Roti Canai Prices Continue Rising, RM2 At Mamak Restaurants

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Roti canai and curry is a popular breakfast dish in Malaysia, but it is also served as a snack or a quick lunch.
Since the price of the main ingredient has increased, roti canai now averages from RM1.20 to RM1.70 apiece.
The price of roti canai is said to be more expensive than usual due to the price of wheat flour which is currently rising.
RM1.00 for roti canaiRM2.50 for roti telur bawang ciliRM2.00 for burger daging ramly legit no ingredients skipRM3.00 for burger daging ramly double legit no ingredients skipRM4.00 for burger daging double special legit no ingredients skipSETIAWANGSA https://t.co/WIg21jW006— HH (@_hfzhsn) August 25, 2021
Wheat flour is now said to be difficult to obtain due to a lack of supply in grocery stores and its price has also increased.
President of the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Entrepreneurs Association (Presma), Jawahar Ali Taib Khan was quoted by FMT as saying that the price had increased greatly.
He said 25 kilograms (kg) of wheat flour was available for RM45, but now it has gone up to RM65.
If this is not controlled, I worry there will be a slight increase in the price of wheat-based products by 9,000 Presma members.Presma president Jawahar Ali Taib Khan’s warning on price hikes.
Masa belajar buat roti canai dulu, aku rasa memang patut ni lah harga dia. Leceh woi buat dia, kuah dia lagil barang mahal. Orang nak kuah ada dal, kari dan sambal lak. Makan roti sekeping je. Uli roti tu pulak kebas-kebas tangan. https://t.co/8bKht8cHW2— Alep Adon (@AlepAdon) May 19, 2022
He said wholesalers may also start hoarding wheat flour to raise prices, but Presma members will try their best to avoid doing so.
Jawahar Ali Taib Khan urged the government to add wheat-producing countries to import commodities as a way out of the problem.
President of the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Entrepreneurs Association (Primas), J Suresh also expressed concern.
He said it is not the buyers who have to pay dearly, but many restaurants will be affected.
Hopefully this problem can be resolved soon. If all the prices of goods go up, we are all afraid to eat out, restaurant traders will also be affected. Hope the government takes wise steps to address this problem.Primas president J Suresh moaning about the rising prices.
READ MORE: Mamak Bachelor’s Degree? Netizens Slam State Exco’s Proposal To Start A Roti Canai Academy
Kawan2 saya yg kerja office tu jangan terkejut pulak makan roti canai, kuih-muih rasa macam mahal. Harga tepung gandum pun nak naik dekat rm1.00 dari 2 tahun lepas. Barang makin mahal, kita pun nak berjimat dah makan luar. https://t.co/of9INY0dV7— GrumpyWomen 🇵🇸 (@UmiIzzati) May 18, 2022

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[Watch] TikToker Mad Over ‘Dry’ CKT From Chinese Shop

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A TikTok has gone viral for supposedly getting angry that their char kuetiau order from a Chinese shop came out dry.

  @aairainbubbles Bila order Char Kuey Teow kedai Cina (alternate universe) 📏@Aaira ♬ original sound  – ælya
The TikTok shows a take-away order of dry fried kuetiau, paired with audio of a woman saying in Malay, “Want to be mad… but must have patience…”, assumed to be in response to getting the wrong kind of kuetiau goreng.
READ MORE: Char Kway Teow, A Constant Source Of Debacle On The Malaysian Internet
One of the most common misunderstandings of ‘char kuetiau’ is the fact that there are both wet and dry kinds in Malaysia.
The Chinese-style char kuetiau is dry, whereas the Malay-style char kuetiau, or kuetiau goreng, often comes wet with gravy.
Of course, Malaysians weren’t particularly pleased at the ‘angry reaction’ to getting dry char kuetiau.

Some even cheekily suggested that the anger could be the addition of bean sprouts, which some people love and some hate.

However, the account appears to be a troll account, because just three days ago they posted a similar video with the exact same frustrated audio clip, except it was for a Malay-style kuetiau goreng instead!
  @aairainbubbles Bila order Char Kuey Teow kedai Melayu ♬ original sound  – ælya
Once again, it appears that this sort of TikTok goes viral simply by riling up people who love kuetiau in their own way.
In any case, at least Malaysians are more than aware that there are two kinds of kuetiau goreng, and both kinds are delicious (and shouldn’t be something to get angry over)!

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73-Year-Old Grandfather In Kelantan Busted For Khalwat, Tries To Hide In The Ceiling

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Do people over 60 still have sex lives?

Men have to accept many changes as they age — less hair, less muscle — but less sex doesn’t have to be one of them.
It’s common for men in their 70s or older to have sex if they are healthy.
However, a 73-year-old senior citizen went too far when he climbed the ceiling of a house more than a meter high.
He did that to avoid being arrested for khalwat (promiscuity) by the Kelantan Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAHEAIK).
Almost Caught With His Sarong Down
JAHEIK was conducting what it calls Ops Banteras on 15 September to prevent immorality in conjunction with Malaysia Day.
Its Syariah Law Enforcement Division caught the elderly man red-handed as he tried to avoid getting arrested.
During the raid, a woman opened the door before the members did an inspection and found an older man climbing the house’s ceiling.Chief Assistant Director of JAHEAIK’s Sharia Law Enforcement Division, Mohd Fadzuli Mohd Zain, commenting on the raid.
The 73-year-old elderly man when caught during Ops Banteras. (Pix: Berita Harian)
He was busted at 11.45 pm for cohabiting with a woman in her 40s in a house in the city.
When questioned, the elderly claimed to go to the woman’s house to collect rent.
The couple was then detained for further investigation.
Promiscuity Among College Students
Meanwhile, the authorities arrested five individuals in their 20s, including two couples, in a room at about 5.10 am on 16 September.
The two couples, who are also college students, claimed that they stayed at the hotel in question to do a group assignment given by the lecturer.
The enforcement officers had to wait more than half an hour before the couple opened the door.
They were detained for investigation per Section 50 of the Syariah Criminal Code Enactment Bill (1) 2019.
Mohd Fadzuli said the operation would continue occasionally, and the community is advised not to engage in immoral acts.

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PAS To Stage Protest Outside Swedish Embassy

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The act of a Swedish politician burning a copy of the Holy Quran recently has sparked worldwide anger, particularly among Muslims.

Rasmus Paludan, a far-right politician torched the Quran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.
The world reacted to what he did in many ways, with the United States labelling the act as “repugnant”.
In Malaysia, PAS is planning a protest outside the Swedish embassy in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.

Tindakan membakar Al-Quran itu adalah sangat hina dan biadab!Ayuh bersama kita tunjukkan Islamophobia adalah satu isu yang serius!Jom hadir ke demonstrasi solidariti di hadapan kedutaan Sweden!https://t.co/CsE6CZS3CsLike | Comment | Share#PemudaPAS pic.twitter.com/q2hySln5xQ— Pemuda PAS Malaysia (@DPPMalaysia) January 25, 2023

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as reported by Berita Harian today said there were no issues with PAS’ plan.
He however did remark that they were “too late” to act as the government had issued a statement condemning the act.
“They (PAS) have the right to do so. There are no issues with a protest, they should express their views. If they want to do so, they can but the government has already done it (opposed the act), in fact we already contacted the Swedish ambassador to inform where we stand,” the prime minister was quoted as saying.
While PAS intends to express their views by way of a street protest, rapper Caprice decided to go down a different road.
In a social media video, Caprice expressed his displeasure of what happened by cutting  up a piece of Swedish brand H&M shirt that was bought previously.

https://twitter.com/hanafiEzu/status/1617829844460646401?s=20&t=XNbm-Ph6znG5pM1UoKdNDw

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Pharmacy Students Criticized For Judging Folks That Buy Contraceptive Pills In TikTok Dance Video

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A duo believed to be pharmaceutical students from the PICOMS International University College (PICOMS) triggered outrage online with a TikTok video they made that netizens deemed to be unethical.

The seven-second clip had a duo dressed in lab coats making a short dance number and supposedly conveying their disapproval of unmarried couples purchasing emergency contraceptive (EC) medication or morning-after pills.
kalau aku jumpah minah tudung mcm ni time i beli pill, mmg aku lempang kuat2 bodoh je pic.twitter.com/dH24BU3gP8— Scorpio 🦂 (@glowinputaaa) January 26, 2022
Netizens accused the duo of being unprofessional and going against the Hippocratic Oath taken by medical practitioners.
Commenters described that medical practitioners should not be judgmental and refuse patients seeking medical treatment or advice.
iv always mentioned tht if u cant be professional, lack of empathy and ruthless pls dont put yourself in a healtcare industry. your job is to make sure people feel safe and not being judged when they come to seek help. pandai2 ni masuk medic school tpi tkda moral bongok juga https://t.co/k4QGheqt76— ellecolle🏴 (@41cornellie) January 27, 2022
Sorry but as a healthcare practitioner, your job is to provide them with necessary treatments, NOT JUDGING THEM. Did she skip medical ethics classes? Sebab bodo nak mampus 🙄 https://t.co/uM55KbxHRK— ɴᴀᴅᴇᴇʀᴀ (@ndyrhzn) January 26, 2022
The All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) also stepped in with a statement saying that pharmacists should not stigmatize patients seeking contraceptive access as it is a basic human right.
Where’s the professionalism? Pharmacists, as advocates of patient health, shouldn’t worsen the stigma of buying morning-after pills. Sexual & reproductive health, including emergency contraceptive access, is a human right. Don't shame🚺for taking charge of their bodies #AWAMSays https://t.co/2YSRFLVgiM— All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) (@AWAMMalaysia) January 27, 2022
Several medical practitioners also took time to explain that there are other uses for EC medication other than to prevent pregnancies.
Hahaha igt ambik OCP utk elak pregnant je ke????😅Others non-contraceptive usage of OCP:– Prevent Endometriosis,ovarian cancer/cyst– Reduce Acne– Lessen the menstrual painPlease don’t judge people and learn medical ethics✌🏻 https://t.co/zRvJgHeuIO— DANIAL HAKIM (@Dxnixlrun) January 27, 2022
Additionally, it appears that some netizens even took it upon themselves to report and complain about the students’ behaviour directly to PICOMS.
(Credit: versaceboujee via TikTok)
EC is a birth control measure used after sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) EC can prevent over 95% of pregnancies when taken within five days after intercourse.
It can be used in cases or situations of unprotected sex, concerns about possible contraceptive failure and incorrect use of contraceptives (like when someone incorrectly uses a condom or if the condom breaks) as well as in cases of sexual assaults.
The medication can work to prevent pregnancies by stopping or delaying female ovulation.
ECs DOES NOT induce abortion and cannot interrupt an established pregnancy or harm a developing embryo.

