#BlackPanther: 90% Of Cast Will Be African-American; Lupita Nyong’o & Michael B. Jordan Onboard

Ever since Chadwick Boseman made his debut as Black Panther aka T’Challa in “Captain America: Civil War”, we’re now more curious than ever about the King of Wakanda’s upcoming solo adventure.

Thankfully, fans can be rest assured that there won’t be any whitewashing for “Black Panther”. Marvel boss Kevin Feige recently told Empire Film Podcast that “90% of the cast is either African or African-American“, after adding that it “will be amongst the best ensembles we’ve ever had.”

It makes sense to have the majority of the cast made up of African-American or African actors since the story is essentially taking place in the fictional African city of Wakanda.

We got our first glimpse of Wakanda during the first post credits scene of “Civil War”, which is where The Winter Solider/ Bucky is taking refuge. We also got to see the giant Black Panther statue that guards T’Challa’s secret facility. In other “Captain America: Civil War” scenes, T’Challa and his father T’chaka were seen speaking to each other in the Wakandan language.

Director Joe Russo recently revealed in an interview that the native tongue is actually an African language known as Xhosa. According to him, over 7.6 million people speak this language.

Although the full cast of “Black Panther” hasn’t been announced, 2 major A-list actors will reportedly join Boseman in his upcoming superhero saga. Michael B. Jordan (“Fantastic Four”) and Lupita Nyong’o (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) are expected to play a villain and love interest respectively.

Rumour has it that the Oscar-winning actress could be playing a member of the Dora Milaje: an elite group of female bodyguards who are also potential queens for an unmarried Wakandan king. Alternatively, she could potentially play Monica Lynne, a singer who saves T’Challa from danger and was his longtime lover in the Marvel comics.

As for Jordan, fans are speculating that he could end up playing Erik Killmonger, a native Wakandan who was exiled as a result of his father’s affiliation to the villainous Ulysses Klaue (played by Andy Serkis in “Avengers: Age of Ultron”) and ultimately returns to seek revenge.

Ryan Coogler, who is the director for “Black Panther”, has cast Jordan in every movie he has made so far, including the critically acclaimed “Fruitvale Station” and last year’s hit “Creed”. No doubt the director had a hand in casting the actor in this film, thus overwriting the possibility of a potential “Fantastic Four” sequel.

Here’s another fun fact: Jordan’s official casting would mean that both actors who have previously stepped into the role of Johnny Storm/ the Human Torch are now in the MCU family. Mr Captain America himself, Chris Evans, starred in 2 “Fantastic Four” movies before, while Jordan played the same character in last year’s disastrous reboot.

“Black Panther” is expected to begin filming early 2017, and is currently slated for release on 16th February 2018.

Sources: Movie Web, ET Online, Screen Rant.


A List Of Heartwarming Malaysian Films To Enjoy This Hari Raya Season

This Hari Raya, streaming platforms like Netflix are inviting viewers to spend time with families and friends, while enjoying authentic and fascinating Malaysian stories on the small screen.

Over the next few weeks, you can feel-good with heartwarming comedy films “Kongsi Raya”, critically acclaimed black-and-white feature “Prebet Sapu”, which tells of life on the fringes of Kuala Lumpur, and “Showtime 1958” — a visually-stunning periodic film that takes audiences back to the golden age of Malaysian cinema.

Cast: Kin Wah Chew, Erra Fazira, Harith Iskander, Qasrina Karim, Wilson Lee, Ai Leng Ong

Plot: In a match made in culinary heaven, a chef and a food TV show producer fall in love. But then their feuding fathers challenge each other to a cook-off.

Cast: Amerul Affendi, Lim Mei Fen, Bront Palarae

Plot: Down on his luck, the driver of an illegal taxi service struggles to make a living as he forms an unexpected bond with a young escort.

Cast: Fatin Afeefa, Farah Ahmad, Henzi Andalas, Amai Kamarudin

Plot: In this film based on real events, director P. Ramlee organises a variety show to raise funds for fellow performers who lost their jobs before Eid.

These outstanding films will join a host of beloved made-in-Malaysia classics now streaming on Netflix, including iconic sitcoms “Senario” and “Best of Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu”, action-comedy blockbuster” Bulan dan Pria Terhebat”, real-life inspired romantic film “Pulang”, and not to forget one for the kids — “BoBoiBoy”.

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


#MidValley: 2 Explosions In Shopping Mall; 8 Injured

We just heard that 2 explosions went off in Mid Valley Megamall earlier this morning (Tuesday, 5th April). The explosions in question took place at 2 popular eateries: the Chili’s restaurant and McDonalds.

No lives were lost but according to The Star, 8 people were injured when the roof of the the restaurant collapsed after a gas explosion occurred at approximately 10am. Witnesses present at that the time said the mall was immediately evacuated following the explosion.

The City Fire and Rescue Department are currently at the scene to assess the situation. “Investigations are underway to determine if the ceiling collapse was caused by gas cylinders explosions,” said a Fire and Rescue department spokesperson.

Mid Valley Megamall is working with the authorities and has shut all gas systems while the investigation is being carried out.

The mall’s management has since released a statement:

“We regret to inform that we had an accident at Mid Valley Megamall at approximately 9.45am this morning. During the re-instalment work to our liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) system after maintenance works, we had minor explosions at two food and beverage outlets.

There were minor injuries to our maintenance staff, LPG contractor and tenant staff. Medical treatment is already being given. There were no fatalities, neither where there any injuries to the public.

We are working with the relevant authorities and have shut all the gas systems in Mid Valley Megamall until further notice. The mall will remain open to visitors and we will keep you updated as and when we have more information.

Safety remains our utmost priority and will focus our attention on the well-being of our tenants and guests. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.”


#Johor: Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Pens Heartwrenching Letter To “People’s Prince”

The Sultanah of Johor Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris has penned an emotional letter for her late son, Tunku Abdul Jalil, who passed away on Saturday (5th December).

Titled “A letter to my son, Jalil“, the letter was posted on her Facebook page, and detailed the People’s Prince’s final days with the Johor royal family.

I know the only reason you wanted to be in hospital was because you were in great pain but that you really wanted to be home : you’ve been in too many hospitals too many times. But Allah, in His Infinite wisdom, placed you there so that we, your family, would spend as much time as we could with you.

I have a thousand and one memories of you during your last days in this world.

I remember, once, you closed your eyes and tears flowed onto your cheeks, as you fought the pain, and I held your left hand and I wept, trying hard not to make any sounds. I thought you could not see me cry because your eyes were closed but you knew, and you put your right hand over mine and you patted it, as if you were saying, “Don’t cry, I am all right.”

I remember all the text messages you sent me. When I wrote that I was praying for you, you wrote back that you had prayed too, but that you had asked Allah to let you bear the burden of my worries.

When I looked at your grave, my heart ached with pain. I watched your father and your brothers fill it up with earth while Boo and Inah stood near me. I looked at your brothers and counted three sons. Boo was beside me. There are five of you. Where was my fifth son? And then I realised it was you who was missing. I had forgotten you were beneath the mounds of earth.
And I held up my hands and whispered “From You we come, and to You we return. I return to You, O Allah, my son.”

The above letter has been shared over 41,000 times and has since garnered over 5,100 comments. Malaysian netizens have been flocking to her Facebook page to leave tonnes of messages of love and support.

Tunku Abdul Jalil, the Tunku Laksamana of Johor, passed away at the royal ward in the Sultanah Aminah Hospital at 7:11pm on Saturday. He had been battling liver cancer. It is learnt that members of the Johor royal family were at his bedside when he breathed his last. He was 25 years old.

A semi-state funeral was held for the People’s Prince (as he was fondly known) on Sunday, 6th December and he was laid to rest at the Mahmoodiah Royal Mausoleum in Johor Baru. Following which, a 3-day mourning period began for the public and civil servants in Johor while members of the royal family are observing a 7-day mourning period.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the royal family of Johor as well as our friends in Johor during this difficult time. May he rest in peace.

Source: Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris’ Facebook page.

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


#Urbanscapes2016: Tame Impala To Make Their Malaysian Debut In April

Just because Urbanscapes didn’t happen last year doesn’t mean that it won’t happen again.

The much-anticipated creative arts festival is back and first up, they’ve got indie psychedelic rock band Tame Impala making their Malaysian debut in Kuala Lumpur.

Tame Impala is an Australian rock band founded by Kevin Parker in 2007.

The group began as a home recording project for Parker, who writes, records, performs, and produces the music. As a touring act, the project consists of Parker (guitar, vocals), Jay Watson (synthesiser, vocals, guitar), Dominic Simper (guitar, synthesiser), Cam Avery (bass guitar, vocals), and Julien Barbagallo (drums, vocals).

The Perth-based band garnered a wave of steadfast fans and international recognition since the release of their self-titled debut EP in 2008. The album was followed by their sublimely popular albums “Innerspeaker” (2010) and “Lonerism” (2012). In 2015, they returned to the music scene with “Currents”, which was described as “Best New Music” by the highly critical music site, Pitchfork.

Tame Impala’s live shows are often applauded as not just musically stellar, but also as an experience that is mind-blowing, saturated with simplistic beauty, and boundless creativity.

Having graced massive stages like Glastonbury, Coachella, and Laneway, the band will perform in Malaysia as part of Urbanscapes 2016’s month-long of activities.

This event is strictly for fans 18 years and over. Phase 1 tickets will go on sale on 21st January 2016 (Thursday).

Urbanscapes is one of the longest-running creative arts festivals in Malaysia. It was initially founded with the aim to bring together Malaysian creative communities from the fields of music, the arts, design, film and other creative disciplines.

The community-centric festival has now grown to include the best from around the world and is built on the belief that great things happen when people come together.

For more live updates, visit Urbanscapes’ official Facebook page.


Hype’s Weekender: The #Merdeka57 Edition

It’s true, 2014 has been one of the most trying years for our country.

From dealing with the pain from the MH370 and MH17 tragedies, to the growing tension in areas we wish that as Malaysians we could stand with instead of against each other, 2014 has truly taught us one thing – it’s time for us to be united as one. Because as Malaysians, we are unique. So unique, we are one culture that was drawn from various different cultures from the races in our country. We are just as famous for our melting pot of local Malaysian food as we are for our arts and music.

Yes, Malaysian food. Not Chinese, not Indian, not Malay – but Malaysian, mixed foods from different ethnicities.

