#SabahQuake: Search & Rescue Officials Say Mount Kinabalu Death Toll Is 19

On Friday (5th June), an early morning earthquake a magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit near Ranau district, leaving the residents of most places in Sabah, including Ranau, Tambun, Tuaran, Pedalaman, Kota Kinabalu, and Kota Belud shaken.

At that time, immediate damages caused by the earthquake could not be immediately ascertained, but there were climbers at Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia’s highest peak.

Amongst the hundreds of climbers were some Malaysians, as well as 29 students and 8 teachers from Tanjong Katong Primary School in Singapore. They had gone to Kinabalu for adventure, but they left with heartbreak, as some of them have perished while others still unaccounted for in the perilous rock slide the quake caused.

According to the director of northern Malaysia’s Sabah Parks convervation area Jamili Nais, the tremor triggered crushing rockslides and knocked over boulders that killed those hiking on Kinabalu’s trails.

Many of the Singaporean students were attempting the popular Via Ferrata trail when the quake struck. Normally a physically demanding but problem-free route, it has no vegetation on the rock face. This meant that when the quake struck, there was no shelter from the boulders crashing towards the climbers.

Some boulders and rocks blocked the trail causing more than 200 climbers and guides to be stranded on the summit plateau for about 12 hours.

An account from one of the climbers, Charlene, who posted her harrowing experience up on her Facebook profile, read:

Hi everyone. I don’t know where to start & conclude everything but I’ll try. So, the tragedy of Mount Kinabalu happened right in front of our eyes as we literally experienced it for real. It was very terrifying. We don’t know what to do of course. We were right on top of the mountain. So, I was thinking “did anyone know about this? We’re still up here and I’m not sure everyone has a strong line connection like mine.” So I did what I thought was right. To tell everyone that we really need help. So, I did lend my phone to many people so that they could at least tell their family what was happening. We were starving, freezing, dehydrated and exhausted to the max. The last time we took our quick breakfast before we continue our journey to the peak was around 2.30am. Everyone was sharing food and water to help each other and we waited for hours for the rescue team to come and save us. But everyone was freezing and we don’t have much food and water left if we keep on staying there. So, we did what we had to because we have no choice. Going down to Laban rata in about 2.7km to pick up some food and drinks and then continue for another 6km to reach Timpohon gate for the medic team to rescue us. We took a long time to go down because the original path was destroyed. Along the way, local volunteers, fire fighters and soldiers were also there to help us. I really want to thank everyone for their never ending support, prayers and concern. All those statuses, comments and so on really make us cry and make us even stronger to finish the journey and see our loved ones once we reach down safely. I’m sorry for all the unanswered calls, text messages etc. God bless all of you, thank you so much

Authorities haven’t named all those killed, but according to various news outlets, 3 of them were Robbi Sappingi (a 30-year-old mountain guide attached to Amazing Borneo Tours), Rachael Ho Yann Shiuan (a 12-year-old Singaporean student), and Peony Wee Ying Ping (a 12-year-old Singaporean student).

The Star Online reported that as of Saturday (6th June), search and rescue (SAR) officials believed the death toll is 19 with the recovery of 17 bodies on top of the mountain.

OPS KINABALU : PROSES Penyelamatan oleh pelbagai agensi #BOMBA #SabahQuake pic.twitter.com/58FLmfrdcK

— Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (@bombaJBPM) June 6, 2015

About 60 rescuers and 4 helicopters were combing the mountain, where loose rocks and boulders that fell during the quake blocked part of the main route.

The Star Online wrote that efforts to bring down bodies of climbers have been hampered as some are crushed and pinned under the tonnes of rocks and boulders after Friday’s earthquake. Rescuers, who returned from the scene late Saturday, were concerned that some of the bodies were crushed and pinned under tonnes of rocks and boulders.

The fact that the bodies were pinned underneath loose rocks made it “almost impossible” to retrieve them, one of them said. “Some of the bodies were buried under the rubble. We can see body parts,” explained a member of the team in the face of social media discussions on how to bring down the remains.

They also said that said their helicopters faced difficulty in flying low on the mountain top and had to keep below 10,000 feet. “Many attempts had to be made to fly out the bodies,” said a rescuer.

Ranau police chief Deputy Rupt Mohd Farhan Lee told reporters on Saturday that the search in still on for 6 more.

The UNESCO-listed Mount Kinabalu National Park – including the namesake peak, which rises to 4,095 meters (13,435 feet) above sea level – is a geographic jewel and tourist stomping grounds in Malaysian Borneo. It’s so popular that visitors have to book 2 – 3 months in advance to secure one of 196 daily allocated hiking permits.

Minister of Tourism, Culture & Environment, Sabah (Malaysia) Masidi Manjun, who has been frequently updating his Twitter with information from the SAR operations, has declared tomorrow (Monday, 8th June) a day of mourning in Sabah:

Monday has been declared 'day of mourning' in Sabah in memory of those who perished #Kinabalu. State & Federal flag would be flown half mast

The nationalities and identities of those killed will be released after post mortem. The authorities, meanwhile, have decided to shut down Mount Kinabalu to climbers for at least 3 weeks.

Sources: The Star Online (1), CNN, The Star Online (2), The Straits Times (1), Charlene’s Facebook, The Borneo Post, The Straits Times (2).

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Ayda Jebat’s K-pop Inspired MV “Temberang” Hit 1 Million Views In 3 Days

What do you get when you mix K-pop and dangdut together? You get Ayda Jebat’s “Temberang”!

Ayda Jebat has recently released the music video of her latest single “Temberang”, which is directed by Brian Fang, Aaron Lee, and Ayda Jebat herself.

A post shared by Ayda Jebat (@aydajebat)

The music video is not only trending at number #1 on YouTube, but it has also reached 1 million views in merely 3 days, making it one of the fastest Malaysian music videos to reach the numbers.

Many fans have noticed that the music video has a similar vibe to Twice’s “Heart Shaker”. This is because Ayda Jebat has admitted that she is a Once (official fan name for Twice), thus her music video is indeed inspired from the aforementioned music video.

— Ayda Jebat (@Ayda_Jebat) December 24, 2018

The song has been widely praised for its catchy tunes, simple dance steps, and Ayda’s decent appearance.

The song even received some love from Malaysian rapper Caprice who decide to make a remix out of it if his teaser received more than 100 million views on Instagram. It now has 96 million views.

A post shared by Tiger of AlQuds (@capricedaddycap)

So how do you find Ayda Jebat’s new K-pop-dangdut tune? Let us know in the comments!


Hoya: The Hoyalux ID Myself Progressive Lenses For Exceptional Focus

Digital devices have taken over the world at such a fast pace over the few years in our current era. This has led to many challenges humans have faced. With people staring at their digital screens at close range for several hours in one day, the easy act of changing back and forth between near and far vision has elevated considerably.

Findings according to Hoya Vision (Hoya) shows that Malaysians spend an average of 8 to 10 hours a day gazing at digital screens. By shifting from mobile phones to laptop screens, and from tablets back to laptops and in-car navigation, these all can be extremely demanding on one’s eye.

In addition, our eyes are always changing as our age goes up, including new challenges and regular age-related eye issues that may be widespread, such as presbyopia. This term is explained as a vision defect that is usually present in people aged 40 and above and makes it hard for the eye to pay attention to nearby objects. Hence, it might be normal for people affected by it to find it very difficult to alter their focus between a book, a computer screen as well as a conference room whiteboard. A lot of people will then resort to bifocal lenses to solve this condition. But, bifocal lenses don’t provide the same fluidity similarly to progressive lenses, as the person wearing them would have to adjust his position to find the perfect zone in order to look or see without any difficulty.

Working in a similar fashion, progressive lenses might seem to address this problem. However, many of these progressives lenses within the market are not tailored to the person wearing them, causing issues such as distortion to their peripheral vision. Other drawbacks when putting progressive lenses on that may not be suitable to the wearer include a steeper learning curve, where the wearer will have to train and practice themselves to look through the correct portion of the lens while finishing daily tasks. As a matter of fact, the wearer might even feel unbalanced and sickened from looking through the incorrect section of the lens.

Being a leader in the industry, Hoya has spent years going through extensive research into making perfect progressive lenses. The Hoyalux ID Myself, one of Hoya’s latest development provides a 100% individualised solution to guarantee outstanding performance for all activities, which gives wearers a whole new perspective and power of sight. The lens emphasises stable image processing, especially while moving around. Having minimal distortion, the most comfortable vision across distances, and a coherent transition between close, intermediate, and far, all that is left is a pair of glasses customised with the Hoyalux ID Myself progressive lens to have fun with the things we love doing.

The Hoyalux ID Myself progressive lenses offer the perfect focal power for glancing at objects clearly at any distance. This new high-definition progressive lens doesn’t just match the wearer’s personal vision requirements, it is also tailored to their individual parameters for the very first time. It gives the person wearing it more vision, distance, close-up vision, or more to the left and more to the right, as well as more optical performance around the clock.

Out of its key features is its unsurpassed 3D Binocular Vision which ensures the lens wearers make the most from significantly reduced distortion and swaying effect across all dimensions. Moreover, its Binocular Harmonisation Technology also upgrades depth perception and improves the clarity of vision even in case of prescription variances between right and left eye. The Binocular Eye Model details how the eyes will cooperate together while gazing through the lens in all-gaze directions, taking into consideration the possible differences between the levels and visual axis of the eyes.

There is also Hoya’s AdaptEase Technology that also improves the near and intermediate visual width and gaze transition in the absence of influencing the far vision. Furthermore, as a result of improved visual fields, Hoyalux ID Myself provides a great experience when using digital devices.

With the development of the Hoyalux ID Myself, Hoya has started a paradigm shift in individual progressive lenses that aligns well with the individual eye. It’s capable of completely delivering on one’s vision potential by organising a construction process that caused in the making of one of the most precise lenses for anyone to wear or use.

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#Pahang: Road Users Provoke The Ire Of Netizens By Driving In Opposite Direction

Malaysians have once again reared their ugly heads on the roads.

When several motorists were spotted using the emergency lanes to speed up their travel times late last month, Malaysians were up in arms regarding the issue. This time, road users have managed to anger netizens once again by driving in the opposite direction.

The incident, caught in a dashcam footage, occurred near the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Pihak Berkuasa Kemajuan Pekebun Kecil Perusahaan Getah/RISDA) office at 12:01pm today (Thursday, 9th June).

