KLUE - Blog

Brian Yap: “MACC” becoming popular… on Twitter

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:09:34 +0800

The mysterious death of an aide to a Selangor government Exco member is setting Twitter alight, as tweets with the term "MACC" are being posted non-stop since the news broke yesterday evening.

While not quite #iranelection, the local Twitter community is alive with the news surrounding the mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock who was found dead from a fall from the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had been questioning him from 6pm until close to 4am the next day.

At a press conference held this afternoon by the Menteri Besar of Selangor, another witness who was also interrogated by MACC detailed the harsh treatment he was given, including being verbally berated and threatened, as well as forced to stand at attention for four hours.

Earlier, several protesters were arrested outside Plaza Masalam, including two lawmakers, while several injuries were reported. Top Pakatan Rakyat leaders were all there, including Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Guan Eng, Lim Kit Siang and many other state assemblymen and parliamentarians.

The anger and shock over Teoh's death and the crackdown on this morning's protest are continuing to make its way on Twitter, with political personalities including Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin, Lim Kit Siang and many others engaging in an open debate of sorts, while journalists, eyewitnesses and ordinary folks are providing updates, comments and obviously, a lot of very angry language.

The quick pace that this story is developing is certainly making the slow response of government ministers all the more obvious.

Manchester United plays in KL tomorrow! But cancels match in Jakarta

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:09:31 +0800

Update (17 July): Manchester United have cancelled the Jakarta leg of their 2009 pre-season tour of Asia as a result of the bomb attacks in the Indonesian capital. "We are deeply disappointed at not being able to visit Indonesia and thank the Indonesian FA and our fans for their support. Our thoughts go to all those affected by the blasts," the statement said.

The Red Devils have landed in KL, and they are already embarking on a series of activities. For those not going for the match tomorrow but itching to catch a glimpse of the stars, you just may get lucky at the KLCC outdoor carpark from 1pm onwards later today for the finals of the Nike5 challenge. We can't guarantee that the team will stop to meet, greet and mingle, but no harm joining in the fun and frenzy for a few seconds worth of increased heartrate and adrenaline rush. Plus, you get to join in the excitement of the Nike5 finals too! The winner of the match gets the chance of a lifetime to face off against their idols from Manchester United!

Tomorrow is of course, the all-important match some of you have been salivating over for the past few months. For those who came late or would like to know more, click this. If you've not gotten your tickets, we sure hope it's not too late!

For those planning to drive, we are pretty sure the roads will be quite congested with everybody rushing over to the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, so we're recommending that you don't drive, but rather carpool (since we're sure most of you will be coming in herds!). Plus, you help to cut down carbon emissions too this way!

Alternatively, you can take public transportation to the venue, and here are your options:

1. Hire a taxi and car pool. This way, you save on parking fees too.

2.Take the train (LRT). The Sri Petaling Rail Line goes all the way to the Bukit Jalil LRT station. Those coming via the Ampang Rail Line can make the interchange at Chan Sow Lin station, where both lines converge. Meanwhile, those from the Kelana Jaya Rail Line can make the interchange at the Masjid Jamek station.

3. Take the bus. Bukit Jalil LRT station is the rapidKL bus hub for local shuttle bus route number T421 and is also accessible via other rapidKL buses.

U71 : Sri Petaling LRT - Pasaramakota via Taman Gembira - Sri Petaling LRT
T418 : Sri Petaling - Bukit Jalil LRT - Technology Park Malaysia - Bukit Jalil LRT - Sri Petaling
T421 : Bukit Jalil LRT - Taman Gembira via Taman Salak Selatan - Bukit Jalil LRT

Click here to find out more. Travel smart and enjoy the match!

El Pollo Loco: How was your Urbanscapes 2009 experience?

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:22:30 +0800

It's almost the end of Thursday - time to announce the results of our poll which went on for 2 weeks because it was an important one!Urbanscapes-related mah...

Anyway, according to 54% of those who voted, you said your Urbanscapes 2009 experience SUCKED!! OMG, brb closing shop and killing self sniff sob. But hrmm, how come so many votes from the same IP address?

But do let us know why you thought so, Criticism is just plain hating if isn't constructive.

This week's poll: Will you be getting the new iPhone 3GS? Yes Maxis just announced the confirmed prices and plans today and expected launch date (31 July), but pre-booking had been underway for a few weeks now. If you were previously on the fence, are you somewhat decided now? Vote and let us know.