We are so unique, we share each others’ holidays e.g. Chinese Lunar New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali. We celebrate these holidays with each other – and not just because they’re “free for all” public holidays. We go visiting during these festive occasions, we extend wishes during these festive times, heck we even know the word to each others’ festive songs by heart.

We are so unique, we even speak our own language i.e. slangs that have been thrown in the mix over the decades but universally understood by Malaysians:

1. 10 Most Commonly Used Malaysian Slangs

We’re often very creative with the way we speak to each other. So much so that we throw in all sorts of slangs in all sorts of intonations. Tourists and foreigners are often baffled by the way a Chinese person calls an Indian person, “Macha”, the way an Indian person calls a Malay person “Bro” (brother), and the way we can end almost all our sentences with “lah” and still make sense. How “cincai” also to us, it’s a perfect Malaysian sentence “lah”, right or not?

Despite going through the turmoil that we went through this year, our fellow countrymen still managed to see a lighter side to this otherwise subdued Merdeka celebration. The #MerdekaPickUpLines trend started a few days prior to the actual Merdeka Day, with fun-loving Malaysian netizens contributing to a super cheesy but also super cute list of pick up lines that quite honestly, only Malaysians will understand. Seriously though, who else will get “Will you be the Jalur to my Gemilang?” if not us? Exactly.

..at least once in your life. Did you know that some of our local films have actually gone on to win major awards at some of Asia’s leading film festivals? Take 2011’s “Songlap”, for example, a film that touches on real-life Malaysian issues. Or 2004’s “Puteri Gunung Ledang”,the love story between a mysterious princess who lived on top of Gunung Ledang and the legendary warrior Hang Tuah. And what about this year’s “The Journey”, Malaysia’s highest grossing feature film, which sparked a travel frenzy among the Malaysian wanderlust-ers to visit all the filming locations?

See if you’ve watch one, or two, or all of these before. Heck, make it your personal little Malaysian films checklist!

Like we said, Malaysia is known for their arts and music but not just in the traditional batik-painting or “wayang kulit”-puppeteering sense. The new generation of Malaysians make art of a different kind – on YouTube. From singing parodies to original songs, shooting poke-fun-at-real-life skits to interesting video logs (VLOGs), our very own pool of Malaysian YouTubers have lots to offer! If you haven’t been paying attention to people like JinnyboyTV, Elizabeth Tan, The Ming Thing, Dennis Yin, and more, well..there’s no better time to start than now. Check out our Malaysian pride on YouTube here.

With that, Happy 57th Independence Day Malaysia, our home.

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


Apple Introduces New Yellow Colour For The iPhone 14 & iPhone 14 Plus

It felt like it was only yesterday when the iPhone 14 series was just announced. If you’ve been contemplating whether or not you should upgrade to the 14, perhaps this guide can help you. For those who decided to wait for more colour choices for the latest iPhone then wait no longer!

Yesterday (Tuesday, 7th March), Apple finally put those rumours and speculations to rest as the tech giant announced the new lineup for the iPhone 14 series. The latest versions of the 14 now come in a vibrant new colour! Here’s all you need to know:

Previously, the iPhone 14 series came in 5 different colours which were Midnight, Starlight, (PRODUCT)RED, Blue, and Purple. The new iPhone 14 lineup is now available in Yellow, just in time for Spring!

“People love their iPhone and rely on it every day for all that they do, and now there’s an exciting addition to the lineup with a new yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

Other than the new colour, everything else is pretty much the same as before but nevertheless, the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are still good investments for those who have been longing for an upgrade. Both the Yellow iPhones also come with a larger (6.1″ – 6.7″) Super Retina XDR display, up to 26 hours of battery life and an A15 Bionic chipset.

Users can pre-order the new Yellow coloured iPhones starting this Friday (10th March) with availability starting on Tuesday (14th March). As mentioned above, the price for the new iPhone 14 lineup remains the same as listed below:

What do you think of the new colour? Will you be buying it?


#Firewall: M’sian Communication & Multimedia Minister Pledges, “No Social Media Ban”

Contrary to popular belief that the Malaysian authorities are planning on setting up a “Great Firewall of Malaysia”, Communication and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak has pledged otherwise.

A report by malaysiakini dated 19th November (Thursday) quoted him as saying, “The ministry has no intention to block social media, Facebook, and other platform providers, such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and others as a large portion of Malaysians are using these facilities to communicate and do business.”

He was responding to Zainuddin Ismail (BN-Jelebu), who asked if the government would set up firewalls, as is done in China, to block certain social media platforms and messaging applications.

There are about 15 million local accounts aka Facebook users (the population in Malaysia as at July 2013 was at 29.6 million), which means that easily half of Malaysia is on Facebook. In August last year, it was reported that the Government was mulling over the idea of barring access to Facebook due to abuse. Fortunately, the idea was quickly “disliked”.

According to Salleh, as of September this year, 1,638 complaints related to the abuse of the social media were received by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). 35 cases, including cases of insulting the royalty and religion, were taken to court under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 by MCMC from 2009 to 2015. He also said that in this year alone, MCMC has taken 14 cases to court, of which 11 were convicted, while 3 cases are still on trial.

But despite that, Malaysia will not join the list of countries that have banned Facebook permanently or temporarily such as China, North Korea, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Vietnam, Mauritius, and more.


#ExperienceRedef1ned: What To Expect At This Year’s F1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix

Get excited cause a mix of exciting line-up of activities and new experiences awaits you at the upcoming 2016 Formula One PETRONAS Malaysia Grand Prix.

Sepang International Circuit (SIC) has just launched the Grand Prix event, which will be taking place from 30th September to 2nd October 2016. Themed “Experience Redef1ned” this year, the launch was attended by Petronas Brand Management Rizan Ismail, our Malaysian driver Nabil Jeffri, AAM Chairman Tunku Datuk Mudzaffar, Petronas Senior General Manager Zahariah Abd Rahman and, SIC CEO, Dato Razlan Razali (pictured below from left to right).

“There are many firsts as well as fresh experiences that Formula One fans can look forward to this year. In line with our theme ‘Experience Redef1ned’, fans can enjoy all the elements that make Formula One so exciting in fresh new ways. Besides new action on the track with the line-up of exciting support races, the public can look forward to new activities for the whole family that expands from last year’s Family Carnival concept. We want to encourage families to make the Formula One a weekend outing and also nurture more young Formula One fans. Nevertheless, regardless of who you’re coming with or your personal preference, there are many attractive ticket types and packages for every type of fan – whether you want to get closer to the drivers, enjoy more comfort, get a great view of the After-Race concert, and more,” said Dato’ Razlan.

Besides showing support to our young Malaysian talents – Nabil Jeffri, 22, and Akash Neil Nandy, 19, – who will be taking part in their rookie home race in the GP2 series and GP3 series respectively, those attending the Grand Prix can look forward to a bunch of activities and attractions galore.

Similarly to last year, fan favourites such as Xtrack, the Malaysian School Pit Lane Walk, Drivers Fan Forum, and Drivers’ Autograph Session (where fans will have the chance to get up close and personal with their racing idols as well as autographs) will be returning. There will also be motorsports-themed thrills that include drifting, rallying, go-karting, ATV rides, the Strider Cup, and more.

That’s not all. It was announced last month that multi-Grammy award-winning R&B crooner Usher will be one of the main headliners to perform at the F1 After-Race Concert in Sepang. All you Usher fans can also take advantage of this year’s brand new Star Stand, a special seating zone located at the B Hillstand area that allows ticket holders priority viewing of the concert and a great view of the circuit during the race.

Star Stand tickets are priced at RM183.38 for adults and RM93.28 for children. Ticket prices for the 2016 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix begin as low as RM169.90 (c2 Hillstand), while seats at the main grandstand ranges from RM360.40 to RM1,876.20.

For more information, visit SIC’s Facebook page and Instagram account.

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


Hype’s Movie Review: #Annabelle, Still Not As Good As #TheConjuring

The haunted doll may haunt us every night in our dreams but in “Annabelle“, it does nothing much to scare us. Yes, unfortunately “Annabelle”, the brainchild of James Wan’s “The Conjuring” couldn’t do any better than the original creation but we don’t blame them. Perhaps it just didn’t live up to the hype and the cast’s lack of acting skills have made it a little unbearable to watch.

But hear us out first! The much-anticipated horror film “Annabelle” is not everything we expected it to be but the production did have quite a few surprises for us. On top of that, we were glad that the trailer didn’t give away too much of its storyline because there were some rather “pleasant” surprises in the film.

The film began by providing a little backstory about Annabelle, as told by the nurses who claimed the doll was possessed by a spirit. This provides a solid base for “Annabelle” which bring us back to the days before the doll was possessed, or rather manipulated by a demon.

Set in the 1960s, the origin story of “Annabelle” revolves around a young married couple, Josh Gordon (played by Ward Horton) and Mia Gordon (played by Annabelle Wallis) who has recently moved in a new house after Mia got pregnant.

And because Mia is pregnant with their unborn child, John the weirdly cheerful husband decided to surprise her with a present. No prizes for guessing but yes, it’s that vintage doll in the trailer. But who in the right mind would want to keep that creepy-looking doll as part of their collection? Exactly. We were surprised that John didn’t even feel a slight bit worry or scared about the doll because that doll just gives off a creepy vibe. The couple seemed unfazed about the doll and apparently Mia was even thrilled to receive the doll as part of her doll collection.

What seemed like a peaceful night spun into a horror spiral when the neighbour next door was killed by their demon-worshipping daughter, Annabelle Higgins and her crazy boyfriend. And you guessed it, the crazy couple managed to invade their house and almost killed Mia before the police arrives on scene. For some unknown reasons, Annabelle locked herself in the baby’s nursery room and slitted her throat while holding Mia’s new doll.

Why, oh why? At first, you’d assume that it’s just “crazy people doing crazy stuff”.

Moreover, when someone dies in your house, the first thing any sane person would do is to move out or get someone to clear the bad energy in that place. Well, Josh and Mia did sort of clear the bad energy away by throwing the doll that was soaked with Annabelle’s bad blood, but clearly that wasn’t enough.

After they moved out from their old home, the doll managed to find its way back to their new home. Although Josh found it a little unsettling that the doll is back on the shelf, Mia insisted that the doll should be placed in the baby’s nursery. She shouldn’t have because soon after, she began experiencing a series of weird paranormal events that brought harm to the whole family – especially her baby.