You can watch the video by clicking “See more” in the Facebook post above.

The video was posted by a Kuantan road user with the Facebook name Ah Lee 40 minutes after the incident. In the video, several cars can be seen driving against traffic even though there were cars heading down the direction.

A netizen by the name of Shamirul Hanif tried to defuse the anger of commenters by saying, “(They) did not do it on purpose… There was a fire on Jalan Sg. Lembing.. Please understand (the situation) before making this go viral… (Bkan di sengaja kan..sebb ada kebakaran jalan sg.lembing..,tolong berfikir dan ambil tahu sebelum viral..).”

Jalan Sungai Lembing is adjacent to Jalan Haji Junid, where the RISDA office is situated at.

However, the comment only provoked the ire of the fellow commenters, who explained that it is still irresponsible and selfish for anyone to drive on the opposite side of the road.

Our take? We think that it’s extremely self-centred for anyone to drive on the opposite direction just to decrease his/her travel time. It is similar to driving on the emergency lanes, as both could cause inconveniences for other drivers.

What if it was another ambulance driving down the road? Another innocent human life would be sacrificed all because of someone’s thoughtless action. We strongly urge our readers to be patient and more empathic towards other commuters when driving on the roads.

How many of you have experienced similar situations on the road? What would you have done if you were in this situation? Tell us by leaving a comment in the comments box below.


Robert Downey Jr. & Benedict Cumberbatch Will Be In Singapore On 16th April

Avengers assemble! Iron Man and Doctor Strange will be in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, in two weeks time.

The queue to catch Robert Downey Jr and Benedict Cumberbatch in person will start from 7am on 16th April (Monday) at Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Hall B. For all you Marvel fans out there, if you’re hoping to catch your favourite heroes live, you’re required to register.

Held at the Event Plaza, the “Avengers: Infinity War” red carpet fan event is free and open to the public. However, geeks and fans must register in person due to venue capacity limitations. Based on a first-come-first-served basis, you are required to provide photo ID, full name and contact number.

After the process, you will receive a paper slip detailing your admission time and entry points to the Event Plaza. In addition, you’ll also need a non-transferable wristband for the highly-anticipated event. Children below the age of 13 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

There are plenty of activities in store for visitors on that day. For instance, movie-goers can enjoy Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Captain America: Civil War” at Sands Expo and Convention Centre’s Hall A. If you’re hungry, food and beverages will be sold at the venue.

Besides Downey Jr and Cumberbatch (coincidently, both actors have portrayed different versions of Sherlock Holmes), the “Avengers: Infinity War” red carpet fan event will also see more celebrities. They include Karen Gillan (who plays Nebula), and director of the movie, Joe Russo.

To recap, the details of the event are as follows:

For more information, go to www.marinabaysands.com/avengers. “Avengers: Infinity War” opens in local cinemas on 25th April.

Sources: Straits Times, Channel News Asia.

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(UPDATE) #GVF2017: Good Vibes Festival Returns On 12th & 13th August 2017

That’s right. The much-loved, homegrown Good Vibes Festival (GVF) will be returning to a highlands near you this August! Last year, the festival officially named The Ranch @ Gohtong Jaya in Genting Highlands their new venue. This year, they’re headed back to the hills for a 2-day event on 12th and 13th August.

For now, information is still scarce. But fans can expect the full line-up announcement from #GVF2017 in weeks to come. And you can be darn well sure that we’ll be updating this post with more information as soon as we have ’em details.

The line-up for this year’s Good Vibes Festival is finally out!

Headlining the highly-anticipated 2-day event are Phoenix, rapper G-Eazy, Kodaline, and The Kooks. The festival will also feature both international and local acts including Zhu, Snakeships, Gryffin, Shura, Lido, RYÖT JONES, Goldfish, Talitha Tan, and many more.

Note: Tickets go on sale at www.goodvibesfestival.com on Friday (5th May 2017).

For more info, hit up GVF’s Facebook page.


“Avengers: Endgame” Cut Iron Man Scene With Daughter (And It’s A Good Thing)

The highly anticipated release of Disney+ is finally here. And with it, their treasure trove of original series and movies from all their studios including Marvel. This means that the service now has all the previous MCU movies available.

But the thing that caught our eyes are the deleted scenes that were included with the movies. This means that we finally get to see the infamous Iron Man’s Soulworld scene in “Avengers: Endgame”.

The scene which featured the Tony Stark’s daughter, Morgan Stark, was supposed to be the ultimate send off to the character after the billionaire’s death at the end of the film. “The idea was for her to give him the permission to go,” explained director Joe and Anthony Russo. But it did not work.

The scene sees Tony back in his civilian clothes meeting his grown-up daughter in the red-orange world. He didn’t recognised her at first, but she told him he knows her well. The two then have a conversation about his snap, her future and whether it was the right choice for the father to sacrifice himself.

Morgan then addresses the concerns her father had and tell him that it’s okay for him to go. The scene then ends with the daughter telling her father I love you, to which he replied with the iconic “I love you 3000” line.

Look, the effect is one thing but the dialog was delivered in a very awkward manner that made the entire atmosphere feel uncomfortable. Even the iconic “I love you 3000” line that had so much impact before, loses it’s flair. The scene also drags the entire situation longer than it should have.

The biggest problem we had with the scene was the introduction of older Morgan. This causes a major disconnect with the audience who already have a connection with the youngling earlier in the film. This is also the reason that led to the filmmakers to ultimately cut out the scene.

Do you agree that the cut was for the better?


#Tricube: The Container Flea Market Comes To Malaysia

You guys, it’s time to say hello to Malaysia’s first ever container flea market!

If you’ve ever been to the Art Box market in Bangkok, Thailand, then you’d know what we mean by a container flea market.

Art Box Bangkok is a new night market concept that took “shopping in Thailand” to a whole new level. Instead of being housed in the usual tentage, the stalls at Art Box are housed in giant metal shipping containers, making it a mobile shopping attraction.

What makes Art Box even more appealing is the variety of goods and entertainment that it has to offer – music, fashion, handmade accessories, F&B, gadgets, home decor, and other miscellaneous items. On top of fun performances, artsy people, and a borderline hipster vibe too, of course :)

And now, the concept is coming to Malaysia for the first time via the good people behind the Tricube Container Market!

Similar to Art Box Bangkok, Tricube promises to be just as fun with tonnes of goods and activities to offer. Aside from housing stalls that will be selling bags, handmade items, accessories, clothes, and F&B, there will also be a host of exciting performances and gigs on site.

Tricube Container Market’s grand opening happens tomorrow (16th January, Saturday) from 12pm – 2pm so if you’re around the area, don’t forget to drop by! Something different to do on an ordinary weekend for a change, eh? ;)

It’s official! The 1st ever container market in KL! Stay tune for more updates

A video posted by TriCube Container Market (@tricubekl) on Dec 12, 2015 at 5:16am PST

Tricube Container Market’s operating dates and hours are as follows:

Time: 10am – 11pm
Location: Sunway Nexis, Kota Damansara (Google Maps location here)
Admission: Free

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

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WINNERS: Spook Yourselves Out With Paranormal Activity 4

Like we said, it was a bad idea to get all y’all to send in your paranormal activity experiences – but we appreciate the effort! Some were pretty hard to read late into the night though, we must say, for obvious reasons. Brr.

So, here are the lucky lot who will be catching the exclusive premiere screening of Paranormal Activity 4 with us on Monday (22nd October 2012), thanks to our wonderful friends from United International Malaysia. You guys ready for this?

Kindly collect your tickets from our counter at GSC Mid Valley from 8pm onwards. Remember, tickets are strictly non-transferable. Hype Malaysia reserves the right to refuse the collection of tickets for those who attempt to transfer it from one contest winner (in whose name it is registered) to another person.

[youtube id=”g4yp2t7Doac” width=”600″ height=”350″]

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


#LRT: Free Parking At Taman Bahagia LRT Station Until May

Peeps, if you stay near Taman Bahagia and use the LRT frequently, you’re in luck!

Motorists will be able to enjoy 2 months of free parking at the newly-opened Taman Bahagia park-and-ride facility from now until May. The Taman Bahagia LRT is located at SS2, Petaling Jaya.

After May, all motorists will be charged RM3 per entry, which is still a lot cheaper than the roadside parking, which charges 60 cents per hour.

“With these facilities in place, there is no reason for motorists to double park or park illegally on the roads near the train station anymore,” said Zainun Zakaria, the public relations officer for Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).

This is the 3rd parking facility for the station, and it is located on the left. Meanwhile, the 1st is placed behind the station and the 2nd on the right. All 3 facilities are situated on Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) reserve land, which are used to house the company’s electric towers.

A total of 504 parking bays have been prepared at the new facility, with 5 for the disabled. This is an increase from the previous 279 lots. “There is more than enough parking space here now, so there is no excuse to block the already narrow and busy roads around the LRT station,” continued Zainun.

Aside from the Taman Bahagia facility, 2 more park-and-ride facilities have been built in Petaling Jaya under the National Key Result Area (NKRA), namely in Taman Paramount and Taman Jaya.


#PetalingStreetStripper: Shanna Avril To Undergo Mental Evaluation

A 32-year-old woman who allegedly went topless in Jalan Petaling here recently was released from the Kajang Prison after bail was posted and taken by relatives to the Sungai Buloh hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.

Persana Avril Sollunda had previously been warded in a psychiatric hospital in Kota Kinabalu. Yesterday, doctors at the hospital advised her family to have her admitted to the psychiatric ward. She was warded at around 5.30pm.

Earlier in the day, magistrate Siti Radziah Kamaruddin allowed Sollunda to be freed on bail of RM7,000. She imposed 2 more conditions – that the accused surrender her passport to the court and report to the nearest police station once every fortnight. The Sabahan was also ordered not to leave the peninsula.

The accused, dressed in a long black coat, a short skirt and boots, was guided through the crowd of journalists by her brother and appeared to be confused and unwell. “No, no, no. Don’t do that, don’t do that,” she said after photographers took pictures of her.

Asked how she was doing after her week-long detention, she said, “It has been a hectic time.”

Sollunda delivered a slew of unintelligible answers when speaking to reporters. “It will create a war between another country… the queen of England is here to have a discussion with the Permaisuri Agung,” she said.