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Source:
Emergency contraception


From Truffles To Tropical Sorbets, Flavours Take The Reins In CC By Mel’s New Menu [Review]

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CC By Mel promises to keep things fresh and exciting for its customers. To keep to their promise, they recently launched a new menu to tickle everyone’s taste buds and continue to surprise us with their creativity!

I was soon back at the restaurant in Bukit Jalil to try out some of the new dishes they have lovingly cooked up.
What I Liked
Truffle Puddle V2.0 and Smoked Salmon V2.0. Image: Adeline Leong/ TRP
We ordered four dishes from the new menu – Smoked Salmon V2.0, Truffle Puddle V2.0, Angus Truffle Bikini, and Una Nori.
The Smoked Salmon V2.0 is beautifully presented on a bed of truffle aligot, sautéed leek, smoked duck dust and spring onion oil.
The saltiness from the smoked duck cubes complements the taste of the applewood smoked salmon and balances out with the truffle aligot.
If you love the taste of truffles, you should try the dish that’s aptly named the Truffle Puddle V2.0. The first thing you’ll notice about the dish is the big pasta shells.
As someone who loves eggs, I loved having the rich egg yolk mixed in with the mushroom bits and stuffed them all inside the shells before taking a bite.
The taste of truffle can be overpowering for some people but it isn’t the case in Truffle Puddle V2.0 and the mild flavouring balances the rest of the dish well.
Angus Truffle Bikini and Una Nori. Image: Adeline Leong/ TRP
For small bites, the delightfully simple mixture of ingredients in the Angus Truffle Bikini surprised me. Sandwiched in between the brown buttered toast are beef slices and brie cheese.
I was glad to find that the beef slices were tender and not stringy so each bite was heavenly. After enjoying a few bites of the sandwiches, I realise it tasted very much like a pizza (it must be the cheese).
The second snack we tried was the Una Nori. The Una Nori sports the unique fried taco-like seaweed shell that holds up the rest of the ingredients inside. It’s packed with unagi bits, truffled eggs, avocado, furikake, tempura nori, rice and topped with ikura.
Compared to the other dishes we tried, the Una Nori was also good but came off a little plain. Despite that, it’s still a tasty light snack if you need to get something to go.
Ebithi Ebi and Angus Don. Image: Adeline Leong/ TRP
Since we were back for the second time in CC By Mel, we thought it would be a good idea to order the Angus Don again to see if the standards hold up. We’re happy to report that the Angus Don still tastes delicious.
READ MORE: CC By Mel – Are The Food And Drinks As Good As Its Presentation? [Review]
We also tried a seafood spaghetti dish called Ebithi Ebi. It has an interesting, mild taste with plenty of fish roe to give the dish some texture.
Popcorn Latte, Brown Sugar Earl Grey, and Icy Salt Latte. Image: Adeline Leong/ TRP
In addition to new dishes, CC By Mel also introduced some new drinks to quench everyone’s thirst. We ordered the Brown Sugar Earl Grey, Popcorn Latte and Icy Salt Latte.
The most interesting drink of the three was the Popcorn Latte. When it comes to caramel popcorns, there’s a chance that it can be too sweet.
Fortunately, the sweetness of the drink was balanced well enough so you can still taste the bitterness of the coffee. The refreshing drink is topped with mini marshmallows too.
People with a sweet tooth will find the Brown Sugar Earl Grey pleasing enough because it’s not super sweet like most brown sugar drinks are. The Icy Salt Latte lives up to its name and it’s not overpowering flavour-wise either.
The desserts – Tropical Alice and Pistachio Brownie. Image: Adeline Leong/ TRP
After having a sumptuous meal, we ordered two of the new desserts – Pistachio Brownie and Tropical Alice.
Pistachio Brownie has a hard shell exterior with a rich dense chocolate in the centre. The dessert is topped with strawberries, pistachio ganache and edible flowers. The strawberries gave a burst of sweetness to the dessert.
Tropical Alice has got to be the cutest dessert I’ve ever seen. The white rabbit is made out of coconut sorbet. Right at the core of the adorable sorbet is a refreshing combination of sweet and sour tropical fruits such as passion fruit and mango.
The dishes we tried are only a fraction of the new offerings in CC By Mel. More dishes will be added to the new menu soon so keep an eye out for them!
Getting to CC By Mel
Image: Adeline Leong/ TRP
CC By Mel is situated in a row of shops in Bukit Jalil. Customers can park outside the restaurant or opt to park their vehicles in the basement car park.
You can also park in Pavilion Bukit Jalil and take a 5-minute walk to the restaurant. It’s pretty much a straight road ahead from the entrance with the Golden Rooster.
CC By Mel
Address: Residensi Park, 2-13, Persiaran Jalil Utama, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
Website: https://www.ccbymel.com/

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2 M’sians Prove That Mental Illness Does Not Make Their Marriage Any Different From Anyone Else’s

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Romantic partnerships can be challenging even under the best of circumstances. Add a mental illness into that mix, and most people will tell you that your relationship is destined to fail.

But, what if you add two?
via GIPHY
Recently, Twitter user @FarisNazrin18 shared that he’s one-half of a power couple that happens to involve two people with mental illness.
There’s nothing peculiar about two mental illness patients being together as partners and it’s possible.Faris Nazrin via Twitter
Let the healing begin

We're Major Depressive Disorder & Schizoaffective Disorder survivors.And yes, our marriage is like other people's marriage too. There's nothing peculiar about two mental illness patients being together as partners and it's possible. pic.twitter.com/MtAFfkL1ry— Faris Nazrin (@FarisNazrin18) September 19, 2020

Faris has been living with schizoaffectove disorder since he was a teenager.
I was initially diagnosed with bipolar type 1 by a psychiatrist in Hospital Serdang. In 2017, my diagnosis changed to schizoaffective disorder after consulting with a clinical psychologist.Faris Nazrin to TRP
To put it simply, schizoeffective disorder is a mental health disorder marked by a combination of schizophrenia symptoms, like hallucinations or delusions, and mood disorder symptoms, like depression or mania.
Faris’ wife, Nur Jehaada has major depressive disorder.
My wife was a committee member of a mental health program and she needed to make a booklet. So, she went online and the descriptions of the symptoms made her realise that she had depression. She then went to the hospital to seek help.Faris Nazrin to TRP
Major depressive disorder or clinical depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.
As fate would have it, they were both diagnosed in the same year, 2016. Albeit, separately.
Jehaada is among the few lucky ones. She identified and understood her symptoms due to her involvement in a mental health awareness campaign.
Most people, like Faris, only realise they’re sick when they hit rock bottom. He told TRP that he went through a full blown psychosis episode before realising that he was sick and needed some help.

I was ‘riding a roller-coaster’ when I was in college. I didn’t know that I was sick until I hit a full blown psychosis where I thought everybody hated me. That’s when my friend brought me to see a doctor.Faris Nazrin to TRP
Even then, it took doctors another year to correctly diagnose Faris with schizoaffective disorder.
Boy meets girl
In 2017, the couple met on Facebook and connected over their shared struggle for mental health.
Faris shared that Jehaada commented on his post about his illness. Initially, he wasn’t interested. But then, one day he happened to come across an article about a girl who struggled with her depression but lived to tell her story. He saw the writer’s name in the byline, it was Jehaada.
Courage was all I saw in her so I braced myself to get to know her. After she returned to Malaysia from Yarmouk University, Jordan, we went to see each other accompanied by friends.Faris Nazrin to TRP
Eight months later, they decided to tie the knot.
When asked how the other partner reacted when finding out about about the other’s mental illness, Faris said that their shared experiences was what lead them to decide to get married.
It’s not really a surprise. People suffering from mental illness often feel misunderstood. Trying to relate to someone you love who has a mental illness can also be difficult and frustrating.
So, when you meet someone who understands what you’re going through because they’re going through something similar, it can feel incredibly assuring. It’s like having a daily reminder that you’re not alone.
Here we are now. Two years and a half of happy marriage.Faris Nazrin to TRP
Communication is key
(Credit: Faris Nazrin)
According to Faris, both he and Jehaada took their relationship seriously and made the effort to prepare each other before they decided to marry. They made it a point to ask each other all the serious and difficult questions.
Faris swears that their relationship isn’t much different from any other relationship, citing communication as an essential part of making their marriage work.
Aside from being open about their own likes and dislikes, Faris said they also communicated their “triggers” and how they prefer to be assisted if and when they experience a relapse.
Be transparent. No lies, no cover ups, no nothing. For example, she asked me the definition of marriage, the role of a husband, polygamy, children, life goals, and so much more.Faris Nazrin to TRP
A trigger is something that sets off a memory tape, or flashback, transporting a person back to the event of his/her original trauma. Triggers can be anything and are very personal, meaning different things trigger different people.
Meeting each other’s needs
For Faris, he said he prefers space and time alone with his thoughts when he’s experiencing an episode. He said Jehaada respects his needs and will give him all the space he needs, waiting patiently for him to look for her again when he’s ready.
He admits that sometimes his illness might cause him to say something insensitive to her out of impulse. He’s so grateful that she can acknowledge that those words aren’t coming from him.
On the flip side, Jehaada needs a consoling partner when she’s upset. Faris shares that his sweet wife likes being cuddled and kissed when she cries, and a patient ear that can listen to her while she expresses her feelings.
I would take her out and spend some quality time with her. Having Llao Llao together, that’s her favourite.Faris Nazrin to TRP
(Credit: Faris Nazrin)
As someone with major depressive disorder myself, engaged to an amazing man who happens to have bipolar 2 disorder, Faris and Jehaada’s success story gives me hope.
It’s so reassuring to know that regardless of the difficulties my partner and I may face in our relationship, it’s not impossible for two mental illness patients to be together and to be happy.

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Mâ€™sian teen to become FIRST pro footballer in Europe Top Division, Belgian Club gives hilarious welcome

Football has long been a passionate subject among Malaysians.
Those midnight mamak sessions watching football is an integral
part of our culture!