What kind of paranormal events, you ask? Oh, you know, just a random kid who suddenly appears behind Mia and stare at her creepily from behind. What, that doesn’t scare you enough? The next scene will.

In fact, this wasn’t the only jump-scare scene because at one point, there was an elevator scene that “elevated” the film to its climax. We won’t spoil it for you but the elevator scene almost felt like an Easter egg in the film. There were a few close-ups on the doll as well that may create a lasting memory for the audience as the doll stares right into your eyes.

Although “Annabelle” has a similar running theme as “The Conjuring”, the latter seemed to have created more genuine scares than “Annabelle”. It almost felt like this film was a sloppy work of a director who had limited time to revise or correct problems. It did give us some good scares and potential nightmares but the result was rather unsatisfying as we crave for more horror elements.

“Annabelle” hits Malaysian cinema on October 3, 2014 and is directed by John R. Leonetti and produced James Wan of “The Conjuring”.

For more information, check out Annabelle’s official website and Facebook page. Don’t forget to check out some fun facts about “Annabelle” too!


“Wonder Woman 2” Gets 2019 Release Date; Patty Jenkins Still In Talks To Direct

Good news, DC fans! The release date for “Wonder Woman 2” has been set.

The sequel to this year’s superhero flick is set to hit cinemas on 13th December 2019, with Gal Gadot reprising her role as Diana of Themyscira. However, talks with Patty Jenkins to return as director are still ongoing.

“Wonder Woman” is this summer’s biggest hit and it has grossed over USD389 million at the American box office to date. It recently passed Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” starring Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana.

While Jenkins’ participation as director has yet to be confirmed, she is developing the script with Geoff Johns. She previously told Entertainment Weekly that the sequel will take place in the modern age. “The story will take place in the U.S., which I think is right. She’s Wonder Woman. She’s got to come to America. It’s time,” she commented.

Besides that, it was also reported that “Wonder Woman 2” will be taking place in the 1980s during the final days of the Cold War and Chris Pine, who signed a multi-picture deal when he joined the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), is rumoured to return.

Can’t wait to see Gal Gadot in action as Wonder Woman again? Fret not, because she’ll be kicking ass alongside Ben Affleck’s Batman, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, Ezra Miller’s The Flash, and Ray Fisher’s Cyborg in “Justice League” on 17th November 2017.

Also, click here to check out DC’s superhero movie schedule.

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, E! News / Featured image: Warner Bros.

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


Astro Showcase Party: Astro Unveils New Shows To Watch Out For 2022 & 2023

Astro recently held its “Astro Showcase Party” at KL Tower earlier this week. The event featured tons of famed celebrities in attendance, apart from splendid performances from our homegrown talents namely Aina Abdul, De Fam, Thomas Kung, among others.

During the event, Astro customers also managed to get a glimpse of their latest local content slated to premiere through the end of 2022 to early 2023. According to Azlin Reza Azmi, the VP for Astro’s Malay Channel Business, Astro is aiming to enhance the quality, quantity and variety of local content available while strengthening the company’s position as a leading local content producer.

“We are proud to introduce the premiering content that will soon be available to Astro customers. We are excited to announce the returning seasons of two signature variety shows on Astro, ‘All Together Now Malaysia 2’ and ‘The Masked Singer Malaysia 3’. Both reality shows have demonstrated their own strengths in keeping audiences tuned in to our platforms,” Azlin stated.

Apart from the two aforementioned programmes, Astro also offers plenty of exciting drama series and movies catering to audiences across all ages. Among them include “Jesnita”, which stars Intan Najuwa and Yusuf Bahrin as lead roles. Other series include “One Cent Thief”, “Vengaiyan Magan” and “Lost And Found”, as well as films such as “Mechamato The Movie” and “Polis Evo 3”.

“All Together Now Malaysia 2”  will premiere on 11th December, every Sunday at 9pm on Astro Ria (channel 104), with Datuk Syafinaz Selamat taking over as the new Captain. “The Masked Singer Malaysia 3” will air every Friday nights beginning 23rd December, on Astro Warna (channel 107).


The Rockstars Of New Media Are Coming To Malaysia!

Hailing from Federal Way, WA (USA), New Heights is a band consisting of lead vocal Travis Graham, guitarist Chris Kwak, guitarist Park Kiyung, bassist Tyler Carroll, and drummer Bobby Walker, has released three studio EP’s to their credit, and their first full-length album, “Something to Believe In” was released on September 2011.

Their first single “Peaches” gained fame when it was featured in a short film titled “Love Language” by the Jubilee Project:

[youtube id=”QyB_U9vn6Wk” width=”600″ height=”350″]

The film gained attention when it was released virally and this led to many different variations by other filmmakers, all featuring the track by New Heights.

To date, “Love Language”-inspired videos featuring “Peaches” has garnered over 8,000,000 views on YouTube.

Last year New Heights were invited to be part of the highly popular International Secret Agents (ISA) concerts series that included names such as Far East Movement, Wong Fu Productions, Sean Kingston, B.O.B, Jay Park, David Choi, AJ Rafael, Ryan Higa, Kevjumba, Clara Chung and many other YouTube stars.

This opened up a whole new fan base and opportunities for the band which then goes on tour with the talented and perpetually bubbly Clara C, traveling all over the United States:

[youtube id=”q7E157enigE” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Psst. We love how “Bonnie & Clyde” that video is!

Despite this success, the band remains humble, advising aspiring musicians to maintain their professionalism and to always strive for more.

And now, we are super excited to announce that the good people of M.E Malaysia are bringing New Heights to Malaysia on the 13th July 2012! This marks New Heights’ first overseas appearances and we honestly can’t wait to see them live and finally meet them. Yes!

More details will be released soon so hang tight.

For more information, visit M.E Malaysia’s Facebook page.

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


#FarahAnn: Athletes’ Outfits To Be Reviewed Following Gymnast’s Leotard Controversy

A couple of days ago, Malaysian gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi’s made Malaysia proud when she snagged a gold medal at the 28th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Singapore. Having impressed the judges with her style and movements, Farah emerged as the judge’s favourite and won a bronze medal in the balance beam event.

She presented a great display during the floor exercise routine and collected 13.733 points to grab the ultimate win.

Alas, what should’ve been a widely celebrated occasion instead drew flak from certain Malaysian netizens, particularly a percentage of the Muslim community, due to the 21-year-old Muslim gymnast’s leotard.

Her picture, first shared by Buletin TV3 via their Facebook page, became the subject of attention as several Facebook users criticised her for not covering up her “aurat” and showing off “the shape of her vagina” in leotard.

Note: Islam requires both Muslim men and women to wear clothes that will not reveal the curves and shape of her body, in protection of their honour and integrity. However, criticisms are often targeted against women.

Other Facebook users as well as Malaysian leaders rushed in to defend Farah Ann, asking people to acknowledge Farah’s talent instead of getting heated over her gymnastic attire. This includes Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Youth Chief Tan Keng Liang, Malaysian Gymnastics Federation secretary N. Shanmugarajah, Malaysia’s Minister of Youth & Sports Khairy Jamaluddin, as well as Tun Dr Mahathir’s daughter and social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir.

Marina Mahathir said the attacks against Farah Ann were a sign of how the country was in danger of being overtaken by “stupidity”. At the Cooler Lumpur Festival panel discussion, she commented:

No, I don’t think we’ll be a Taliban state yet; we’ll be a stupid state first. The trouble is, our top leadership, we do have small and petty-minded people. They see these leaders saying things ― “bocor” lah, “ni lah”, crosses on “telekungs” for instance ― nobody laughs at them. In another country, people would point at the politicians and say, “What a dumb thing to say”. But here they don’t.

Farah Ann, too, responded to the criticisms via her personal Twitter account:

— Farah Ann OLY (@farahannhadi) June 12, 2015

Meanwhile, in a report by The Star Online, Perak mufti Tan Sri Dr Harussani Zakaria said that gymnastics was not meant for Muslim women as they would be showing their aurat and body shape, which was clearly against Islamic teachings.

“If they still want to take part, gymnasts must wear clothes that cover their aurat, which may not be suitable for the sport,” he said.

He added that this applied to other sports such as football, where male players should wear shorts that extended past their knees.

As such, according to TMI, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said that the government will review sports attire for athletes following complaints about Farah Ann’s leotard. Jamil Khir told Dewan Rakyat last night that issues that could “shame and taint” Islam must be given serious attention.

“We take attention of this matter so that this becomes a lesson, in whichever field, including sports, for us to look into the clothing and attire,” he said while wrapping up the debate for the religious affairs department for the 11th Malaysia Plan.

He was responding to a question from Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS-Rantau Panjang) who asked if the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) have issued regulations on clothing for athletes that the Youth and Sports Ministry can implement.

What do you guys think though? Do you think there should be regulations on clothing for athletes? How else would Farah Ann have dressed while competing for the gymnastics title, so as to not hinder her performance? And what about our national swimmers?

Khairy Jamaluddin has stepped forward to say that athletes don’t have to abide by any dress code drawn up by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM), and that JAKIM’s guidelines “was just a guideline and there’s no compulsion to it”.

In a report from The Star Online, Khairy was quoted as saying:

It’s up to the athletes to follow the guidelines and there’s no compulsion to cover up… I hope this settles it. We have to remember some sports attires are regulated by the sports federations … besides, the athletes only wear the attire during competitions, they don’t wear it every day.

He also slammed the critics as hypocrites and said the issue smacked of sexism.

“Farah is an adult and has been brought up well. She knows what she’s doing and old enough to decide for herself. Male athletes don’t get this kind of attention, body-builders wear much more revealing trunks. The critics can look elsewhere … or, if they cannot contain themselves, we will have to ban them from entering stadiums,” Khairy said.

Who’s with him on this? Let us know what you think in the comments box below!

Sources: TMI, The Star Online (1), MMO, The Star Online (2).

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


6 Things Not Allowed Into Jacky Cheung’s Kuala Lumpur Concert

Are you excited for Jacky Cheung (张学友)’s encore concert later this week?

After thrilling fans in Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil earlier this year, the 57-year-old singer is set to entertain fans at the same venue with another round of 3-night performance. Concert organiser StarPlanet (星艺娱乐) has posted some helpful tips and a list of prohibited items for concert-goers to take note.