Watch the video from The Star Online below:

Sollunda, a spa employee and part-time model, was charged in a magistrate’s court on 28th April with stripping in public after failing to settle her bill at a chicken rice shop. She was not allowed bail then as no guarantor was present.

Sollunda was charged with committing a lewd act in public after a video of a woman with her shirt and bra removed went viral on social media.

The charge was read out yesterday but Sollunda maintained her plea of not guilty.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor N. Joy Jothi urged the court to impose a RM10,000 bail in 2 sureties on the grounds that she might leave the peninsula. However, her lawyer Muhammad Nor Izzat Nordin appealed to reduce the bail to RM1,000 as it was a minor offence.

The court fixed 29th May for re-mention.

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Contest: Win Exclusive “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” Merchandise

Watched “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and still reeling over how fantastic it was? Want to bring a piece of the movie home with you?

Thanks to our friends from Disney Malaysia and in conjunction with hitting 90,000 likes on our Facebook page, we’re giving away some exclusive, not-for-sale “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” merchandise. That’s right! And each winner walks away with a goodie bag filled with the merchandise pictured in the gallery below (1 per item).

How to stand a chance at winning, you ask?

Starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Riz Ahmed, and more, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” has been released in a cinema near you.

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


A Star Is Born: Look Out For These 8 Cameos In The Movie

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper are already receiving Oscar buzz for their portrayal of Ally and Jackson Maine in “A Star Is Born”. It’s also worth noting that this is the 4th iteration of the iconic film.

Gaga and Cooper are, no doubt, the main stars of the movie. But the onscreen lovers are also supported by an amazing cast that help elevate the storyline. From contemporary singers to TV actors and drag queens, here are 8 cameos who appear in small roles throughout “A Star Is Born”:

D.J. Pierce, or better known as Shangela Laquifa Wadley is already a star in her own right. Having appeared as a contestant in 3 seasons of “Rupaul’s Drag Race”, the fabulous drag queen was unfairly eliminated in her all-star season. But guess who’s having the last laugh now? You can now add movie star into Shangela’s resume. Halleloo!

“I work with Gaga in a drag bar. I’m one of her buddies in the movie and I make a couple appearances. It’s the biggest and best role I’ve ever had. And I have a name! My character’s name is Emerald,” explained fellow “Rupaul’s Drag Race” alum, Willam. Here’s tease: Willam’s scene with Cooper involves boobs ;)

One of the pleasant surprise for “Alias” fans was seeing Greg Grunberg back onscreen together with Cooper. In “A Star Is Born”, Grunberg plays Jackson’s personal driver. “So Bradley called me up and he’s like, ‘Look, there’s a role, and it’s not what you’re used to doing, but….’ I’m like, ‘Bradley, I don’t care if you ask me to do craft services’. I love him so much, and I wanted to support this project. But Bradley goes, ‘This guy, he, in a way, has a closer relationship to this driver than he does to a lot of people. They have conversations’,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly.

A post shared by Matt Carr (@themattcarr)

Fellow “Alias” actor Ron Rifkin is also in the film. Here, he plays Carl – the person who runs the rehab program that Cooper’s Jackson enrols in.

Pop star Halsey is a fan of “A Star Is Born” not just because she’s featured in it. “I mean, I only had 2 lines. It was really crazy,” the 24-year-old songstress shared with ET Online. She’s the one who presents Ally with a Grammy award for best new artist.

“‘A Star Is Born’ is such a poignant film for musicians to see. So many things and themes in that movie are so real for us in our lives, and it was funny seeing it in the audience at the theatre. There were a lot of people in the room who were like, ‘Oh, there’s Halsey,’ at the beginning of the movie. And then after watching it, I think they had a new perspective on maybe what my life might be like, and it might be a little different than what they think it is,” Halsey said.

A post shared by Brandi Carlile (@brandicarlile)

Folk singer Brandi Carlile also appeared during the Grammy scene as she was singing with New Zealand singer Marlon Williams. The ballad they were performing was Roy Orbison’s classic “Pretty Woman”.

Dave Chappelle portrays George “Noodles” Stone, a close friend of Jackson. We see him helping a drunken Jackson out and offering him some friendly advice.

The “Orange Is the New Black” actor plays a friend of Ally’s father, who is also a driver.

You can also listen to the killer soundtrack here.

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Copyright Infringement? Alicia Keys? Really?

Things are not looking so great for Alicia Keys as she has been slapped with a copyright infringement suit from songwriter Earl Shuman. Her newest single, “Girl on Fire” is in big trouble because apparently, it sounds just like Earl’s “Hey There Lonely Girl”.

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“Hey There Lonely Girl” is a song created by Earl Shuman and it was sung by Eddie Holman in 1962. The genius songwriter declared that the Grammy Award winning singer took parts of the one-time-hit into her current single.

Blogger Roger Friedman from Showbiz411, commented about the similarity, “In the middle of the song, Alicia sings a couplet or so from Eddie Holman’s 1970 classic ‘Hey There Lonely Girl.’ The song was written by Leon Carr and Earl Shuman, who are both gone to rock and rock and roll heaven.” (Source)

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After noticing the post that Friedman wrote, Shuman then commented saying, “Hi Roger, I am the co-writer of ‘Hey There Lonely Girl’ and I appreciate your recognizing an important part of ‘Lonely Girl’ in Alicia Keys’ new recording. Thanks for your expertise. By the way, though my dear friend Leon Carr is in Rock and Roll Heaven, I’m still here on the ground, writing songs. Earl Shuman.”

Whoops. Some blooper that was! In any case, there has been no reports on Alicia Keys commenting about this matter as of yet. Hmm. We’re assuming someone somewhere will be getting fired soon, no? And girl, you’ve got some explaining to do!


Clifford The Big Red Dog Review: An A-paw-ling Live-Action Adaptation Of A Beloved Children’s Classic

All our 2000s peeps out there would have probably at some point caught an episode of “Clifford the Big Red Dog” on Disney Channel. While it wasn’t quite as iconic as other children’s programmes like “Bear in the Blue House” or “Teacher’s Pet”, the lovable crimson canine still has a place in our barely-beating cynical hearts. Watching Clifford and Emily get up to all sorts of misadventures before ending the episode with an after-school Pendidikan Moral lesson is what most of us remembered the series for.

The show didn’t have the insane mad-lad energy of shows like “Cow and Chicken” or “SpongeBob Squarepants”. A big part of its charm was Clifford’s gentle-giant sweetness and the general wholesome vibe that it brought to the table. In 2019, there was an attempt to bring Clifford back to the small screen with middling success. It seems that new series never quite took off.

Now Paramount Pictures brings us a live-action film adaptation of the animated classic in hopes of reviving interest. The question is: Does the film have enough fun and freshness to justify the cinematic treatment? Or should it have stayed in the past? Let’s find out!

Right off the bat, everyone who has ever seen films like “Bumblebee”, “E.T.” or “Free Willy” will immediately recognise the plot of this film. Emily is a kid who doesn’t fit in with the cool kids at school and feels all alone in the world. Then one day, fate in the form of a kindly old man sends the titular tiny red dog her way. In a less than a day, she forms a very intense bond with Clifford and this makes Clifford big…through the power of love. Don’t ask how because it’ll only get more frustrating. Which is exactly how we’d describe the film’s plot.

It’s alright to have tropes and cliches as long as you have enough emotional depth and self-awareness to prop up the story. “Clifford” has none of this. The relationship between Emily and Clifford is so forced and contrived, it borders on parody. Then, out of nowhere, there’s an evil corporation with a greedy CEO whose trying to capture Clifford so he can solve world hunger. Also, don’t ask how getting the DNA of a giant red dog could possibly help solve famine across the world. Again, it’ll only make you madder. The need for this sloppily thrown together antagonist betrays the film’s lack of confidence in its source material.

The original aniamted series was centred around Clifford helping normal, everyday folk dealing with relatable small-town problems. It would have served the film better to have simply stuck to the series’ emotional core. Focusing on Emily and her family as they find a way to coexist with Clifford. That would have been a sufficient premise for some resonant drama balanced with humour. Instead, what we get is a loud Saturday morning cartoon with people acting like complete imbeciles. To add insult to injury, the film resolves its central conflict with a deus ex machina so ridiculous our cheeks are still sore from cringing.

The writing in the film can be best described as a factory made script produced by an algorithm that has studied every kid-and-their-pet film from the 80s to the early 2000s. The humour is reliant on slapstick of the lowest hanging fruit, awkward jabbering and some mediocre zingers. Comedians like Russell Peters and Kenan Thompson appearing in the film occasionally have a few chuckle-worthy lines but this script certainly does them no favours. Look, if this was a direct-to-tv film on the Paramount Kids channel, we wouldn’t give it such a hard time. It’s exactly the type of fuzzy fluff you’d expect that would keep your kids entertained while you go prepare dinner. As a theatrical release though? It’s relatively short runtime and paper-thin plot makes it extremely difficult to recommend.

Perhaps the only redeeming quality of the film is Clifford. Granted, the proportions of Clifford’s puppy body looks odd at first glance. Beyond that, though, there’s an endearing quality to the lovable scamp as he nuzzles and licks his way into our hearts. What can we say? We’re dog lovers. The film takes full advantage of his large frame for some adorable big-doggo antics as he chases giant hamster wheels and slobbers over people. So yes, if you came solely to gawk and giggle as Clifford makes puppy dog eyes, then you’ll definitely get that in spades.

That being said, Clifford can’t quite redeem the painful  performances of the main cast. Darby Camp plays Emily, a brilliant but misunderstood kid who wants nothing more than anything to save her pet. What else is there to her? Nothing! Camp does her best to invoke as much sympathy from us as possible but some of the lines uttered out of her mouth are so moronically sappy, we can’t help but burst out laughing.

Which is ironic seeing that we found her whacky comic-relief uncle the most insufferably unfunny out of the lot. Jack Whitehall’s Uncle Casey seems to only exists to be a punchline for Emily and others around him. So when the film suddenly decides that it’s time for Uncle Casey to have some depth, it falls completely flat. Izaac Wang as Emily’s new best friend Owen Yu barely gets any character development and yet we’re suppose to believe that he’d risk life and limb to help her out. If you’re looking for an adorable Asian sidekick done right, look no further than Podcast from “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”.