Credit: The Star

So when news broke last Friday (20th September) that a Malaysian teen was to become the FIRST professional football player in the Europe Top Division with a Belgium club, it kicked off a celebration online!
Celebration Dance GIF from Celebration GIFs

Luqman Hakim Shamsuddin, a 17-year old from Kelantan, will be joining Belgium football club KV Kortrjik when he turns 18 next year in March.

(From left) Tan Sri Vincent Tan, Luqman Hakim Shamsuddin & Syed Saddiq,  Youth & Sports Minister.(Credit: Yusof Mat Isa/Malay Mail)

This would make him Malaysiaâ€™s FIRST ever under-18 professional footballer in the Belgian League, which is ranked 10th by Union of European Football Associations (Uefa).

Credit: @kvkofficieel/Twitter

Before signing the 5-year deal, Luqman will undergo training
with Cardiff City FC in UK from January 2020.

 View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Luqmansam (@luqmansham_10) on Aug 8, 2019 at 3:12am PDT

FYI, both Cardiff City FC and KV Kortrjik are owned by Tan Sri Vincent Tan.
While Malaysians celebrated online by the striking news, it
was the Belgian footballâ€™s club reaction to the news that caught attention.

⏳ Incoming pic.twitter.com/sAb904SRP6
— KV Kortrijk (@kvkofficieel) September 20, 2019

KV Kortrjikâ€™s hilarious tweet on incoming Malaysians flooding their social media pages scored big amongst Malaysians who pitched in with their own reactions.

Credit: @padangbolasepak/Twitter

brace yourself 😅 pic.twitter.com/jI35P7XAIR
— Dark (@ginadark69) September 20, 2019

Malaysia hava a internet army,they call it "squad bawang rangers"😁
— Eimlez Mohamed (@eimlez86) September 20, 2019

Prepare nasi lemak
— Moe Masri (@MoeMasriBeats) September 20, 2019

With such an amusing start to Luqmanâ€™s European career, we’re sure itâ€™s only going to get better from here.
Congratulations Luqman!
When Your Friend Takes Your Advice GIF from Davidmann GIFs


Forced Child Labour Likely Among Disadvantaged Groups, Say Experts

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There’s a possibility for an increase in forced child labour among the poor, undocumented and refugee groups, warned experts.
This is due to families trying to cope with the aftermath of Covid-19.
FMT quoted Bharati Pflug, a Senior Specialist For Fundamental Principles And Rights At Work at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) who listed the types of work that these children would be forced into:
pornographydrug traffickingdebt bondageprostitutionhazardous jobs such as working underwater, working for long hours in unhealthy conditionsworking overnight using dangerous tools.
She said, during the “Covid-19: Protect children from child labour” webinar organised by ILO and Unicef, that the main contributor to this problem is the rising rate of unemployment.

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Penang caught in the middle – TWO typhoons affecting the state this weekend

Penang will be facing the effects of two tropical storms that will hit the region this weekend.

via GIPHY
Though the storms would be making landfall in other countries, Penang authorities are getting ready for abnormal weather conditions from Friday till Sunday and are placing response teams on standby.
Typhoon Matmo is likely to affect Myanmar and Bangladesh on Friday, while Typhoon Nakri is expected to hit Vietnam on Saturday

The two typhoons making landfall in the Pacific region(Image Credit: Cyclocane)

Typhoons are essentially tropical storms that form over the ocean and depending on its location and strength, it’s referred by different names.
A tropical storm that occurs in the Pacific Ocean is referred to as a typhoon, a storm that forms at the Atlantic Ocean and the northeastern Pacific Ocean are called hurricanes, and storms that start at the South Pacific or the Indian Ocean are referred as cyclones.
These storm systems can be huge, bringing with it strong winds, thunderstorms and heavy rains.
It can also cause a lot of damage when it comes over land.

via GIPHY
Tropical storms also last for long periods of time and are given names by weather scientists so that it can be identified and tracked as they blow across the planet.
The name of a storm that causes major devastation is never used again.
Like Typhoon Haiyan for instance. In 2013, the storm caused extensive damage and killed more than 7,000 people in the Philippines.

Damage from Typhoon Haiyan in Guiuan, the Philippines in 2013(Image Credit: New Your Times)

The rest of Malaysia is already soaking wet from the monsoon transitional period where heavy rain due to the transition phase between southwest and northeast monsoons expected to continue until early November.

(Image Credit: MET Malaysia)

So sit tight and be safe Penangites, it’s going to be a stormy weekend.

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Covid-19: Patient In Sg Buloh Hospital First In SEA To Be Treated With Remdesivir

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A Covid-19 patient currently admitted at Sungai Buloh Hospital will be the first person in Southeast Asia to be treated with the experimental drug Remdesivir.
According to Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the Health Ministry has started recruiting active cases for Remdesivir clinical trials at hospitals across the country. These trials will be under the World Health Organisation (WHO) and involve 100 patients.
We have received the drug and distributed it to nine hospitals. We have also recruited one case for the clinical trial, and we aim at getting 100 patients.Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah via NST
The first recruited case for Remdesivir in Southeast Asia is a patient being treated at Sungai Buloh Hospital. (Credit: NST)
Remdesivir was initially developed as a treatment option for Ebola. Although it failed at doing that, studies showed that the drug was safe for humans.
Clinical trials for the treatment of Covid-19 using Remdesivir have already begun in other countries. In some cases, the drug has been seen to improve patients’ outcomes, especially when given earlier in the course of infection.
Dr Noor Hisham explained that the clinical trials being done here will probably take about six months before reports can be completed and submitted to WHO.
WHO will then look into all the reports from (clinical trials done) around the world, including Malaysia, and study them according to their protocols.Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah via NST

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[Watch] E-Hailing Driver Cancels Ride After 6 People Try To Fit Into Car

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A video of an e-hailing driver cancelling a ride after passengers attempted to overload his car has gone viral on social media.

The driver, who works for a popular e-hailing service, shared the video on TikTok.
He said the trip was booked by a female student at the University of Malaya.
  @safrah699 budak2 UM ni mana boleh nak msk 6 orng dlm keta kan dh kena cancel dkt university belajar apa benda basic pun tak tahu.. #ehailing ♬ original sound  – safrah699
In the video, the driver tells the passengers that only four people are allowed in the car, but they attempted to bring six.
The driver can be heard saying, “Empat orang aje, mana boleh ramai-ramai” (only four people, not more).
Despite the driver’s warning, one of the passengers insisted they could all fit in the car.
The driver then cancelled the ride and asked all the passengers to exit the vehicle.
Social Media Response To The Incident
The incident has sparked a debate on social media, with many users commending the driver for prioritizing safety over convenience.
Some users also criticized the passengers for attempting to overload the car and not following the rules set by the e-hailing service.
Netizens added that the passengers should have requested for a 6-seater car, which provides groups of more than 4 passengers a safer and more convenient way to travel.
In Malaysia, e-hailing services have strict rules on the number of passengers allowed in a car.
Overloading a car can not only result in a fine for the driver but also jeopardize the safety of all passengers.
The incident serves as a reminder for passengers to follow the rules set by e-hailing services and for drivers to prioritize their safety and that of their passengers.
Zaman Grab Uber if six seven seater mg one of the common ones would be Alza / Exora.But I believe drivers would show them what kind of car + luggage +baggage is suitable for the pickup. https://t.co/0jFd2EkR0g— Adrian Clarke (@AdrainClerk) May 12, 2023

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7 New Hari Raya Songs By M’sian Artists To Add To Your Playlist

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Part of the excitement of ‘balik kampung’ is belting out to your favourite songs. Since it’s the Raya week, everyone would have lined up their favourite tunes to accompany them on the long drive home.

However, that can grow old and boring quickly, especially when the playlist repeats itself.
If you’re looking for something different from the usual, why not mix up the Raya playlist a little with some of these new songs?
Here are some of the new Raya songs, in no particular order:
1. SOG x Shila Amzah – Seikhlas Hati

Local rock group SOG and Shila Amzah brought Malaysian listeners a fresh rock n roll Raya song. Most netizens welcomed the unique take, and they loved the flute solo right in the middle of the chorus. While it certainly surprised some who are more used to the traditional Raya songs, Seikhlas Hati definitely brought a different level of energetic Raya vibes.
2. DOLLA x Hael Husaini – Suara Lebaran Kita

The local all-girl group DOLLA is popular for their edgy sounds and styles. Thus, it’s no surprise that Suara Lebaran Kita puzzled listeners when it first dropped. Despite this, netizens appreciated that the song is versatile and relatable to all Malaysians who couldn’t celebrate the festivities for the past year. Suara Lebaran Kita brings forth a different cheerful energy to the festivities with its upbeat and catchy tune.
3. Yonnyboii, Luca Sickta, Kmy Kmo, Abubakarxli, Siqma, ASYRAF NASIR – Rap Der Raya

Rap Der Raya gives a laidback yet cheerful vibe so it’ll definitely make the drive home feel calmer and happier too. You’ll wish for the traffic jam to disperse because the song talks about getting ready for the Raya festivities with your loved ones.
4. Kmy Kmo, Luca Sickta, Siqma, Asyraf Nasir and Yonnyboii – Balik Kampung (Remix)

Universal Music Malaysia has given the evergreen Raya song by the late Datuk Sudirman Arshad a remix. Several local artists gave the iconic song a hip hop touch, with a re-arrangement by rapper Luca Sickta.
5. Man Bai – Kau Ilhamku di Hari Raya

Man Bai’s Kau Ilhamku has been a hit until now since its release in 1995. For this year, the song has been given an updated tune via a mashup with Saloma’s Selamat Hari Raya. Having two iconic songs in one is definitely a special treat for listeners of all ages. The mashup is produced by producer and singer-songwriter Amylea Azizan.
6. Bunga Isme – Cerita Kita Bersama

The musical accompaniment in Cerita Kita Bersama gives the spoken word performance a rap-like quality to it. Local rapper Bunga Isme’s heartfelt rap song sets the tone for a meaningful celebration this Raya. The song was inspired by her memories of Ramadan and Hari Raya celebrations and it encapsulates the importance of family ties and a myriad of emotions.
7. Nana Sheme – R.A.Y.A.