6 prohibited items that you can’t bring into the concert venue are:

We can’t wait to see when everything comes together for “A Classic Tour” Live in Malaysia! See you there ;)


#Travel: 31 “Star Wars” Locations In The World That Every Fan Should Visit

In conjunction with “Star Wars Day”, we thought that it’d be apt to feature some real-life “Star Wars” destinations for all you Jedi and Padawan travellers.

GoEuro.com, the search engine for comparing and booking flights, coach and rail travel across Europe, may not be able to take you to a galaxy far, far away, but the team partnered with GetYourGuide to rank the out-of-this-world locations used throughout the “Star Wars” franchise, including those for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.

From the filming locations to Jedi training facilities, and right down to the theme parks that feature “Star Wars” in a big way, here are some of the best “Star Wars” adventures in the world:

Taking the top spot as the top “Star Wars” experience is Legoland. The company features real life-size wing fighters and movie characters to help you feel the Strength of the Force. It is also a great place to introduce children to the “Star Wars” experience, even before they have seen the movies themselves.

To work out the position of the 31 sites and experiences, GoEuro combined the scores for accessibility, accommodation and amenities (each worth 10%) with the Strength of the Force (worth 70%) to work out the overall score.

The Strength of the Force rates how much a fan will feel the presence of “Star Wars” at a specified location.

To read the full article, go here. And may the Force be with you. Always.


Cleopatra Got Called Out For Using Google Image As Her Own Photo

Local netizens couldn’t help but to be amused with Cleopatra (real name Nur Fathiah Syazwana Shaharuddin)’s recent update on social media.

The famed director of Cleo International firm posted a picture of a private jet with the caption, “The person I needed the most taught me I don’t need anybody.”

However, one Twitter user known as Pedoq (tweet handle: @pedoqpop) has claimed that Cleopatra was using an image from Google! Feel free to compare the picture she posted and the one from Google Images.

In response, the 25-year-old has came forward to clap back at the haters; by putting the blame on Malaysians for focusing on the unnecessary. She took to Instagram to vent out her frustration towards everyone who had nothing better to do but slam others.

“The clip of me cooking has reached 1 million views but everyone condemned my way of preparing the dish. Now it’s the issue regarding Cessna jet? What are you Malaysians doing? Doing worthless business and complained that graduates as well as the B40 groups are having troubles to find a job,” Cleopatra wrote.

She concluded by adding, “Complaining on the increasing cost of living and blame the current government and then protest – that’s the main cause for the problem, it is yourself and not the government!”

Her lengthy clarification didn’t shut the netizens down, though. Some assumed that she wanted to cover up the accusations that she had used a photo she downloaded from Google as her post.

Not only that, others decided to bring in Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq in this case, stating that the private jet was actually sponsored by the young politician. For those in the dark, the two got caught in a rumoured scandal after a clip of their meet-up at Syed Saddiq’s office went viral.

Dah kantoi tu salahkan anak muda, siswazah, graduan, b40, itu ini semua keluar. Diam je la. You are nobody. Tak payah poyo konon2 part of gov.

— Cik Tipah (@nazima_e) December 26, 2019

What would you do if you were Cleopatra?

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


Starlight Cinema: Three Movies & A Proposal!

Samsung Galaxy Life presents Starlight Cinema started on Friday with over 1,300 fans flocking to the Bukit Equestrian Park to catch the curtain raiser double bill of Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones and The Conjuring. Both films were part of the event’s Weekend Double Fright Night Special, held to bring back Starlight Cinema with a bang. The event also saw moviegoers revel in a night out under the stars complete with a giant screen and an F&B Village.

But not to be outdone, the event’s second night provided even more surprises for moviegoers. The Triple Comedy Special featuring the smash hit animated films Despicable Me 1 and Despicable Me 2 as well as the Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn comedy, The Internship, not only entertained and provided laughs but it was further capped off with a romantic gesture by Mr. Adrian Loo who proposed to his girlfriend Ms. Joanne Koh!

The fairy-tale wedding proposal occurred during intermission, when Mr. Adrian asked for Ms. Joanne’s hand in marriage, which she accepted with a resounding “Yes!” to a huge round of applause from the 1500 crowd in attendance. It was indeed a special moment for the couple, and one that Starlight Cinema was proud to be a part off, as Mr. Adrian approached the organisers of Starlight Cinema to assist him with his dream wedding proposal.

“Samsung Galaxy Life presents Starlight Cinema is all about creating a unique movie watching experience for all,” said event organiser, Mr. Justin Yip, Head of Marketing Rev Asia. “When Mr. Adrian approached us with the idea we were more than happy to help. We trust this is the happiest and most unique experience for the couple, and it also provided a touching moment for Starlight Cinema fans to experience as well.”

Starlight Cinema continues its run of movie screenings until 21st June (Saturday) with an eclectic mix of classics, blockbusters and award-winning films such as Titanic, The Sound of Music, Pacific Rim and Man of Steel. The event will also culminate with a special Batman Trilogy Special with Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy.

Starlight Cinema is presented by Samsung Galaxy Life. Download Samsung Galaxy Life on your Samsung phone to enjoy perks, exclusive offers and special consumer deals. GALAXY Life users can enjoy the offers lined up by downloading the GALAXY Life app via Google Play Store. Event partners for Starlight Cinema include Nestle, UOB and AUDI. As a special treat for moviegoers, the German automaker will also be launching the all-new AUDI A3 on 21st June as well, which should be an exciting moment for fans.

For further information, event details as well as full movie listings, hit up their website.


Fun Facts: #AmMetLifeElectricRunRecharged To Own The Night With These Courselands

Bigger, better, and recharged, one of the world’s most popular nocturnal fun run, Electric Run Malaysia, is back.

Slated to be held on 29th July at Anjung Floria, Putrajaya AmMetLife Electric Run Recharged 2017 is set to wow participants for the 3rd year running with what will be its brightest neon-coloured night run. Unlike its previous instalments, as this year’s will feature a new Recharged concept, the run will have not 1, not 2, but 9 new, music-filled course lands.

Lace up them neon/glow-in-the-dark shoes, pile on as many glow stick bangles as humanly possible, and splash on a generous amount of body paint. And if you’re done prepping the craziest, loudest (the louder, the better!) running getup that you’ve ever worn, then ready, set, time to get electrified!

Pop, lock, drop, and get down to the beat as you dance your way through the Hip Hop land. A place of positivity, art, and culture, it’s the perfect for gatherings of hip hop music and rhythm lovers. Watch art come to life with the UV graffiti walls and colourful rainbow arches as you run past your first courseland in this electrifying journey.

Let your imagination run wild as you experience the otherworldly domain that is EDM land. It’s an euphoric, electronic musical voyage featuring bursts of vivid colours cutting across entire courseland where like-minded individuals are bound by a deep passion for EDM, art, and self-discovery. Oh, and yes. You should expect some “pew pew laser lights” action :)

4. Sugar Rush: “Like a kid in a candy store”

Got a sweet tooth and a penchant for taking selfies? Then step right into Sugar Rush, a courseland filled with sweets and delights. Run around like a kid in a candy store, indulge in the larger than life treats, and as bubbles fill the air, be prepared to whip out your camera as you come across some eye candy inflatables, from popsicles and ice-cream cones to unicorns and muffins. Up your Instagram game while you’re at!

Maybe it’s all in your head, maybe it’s magic. Feel free to explore, discover, and wander through the magical courseland that is Stardust, a land of beauty, colour, and music, where imaginations run wild. Run through an LED tunnel with dozens of mini LED balls illuminating your journey across this beautiful site. Remember to stop and take a moment to soak it all in because this is one experience that you wish you could bottle up.

6. Polyphonics: “Groove through the night”

If you see the Polyphonics courseland approaching, you know you’re more halfway there. Take the opportunity to recharge at Polyphonics before going on to complete the AmMetLife Electric Run Recharged 2017. Let your dreams come true and inspiration grow at Polyphonics, a land where your senses are enticed as you groove along under majestic rainbow arches stretching across this path. And don’t forget to stop for drinks ;)

Shine out, stand out, and bring back the funk at the legendary Disco courseland where the glamour and decadence of the 1970’s reign supreme! All-night dancing, energised by the best Disco themes make this nightlife sanctuary the place to be. No disco is complete without mirror balls and a LED lit disco floor as you dance the night away to classic beats from the past.

8. Rainbow Road: “Chase the pot of gold”

Right before you hit The Finish Line, the Rainbow Road will greet you with ethereal hues and melodic beats, creating an experience like no other. Said to be the land of lands, it is where colourful rainbow arches light up a final stretch towards pot of gold. Of course, by “pot of gold”, we mean The Finish Line. You’re almost there!

9. The Finish Line: “Celebrate good times, come on!”

You made it and that calls for a celebration! AmMetLife Electric Run Recharged 2017 will feature American hip hop artiste Silento, who will be making his debut performance in Malaysia, as well as local superstars such as CUURLEY, De Fam, SonaOne, and Blastique & Amanda Avyanna, who are all ready to bring the beat and rock out with the finishers. You best be ready to do the whip, do the nae nae.

This year, the highly anticipated event is set to to attract over 18,000 runners of all ages. Use our promo code, ERHYPE, to get a 10% discount off individual and group of 4 registrations!

We’ll leave you now with the aftermovie from last year’s Electric Run Malaysia. Enjoy:

For more information, hit up their Facebook page or follow them on Instagram.

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


Explore The World Of Arts In The Depths Of West Kowloon In Hong Kong

Earlier this week, the Hong Kong Tourism Board had organised the “Arts in Hong Kong” Virtual Tour, showcasing state-of-the-art museums, world-class arts and creative cultural hotspots in the vibrant West Kowloon neighbourhood.

Home to the finest crafts, ancient buildings, authentic dining and rich shopping experiences, West Kowloon does not fall short on artistic entertainment and cultural delights. Discover long-forgotten craftsmanship hidden in the streets of Jordan and Yau Ma Tei and be mesmerised by the local and international visual art with the latest openings of the M+ and Hong Kong Palace Museums.

Hong Kong’s most iconic landmark and newest must-visit attraction opened in November last year. As Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture, the museum presents roughly around 1,500 works extracted from the M+ Collections within the exhibition space of 17,000 square metres across 33 galleries and other spaces.

The museum comprises of both 20th and 21st century visual art, design and architecture, moving images and the thematic area of Hong Kong visual culture. With the M+ ‘harbour-facing’ Facade that lights up from the Hong Kong Island, it’s pretty hard to miss even if you try.

