Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Will Donald Trump’s win affect Yuna’s career?

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Yuna, who caught up with the local media at Yonder Music’s first anniversary bash recently, said the reception to her third international album, Chapters, released last May, surpassed her expectations.
“(Lead single) Crush was on the radio (in the United States) for a few months, and it was No. 3 on the Billboard Adult R&B charts for a long time, which was nice. I never had that,” offered the 30-year-old singer who has been pursuing her music career Stateside since 2011.
“Even when I’m going on tour now, I see more fans; new fans, and you can tell because when I start to play Crush, they’ll take out their phones and record it.”
Asked if she feels Donald Trump’s win in the recent US election will have an impact on her career in the future, the singer responded: “Career wise, it won’t have an effect.”
“It’s just that for me, as a human being, the way I see it, a leader of a country should be someone who encourages love and respect and equality within a society, someone who’s not racist or sexist,” she continued.
“When I first came to America five years ago, I was already prepared to face things like Islamophobia. So to me, my attitude is still the same, I need to be positive and strong for my fans.”.
The statuesque songstress serenaded fans at the event with three songs All I Do, Crush and her latest Malay-language single with SonaOne, Pulang.
She explained the message behind Pulang: “I wanted to talk about how today people chase after their careers but they forget to see their parents or spend time with their friends.”
She said its music video, which was released last week, is her second favourite one after Crush.
“The initial concept was we wanted to set the music video in outer space, like have someone who’s far away in outer space and the other person is on Earth, but there was no budget for that,” she said with a laugh.
“But we kept that space concept in the story, using beautiful images of the galaxy.”
Yuna was in Kuala Lumpur for a few days and is now on the first leg of her Asian tour, performing in Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia and South Korea till mid December. She hopes to return and perform in Malaysia in March next year.

5 K-pop girl group members with hot solo careers

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There has been a surge of K-pop female singers who forge ahead of their respective girl groups to launch a solo career in recent years. Here we list some of the buzzworthy acts to check out.

Taeyeon

Since releasing the uplifting I last year, Taeyeon has established herself as one of K-pop’s top female vocalists with hits such RainWhyStarlight and more recently 11:11. The Girls’ Generation leader set a milestone for South Korean girl groups with her first solo concert last July. The show marks the country’s first solo concert staged by a single singer who is still active in a girl group.

Tiffany

The second Girls’ Generation member to launch a solo career after Taeyeon, Tiffany showcased her American roots in debut EP I Just Wanna Dance. Unfortunately, the singer caused outrage in August for a Snapchat post that featured the Rising Sun Flag – controversial due to its association with Imperial Japanese rule – on South Korea’s National Liberation Day. Except for a collaboration with American hip-hop group Far East Movement on its latest album in October, Tiffany has kept a relatively low profile.
Tiffany
Tiffany

CL

After signing with Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun, CL spent the bulk of 2015 working on her American debut. The much-anticipated single Lifted was released in August this year, after she teased listeners with the thumping promotional song Hello Bi+ches. The 2NE1 leader was also featured on PSY’s song Daddy late last year.
2NE1 leader CL.
2NE1 leader CL.
Taeyeon
Amber

Amber

No stranger to collaborations with other K-pop acts, Amber is the first member from f(x) to venture out solo. Her 2015 debut EP Beautiful features Taeyeon on the lead single Shake That Brass. With its star-studded music video, Amber is proving that girl power can be an absolute party as well. More recently, she released her first English track Breathe Again.

Jessica Jung

After her sudden dismissal from mega group Girls’ Generation, Jessica Jung has proven to be a capable solo star. Her fashion line Blanc & Eclare is in full swing and she is building a strong presence in China through endorsement deals, television appearances and several upcoming acting roles on the big screen. On the music front, Jung’s debut solo mini album With Love, J sold out through pre-orders when it was released in South Korea last May.
Jessica Jung
Jessica Jung