R.A.Y.A. encapsulates the excitement to balik kampung after being under MCO for the past two years. The song evokes a sentimental mood too because the Sarawakian singer herself is abroad this Raya.

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The Next ‘Squid Game’? Here’s THE Zombie Netflix Show To Binge This Public Holiday

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Chinese New Year is right around the corner, so that means everyone is getting a public holiday break in the middle of the week.

Naturally, this means it’s the perfect time to pick up a new show to watch, and Netflix delivers.
If you have time, why not give their new zombie series, All Of Us Are Dead, a shot?

Despite only being released on Netflix on 28 January (just 3 days ago), the series is now already the top streamed show on Netflix in Malaysia worldwide.
Perhaps most of us are simply trying to scratch the itch that Squid Game left behind, but there certainly seems to be an appetite for darker survival shows.
High School Is A Nightmare, Literally
The story, based on a popular Webtoon Now At Our School by artist Joo Dong-Geun, is set in a high school in Korea where students are turned into bloodthirsty zombies while survivors try to stay alive.

Surprisingly, unlike a majority of zombie flicks, the characters in All Of Us Are Dead know of the concept of zombies, and the idea of the aggressive undead is actually well-known.
Whereas most zombie movies always explain the “zombie virus” as something novel that took the world by surprise, in this universe within All Of Us Are Dead, zombies are already part of their ‘fiction’.
In fact, the characters reference another Korean zombie blockbuster directly, Train to Busan!
Despite being attacked by blood-thirsty friends and classmates, our main group of characters still manage to do all the things that highschoolers do, like fall in love and get into fights (with zombies).
The series is only 12 episodes long, making it perfect to binge this week.

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How much do we Malaysians respect our teachers? A LOT, but…

It’s Teacher’s Day, and do you know what country is the most respectful of teachers?!
It’sâ€¦ NOT Malaysia!
It’s China actually. Malaysia’s number 2.

via GIPHY
Taiwan’s number 3, followed by Russia, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey, India, New Zealand, Singapore, and Canada.
Even though New Zealand and Canada aren’t in Asia and Turkey’s kinda half-in, half-out, this showed that a lot of Asian countries respect their teachers more than European countries.
Brazil and Israel respected teachers the least.
(Source: Global Teacher Status Index 2018)
Where did you learn that?
This is according to the Global Teacher Status Index 2018 (GTSI2018), a study conducted by UK institutions; the University of Sussex, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, and the Varkey Foundation.
They found that countries that scored high in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) were also higher in the GTSI2018 rankings.

“This index finally gives academic proof to something that weâ€™ve always instinctively known: the link between the status of teachers in society and the performance of children in school.”
“Now we can say beyond doubt that respecting teachers isnâ€™t only an important moral duty â€“ itâ€™s essential for a countryâ€™s educational outcomes.”
Varkey Foundation founder Sunny Varkey
 You named your foundation after yourself?Forbes says you’re worth USD2.8 billion? Nevermind. Go nuts.(Pic via Twitter)
However, they also did not find any association between the GTSI2018 rankings and teacher’s wages. In other words, respect for teachers does not drive higher pay for those teachers.
But what the study did reaffirms their previous findings that there is a relationship between teacher pay and PISA pupil performance.

via GIPHY

“This substantive result, which we have reported before in 2013, is now recognised as robust and of considerable policy relevance.”
“It suggests that there is a clear relationship between the relative quality of teachers a system recruits when the wages on offer to them is higher.”
 Global Teacher Status Index 2018
The authors of the study are Peter Dolton (University of Sussex and NIESR), Oscar Marcenaro (University of Malaga), Robert De Vries (University of Kent), Po-Wen She (NIESR).


Volleyball ‘Tampar’ Incident: Students Plead For Netizens To Stop Attacking Their Coach As ‘Gemuk Dan Botak’

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In a recent viral video just this new year, Malaysians were shocked to see a male coach slapping teenage female athletes in public.

The incident was recorded live on the Facebook account of the Malaysia Volleyball Association on 16 December 2022 but went viral on social media on 1 January 2023.
(Credit: Malaysian Volleyball Association / Facebook)
The incident happened during a volleyball match in the 20th Malaysia Youth U14 Volleyball Championship 2022 (Girl’s Category below 14) between Johor and Melaka.
According to Sinar Harian, the match was to secure third place in the championship and was held at SJK (C) Pei Hwa in Johor.
In the video, the coach for the Melaka team was seen slapping two female athletes in the face right after the break after they had lost points for the team. The said athletes did not react to the slap and later resumed playing the game like normal.
(Credit: Malaysian Volleyball Association / Facebook)
The Sports & Education Minister picks it up
Youth & Sports Minister, Hannah Yeoh picked up the news and condemned the actions of the coach.
She also said that slapping anyone, boys, girls, athletes, spouses or maids is in fact wrong. Malaysians should stop normalizing physical abuse such as these as means of behavioural compliance.
She further said that they will conduct an independent investigation to determine whether this kind of violent training has been practised in the volleyball team for a long time.
Read comments on slapping incident by volleyball coach saying it’s wrong to slap girls.1. Slapping boys wrong too. Infact, slapping anyone is wrong.2. Malaysians must stop normalising physical abuse as means for behavioural compliance – wrong on kids, athletes, spouse or maid!— Hannah Yeoh (@hannahyeoh) January 2, 2023
Together with the Minister of Education, Fadhlina Sidek, they probed further into the case.
Earlier today, Fadhlina gave a statement to the press saying that the Education Ministry will not compromise on violence that involves students.
The ministry has met with the parents of the athletes and according to reports, they are still investigating the case and haven’t concluded the incident yet. There are many stakeholders in the case, not just the parents, and they will look at the case as a whole, especially on matters related to integrity and discipline.
The ministry, through the Melaka Education Department, had also conducted counselling sessions for the two girls.
KPM memandang serius isu pelajar yang ditampar jurulatih baru-baru ini dan akan tetap meneruskan tindakan khususnya melibatkan integriti dan tatatertib – Menteri Pendidikan, @FadhlinaSiddiq#AWANInews #PantauKerajaanBaharu pic.twitter.com/c80FR4W4GU— 🇲🇾Astro AWANI🇲🇾 (@501Awani) January 3, 2023
Even got the attention of international eyes
The video didn’t just go viral in Malaysia, apparently, it also caught the attention of an international football coach and youth mentor, Mehran Rowshan who’s based in Dubai.
Two days ago, he did a reaction to the video that has been circulating online about the local coach slapping his underage athletes.
  @mehranrowshan If this happens around you 😡, don’t stay quite! A fossil slapping his players! #bullying #dinosaurcoach #safeguardingchildren ♬ Sweet Dreams – Ravens Rock
The coach was suspended temporarily, further action will be known on Wednesday
On 1 January, the Malaysia Volleyball Association (Mava) issued a media statement, suspending the coach from further involvement in the National Volleyball activities until the investigations are finalized.

According to reports, the coach in question has already apologised directly to the two athletes the same day and the issue was resolved. He even approached the parents and apologised for his behaviour.
State Youth Development, Sports and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) committee chairman V.P Shanmugam yesterday said that the matter has been resolved and does not need to be protracted.
According to him, the coach was specially appointed by the Melaka Volleyball Association for this specific tournament. He has been coaching both teenagers since they were in primary school and the incident on December 16 was the first.
“Perhaps he was disappointed with the drop in the performance of his players that made him act in such a way. However, it should not have happened,” he said.
The decision to permanently suspend the coach will be known on Wednesday, he further stated.
The team pleads to stop attacking the coach
In a separate reaction, a Twitter user going by the name ‘Melaka volleyball club’ reacted to the news of their coach being suspended.
They pleaded to the public to stop attacking their coach and let them handle the issue internally. They admitted that his reaction was wrong but they believed it was his way of educating them. They forgave his action and stood firmly behind their coach.
“He is not fat or bald that you can just insult,” the Twitter account posted in defending their coach.
Kami sebagai pemain-pemain yang dilatih dan juga bermain untuk pasukan bawah 14 dan 16 tahun Melaka.Beliau bukan gemuk dan botak yg korang boleh hina . Beliau coach kami yg mlatih kami drpd hatinya yg ikhlas Sehingga kami berjaya mencipta satu sejarah baru untuk negeri MELAKA. pic.twitter.com/731ZmMLHq8— malacca volleyball club (@mastanahvc) January 2, 2023
Also, earlier today, according to Sinar Harian, one of the parents of the slapped individual released a statement that he wants the coach to still be a volleyball coach.
Abd Halim Bakar, 50, said that it was indeed an unfortunate event that shouldn’t have happened but the slap did not cause any physical injuries to his 14-year-old daughter.
In fact, his daughter is even worried about the status of his coach as he has given a lot to ensure their volleyball team succeeds.
“From having zero knowledge of volleyball to representing Melaka in a national tournament, he has given so much to polish their skills to become good athletes,” said the parent to a reporter in his house in Kampung Melekek today.

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Malaysian motorcyclists rant about depressing AKLEH traffic jams goes viral

It’s tough being a motorcyclist in Malaysiaâ€¦ Riders have to deal with a lot of things from contending with the harsh unpredictable Malaysian weather to dodging big crazy cars and trucks on the highway.

via GIPHY
Though most of us four-wheeled road users often look upon these small, agile riders with envy as they idly zip pass traffic while we sit in silence mulling over the craziness of the rush hour crunch, it rarely crosses our minds that motorcyclists have their share of depressing traffic jams too.

(Image Credit: dailyhunt)

This particular grievance was brought to light on the Careta Facebook page, where it shared an opinion about the gridlock experienced by motorcyclists on the Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH).
The post described the irritations on the terrible traffic situation that motorcyclists are faced with while passing through the highway toll gate.

(Image Credit: eztakaful)

The post also lamented on how authorities were quick to blame motorcyclists rather than finding a solution for the problem.

Rows upon rows of motorcycles lining the far left lane can be seen in a photo accompanying the post, giving a snapshot of what riders go through on a daily basis in order to navigate the small motorcycle lane heading into the elevated highway.

 (Image Credit: hdforums)

Peeking through the comments, it’s easily deduced that this frustration is mutual among the majority of riders.
Some made the point of agreeing with the posting on how Malaysian motorcyclists, in particular, have been neglected by regulatory bodies and authorities.

