Beauty & The Beast Screening Postponed Indefinitely

Latest update from The Star, 14 March 2017

Apparently, the Censorship Board has approved Beauty & The Beast to be released in cinemas. It's unlikely the release will be as per original date, but at least it's not banned.

Disney fans, let's rejoice! There's no need to cry anymore.

This is so going to be my birthday movie :D

Life after April 1

The much dreaded GST is finally here & somehow I sensed the guidelines were still unclear albeit many print media's efforts to published info from the government as comprehensive as possible. The Star rolled out a very simple graphic to paint the lives of Malaysian after GST to remind its readers which goods or services are standard rated or zero rated.

One look at the shopping list released by the government & compared to the graphic above, the reality is not that simple. I found out not all essential goods are exempted. Cooking oil is zero-rated but do not blinded by the general categorization because it only covers cooking oil derived from palm based. Any cooking oil besides palm oil ie olive oil & canola oil is taxable.

The confusion doesn't end there. Sugar is also an essential item which is zero-rated but it is only for granulated sugar. Processed sugar which includes castor sugar, icing sugar & brown sugar is subjected to GST. I'm not surprised that the list gets even more complicated when for flour products. Price of baked goods is bound to soar at the expense of GST. Dessert & pastry lovers, you might feel the pinch & need to think twice before indulging in extra piece.

As I scrutinized the list to sea produce, I couldn't believe my eyes. Only selected fish are not taxed while most shellfish products are in no way escaping GST. And guess what? Lobster is ZERO RATED. Yes, you read that right. Of all things, we don't need to pay tax for such premium seafood. I don't know whether I should celebrate this. There are many other important items that deserved to be on the zero-rated list. How double standard can the list get?

I noticed that quite a number of hawker stalls took advantage of GST as an excuse to increase price. First of all, why should they even pass on the 6% tax to consumers when the ingredients they buy are not taxed? Secondly, most of them have not reached the annual revenue threshold of RM500,000 to be legally required as GST-compliant retailer. Unless most of them didn't declare their true earnings before GST, the 6% GST is not applicable to these petty traders.

In short, I have been a responsible taxpayer ever since I entered the employment market. I certainly wouldn't mind paying a bit more tax to fuel the economy & fund infrastructural development. But so far I failed to see how the taxpayers' money have been put to good use, none other than paying off national debts caused by a few selfish, corrupt officials who unashamedly spend lavishly for personal satisfaction. I love my country very much & I don't wish it to go down the drain far too soon.


Image credits to The Star

Remembering Air Asia QZ8501

Enough said. My heartfelt condolences to the victims' families of Air Asia QZ8501. Hope the bodies will be recovered soon so that they will have closure & peace of mind.

To read this article, click here.

Another missing plane before the year end: Air Asia QZ8501

I read with eyes wide in horror that our nation is stricken with yet another airline tragedy. Air Asia QZ 8501 enroute from Surabaya to Singapore was reportedly missing from radar at 7.24am (GMT+8). It was scheduled to arrive Changi Airport at 8.30am (GMT+8).

Speculations ran rife that the aircraft may have crashed nearby Belitung Island, as some fishermen claimed to have heard a loud explosion. The flight with 162 people on board comprised Indonesians, a British, Singaporean & Malaysian.

Although the survival chance is bleak, I'm praying hard that the wreckage can be found immediately so that the cause of the incident can be resolved.

#prayforQZ8501

Tornado strikes Kedah

On Thursday morning while I was buttering up my bread to be packed for breakfast at work, I flipped The Star around to take a glance at the front page. I was startled by the photo of a mini tornado twisting rapidly, somewhat consuming everything in its path.

This weather disaster had happened right at my very home country, Malaysia. Yes, you read it right. Never in a gazillion years I would've expected a tornado to attack my homeland. The image above was taken by a villager in Alor Setar, Kedah. This is the 4th incident reported since 14 October this year.

It felt strange looking at the photo because I was drawn to the beauty & grace of how this tornado bent at an angle & spun at high velocity. Yet, it is disturbing to know the harm it could have caused to the community there. Thankfully, no one was injured in the process but some unlucky homes were badly damaged.