With over 900 priceless treasures in its possession, the Hong Kong Palace Museum is set on becoming a part of the world’s leading cultural institutions that is committed to the study and appreciation of Chinese art and culture.

Acknowledging the international perspective of art, the museum encourages partnerships among world civilizations as well as embracing new curatorial approaches—offering a Hong Kong point of view and a global vision as they present the finest objects from the Palace Museum and other cultural institutions across the globe.

Before transforming into the boutique art hotel, Tung Nam Lou used to be the neighbourhood seafood restaurant on the streets of Yau Ma Tei. The award-winning hotel does not only provide accommodation, but takes you on an artistic journey, exploring the local history, community and customs.

The trendsetter that brings experiential art by allowing their customers to participate in healing workshops, multisensory art experiences and explore the cultural attractions of the historic Yau Ma Tei.

Staying true to her roots, Miru Wong, the third-generation owner of Sindart—a store that sells handmade traditional embroidered footwear—has infused modern elements into the age-old art. The innovator inherited her embroidery skills from her grandfather and adds her own spin to the ladies favourite, silk-brocade slippers.

Sindart offers heels, flats, accessories and handbags, apart from the slippers, that appeals to the younger generation along with the non-traditional motifs such as the panda, owls and flora patterns, camellia and cherry blossom.

Uncle King, the last guardian of the art of mahjong carving, continues to hone his skills and carry the long-forgotten craft into the new age. For over 50 years, he creates traditional mahjong sets by deftly etching symbols and numbers onto bare tiles and then animating them with technicolour.

Apart from that, Uncle King also makes custom tiles that bear names and cartoon characters. In order to prevent the dying craft from meeting its end, Uncle King hosts workshops open to anyone interested in learning.

For more information, you can visit their website here.

Neetashini Kanendran contributed to this article


#RememberingSRNathan: Singapore’s Longest-Serving President Passes Away At 92

It’s a sad day for everyone in the region.

Mr S. R. Nathan, Singapore’s former president, passed away peacefully at Singapore General Hospital at 9.48pm yesterday (Monday, 22nd August). Mr Nathan, who was 92 years old, was Singapore’s longest-serving head of state.

The announcement was made by Singapore’s Prime Minster Office in a simple statement yesterday. The former president had suffered a stroke on 31st July, and was in a critical condition then.

He will be cremated privately on Friday (26th August) at Mandai Crematorium after a State Funeral Service. The funeral service will begin at 4pm at National University of Singapore’s (NUS) University Cultural Centre. Mr Nathan’s family, friends, and former colleagues, the President, Cabinet Ministers, and members of parliament will be attending, while the public are also welcomed.

Before Friday’s funeral service, Mr Nathan’s body will lie in state in Parliament House from 10am on Thursday (25th August) to 12am on Friday (26th August). The doors will be opened to the public from 10am to 8pm on Thursday while members of the diplomatic corps and other officials may pay their last respects from 9am until 12pm on the same day.

Mr Nathan was Singapore’s 6th president, and served the office from 1st September 1999 until his retirement on 31st August 2011, a total of 12 years. Prior to his appointment as president, he worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Defence.

Mr Nathan leaves behind his wife Urmila, son Osith, and daughter Juthika, along with 3 grandchildren.

The public can express their condolences and share their memories of Mr Nathan at the official website and the Remembering S. R. Nathan Facebook page.

Sources: Prime Minster Office Singapore (1) (2), Straits Times.

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


Contest: Win Tickets To Watch Engelbert Humperdinck Live In Resorts World Genting

Legendary superstar Engelbert Humperdinck is returning to Malaysia for a concert in Resorts World Genting. Dubbed as the King of Romance, the 86-year-old shot to fame with his 1967 hit single, “Release Me”. The song shot to no.1 in 11 countries and remained on the UK Top 50 Singles chart for 56 weeks.

Following the success of “Release Me”, the British singer went on to release more timeless classics including “Am I That Easy To Forget”, “Quando Quando Quando”, “A Man Without Love” and “When There’s No You”.

Between the mid-1970s and the 1990s, Engelbert was a musical touring force – having performed up to 200 concerts a year with headlining appearances in Las Vegas. The crooner was also known for his many music collaborations, namely his double-CD duets album, “Engelbert Calling” in 2014 featuring music by Elton John, Willie Nelson, Johnny Matthis, Cliff Richard, Kenny Rogers, Gene Simmons and Smokey Robinson.

In the span of 55 years in the music business, Engelbert has sold over 140 million records, including 64 gold albums and 35 platinum, achieved four Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe, and has stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Las Vegas Walk of Fame, and Leicester Walk of Fame.  He’s also struck a new chord with the younger generation when his song “A Man Without Love” was recently featured in Marvel’s “Moon Knight” on Disney+. Sony Pictures’ new Brad Pitt film, “Bullet Train” also features his song, “Forever Blowing Bubbles”.

Titled “Falling in Love with Engelbert Humperdinck”, his Malaysian concert details are as follows:

Thanks to our friends from Resorts World Genting, we’re giving away 10 concert tickets (PS2 seats) to watch Engelbert Humperdinck when he performs in Malaysia. Here are the terms & conditions on how you can win a pair of tickets for yourself:


Raya 2019: 6 New Raya Songs From Our Local Celebrities

Can you feel the Raya mood in the air? Especially with all the iconic and evergreen Raya songs being played in every malls and streets.

Hari Raya is never complete without Raya tunes, so like every year, many local talents will either cover an old tune or introduce brand new songs that are relevant to today’s audience.

Here are some new Raya songs set to be released or already released by our local singers.

Siblings combo Bella and Didi Astillah will be releasing a duet song together for the first time in 20 years. The song titled “Bersama Di Hari Raya” is a creation of Rosli Ahmad, and it marks the first time the sisters performed together after almost 2 decades. The Astillah sisters used be part of a children group called Adik-Adik Mutiara where they performed various local children songs and nursery rhymes such as “Anak Kambing” and “Tom Tom Bak”. According to Bella, the Raya song was made 2 years ago, but it was only recently that the siblings decided to release the song this year.

For the first time ever, Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza from Malaysia, Indonesia’s Nissa Sabyan and Singapore’s Taufik Batisah have come together to collaborate on a song titled “Ikhlas” to bring out the theme of togetherness this Raya. Composed by Omar K and Ikhwan Fatanna, the concept of the music video goes back to the Prophet’s time, showing the beauty of nature and celebrates the harmony between man and the Creator. The song will be released exclusively on Apple Music on 31st May and 7th June  on other music platforms.

Dato Aliff Syukri is set to release a new Raya song titled “Jom Raya”, composed by Amy Uk’s. Despite many objections, the entrepreneur decided to go ahead with the song anyway. The  businessman expressed his interest to collaborate with one local singer on the Raya song. Some of the contenders include Siti Nordiana, Bella Astillah, Wany Hasrita, Siti Nurhaliza, Nur Sajat, and Zizi Kirana. In another post, Aliff Syukri revealed that 2 contenders went for the song’s audition, and they are Zizi Kirana and Nur Sajat. The entrepreneur stated that the person with most vote will be his duet partner on the song.

Ernie Zakri and Syamel have collaborated once again on a new Raya song called “Seru Hari Lebaran”. Composed by S. Atan, the song has been receiving positive review so far. According to Syamel, the song is the first Raya song for both him and Ernie ever since their debut in the local music industry. The Raya song marks Ernie and Syamel’s 3rd collaboration together since “Aku Cinta” and “Takkan Terlerai”.

AJL winner Hael Husaini admitted that he has always wanted to release his very own Raya song but never found the right chance, until now. Titled “Bersyukur Seadanya”, the song is a product between him and frequent collaborator Ezra Kong who also composed AJL-winning song “Haram”. According to Hael, the music video of the song is different from other Raya songs as it is very simple and minimal.

After the success of their first song together “Roadblock Hatiku”, rock band Floor 88 and dangdut singer Baby Shima decided to come together once again on a hilarious Raya song called “Tak Dapat Raya”. Composed by Zai Hamzah, the Raya song tells a hilarious story about a group of friends who are discussing where they should celebrate their first Raya, and the ending is priceless.


#Malindo: Low-Cost Airline To Offer 600 Jobs To Ex-MAS Employees

It seems like some of the ex-Malaysia Airlines (MAS) personnel who lost their jobs won’t remain unemployed for long.

Malindo Air is offering 600 openings to ex-MAS employees who were axed in a bid to revamp the national airline. Malindo’s CEO, Chandran Rama Muthy, said that the low-cost airline preferred to hire former MAS employees as they are already equipped with the essential knowledge and skills, thus dismissing the need for basic training.

During the launch of Malindo Air’s new in-flight Wi-Fi service and magazine, Muthy said:

We are not only offering jobs for cabin crews but also looking for pilots and other candidates who are skilled in flight and ground operations.

However, Malindo will also be offering positions in their call centre and non-technical fields like marketing. He further elaborated, “We have received quite a number of job applications from former MAS employees and may take in more as we have the budget until the end of this year to fill 600 positions.”

Last Monday (1st June), termination letters were sent out to 20,000 existing staffs of MAS. Out of the 20,000, 14,000 employees were offered jobs in the newly founded Malaysia Airlines Bhd group (MAS Bhd) by 1st September 2015. Unfortunately, the remaining 6,000 were regretfully dismissed.

After discontinuing flights to Frankfurt (Germany), Kunming (China), Cochin (India), and Krabi (Thailand), MAS also plans to sell off 2 of their Airbus A380 jets.

All these are part of MAS’ efforts to restructure the company with their new CEO, Christoph R. Mueller, after being hit with the tragedies of the crashed MH17 flight and the still-missing MH370 flight.

However, Mueller stated that MAS is “technically bankrupt” and “the decline of performance started long before the tragic events of 2014”. The new executive officer will be taking steps to ensure that the airline will remain competitive and recoup it losses by 2018. Mueller was also credited with the financial recovery of Irish airline Aer Lingus.

Sources: The Rakyat Post, The Star Online, BBC News

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


#Antonov225: KLIA Welcomes World’s Biggest Plane

This may not be the Millennium Falcon but it’s still a pretty spectacular sight.

Hundreds of Malaysians and aviation geeks got to tick off one of their bucket list when the world’s largest aircraft – the Antonov AN-225 Mriya – touched down at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 8:30am last Saturday (14th May).

Malaysia was lucky to be chosen as the only Asean country to welcome the Ukrainian-designed cargo plane during one of its pit stops. Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd corporate communications general manager Nik Anis Nik Zakaria confirmed that the monster airplane was at KLIA for refuelling.