Don’t let the seemingly wholesome vernier of “Clifford the Red Dog” fool you. Beneath its red, furry skin lies a film that was created by committee with the purpose wringing as much nostalgic goodwill and cheap sentiment out of the general public as possible. No matter how large our canine friend gets, it can’t quite carry the weight of the film’s lacklustre plot and questionable writing.

For all you diehard pet-lovers out there, you can catch “Clifford the Big Red Dog” when it hits theaters on 10th February!

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Don't let the seemingly wholesome vernier of "Clifford the Red Dog" fool you. Beneath its red, furry skin lies a film that was created by committee with the purpose wringing as much nostalgic goodwill and cheap sentiment out of the general public as possible. No matter how large our canine friend gets, it can't carry the weight of the film's lacklustre plot and questionable writing.


#MalindoAir: Daily Flights To Hong Kong To Commence On 5th February 2016

In conjunction with the forthcoming Chinese New Year holiday celebration, Malindo Air officially announced that all bookings are now open for its new services, Kuala Lumpur-Hong Kong-Kuala Lumpur.

The daily flight to Hong Kong, as part of its expanding international network, will commence on 5th February 2016.

Flight tickets have gone on sale and the introductory promotional fares for the new routes are as follows:

As seen in the screenshot above, the current economy promo fare will set you back about RM600.

The narrow-body Boeing 737-800 aircraft with a seat capacity of 162, with 12 Business Class and 150 Economy Class seats, will be deployed on the new route. The flight time between Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong will take 3 hours and 55 minutes.

Time to visit Hong Kong Disneyland, at last? ;)

For bookings, visit Malindo Air’s website, use Malindo Air’s mobile site, or download the Malindo Air App on Google Play and App Store. To enquire, write in to Customer Care Centre at customer_care@malindoair.com or call +603-7841 5388 from 7am to 11pm daily.

For more timely updates, visit Malindo Air’s Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.


#SixBomb: K-Pop Girl Group Spent USD88,000 On Plastic Surgery For Comeback

K-Pop girl group Six Bomb (식스밤) made their comeback recently and their latest music video has gained immense attention for its “unique” concept.

“Becoming Prettier (After)”, is a follow up to their recently released track, titled “Becoming Prettier (Before)”. While the latter shows the girls’ pre-surgery features and going to the clinic, the former places focus on the results of their surgery.

According to All Kpop, Six Bomb spent around 100 million KRW (approximately USD88,000) for all 4 members (Soa, Da In, Ga Bin, and Seul Bi). “We can’t explain exactly where we got procedures but you can basically say that we got work done in parts above our waist,” said the group.

But in another interview, Da In revealed that she got her breast enlarged and her cheekbones shaved for her comeback. She added, “We all wanted to get some surgeries done to look prettier… and thought, ‘Why not perform a song about it instead of trying to conceal it?’ People will notice it anyway… so we wanted to be open about this reality where many women want to look pretty.”

Watch the music video for “Becoming Prettier (After)” below:

Although plastic surgery is a common practice in South Korea, Six Bomb, who made their debut in 2012, is the first K-Pop girl group to use it as a marketing strategy.

What do you think about Six Bomb’s new song? Do you think it’s okay to glorify plastic surgery? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Sources: All Kpop, Koreaboo, The Malay Mail, Soompi.

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#Lonely: SISTAR Releases Teaser Images For Last Album

On Friday (26th May), Starship Entertainment’s wide-popular idol girl group SISTAR (씨스타) has finally dropped 2 teaser images for their final group song, titled “Lonely”.

The upcoming track was composed by Black Eyed Pilseung, the producer duo behind SISTAR’s hit songs including “Touch My Body” and “I Like That”.

The simple yet casual black-and-white concept photos feature the girls, who can be seen donning white outfits, showing off their close friendship while smiling sweetly at the camera.

Prior to releasing the teaser images, Starship dropped a special clip (above), titled “Thank you, Good-bye SISTAR”. The short video features a potential look at their music video for “Lonely”.

It also contains a short poem that reads:

“(S)ee you again,
(I)t’s not goodbye.
(S)eparate ways we may go,
(T)o achieve new dreams.
(A)ll the memories together,
(R)emember and cherish forever.”

Starship confirmed SISTAR’s disbandment on Tuesday (23rd May). According to an insider, the girls decided to split because “they each want to individually challenge themselves with other roles”.

Formed in 2010, SISTAR is made up of 4 members – Hyorin, Bora, Soyou, and Dasom. Dubbed the “queens of summer”, the girl group is known for their sexy concept and refreshing summer tracks.


Fun Facts: The “Stand By Me: Doraemon” Crash Course

“Stand by Me: Doraemon” (ドラえもん) is a 2014 Japanese 3D computer animated film based on the Doraemon manga series and is directed by Takashi Yamazaki and Ryūichi Yagi. It was released on 8th August 2014. Bang Zoom! Entertainment premiered an English-dubbed version of the film at the Tokyo International Film Festival on 24th October 2014.

Since its initial release, the 95-minute long film has earned a total of USD86.1 million internationally. It was also one of the highest earning movies of 2014 in Japan earning in excess of USD79 million there!

And if you didn’t hear, “Stand By Me: Doraemon”, both the original version as well as a version dubbed in Bahasa Malaysia, will be released in a cinema near you on 29th Jan 2015. But first, let’s check out some quick fun facts about the film ahead of its release in Malaysia:

1. The film was released to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Fujiko F. Fujio – the moniker of duo Hiroshi Fujimoto and Motoo Abiko. They joined forces in 1954 and created Doraemon in 1969. They worked together until 1987 but even after Fujimoto died in 1996 the friendship of Doraemon and its human companion Nobita was continued by syndicated manga-writing teams.

2. In Japan, to celebrate the release of “Stand By Me: Doraemon”, famous Japanese confectioner Glico released specially marked packs of Pretz, Collon, and Pocky to include hidden secrets: 3D moving images of Doraemon that come to life. But they weren’t just any random images – you could create them on your own with your very own colours and designs which would later be transformed into moving “augmented reality” images with the help of a special app.

3. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki (“Always: Sunset on Third Street”, “Space Battleship Yamato”) and 3D effects specialist and game creator Ryuichi Yagi reportedly spent more than a year on developing the modeling for the CG characters. The production team also created the animation to match the voices, rather than the usual other way around.

4. “Stand By Me: Doraemon” is also the first time a 3D version of a Doraemon film was ever produced. A breakdown video of the 3D computer graphics production was previously released, which focuses on the creation of the film ranging from initial animatic to the fully rendered final product.

5. Although the movie is loosely based on the first 7 volumes of the manga series, the movie plot combines the “Doraemon” manga chapters; “All the way from the country of the future”, “Romance in snowy moutain”, “Partners of the Night”, “The night before Nobita’s wedding”, and “Good bye, Doraemon”.

6. “Stand By Me: Doraemon” is said to be the final story of Doraemon and Nobita, but another Doraemon animation film is set for release this year. Titled, “Doraemon: Nobita’s Space Heroes“, it will also be produced by Shin-Ei Animation under director Yoshihiro Osugi.

7. Last but no least, upon the movie’s release, a web survey was published giving a closer look at the attendees. The audience consisted of 20.4% were children, 21.5% were in their 20s, 20.4% were in their 30s, 20.4% were in their 40s. 47% were male while 53% were female. Shocking?

Wanna give the movie a shot? You’d be surprised how much you’d actually enjoy it! After all, didn’t we all grow up to the popular worldwide sensation cyborg cat anyway? ;)

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

Sources: Wikipedia, “Stand By Me: Doraemon” Wikia.

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Justin Timberlake To Perform At Grammys

Previously announced performers for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards include current nominees Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert, The Black Keys, FUN., the Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Jack White, as well as Elton John and current nominee Ed Sheeran performing live together for the first time.

Meanwhile, two-time Grammy winner LL Cool J returns as host of “Music’s Biggest Night”®.

And now, another artiste has been confirmed for the star-studded, most prestigious music awards night in the world. For the first time in four years, six-time Grammy winner Justin Timberlake is set to perform on the 55th Annual Grammy Awards® telecast! His performance will also be his debut TV performance on the eve of his first studio album in seven years.

Here’s a peek at what to expect from JT’s Grammys slot:

[youtube id=”KReoTOZK9W8″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

The music industry’s premier event will take place live on 10th February (Sunday) at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network from 8pm till 11:30 pm. (ET/PT). The show also will be supported on radio worldwide via Dial Global, and covered online at Grammy.com and CBS.com, and on YouTube.

To stalk the coverage via Twitter, follow its hashtag #TheWorldIsListening closely!

Additional performers, presenters and special segments will be announced soon.

For the full list of the 55th Annual Grammy Awards’ nominees, click!


Daboba Malaysia Is Officially Halal Certified; Vouchers Up for Grabs

We’ve got good news Boba lovers! Daboba Malaysia has just announced that the franchise is halal certified.

Out of the 40+ outlets in Malaysia, the stores that are halal certified currently are Daboba Lip Sin, Daboba Arau, and Daboba Jitra. Rest assured that more outlets are in the process of applying halal certification.

A post shared by DABOBA Malaysia (@dabobamalaysia)

In case you didn’t know, you can now order your favourite Daboba drinks through Shopee Food. You can enjoy up to RM8 off on the platform with a minimum spend. Unfortunately, this option is only available to Klang Valley boba lovers for the time being.

That’s not all, Daboba’s Yogurt series – which include drinks like Mix Fruit, Grain, Purple Rice, Avocado, and Strawberry – will be rebranded sometime this month.

Like and share our Facebook post, then tell us your favourite Daboba drink in the comments section. We’re looking to give away free vouchers to redeem the Roasted Brown Sugar Pearl Fresh Milk.


Ipoh’s Largest Pasar Malam Has More Than 1000 Stalls

As Malaysians, we love exploring various pasar malam (night markets). It was recently announced that Ipoh’s largest pasar malam, the Ipoh Walk Night Bazaar, is set to officially launch on 8th December.

Dubbed as the night market of night markets in Perak, the new attraction will host over 1000 canopy stalls. Pretty impressive right? According to their website, free parking, free Wifi, and toilets are also provided.

Ipoh Walk Night Bazaar was initially supposed to launch in October, but it was forced to postpone due to the recent weather conditions. For those that don’t know, this huge 69,000 square feet  pasar malam is situated near Tesco Ipoh and Aeon Mall Kinta City. It’s only a 10-minute drive from Ipoh centre.