(Image Credit: Facebook)

Translation:
“This is my daily route. Every time I get here I’d have to crane my neck to see if the car toll counter is open. If it is, thank god.”
“One can’t be expected to leave the house at 5 in the morning since office hours start at 7.30. It can be done at first, sure, but after a while, the body gets exhausted and will be too tired to go to work in the morning.”
“It’s like lining up to enter Singapore. AKLEH has to provide a convenient motorcycle lane… Yea sure we know that bikes don’t need to pay the toll…”
“If you want to keep on blaming motorcyclists. Let’s all riders make a pact to drive cars, so all roads will be jammed.”
via Facebook)

 (Image Credit: Facebook)

Translation:
“Safety experts don’t feel riders. Keep on blaming them. It’s the drivers who are at fault for crowding the roads. Whatever happened to carpooling?”
“Try and see how these so-called experts navigate to work, if there are those who ride bikes, they only do so on weekend rides on the PLUS highway. Try getting them to ride an EX5 to and from work every day see if they can do it…”
 via Facebook
A few commenters also pointed out that originally motorcyclists weren’t allowed into AKLEH and that the highway wasn’t initially designed to take on such volume of motorcycle traffic.

 (Image Credit: Facebook)

Translation:
“The highway was originally built without a motorcycle lane. It’s only after Tun Badawi (Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) ordered all expressways to be open  for public motorcycles.”
“Actually if I’m not mistaken motorcycles weren’t allowed on AKLEH, and I don’t get why riders would use the highway since there’s Jalan Ampang. It’s quite dangerous to ride a bike on AKLEH, there are only two to three lanes there…”
 via Facebook
While other commenters chose to highlight the ongoing problems concerning motorcyclists and bike lanes in the country.

 (Image Credit: Facebook)

“It’s not just AKLEH. Even tolled roads don’t design motorcycle lanes properly. just look at the bike lane exit on the NPE by Jalan Dato Harun… If you are not careful, you’ll die…”
 via Facebook
What remains clear is that motorcyclists have the right to the road as any other commuter, thus deserve to demand convenience and safety on their journey.
Let’s hope that our riders out there will get to see more changes and improvements towards their cause in the days to come.


PN Now Ready To Discuss Unity Government

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Perikatan Nasional (PN) says they are now open to considering the formation of a Unity Government, though only through discussions with other parties that are aligned with them.

In a statement, PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said this was for the sake of the rakyat’s well-being and the country’s stability.
The decision apparently follows a special meeting today of the party’s supreme council to discuss the formation of a unity government at the federal level.
However, PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin just two days ago had declined a suggestion by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to form a unity government with Pakatan Harapan (PH).

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How Much Does The Dewan Rakyat Speaker Earn Every Month & What Are The Benefits He Gets?

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There’s no denying that Parliament is important, even if it feels a little like a telenova drama sometimes. After all, Parliament discusses and decides on issues that would impact the country. They are the elected representatives of the people, to fight for our cause, and to make Malaysia a better place for all.
Undoubtedly, heavy are the shoulders that carry this responsibility. The parliamentary Speaker of the House of Representatives presides over the House’s debates and determines who can talk about what.
In remuneration of their service, the Speaker of the House is allowed certain generous privileges. According to Statute Paper No.95 of 1980, pursuant to section 5 of the Members of Parliament (Remuneration) Act 1980 (Act 237), the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has bestowed multiple work privileges for being Speaker of the House.
In a nutshell, Speakers are given allowances for:– Residence (either Government quarters or allowance up to RM4,000 monthly)– Entertainment allowance (up to RM9,860)– House upkeep (RM10,000 a year) including a dining set for 50 people– Up to 4 domestic servants (including a gardener)– Utilities (free)– Handphones (costing not more than RM3,000)– Personal drivers (up to 2)– Free firearm license– and the usual work allowances such as lodging and mileage.
Additionally, they receive a one-time sum of RM10,000 upon appointment of the position.

Just How Much Do Malaysian Parliamentarians Get Paid?

All these perks, allowances, and benefits are in addition to the monthly salary of RM31,000 that the Speaker of the House of Representatives receives.
Parliamentary members already earn a 5-figure salary from representing us, though of course it depends on the position they hold.
Perhaps we treat Speakers of the House of Representatives so well because we project the hope of owning such comforts onto them. After all, they represent us, do they not?

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[Watch] Fauzi Hits Back At Critics, As Experts Warn Of Danger Of Rape Jokes

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Fauzi Nawawi, a Malaysian actor who was under fire for his casual comments about enjoying a rape scene, has now hit back at critics instead.

The 48-year-old actor took down his apology video from Instagram after a day. In its place, he posted a cryptic and passive-aggressive response that seems to be lifted from Tiktok.
“God won’t forgive the critics until the person [who was criticized] has forgiven them. Be careful,” Nawawi wrote in the caption. The 30-second video was accompanied by an Islamic preacher’s voice in the background.
        View this post on Instagram            A post shared by FauziNawawi (@theonlyfauzinawawi)
He later put up a second video with a string of text stating, “Those who are patient have no regrets. Their pain will be replaced with happiness they’ve never dreamed of.”
Nawawi was criticised after the Rumah No. 107 interview clip, which was aired back in June, went viral on Tuesday.
In the interview, he recounted how he had to hide his enjoyment filming the rape scene in the film Anak Halal (2007) and didn’t stop there. He went on and described in detail how the rape scene was filmed with his co-star Raja Farah Aziz, pointing out her tight shorts and how she spread her legs.
Nawawi’s public apology did little to quell criticisms when he tried to explain why it happened.
“When we were shooting this segment, I had asked the production staff to censor the sensitive parts because whenever we talk among men, we cannot really control ourselves,” Nawawi said, showing how he has not fully understood why the whole conversation was wrong in the first place.
DJ Shuk Sahar, one of the hosts on the talk show, apologised and asked forgiveness. According to mStar, he explained he refused to say anything more because he doesn’t want to mistakenly say something and cause more hurt.
“If it’s possible, I don’t want to go into detail with the issue. It’s not because I want to run away but what happened involved other people..not only me,” he said.
Nawawi’s tactless comments on live television were met with backlash from local celebrities as well.
Actress Lisa Surihani took to Instagram to voice her concerns. “The allowance of rape scenes has crossed its line to glamourizing and normalizing sexual violence against women,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories. “Talking about rape in such a manner, speaks volumes about the LACK of realization of how WRONG this is.”
Sepet star Sharifah Amani pointed out Nawawi’s lack of respect for his co-star on Twitter. “Disgusting, disrespectful, disappointing,” she wrote. “This is what happens when there is no respect for one’s career, colleagues, and among human beings. I don’t understand how this was allowed, from filming to airing of the show. Did no one see how horrible it was? How was this allowed on mainstream [TV]?”

https://twitter.com/sharifahamani/status/1450711594938212352

Bront Palare, Nawawi’s other co-star in Anak Halal, called for the end of rape jokes. “Nothing can mask the feelings of regret. We need to be better than this #NoMoreRapeJokes,” he said.
How And Why Rape Culture Harms Society
Speaking to Malaysiakini, University Malaya Gender Studies Programme Associate Professor Shanti Thambiah and Malaysia Mental Health Association (MMHA) president Dr Andrew Mohanraj explained why rape jokes are a dangerous issue.
“Sexist jokes and rape jokes may not seem like that big of a deal because they are verbal and not physical, but they contribute to the same way of thinking that fuels real-life violence,” Thambiah said.
Thambiah continued to say creating a space safe also means creating a space that does not tolerate rape jokes. She added that rape jokes are always harmful and left unchecked, rape jokes send a negative message that trivializes rape and sexual assault.
These jokes are themselves a form of violence because making light of rape and sexual assault re-traumatise survivors and victims.
“These types of comments and behaviour may cause harm by re-traumatising survivors, where they may feel that the violence they experienced is a source of entertainment for others,” Thambiah told Kini.
Malaysia Mental Health Association (MMHA) president Dr Andrew Mohanraj points out that the lack of empathy and treating topics like these in a light-hearted manner are probably signs of deeper issues.
According to Mohanraj, men who talk about rape in a casual tone tend to lack empathy, exhibit narcissistic traits and are hostile to women.
“Although some might talk about it in the light of sexual gratification or sexual interest, it is more about demeaning people,” he added.

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Your Robot Vacuum Cleaner Can Spy On You, Say Singaporean Computer Scientists

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It sounds like straight out of a science fiction novel or a movie but researchers have found ways to use your robot vacuum cleaner to spy on your private conversations.

Computer scientists over at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have demonstrated that it’s possible by using the built-in Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) sensor in these vacuum cleaners.
How your robot vacuum can spy on you
Based on the research, they used LidarPhone, a hacking technique that allows the attacker to use the Lidar sensor and convert it into a laser microphone, something which has been in existence since 1947.
The term LidarPhone was coined by the NUS researchers who developed a system that repurposed the Lidar sensor to sense acoustic signals in the environment, remotely harvest the data from cloud, and process the raw signal to extract information.
The core idea is to change that Lidar into a laser-based microphone that can sense sounds from subtle vibrations induced on nearby objects.
They use the vacuum to reflect lasers off common objects such as a dustbin or a takeaway bag located near a person’s computer speaker or television soundbar.
Although the Lidar can be manipulated with the LidarPhone attack, the researchers say that they had to modify the vacuum cleaner, which was a Xiaomi Roborock to make the hack work.
These boisCredit: Xiaomi
Lidar is used by many robot vacuum cleaner manufacturers to navigate their way around a room after the technology was first introduced in 2011.
The researchers said the system was able to detect the digits being spoken aloud, which could constitute a victim’s credit card or bank account numbers and music clips from television shows could potentially disclose the victim’s viewing preferences or political orientation.
They also discovered the best material for reflecting the laser beam was a glossy polypropylene bag, while the worst was a glossy cardboard.
Based on their research, it achieved up to 91% accuracy for digit classification and a 90% accuracy rate when it comes to classifying music clips.
How do you prevent such attacks?
Thankfully, the researchers also recommended ways to prevent your personal conversations from being compromised.
The NUS researchers recommend users to consider not connecting their robot vacuum cleaners to the Internet.
The team also recommended that Lidar sensor manufacturers incorporate a mechanism that cannot be overridden, to prevent the internal laser from firing when the Lidar is not rotating.