Apple iPhone 3GS in Malaysia: Confirmed prices

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:11:18 +0800

Remember when we blogged that the iPhone 3GS will land in Malaysia at the end of July? Now you know you can trust us cos Maxis just confirmed that the much anticipated gadget will indeed be in retail stores from 31 July. Woots all around!

Here's what Maxis says about the prices:

"The sensational iPhone is entering its second evolution in Malaysia. Maxis Communications Berhad (‘Maxis’) is delighted to announce that it will offer Apple iPhone 3GS, the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet, in its retail stores beginning 31 July 2009. Maxis is among the first in Southeast Asia to bring iPhone 3GS to its customers.

Maxis makes two further announcements: Pricing on iPhone 3G (8GB) will reduce to RM1990, from RM2540 previously. Pricing on iPhone 3GS 16GB and 32GB will be RM2490 and RM2990 respectively. Maxis is offering iPhone 3GS (16GB) FREE with iValue Plan 4.

Pre-booking is underway. A special website www.maxis.com.my/iphone3gs has been launched and customers can visit the site to find out more about iPhone 3GS and Maxis iValue plans. To be one of the first people in Malaysia to own an iPhone 3GS, customers may pre-book the smartphone via the website or visit one of 28 Maxis Centres nationwide, as well as, selected Maxis Exclusive Partners. Customers who have pre-booked iPhone 3GS may collect their phones from 31 July onwards from the location that they have selected during pre-booking."

So are you getting it? Vote in this week's poll.

Malaysian Emerging Artists Award

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:56:00 +0800

Consider yourself a young emerging artist? We've been told that there's a new Malaysian art prize called the Malaysian Emerging Artists (MEA) Award. Presented by The House of MATAHATI (HOM) and Galeri Chandan, MEA aims to honour the country's most talented emerging artists.

Although the competition isn't for students, MEA is open to Malaysian visual artists aged between 18 and 35.

Here are the rest of the details:

PRIZES
Five (5) best artists will receive:
- A Cash prize of RM3,000
- A Voucher for Art Supplies worth RM2,000
- A 10-day Travel Grant to Yogyakarta, Indonesia and
- A solo exhibition for each artists

SUBMISSION
Three (3) pieces of Artworks are to be submitted based on the following criteria :
- The theme & size of the works are open
- Only 2D & 3D works are to be submitted (No installation pieces)
- The works are produced only in 2008 and 2009
- The works have never been exhibited locally

TO ENTER
Participants are required to submit the following:
- Images of the artworks in digital or printed format
- The details of the Artwork and
- The details of Artist

Email: (in Jpeg or Tiff Format, Max 200dpi) to emergingaward@gmail.com
Snail Mail: HOM, 6A Jalan Cempaka 16, Taman Cempaka, 68000 Ampang, Selangor

* Note : All submitted materials will not be returned. Multiple images showing different angles of 3D works are welcomed.

DEADLINE
6pm, 1 September 2009

Visit MEA's official website if you'd like more details.

Shout! Awards: KLue predicts the winners

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:13:27 +0800

Dubbed as "the the most-talked about awards show in Malaysia this year", Shout! Awards will take place tomorrow (Friday) at Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil. Who'll win? We shook our Magic 8 Ball for answers...

Righty folks, here we go:

Rock Awards
Bunkface: You can count on it.
Butterfingers: Who knows.
Estranged: I have my doubts.
Hujan: Looking good.
Meet Uncle Hussain: My sources say no.
Pop Shuvit: Yes.

Best New Act
Bunkface: Yes in due time.
Hujan: Forget about it.
Joe Flizzow: Looking good.
Malique: Who knows.
Meet Uncle Hussain: Forget about it.
Pesawat: Not now.

Coolest Radio Announcer Award
Fara Fauzana: Outlook so so.
Hunny Madu: Looking good.
JJ: Are you kidding.
Phat Fabes: You can count on it.
Rudy: Now now.

Most Stylist Awards
Dynas Mokhtar: Absolutely not.
Faizal Tahir: Go for it.
Marion Caunter: I have my doubts.
Maya Karin: Who knows.
Sazzy Falak: You will have to wait.

