced that powerhouse vocalist siblings Anuar Zain and Ziana Zain were doing a joint concert for the first time ever in Malaysia. The musical duo shared the news back in May and the website to purchase the tickets crashed multiple times in just seconds after tickets went on sale. That’s how excited fans were to see them live!

Speaking of fans, many were already gathered as early as 4pm at the Plenary Hall at KL Convention Centre on Saturday (6th August) to witness the two legends perform live on stage at 8:30pm. We also got the opportunity to catch the whole show and it was definitely a legend – wait for it – starry night to remember!

As soon as the lights went out, the audience cheered with excitement as the giant screen on stage played an interview video of Anuar and Ziana’s parents reminiscing on the siblings’ childhood as well as the start of their career in the music industry. The scene cuts to a slide show of family photos accompanied by Anuar’s charming vocals singing the first few lines of his hit “Ketulusan Hati”.

Starting off the concert strong with an up-tempo disco theme medley of “Sangkar Cinta” and “Bila Resah”, the two legends came on stage in bedazzled outfits. With a total capacity of 2994 seats, the sold-out show definitely felt very intimate every time the singers interacted with the audience by entertaining them with their bubbly personalities, cracking up jokes as well as throwing official t-shirts for the audience to catch.

At 54 years old, Ziana Zain proved that she still has the pipes to sing her classics such as “Puncak Kasih” and “Terlerai Kasih” during the first round of her solo act, perfectly hitting and holding those long high notes with amazing control, focus and breath support. Her brother, Anuar Zain did just as amazing when he took the stage and struck a chord in the audience’s hearts when he sang the full version of “Ketulusan Hati” and his other hit “Mungkin”, showing off his outstanding vocal runs and breathtaking vibrato.

With an outstanding repertoire of hit singles and albums throughout their career, it’s simply impossible for the veteran singers to perform their entire discography for the one-night-only show, which is why we as the audience were extremely lucky that they took in requests to perform a 1-minute A Capella and acoustic versions of some of their chart-topping songs during their solo acts. The powerhouse duo also surprised fans when they covered each other’s songs with Ziana being the first to start off by performing her rendition of Anuar’s “Sedetik Lebih”.

Despite both Anuar Zain and Ziana Zain being power house vocalist, their voices complimented each other while not overshadowing the other, further proving that they’ve put so much effort in singing duets of each other’s song such as “Sesucinya Cintamu”. During certain part of his solo acts, Anuar came down and interacted with the audience, singing with them as well as taking selfies. He even comforted a crying fan (who was screaming her lungs out the entire show); she was left speechless in his presence before going back on stage to sing his rendition of his sister’s song, “Lara”.

All good shows must come to an end (or so we thought) and the siblings performed a duet version of Ziana’s “Lembah Asmara” before saying goodbye as the lights went out. But the suspiciously abrupt ending left fans screaming “WE WANT MORE! WE WANT MORE!” accompanied by the drummer’s powerful beats, perfectly syncing with the audience’s chant. Both Anuar and Ziana came back on stage to make a special announcement that they will be doing 1 more show in Singapore on 24th September!

The legendary duo then gave an emotional speech talking about their long career, praising each other’s accomplishments and Ziana even shed some tears when she shared how their parents did a wonderful job of raising them to become the individuals and artists that they are today. The two siblings then properly ended the show with a duet of “Cinta Di Akhir Garisan”.

With a setlist of 16-songs excluding the 1-minute A Capella requests, both Anuar Zain and Ziana Zain did not disappoint and has certainly left the audience wanting more. While there’s not much info on their upcoming concert in Singapore as of now, you can bet that fans are definitely looking forward to see them perform live together once more!


OMNI Waves 2019: Goldfish + Blink, Sam Tsui, & Madilyn Bailey To Perform In KL

Attention music lovers, Malaysia’s first-ever and largest indoor live music festival is about to take place this March and it’s called OMNI Waves 2019.

There’s also an exciting line-up scheduled for the upcoming event. The artists that are expected to perform include Malaysian DJ duo Goldfish and Blink, as well as YouTube singers Sam Tsui and Madilyn Bailey.

So what can fans expect for OMNI Waves 2019? An excerpt from the website reads:

“Take your senses on an epic, transcendental space odyssey as OMNI whisks you across galaxies of many genres to the tune of live performances by stellar artists. Combining psychedelic light and sound effects with an out-of-this-world stage design and captivating pyro effects, your voyage with OMNI will surely uplift your mind to a whole new soundscape.”

OmniPay, which is a digital payment solution for eWallet and ePayment, has partner up with event organiser JS Entertainment to make OMNI Waves 2019. According to their Facebook, Goldfish and Blink, Tsui together with Bailey are just the Phase 1 line-up. More artists will be announced in the coming weeks.

The details to OMNI Waves 2019 are as follows:

Tickets are already on sale and can be purchased here.

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Laundry Live Series Pres. Soulful Powerhouse Poova

Laundry presents a very special act as part of its brand new “Laundry Live Series”, Poova – the Malaysian born singer and songwriter will be performing for a one night only show at Laundry, The Curve on the 20th of June 2013 (Thursday) .

The multi-talented musician Poova, begin singing and composing songs since she was a child. Poova’s musical career began in 2009 when she decided to quit her day job at a publishing company and move on to pursue her dream to have a career in music. With a voice that crosses from soul to jazz to rock to RnB, Poova encapsulates a sound that is powerful,versatile and sultry which has taken her through several genres where she has been wowing audiences with her powerful vocals. Poova began performing her original songs at various gigs around Kuala Lumpur and has become known and admired by many in the Malaysian music industry.

[youtube id=”pYGA4dQvKAQ” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Poova’s mixture of musical styles is the combination of soul, funk, jazz, rock and RnB that she incorporates into retro and modern classic hits. Among her many influences include Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, The Carpenters, Jimmy Hendrix, and Jamiroquai.

Poova build her music career when she began performing with the well-known rock band The Jerry Felix Band, being part of the band gave her a solid base that soon helped her develop her powerful voice she has today. Poova formed The PHD, who crafted and blended their mix of soul and funk to popular rock, jazz, soul, disco and funk classics. She later moved on to perform with Mafia Cartell alongside talented Japanese guitarist Hiro and singer Ywenna performing jazz instrumental from both the modern and retro scene. Poova has also performed with Fusion Factor and Giant Timeline, as well as giving many impromptu performances around town.

Having won a VIMA award for best overall pop act 2013 and with a debut album, Poova’s newest project brings together a year of hard work on a completely new style and direction with a line up of very talented electronic musicians. Details on Poova’s performance at Laundry as below:

Venue: Laundry, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara

For more information, visit their Facebook page.


#GE13: Touching Base With The 13th General Election

It’s suffice to say that Malaysians are going all out today to exercise their rights to vote! The Malaysian general election 2013 started from as early as 8am this morning at 8,245 polling centres. According to the Election Commission, as of 12:30pm, nearly 60% with over seven million Malaysians nationwide have casted their ballots.

With a few more hours to go, we thought we’d share some pictures we’ve spotted on both Facebook and on our Twitter timeline:

Of course, there were also a few tragic pictures that we happened to chance upon. We’re not sure about the authenticity of one of the pictures considering the fact that it was shared on Facebook. But just in case you haven’t seen it:

Translation: “In Kedah, it was reported that an elderly passed away right after casting his/her vote. May God bless his/her soul. RIP”. The picture looks like it was taken at a polling station and as of time of writing, it has been shared over 2,100 times on Facebook, as well as garnering over 4,000 likes.

If it really is legit then hats off to the deceased, with much love and respect from us!

Meanwhile, most centres will close at 5pm today. A total of 1,900 candidates (579 parliamentary, 1,321 state) will be contesting for 222 parliamentary and 505 state seats. If you haven’t casted your vote, well, what are you waiting for? There’s still time!

To check if you’re registered to vote, go here.

Got interesting pictures to share? Tweet it to us @HypeMY. We’ll love to feature it and credit you for it!

A 56-year-old man collapsed and died before casting his vote at a polling centre in SJKT Simee, Ipoh. In the 12:15pm incident, the deceased, V. Selvaraju, a diabetic, had complained of breathing difficulties. Hospital attendant, P. Sukumaran, who was working at the polling station as a polling agent, said attempts to revive Selvaraju with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) had failed.

The body was taken to the Forensics Unit in Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital.  (Source)

It’s now past 5pm as of time of update! According to the Election Commission, about 80% of 12,992,661 voters turned out for the 13th general election – the highest in Malaysia’s electoral history.

The 13th General Election Results coverage starts from 5pm today on Astro Awani (Channel 501) and 7pm onwards on Astro AEC (Channel 301) and Astro Vaanavil (Channel 201). Catch the LIVE on Astro On-The-Go via online, tablets & smartphones.

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3 Trainees Expected To Debut In SM Entertainment’s New Girl Group, Aespa

SM Entertainment’s upcoming girl group is coming sooner than expected!

Known as Aespa (stylised as aespa, 에스파), the agency explained that the group name is taken from the phrase “Avatar X Experience” and combines it into “æ” while the ending of the name comes from the word “aspect”. The name symbolises one’s other self meeting with an avatar, while experiencing a new world along the way.