I hope it won't happen again because we are not even prepared for this kind of natural disaster. Apart from the annual eastern coast monsoon period, Malaysia is fairly safe from other weather disaster threats. What has the world become? The weather at my beloved homeland seems to be experiencing an erratic change. *sighs*

Click here to read the news article featured in The Star.

Image credits to The Star.

Budget 2015: Lego-fied

For the first time in years that I actually paid attention to the budget announcement. In this case, I was referring to Budget 2015. Well, erm...not really. Frankly speaking, I didn't bother to know the details details because the perks announced each year never really benefited the middle-income citizens like me.

It's because this year, The Star took the initiative to be creative by presenting the budget details in the simplest manner possible. And there you have it - a Lego-fied Budget 2015! It's so darn adorable & eye-catchy that it's impossible to ignore.

I reckon the idea of publishing the budget spread with minifigures, buildings & vehicles built from Lego bricks culminated from the growing popularity of Lego brand in Malaysia ever since the opening of Legoland.

It was a fantastic idea however, I wasn't particularly ecstatic about the details. The general public is still largely ignorant & lack knowledge of GST & its implementation. There are so much uncertainty looming within the market especially in the industry I worked in that many corporations are adopting a wait & see approach.

Housing policies still fail to address the problems of sky-high house prices that middle-income earners are increasingly unable to afford one. I happened to be one of them & even if pooling with WL is possible, the location is probably less than ideal.

The only perks I see light is increased budget allocation for small & medium enterprises especially for professional women. Indeed beneficial for my future plan to start up a business & quit my future-less job. I have been harbouring that thought for months. All I need is courage to take the leap of faith.

So fellow readers, what are your thoughts on Budget 2015?

In order to view the larger version, click here.

Image credits to The Star.

Flight MH17

As the saying goes, lightning never strikes the same place twice. At least, this belief should very well apply to air crash disaster in a single airline company. Unfortunately, this is not true for MAS. News surfaced on Friday midnight (GMT+8) that flight MH17 enroute to Kuala Lumpur was shot down by a surface-to-air missile & crashed at Donetsk region of Eastern Ukraine.

The minute I received news of the crash, I rushed to the living room & switched on to CNN for the latest updates. I watched with disbelief at the stark reality flashing before my eyes. It was past bedtime but I couldn't bring myself to sleep & ended up glued to the TV until 1am. If it's really true that the plane was shot by pro-Russian separatise, I'm utterly disgusted by their inhumane acts.

Let's hope that the bodies of victims can be recovered soon & returned back to the respective families. Meanwhile, I'm hoping that the black box will be found as soon as possible so that investigative teams can begin finding the cause of the incident. Although highly unlikely the perpetrators will be caught soon, I'm praying hard that the relevant parties will arrest them & bring them to justice. It's so unfair that innocent lives were killed as a result of geopolitical tension between Ukraine & Russia. RIP MH17. #RememberingMH17

Remembering MH370

Upon getting news that our PM has called for a press conference at 10pm tonight, my heart skipped a beat. Such immediate action surely points to a breakthrough or discovery of the incident. Although I was partially prepared that no one would be able to survive those harsh sea conditions, I was still anxious to hear what our PM had to say.

Quoted from The Star, he announced that MH370 is believed to have gone down in the southern Indian Ocean at a remote location west of Perth. The conclusion was based on the satellite data analysis conducted by satellite company Immarsat & UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). "This is a remote location far from any possible landing sites", said Najib in the press conference earlier today.

I felt a jolt of pain in my heart, trying to comprehend what went wrong on the plane that it diverted off-course & ended up in the Indian Ocean. A quick search on Google shows that the area where the last ping from MH370 was picked up by Immarsat is a path not traveled by commercial airlines nor vessels. This is because the location is too far from landing sites in case of emergency & the sea condition is rough even for huge cargo ships especially during bad weather.

No matter how heartbreaking I felt for the relatives of passengers on board, no one can ever understand their loss. All I can do is join the rest of the nation to pray that the exact crash site can be identified soon in order for the search team to locate the black box. Time is running out as the battery only lasts for 30 days but the search operation has already reached 17 days. The world around hopes to unravel the mystery of MH370 disappearance soon. As for the relatives of MH370 victims, stay strong & keep going. We are all with you spiritually during this difficult time.