Hot Guy Award
Faizal Tahir: Who knows.
Jonathan Putra: Not now.
Tony Eusoff: My sources say no.
Zahiril Adzim: Absolutely.
Zizan Nin: Outlook so so.

Hot Chick Award
Andrea Fonseka: Yes in due time.
Daphne Iking: My sources say no.
Fazura: You will have to wait.
Marion Caunter: Forget about it.
Marsha: Who knows.

Hip Hop/R&B Awards
Ahli Fiqir: Forget about it.
Caprice: Probably.
Jin Hackman: Too early to predict.
Joe Flizzow: Looks good to me.
Malique: I have my doubts.
Phlowtron: Outlook so so.

Best On Screen Chemistry Award
Cheryl Samad and Naz - (Ghost): Forget about it.
Syafinaz Selamat and Paul Moss – (One In A Million Season 2): Yes in due time.
Vanidah Imran and Adflin Shauki - (Sepi): My sources say no.
Zahiril Adzim/Liyana Jasmay – (Kami): Looking good.
Upin and Ipin - (Upin dan Ipin TV Series): Yes.

Favourite TV Host
Daphne Iking (The Breakfast Show): You will have to wait.
Marion Caunter (One In A Million Season 2): Outlook so so.
Naz (The Breakfast Show): Yes.
Qi (Destinasi Bajet Season 2): My sources say no.
Qi (Field Trip! USA): Forget about it.

There you have it! There are more categories to this... you can find them here. The real results, based on votes (you can still vote), will be announced on Friday night. Stay tuned!

Top 10: Harry Potter Movie Mistakes

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:08:13 +0800

Bet you're all creaming your chonies at the sixth installment of the Harry Potter series that's out! It’s clear why J.K. Rowling is making serious bank with her creation (over one billion to be exact!), ‘coz who isn’t intrigued by all that prepubescent angst and paranormal magic stuff? Just to take a little wind out of the Potter machine’s sails, we found some film mistakes (thanks moviemistakes.com!) worth mentioning before a cinema happily palms that RM11 you’ve reserved specially to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on the big screen.

10. Apparently "all the good ones have gone" for real.

And by "good ones" we mean props people that aren't failures.

9. Who's in charge of props here?

It's clearly not a magic towel...

8. Woo, magic is real 'coz we didn't even have to hire a contrator to fix up our place!

Staunch Muggle and magic-hater Vernon Dursley is at his wits' end due to the shoddy scene work.

7. Quick, guys. Let's cover the ground in leaves before the scene's done!

Imagine there are a bunch of leaf-scattering minions waiting in the wings for the director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Alfonso Cuarón, to give them their cue. They wanted to be extras but were rejected. By the looks of the scene, there's a reason why one gets the job of the lowly leaf scatterer.

6. Why crimped hair is one of the 80's looks that hasn't made a comeback.

Obviously Emma Watson's hair was disgusted by the stylist's choice to crimp it and hastily flattened itself out. Guess the hair stylist hadn't heard of fixing hairspray either. Well, a film's budget only goes so far...

5. Hello? Director, editor, everyone who watched the uncut version before millions of people saw this...

Just inexcusable. A lumpy Hermoine and Harry aren't what we're paying to see.

4. The costume department need to make up their minds!

This is also probably fault of the same dozy editor that didn't notice a cameraman chilling in the corner of an intense scene where Malfoy got his ass whooped in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Christian Bale should've been cast as a mature student Harry because he would've yelled the cameraman right out of the room like he did at the lighting guy while he was filming Terminator Salvation.

3. This is some "incomplete, early version" X-Men Origins: Wolverine shit!

Too bad the editors of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone couldn't have the same "our work print was leaked before we could finish it" excuse the Wolverine editors had. Even Deputy Headmistress McGonagall looks pissed.

2. Thick as two bricks Dudley Dursley tries to bring the fashion to Privet Drive.

Well, if the shorts are going to be an abomination at least keep them looking consistent on screen.

1. The film's editor was obviously asleep and drooling over his keyboard.

O hai! I'm just your regular cameraman messing up the damn scene!

Hope you all like Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince!

Images from www.moviemistakes.com.

Wednesday's Word Up: Bounce Rate

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:51:36 +0800

Bounce rate

During one of our many meetings, the topic of bounce rate came up (yes, we also do some necessary web site traffic analysis on occasion).