SM Entertainment's new girl group #aespa to debut this November

Name combining ‘æ’ derived from ‘Avatar X Experience’ & ‘aspect’

Various innovative activities to come with the theme of 'Experiencing a new world via the encounter of the ‘avatar’, your other self’#æspa #에스파 pic.twitter.com/L2YzoedPHc

— SMTOWN (@SMTOWNGLOBAL) October 26, 2020

Ever since the news broke out earlier today (Monday, 26th October), a lot of fans have been buzzing about the members who will join the upcoming new girl group. It is noted that many promising trainees under SM’s pre-debut project SM Rookies, namely Herin, Yiyang, Koeun, Lami, and Hina, had either exited or hinted at their departure from the company.

Having said that, get to know the only three confirmed and notable female trainees left at SM Entertainment, who are also expected to be a part of Aespa. Check it out below:

She joined the company as a trainee sometime in 2016 or 2017. Prior to this, she went viral for her stunning features. Jimin also served as a back-up dancer to SHINee’s Taemin during his performance for his song “Want” last year. Many fans have been speculating that she will be part of the group’s dancers if she debuts.

(Pre Debut) Yoo Jimin – Taemin's Want compilation #SMNEWGG©owner pic.twitter.com/NkR1mWoO5C

— AESPA THAILAND ♡ (@AESPA_TH) October 15, 2020

Helen, was born in South Korea, but moved to Brisbane, Australia at the age of four. She later returned to Seoul to pursue her dreams of becoming a K-pop idol. She then went on to train at SL Studio Academy, before auditioning for SM Entertainment.

She eventually joined the company in December 2019. Helen showed off her dancing skills in Pocket TV’s YouTube video titled “How to Pass a K-Pop Audition Part 2” three months earlier. After watching the clip below, we won’t be surprised if she debuts in SM Entertainment’s new girl group.

She took part in Zhejiang TV‘s programme called “Let’s Sing Kids” before joining SM in 2016. Born in the city of Harbin, China, she’s the only known non-Korean trainee currently at the company. Ningning is expected to be in charge as the group’s main vocalist if she makes her debut.

To everyone interested in #aespa please take a listen to Ningning! She was given highnotes at such a young age already and I can't wait to hear her voice soon! pic.twitter.com/ZnYNDIjbom

Heads up guys! Aespa will make their official debut sometime next month.

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Hardwell Creates Spotify Playlist To Cheer On His Team In The World Cup

Dutch and World’s Number #1 DJ, Hardwell, has created a Spotify playlist in support to his home team for the World Cup. Hardwell who recently tried to punk fans in New York, first gained recognition in 2009 for his bootleg of “Show Me Love vs. Be” handpicked 31 tracks for his playlist entitled World Cup 2014 runs at 2 hours 22 minutes long.

Listen to Hardwell’s World Cup 2014 playlist here:

Netherlands take on Costa Rica next on July 5th, 2014. What are your predictions for the match? We say 2 – 1 to Netherlands.


“Hunger Games” Eats Up Box Offices

The Suzanne Collins‘ dark dystopian books were released four years ago but I can’t say that I was one of the many people who actually got around to reading them. “The Hunger Games” tells the story of  living in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem, where the countries of North America once existed, through the eyes of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen.

Then there’s “The Capitol” (a highly advanced metropolis that holds absolute power over the rest of the nation) where The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged from 12 to 18 from each of the 12 districts are handpicked to compete. Only one person can survive.

For a person who walked into the cinema without any expectations whatsoever having not picked up any of the books, I’d have to admit that the movie promises nothing less than pure entertainment. It’s captivating, engaging, and a challenge for those with an attention deficit disorder because you’re not allowed to blink or zone out:

[youtube id=”FovFG3N_RSU” width=”600″ height=”350″]

True, it is only but one of the many popular young adult novel series that made it into the silver screens like many others such as the “Twilight” saga and the “Harry Potter” books. But Gary Ross, director of The Hunger Games movie, made his latest directorial venture come through with a big bang with all attention focused on the parallels and parodies of our own reality.

Think “Gladiator” meets “Survivor” meets a little bit of “The Truman Show”. Toss in a little bit of brutality and violence but not enough to put “Saw” to shame, then dot it with the presence of a love triangle and there you have it!

Of course, the movie wouldn’t have been complete without the outstanding cast of Jennifer Lawrence (aka “Mystique” in “X-Men: First Class”), Josh Hutcherson, and the Australian actor Liam Hemsworth.

The movie was released on the 23rd of March 2012 but already it has eaten up box office records as the third best debut in history with USD 155 million. By the looks of how it has effortlessly exceeded most analysts’ highest expectations, it could very well launch a franchise that could challenge the “Twilight” series.

I say, definitely worth catching in the cinema. Check The Hunger Games’ showtimes at your nearest cinema and be prepared to sit on the edge of your seat right till the very end!

(Warning: The movie is about 2 hours and 22 minutes long so make sure you’re comfy!)

For more information, visit their official movie website.


6 Shows To Watch Based On Your Favourite Kuihs

Colourful, sweet, bite-sized, and an essential in Malaysian celebrations, kuihs have become a special part of everyday life. As we indulge in the festive celebrations this Raya season with the warm company of family, friends and nenek’s homemade Kuih Siput, here are 6 shows to watch on Netflix, based on your favourite festive staples.

This addictive milky spring roll pastry brings back childhood memories, reminiscent of the classic comedies we would enjoy with our family during movie nights. Our all-time favourite has to be “Nana Tanjung”, a goofy tale of 3 sisters rekindling their father’s love life in hopes of being with the men of their choices.

Thin and crispy, or thick and fluffy, we love them all! It’s sweet and corny, just like how some of us would tackle our high-school crush. Learn some tricks on how to get a girl with it from “Syif Malam Raya”! This slapstick horror-comedy follows two friends who are assigned to deliver a dead body on Raya eve, with unexpected creepy surprises along the way.

Just like the Kuih Sarang, love can be sweet yet frail, yet we can never have enough. Experience some sweet feels and love-hate emotions in “Girlfriend Kontrak”, as a woman agrees to pose as a fake girlfriend for a big-shot developer in order to save her village’s firefly habitat.

Life is not fully lived without tasting some sweet and sour moments, just like the taste of Tart Nenas. No other perfect movie that resonates this other than “Once Upon A Time”, which tells the story of a group of kids set out to form a soccer team for a local tournament to compete against more experienced opponents. Experience life’s ups and downs with these strong-willed boys as they fight their way through tough training in order to achieve their goals.

Studies have suggested people eat almost twice as many snacks when watching an action-packed show. Complement the active jaw exercise of munching on crunchy Biskut Cornflake as you dive into the high-octane film, “Paskal”, where a hijack takes place in one the most elite special forces in Malaysia.

Ever found yourself in a sticky-as-pulut situation with someone you need to impress? Feeding them kuih might just be the olive branch you need. Learn a thing or two from “Kongsi Raya” as Wilson makes the future FIL’s fave kuih to win his heart, in this sweet and heartwarming rom-com on interracial romance.

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#HelloKitty: Sanrio Is Making A “Hello Kitty” Movie & It’ll Be Released In 2019

If you’re not a Hello Kitty fan, we suggest you try to become one instead of missing out on all the fun!

The adorable white feline (or non-cat?) has proved to be hugely popular across the globe as Sanrio’s global expansion strategy helped the brand gain a cult-like following in less than a decade. With her trademark red bow, she can be found on everything from debit cards to phones to airplanes and even vending machines. Malaysian Hello Kitty fans are further blessed with the establishments of the Sanrio Hello Kitty Town in Johor and the upcoming Hello Kitty gourmet cafe in Sunway Pyramid.

As if those weren’t enough to spoil its fans, the iconic character is said to be getting a big screen treatment from Hollywood!

First reported by Japan Times, Sanrio confirmed in a statement that they’re planning to develop a Hello Kitty animated movie with a budget of $200 million. The company, which owns the anthropomorphic cat and her friends, further announced that the movie is slated to arrive sometime in 2019.

No further details were announced, as the company simply stated:

Sanrio Inc. can confirm that a U.S. based entity has been formed to create feature films based on Sanrio characters and to expand animated film and digital contents business globally. This entity further highlights Sanrio’s expansion into lifestyle entertainment. We have no additional details at this time.

We are fairly surprised that Hello Kitty is only getting its own animated movie now because she has been around for almost half a decade and even celebrated her 40th anniversary last year.

But then again, developing a Hello Kitty movie is not a completely absurd idea because there has already been several animated TV series based on the red-bowed cat and her friends, beginning with 1987’s “Furry Tale Theater”. Hello Kitty’s “Paradise” even became the longest-running weekly kids TV program in the network’s history as it aired for 12 seasons on TXN from January 1999 to March 2011.

Contrary to popular belief, Hello Kitty is not mouthless too because all the animated series showed that the cat and her friends can speak and do what everyone else does. In fact, according to Sanrio’s description, Hello Kitty “lives in the suburbs of London with her parents and her twin sister Mimmy”. Yup, imagine her British accent. Let’s just hope that Emma Watson will be interested in voicing the role.