As per reports, the first phase of Ipoh Walk Night Bazaar’s launch will introduce 750 stalls. 300 of those stalls will be selling yummy Asian street food from Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, and many more. The remaining 400 stalls will be selling various merchandise such as clothing, household items, and accessories.

Since its soft launch in September, Ipoh Walk Night Bazaar has already hosted events such as the Taiwan Snack Carnival and the Orchid and Floral Festival. As for the 2nd phase of Ipoh Walk Night Bazaar, visitors can expect an event hall to be ready by then as well as more stalls to shop.

The details to Ipoh Walk Night Bazaar are as follows:

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Hype’s Now Playing: Kyoto Protocol – Viva La Clarity

“If our love’s insanity, why are you my clarity?”

Loved in the local scene here in Malaysia, Kyoto Protocol performed their cover of Zedd and Foxes’ Clarity at Urbanscapes 2013. During their performance at Urbanscapes 2013, the band promised to deliver a YouTube video of their cover and after the long wait, it’s finally here!

Adding their own twist to the song, the highly anticipated video was produced by LY.TV, and it’s definitely not something you would want to miss out on.


Our Take On Blizzard’s Half-Baked Apology Over The Recent Overwatch 2 Controversy

They are already nearing the core of the earth, but Blizzard is still digging their grave deeper. We have discussed in length how Activision Blizzard has essentially killed their most recent game, Overwatch 2, with the gut-wrenching news that the promised PVE mode will no longer see the light of day. The company has gone on record saying that the mode is no longer suited for their “vision” for the game, and people are understandably furious.

However, despite all the controversy Blizzard was already in besides Overwatch 2, they decided to double down on their actions by releasing a half-baked apology that borders on gaslighting without addressing the key issues brought up by the community. Things just got worse for Activision Blizzard, but how bad is this “worse”?

Band-Aid Over Bullet Holes: Keller’s Apology & The Future Of Overwatch 2

Would love a gamemode where we could try out the barebones talent system from 2019 🥲

Imagine PVP, but you get to choose your abilities (only featuring heroes that were finished up) pic.twitter.com/npg27Qo8Ju

— Overwatch Cavalry (@OWCavalry) May 19, 2023

In a blog post made by the game director of Overwatch 2, Aaron Keller, he first addressed the state of the game and apologised because they cannot live up to the original vision presented back in 2019. He claims that the PVE mode isn’t “cancelled outright,” as some elements of it will be preserved, and calls it a “change in approach” to the whole system they have made.

There are two main systems built in: “Story Mode” and “Hero Mode”. Story Mode features a co-op story that will progress the narrative that the Overwatch universe has and was built upon. Hero Mode is a mode “that allowed players to upgrade individual heroes through talent trees, providing a deeply replayable version of PvE in Overwatch 2.” It was the latter mode that players were excited for and what is ultimately getting butchered. It was this mode that would complement the Story Mode; with each character having different upgrades than the last, players could replay old missions in a variety of new ways. Yes, the PVE mode is coming, but the community at large is disappointed as it is only a shell of what was once promised.

Keller goes on to explain that they were excited for the concept of PVE while the first game was still popular and active; they built incredible things with the plan, such as new enemy models, some character trees, and new maps, but they were unable to combine them all into a cohesive product that worked. As a result, this caused a content drought by the tail end of the first game, as many developers were shifted to work on this mode.

He admits that he and his team have woefully mismanaged the scope of the project and have noticed that they can no longer deliver on their promise. A major complaint by the fanbase is that if the developers knew they could not deliver on this hero mode roughly a year ago, why did it take them so long to announce the official cancellation of this mode? Keller does address this concern; he gave insight into the thought process they went through behind closed doors, but it does not answer the question of why it took them so long to announce the cancellation. To close out the post, he gave a deep apology about all this and reassured that the team will work on other aspects that were promised back in 2019.

Asking For Forgiveness Is One Thing, Being Forgiven Is Another: The Community Backlash

On Twitter, the post has had a mixed reception; some were sympathetic to the issue, most were angry and felt they had been manipulated, and others tried to cope by posting memes about the issue. The same thing can be said of the official forum, where people can directly comment on this blog post. There are some with understanding comments, but posts with more likes and comments are the ones that express a more negative take on the situation.

People feel they had been lied to, and rightfully so, as the Story Mode alongside the Hero Mode was the major hook Blizzard used to get players into the game.

Players have spent dozen times more money on OW2 than OW and then you have audacity making excuses about not adding PvE in. How about using all the extra resources you were entrusted in good will to hire more devs and actually delivering on your promises for change?

— Arch iDealist (@Arch_idealist) May 19, 2023

We can’t help but say the fault lies solely with Blizzard as a whole. They have repeatedly lied to their players and even gaslighted the community. Early on in the article, Keller used the phrase “change in approach”, but people are quick to rebut that it is not a change in approach but an outright downgrade, and they are not happy with this sly change of phrase. And with their current stance right now, people feel manipulated enough, and they are against further attempts at manipulation from Blizzard.

The recent announcement was nothing short of a massive rug-pull for the whole community, as many people held on to the game in hopes of getting what was shown to them back in 2019. It would have been alright if they did not announce this lost feature as a core part of their game, but it was; perhaps the whole situation would not have spiralled out of control further if they had just been honest that they could not deliver on their promises a year ago.

Keller has stated that, despite this setback, they are still optimistic about the future of Overwatch. Unfortunately, people are not sharing the same sentiment on the situation. What further justifies this attitude that the internet has is Keller’s enthusiasm about the Story Mode when he has nothing to show for it. Regardless, these are the expectations that they have set for themselves and yet failed to meet, and, despite being a painful pill to swallow, they only have themselves to blame.

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#PokémonGO: Penang Residents Lodge Police Report Against Noisy Game Players

Oops, it seems like residents are getting fed up of Pokémon GO players wandering around their housing areas.

It was reported that residents of Lebuh Cannon and Lebuh Acheh in Penang have lodged a police report against several users of the popular mobile game, claiming that they “disturbed the peacefulness of the area”.

George Town OCPD Asst Commisioner Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said that police have been assigned to monitor the situation upon receiving the noise complaints from the residents.

“I have instructed traffic police personnel to issue summonses to players whose vehicles or motorcycles are parked haphazardly on road shoulders, causing traffic congestion here,” he said.

Though there’s nothing wrong in playing the game, he would like to advise players to keep their noise level to the minumum. “Police have also advised players not to make so much noise, which could disturb public order and the residents’ peacefulness in the area,” he added.

Upon hearing the news, many netizens poked fun at the situation, saying that the police shouldn’t take the complaints too seriously as it’s “just a game”.

One Facebook user known as Lim commented, “How noisy can players be? It’s not singing karaoke on the phone”, while another user wrote, “Everything also can make Police report. No wonder always insufficient Police to prevent real crime”.

But regardless of the situation, we’d like to remind Pokémon GO players to play in moderation while being respectful of others.


Raja Permaisuri Agong Comments On Dutch Designer’s Baju Kurung Controversy

The internet was abuzz recently over an article about a Malaysia-based Dutch fashion designer, who expressed her opinion about the traditional Malay attire, Baju Kurung.

In an interview with South China Morning Post (SCMP), the designer, Lisette Scheers’ quote, “My dream is to see the Baju Kurung return, to see Malays dressing beautifully again. I want people here to feel proud of their heritage,” sparked massive backlash from netizens.

Lisette’s two cents, as aforementioned, didn’t sit well with local cybernauts. In this case, a lot of them argued that the statement given by the founder of Nala Designs was completely inaccurate. Apart from that, others called out Lisette for cultural appropriation and also being out of touch with reality.

The issue even caught Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tunku Hajah Azizah Maimunah Iskandariah’s attention. “I wear Baju Kurung everyday, baju kurung Johor. And I’m proud with my handmade Baju Kurung Teluk Belanga. Yes, I totally agree. Be traditional and proud of it.” Her Majesty wrote on her Instagram. The post included Lisette’s controversial quote, though the Queen didn’t specifically mention her.

Scrolling through the comments, many Malaysians also agreed with Her Majesty’s view on the issue. A few also shared that they also don their Baju Kurung in various occasions, namely weddings, festive celebrations and even in their workplaces.

Not long after the controversy came to light, Lisette issued a public apology on Nala Designs’ official Instagram account. According to her, she has always regarded Malaysia as her “home” and will always love the country like no other.


Datuk Nicol David Shares 6 Things About Her Biopic “I Am Nicol David”

When it comes to sports, there are a few names that jump to mind for top Malaysians athletes. Other than badminton champions, Lee Zii Jia and Lee Chong Wei, almost every Malaysian is familiar with squash legend Nicol David. Of course, just knowing her name is very different from knowing her life story. However, that will be changed soon.

Earlier this week, Datuk Nicol David proudly announced that her life story was going to be made into a biopic! The biopic, titled “I Am Nicol David” will be produced by ACE Pictures Entertainment, a local digital media and film production investment company. “I always dreamt of (telling) my story (one day) to be able to inspire everyone to work hard for what they want to achieve and constantly challenge yourself to bigger heights,” Nicol said. The squash legend is thrilled and overwhelmed to be given that chance now.

Of course, we’re all curious about the biopic as she only scratched the surface in her announcement. As such, during an exclusive interview with Fly FM, Nicol was gracious enough to share a little more. Here are 6 things we got from it:

“I’ll be part of it, for sure,” Nicol stated confidently. After all, it is her story and she would know it best! The squash champion will be overseeing everything from top to bottom with a lot of say in how her story will be portrayed. “I will be looking through with the production team, to really like pin down what we really are going to talk about, how we’re going to put it together, how the feel of everything is gonna be, and they have to know me, you know?” she said.

Nicol acknowledged that the pandemic has slowed down the makings of the biopic. Currently, they are just working on the details but she’s anticipating starting the following year. “Hopefully, by then, everybody’s vaccinated and we don’t have to really go through the pandemic situation for everyone,” she said with a laugh.

Of course, the biopic will be showcasing Nicol’s life and her squash career. However, she hopes to highlight an important virtue. “The essence of the biopic is really about a woman’s will and dedication to just go and do something,” Nicol shared. “To just be at the top and stay there and to be dedicated with my whole heart and soul to be there. It becomes my life, it becomes my everything.”