Bounce rate is typically used to describe the percentage of initial visitors to a site who "bounce" away to a different site (no, stay on KLue!), rather than continue on to other pages within the same site. The midday yawns were setting in when we were inundated with all kinds of web traffic numbers. That's when we thought, hey... this bounce rate thing could totally apply to our slackening attention spans and poor idea uptakes / mental capacities.

Here's a formula to calculate your mental bounce rate:

Bounce Rate = Total Number of Understood Ideas / Total Number of Ideas

Here's an example of bounce rate used in a conversation:

Yoke Ah Mei: "Siao, ah. This formula too cheem for you, man. Nemmine, Ah Seng, I explain some advanced techniques. The Theory of Everything actually quite basic, lah. You describe the fundamental forces like gravitational, electromagnetic, weak and strong interaction. Some more the quarks and leptons in a mathematically complete system. Blah, blah, blah, blah........"

Ah Seng: "Zzz, huh?"

Yoke Ah Mei: "Hoi, buay sai, ah? Your bounce rate damn high, leh."

MTV World Stage Malaysia: Kasabian, The All-American Rejects & Estranged confirmed

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:32:59 +0800

News that made our day! MTV's global concert series MTV World Stage will land in Malaysia this 15 August, bringing with it British indie rock band Kasabian. chart-topping American pop-rock outfit The All-American Rejects and our very own award-winning act Estranged.

Many of you may already be familiar with the MTV World Stage concept. Shot globally at festival, concerts and gigs, this series allows viewers to catch some of the best live acts without even getting on a plane (though I'm sure many of us wouldn't mind that plane ticket to Glastonbury). Kings of Leon, U2, Coldplay, Amy Winehouse, and The Prodigy are just some of the acts that's been featured on MTV World Stage.

MTV World Stage: Live in Malaysia will be historic because it is the FIRST originally produced World Stage concert. What this means is that all these acts have been flown in especially for this event, for you. It will all take place on 15 August, 8pm at Sunway Lagoon Resort.

How to win passes? Listen up:

Head to The Curve on 1 & 2 August from 12pm - 7pm for their roadshow. You can try to win passes there and if you stand out from the crowd, they'll gve you Mosh Pit access - just about the best seat imn the house!

Also from 15 July (that's today) until 7 August, log on to the MTV Asia World Stage website, answer 2 questions and win. Remember: these are passes money cannot buy.

Do it today cos you won't want to miss Kasabian, The All-American Rejects and Estranged! And that's not even the end of it - we hear there's more to be confirmed.

THE LINE-UP:

These lads are Kasabian. Yes they named themselves after a member of Charles Manson's cult. However they're pretty cool and their single "Fire" is rockin'!

This here are The All-American Rejects. But that, you probably knew already, along with their huge hits like "Swing Swing", "Move Along", "It Ends Tonight" and more recently, "Gives You Hell" (a seriously good drunken chanting song).

Here's Estranged! Juara Lagu winners and one of our music industry's darlings. Make us proud, boys.

Free movie screening this Sunday!

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:11:25 +0800

Our Popcorn & Soda series returns! Woot! Spend your Sunday at Laundry Bar where you'll get to catch a free screening of Brenda Danker and Namron's Gadoh. Popcorn and soda on us (for the first 50)! Here's the lowdown on our films:

2 - 3pm: Local Short Film Hour

3.15pm: Intro to Gadoh by representative from Cast & Crew
Gadoh is a film "of hope in the struggle against racism". Directed by Brenda Danker and Namrom and stars Zahiril Adzim, Nicholas Llew Davis and Amerul Affendi. Set against the backdrop of a local secondary school, the 70-minute feature film tackles the issues of racism amongst youth. Concepts of personal identify are also discussed within the flick. Read contributor Kamariah's review of Gadoh here.

As usual, the first 50 people who show up will get free popcorn & soda, so don't be late! Don't forget to email trainee@freeform.com.my to confirm your attendance. We will see you there!

Brian Yap: ... And Massages For All

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:18:20 +0800

The Klang Valley is home to a disproportionate number of many things: terrible drivers, "licensed" money lenders and DVD shops. If it isn't already obvious, add cyber cafes and massage parlours to that list. According to the Selangor government, there are 1,000 illegal cyber cafes operating in the state, plus andother 604 licensed ones.