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Malaysian Tower Runner Wins And Beats Own Record At “Scale The Strat 2023” Race

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Malaysia’s number one tower runner Soh Wai Ching once again beat his own record and emerged champion at the ‘Scale the Strat Tower” race in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on Sunday.

Soh ran 108 floors up the tallest tower in the United States involving 1,455 steps at a height of 260 metres in 6 minutes 46 seconds.
This current record equals the previous record set by Mexican tower runner Alexis Trujillo in 2020, Malay Mail reported.
The second and third places were won by two host athletes, Mark Ewell who finished the run in 8:42s and Mark Henderson who completed the race in 8:54s.
I will be back next year to aim for a sub 6:30 minutes!Soh Wai Ching wrote on Facebook
Previously, Soh finished the same race in a record time of 6:57s in February 2022.
Soh also thanked his supporters and reminded everyone to stay tuned for the announcement of his next big project.
READ MORE: Malaysian Tower Runner Soh Wai Ching Wins Gold And Breaks Record In Dubai

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GoT fans petition to remake Season 8

Season 8 of Game of Thrones has had the internet abuzz ever since the first episode dropped last month.
Since then, many viewers have been increasingly frustrated over the writing of the show, claiming that the writing deteriorated quickly in the last few episodes.

How people feel the writing of the show has been so far.

While there are those that enjoyed the season, episode 5 of Season 8 received the lowest Rotten Tomato score in the series’ history.
At a mere 47%, fans and critics are not liking what they are seeing.

Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

A lot of fans felt almost betrayed by how episode 5 played out, and with the finale just around the corner, many feel that there is no way to salvage season 8.

Picture credit: 9gag

In fact, people hated Season 8 so much that there is a petition to rewrite the season entirely.

There just a few hundred thousands of votes so far.(Screenshot of petition on change.org)

The petition starts off claiming that the showrunners have ruined Game of Thrones.

“David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have proven themselves to be woefully incompetent writers when they have no source material (i.e. the books) to fall back on.”
Dylan D.
This is because George R. R. Martin’s last book for the A Song of Ice and Fire series (of which the TV adaptation was based on) was all the way back in 2011.
He’s rather well-known for taking his time writing, so no wonder Games of Thrones caught up before he could even finish the next book!
George R. R. Martin might run out of Starks…
What were your thoughts on Season 8? Do you think it deserves a rewrite?


The Elderly, Men, And Smokers Most At Risk For COVID-19

When news portals started reporting that a new coronavirus had emerged from the depths of a Wuhan fresh produce market, fears of infection spread faster than the actual virus.
In Malaysia, health officials, doctors, and researchers acted immediately to contain the outbreak, while most of the public scrambled to their nearest pharmacy for some face masks and a bottle of hand sanitiser.
But it turns out that COVID-19 doesn’t infect all patients equally. In fact, the virus appears to be affecting a specific demographic more than others.
Scientists have noticed patterns with past outbreaks too
(Credit: The National)
An influenza virus in 1918 particularly affected young adults. The Zika outbreak had an especially devastating effect on pregnant women and the babies in their wombs. SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) which also started in China in 2002 affected those over 60 years old the hardest.
Figuring out which group of people might be most vulnerable to a particular disease is important to help health officials and communities respond better.
For example, a pregnant woman with Zika should be given the utmost medical attention from the start, rather than waiting until their condition worsens.
A study published on 24th February in The Journal of the American Medical Association looked at the first 45,000 cases that were confirmed in China to broadly examine how COVID-19 operates in humans.
More dangerous with age
(Credit: Business Insider)
The study found that so far, children aged 1-9 account for only 1% of all infections in China, and none of these cases resulted in death.
In fact, most patients are actually between 30 – 79 years old (87%). Amongst 70-year-olds that contracted the virus, 8% of them died. Meanwhile, the death rate for patients aged 80 and older was 15%.
Interestingly, COVID-19 doesn’t seem to spread through maternal transmission. One study found that nine women who were infected with the virus did not pass the virus on to their babies. So far, there have also been no reports of babies dying from COVID-19.
COVID-19 fatality rate by age. (Credit: World O Meters)
At the moment, scientists have no idea why children seem to be protected. Especially since children usually act as a carrier for disease.
A few possibilities considered was that children’s bodies might be better able to handle the effects of the virus. Or, perhaps the virus doesn’t replicate well in them for some reason.
Our men are in jeopardy
(Credit: FeedMe Malaysia)
The study also suggests that men were more vulnerable to COVID-19 compared to women, considering the fact that men make up more than half of the confirmed cases in China.
On top of that, the trend shows that male patients have also been dying twice as often as female patients. The death rate among men was 2.8%, compared to only 1.7% among women. However, there has not been enough strong evidence to make any conclusions.
Could smoking be the culprit?
(Credit: Asthma Malaysia)
Several experts have attributed the fact that men are more susceptible to the virus due to their smoking habits.
According to a study by WHO in 2019, 47% of Chinese men smoke, while only 1.8% of Chinese women share the same habit.
This theory is a bit difficult to confirm though, as there has not been enough data collected to prove a correlation between smoking and COVID-19 infections.
Healthy individuals are less at risk
(Credit: Astro Awani)
It’s possible that the increased fatality rate in the elderly is likely because many of them already have pre-existing health issues.
The study looking at the 45,000 confirmed cases in China found that patients with heart disease had a 10% mortality rate. Meanwhile, those with diabetes had around a 7% mortality rate.
Which means, being in good shape and taking care of your general health by getting enough sleep, exercising, eating well, and getting your annual shots is so much more important now. Doing this can actually help you be prepared for outbreaks such as COVID-19.
Take precautionary measures to stay safe
(Credit: New York Post)
However, these fatality statistics could change as COVID-19 continues to spread across the globe.
On 28 February, just as Malaysia’ last confirmed COVID-19 patient recovered and discharged, health officials found another person who tested positive for the virus. The patient is a 53-year-old Malaysian woman who had recently travelled to Japan. She is the 23rd confirmed case in the country.
Health professionals advise against any foreign travel that isn’t absolutely necessary for now, especially for those 65 years or older.
Besides that, taking the usual precautions like practising general hygiene and keeping up with the news about where the virus is spreading is probably a good idea too.
For more tips on how to protect yourself during an outbreak, we covered that here.

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Tâ€™gganu Men Jailed & Fined For Skipping Friday Prayers. You Could Be Next

Six Muslim men were nabbed by Terengganu religious authorities for skipping Friday prayers while enjoying a day at a waterfall.

(Image Credit Malay Mail)

The four men and two teens between the ages of 17 to 35-years-old were arrested during a raid conducted by the Terengganu Islamic Religious Affairs Department at the Sekayu Waterfall in Kuala Berang.
According to reports, the operation involved the departmentâ€™s female officers scouting the recreational area for males who were absent from the mosque during the obligatory Friday prayers before itâ€™s male officers came and made the arrests after prayers concluded.

(Image Credit: Utsman Media via Unsplash)

The accused were found guilty under Section 16 of the Terengganu Syariah Criminal Enactment (Takzir) for deliberately missing the compulsory Friday prayer which provides a maximum jail sentence of two years, or a fine of up to RM3,000.
All six were sentenced to spend a month in jail and fined more than RM2,000 each.
But hold up. Can Muslims be criminally charged for not performing prayers?

(Image Credit: Imgflip)

Yes. Apparently, they/you definitely can!
Prayer or Salat is the second Pillar of Islam and is obligatory for adult and able-bodied Muslims (male or female) to perform five times a day.
For Friday prayers, only men are obligated to attend the prayer session at the mosque and are not allowed to miss the prayer more than 3 times without valid reason.

(Image Credit: Rumman Amin via Unsplash)

Not only is missing prayers without reasonable cause a sin in Islam. In some Muslim countries, it is also considered a punishable criminal offence, including in Malaysia.
So letâ€™s get technical.
The Malaysian Syariah Court system has jurisdiction over matters pertaining to Islamic law, where a Muslim can be tried and charged for religious and moral violations like khalwat (close proximity), sex out of wedlock, and if caught eating during the fasting month.

(Image Credit: NST)

The Syariah court also presides over matters of Islamic family law like marriages, divorce, inheritance and the likes.
Under the Federal Constitution, the Syariah courts and areas of Islamic law falls under the regulation of each individual state.

(Image Credit: Ahmad Ali Karim)

And each state has its own set of rules called, Enactments, pertaining to Syariah law. (This includes the Federal Territories of KL, Putrajaya and Labuan which are controlled by the Federal Government)
(Like how in Kelantan you can be fined for wearing “indecent” clothing…)
So just in case you were curious, here are jurisdictions that have Enactments and legal consequences for Muslim men who deliberately miss Friday prayers:

Johor
Kedah
Kelantan
Melaka
Negeri Sembilan
Perak
Pahang
Penang
Perlis
Selangor
Sabah
Terengganu
Federal Territories (all of themâ€¦)

Based on our research, Sabah and Terengganu also have an Enactment that punishes those who deliberately miss fardhu prayers (the one which is obligated for Muslims to perform 5 times a day).
And as far as we checked, Sarawak is the only state which has no laws that criminalise anyone who skips prayer.
So if you’re thinking about skipping prayers, you better think again…

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Dr Noor Hisham Praised By US Colleague For How He Dealt With Covid-19 In M’sia

https://www.facebook.com/julie.miller.524596/posts/10158704123723824https://www.facebook.com/DGHisham/posts/3450451318312065
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Malaysia’s success and our Health Ministry’s response in handling the Covid-19 pandemic continues to receive praise from the global public health community. Especially towards Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and his team.
Adding to the list of praises is one from Professor Julie Miller. Originally from the United States but based in Australia, she identified herself as a friend, colleague, and fellow endocrine surgeon to Dr Noor Hisham.
Malaysia is an example of what happens when leaders listen to science and the population complies and supports their leadership.Julie Miller via Facebook
According to parathyroid.com.au, Julie is the President of Australia/New Zealand Endocrine Surgeons, and Head of the Endocrine Section of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. She is Head of the Thyroid and Endocrine Tumour Group of the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and directs the Thyroid Cancer Multidisciplinary Care Conference.
Comparison of the number of Covid-19 positive cases recorded between the United States, Sweden, Australia, and Malaysia. (Credit: Julie Miller/Facebook)
Julie took to social media to applaud Malaysia, Dr Noor Hisham, and the Malaysian public for coming together in breaking the infection chain of the Covid-19 virus and flattening out the country’s infection curve.