According to reports, the Antonov AN-225 Mriya – which was built in the 1980s for the Soviet Union shuttle program to carry its Buran space shuttle on its back – was transporting a generator weighing 130 tonnes from Prague, Czech Republic to Perth, Australia. KLIA was the plane’s last refuelling stop only.

This isn’t the first time the gigantic aircraft had landed in Malaysia though. Malaysia Airports Bhd airsite operations senior executive M. Kathi told reporters that this was the second time Mriya landed in Malaysia after making its debut here 2007.

Thom Patterson from CNN notes that most airplanes are only powered by 2 or 4 jet engines. This monstrous superstar has 6! The length of its wingspan measures up to 290 feet (88 meters), which is longer than 5 53-foot semi-truck trailers. Its maximum takeoff weight is 640 tonnes, which is twice as heavy as the Statue of Liberty.

Check out the short clip of the plane’s arrival:

Sources: Astro Awani, CNN, Malay Mail, The Star.


Hype’s Exclusive: The Odds In CHVRCHES’ Favour

Despite being relatively new in the music scene, Scottish synth-pop trio CHVRCHES is one of those bands with the most rewarding touring experience as they have been touring non-stop since their debut in 2011. This is attributed to the fact that the band is formed by Iain Cook, Lauren Mayberry, and Martin Doherty; all of whom used to be members of their own indie bands.

Iain Cook is perhaps the member with more touring experience as he used to be a member of Aerogramme and The Unwinding Hours. Martin Doherty, too, was a member of a live band called The Twilight Sad while Lauren Mayberry was a lead vocalist, drummer, and keyboardist for Boyfriend/Girlfriend and Blue Sky Archives. However, chances brought them together when Cook was producing an EP for Mayberry’s band in late 2011.

Cook then started a “new” project with Doherty, with Mayberry singing for a couple of demo of the songs. After spending almost 8 months writing songs together in a basement studio in Glasgow, the project turned out to be a great success when they proudly presented their work online. Little did they know at the time that they would tour across the world and perform as supporting acts for various other like-minded bands including Passion Pit, Two Door Cinema Club, and Depeche Mode. Their success eventually led to the release of their debut album, “The Bones of What You Believe”.

Having performed at various other countries in Asia, the Scottish trio finally made their way to Malaysia as they kicked off Urbanscapes’ month-long festival with their satellite show at KL Live.

But before they heat up the show with their euphoric sound, we had a chance to sit down with them and talk to them a little about what to expect from the show, their future music style, and how they liked working with Lorde for the soundtrack of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1“.

Hi guys! Welcome to Malaysia! How’s Malaysia treating you so far?

Iain: Amazing. Beautiful city. We’re having a great time and the food is amazing. We went to Batu Caves yesterday :)

Oh good! I assume this is your first time in Malaysia then? What can we expect from the show tonight? Any surprises for the Malaysian fans?

Martin: Umm I think it’s kinda cool because we’ve never been here before. You guys are lucky enough because we’ve got like this almost 2 years of experience of learning how to play live, so the first time you guys are seeing a CHVRCHES show, it’s gonna be like a ticket to our past.

Iain: Hahaha! Gradually. No, we didn’t see that one so probably that’s just us.

Martin: We’ll have 2 new songs on our set as well, but more than those we’ll stick to our album because of course, people are here to listen to our record. If it turns out that we’re going to play a bunch of new songs, then they’ll be like, “Wow. Thanks for that. I paid for that?”

Iain: Haha! Yeah, the worst thing is when people showed up but then they sing a completely different melody to you, and then you’re like, “That’s not it!”

Martin: One time, there was a plan to change all these songs but then they’re like, “Yeah, maybe you can play these songs in 5 or 7 years but this is the first time I’m seeing you live, can you please play the f**king song?”

So, are you guys planning to perform any cover song for the show?

Martin: We’ve retired from the cover business. Haha!

Lauren: Yeah, most of the cover songs that come out on the radio station, they ask you to do them for a session, mainly in UK. So, that’s where we learned to refuse those. And we played a couple of cover songs on our set earlier on but we aren’t adding those on our show.

Martin: Yeah, we’ve already played the rest from our album so we don’t have to play a good cover song on our set anymore. I mean, we are getting too well known to do covers so we don’t want to people view us like a cover band. We’ve already prepared 10 songs for the show, so if we’re struggling, we could just release all of them then.

Iain: Well, the “Game of Thrones” one is a bit of a stretch though. Haha!

The band’s music style is heavily influenced by 80s pop, will that change in the future?

Iain: I think 80s pop is one of the influences that we can withdraw. I think movie scene is more skewed to that direction because a lot of the instruments that are being used, are from that era. But in terms of actual songs, a lot of influences come from different eras, you know. But I think that, our sense is definitely going to shift as we are writing our stuff and that’s why it tends to depend on what we are listening to and what excites us musically. So that’s gonna change but we’re not gonna commit with acoustic folk record for our albums. Haha!

Martin: We will maintain focus on some writing and we’ll dress the music however we feel all the time based on what is exciting and what we’re listening to now, be it the record from today or from 7 years ago.

You guys just released a new song for the upcoming “The Hunger Games” film? What was it like working with Lorde on the soundtrack for the film?

Martin: She is amazing, that girl. We had a conversation with her but then it’s very very clear immediately that she is heavily involved in the process that she has taken on. That’s very crucial to the entire sound. From the hours she chose to the clock ration that she did on the record, we are pretty inspired by the way she spoke and what she said about the project. We immediately want to be involved in this. Not just because it was fun to see and the movies are great, but it’s the way she spoke about it and the things she said.

Iain: The whole album is actually quite surprising that we all are holding hands together because a lot of these things, they can be a bit of sky high approach with so many styles that doesn’t really fit as a album but somehow, it can hold together. I guess that’s attributed to her skill as a curator for the soundtrack.

But what did you guys have in mind while producing this song? Did you imagine yourself in a world in “The Hunger Games?”

Martin: So that’s the first thing in the back of our mind, like under subconscious, we never sat there and went, “This song is for this exact session of the movie or that song is deliberately referred to X or Y”. It’s more of the tone thing. In other words, the overall tone of the movie is transparent to what we wrote.

Lauren: What I had in mind about the theme is when we’re approaching the song generally and lyrics specifically, but not referencing anything. Because I think we can all tell when the bound is written for movie and if you contribute stuff to the lyrics above the film, then it’s just very clunky and fairly done so you try to stay away from that. That’s the world Katniss I really don’t like at all.

Last one for the road! Turkish DJ/producer Deniz Koyu was in KL last month for a club event and he actually mentioned that he listens to your songs. Have you guys been approached by DJs to collaborate on songs?

Martin: Umm, that’s funny. Yes. Haha! But that will be revealed in the future.

Okay then! We will look forward to that! Thank you for your time!

It was a great pleasure talking to them, though there’s so much more that we want to know about them. But still, special thanks to our awesome friends from Universal Music Malaysia for making the above interview happen. We can’t wait to see them again! :D

For more information, hit up their website and visit their Facebook page or Twitter! Don’t forget to join us again at the next Urbanscapes’ satellite show with Scottish post-rock band Mogwai on 30th Nov and Tenacious D on 1st Dec.

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


Get Ready Witness Spectacular Meteor Shower This Sunday (13th August)

Mark your calendars Malaysians, you’ll be able to witness the Perseids meteor shower in the night sky this coming Sunday (13th August).

The National Space Agency released a statement stating that people in the country can expect to see between 60 and 100 meteors for a duration of 1 hour at approximately 1:30am. The good news is, spectators may be able see up to 150 meteors at pollution-free locations.

“However, the waning gibbous moon will make it a challenge to see the meteor shower clearly,” the statement reads. It added that the moon was expected to rise at 10:16 pm on Saturday (12th August).

Every year, the Perseids meteor shower takes place between 17th July and 24th August when the earth passes through the path of Comet Swift-Tuttle. As a result, the impact leaves behind a collection of space dust and debris.

Hopefully, we’ll be able to see it! Get those wishes ready peeps ;)

Source: Bernama via The Star/ Featured image: EPA.


5 Sightings Of Supernatural Entities In Music Videos That Will Leave You Spooked

We commonly hear stories of people’s encounters with ghosts and supernatural beings in real life. Especially in our local culture, spirits or supernatural entities such as ‘Pontianak’, and ‘Pocong’ have long become a source of terror to both children and adults in our communities as superstitions make up the fabric of our daily life.

The sightings of ghosts can be considered as rare as the subtle being cannot be seen with the naked eyes. However, once it makes an appearance, it will surely leave us spooked to the core. Here, we’ve compiled several sightings of ghosts in the entertainment scene, particularly in music videos:

Wtf video cover naim daniel ost pengabdi setan, ada lembaga lalu 😭😭😭 *naikkan brightness, tgk pintu area kiri tu* pic.twitter.com/yH5xsAQCFO

— Hang Jebat (@zaelahmad) December 17, 2017

Sources: OH! Media, Koreaboo, Harian Metro


#JohnBoyega: Actor Slams “Game Of Thrones” & “The Lord Of The Rings” For Lack Of Diversity

British actor John Boyega recently criticised “Game Of Thrones” and “The Lord Of The Rings” for its lack of diversity.

In speaking with GQ, the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” star pointed out that there are no black people in the 2 major franchises. “There are no black people on Game of Thrones. You don’t see one black person in Lord of the Rings,” he shared.

The 25-year-old actor continued, “I ain’t paying money to always see one type of person on-screen. Because you see different people from different backgrounds, different cultures, every day. Even if you’re a racist, you have to live with that. We can ruffle up some feathers.”

While “Game of Thrones” features a few non-white actors with speaking roles (i.e. Nathalie Emmanuel’s Missandei, Jacob Anderson’s Grey Worm, and Jessica Henwick’s Nymeria Sand), “Lord of the Rings” has very few actors of colour in it.

This is not the first time Boyega, whose parents are of Nigerian descent, talked about diversity in pop culture. Apparently, some fans protested the studio for casting him in “Star Wars”.

However, he clapped back at his haters, saying, “I’m in the movie, what are you going to do about it? You either enjoy it or you don’t. I’m not saying get used to the future, but what is already happening. People of colour and women are increasingly being shown on-screen. For things to be whitewashed just doesn’t make sense.”

What are your thoughts on John Boyega’s claim? Feel free to drop us a comment below!