It’s obvious no one goes to a cyber cafe to check their e-mail. The dark, smoky and deafeningly loud cyber cafes are basically the modern-day version of the dark, smoky and deafeningly loud video game centres so ubiquitous in the '90s. The only difference really, is that bootleg versions of Street Fighter II are now replaced by bootleg versions of World of Warcraft. The authorities never successfully clamped down on the video game arcades back then either, so the more things change, the more they stay the same.

A little more unique to current times, however, are the proliferation of massage parlours offering bottom-ringgit body rubs and ... probably a lot more. Every neighbourhood has at least a dozen within reach, and like cyber cafes, sprout faster than mushrooms after the rain.

Surprisingly, neither trade have been granted licenses for years now. Which means, unless there is some weird semantics game going on, every new massage parlour or cyber cafe that has opened recently is breaking the law. That’s a lot of blatant defying of the law, even for a country where law-breaking is practically part of the culture.

Then again, maybe the real surprise is that no one’s figured out a way to combine a massage parlour and a cyber cafe—with a money lender eagerly offering a loan should you run out of money.

Text Brian Yap

Image taken from www.novysmichov.eu.

3-in-1: Singapore Sun Festival ticket promotion, Thinklab's mini conference, Box Office Boomers

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:47:07 +0800

1. Singapore Sun Festival

The Singapore Sun Festival will make its comeback for the third year from 3-10 October and this time, it celebrates ten days of lifestyle and arts events with big names such as filmstar Joan Chen, singer Elvis Costello and wellness guru Deepak Chopra all set to lend their expertise to the fest. Festival organisers are offering you an opportunity not to be missed: If you book your tickets before 31 July, you stand to win a stay at a spa pool villa at luxurious Banyan Tree Bintan. Click on this link now to find out more!

2. Thinklab's mini conference

Thinklab is hosting its first series of Mini Conferences which will explore the relation of recent design creations with the state of global economic and environmental sectors. Here are the details:

Date + Time : Saturday, 8 August, 9am - 1pm
Venue : National Art Gallery hall
Pricing : RM100 (professionals), RM30 (students)
Forum Topic : What design means to all of us in times of economic crisis & global warming

And these are the confirmed speakers:
1. Muid Latif
2. Fariz Hanapiah
3. Ian Davies
4. Matthias Gelber

First 20 students to buy a ticket will receive one complimentary ticket. This offer ends 19 July.

For more information, click here or log on to Thinklab's blog site at www.think-lab.blogspot.com

3. Malaysian Box Office boomers

We've passed the half-year mark and these are the top 10 movies that have made it big at the local box office thus far:

1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (USA) - RM15.3 million
2. Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins (USA) - RM13.5 million
3. Fast & Furious (USA) - RM10.6 million
4. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (USA) - RM 10 million
5. X-Men Origins: Wolverine Fox (USA) - RM8.2 million
6. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (USA) - RM6.5 million
7. Geng: Pengembaraan Bermula (Malaysia) - RM 6.2 million
8. All's Well, Ends Well 2009 (Hong Kong) - RM5.8 million
9. Dragonball Evolution (USA) - RM5.6 million
10. Jangan Pandang Belakang Congkak (Malaysia) - RM5.5 million*

The interesting thing is the first two movies are still in wide release, so final grosses will definitely be higher!

Colour your summer!

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:50:36 +0800

The New York skyline at dawn or dusk, whether you've experienced the real thing or merely seen images of it, is unquestionably inspiring. But envy not Malaysians, as such awe-inspiring views are not exclusive to New York only; KL has plenty of gorgeous views too! Check out these photos, which will make you fall for our city's skyline all over again. Click here, here and here and be ye stirred at the beauty of our city!

Similarly inspired, Carolina Herrera has captured the warm, glowing colours of dawn and dusk in its new limited edition fragrance, 212 On Ice. The fragrance is inspired by the spontaneous joy of summer and the liveliness associated with those bright days. This vitality is reflected in its flask, which displays the entire summer palette (sunset orange, sky blue and sea turquoise) and presents those shining moments in a symbolic ice casing.

In terms of juice, 212 On Ice is a fresh floral scent that is both elegant and feminine. The top notes evoke the spirit of the moment with orange-blossom, mandarin and bergamot before giving way to middle notes composed of white flowers such as gardenia, peony, iris and lilies, which embody the fragrance's luminosity. The finish is a sensual one that includes sandalwood and musk.