One week & counting

It's been a week & yet there's still no sign of the missing MH370. Speculations are rife on what possibly happened to the aircraft, moreover the debris is nowhere to be found. Some theories are plausible but some were obviously nonsensical. It's also disappointing to know that some Malaysian netizens would rather trust unjustified news, believing it as the real thing.

Here are some of the news which I find ridiculous.

1. The plane allegedly landed at Nanjing airport after the aircraft disappeared from the radar. This is absurd because Nanjing airport would have confirmed their arrival.


2. Three bomohs turned up at the airport performing a ritual, supposedly to help locate the aircraft. One was holding two coconuts while the other was paddling using a walking stick. The third guy held a basket. Instead of helping in the search & rescue, the trio generated much media attention for no good reason.


3. Families of passengers  from China was flown to India instead of Kuala Lumpur. Omg, this has got to be the stupidest rumour I've ever read. Are you trying to tell me the passengers boarded a flight to India by mistake? Hell, no way.


4. An Australian lady suddenly came to the public accusing the co-pilot of MH370 for being irresponsible by allowing her to enter & snap photographs in the cockpit despite strict rules on forbidding pilots to invite non-authorised personnel into the cockpit. If such rules have been enforced, the incident should be taken in a separate investigation. Right now, the main objective is to search for the aircraft & this lady is not helping to make the situation better.

It gets disheartening reading the papers on the unfruitful outcome each day. The chances of survival for the passengers all seem like a distant hope. Whatever it is, all we can do is have faith that we'll recover the aircraft. Let's not give up until MH370 is found. #PrayForMH370

Flight MH370

As I woke up frantically & prepared to go for a check-up at the skin specialist clinic this morning, I caught a glimpse of the news that Malaysia Airlines' MH370 bound to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur lost contact with the air traffic control at 1.30am on Saturday. The flight operated on B777-200 departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am & was scheduled to land in Beijing at 6.30am on the same day.

I read with much despair that there are 239 people on board which comprises 227 passengers (including 2 infants) & 12 crew members. There are 15 nationalities on board with the majority originating from China. It was reported that the plane disappeared from the radar at 1.30am & failed to arrive at the destination. Friends & families were shocked to receive the news & were anxiously waiting for news update from the airline.

Search & rescue team have been deployed at sunrise, scouring through the South China Sea near the Vietnamese airspace where the aircraft was believed to have vanished. Speculation arise that MH370 may have crashed into the sea. Until now, there is no sign of debris at the purported crash site though the Vietnamese officials have found oil slicks nearby which could possibly be jet fuel from an airliner. This piece of info is unconfirmed until the sample is sent for lab test.

I personally found the whole incident perplexing mainly because it is hard to believe that such a technologically advanced aircraft could mysteriously disappear without any trace. I'm sure there are other communication device that beams the aircraft's location should the radio signal device suffer technical failure. If the plane crashed to the ocean floor, debris could be seen floating on the surface by now. Yet, there is sightings of broken aircraft pieces.

I feel for the affected parties whom their loved ones are passengers of MH370. I don't think I can ever understand how much pain they're going through right now. All I can do is pray silently for the crew members & passengers to return safely. There's still hope... #PrayForMH370

Gay guidelines

After a short hiatus for my Krabi trip, I logged in to Facebook & learned news about two organisations distributing guidelines on tackling the issue of lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender (LGBT) among students in a parenting seminar held recently in Penang. The guidelines caused an uproar & among netizens, not just local but abroad as well due to its unjust classification of LGBT.

Quoting the phrase from The Star's article, parents were given outlines on how to identify "symptoms" that their children might be suspiciously gay or lesbian. It was suggested that gays have a tendency to wear tight-fitting, sleeveless or V-neck shirts, even colourful attire to show off their muscular bodies. They also have a penchant for carrying man bags or large slingbags. For the girls, parents were warned to pay closer attention to their daughters who prefer hanging out with female friends because they may be suspiciously lesbian.