Being a champion is never easy and Nicol knows this best. It’s a road paved with struggles and for the squash legend, her toughest time was after she became World Champion. “Nobody tells you what to do when you get there. Nobody else who is World No 1 can actually tell you what to do. So, you have to figure it out yourself,” Nicol said, imparting words of wisdom. Although she changed that struggle into a turning point, seeing it on-screen just might make you cry!

Sadly, Nicol will not be playing the role of herself in the movie. The star is however, looking forward to meeting her ‘movie self’. Nicol made it clear that they would be doing a country-wide casting around Malaysia to find someone to act as her. “Because that person is gonna be someone from Malaysia, it will be a fun experience and a great process to get to know that actress so that we’ll bond and understand how we’re gonna portray the story and who I am,” she said.

Who will the lucky Malaysian? Well, only time will tell.

While she’s excited to see her life played out on the big screen, Nicol hopes to inspire her fans to greater heights with it as well. “Whether it’s kids or a woman or whoever, they can see that if you want to do something, if you have the will and dedication, you can just really make it happen for yourself. Nothing’s gonna stop you. It’s only you who has to take that first step to make it happen,” she said, her words earnest and sincere. “And I hope more people can see that they have potential in them that they can really bring forth if they really take that first step and make the most of it.”

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#EXO Announces Comeback Through 2014 MAMA

Just as expected, EXO is indeed going to make a comeback early next year as they’ve announced their comeback through their performances at 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA).

EXO was previously rumoured to make a comeback on 25th Oct but the plan eventually fell apart due to Luhan‘s lawsuit against the company. Korean media outlet Sports Donga later exclusively reported that the group will make their comeback in January 2015. Despite all the hardships they had gone through, the group is reportedly planning a comeback with a brand new album and the members are gearing up for the album release as it would be the group’s 2nd full length album. At that time, EXO’s talent agency SM Entertainment neither confirmed nor denied the rumour.

It is a highly-anticipated comeback as it would mark EXO’s first comeback in 8 months after the release of their 2nd mini album “Overdose”. It would also be the group’s first comeback without the 2 of its original members, Kris and Luhan.

EXO confirmed their comeback at 2014 MAMA by revealing a teaser video for their new album right after their performances. The teaser video was uploaded to SMTOWN’s YouTube channel at the same time.

2014 was a pretty crazy year for EXO but let’s just hope their comeback next year will mark a fresh start for them!


#GST: Price Hike For Taxi & Express Bus Fares Starting 1st April

As you all might already know, the implementation of the much-dreaded Goods and Services Tax (GST) effective next month will see changes in the way we save as well as spend money. The GST rate is fixed at 6%, and sales tax of 10% and service tax of 6% will be replaced with GST.

Some of the many day-to-day things that will undeniably be affected are such as electricity, banking services, fuel (RON 97), etc. As if that’s not worrying enough, fellow commuters who depend on public transportation will also have to fork out more than what they used to pay for to get around soon.

Taxi, bus. and LRT operators are expected to increase their fares by up to 40%, while KTMB, the sole rail operator in the country, has yet to confirm the quantum of increase in the fare. Taxi fares will be increased with budget taxis in the Klang Valley to charge 25 sen every 200m.

A Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) fact sheet released on Thursday (19th March) states that flag-down rates for budget taxis nationwide will remain the same at RM3, but will see their distance and time rates revised. The Teks1m cabs, marked by their brown Proton Exora make, will see new flag-down rates upped to RM4, with 30 sen to be charged per 200m.

Express buses, on the other hand, will see its current fare increase from 9.3 sen per km to 11.4 sen per km from 1st April. According to the fact sheet, this will mean a ticket to Ipoh from KL will cost RM25.30 instead of RM20.60 previously:

More to come new fare structures and updates to come, we’re sure.


To Shanghai & Beyond: Disney To Open #ToyStory-Themed Hotel

Buzz Lightyear’s catchphrase suddenly makes so much sense, especially when Andy’s bedroom is moving beyond borders and relocating itself in the new Disney Shanghai resort. Yup, you heard that right. Andy’s bedroom is moving to Shanghai! We are talking about Disney’s plans to build a “Toy Story”-themed hotel in the new Disney Shanghai Resort, of course.

According to Comic Book Resource, Disney’s Shanghai Resort is a $4.4 billion project that is expected to cover 963 acres, which is about 3 times the size of Hong Kong Disneyland. The project was first announced in 2009 and it is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the Chinese government-owned Shanghai Shendi Group. It is an upcoming expansion of their collection of Disney Parks.

Scheduled to open in 2016, Disney Insider Blog debuted the official concept art of the new Disney Resort, which also includes a Toy Story Hotel. However, the Toy Story Hotel isn’t the only themed hotel in the resort as Disney stated that the resort will contain 2 themed hotels and a shopping, dining, and entertainment district called “Disneytown”.

The signature hotel of Shanghai’s Disney Resort will be “designed in elegant Art-Nouveau style with a touch of Disney magic and imagination”. As for the Toy Story Hotel, Disney described that it will “transport guests to a world inspired by the toys from the Disney/Pixar series of Toy Story animated films”. From what we can see from the poster, the hotel bears a striking resemblance to Andy’s bedroom with a classic Pixar ball at its entrance.

In the Disneytown district, a world-class entertainment will be featured at the Walt Disney Grand Theatre. Visitors can enjoy a distinctive dining experience at its central lake area and shop for their favourite Disney merchandise at Marketplace. As for the Spice Alley, visitors can indulge in the Asian cuisines and go shopping at the Beverly Hills-inspired shopping streets. China’s highest-grossing Broadway show, the Mandarin version of “The Lion King”, will have its global premiere at the Art Deco theatre in Broadway Plaza as well.

No further details have been revealed about the theme park yet but take a look at the world’s new magical place below:

The interior of the Toy Story-themed hotel hasn’t been revealed but we can’t wait to find out what it’s going to look like! Since John Lasseter’s “Toy Story 4” is scheduled for release in June 2017, will Disney drop an Easter egg in the new Shanghai Disney Resort? We certainly hope so! ;)

While we eagerly await the opening of Shanghai Disney Resort, there’s also the Harry Potter themed hotel that you might want to consider visiting if you’re ever in London. Also, don’t forget to check out some of the top theme parks in Asia here!

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


#Malaysia: World’s Biggest & Longest Dragon Tunnel Debuts In Johor

Get ready to enter the Prosperity Dragon.

A man-made dragon tunnel, stretching over 106m long (351ft), was recently launched at the Che Ann Khor Yong Peng Association grounds at Taman Kota Impian, Johor.

Said to be the biggest and longest dragon tunnel in the world, the beautifully crafted dragon tunnel, which took more than a year to build and cost approximately RM8 million, is decorated with various Chinese cultural and religious paintings inside its interior.

The launch ceremony, which drew about 5000 local and foreign visitors, also saw Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar officiating the event. He was accompanied by his son Tunku Temenggong Tunku Idris Iskandar and State Tourism, Trade and Consumerism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong.

“With the opening of this dragon tunnel, it will surely draw more people coming to the district and in turn boost the local business and state economy,” said Datuk Tee before adding, “This dragon is a symbol of prosperity for Johor and I hope Green Garden will become an iconic destination.”

“Everything about this structure is related to the number 9, which represents prosperity and luck for the Chinese community. Inside, there are 108 stairs and the length of the dragon is 315ft. Both figures add up to the number 9,” continued Datuk Tee.

Watch the short clip of the dragon tunnel below:

So who’s up for a road trip? To those interested, the dragon tunnel is located at Che An Khor Moral Uplifting Association, Green Garden, Lot HS 2677, Jalan Kota Impian 1, Yong Peng.


#LiveKatRumah: Join 30 Malaysian Entertainers On Their Livestream Shows

8 live-stream shows and 30 talented local entertainers! If you’ve missed watching live performances, #LiveKatRumah is a twice-a-week virtual concert series where Malaysians can enjoy a concert at the comfort of their own homes.

The platform showcases some of Malaysia’s talented performers ranging from R&B, Pop, Soul, Hip Hop, Jazz and Rock singers and bands, to even comedians and magicians. These 8 concerts are taking place over the span of 5 weeks – from 22nd December 2020 till 21st January 2021.

The shows’ headliners include Abubakarxli, The Frankie Sixes, Russell Curtis, Born Heroes Band, Kavin Jay, Dasha Logan, Nadir and more. Fans can also look out for special appearances from our local music icons including Joe Flizzow and the WVC Malaysian Jazz Ensemble.

This initiative was brought together by Grab alongside local household brands like KFC Malaysia, myNEWS and Tropicana to support our local performers and artistes, seeing as how many have experienced significant losses to their livelihoods. As reported by Malaysia’s Cultural Economy Development Agency (CENDANA), 93% of arts and culture practitioners were affected by the pandemic.

“The inspiration behind the #LiveKatRumah came from hearing about the struggle of friends who are in the performing arts industry during the MCO. As a Malaysian homegrown platform, we have been so focused in delivering food and daily essentials to our customers conveniently and safely while helping our merchants thrive. And now, we are excited to partner with our friends at KFC Malaysia, myNEWS and Tropicana to focus our support towards the performing entertainers. Together with our partners, we want to keep their talent alive by delivering quality live music and performances from our local entertainers straight into the homes of Malaysians,” said Cheryl Goh, Vice President of Marketing, Grab.

Following the feedback from our local entertainers and Malaysians about the first two #LiveKatRumah shows, Grab – together with the partners; KFC Malaysia, MyNEWS, and Tropicana – are excited to announce that the live virtual concerts will now be open to the public for FREE. This is to enable more Malaysians at home to enjoy the variety of performances they wouldn’t normally have the chance to enjoy and appreciate the amazing talents overflowing in Malaysia.

The remaining shows that will begin on the 6th of January 2021 will now be streamed live as per originally scheduled on the Grab Malaysia Facebook page.


Who’s Next: YG Entertainment Drops Mysterious Teaser For 21.11.2015

Could this be the first teaser for WINNER‘s long-awaited comeback? Or is there a new group debuting under YG Entertainment soon?

Without any reason or explanation, South Korean entertainment powerhouse YG Entertainment recently dropped a mysterious “Who’s Next” poster via their official Facebook page.

Of course, if you have been following them closely enough, the “Who’s Next” poster is part of their marketing strategies to tease fans about their artistes’ comebacks or debuts.