While no details have been released, we will go ahead and assume that the movie is going to explore her true origins or centre on her adventure like “The Peanuts Movie” did.

Earlier this year, Sanrio sold the film rights to its “Mr. Men and Little Miss” characters to Fox Animation. Unsurprisingly, it isn’t the only company to have considered developing a movie based on its iconic characters.

And it doesn’t matter how young or old you are. A Hello Kitty movie should be a fun film to watch because the cat is, after all, suitable for “everyone from four to forever”.

What do you think of the idea, though? Would you watch the movie? How many of you are excited about this? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.

Source: EW via Japan Times / Images: Hello Kitty’s official Facebook page


Sunsplash: Exclusive Beach Party To Take Over Singapore’s Tanjong Beach Club!

The Livescape Group announced its exclusive beach party which will take over Tanjong Beach Club in Singapore on 16th May in what will be an intimate affair packed with activities to wrap up the weekend!

This beach party promises a night of interesting company, chilled out environment, and good music featuring Bob Marley’s legendary band, The Wailers and supported by a host of local Singaporean acts which include Masia One and The Irietones, Comic Strip and DJ Nez. Sunsplash is expected to attract over 2,000 people at the party.

Upon the announcement, The Livescape Group’s Director of Live Events Rahul Kukreja said:

We are really excited to introduce our latest experiential event. Sunsplash is something different compared to what we usually do but we want to give our fans a new and exciting event to remember and look forward to and talk about. Sunsplash is about gathering like-minded people to chill out on a weekend, on the beach over music, cocktails and some great company.

Apart from the music a host of other activities are being planned to take place at the inaugural Sunsplash. This includes beach sports such as beach volleyball, and beach soccer. In addition, there will also be a power yoga session on the beach which fans can participate in.

The first Sunslash will feature The Wailers; a reggae and ska band which was initially formed as the supporting band for Bob Marley. Till today, reggae music is defined and inspired by the works of Bob Marley and The Wailers. After the death of Bob Marley in 1981, The Wailers proceeded with their own musical career and have since played with numerous international acts such as Stevie Wonder, Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat, and Sting.

The band is made up of Aston “Family Man” Barrett on bass, Aston “Family Man” Barrett Jr. who plays the organ, Dwayne Anglin who is the lead vocals of the band, Cegee Victory who provides backing vocals, Audley Chisholm who plays the lead guitar and provides backing vocals, Melvin Glover on rhythm guitar, Keith Sterling on keyboards and Anthony “Benbow” Creary on drums.

The Wailers will be supported by local bands Masia One and The Irietones, Comic Strip and DJ Nez in what will be a night of laidback reggae, ska and dub music.

Sunsplash will take place at Tanjong Beach Club, Singapore on May 16. Tickets are priced at SGD68 and SGD88 (At The Door) and are available for purchase here.

For more information on Sunsplash, hit up Livescape Asia’s website or Facebook page.

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Hype Picks: Best Things To Do In The Klang Valley This Week (12th-18th September)

How’s everybody’s September so far? Good? Bad? Either way, we’re here to help make it better! This month might be a really busy month for some of us but that doesn’t mean we should spend the whole time working. Rest is good for the mind and body, so be sure to take some time off to relax and enjoy yourself.

If you’re not the type to just lay in bed all day doing nothing, then we got a list to help you feel productive throughout the whole week. For this week’s Hype Picks, we’re bringing you loads of festivals, exhibitions, parties and even exciting new releases as well! Hang on tight cause there’s a lot to choose from!

Starting off our list is the Japanese Film Festival! This is the second time the festival is held at Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) all around Malaysia and movie goers will get to see all the exclusive Japanese movies that you can’t see anywhere else! We got the opportunity to watch the opening movie “Anime Supremacy” and it is definitely a must watch! Grab your tickets here.

Location: Atria Shopping Gallery, Putrajaya

While you’re enjoying the film festival, why not indulge yourself in more Japanese culture by attending the Let’s Anime Cosplay Event 2! Dress up as your favourite anime characters and enjoy all the merchandise, artwork, stage performances and delicious food! While you’re at it, why not sign up for the cosplay competition as well? We know you want to! Click here for more details.

If the film festival and cosplay event isn’t enough, then how about one more Japanese event to end your week with? Japan Travel Fair 2022 returns this year at Tropicana Gardens Mall and the opening event is happening this Friday! Hosted by Japan National Travel Organization Kuala Lumpur Office, this is the first time this event is held in two years, so don’t miss out! Call 03-2705 8218 for more info.

4. Boogie Nights: FAR OFF RECORDS TAKEOVER

Okay, time for the real party to start! We mean actual dance party. Get ready to travel back in time and listen to some hot tunes from the 70s at Woo Bar for the Boogie Nights: FAR OFF RECORDS TAKEOVER! But that’s not all as you’ll get to enjoy Disco, Funk & House music from past, present and beyond all night long. RSVP now so you can leave your heart on the dance floor.

If dancing isn’t your thing, then how about live music performances? Now are you interested? We hope you are cause you might get the opportunity to perform on stage next time! “Hello, I’m New” is a series created as a springboard for new and fresh artists to showcase their skills. Book your tickets now and discover amazing 100% homegrown Malaysian artists all in one place.

6. Wow! Malaysia Music Festival at Gembox

Location: Gembox, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan

Speaking of live music performances, here’s another! “Wow! Malaysia Music Festival at Gembox” is getting ready to make the music scene lively again in conjunction with National Day and Malaysia Day! A total of 11 well-known local artists and KOLs will perform so don’t miss out! Follow their Facebook for all the details.

Do you love fashion and live music performances? Then be sure to check out “Inclusive Luxury”, which will explore how luxury fashion can shift towards a more inclusive mindset that fairly includes everyone along the value chain, while also showcasing an exquisite selection of Dia Guild’s local and regional fashion brands. Click here for more info.

In celebration of Malaysia Day this week, “Let’s Sustain MalaysiaKu” is a 3-day event that is all about sustainability and how we can be kinder to mother earth through our daily efforts. So, grab your friends and family and learn more about how we can make our world a better place! Check out how you can participate!

Hada Labo has introduced the Blemish & Oil Control Gel, an all-new moisturiser to keep skin smooth, clear, and healthy. Among the highlights of the newly launched product are: Natural Plant Extracts to strengthen the skin barrier, 2 types of Hyaluronic Acids for deep and long-lasting hydration and Skin pH Balanced and Low Irritation.

2. Nando’s Feed Your Fire Launch: A Feast For The Senses

In celebration of Malaysians’ fiery spirit, we got the opportunity to experience Nando’s feast at Pavilion Bukit Jalil restaurant. “The Feed Your Fire” event was an experience for the 5 senses where guests could see, feel, smell, listen and most of all taste all that Nando’s has to offer. Various stations were set up to bring guests on a journey to discover Nando’s Southern African roots and experience Nando’s like never before.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


Malaysian Artist Creates Art Made Entirely Out Of Food

For the whole of last month, Malaysian artist/architect Hong Yi aka Red challenged herself to create fun illustrations made with food. She told herself that the images in which she would later produce strictly has to be made entirely out of food and the only backdrop is a white plate.

Her little project would then be shared on her Instagram.

So, with that in mind, she set out to create some of the most amazing food art pieces we’ve ever seen! Landscapes, animals, homages to pop culture, you name it, she did it.

As we speak, her food art has already been documented heavily around the web and it’s still ongoing. Here are some of Hong Yi’s food art pieces that got our attention. We’ll let these do the talking:

One of the her latest ones was the one depicting the dissolution of the Malaysian Parliament to make way for the general elections 2013.

Right? We know. And they said that you should never play with your food. Tsk.


The Maze Challenge Asia: Can You Handle It?

Sure, you’ve conquered some pretty challenging runs, races, puzzles, and games in the past. But will you be able to conquer the ultimate run/race/puzzle/game? The first of its kind in the world, THE MAZE CHALLENGE ASIA™ will feature a giant complicated maze that will be built temporarily complimented by physical obstacles in its course, providing a great body and mind workout, through visual perception, coordination and critical thinking.

You will be given a unique number and race bib, which will be timed by our system the moment you are released at the Starting Point. Your challenge will be to go through a set of obstacles and also a giant maze in the fastest time possible. Beat the rest of the participants and win Exciting Prizes!

Do you have the physical and mental strength to go through this? Think you can handle it?

Date: 29th & 30th  November (Saturday & Sunday)

Venue: Paddock, Sepang International Circuit

To register, click! And gear up for a great body & mind workout: through visual perception, coordination and critical thinking in this first event of its kind in the world.

For more information, visit their Facebook page.


#LINEMalaysia: Introducing “LINE Mileage”, Rewards While You Chat!

If you’re a LINE app user, you might as well reward yourself for it, right? Luckily, LINE just thought of that!

Introducing, LINE Mileage, the LINE reward programme LINE introduces reward programme which will allow users to enjoy exciting privileges simply by chatting via the app. What kind of exciting privileges, you ask? From lavish lifestyle brands such as Starbucks, Chatime, Zalora, and Lazada, just to name a few.