Julie opined that Dr Noor Hisham made hard decisions early when it came to dealing with the outbreak in Malaysia, even before the virus reached our shores.
She highlighted how Malaysia implemented strict border control, and vigorous testing, tracing, and isolation procedures to control the infection rate. She also spoke of the fact that the health ministry was open, clear, and consistent in relaying messages about the pandemic through daily press conferences, and implemented evidence and fact-based decision making.
Malaysia, a densely populated multicultural Asian country, has done very well, and Dr (Noor) Hisham is being hailed as a national hero. Science, not politics.Julie Miller via Facebook
Julie also pointed out that Malaysia’s elected officials also listened and implemented Dr Noor Hisham’s advice, and praised the people of Malaysia for adhering to the standard operating procedures enforced by the government during the various phases of the movement control order (MCO).
She compared Dr Noor Hisham’s experience to that of renowned United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease Director Anthony Fauci, who has apparently been receiving death threats while trying to carry out his duty.
I am at the same time very proud of my wise, and hard-working friend and his fellow citizens, and very sad for my home country.Julie Miller via Facebook
Her post was shared by Dr Noor Hisham on his own page. At the time of writing, his post had garnered 25K likes and over 1,000 shares.
True to his nature, Dr Noor Hisham attributed his success to the collective effort of everyone involved.

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British Boy Band Blue Is Coming To Malaysia This 10 February!

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One love – gotta stay alive, I will survive~

Everybody, All Rise because Blue is coming to town!
British boy band Blue consisting of members Simon Webbe, Duncan James, Antony Costa and Lee Ryan is coming to Malaysia 10 February 2023 for a concert at the Plenary Hall, KLCC.
As part of their 20th anniversary ‘Heart & Soul’ tour, they will be performing all their greatest hits & songs from their new album.
        View this post on Instagram            A post shared by HitmanSolutions (@hitmansolutions)
They’re known for songs like One Love, All Rise, If You Come Back, Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word Ft Elton John and many more.
Tickets start from RM188
Here’s a view of the Seating Map for their upcoming concert. There are five types of tickets and the prices are between RM188 and RM688.

Tickets will go live on 4 January 2023 at 12 pm so mark your calendars!
You can get the tickets here.
It’s time to exercise those fingers guys, may the fastest fingers win the tickets before they’re sold out!
Even R&B sensation Ne-Yo’s concert tickets were sold out in less than a month.
READ MORE: Ne-Yo Is Coming To Malaysia This 21 January!
In case you’ve missed it, these concerts below still have tickets available (but they’re limited), so grab them quickly!
READ MORE: Simple Plan Is Performing In KL! Ticket Sales Start Tomorrow
READ MORE: OneRepublic Will Be Live In KL In 2023, Tickets Start From RM388
READ MORE: Westlife Concert Hits KL In 2023, Tickets Start From RM294
If you don’t wanna miss out on upcoming concerts and tickets, follow us for weekly updates on events to go to during weekends.
READ MORE: Fun Events In The Klang Valley This Weekend From 29 Dec 2022 To 1 Jan 2023

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Vivo launches NEX 3 in M’sia;  the first 5G phone in the market

Vivo recently revealed their latest flagship, the NEX 3 to Malaysia.
The phone is packed with features such as notch-free full-display design, triple camera setup that includes a 64MP main camera and is priced at RM3,899.
Did we also mention that its 5G capable?
It is the first 5G that you can buy right now and with Malaysia pushing towards the fifth-generation cellular technology, this should be one of the devices you should look out for if you those fast connection speeds.
Speed IAm Speed GIF from Speed GIFs

Want to know more about the phone? Here are a few things that might excite you.
1. Display that goes to the edge
Picture Credit : Vivo Malaysia Facebook
The NEX 3 sports a display that stretches to the edge of the phone and curves at the side to create a more super visual experience.
At 6.89 inches, it features a notch-free display that has a screen-to-body ratio of 99.6%, which basically means the bezels on this phone are really, really thin.
Touch Screen GIF from Touch GIFs

Another neat feature of the phone is the lack of physical buttons that gives it a seamless, touch-controlled unibody design.
The side buttons are replaced with the X-axis Haptic Vibration motor that uses haptic feedback to imitate physical buttons (something like the MacBook Proâ€™s trackpad).
NEX 3 also sports an in-display fingerprint scanner which has been a staple in a lot of flagship smartphones this year.
2. Triple the cameras, triple the fun
Picture Credit : Malay Mail
On NEX 3â€™s back cover sits a round panel with three cameras (similar to that fruit phone that everybody lined up for) which allows you to take wide-angle, telescopic and macro photos.
It also has the Pro Mode for those who want to tinker before taking their photos.
A standout camera feature has to be the 16MP front camera, where it is tucked away in the device and pops up from the top once you open the front camera.
GIF

The phone also has a feature (Portrait Masterâ€™s Hyper-HDR) designed for taking portraits where it increases dynamic range accuracy between a userâ€™s face and the backgroundâ€™s lightest spot.
What this means is that the portraits that you take would still look bright even in a dim setting.
3. Powerful innards
Picture Credit : Vivo Malaysia Facebook
The NEX 3 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus and UFS 3.0 high-speed flash memory where it allows you to play the latest video games on the device without breaking a sweat.
To dissipate the heat from all that gaming, the phone also has a vapor chamber cooling system that keeps the phone cool even with heavy usage.
Itâ€™s one of those devices that you wouldnâ€™t have to worry about the phone overheating even after some intense PUBG sessions with your friends for long stretches.
Pubg Seesaw GIF from Pubg GIFs

The batteryâ€™s big capacity (at 4500mAh) and power-saving technologies that give users battery life that can last for a long time, but if you need to charge, Vivoâ€™s FlashCharge 22.5W can charge your phone to full capacity in no time.
All in all, the NEX 3 is a good flagship device by Vivo that is capable to handle all your daily needs whether it’s to take a good photo (or selfie), play some video games or watch videos.

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“Tiger Stripes” From Malaysia Wins Grand Prize At Cannes International Critics’ Week

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They made it, Malaysians!

Just last month, news of a local horror Malaysian movie making it into the nomination for the 62nd Cannes International Critics’ Week made us all proud.
READ MORE: Amanda Nell Eu Is First Malaysian Female Filmmaker To Get Invited To Cannes For Tiger Stripes
But now guess what, they’re not just nominated, they won an award there! And not just any award, it’s the top award in that whole film competition!
La Semaine de la Critique (The Cannes Critics’ Week/ International Critics’ Week) is a parallel section of the prestigious 2023 Cannes Film Festival in France that showcases the first or second feature films by new directors.
The Grand Prize is awarded by the jury (journalists and film critics are invited to vote after each screening of the Selection) of La Semaine de la Critique from one of the seven feature films in competition.
The good news was shared by 37-year-old KL-filmmaker, Amanda Nell Eu in her Instagram profile, stating how she was in disbelief over the achievement.
        View this post on Instagram            A post shared by Amanda Nell Eu (@nelleu)
Produced by Ghost Grrrl Pictures, a young film company that produces female-centric stories coming from the South East Asian region, Tiger Stripes bags the Grand Prix (Grand Prize) in the Semaine De La Critique which saw them bringing home a total of €10,000 (RM49,600) in cash prize.
This achievement marks the first win by a Malaysian filmmaker in such a distinguished event among emerging filmmakers. Semaine De La Critique is said to have found famous filmmakers such as Alejandro González Iñárritu (The Revenant, Babel, Birdman), Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy, Crimson’s Peak, Pacific Rim), as well as Wong Kar Wai (The Grandmaster, Happy Together, 2046).
🏆Grand Prix / Grand Prize : Tiger Stripes de/ by Amanda Nell Eu #SDLC2023 #Cannes2023 pic.twitter.com/2OQAiGoovd— SemaineDeLaCritique (@semainecannes) May 24, 2023
Besides that, Tiger Stripes is also nominated for the Caméra d’Or category in the major Cannes Film Festival. The Cannes Film Festival has a lot of awards under it, from films made by experienced filmmakers to new ones.
 As one of the prestigious awards for the best first feature film of the festival, the Caméra d’Or category chooses the best works of debutants among three parallel programs under the Cannes Film Festival – The Official Selection, Directors’ Fortnight and International Critics’ Week.
The award will be presented by an independent jury at the closing ceremony of the major festival, on May 27. So let’s get our fingers crossed!
Tiger Stripes has not been released yet in Malaysia but you can watch the trailer first here.

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Government Must Remain Steadfast In Budget 2021 Measures To Curb Illicit Cigarettes

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Measures taken by the government are working to slow down the illegal cigarette trade here in Malaysia, and policymakers must remain steadfast in enforcing them to put an end to the problem for good.