The Ministry of Education had denied endorsing the guidelines, emphasising the seminar was organised by "concerned" NGOs. Personally, I thought the guidelines were ridiculous & a big joke. Not to mention classifying LGBT with symptoms gives an impression that these NGOs view LGBT as a disease that needs to be corrected & treated. And to be cautious about daughters hanging more frequently among females? If I'm the mother, I would be more worried if my daughter is among the presence of male friends who may take advances on her. I'm utterly confused & the guidelines are just plain bollocks.

These NGOs are obviously not well informed or probably have not done their homework prior to the seminar. Or else they wouldn't have produced such subject of ridicule. What they have failed to understand is that each individual has different sexual orientation - male, female & sexual minorities or LGBT. By categorising LGBT as a group needs to be correct is downright sexual discrimination. To begin with, how can these NGOs educate the public when they themselves are backward thinking & couldn't accept everyone's social backgrounds? There are more problems to tackle as we speak, such as providing proper sex education in schools to curb teen pregnancies, STDs & etc.

Source: The Star Online

'Kodak moments' no more

Soon after Kodak Inc announced that the firm had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, this article written by a former banker & economist was published in StarBizWeek dated 11 February 2012.

I read the article with great interest & wonder how soon the company I work for will fall victim to similar predicament due to complacency & pure stubbornness. Worse still, we were not known for any breakthrough inventions/innovations which would result in creative destruction.

No wonder we're known to be the follower, slowly falling behind & being crushed by rival brands. We may be lucky to be still standing "kinda" strong for now, sure bet that we'll be cannibalised in 5 years time. Pure disappointment...

Credits: The Star, Saturday 11 February 2012

K-pop worship

While at work flipping throught the newspapers, I came across this article titled, The K-pop cult with the images featuring TVXQ & Super Junior. While I was supposed to be looking at competitor's advertisements, I couldn't help but continued reading the article. Upon consuming the entire article, I could certainly relate to the writer's experience.

I couldn't agree more with the writer's description on how cult-like K-pop fandom can be. If you've been following my blog for the past few years, I'm sure you're aware that I was once a big fan of TVXQ or fondly known as DBSK. On a daily basis - without fail - I would stay in front of the computer for hours just downloading TVXQ stuff (MVs, songs, live performances, variety shows etc.) when I should be getting started on my college assignments.

Then, there's the hard-to-resist new album releases with several versions packaged in the coolest or most beautiful box you've ever come across. In fact, I almost owned all their CDs & DVDs and treated them as my prized collection cuz they were imported from Korea or Japan. And I had the opportunity to attend their concert twice when they stopped over at Malaysia. While I considered my sanity kept in check by hanging out at the concert venue 6 hours before it starts, my friend was crazy enough to stalk them right from their arrival at airport until the late night rehearsal before the concert.

Soon enough, 3 members of the group were plagued with a court case between their management/record label SM Entertainment for binding them to a slave contract that was too long, restrictive & low pay. Due to this, their activities were drastically reduced & I saw less of them. When Junsu, Yoochun & Jaejoong won the case, I supposed the relationship with SM turned sour & ended with a tragic split from the TVXQ to form their own group called JYJ. Meanwhile, Yunho & Changmin remained in TVXQ & continued to promote their works via SM.

As predicted, my interest for all of them wane quickly cuz I was heartbroken with the split. When the love for them was lost, whatever prized collection I have seemed like heaps of trash taking up unnecessary space. But never got to selling any of it cuz deep down inside, I couldn't. TVXQ was indeed a talented group which possess versatile voices & fancy dance moves, unlike the new generation of K-pop boybands with engineered sounds & Autotuned, churning songs after songs that are forgettable.

Unlike what the writer said, I wouldn't consider TVXQ as robots that have passed its lifespan & discarded as rag dolls. The band still lives on anyway - only with 2 members while the 3 of them took different career paths. I never regretted being part of this K-pop worshipping cuz it cheered up my life & made me some new friends (though not long-lasting). Now I'm glad that I put an end to it cuz the fandom was draining my moolah faster than I could ever imagine.

Credits: The Star, Friday 6 January 2012

RIP Steve Jobs

The world was shaken by the news that Apple's co-founder & chairman, Steve Jobs passed away from a long struggling battle of pancreatic cancer. He died on the same day after the iPhone 4S was announced by current CEO, Tim Cook. Steve leaves behind a legacy - a man dubbed as a visionary, pioneer & genius who changed computing, entertainment & telecommunication industries with products that emphasize on sleek design & ease of use with cutting-edge technology.