How it works is that for every one message – in the form of text, stickers or sticons – sent via LINE, users will receive 1 Friendship Point to be accumulated into their BCARD and redeemed for rewards. And as a welcome gift, all LINE newcomers wil receive 300 Friendship Points which is equivalent to RM3 (until 26th of April).

In conjunction of the launch, LINE has introduced popular Korean celebrity, Lee Kwang Soo as the face of LINE Mileage in Malaysia. Malaysians will be able to see Lee Kwang Soo (Girin!) and his comical antics in a series of TVCs that will hit the local shores.

“I am glad to be able to meet my fans in Malaysia through this great opportunity with LINE Malaysia. Hope everyone gets to enjoy the most exciting benefits through LINE Mileage while chatting on LINE!” said Lee Kwang Soo.

As an added bonus, here’s a hilarious behind-the-scenes video clip of Lee Kwang Soo:

Public Relations Manager of LINE Malaysia Patricia Yeoh also expressed, “We are really thankful for the warm support received in Malaysia and we decided to launch LINE Mileage for all our Malaysian users. We are also very excited to have one of Malaysia’s well-loved celebrities, Lee Kwang Soo, as the face of the LINE Mileage.”

Here’s how you can participate in LINE Mileage and earn points for real rewards:

LINE Mileage will be officially launched in Malaysia starting 16th April.

For more information, visit LINE Malaysia’s Facebook page.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


#NowYouSeeMe2 Casts Daniel Radcliffe, Lizzy Caplan, & Jay Chou

Remember that one time when “Now You See Me” actor, Michael Caine let slip that Daniel Radcliffe is going to be his son in the sequel of the magician film?

Well, the cat is out of the bag now because Lionsgate has officially announced that Daniel Radcliffe is indeed going to star in the sequel of “Now You See Me”!

Earlier in October, it was reported that Caine, who plays insurance magnate Arthur Tressler, revealed that the Harry Potter star is going to be his son in the sequel. He said:

There’s a sequel to ‘Now You See Me’ and we’re shooting in London. I shoot in December, the whole of December in London, and my son is Harry Potter. I thought it’d be funny, me and Daniel Radcliffe as father and son.

Neither Lionsgate nor Daniel Radcliffe confirmed the report as at that time, the studio only announced that Radcliffe is set to appear in the film as a character called Walter.

“Masters of Sex” star Lizzy Caplan and Taiwanese singer-actor Jay Chou have also come on board Lionsgate’s upcoming sequel for the famed magician film. The Wrap earlier reported Caplan received an offer to play the female lead, since Isla Fisher is unavailable for the sequel due to her pregnancy.

But of course, Caplan won’t be playing Fisher’s role as Caplan is set to appear in the film as a character called Lula, a character which is said to be the new female lead in the sequel.

The series newcomer Jay Chou will appear in the sequel as a character called Li but no further details were given about his character yet. Jay Chou previously made his first Hollywood debut film through his character as Kato in American superhero action comedy film, “The Green Hornet”. The sequel will mark his second film in Hollywood but it is unclear what character he is playing.

The official synopsis has since been released, describing a story that revolves around the Four Horsemen facing their new enemy:

One year after outwitting the FBI and winning the public’s adulation with their mind-bending spectacles, the Four Horsemen resurface in Now You See Me 2 only to find themselves face to face with a new enemy who enlists them to pull off their most dangerous heist yet.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, the sequel will be produced by Alex Kurtzman and Bobby Cohen while the script will be written by Ed Solomon and Pete Chiarelli. The sequel now has quite an all-star team as Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Michael Caine, and Dave Franco are all set to return.

“Now You See Me 2” is slated for a 10th June 2016 release.


“Love and Thunder”: Everything You Need To Know About The Zany Thor-quel

Thor is the first member of the original six Avengers to get a fourth movie and we couldn’t be happier! It’s been a crazy 11 years since he first appeared with him and his adoptive brother, Loki, tearing up screens consistently with their wit and humour.

After the events of “Endgame”, “Love and Thunder” will explore a god’s journey to self-discovery. With trusty Stormbreaker by his side, Thor and his friends, Valkyrie and Korg must face down a new impending doom in the form of Gorr the God Butcher. Along the way, they will meet new acquaintances and foes alike. Furthermore, Thor must face his past in the form of Jane Foster, who has now taken on the role of the Mighty Thor.

Needless to say, the fourth outing for Thor will be cra-to-the-Z! There are a lot of details to go through here as we travel via the Bifrost. So, sit back and let us tell you the story of the Space Viking and all of the extraordinary details that might spawn while we’re at it.

Taika Waititi has been mad busy lately. Juggling everything from “Star Wars” to the development of “Akira”, the pirate comedy “Our Flag Means Death” and Disney Pixar’s “Lightyear”. And yet, he still has the time to bring the thunder to “Thor”! Gosh, how does he do it?!

Time management envies aside, it’s great that he is back. His signature wit and wacky humour revitalised the Thor franchise, for better or worse, and he’s here to stay. We expect the hilarity to rise to new heights as all the things we loved about “Ragnarok” are about to be amplified.

Taika Waititi is also bringing an innovative edge to the Asgardian realm. StageCraft, the game-changing technology that was used on “The Mandalorian” and most recently “Obi-Wan Kenobi”, is also being used for the Thor-quel. This is probably due to Taika’s involvement in the former “Star Wars” project. This is the first Marvel film to be using the technology, and we’re certain it will bring about some beautiful results. Look at the trailers; the colours and lighting are already fantastic!

Oh yeah, and bring on the Asgardian plays! Wink*

Thor has had one of the most tragic stories in the entire MCU. With the ending of “Thor: Ragnarok” leading right into the harrowing opening scenes of “Infinity War”, two losses were experienced right away. Heimdall, Thor’s close comrade was stabbed in the heart by Thanos after saving the Hulk and sending him to Earth.

However, the more emotional gut-punch came at the demise of Loki Laufeyson, who in a bid to halt Thanos and save his brother, performed one final act of trickery before getting his neck snapped by the Mad Titan. At this point, Thor has lost every single biological tie to Asgard and the nine realms with his family and closest friends all being killed, with the exception of Sif (who is rumoured to appear in “Love and Thunder”).

These hands were once used for battle. Now, they’re but humble tools for peace.

Further loss persisted in “Avengers: Endgame”. With the deaths of Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff, along with Captain America living out a full life, The Original 6 was reduced by half.

All of these events may cause the Mighty Avenger to have an introspective look into the battles he fought and who he wants to be now. In one shot, Thor plants Stormbreaker into the ground, signifying the seeds of new life. He’s staring out into the sunset, laying in zen.

Emotionally, Thor might be choosing to start anew, but he also has a massive weight to shake off his shoulders, physically speaking. Thor was presented as the guy who didn’t really care about anything after he decapitated farmer Thanos. He developed a beer belly while playing Fortnite with his pals, Korg and Miek.

Of course, him getting back into shape was a given, but he’s gotta earn it through working out, pulling the Benatar, and dragging chains around giants. It’s about transforming that dad bod into a god bod.

Thor has been all about being worthy. Worthy to possess the power of gods. Worthy to be an Avenger. Yet, now, when you take all that off the table, what is that worth? It is a journey into mystery that we’re willing to take with the god of thunder.

Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie returns in sleek black and white garb, now holding the title of King of Asgard. Shedding the life of a Sakaarian scrapper, she returns to the life that she formerly knew but in a different role as the ruler of Asgard.

However, she might not be a very good leader at the beginning as her nonchalance toward petty affairs of Earth might bleed into her judgement. In “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, New Asgard was mentioned as being embroiled in political turmoil and Valkyrie might not be seeing things the way the Prime Ministers and Presidents of this rock see them.

Political troubles aside, it’s great to see Valkyrie back, with more time to shine. By her side is her trusty steed, Aragorn, who we’re hoping also gets time in the spotlight as well. The MCU has been doing some Disney animal-sidekick thing recently and we’re not complaining. As long as it alternates between cuddles, badass battles, biting heads off, and more pats, we are all for it!

Dr Jane Foster, brilliant astrophysicist, enthusiast of the Einstein-Rosen bridge, and Nobel Prize contender, is now worthy to hold Mjolnir! What?! This is one hell of an upgrade!

When we saw Jane in “Thor: The Dark World”, she had just been a vessel for an Infinity Stone, as Malekith pursued her through the cosmos. After extracting the Reality Stone out of her, she helped out in the final battle against the dark elf. And then, she kisses Thor in the after-credits scene, where she’s played by Elsa Pataky.

Needless to say, the absence of Jane Foster in “Thor: Ragnarok” was actually better due to the crazy stuff that had happened throughout. Having a human scientist around would have bogged down the entire trip to Sakaar. There was literally no reason for her to tag along with Hela on the loose and the Hulk rampaging across an arena.

Now, Jane Foster was actually a victim of the snap, which helps to bring a certain line into context. When she asks Thor how long it’s been since they last met, she states that it’s been like “three, four years”, to which Odinson gives her a doubled and more accurate figure. Jane, like the rest of the population who was snapped, would be experiencing some disorientation in terms of time due to having lost five years.