212 Men On Ice is a woodier version of the scent for men. Its green top notes (lemon-tree leaves, mown grass) give way to spicy middle notes (ginger, gardenia petals, green pepper) before the finish of lasting base notes, made up of woody and white musk, sandalwood, lignum vitae and incense, takes over. It is this intriguing contrast between the freshness and the warmth that makes 212 Men On Ice highly personal, sensual and vigorous.

212 On Ice retails at RM189 (60ml EDT) while 212 Men On Ice retails at RM199 (100ml EDT).

212 On Ice is available at all leading departmental stores nationwide. Swing by these promotion areas today!

9 July – 15 July: METROJAYA, The Curve
9 July – 15 July: METROJAYA, Bukit Bintang Plaza
9 July – 15 July: METROJAYA, Johor Bahru
13 July – 19 July: METROJAYA, Mid Valley Megamall
23 July – 29 July: PARKSON, Suria KLCC

Monday Blues: Something of the Day

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:03:15 +0800

This one's for all the literary junkies out there. To help you make it through the week, keep in mind that the Times Book Clearance Fair starts this Saturday, 18 July.

To be held at Capsquare, you'll be able to get 90% off selected titles. A paperback novel for RM3... that's a crazy steal! It goes on until 29 July but you know the drill, you want the better titles, you gotta go earlier.

Call 017 375 4223 if you have more enquiries.

Krispy Kreme's 72nd Anniversary: Promotions you can't miss!

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:31:28 +0800

Lovers of sugary sweet treats have a reason to celebrate today. Since it's Krispy Kreme's 72nd birthday, the doughnut chain is offering customers a 50% discount on its Original Glazed doughnut dozens only for today, July 13. So run along now to the Krispy Kreme stores - they're available at Berjaya Times Square or Mid Valley.

For those who cannot make it today, fret not! You still have a reason to rejoice tomorrow, as Kripy Kreme will launch its new promotion, where half-a-dozen of its popular doughnut cakes are selling at only RM7.20. A real steal if you ask me!

Krispy Kreme stores around the world also kicked off the global celebration today by announcing the Fave Fan Contest. The company is on the look out for its most loyal fan, and if you prove to be the one, you win a one-year supply of Original Glazed Doughnuts and the chance to design and name a Krispy Kreme doughnut! PLUS, and here's the icing on the cake, er, doughnut: you also get a one week paid trip for two to Krispy Kreme’s headquarters in its historic home of Winston-Salem, United States.

It's so easy to participate. All you have to do is log on to www.krispykremefavefan.com and send in a picture of your most special Krispy Kreme moment and a description of how Krispy Kreme has made your life special in 72 words or less. The search begins today and will end on 15 September 2009, so get movin!

National Manga Competition 2009 Kicks off

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:34:53 +0800

If you’re an aspiring Manga artist wanting to show off your fantastic artwork and stories, good news! The National Manga Competition 2009 has been launched for you to display your talent.

Here’s what you need to do: Choose a subject of your own interest and then write your piece in either English, Bahasa Malaysia or Mandarin. Make sure your work is original. Plagiarism is uncool people! Also, your piece has to be a complete story and should not be more than twelve A4-size pages in length. You’re encouraged to create your Mangas digitally although no extra points will be awarded.

If your creative juices are flowing non-stop, great! Feel free to submit more than one entry, but do make sure each submission is accompanied by a competition entry form downloaded from the competition website and a RM10 entry fee.

The competition is divided into three categories: Primary School Open for ages 7 to 12; Secondary School Open for ages 13 to 17; and Amateur Open for ages 18 onwards. You stand to win cash & prizes worth RM4,500 if you come in as one of the top three winners. This applies to each category.

More rules and regulations including the entry forms and other information can be found on the competition website, www.mymanga.com.my.

The deadline for entries is 9 October 2009, so get crackin!

Maybelline wants you to be Simply Fabulous

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:18:21 +0800

Maybelline New York is searching for the girl who has what it takes to be simply fabulous, and if you're the chosen one, guess what? You get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live your dream! Whether it is to further your studies, start a business or to own something spectacular, Maybelline New York can and will make it happen.