Sources: EW, People, News.com.au / Featured image: Variety, Metro.

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


#Halloween: Malaysia’s First Halloween Escape Game By #EscapeRoom

Halloween is just around the corner but..have you got more interesting plans aside from dressing up and going out to party? Want to experience something more thrilling and break free from the usually gimmicky Halloween events? What say we entice you with Malaysia’s first Halloween Escape Game at Wet World Shah Alam? Yup! Get ready to spook yourselves out and start screaming because it’s coming for you this October.

From the good people of Escape Room and the same people behind #EscapeRun2014, Escape Room’s “Halloween Escape” will open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 4th till 31st October, 7:30pm till 12midnight. Think you’re gutsy enough to take on the challenge? Go grab your tickets!

It costs only RM38 per pax (RM28 for early bird purchase before 1st October). Tickets available for sale at all Escape Room outlets and Wet World Water Park, Shah Alam.

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


Contest: Win “2016 Brotherhood Of Men Live In Malaysia” Tickets Worth RM600 Each

If you’re as excited as us about seeing the main cast of  “Young And Dangerous” (古惑仔之人在江湖) – Ekin Cheng (鄭伊健), Michael Tse (謝天華), Chin Ka Lok (錢嘉樂), Jordan Chan (陳小春), Jerry Lamb (林曉峰) – reunite for a joint concert in Malaysia, then you’re in luck! Thanks to our friends from IME Productions, we’re giving away a couple of tickets worth RM600 each for our lucky winners to attend the show :)

“Young and Dangerous” is a 1996 Hong Kong crime film about a group of triad members, detailing their adventures and dangers in a Hong Kong Triad society.

Based on a popular comic book series named “Teddy Boy”, the film was immensely popular in Hong Kong and spun a long list of sequels and spin-offs. Its main actors and actresses have also become major stars in their own right.

“2016 Brotherhood Of Men Live In Malaysia” will feature music from the original film series as well as the individual artistes’ biggest hits. The star-studded concert promises an unforgettable journey that will bring concert-goers back to the iconic film series and showcase Chan Ho Nam and his gang’s musical talents after packing out US, China, and Hong Kong concert arenas.

How can you win a pair of passes (worth RM600 each) to “2016 Brotherhood Of Men Live In Malaysia”?

All you need to do is fill up the below form:

“2016 Brotherhood Of Men Live In Malaysia” is brought to you by IME Productions.

For more information, hit up IME Productions’ Facebook page.


#JurassicResearchCenter: There’s A Dinosaur Invasion At Penang’s Very Own Jurassic Park

Once upon a time, dinosaurs used to rule the earth. Guess what? These terrifying creatures are making a comeback!

That’s right folks, the prehistoric animals are walking on land again and they can be seen roaming in one of Penang’s most famous buildings – KOMTAR (Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak).

Located on KOMTAR’s level 5, the Jurassic Research Centre is now home to over 200 life-sized animated but realistic dinosaur replicas. From the terrifying T-Rex and flying Pterodactyl to the incredibly tall Brachiosaurus, there are plenty of exhibits for dinosaur enthusiasts to marvel at.

“Most of the dinosaur replicas will be able to move their heads, necks, tongues, tails and even eyeballs. They will also scream or grunt,” shared Only World Group (OWN) operations director Kenny Yap. Visitors can also spot a family of compsognathus or “chicken dinosaurs” feeding on a downed Stegosaurus.

Don’t worry kids, these dinosaurs may be scary but they’re not sentient, so you’ll definitely make it out alive.

Besides the “live” dinosaurs, the outdoor exhibition also offers a look at the planet’s prehistoric past at the archaeology section where half-unearthed, actual-size dinosaur fossils, and dinosaur eggs are displayed. The origins of dinosaurs are believed to be “at between 231 and 243 million years right up till 66 million years ago”.

We’ve seen people’s fascination on dinosaurs expand to blockbuster movies, books, encyclopaedia, documentaries, and more. “People will always love dinosaurs for the simple reason that they are not around anymore. What will be even more dramatic is if you see them in their original sizes,” added Kenny Yap.

Check out the photo gallery and video below:

Welcome to JURASSIC WORLD ~ 来到这里，感觉自己成了游客~ 爱冒险且充满好奇心的我又怎么会放过这么一个机会，Let’s go to the JURASSIC RESEARCH CENTER~ Video by : Clovis Chew #IAmNobody #내가오전누구 #나는아무도해요 #爱旅客 #Tourist #Journey #Holiday #EnjoyLife #JurassicWorld #ResearchCenter #Dinosaur #Raptor #curiosity #adventure #Komtar #TheTop #JurrasicWorldResearchCenter #Georgetown #ILovePenang #VideoBy #ClovisChew #ClovisPhotography #ClovisVideoGraph #PhotoShooting #VideoOfTheDay #VOTD

A video posted by Clovis (@clovishomme) on Dec 17, 2016 at 8:05pm PST

A video posted by Mia Kamaruddin (@miakamaruddyn) on Dec 19, 2016 at 9:05am PST

The details to Jurassic Research Centre are as follows:

For more information or ticketing enquiries, hit up The Top’s website here.

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


This Malaysian Actress Makes An Appearance In “Train To Busan: Peninsula”

The sequel to “Train To Busan” titled “Peninsula” is finally out in cinemas nationwide since Wednesday (15th July).

Interestingly, the Korean zombie flick features Malaysian actress Bella Rahim! She appears briefly as Jane, one of the members of the United Nations (UN) rescue team.

Perkenalkan @therealbellarahim , seorang pelakon teater Malaysia yg menjadi watak cameo di dalam filem blockbuster Korea Selatan, PENINSULA! pic.twitter.com/0fnUUSFhPv

The internet community has been buzzing about this after several guests who attended the film screening talked about her appearance in the movie on social media. Among them include actor Hairul Azreen and also ZhafVlog. The latter is famous for his movie review content on YouTube.

Many Malaysians have taken to Twitter to share their excitement upon knowing this nugget of information. In this case, most of them, especially those who have watched the film, said that they did notice Bella in the movie, thanks to the Malaysian flag logo embedded on her uniform.

Check out some of the comments left by the members of Twitterjaya here:

just found out there’s a Malaysian actress in Train To Busan: Peninsula 😯😯 I’ll be watching on Friday hihi can’t wait!! pic.twitter.com/eBJHjsbYdr

Despite only appearing in the film as a cameo, we’re still proud of you, Bella! ?


Robbie Williams Joins Singapore Grand Prix Lineup

Rejoice, Robbie fans! The UK singer-songwriter Robbie Williams will be returning to Singapore to perform at 2014 Singapore Grand Prix this September!

Best known for his songs like “Better Man” and “Candy”, Robbie Williams is expected to perform all his usual hit songs and his latest singles from his new album “Swing Both Ways”. The album was UK’s 4th best-selling album and features popular artistes such as Kelly Clarkson, Michael Bublé, and Lily Allen. Previously, he sold more than 70 million albums and won countless awards including 17 BRIT Awards and 12 ECHO awards by German’s association of recording companies.

He is the latest addition in the Singapore Grand Prix lineup as John Legend, Pet Shop Boys, Ziggy Marley and MAYDAY are set to perform at the Marina Bay Street Circuit as well.  Asia’s biggest rock band MAYDAY will be rocking the stage alongside Robbie Williams at Padang Stage in Zone 4 while the other award-winning performers will perform at the Village Stage in Zone 1. The artistes will take over the stage during the race weekend from 19th to 21st September at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Additional artistes will be announced in the coming months and the tickets for the F1 race and concert are available for sale at www.singaporegp.sg, via the ticketing hotline +65 6738 6738 as well as authorised agents.


Kid Cudi Is No Longer “G.O.O.D”

Kid Cudi, real name Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, announced his departure from fellow American rapper and friend Kanye West’s record label. In an exclusive interview with Los Angeles radio station Power 106 yesterday, he explained the situation and insisted that just because he’s no longer with G.O.O.D, it doesn’t mean that things between him and Kanye aren’t “G.O.O.D”.

I’m no longer on G.O.O.D. Music, and this is something that no one knows really. Me and Kanye were talking on the phone the other day. These have been things I wanted to talk to him about, about me wanting to start my own direction. He got it because he’s trying to start his new path and trying new things as an artist. He was just, like, “Man, I feel you. It’s cool”.

There’s no beefs, no problems with anybody on the label. It’s all love.

Good to know that the “split” due to a creative evolution/direction of sort though because really, who would enjoy beef with Kanye? And of course, Kanye, being label head himself was the first to understand where Cudi was coming from. Cudi launched his own label, Wicked Awesome Records in 2011 and he made it a point to mention that he wants to solely focus on that as well as Chip.

On top of that, Cudi is also due to release his new album, “indicud” on 23rd April 2013. Woot! Talk about a hard worker.

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


YouTube Bans Bullfighting Videos

Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France, and some Hispanic American countries. In every event, one or more bulls are baited and then killed in a bullring for the entertainment of the audience. Some would call it a deadly, gory form of public animal abuse. As such, for centuries, people have been arguing about the fine line between calling it “art” or straight up cruelty.

Recently, video sharing portal YouTube has decided to ban images of bulls being killed in the ring after it was labeled “animal abuse”. The online giant closed channels devoted to Spain’s national sport, provoking outrage from fans who said it amounted to censorship and “lack of respect of a much-loved tradition”.

[youtube id=”HyZTA3RX5Y8″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Following the ban, YouTube confirmed that they’ve removed content in line with one of its guidelines which states, “Don’t post videos showing bad stuff like animal abuse, drug abuse, or bomb making”. A YouTube spokesperson said it reserved the right to remove any video which does not comply with these terms and conditions. However, they would still allow uploads of videos of other bullfighting moments. Just not the bloody scenes.

We don’t blame them though – YouTube is known to preserve its “community” brand positioning, after all.

Since the move to ban the videos, an online petition has started, demanding YouTube to reinstate the channels removed because of their bullfighting content with claims that “bullfighting is art and culture, it is a magical rite of life”.

What do you guys think? Should such cruelty be reinstated? Or should YouTube carry on with disallowing cruel content on their platform?


CONTEST: Official Twilight Merchandise

We know, we know. Anticipation is running high for the epic finale of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2“. But while you wait (we’re only about a week away from the official release!), our friends from NEF have decided to do a lil giveaway for some of our lucky readers.