So, now that we know that this is the same Jane that has appeared throughout the Thor films, how is it that she is holding Mjolnir? Well, one theory is that she proved that she could hold an Infinity Stone and have the restraint to not use it for nefarious purposes. Another theory posits that she was always worthy, although it seems like an underwhelming explanation. Regardless, we believe Waititi has a bonkers idea for this anyway. So we’ll just leave it at that.

Waititi has gone on record to state that the story of Jane will draw closely from the comics. This would probably mean that there is a possibility that Jane has a more tragic story behind that mystical helmet of hers. In the original Jason Isaacs run, she was revealed to have contracted breast cancer, but transforming into the Mighty Thor gave her the strength to fight. However, the use of the hammer has perpetuated her cancer, as it purged the toxins from her chemotheraphy.

Despite Jane now being worthy of Mjolnir, Taika Waititi has warned audiences not to expect the retirement of the Odinson. “I think a lot of fans are gonna potentially assume, ‘Oh, OK, this is the passing on of the torch’… I’m not privy to any plans Marvel has for the future, but I don’t think that’s the case.” said Waititi.

Whosoever holds this hammer, is he/she be worthy shall possess the power of Thor.

Right off the bat, the Mjolnir held by Jane seems to have been reconstructed off the fragments when Hela broke it. So, is it the same Mjolnir? Yup, we think so, and it does look kinda cool, with its blue glow emanating from the cracks. How is it being held together? Ramen and duct tape, perhaps.

Nevertheless, the Mighty Thor uses Mjolnir in a distinct manner. When she throws it, it is able to shatter apart to hit multiple targets all at once. Firing on all corners, the Mighty Thor will prove to be a formidable force in battle.

If there’s one thing we know, she’s no Plain Jane. Possessing all the powers of the Odinson, The Mighty Thor is a worthy addition to the MCU and we can’t wait to see how she teams up with her ex once again.

Everybody’s favourite Polynesian-bouncer-sounding pile of rocks is back and he’s gonna tell kids some bedtime stories.

The Warbound member, along with his trusty bug sidekick, Miek will feature in “Love and Thunder”. Korg sports a different look this time around. Less Sakaar, more Asgardian funk, with goat heads and diamonds on his pants. He seems to be doing well as a tour guide for New Asgard, giving tourists details of the new area in Tonsberg, Norway, along with driving the ‘goat boat’.

Miek also has a sleek upgrade. During a “Thor: Ragnarok” live stream, the director revealed a couple of new looks for Miek. One was a white and red robotic exoskeleton and another had a business suit covering the same exoskeleton. It’s interesting to note that the body has female proportions and could be confirmation that Miek is actually female, as opposed to the comics.

We guess the duo will be out there, revolutionising the citizens of New Asgard with zany ideas and politeness. All in all, we hope they print enough pamphlets for such a movement.

This is the first time the Guardians of the Galaxy are being featured in a solo franchise. Of course, this is expected as Thor tagged along for the ride after the Battle for Earth. Threatening the hierarchy aboard the Benatar, Peter Quill has to constantly keep Thor’s place in check as a member of the crew.

We expect the involvement to be minor, and only to be part of the opening act as the cast only filmed for a couple of days, which isn’t enough to cover the length of the movie. Presumably, Thor is trying to find his place with the Guardians but it doesn’t really work out and he has to return to his friends on Earth later on.

Regardless, it’s great to see Thor hanging out with the Guardians. It shall be short but it is something to be relished as their time in the MCU might be coming to an end next year. James Gunn has confirmed that “GOTG Vol. 3” will be the last time we see this iteration of the Guardians. So, this and the Holiday Special will be their penultimate appearances before the finale. We are not ready.

“Love and Thunder’s” second trailer finally revealed Gorr’s live-action look and it is glorious in all of its monochrome tones. Making his jump to the Marvel end is the former Dark Knight, Christian Bale, as he swaps out the dark hues of Bruce Wayne for a much brighter skin. Don’t be fooled though as Gorr, ehhh, that man’s not a hero. In fact, he’s all out for blood and the guts of the heavenly gods.

While his motivation isn’t stated in the promotional material, we can guess that it is a personal one. If it is anything like the comics, Gorr will be extremely deadly and unforgiving in his misdeeds as he harbours a deep hatred for any and all deities.

Once a simple alien being, Gorr lived in a world that was desolate and dying. Although his species had faith in the gods, constantly praying for help, his family was torn apart little by little, until only Gorr was left. With nothing else left, Gorr began to question the existence of such, which led to his exile.

Eventually, he witnessed a battle between the elder god, Knull and another powerful deity. Seeing that they had time to scuffle but not help his family survive, his doubt transformed into hate. He now knew that gods existed but were apathetic to the affairs of suffering nations or species despite numerous pleas for help.

Gorr takes on a more human look rather than his original alien features that make him look like a cross between The Nun and a Twi’Lek from “Star Wars”. Perhaps this was intentional as a way to humanise the threat and make him more sympathetic due to the Gorr’s utter deadliness.

Many have fallen before him and he relishes in their despair and eventual demise. With the help of a shape-shifting weapon called All Black aka the Necrosword, he slashes and slays his way to the top of the god chain. With his weapon, he is also able to conjure up an army known as the Black Berserkers which do his cruel bidding.

Now, we doubt the Necrosword will be tying into the symbiotes (as in the Venom-Carnage-Toxin-Phage symbiotes, yes) but it probably will interact with him in the same way. It also influenced his mind like a symbiote. So, who knows, we might end up with a Bully Bale meme before the end of the year.

Scenes featuring Gorr in the trailer have also been majorly devoid of colour, which is a stark contrast to the bubbly frisk that Thor and co. bring with them. This is to show that Gorr brings nothing but dread along with being a black hole for the soul.

One interesting thing to note is that Gorr has also created his own headquarters on an unnamed planet just like in the comics. And we’re quite certain that there will be Space Sharks swimming in its orbit. Wait, why are we hearing John Williams all of a sudden?

It’s been a long time coming but “Thor: Love and Thunder” will finally feature the live-action debut of the Greek pantheon.

At one point during the film, the two Thors, Valkyrie, and Korg will be travelling to Olympus possibly to meet at a summit of the gods. There could very well be the Egyptian Ennead as seen in “Moon Knight” with Bast confirmed to appear.

The most notable name here is Zeus Panhellenios, played by Russell Crowe. The Greek counterpart to Thor in Norse mythology, Zeus holds the title of being the God of the heavens, sky, and thunder. He possesses a lightning bolt along with the power to ‘flick’ things with a mere gesture. This is used to humorous effect as he flicks Thor’s clothes off, leaving the Odinson butt naked.

We’re rather excited about the inclusion of the Olympians as this might mean that two famous sons of Zeus could finally appear. Oh yeah, Ares and Hercules might finally get their dues as new heroes of the MCU! Ares was teased in “Thor: Ragnarok” as one of the contestants on Sakaar, but has yet to make an appearance. Hercules, on the other hand, could also be an important character moving forward.

One thing that needs to be addressed, however, is how the Eternals factor into all of this. Due to some Eternals playing a part in ancient legends and mythology, it remains to be seen whether they were the sole bearer of their ancient names or not. In the case of Angelina Jolie’s Thena, she was called Athena, after the goddess of war. Whether another ‘Athena’ exists within the pantheon, remains to be seen. The same can be said about Eros, Ikaris/Icarus, and Sersi/Circe, all of which have names derived from Greek legend.

Now, this is one shot that got us hella excited!

In the second trailer, The Mighty Thor raises Mjolnir into the air before conjuring some lightning. If one chooses to turn their focus to the side, they could see that there are multiple large busts surrounding her. Similar to how “Thor: Ragnarok” featured some giant heads outside the Sakaarian arena, these are teases to characters that may arrive sooner or later in the MCU!

Three are instantly recognizable: The Living Tribunal with its hooded heads, The Watcher as seen in the animated series “What If?…”, and Death herself. The other two at the back are a little harder to make out, but after some squinting, it is likely that these are statues of Mephisto Eon and Infinity.

In case you didn’t know, this isn’t the first time the Living Tribunal has been referenced in the MCU. The first was a little strange (pun intended) as Baron Mordo pulled out a weapon called the Staff of the Living Tribunal in the 2016 movie. The cosmic being was referenced in “Loki”‘s fifth episode, albeit as a statue in the background.

Nevertheless, things got going recently, as he made a blink-and-you-miss-it moment in “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness”. As Strange and America punch through multiple dimensions, one of the very first things you will see is some bright floating eyes and the unmistakable drapes of the cosmic being.

Eon, Infinity, and Death are even more intriguing as these are references to some really powerful cosmic beings who have lasted as long as the universe itself. Ok, maybe some of them just don’t do anything and mess around with their underlings. cough* comics Thanos cough* simp cough*. No doubt, these aren’t the types of beings you’d wanna mess around with as that would mean a trip to heaven, literally.

“Thor Love and Thunder” brings the lightning to cinemas this 7th July 2022.