Maybelline New York Simply Fabulous is an online reality show open to Malaysian girls aged between 18 to 30 years old. It will be broadcasted in September 2009 as “webisodes” via the 8TV website.

Do we hear someone asking about the booty? Here's what you stand to win: a grand prize of RM10,000 cash sponsorship to realize your dream plus a trip to New York City and other prizes - All amounting to RM50,000 in value.

That's not all. The best part is, plenty of exciting experiences await the winner in New York as she gets to be part of the Fashion Week, meeting Maybelline New York’s international supermodels and official makeup artists. Certainly a chance not to be missed!

Interested? Here's what you need to do. First, strike a good pose. Second, upload a full-length photo and a close-up/mug shot. And finally, upload your photos onto the 8TV website, www.8tv.com.my/simplyfabulous.

Maybelline New York will also be organizing a series of roadshows in local educational institutions throughout the month of July where you can stop by and submit your entries.

Check out the roadshows at these places:

13 July 2009 - Dewan Perdana Siswa, Universiti Malaya, Petaling Jaya
14 July 2009 - Cafeteria, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang
15 July 2009 - Pusanika, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi
16 July 2009 - Faculty of Mass Media , Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam
20 July 2009 - Block A, HELP University College, Kuala Lumpur
21 July 2009 - Car Park, Taylor’s University College, Subang Jaya
22 July 2009 - Sunway University College, Bandar Sunway
23 July 2009 - SEGI University College, Kota Damansara

Time : 10am - 4pm for all roadshows

Brian Yap: Selangor State Assembly Meets... To No Drama

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:16:48 +0800

This year marks the 50th year of the Selangor state assembly. With the exception of the high stakes drama at the recent Perak sitting, most state assemblies usually go under the radar of the general public. Likewise, yesterday's opening of the 12th sitting of the assembly, the first session of the year.

There was little front-page worthy news from yesterday's proceedings (unless you count the "face off" between Khir Toyo and his potential real estate agent or the debut attendance of ex-ISA detainee Manoharan), but Klang Valley residents would do well to pay a little more attention to what goes on in the hall in Shah Alam.

Given that the balance of power still leans heavily to the federal government, it is often assumed that not much can be done at the state or municipal level. That's not an entirely accurate assumption. For instance, the plan to gazette the Kota Damansara Community Forest as a forest reserve by September was reaffirmed yesterday, marking a huge victory in the quest by the Friends Of Kota Damansara to protect what remains of the shrinking green lung. The local community group had been pressing for the gazettement for the past four to five years.

Last April, during Selangor's Earth Day celebrations, the Menteri Besar had announced the state government's plan for the forest. "Once it is gazetted as a forest, any proposed development must be presented to the public as the public has a say in the forest reserve. We will also let the community take care of the forest," he was quoted as saying.

National politics often takes centre stage in the media, but as citizens around the country, from Kampung Buah Pala to Kota Damansara have come to realise, sometimes it pays to look a little closer to home and fight the little fights before the bigger picture can change.

The state assembly continues to convene until 16 July, with the proceedings broadcast live at tvselangor.com.

Text Brian Yap

Wednesday's Word Up: Mm Sam Mm Sei

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:58:16 +0800

We've been focusing on loads of English-centric words and phrases recently, so today we've decided to bust out the heritage to give you this Cantonese phrase.

Mm sam mm sei

It literally means "not three, not four" and is used like the English phrase "neither here not there" to denote or reject a flaky or idiotic idea.

Here's an example of it in use:

Lau Hon Wei: "Wah lau, eh. Uncle Quek's new siu ngaap Western-style fast food stall is so mm sam mm sei, man!"

Frankie Feng: "No, what. His siu ngaap burger is actually quite good. You haven't even tried so how you know?"

Marketing Intern Wanted!

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:48:53 +0800

So, you want some cred on your resume, work, party hard, and want to tell people you're going to some big fun event as work? Hey! We should join forces. We're looking for a marketing internto help us with:

- behind-the-scenes work for our events
- making coffee and buying goreng pisang
- makings loads of calls
- exciting (and dangerous!) paper-cut prone work
- attending events

It would be cool if you had a car. Send us your resume and tell us why you think you're the perfect person to intern for our marketing dept. Email jobs@freeform.com.my with the subject "MARKETING INTERN."