Well-wishers & condolences flooded social network sites such as Facebook & Twitter, all expressing grief over the loss of a true visionary. Indeed a global phenomena, what better way to tribute Steve than having the world discovering news of his death & sending wishes via his popular invention - the iPhone.

I owned the iPhone 4 & each time I whipped out my phone to start tapping on the screen, it reminded me how grateful I am to be able to enjoy Steve's genius work. I am saddened that he left the world too soon but God always have His way to make things work the way it is. We will deeply miss you...RIP.

Images taken from www.apple.com

Korean noodles no more

I'm devastated! Even my favourite Korean instant noodles is banned due to suspicions of contamination by excessive amounts of plasticisers. I still have 2 more packets of Shin Ramyun in the kitchen, still unconsumed. T.T

If you're a fan of the noodles, check out this article in The Star on the product recall.

Click here to view.

Pic courtesy www.rameniac.com

iPhone 4 ad wars

The Malaysian advertising scene seems to be changing lately. Advertisers who were once passive have evolved into active, more aggressive players to outshine each other. Even mentioning competitors' names doesn't seem to go against the local advertising laws. Last year, there was a public spat between Air Asia & Tiger Airways on which racial background has good understanding of Asian markets & better of managing an Asian team. This spur Air Asia to release an ad to mock its competitor, as I blogged about it here.

Now we have two telco giants competing against each other to offer the most affordable iPhone 4 package. The history goes like this...Maxis was the first network provider to bring in the iPhone 4 package with plans starting from RM100 a month last year. About 2 months later, DiGi managed to secure the deal with Apple to be the next provider to offer plans starting from RM58 a month to attract both new & existing subscribers.

Of course, DiGi did tremendously well for its affordable package plan cuz it managed to not only attract new & existing subscribers but successfully converting Maxis customers into Digi's. And I'm not ashame to admit that I'm one of them! XD I believe this success stems from DiGi's main objective to be transparent in terms of charges, unlike Maxis' aplentiful hidden costs. Not surprising if many Maxis customers felt cheated.

Anyways, back to the main point of my post. Realising this, I supposed Maxis is trying hard to regain its customers by introducing a slightly more affordable iPhone 4 plan.

Now this is getting more interesting. On the same date when the above Maxis ad was published, DiGi counter attacked by releasing their ad...coincidentally just 2 pages after the Maxis ad. Do take note though that these ads are not the first insertions. I'm impressed with how DiGi defended themselves! =D

Maxis didn't respond with another ad, obviously. Look, they've already got the pricing strategy all wrong. Hardly a miraculous ad could save them from DiGi's undefeatable price. I'm loving all of these competition between advertisers. Hoping for more to come...oh wait, I've just spotted another war between Carlsberg & GAB on the Putra Brand Awards. Let's see if I can get hold of them & post it up. *runs off to dig my stacks of newspapers*

Pray for Japan

I was in the midst of working in my office when everyone was suddenly buzzing about the earthquake that hit Japan. I told myself that it's nothing new since tremors occur every now & then in the country that lies in the "Ring of Fire". I became more curious as the hours passed by cuz it had became the main topic of conversation. Sensing the urgency, I visited Yahoo! & was shocked to discover the severity of the damage caused by the undersea earthquake.

A 8.9 magnitude earthquake occurred at the epicentre offshore of Sendai, triggering a 7 metre tsunami which completely swept everything in its path - buildings, cars, ships & even the small airplanes at the Sendai airport.

As you can see, sea waves were gushing inland ever so violently just like scenes from Hollywood disaster movies such as The Day After Tomorrow. The aftermath of the tsunami was catastrophic. Seems like whatever was depicted in the movies are not exactly exaggerated. It can happen~

Initial reports indicated that 1,000 people were dead, 300+ injured & close to 700 missing. Death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are being washed ashore. Back in 2004, the tsunami which hit Acheh was devastating enough to make me teared up. To witness this calamity in Japan was even more heartbreaking. Let's pray that Japan will rise from the rubbles & become a stronger nation - rebuilding the affected city & economy. May the Japanese stay strong during these dark hours.