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HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 2 Review: Getting More Than What You’re Paying For

Who doesn’t love trying out new tech? We certainly do! About a month ago, Chinese multinational technology corporation, HUAWEI introduced multiple new flagship products at the APAC Smart Office Launch which was held in Bangkok, Thailand and tech fans are very much looking forward to get their hands on these new ‘toys’.

One of the products that was announced was the new HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 2! We got the opportunity to try out these bad boys for a few weeks now and so for our review, without getting too much into the technical stuff, we’re listing down all the things we like about the new HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 2:

As you can see, the new HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 2 design is very similar to its predecessor, the HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The new earbuds come in 3 colours which are silver frost, silver blue and ceramic white. While we would like to see how much they could change in terms of design, we’re completely fine with how it is now. What can we say? We’re a sucker for shiny things.

This is obviously the most important thing you’d want to know about any earbuds. The HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 2 is equipped with Triple Adaptive EQ technology and features a unique Ultra-hearing True Sound Dual Driver sound system. Simply put, the sound quality is really, really good. The earbuds can automatically tune audio according to ear canal structure, wearing posture and volume level for personalised sound in real time.

For the whole time we’ve used the FreeBuds Pro 2, we’ve definitely enjoyed listening to our music, videos or any audio recordings and the most exciting part is we can set the EQ settings to exactly how we want it. This can all easily be done by using the app.

Apart from the sound quality, we were very impressed with the Active Noise Canceling (ANC) feature. This feature definitely enhanced our music listening experience. On default (Dynamic) mode, the ANC feature automatically tunes out the background noises according to the environment you’re in. It really felt like our ears were completely covered to only hear the music playing. This is perfect in situations where you want to left alone to focus on your tasks.

The Awareness feature is quite terrifyingly good actually. Not only do you get to hear your surroundings more clearly but with Voice Mode enabled, you can hear people’s voices clearly as well. It certainly made us feel like we’re spies eavesdropping on people’s conversations.

The microphone is just as impressive as it can capture your pure voice during phone calls in noisy environment. The way it filters out anything else other than our voice was truly next level. This is most convenient when you’re out in public or when you have a conference call in a noisy office.

It wouldn’t be considered flagship if it doesn’t have touch gestures. Touch screens on smart phones or tablets are easy but touch gesture features on earbuds are kind of awkward. With that being said, they’re not actually bad. The HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 2 can detect our pinch and swipe gestures just fine. Just light, gentle touch and you’re good to go.

We’re quite surprised that we also get to set the gestures to our preferred settings as well. Who says you need to stick to the default settings right?

Okay, real talk. Since these FreeBuds Pro 2 packs a lot of punches, you might be wondering just how long they’ll last after a full charge. While we haven’t tested the battery life to the fullest, we’re still impressed by how long the earbuds lasted.

For normal uses like listening to music on public transportation or while doing some work in a cafe (with the ANC disabled), you definitely don’t have to worry about the battery running out for a few days, especially if you have the charging case with you. The fact that we haven’t charge the case for a week yet there’s still some juice left in it to keep our FreeBuds Pro 2 ready was simply mind blowing.

Now let’s talk about the app that comes with the FreeBuds. While it is not exactly compulsory for you to download the app, it can make your life easier and make proper use of the earbuds. In our opinion, the app is  user friendly; easy to navigate with clear instructions. The app allows you to set your preferred settings on your FreeBuds so that whenever you use them when connected to certain device, it will automatically go into your settings.

Downside: This doesn’t apply to every device you connect your FreeBuds Pro 2 with which means that your settings do not carry over when connected to a new device. Not necessarily a bad thing but it can be quite troublesome to keep personalising your settings every time you connect to a new device so we hope that this can be improved in the future.

There’s actually a lot more to be said but again, we don’t want to go too much into the technical stuff. So what is our verdict for the HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 2? For the price of RM899, we believe you’re definitely getting more than what you’re paying for. That’s a steal to be honest!

While there’s still (and always) room for improvements, with everything the FreeBuds Pro 2 has to offer, you won’t be disappointed with your purchase. So why not give them a go and share with us what you think?

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.

While there's still room for improvements, the new FreeBuds Pro 2 still packs a punch.


Republic Pres. Dorm Dance With Mr Nasty & GuruGuru

The infamous household names from Zouk Club KL, anchoring the much hipper side of the club called Barsonic with their monthly residency. Known for their dirty and energetic electro house to big room tunes, Mr.Nasty and GuruGuru always gets the dance floor thumping and jumping.

Also the founders of the “Nasty Inc.” crew, which throw regular monthly rocking parties in KL – such as OMFG and CTRL at Zouk, Avant/Garde at Vertigo, TOP at Bakita just to name a few.

Even with their busy schedules, there is no stopping for this duo. It will only get bigger.

Mr Nasty and GuruGuru, who are known as “Bass Agents”, established their music locally and abroad in the dance music scene, raging from electro to tech-trance to hard dance. Bass Agents have since secured a huge fan base. Bass Agents have won numerous awards such as Martell’s Rising Personalities 2007, KLue Magazine 20 under 40, JUICE Magazine 2005 20 Best New Local DJ. Mr Nasty & GuruGuru will be performing in KL with their electro dance beats.

Want to rock out with these boys? Deets are as follows:

For more information, hit up the Facebook event page.


Sajat’s Replacement? Netizens Call Out Aliff Syukri’s Male Dancer In New Raya MV

Dato’ Aliff Syukri will be entertaining fans with another Raya song this year! Yesterday (Wednesday, 13th April), the entrepreneur uploaded a teaser of his new single, titled “Kelepuk Raya”.

As revealed by Aliff himself, the official music video for the song will drop in 10 days time. In the video posted on his socials, he was also accompanied with a pair of male dancers dancing suggestively in Baju Melayu outfits.

Needless to say, fans didn’t react too kindly to the post. Scrolling through the replies, many netizens took aim at one of the male dancers (namely the guy wearing a grey Baju Melayu) out for his feminine appearance. They also questioned why Aliff featured such a character in his MV. One TikToker commented, “The song is nice. But what does it have to do with the people at the back?”

Another commentator also left an interesting comment on TikTok, saying, “Sajat (Aliff’s bestie) will be crying (after seeing the clip). She’s the one who’s supposed to be there with him in the video.” Not only that, there were also some who joked about how they wanted to give the male dancer a slap on the face. Read some of the comments left by them below:

Who’s excited for Aliff’s new Raya song?


Travel: Here Are 8 Destination Holiday Locations Within Malaysia To Visit

Now that interstate and international travel restrictions have been lifted for fully vaccinated residents, more and more people are eager to travel domestically across the country. Being cooped up at home has taken a toll on so many, and we can’t think of a better way than to reconnect with nature.

Start writing your travel bucket list, folks! And while you’re at it, look at our curated list of locations that you should consider for your next voyage!

Located just 10 minutes from Langkawi’s airport, Ritz-Carlton Langkawi consists of an unbroken forest in the shadow of Mount Machinchang, creating an isolated, beachfront enclave that’s perfect for fly-and-flop breaks. With an extensive number of attractions such as mangrove tours, a cable car and zip-line trail and colourful night markets all located within a 15 minute drive from the hotel, it’s to no doubt why this is a sought-after vacation spot in Langkawi. Apparently, customer service in Ritz-Carlton Langkawi is exceptional too. This includes tiny but meaningful gestures such as enthusiastic staff who can’t do enough to help, taking pains to remember guests’ names and delivering thoughtful, personal touches. Among the in-hotel facilities include, an adult-only infinity pool which would be perfect for sunset cocktails, a truly one-of-a-kind spa with treatment pavilions inspired by “bubu” fish traps, complimentary watersports, tennis, yoga, gym, nature walks and handicraft classes (which might come with some additional costs).

Address: Jalan Pantai Kok, Teluk Nibung, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah.
Phone Number: 04-952 4888
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theritzcarltonlangkawi

Often dubbed as an upscale, romantic retreat within the enclaves of the city, Villa Samadhi in Kuala Lumpur consist of serene, villa-like rooms that have luxurious features. These features include scenic whirlpool tubs and pool-view furnished balconies. Per our observation, this place might be well-suited for newlyweds and couples as it’s definitely not very child-friendly. However, since it’s perfect for a short getaway from the kids and parent-like responsibilities for a few days, couples could actually enjoy the Malaysian-inspired atmosphere at the peaceful restaurant and the tranquility of the lagoon-like pool surrounded by greenery and natural shade.

Address: 8, Jalan Madge, Taman U Thant, 55000 Kuala Lumpur.
Phone Number: 03-2143 2300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VillaSamadhiKL

The perfect combination of sophistication and tranquility comes in the form of this resort, located in Lumut, Perak. Surrounded by wild rainforest and glorious sandy beaches, lapped by a clear turquoise sea, who said, we can’t have the best of both worlds when it comes with vacation spots? The Pangkor Laut Resort, Perak also has one of the world’s best spas — well-known for their outdoor bathtubs. Each of them have their unique settings where you can choose from Sea, Beach, Spa, Hill or Garden Villas. If you’re lucky, you could even listen to the calls of macaque monkeys in the background! There are 2 swimming pools to choose from and you could even practise yoga on the Spa Villa Deck amidst a cooling sea breeze. Regardless if you’re an indoor sports lover or an outdoor person, there’s a place for everyone here. Take things up a notch by chartering a yacht while exploring the Straits of Malacca.