2NE1‘s leader CL, who made her solo debut with “The Baddest Female” last year, was the first artiste to be featured in the “Who’s Next” series. It was then followed by other YG artistes’ comebacks including Akdong Musician, Epik High, and BIGBANG‘s Taeyang. A new sub-unit duo Hi Suhyun, made up of Lee Hi and Suhyun from Akdong Musician, also made their debut under the “Who’s Next” series.  BIGBANG leader G-Dragon and Taeyang also collaborated for their hit single, “Good Boy”.

It’s hard to tell whose comeback or debut that YG Entertainment is hinting at, but one good guess would be WINNER’s comeback.

Earlier last month, it was reported that the idol boy group is gearing up to make a comeback this month. They were said to have filmed their new music videos in Stockholm, Sweden for their highly anticipated comeback.

Soompi reported that they’ve recently wrapped up production on the music video and will be promoting double title tracks from their upcoming album. While it’s not verified, the songs that they will be promoting are called “BABY BABY BABY” and “Sentimental”.

WINNER’s label mate iKON is also expected to release 2 new tracks on 16th November, followed by a full album on 14th December. Together, both boy groups will invade the South Korean entertainment scene with their respective music styles.

Meanwhile, PSY announced that he will be returning with a new album on 1st December.

Do you think the date shown in the “Who’s Next” poster is WINNER’s comeback date? If it’s true, the next 2 months are going to be awesome!

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


(UPDATE) #GhostbustersReboot: A Sneak Peek At New Uniforms & The Ecto-1 Car

We’re not sure how great the “Ghostbusters” reboot is going to be, but we are pretty damn sure that fans of the original film will be pleased to see the new cast members rocking ’em awesome Ghostbusters uniforms again.

If you thought that they were going to alter the uniforms drastically, be prepared to be proven wrong.

Director Paul Peig (of “Spy” and “Bridesmaids” fame) made sure that the reboot will stay true to the original movie by offering us a first look at the new Ghostbsters uniforms. As one may expect, the uniforms still are jumpsuits and they exude an old, gritty vibe with that iconic Ghostbusters logo.

Although the proton packs are no where to be seen, we’re sure that we’ll see them sooner or later as filming for the movie is currently underway in New York City. Principal photography also recently began in Boston, as a slew of set photos were released.

The upcoming female Ghostbusters movie stars Melissa McCarthy as Abby, Kristen Wiig as Erin, Kate McKinnon as Jillian, and Leslie Jones as Patty. “Thor” star Chris Hemsworth joined the cast as a receptionist called Kevin while Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, who starred in the original film, are rumoured to be making cameo appearances in the upcoming reboot as well.

Director Paul Feig revealed the souped-up but retro-looking Ecto-1 car that his all-female crew will be driving to chase spectral threats.

“#Whattheygonnadrive,” Feig tweeted, along with a photo, which looks remarkably similar to the white station wagon that Bill Murray, Dan Akyroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson drove in the 1984 original.

No plot details were announced, but what we do know is that it will take a grittier and scarier tone. It is also reportedly going to feature a villain who will be a “creepy mechanical genius”.

Based on a script written by Katie Dippold and Feig himself, the new “Ghostbusters” movie is slated to arrive in theatres on 22nd July 2016.


#missA: JYP Entertainment Confirms That Suzy Will Be Releasing A Solo Album

It’s confirmed! miss A’s Suzy will be making her solo debut!

This was confirmed by her label, JYP Entertainment, in a statement today (Thursday, 1st December). This comes after an anonymous source reported that the actress-cum-singer had flown over to Hong Kong to record her solo music video.

The source revealed that Suzy went over to Hong Kong on 25th November for a jewelry brand event as she was their spokesperson, but also used that trip as an opportunity to film her music video and shoot her solo album jacket photos.

The insider continued, “She is currently concentrating on preparing her album which will be released in late December or early next year. Since it is her first solo album she is throwing her heart and soul into everything including the songs to the clothing.”

JYP Entertainment has also verified the claims, but stated that the specific schedule for her solo album have not been discussed yet.

This is not the first time that rumours regarding Suzy’s solo music career has surfaced. Back in April and September, speculations were rife that the miss A singer will be releasing a solo album, but JYP Entertainment was quick to dismiss it.

Suzy debuted with miss A in 2010, but ventured into acting with “Dream High” in 2011. She then acted in a string of successful dramas, including “Big” and “Gu Family Book”. The actress was also in recently concluded “Uncontrollably Fond” with Kim Woo Bin, and will act alongside Lee Jong Suk in upcoming SBS drama “While You Were Asleep”.

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Fazura’s Self-titled Debut Album Is Now Certified Platinum

Actress-turned-singer Fazura has received platinum award from Universal Music Malaysia for her 2017’s self-titled debut album “Fazura“.

The album which consists of 7 songs and 2 bonus tracks, has a sales value of more than 200 thousand combining streaming and units sold globally.

A post shared by Kenny Ong Chun Eng (@kennyongchuneng)

“When the album was certified gold, I already couldn’t believe it. That itself was a already a huge achievement especially for a newcomer like me. So when I got platinum for this album, it’s even more unbelievable,” Fazura said when met recently.

“Alhamdullilah, I am very grateful. This is a very meaningful New Year gift to me,” the 35-year-old commented, adding that she wouldn’t have gotten this far if it weren’t for God’s will and the support of her loyal fans known as the Fazbulous Warriors.

When Fazura was asked if the achievement would serve as a retaliation against her haters who criticised her singing capabilities, she said, “Not from me. I always forgive. I couldn’t stay angry at them because everything is by God’s will. This achievement is a gift from Allah.”

“I will always choose to forgive because I want live in peace and I don’t want to blame others. I’m just grateful with what God has given to me,” she added.

A post shared by Nur Fazura's Official Warriors (@fazbulouswarriors)

“Here’s to the girl who can’t sing!” she joked when receiving the certificate from Mr Kenny Ong, the Managing Director, Malaysia, Singapore and Indochina.


#Disney: Oops! Videos Reveal Recycled Animation From Old Films

Although Disney has been animating cartoons and feature films for almost a hundred years, creating some of the most innovative (and gorgeous) animation of all time, it appears that Disney might not be your perfect little fairytale world after all. This is because a new video has cast some doubt on the originality of a few of your favorite childhood films.

The description of the video is as follows:

Disney animators frequently used to recycle footage from older animated films. They would draw over existing animation cells to make new scenes with characters with similar designs, characteristics, and movements. This is also known as rotoscoping.

The style of animation (rotoscoping) was first used to help animators capture scenes with movement, like Sleeping Beauty dancing or Alice in Wonderland talking to a doorknob. Animators would trace or draw their scenes from live-action footage of similar movements.

This technique might explain why Cinderella, Belle, and Sleeping Beauty all have very similar ballroom dancing styles, and dress-shapes, and why Baloo the bear’s dance in Jungle Book is step-by-step the same as Little John’s shimmy in Robin Hood.

But the technique was also used to help stay within budgetary constraints on later features: Cartoonists would refer to an earlier movie’s characters to create new ones, often with nearly identical results.

The mashup below contains clips from “Sleeping Beauty”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “Robin Hood”, and “The Aristocats”.

And that’s not all. There’s also a part 2 to the video, which contains a lot more movie scenes e.g. “Bambi”, “Alice in Wonderland”, “The Fox and the Hound”, “The Sword in the Stone”, “101 Dalmatians”, “Cinderella”, “The AristoCats”, “Pinocchio”, “The Jungle Book”, and “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh”.

Disney appears to have done this quite a lot, and there’s an entire cache of recycled animation stills here.

It’s not a huge secret that Disney has reused animation in the past to save costs, and a similar 2009 video pointed out a lot of the “Robin Hood” similarities. And hey, at least they’re plagiarising their own work, eh?

Sources: HuffPost Ent, The Independent, TIME.

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Wang Leehom’s KL Concert Ticketing & Discount Details Revealed

Last month, we announced that Wang Leehom (王力宏) will be bringing his much-anticipated “Descendants of the Dragon 2060” (龙的传人 2060) world tour to Malaysia.

Set to take place on 16th March 2019, we now have the ticketing details including ticket prices and the venue for where the “King of Chinese Pop” will perform. Tickets are expected to sell out fast, so do take note on a few key information.

The “Descendants of the Dragon 2060” tour features the production team from the Grammys. As such, music fans will get to “experience a journey into the future with cool high-tech techniques, it is a massive technical achievement, with a unique sci-fi stage set in the form of a huge spaceship, sophisticated LED lighting, holograms, animated movies and superb choreography”.

“‘Descendants of the Dragon 2060 World Tour’ represents the future of Chinese ethnicity and tradition, and will transport his fans to a brave new world of love, peace and equality. Every 12 years when the Year of the Dragon comes around, he releases a brand-new version of the hit track “Descendants of the Dragon”, because he wants the song to live on with different creative arrangements, and sing it until it is 2060.”

Brought to you by Unusual Entertainment and Star Planet, the details to Leehom’s “Descendants of the Dragon 2060” Live in Malaysia:

10% discount will be extended to VVIP, VIP, CAT 1, CAT 2 and CAT 3 tickets – only valid from 19th to 21st January 2019, terms apply. Each transaction is limited to 8 tickets only. 1,000 lucky winners will be drawn among the VVIP and VIP ticket purchasers to receive a concert poster to be personally autographed by Leehom.

Ticket sales will go live this Saturday (19th January) 11am via www.ticketcharge.com.my. You may also call 03-9222 8811 for more information.

Good news peeps! The organiser will be holding a private Autograph Session on 14th March, 7:30pm at the Quill Convention Centre (Level 6, Quill City Mall Kuala Lumpur). The event is by invitation only and 1,000 lucky ticket purchasers will be drawn among the VVIP and VIP tickets to receive the invitations.

Those selected will get a personally-autographed poster.


#Borderlands: “Mad Max”-Inspired Video Game To Be Made Into A Film

If George Miller‘s “Mad Max” film series was remade into a role-playing first-person shooter video game, you’d get “Borderlands”.

The game series, which was developed by Gearbox Software, has been lauded by critics and received commercial success partly due to its sense of humour. It was first released in October 2009 and its sequel as well as its pre-sequel were released in 2012 and 2014 respectively.

With almost everything about the game’s world directly inspired by the “Mad Max” films, we wouldn’t be surprised that a feature film version of the game could be in the works.