Disclaimer: I do not claim any ownership for all the above pics. They were taken from various websites related to the Japan earthquake disaster.

Air Asia pokes fun at Tiger Airways

If you're up-to-date on the latest news, there has been a dispute between two CEO of two popular budget airlines. It's the war of the Tony's - Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes of Air Asia & Tony Davis from Tiger Airways. The Singapore based Tiger Airways is about to seal a deal with Thai Airways to set up a budget airline in Thailand. This venture triggers competition in the low-cost airline industry, leading to Air Asia's CEO skeptic remarks on Westerners running an Asia-based airline.

Obviously Tony Davis was offended by Tony Fernandes' remarks & ended up having a public spat towards the Air Asia CEO for its racial slur. In addition, Tiger Airways stands firm by its move to build the Asian market & aims to be the top 3 global airline. Air Asia boss was unconvinced & criticised for causing several flight cancellations & passengers standed due to manpower shortage & airplane fault.

With that in mind, the mocking began. Air Asia, for the first time daringly released a full page ad poking fun at Tiger Airways' poor service. I find it so hilarious. XD

Just yesterday morning while flipping through the newspaper, Air Asia released another ad to ambush Tiger Airways. This time with one tiger thanking the former while boarding the plane. LOL!

It's not like I'm in favour of Air Asia's service cuz theirs are as poor. Lousy customer hotline, flight delays, hidden costs, you name it. To me, the advertising scene in Malaysia has gotten more exciting especially with competition like this. Competition is good~

Goodbye, Michael

One's passing is a norm; another part & parcel of life but when the news broke about an icon's death, legions of fans can't help feeling shocked & terribly upset & devastated. Especially when it's none other than the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. Honestly, I was incredibly shocked when my colleague informed us over breakfast that morning. My mind was blank for a few minutes. I didn't know how to react as I was struggling to digest those words, half hoping that I've heard wrongly. It's undeniably true, however.

Upon reaching home after an exhausting day, I quickly joined the rest of my family to tune into CNN. His death was too sudden & yes, I admit that I found it difficult to accept the fact he's no longer here. Who would've expected that he has short-lived when all this while, I have this general idea that a legend like Michael would live on & die of old age. Not like what's reported - overdose of prescription drugs.

I'm not an avid fan, in fact. Nevertheless, I grew up listening to his songs & watching his lengthy movie-like MVs; awed by this amazingly talented singer cum dancer. I remember watching his entire collection of videos on laser disc 10 years ago, not to mention playing this really lame & funny MJ game in the arcade centre - with a fuzzy Smooth Criminal tune playing from the game machine speakers. Those memories still remain vivid in my mind. Out of all the songs that he wrote, the one that brought me tears is Heal The World each time it was played. His innocent voice with a tinge of sadness in this song without doubt tug many heartstrings of compassionate souls out there. Most importantly, his songs spoke clearly of the world around us & the need for us to make a change.

There I was sitting in the living room while Heal The World was aired on Channel V; tearing up & pondering about the fact that humans are so cruel to take advantage of his innocence; denying the liberty & privacy that he very well deserved all this while. What good did it bring with all the evil plots to take his money now that he's no longer alive? If only you knew that you're loved this much, I believe all your sorrows will can be dealt with or perhaps remedied. Rest in peace, our beloved King of Pop...

If you enter this world knowing you are loved, and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with.

-Michael Jackson

Girls, please watch this space...

I'm commenting this in relation to those girls gone missing cases that are becoming rampant these days. Either they're being murdered or raped by their boyfriends. What's even more frustrating is that they actually go out for dates after getting to know the guy for merely weeks. And why on earth would you go out with a guy alone whom you've only chatted online for less than 3 months?

I wonder, can girls really be that dumb & easily cheated? =( I read these news with a painful heart knowing that the majority of the males' image have been tarnished by irresponsible boys reported in the news. It's truly unfair to the rest of the guys who respects & treats women well. Girls, this is a wake-up call to y'all. Please, please...take good care of yourselves. Open your eyes & search carefully. Guys are nice living creatures if you mix with the right ones.