[youtube id=”YGuoak3Dmx4″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

But only for THREE winners. We’ve got these official Twilight merchandise:

Limited Edition “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2” Female T-shirt + Limited Edition “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2” Male T-shirt + Limited Edition “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2” Pillow + Limited Edition “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2” Recycle Cotton Bag

Here’s what you gotta do to stand a chance at winning ’em:

For more information, visit the official movie website.


Amy Cheong: Fired For Racist FB Comments

On Sunday evening, Singaporean woman Amy Cheong posted up offensive public statuses on her personal Facebook timeline, slamming Malay void deck weddings. The profanity-laced posts were picked up by the public and a few hours later, it went viral.

Amy Cheong also happens to be a graduate from the University of Western Australia, and the assistant director of Singapore’s National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).

Statuses which read, “How many f*cking days do Malay weddings at void decks go on for? F*ck!!!! Pay for a real wedding you asshole, maybe then the divorce rate won’t be so high! How can society allow people to get married for 50 bucks? Kns!” and “Void deck weddings should be banned. If you can’t afford a proper wedding then you shouldn’t be getting married. Full stop!” sparked a furious backlash on NTUC’s social media platforms.

Netizens bombarded NTUC’s UMembers Facebook page, asking for Amy to be fired and seeking the trade organ’s response to her post.

Meanwhile, on Amy’s end of the backlash, her Facebook account has since been deactivated. But before she took it down, she published an apology which read, “Hi All, I sincerely apologize for my silly comment. It is in no way a reflection of NTUC and the good works it has done and is doing for its members. It was my own bad judgement of which I truly regret. I certainly do not mean to distress the Malay community with my comment, I was just upset with the noise. I truly do not mean to be judgmental or critical. I am truly sorry”. (Source)

She was also seen trying to deal with her great big Internet blow up by repeatedly posting up apologies via her Twitter account and therefore, spamming the world:

An hour ago,  NTUC announced that they’ve sacked the assistant director from its membership division after she posted offensive comments on her personal Facebook account.

In a statement sent to the media, NTUC’s secretary-general Lim Swee Say said the trade organisation has “terminated with immediate effect” the services of Ms Amy Cheong, Assistant Director, Membership department after establishing with her that she did post offensive comments on 7th October 2012.

“Regrettably and rightly so, her comments have upset members of the public, including many union members. We are sorry that this has happened. We have counselled the staff and impressed upon her the seriousness of her action. She is remorseful and has apologised for her grave lapse of judgement”, he added.

He also reiterated in his statement that the NTUC “takes a serious view on racial harmony in Singapore”, adding that it “will not accept and have zero tolerance towards any words used or actions taken by (its) staff that are racially offensive”. (Source)

It seems that Amy Cheong has released yet another apology for her great big social media blow up. In the four-paragraph long statement, she said how terrible sorry she is to all who were affected, and that she’s aware of the pain she has caused through her insensitive remarks:

Because just a few hours ago, Lee Hsien Loong (Prime Minister of Singapore) also released a statement on his Facebook page. In his official words (but in not so many words), he condemned the “wrong and totally unaccetapble” racist remarks that Amy Cheong made via several Facebook statuses.

In the same note, he also said that he’s fully supportive of NTUC’s quick move to terminating her:

Whatever the Prime Minister says, goes, Amy. That’s a huge pill to swallow and a gigantic lesson learnt for you.

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


#Travel: 10 Reasons To Get Excited About Resorts World Genting’s Fashion Forest

Nothing rejuvenates the mind and soul more than going back to basics – Mother Nature. Imagine yourself surrounded by panoramic views of mountains and hills with the sweet sounds of various birds chirping while exploring exotic plants and animal life you never knew existed.

Resorts World Genting is mostly known to tourists for its fun theme parks (still under renovation and expected to be open to public sometime next year), and special concerts but not much is known about the treasure trove of unique flora and fauna found in the pristine forest of Genting Highlands.

Just a few days ago, we were invited to embark on a Fashion Forest Review Program located strategically at Awana Longhouse. Not knowing really what to expect, we were introduced to a wide spectrum of programs that gave us a first-hand experience on the rich biodiversity of nature.

So whether you’re yearning to be surrounded by the lush greenery rainforest, the gushing sounds of waterfalls, scenic views, or you’re just an urbanite who wants some peace and downtime from the city’s chaos for a short while, here are some reasons to get excited about Resorts World Genting’s Fashion Forest.

There are 3 types of forests located in Genting Highlands, located between 3000ft and 6000ft above sea level. They are the Fashion Forest at Awana (aka Upper Dipterocarp Forests, 3000ft above sea level), Sky Forest at Chin Swee Temple (aka Montane Oak Forests, 4500ft above sea level), and Chocolate Forest (aka Montane Ericaceous Forests, 6000ft above sea level).

The highest group of forest got its name, Chocolate Forest, because it’s always covered by clouds. Sorry, no chocolates here ;)

Connecting Chocolate Forest and Fashion Forest is the Skyride Forest, or as many of you would know as the Genting Skyway Cable Car. The cable car ride never fails to offer breathtaking views of the Pahang hills.

2. Where’s the fashion in Fashion Forest?

What happens when someone mentions Fashion Forest? Naturally, you would think – extravaganza eleganza, runway walks, and supermodels strutting their catwalks. In this case, the real supermodels of the forest are the plants and animals.

Treks Nature Enterprise aims to “re-image how art, music, fashion, and social media can help us love nature more spontaneously” through a series of guided wildlife tours hosted by a team of husband and wife (Eddie Chan and Pat Ang) from Treks Events and their collaboratively partner, Genting.

Day 1: It’s back to nature here at Awana Genting and we’ve just been given a 101 lesson on Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes). Definitely looking forward to learn more about Mother Nature ;) #AwanaGenting #Treks #PitcherPlants #MotherNature #GentingHighland #Malaysia

A photo posted by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy) on Jun 17, 2016 at 10:37pm PDT

Known for its natural artistic form and exotic deep colours, these carnivorous plants get their food by trapping water and insects. Although these plants produce acidic digestive fluid liquid, they are often misunderstood for being poisonous. And no, they do not bite or eat people either.

We were introduced to 3 hybrid species of Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes): N. macfarlanei, N. ramispina and N.sanguinea (pictured from left to right). The leaf above its mouth is known as the pitfall trap that lure its prey into the trap.

4. Learning the ropes of the art of landscaping

Here’s a personal favourite: One of the interactive activities, termed “Landscape”, involved members of the media contributing back to nature by “landscaping” pitcher plants unto the Nepenthes Conservatory Display Wall at Theme Park Hotel’s English Garden. The present display of live specimens here is part of the overall conservation study effort.

We were put to “work” and enjoyed every minute of it.

During the session, Uncle Eddie taught us how to differentiate a male pitcher plant and a female pitcher plant by their flower seeds. The male flower seeds are shorter and rounder, while the female’s seeds are longer. Instead of just being a mere spectator, we were able to fully immerse ourselves in nature.

Before entering the Fashion Forest, we were given a crash course on the Celebri-Tree project that basically involves breaking down barriers and getting the public to cultivate an interest in nature through exciting activities and highlights.

As the title suggests, Celebri-Tree is a celebration of nature’s abundance. In order to “plant” a tree in someone’s heart, you should first start with yourself by “planting” that desire to know more about the natural environment. And by creating exposure on social media, you get to spark curiosity and interest in others. By sharing a favourite subject (plant/animal/nature scene/experience) with your circle of friends, this would in turn reach a wider audience, and that’s what this green campaign of “replanting” is essentially about.

Yes! There is WiFi in the tropical jungle.

One of the important elements that contribute to the success of Fashion Forest is the availability of Internet connection which participants can enjoy for free. This is where nature meets technology to help the public “see more, discover more and enjoy more” through fun and practical ways.

Those who think that WiFi in the forest is a bad idea (it’s nature after all), here are some food for thought. By utilising digital technology, you can immediately find out more about a particular species of unique plant or tree, and then share your snapshots in real time on social media.

7. Bar codes, nature pergolas, & Natgeo frames

Day 1: WiFi in the forest?! This may be a first. Bar codes are used to keep track and identify each species where as mobility frames are used to highlight a particular item in the forest. #FashionForest #AwanaGenting #GentingHighland #GentingHighlands #MotherNature #Treks #Malaysia

A photo posted by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy) on Jun 18, 2016 at 1:55am PDT

Thanks to the accessibility of internet, you can now identify various plants and trees instantaneously. There are also some fun quizzes provided by the bar codes to promote interactive learning. This method of learning is not only educational but also fun and adventurous.

Furthermore, the pergolas and mobility frames are part of Treks’ animated features to make Fashion Forest more accessible and to create a more family-friendly environment for their guests. There are plenty of photo opportunities here, so have fun snapping away!

8. Bird watching at Awana IBA (Important Bird Area)

Awana IBA is 1 of the 55 IBA in Malaysia. Led by President of MNS, Henry Goh, we set out to our bird watching adventure at 8am. The avid bird watcher was more than ready to share his knowledge of the endemic birds and migratory birds that can be found within Awana’s surroundings.

According to the expert, the best time for bird watching is early in the morning and in the evening (between 4:30pm – 6pm). So how does one spot these birds, you ask? Watchers usually identify the bird’s species by their call and also what they eat, as well the fruiting season throughout the year. This helps them narrow down the wide scope while in search for a needle in the haystack inside the huge forest.

This is also where Internet connection is hugely beneficial. As soon as Mr Henry identified a particular bird, we were able to look it up online. Hence, it was easier to spot the birds with our naked eyes when we knew what to look out for.

9. Celebrate the night life with “herping”

Herpetofauna are reptiles and amphibians. Herping is the act for searching for and observing herpetofauna. Not for the faint-hearted, herping is always conducted at night when the animals are most active. Conducted by the head coordinator of the Herpetofauna Special Interest Group of the MNS (Selangor branch), Steven Wong, we were able to catch several nocturnal creatures in their natural habitat.

Despite the rainy night, Steven was successful in capturing a small gecko monarchus, 2 frogs, and a male green pit viper before releasing them back into the wild.

As the main force behind Treks, the married duo Eddie and Pat believe that nature can inspire people in more ways than one. There are plenty of interesting and fun-filled activities all year round for everyone from all walks of life to stimulate and help them develop as individuals.

The pricing for Treks’ activities varies depending on their programs provided:

For more information or bookings, check out Treks’ official website or hit up their new Facebook page.

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