Address: Jalan Utama Marina Island, 32200 Pangkor Island, Perak.
Phone Number: 03-2783 1000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pangkorlautresort

Over here, guests could enjoy a 128-acres worth of prime beachfront and the lush rainforest that brings an exotic aura to it. With illuminating excursions and hands-on experiences, designed and tailored exclusively just for the visitors, such as Silat Melayu classes, listening to the calls of the gibbons, having a bonfire session under the stars or simply climb up the trees in the surrounding rainforest, there’s an activity for everyone! The Chenot Spa here is basically an integration between health and wellness — which includes a VIP room, a relaxation pavilion, hot -and-cool pools, steam facilities and Pedi:Mani:Cure by Bastien Gonzalez. Sounds cool right? Well, there’s more.

For parents with easily bored kids, they could send their little ones to KidsOnly, a programme that’s specially curated for young children to learn about the local ecosystem and play at the same time. An integration between education and entertainment, kids could also learn how to fish at the nearby pond or get active at the Pelaga Laut Playground. For kids to unleash their creative side, parents could also send them to The Creative Studio which would definitely encourage them to be creative.

Address: Darul Ta’zim, Persiaran Damai, Desaru Coast Bandar Penawar, 81930 Johor.
Phone Number: 07-878 3400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oodesarucoast

With Datai Bay being rated as one of the top ten beaches in the world by National Geographic, it’s not a wonder why it’s a captivating destination resort! Apart from blending into it’s natural surroundings, The Datai Langkawi is also nestled in the heart of a 10-million-year-old rainforest — allowing its visitors to reconnect with the beauty of mother nature, to uplift their souls as it offers the perfect escape, allows them to nurture the well-being of mind, body and spirit. There are various interesting facilities for the perusal of the visitors of The Datai Langkawi. For those who are interested in participating in conservation and nature activities, The Lab is the place to go where there would be workshops about sustainable activities. Inspired by the Nature Centre, there’s a tribal bamboo longhouse where visitors can take nature and beach walks with a resident naturalist and marine biologist.

Address: Jalan Teluk Datai, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah.
Phone Number: 04-950 0500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedatailangkawi

Perhaps the main attraction factor of St Regis, Kedah would be the exquisite interiors designed by G.A. Design and architecture by renowned form Gensler, channeling a classical contemporary aesthetic with European and Middle Eastern influences. This hotel is nestled in a private cove on the southeast corner of Langkawi island, near the convention center. Located in UNESCO’s first Southeast Asia Geopark renowned for its 99-island archipelago, Malaysia’s coveted ‘Island Jewel of Southeast Asia’ is surrounded by centuries-old rainforest and a 600-meter white sand beach overlooking the emerald green waters of the Andaman Sea.

Address: Jalan Pantai Beringin, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah.
Phone Number: 04-960 6666
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stregislangkawi

The unique point of this resort would be it’s crescent-shaped beach of golden sand, shaded by tall palms rustling in the breeze with views of the turquoise sea. This peaceful resemblance is quite similar to the timeless traditions of Terengganu itself. A perfect cross between traditional luxury and well-being steeped in age-old Malay traditions, this resort offers a genuine taste of the region’s spirit and its rich natural heritage — emphasising on the purity of spirit, health and well-being. This secluded hideaway encourages true rejuvenation of both body and spirit. Whether you’d prefer to laze around and soak up in the sun or channel your energetic side, there’s a place for everyone here.

Address: Batu 8, Off Jalan Dungun, 23000 Kuala Dungun, Terengganu.
Phone Number: 09-845 1100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tanjongjararesort

The Four Seasons Resort is an unrivaled five-pearl property with an exclusive beachfront getaway on the north side of the island. This one-of-a-kind resort offers tours through the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park mangroves. Completed with Malayan beachfront villas which feature lovely wooden designs, outdoor terrazzo bathtubs, verandas, and private pools. Dubbed as a perfect balance between romantic and family-friendly vibes, there are intimate beach dinners, spa pampering in waterside cabanas, and an adult-only pool but also kids’ pools, pony rides, rock climbing, and an educational discovery center. Packed with bars, pools, restaurants, pools and a private beach, this would definitely appeal to a majority of prospective tourists out there.

Address: Jalan Tanjung Rhu, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah.
Phone Number: 04-950 8888
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FourSeasonsResortLangkawi

This is located in Pahang, Malaysia boasting a distinctive longhouse architectural design which happens to be one of the world’s longest wooden structure on stilts at 850 meters long. There are a total of 15 blocks (A to O blocks), offering 3 different room types. The main area consists of the reception, two restaurants, bar, gym, swimming pool, kids’ clubs, boutique, spa, theatre, land activities, and room blocks while the second area is located at Pantai Beach. Now, the beach has the Zen Pool, one restaurant, two bars, and beach activities. The Pantai Beach is connected to the main area by shuttle train that operates every 30 minutes, or you can take a 20 minutes’ walk through the jungle trail.

Address: Jalan Kuantan Sungai Lembing, 26080 Kuantan, Pahang.
Phone Number: 09-581 9133
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Club-Med-Malaysia-105652540897926

Built on 30 acres of coastal forest, facing the South China Sea, there’s a lot to say about this exclusive resort. Let’s start with its architecture. The chalets take its form inspired by traditional Malay architecture with an A-frame structure. The Kasturi Resort holds 23 keys and there’s room for every type of traveller. For families or those travelling in large groups, there’s the Beach Front Family Villas with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and the beach for its “backyard”. For couples looking for a romantic escape, the Beach Front Villa is perfect. Whichever you pick, all three of these accommodation types come with its own private plunge pool.

There’s also the option of Studios or Suites at the main building. The facilities include a private pool and the beach is accessible with just a walk out the gate. There’s also a spa, public swimming pool and a gym. Not to forget, bicycles placed around the resort for anyone who’s game. You could also visit the turtle hatchery, which releases hatchlings daily between May and October or if you’re not in the mood for it, you could even arrange for kayaking on the mangrove-fringed river.

Address: Jalan Kuantan, Kemaman, 26080 Cherating, Pahang.
Phone Number: 09-582 5000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheKasturiCherating

This hotel consist of 639 rooms conceptualised to make it one of the most iconic luxury hotels in the region. The villas are built over the water, forming the shape of a hibiscus flower stretching almost a mile into the Straits of Malacca! The suites are housed in a big tower overlooking the beach and all the rooms consist of top-notch features such as private plunge pools and steam rooms, and the vast majority of them offer great sea views. For those in search for a fun-filled family vacation, there are many facilities up for the perusal of the visitors. This includes, water sports, Segways, kids’ club and even helicopter rides. All of these come with an extra cost but fret not, as it’s totally worth it. A dozen restaurants offer varied food, from causal buffets and outdoor barbecue joints to more formal a la carte eateries.

Address: Jalan Pantai, 71250 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.
Phone Number: 06-660 2626
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexishibiscuspd

Ambong Pool Villas is not just another resort — providing its visitors with both sunrise and sunset views, depending on which villa is booked. The construction of the villa is ethereal yet minimal with giant trees and the jungle providing a lush natural border and magical decks with tress protruding from the middle. Just by looking at the villa, the visitors would feel a sense of calm and serenity washing over them. This property has 8 one-bedroom villas and 1 sizable 3 bedroom home. This is where the uniqueness comes in; rooms on the east catch the dawn while rooms on the west are bestowed with dusk. Each unit has been designed with a generous amount of floor to ceiling glass and large sliding doors that open up directly to the pool. Some of these units offer a children’s pool, wooden tubs, sunken bathtubs and some rooms offer varying views (sea and forest). For the perusal of all guests, there’s a 12-metre infinity pool, a grassed area with sun chairs outdoors and a semi-covered kitchen.

Address: Jalan Teluk Baru, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah.
Phone Number: 04-955 8428
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmbongPoolVillas

This resort which has 392 water villas consist of huge water villas, spread apart that it could almost take 15 minutes to walk from the reception to the farthest water villas. It’s main feature is supposedly the large infinity pool with an attached kids pool just adjacent to the main restaurants in the center of the flower. The pool, apparently makes for a lovely setting for the restaurant. There’s also a weight room and a full gym in one of the buildings just off the main pool with an added facility of a full-service spa with massages and other treatments. The activities there include, a large variety such as beach yoga, power walk, fun dance, giant bubble, kite flying, fun strider bike, towel animation class, batik painting, fruit craving lessons, spin bike, poi spinning exercises and anti-gravity yoga. Phew! That’s a lot. There would be 4 activity slots per day, with different things offered on different days.

Address: 67 Jalan Pantai Bagan Lalang, Bagan Lalang, 43950 Sungai Pelek, Selangor.
Phone Number: 03-3182 3600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avanisepang

These locations indeed seem amazing and interesting — perfect for a much-needed outing with the family or a private escapade. Whichever floats your boat, always remember to be vigilant of your health and safety. Mask up at all times and avoid crowded spaces.