True enough, Lionsgate has announced that they will develop a live-action feature film adaptation of the famed video game series. According to Coming Soon, Avi Arad, who is best known for producing 2008’s “Iron Man” and the “Spider-Man” film series, will produce it with his son Ari Arad.

Regarding the big screen version of “Borderlands”, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairs Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger said in a statement:

We believe that we’ve brought together the right partners, the ideal creative team and the perfect property to launch a new motion picture tent-pole for a global audience.

They added, “Part of our strategy in entering the game space under Peter Levin has been to source new brands with built-in audiences that will translate into great films and television shows. The ‘Borderlands’ games don’t pull any punches, and we’ll make the movie with the same in-your-face attitude that has made the series a blockbuster mega-franchise.”

Publisher Take-Two Interactive Chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick also said, “Lionsgate has emerged as a major creative force in the global marketplace with an incredible portfolio of brands; our partners at Gearbox have pioneered and cultivated an iconic property; and Avi and Ari Arad are 2 of the most successful producers of action franchises.”

He added, “This alliance is ideally positioned to create a bold, provocative, no-holds-barred motion picture phenomenon that will delight “Borderlands” current legions of fans and captivate moviegoers around the world.”

Regarding their involvement in the project, Avi and Ari expressed that they’re “thrilled to extend their partnership with Jon Feltheimer, Michael Burns, Rob, Patrick and the amazing team at Lionsgate”.

They are also excited to join forces with the Take-Two and Gearbox on this incredible property:

Borderlands has a unique story-driven narrative energy and rich multidimensional characters that position it to become a singular motion picture event.

There is, of course, no timeline for the film yet as development is still at its infancy stage. However, who do you think should join the cast? What do you think it will centre on? Sound off your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Passion For Fashion 2012

The “Passion For Fashion” celebration returns this year promising a spectacular night of entertainment from world renowned DJs Smith Agent Smith from Hollywood and DJ Bento from Tokyo.

As one of the most anticipated events of the regional fashion and film industry, the Passion For Fashion specializes in bringing professionals – be it actors, top models, hosts and other celebrities – together for the single most powerful networking event for any aspiring young professional hoping to make a break in the industry.

The night promises to be an exciting fusion of music and fashion combined and complimented with Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve and Kronenbourg to celebrate the occasion. The pinnacle of the evening will be the annual awards ceremony for:

Don’t miss out on the chance to mingle with some of the industry’s best!

Venue: Rootz Nightclub, Lot 10 (Rooftop)

For more information, bisit the Passion For Fashion Facebook event page.


#R8: Rihanna Unveils New Title & Artwork For Highly Anticipated New Album

All hail Rihanna, the queen who slays everything she does, even with the artwork for her upcoming studio album.

Several lucky fans and music journalists were recently invited to a party that the Barbadian pop star hosted at a Los Angeles gallery space.

During the party, Rihanna surprised everyone by unveiling the new title and the artwork of her new album.

Previously referred to as “R8”, the new album is now retitled “ANTI”.

It is her 8th full-length album, but also her first album since releasing “Unapologetic” in 2012. She collaborated with contemporary artist Roy Nachum for the artwork and the interior artwork of her album also features poetry by Chloe Mitchell inscribed in Braille.

Check out some tweets about the event and the artwork below:

Live from American Rihanna Story in L.A. pic.twitter.com/OkpFNOYvhU

There are Braille translations of the interior artwork for @rihanna's 8th studio album packaging #R8 pic.twitter.com/mX7Rdgru2D

.@rihanna is in the building #R8 pic.twitter.com/y9HGzL5RZC

Front and back album artwork for @rihanna's 8th studio album. #R8 pic.twitter.com/zsiYHZyWOF

The title of @rihanna's 8th studio album is "Anti" pic.twitter.com/RTjeclX5PN

The announcement came after The FADER cover star dropped the badass “B*tch Better Have My Money” music video. It was also recently confirmed that her collaborations with PUMA have materialised.

No release date is set for the album yet, but her collaborative track with Kanye West and Paul McCartney, “FourFiveSeconds”, will be featured in it.

So, are y’all ready for Rihanna to drop her new album? Because we are ;)

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#Supermoon: Biggest & Brightest Moon Set To Appear On 14th November

Mark your calendars folks, cause 14th November is about to be an astronomical event unlike anything you’ve experienced before.

Not only will the full moon appear to be the biggest and brightest supermoon in recent years, but it will also be the closest Moon to Earth since 26th January 1948. That was 68 years ago. And the supermoon is coming in less than 2 weeks!

So what exactly is a supermoon, you ask? Meteorologists and astronomers have term it “super”, because the Moon will appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the average full moon. But first, let’s take it back to basics…

In the words of meteorologists Terry Eliasen, here are some basic terms to better understand the phenomenon of a supermoon:

This is exactly what professional and amateur astrophotographers are looking forward to – a special space date for Earth. Here’s a tip: if you’re planning to view the supermoon on 14th November, you’ll probably get the best view by going somewhere nice and dark, away from the city lights.

Miss the supermoon on that date, and you’ll have to wait until 25th November 2034 for a similar occurrence. Good luck ;)


Hype’s Exclusive: How Addicted Is Siwon To LINE? This Addicted!

We mentioned yesterday that we’ve got an exclusive interview with someone special comin’ up sometime this week. As promised, it’s here! Thanks to our friends from LINE Malaysia, we managed to steal K-Pop idol boy group Super Junior’s Choi Siwon away from his super busy schedule for a little chat. He tells us all the things we never knew about his addiction to LINE app.

Seriously though, who would’ve thought that the South Korean idol would ever get addicted to, or even have the time for LINE Pop? Right?

Hi Siwon! You were recently in Malaysia for the official launch of LINE’s TVC. Share with us how LINE has enriched your lifestyle and what are your favourite features.

“When I chat with my friends through LINE, I use LINE stickers all the time. I think it depicts my emotions better than just writing in words. I am a bit shy in expressing my feelings sometimes. So LINE stickers help me express those feelings. I really like using the Stickers! Apart from the messaging feature, LINE also has numerous games and utility functions. I especially enjoy using LINE Camera and playing LINE POP and LINE JELLY game. While I was in Malaysia to film the LINE TV commercial, I was so addicted to LINE POP. If you watch the behind-the-scene clip of LINE TVC, you will see me getting lost in LINE POP.”

As a celebrity, there aren’t many opportunities for you to connect with your fans as much as you’d like. How has LINE helped change that? Do you feel like you’re closer to your fans now?

“Super Junior has just recently created an Official Account on LINE by the way! Through our Official Account, news about Super Junior is provided in real time. The best part of it is that we can talk to our fans on a one-on-one basis whenever we are ‘On-Air’. When the ‘On-Air’ mode is on our LINE account, it means that we are actually engaging with our fans. We are planning to go ‘On-Air’ sometime soon, and we look forward to have a more interactive conversation with our Malaysia fans!”

Tell us, how does LINE fit into your busy schedule? When do you usually find time to use LINE – day or night?

“I use LINE all the time! I have a very busy schedule and I always don’t have enough time to meet my friends. So, LINE is the best way for me to keep in touch with them. I often check my Timeline to see if there are any updates from my friends on LINE. I especially enjoy using LINE Camera and playing LINE POP. After taking pictures with the guys (Super Junior), we’ll have fun decorating them with LINE sticker stamps and upload the photos on our Official Account.”

Wow, you do seem like a huge fan of LINE! Have you recommended LINE to the rest of the Super Junior members? Do you chat with each other using LINE?

“I definitely recommend LINE to the rest of the guys and they all find it very cute and fun to use. Now they use LINE all the time! Each of us have our own favourite character. Mine is Brown!”

What has been your fondest memory of Malaysia to date? Were there any fans moments that particularly stuck with you?

“While I was in Malaysia during the filming of LINE’s TVC at Ampang Hilir, there were fans that came out to meet me and it turned out to be a huge crowd. It was such an incredible feeling and it made me feel confident about the shoot and made my short stay in Malaysia worth the while.”

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

Alright, we’ve come to the end of the interview but before we let you go, leave a shout out to your Malaysian ELFs and Hype Malaysia’s readers!

“Hello Malaysia! Thank you so much for supporting my work and for being the greatest fans to Super Junior and myself! Don’t forget to download LINE and lookout for the “On Air” mode to be able to chat with Super Junior. I hope to see you soon. Till then take care and stay awesome. Love you guys!”

Aww. Thank you so, so much for speaking to us, Siwon. We hope to see you soon too. Perhaps during the rumoured “Super Show 5” in Malaysia, yes? Meanwhile, don’t forget to check out our coverage of the LINE TVC launch in Malaysia, where Choi Siwon himself made a special guest appearance. Pictures and video included!

For more information on LINE Malaysia, hit up their Facebook page.

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#Malaysia: Elderly Woman Arrested For Brutally Abusing Young Girl

On Monday (5th June), a video showing an elderly woman physically abusing a young girl went viral on social media, especially WhatsApp.

Yesterday evening (Tuesday, 6th June), news reports confirmed that the abuser was arrested at her home in Puchong Perdana. The 60-year-old woman is being remanded for 7 days and is under investigation for section 31(1) (a) Children Act 2001.

It was reported that the 6-year-old girl had spilled her food from her plate, causing her babysitter to lose her temper. In the almost 3 minutes clip, the woman can be seen mercilessly beating the child with a wooden stick while shouting at her in Tamil for “not knowing how to eat”.

Even as the poor kid shrieked in agony, the woman continued to violently slapped and kicked the child. A dog can also be spotted in the video, appearing to be visibly upset over the cruel treatment.

Although the identity of the individual responsible for recording the incident is not known, the woman can be heard challenging the person. “Since you are recording, well, let’s see if you’re going to give it to the newspapers,” she said.

Not long after the child abuse video went viral online, several netizens filed a complaint against the woman. Subang Jaya district police chief ACP Mohammad Azlin Sadari confirmed the arrest, stating that the young victim has been rescued and the suspect had been apprehended.

Facebook page, We Are Malaysian Indians, also released an update on the situation. “Finally the Indian child was saved. Our people act fast and managed to find that lady and hand her over to the police. The child (has been) taken to a hospital for further check up. Thank you to the public for reacting fast to the situation,” reads the Facebook post.

Here is the video if you can stomach it:

Sources: Astro Awani, Free Malaysia Today, MalaysiaKini.