Recently, Deputy Finance Minister I Mohd Shahar Abdullah clarified in Parliament that the country is taking every possible step to intensify enforcement efforts to curb the leakage of the nation’s tax revenue from illegal cigarette and liquor smuggling activities.
In his address, the Minister disclosed that the country avoided losing RM281.69 million in taxes as of September 2021 after seizing RM41.43 million worth of illicit cigarettes and alcohol from a total of 2,518 recorded cases.
(Credit: Malay Mail)
In 2020, authorities were successful in preventing a total loss of RM707.14 million to public coffers from a total of 2,842 cases of confiscated contraband worth RM97.34 million.
Mohd Shahar alludes to the fact that authorities were able to prevent these crimes and losses through various enforcement measures. These measures were outlined in Budget 2021 and included steps like;
Multi-Agency Task Force (MATF) – which involves the cooperation and participation of local and international enforcement and security agencies to combat black market activities on land, in the air and at sea by conducting joint operations such as roadblocks as well as sharing intelligence between authorities.
Enforcement Modernization – besides installing capabilities to allow for the sharing of intel between agencies, enforcement authorities such as the Customs Department utilize and provide tools like high-tech scanners to each and every one of the country’s entry and exit points to better detect illicit activities.
(Credit: Shafwan Zaidon via Malay Mail/Jabatan Kastam Diraja Malaysia via Facebook)
Controlling Transhipment Activities – taking strict action to tighten the country’s entrepôt by limiting and only allowing cigarette shipments in through five specific ports in the country: the North and West Port in Klang, the Tanjung Pelepas Port in Johor, the Senari Port in Kuching and the Sepanggar Port in Sabah.
Other measures also include tightening the renewal process for cigarette import licenses and not allowing shipments to be carried in or out of the country in small boats instead of large cargo vessels.
More Taxes – Making cigarettes and other tobacco products taxable at all duty-free and any free trade zone locations in Malaysia as well as imposing taxations on the import and re-exportation of cigarettes to and from the country.
Mohd Shahar notes that the steps taken by the government were prudent in preventing illicit activities and the country from losing precious tax revenue, even as the Covid-19 crisis steamrolled through the nation.
(Credit: Miera Zulyana via Malay Mail/ TRP)
No rest for the wicked
According to Criminologist Datuk Seri Akhbar Satar, just because the current steps taken by the government are working, it doesn’t mean that authorities can take their foot off the pedal and relax their enforcement activities.
Akhbar who’s the Founder of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Malaysia and the former President of Transparency International Malaysia warned that criminals would always find a way to continue with their illicit activities.
Read More: Datuk Ben, Malaysia’s King Of Smugglers & How Criminals Profit From Politiking & High Taxes
He revealed that criminal syndicates are now taking advantage of and employing the services of financially troubled citizens to fill in the gaps in their smuggling logistics chain.
(Credit: Bernama/Sayuti Zainudin via Malay Mail)
Just weeks ago, it was reported that the police managed to detain a lorry driver and his friend who were hired by smuggling syndicates to ship 333 large boxes of contraband cigarettes from Terengganu on its way to Kuala Lumpur worth RM3.3 million.
The driver was said to have been paid RM1,500 for the delivery and apparently didn’t even know who he was working for.
Akhbar also said that criminal syndicates were also paying off unethical law enforcement personnel in order to cover their tracks and get away with their schemes, making the whole situation a dangerous threat to Malaysia’s economy and national security.
He explained that, although measures set in Budget 2021 is promising, stricter enforcement must be done to end the issue.
(Credit: Shafwan Zaidon/Malay Mail)
Akhbar suggested for the government to carry out more careful patrols in and along the country’s borders, equip law enforcement agencies and personnel with better and more modern equipment, improve intelligence gathering capabilities and closely monitor their personnel to prevent corruption.
He lastly added that it would be a good idea to review the current price gap between legal cigarettes and illegal ones – as the rule of the market is that: people would always favour cheaper things despite it being a crime to do so.
Read More: Malaysia’s ‘Shadow Economy’ Explained By A Comedian & An Economist

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Source:
Pergiat bendung ketirisan cukai rokok, minuman keras seludup
Budget 2021: A win for the tobacco industry
Duty-free isles are hubs for contraband smokes? Show us your analysis, Labuan business group tells finance minister
Smugglers enticing hard-hit rural folk by winning hearts and minds: criminologist
Rokok seludup RM3.3 juta dirampas


New Covid-19 Cluster ‘Alam’ Found In Bintulu, Sarawak With Four Positive Cases

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A new Covid-19 cluster among crewmembers of a ship docked in Bintulu, Sarawak has emerged with four confirmed infections so far.

In the 20 August Covid-19 update, the Health Ministry explained that five crew members had undergone screening for the coronavirus after developing symptoms.
Of the five, four came back positive while pending the results of one crewmember. The infected crew comprise of two Malaysians and two non-Malaysians.
It is also noted that the ship had a travel history to Japan.
Credit: @scphotoporto/Unsplash
While the positive cases are undergoing treatment in Hospital Bintulu, the ministry has assured that this is an isolated cluster with all of the ships’ crew remaining onboard.
This means that the risk of the virus spreading to the local community is low.
Active case detection is currently underway and close contacts of the patients are being screened for Covid-19.
Disinfection and sanitization activities are also being taken on the ship in question.
On the bright side, the ministry also announced the end of three Covid-19 clusters, namely Elsa Cluster in Kuantan, Pahang, Stutong Cluster in Kuching, Sarawak and PUI Al-Khobar Cluster in Petaling, Selangor.
3 kluster ditamatkan hari ini;1) Kluster Elsa2) Kluster Stutong3) Kluster PUI Al-KhobarJumlah kluster yang tamat adalah 82. pic.twitter.com/HzFboxi15I— KKMPutrajaya🇲🇾 (@KKMPutrajaya) August 20, 2020
As of 20 August, Malaysia has 184 active Covid-19 cases while the death toll remains at 125.

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Source:
Kenyataan Akhbar KPK 20 Ogos 2020 – Situasi Semasa Jangkitan Penyakit Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) di Malaysia


Dining-In No Longer Restricted To 4 Pax, Groups & Children Now Allowed

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Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced at a press conference that restaurants are no longer required to limit the number of people at a table as long as social distancing is adhered to, and that children are now allowed to go out with their parents.
What you need to know: Previously, restaurant SOP dictated that there can only be a maximum of four people per table, regardless of table size. Now, that rule has been lifted, allowing restaurants to seat guests according to table size. However, social distancing must still be observed in between tables. In addition, children are now allowed to leave their homes to go to playgrounds, restaurants, and shopping malls.
Why it matters: The relaxation of these SOPs will mean that more people will be out and about. Restaurants and other public spaces will see an increase of guests. This means that each individual will need to be aware and diligently practice good hygiene while in public. Additionally, parents must now ensure their children are taken care of.
Who said what: Ismail Sabri added that while there are no longer rules to keep children at home, parents are reminded to not bring them out too often unnecessarily, as children are a high-risk group for Covid-19.
Read more:RMCO: Children can go out to play, eat and shop with parents (NST)Gov’t no longer limits four per table at restaurants – Ismail Sabri (MKini)

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93% of Malaysian job-seekers swayed by online reviews of prospective employers

Younger people are now looking to the internet to make their life choices. Everything from food recommendations to travel guides are online.
Naturally, when job-seekers make their decisions about potential employers, you can bet good money that they will turn to the Internet for reviews from past employees.

via GIPHY
According to a web poll by recruitment specialist Hays, 93% of respondents in Malaysia take online comments from ex-staff into consideration when making their career decisions.
The number of job-seekers who do not take online comments into consideration has declined as well, as most of internet generation is grown up and are now job-hunting.

Picture credit: Hays Malaysia

On the internet, we trust reviews from strangers because we want transparency. We want to believe that strangers on the internet have no reason to lie to us, much like how friends share recommendations without ulterior motives.
This, of course, is not true- but it’s easier to assume truth than to be suspicious. We’re tired of being skeptics okay!
In the case of job-seeking, a company is selling its work culture, and it’s easy to paint a beautiful picture for prospecting employees.

via GIPHY
You’ve certainly seen job openings for “passionate team players” willing to work in a “fast-paced environment” with an “open office concept” and “free breakfast”.
While this sounds like a dream, it can easily mean being a yes-man working unpaid OT at a cramped desk in a co-working space without proper breathing room holding your complimentary packet of 3-in-1 Milo.

via GIPHY
Since new jobs are often a risky commitment, it’s little wonder that most people would want to make sure they get to the true picture of the working environment. Who else but actual employees would know best?
So take note, employers: treat your staff well or they might just lose you a good candidate down the road!


[Watch] Disabled Man Forced To Climb Stairs With His Hands Daily Due To Faulty Lifts

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The plight of the disabled community continues with the lack of disabled-friendly spaces and facilities.

A video shared by Aman AKL on TikTok demonstrated a man’s daily struggle as a wheelchair-bound person.
The man referred to as Abang Husny by Aman AKL works at a government building in Kuantan as an Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) officer.
Since the lifts in the building are always spoiled, Abang Husny has no choice but to climb up and down the stairs using his hands just to go to work.
Following close behind him are his colleagues carrying a wheelchair.
  @aman.akl Lift rosak lagi.. Kesian abg husny #fyp #fypシ #tiktokmalaysia #kamisempoi #oku ♬ Namun Ku Punya Hati – Saleem
Aman AKL shared that Abang Husny refuses help from his colleagues and rather climb the stairs with his bare hands despite the untenable situation.
He added that he hopes that the management of the building will be more mindful and disabled-friendly in the future.

The building’s management apologized
Aman AKL mentioned in the comments section that the building’s management has apologized and promised to look into the lift issue.
Based on a post by Malaysia News Lab, the management of Bangunan Wisma Persekutuan paid a visit to the Pahang Jakoa office to explain and apologize for the inconvenience.
Pahang Jakoa director-general Johari Alwi promised that the problems with the lifts will be fixed as soon as possible.
People in the comments section said they felt touched and hoped all the best for Abang Husny.
Aman AKL thanked them for their good wishes and shared that Abang Husny is highly respected by his colleagues because he’s a much more efficient worker.

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Free Online Shariah Consultation For Malaysian Muslims Now Available

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Not everyone is feeling the love as theyâ€™re marooned at home during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In order to address the domestic issues that look to be piling up during the nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO), the Malaysian Syariah Lawyers Association (PGSM) is now offering free shariah consultations for Muslims, online.
The association bids to connect Muslims with certified shariah lawyers in order to provide them with needed legal counsel in issues pertaining to domestic conflicts such as divorces, child support and custody battles as well as inheritance and property settlements., which PGSM said there was no shortage of during the MCO.
 Like many other non-essential services, the shariah courts are closed during the MCO.(Credit: Berita Harian)
Muslims seeking legal advice are implored to contact PGSM via WhatsApp at 011-3701-9155 or email at nasihatguamanpgsm@gmail.com to receive their online consultations.
Those who seek further assistance would be referred to a lawyer within a 10km radius of their homes.
Separately, Malaysians can also look up the contacts of shariah lawyers operating in their respective states on PGSMâ€™s official website.
PGSM mentions that the online consultation services would also be made available after the lockdown ends.
With families and spouses being forced to spend time together in relatively close proximity following quarantine restrictions worldwide, the pandemic has proven to be a massive challenge to many relationships.
In China, divorce rates have reportedly spiked as couples began emerging from quarantine, while data collected from all over the world show an increase in domestic abuse and violence cases.
Fun fact, according to the Malaysian Department of Statistics, the number of Muslim divorces across the country increased by 1.4% to 40,269 in 2018 compared to 39,709 breakups happening in 2017.
And Selangor alone recorded close to 9,000 Muslim divorces and over 2,00 divorces among non-Muslim couples in 2019.

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Access to Syariah lawyers, advice available online during MCO