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YG x Yuehua: YG Entertainment Responds To News Of Collaboration

Earlier last week, Korean news site Hankyung reported that YG Entertainment was furthering development plans with Chinese entertainment company Yuehua Entertainment.

As you might know, YG Entertainment, home to groups like BIGBANG, 2NE1, Epik High, WINNER, the upcoming iKON, as well as G-Dragon, TAEYANG, Hi Suhyun, etc. has been named as one of the top 3 entertainment companies in South Korea. Recently, they’ve been actively promoting their new artistes as well as working on business development projects (read: NONA9ON, Moonshot).

They’ve also jointly produced the rookie Chinese-Korean group UNIQ with Beijing-based Yuehua Entertainment, which debuted with the title track “Falling in Love” in Oct:

Aside from that, YG rap group Epik High has also collaborated with Yuehua artiste Bibi Zhou in “With You”, which was released earlier this year.

To top it all off, Yuehua recently established a subsidiary branch located in South Korea, bringing the agency one step closer to the country’s entertainment industry. Hence, unsurprisingly, speculations ran wild about YG Entertainment and Yuehua Entertainment’s collaboration. Word has it that both agencies are currently in talks to work together for the joint production of movies and dramas, something that’s still fairly new to YG.

Rumour has it that if the talks go through, YG and Yuehua’s projects are expected to launch in Korea and China simultaneously as early as next year.

According to YG United, YG Entertainment has since responded to the report, stating that nothing has actually been worked out yet. A YG rep apparently told Star News on 4th Dec, “The rumours that we are in works for a content-related, collaborative production with Yuehua Entertainment are not true.”

However, another YG rep was a little more cautious about giving a definitive answer, responding:

It is true that we are in talks with Yuehua Entertainment regarding investment due to our close relationship, but we would need to look into it more before confirming whether or not there will be a collaborative drama or movie released in both countries as stated in the report.

So, is it true or is it not? Could they have just responded in such a manner because everything is still being kept under wraps for now? Only time will tell. Whatever it may be, the collaboration (if it happens) could mean more amazing projects from both YG Entertainment and Yuehua Entertainment!

Other artistes currently under Yuehua Entertainment include former Super Junior member Hangeng, Ah Du, Pledis Entertainment artists NU’EST-M, and After School.


(UPDATE) #KLCC: Bomb Threat At Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre; Police Investigating

As we speak, legendary crooner Richard Marx is about to perform at the Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. However, we just heard of a situation that’s a cause for caution.

Tweets have been flooding the Twitter space in the past couple of minutes, about a possible bomb threat at KLCC. According to Harian Metro, visitors at Aquaria KLCC have been told to vacate the premises.

#AWANInews [LATEST] Police are identifying a case of a suspicious package at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre – KL Police

26 firemen were deployed to KLCC at 7.11pm after suspicious objects triggered a bomb scare: KL Fire and Rescue Dept

— New Straits Times (@NST_Online) March 9, 2016

This also was confirmed by witnesses onsite who reached out to us and said that armed police and army personnel, as well as firemen are present at the scene. The road in front of KLCC’s main entrance has also been blocked for security reasons.

PDRM has yet to comment on the situation, but we’ll update this post with more information as soon as we know. Meanwhile, friends in the city, please be vigilant.

A report by The Star Online confirmed that 2 plastic bottles containing what is believed to be an improvised explosive device were found at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre basement car park area. They were found by passers-by before the authorities were alerted.

Hang Tuah Fire and Rescue Department operations commander Fuad Omar told Malaysiakini the explosives were successfully detonated by a robot handled by the police bomb squad at about 7:45pm.

IGP Khalid Abu Bakar said preliminary investigations concluded that the items were not bombs but experiments left by school children from Bukit Beruntung who had visited Petrosains. The experiment on light placed in jar called “STARLAB” was given to students as souvenirs.

The students then left the jars at KLCC, where it was found by passers-by.

Siasatan awal @PDRMsia terhadap 2 botol di KLCC bukan nya bahan letupan tetapi bahan uji kaji lampu yg ditinggalkan oleh penuntut sekolah.

— Khalid Abu Bakar (@KBAB51) March 9, 2016

Uji kaji lampu dlm botol ini dinamakan STARLAB oleh Petrosains kpd murid Sek dn telah diberi kpd murid2 sebagai cenderahati. @PDRMsia

Murid Sekolah terlibat dari Bkt Beruntung telah tinggalkan botol2 tersebut di KLCC dan di syaki bom oleh mrk yg menemuinya. @PDRMsia

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Contest: Suggest A Song & Win Exclusive #TigerTranslate Invites

Tiger Translate, the creation of art based on live music, is back!

A global platform created to applaud the blend of global creativity of music and arts through various exposures through diverse cultures and experiences, the Tiger Translate event has, over the years, grown in multiple countries by showcasing artistic collaborations that include music, design and art, photography, and more.

Aside from bringing together musicians and artistes, Tiger Translate is also known to feature artistic collaborations from homegrown artists – and this year, it’s back to uncage fresh experience in urban art and music.

Set to take place at APW in Bangsar on 13th June, this year’s Tiger Translate will bring forth a strong collection of alternative art.

Enjoy the new iconic Tiger reinterpreted abstractly by local artist Nicholas Choong, who has been commissioned by the brand to design all Tiger Translate key art featured on all posters, and merchandising. Look out for a 3D Tiger art sculpture by Thailand’s Rukkit Kuanhawate, a funky bar designed by Hong Kong’s Parent’s Parents, a glass art installation by Louise Low as well as contemporary art pieces by Malaysia-based Andrew T-Crum.

Artistic fans can also demonstrate their creative flairs by throwing paint-filled water balloons on a blank canvas to create a large piece of art while early birds get to take home a limited edition Tiger Translate / Huggaz beer bottle sleeves designed by Rukkit, Low, and Parent’s Parents.

On the music front, Tiger Translate has assembled an amazing line-up of indie musicians from near and far including homegrown artists Twilight Action Girl and rock band They Will Kill Us All, My Little Airport (from Hong Kong), Wonfu (Taiwan), and British acts Tim Exile and Blood Red Shoes.

The best part is that we’ll be giving away 80 tickets to Tiger Translate, 2 pairs of tickets per winner each. You want? Here’s how to get your hands on ’em! Check out this abstract art piece done by local visual artist Nicholas Choong, which represents his interpretation of what Tiger Translate is:

E-mail your answers with your details (Name, IC, Contact number) to submit@hype.my. We will choose 20 of the most interesting answers who will in turn win 2 pairs of tickets to Tiger Translate each!

For more information, visit Tiger Translate’s microsite.


“Hummingbird”: Half Action, Half Thriller

Before we get into the review, let’s just say that “Hummingbird” took up a lot of our attention span. It’s that kind of film where you would be required to have slightly more than an hour and a half to spare and a lot of patience.

Joey Jones (played by Jason Statham) is a damaged ex-special forces soldier (read: military personnel) who is on the run and trying his damndest to hide by living the life of a homeless man – at first, at least. But he wasn’t alone – Joey was living with his expectant girlfriend, Isabelle.

Then came the day that gangsters decided to capture Isabelle to use her in a vice ring (read: prostitution), which Joey tried to fight but loses after they chase him down the criminal-infested streets of London.

Hobo Joey ends up in a house in his bid to escape the gangsters and immediately assumes the role of the owner. Conveniently and easily, since the owner happened to be away for the entire summer. He then decides to start anew although he lands himself a job with the Chinese triads. Not only does he start making loads of “dirty” money but he also starts leading himself right into the “underground world”.

However, he makes it a point not to forget his purpose – to find Isabelle. Which brings us to him getting into an unorthodox relationship with a nun named Sister Cristina (played by Agata Buzek) somewhere along the way. Sister Cristina also had to be the one to break the news to Joey that Isabelle was murdered, which transformed him into an out-of-control avenging angel. She then tries to stop him from further “damaging” himself.

Will she succeed? What does he choose in the end? Does he slip away from good, for good?:

[youtube id=”qe6Viz3Jw3Q” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Find out when you catch “Hummingbird” in a cinema near you starting 16th May 2013!

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Tony Roma’s To Throw Your Beloved Mum A Mother’s Day Party!

She’s given you her best. Shouldn’t she also deserve the best? If you’re still trying to figure out the perfect gift for your mother this Mothers’ Day, how does an all-expense paid* lunch party right at home sound?

In conjunction with Mother’s Day, Tony Roma’s is running an online competition where you stand a chance win an exclusive lunch party worth RM1,000 on Mother’s Day. Tony Roma’s will be your chef of the day and cook for your mother right at your home, giving her a break from the kitchen, and ensuring a lunch that she’ll never forget.

Submit your entry via Tony Roma’s Facebook page by completing the sentence “My mom deserves a meal from Tony Roma’s because..” together with an image of your “mummy-dearest” and dine-in receipt by 5th May 2013 (Sunday).

For more information, visit their official website.