Faizal Tahir and his shirtless album cover picture

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Faizal tahir
Singer-songwriter Faizal Tahir put a lot of thought into the design of his latest album cover Anatomi. Photo: Warner Music
“Who has a scientist jacket?” singer-songwriter Faizal Tahir says while laughing right after someone asked him to explain the meaning behind the cover of his latest album, Anatomi. The striking image features Faizal, 37, posing like the Vitruvian Man, with wings and surrounded by a number of items.
Oh, he’s shirtless, too.
He knows the media will question him on this issue. “If I’m going to explain everything, it’s going to take a long time,” he says during an interview in Kuala Lumpur.
To put it simply, Faizal says the various elements on the cover represent the songs on the album as well as things that define him as a man. It ranges from his birth year (“The horse. It’s also my favourite animal.”) to his belief about duality (“Where there is shadow, there is also light.”) and of course, his favourite football club (“The wings represent the mythical Liverpool bird.”).
The cover also reflects his admiration for women who sacrifice for their loved ones (“The lady with the veil is balancing a number of things on her head.”), patriotism (“The Malaysian flag reminds me that no matter where I go, this is home.”) and the rabbit head is the persona he takes on to entertain children.
Faizal tahir
As for being shirtless, it’s an homage to the Vitruvian Man pose: “I was going to wear a loincloth (laughs). That drawing by Leonardo da Vinci is about the dissection of the human body for study. It’s an image about the human anatomy.”
When Faizal unveiled the cover for Anatomi (his first studio album in three years) on his Instagram account, fans praised him for the daring move, while others had the opinion that he is courting controversy.
“Ya, some people said I’m in the Illuminati, Freemason or whatever. Then, someone said I’ve become murtad (non-believer). Whatever people want to say, I welcome it,” he states.
“Plus, I have done it (being shirtless) before. It’s nothing new. Nobody should be surprised.”
He is referring to the “Superman incident” in 2008, when Faizal infamously took off his shirt during a live performance on local television. He was later banned from performing on live TV for three months. When Faizal looks back at the incident that has marred his career, he still has one question about it.
“I still don’t get it until today. You can’t take your shirt off on live TV but you can do it on a pre-recorded show. What is the difference? If you asked me, I have no regrets.”
If anything, Faizal is not going to let one incident continue to define him. Since the release of his biggest hit Assalamualaikum, Faizal has succesfully changed public perception about him –from being the reckless rocker to a respected peace-loving singer-songwriter.
Earlier this year, his heartfelt performance of Assalamualaikum on Anugerah Juara Lagu was lauded. He was praised for using his influence as an entertainer to spread the plight of the marginalised community to a wider audience.
Faizal says it was a trip to a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon back in 2010 that changed the way he thinks of himself as a performer. “I saw so much suffering. People didn’t have proper food to eat and beds to sleep on. It was really bad. It came to my mind that I have nothing to complain about in life,” he says.
That includes not giving too much thought to negative comments. “If you’re going to think about what people say about you, you get nowhere,” he offers.
Instead, he focuses on inspiring positivity. This year he launched Faithmen, a charitable initiative to provide for those in need. Most recently, he raised funds for an orphanage in Aceh, Indonesia.
“It’s impossible to change the world. But if I can affect the people around me to try and make the world a better place, that’s a good start.”
Faizal hopes to return to humanitarian camps in Egypt and Jordan which he has visited in the past: “I received photos from contacts there saying the orphans miss me. It’s heartbreaking.”
But how does the father of six children and also the owner of music label Faithful Music (Elizabeth Tan and Harris Baba are signed to him), find time to do so many things? “The moment you don’t create any excuses, you get everything done. I have no complaints. I will rest when I die,” he replies.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

OlaBola theme song wins at Golden Horse Film Awards

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Zee Avi poses backstage after winning the Original Film Song award from the movie "OlaBola" at the 53rd Golden Horse Film Awards in Taipei, Taiwan November 26, 2016. REUTERS/
Zee Avi poses backstage after winning the Original Film Song award from the movie "OlaBola" at the 53rd Golden Horse Film Awards in Taipei, Taiwan November 26, 2016. 

PETALING JAYA: OlaBola continued its winning streak, 10 months after its release, this time, winning the Best Original Song at the 53rd Annual Golden Horse Film Awards last night (Nov 26).
Collecting the awards at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan were singer Zee Avi and songwriter Rendra Zawawi who are responsible for the song Arena Cahaya.
Zee started her acceptance speech in Mandarin before continuing in English: "I thought I was here just to perform the song. Thank you Director Chiu for this incredible opportunity. This is an amazing project to be apart of as it is about unity, diversity and harmony, and it is to remind us that we are all the same."
OlaBola director Chiu Keng Guan and musician Alvin Wee (responsible for the recording, editing, mixing, and mastering for the song) were also in the audience.
Arena Cahaya beat four other nominees, including Faye Wong's daughter Leah Dou's (It's Not A Crime) It's Just What We Do, which was featured in the movie Soul Mate.
In an interview early this year, songwriter Rendra said when Chiu comissioned Zee and him to write a song for OlaBola, the director wanted something that imbues timelessness, inspiration and, a sense of unity and hope.
“The mission was for the song to be simple, relatable, memorable, yet achieve the intended spirit of hope and unity. Most important of all, the chorus had to have a killer hook – something people would hum to after (or even better, while …) hearing it,” Rendra said.
When contacted after the awards night, Zee said the win was a surprise as she was only looking forward to perform on an international platform.
"The only thing I was expecting was to sing a song in our national language on the show. To me, as a Malaysian, that was already a victory," Zee said, adding that she didn't have a speech prepared and was holding back tears at the podium when she was presented the award.
"I think the song proves that it doesn't matter what language a song is in, sincerity transfer through delivery and flow of music. And in this context, one could feel the uplifting journey within the song and its arrangement."
While it was an experience of a lifetime and a feat for the Malaysian contingent at the Golden Horse Film Awards, they didn't get to celebrate their victory after the show.
"Rendra, Alvin and I had travelled from the US the day before. We were incredibly jet-lagged. We had jolts of energy after our performance, and of course, were fully awake when our win was announced. But I had to leave for the airport at 6am - five hours after the ceremony - so I went back to the hotel to pack for my flight," said the 30-year-old singer who is currently back in Malaysia for a day before leaving for China tomorrow (Nov 29) for her tour beginning Dec 2.
"I think the real celebration was all four of us thanking each other profusely throughout the night for being able to work together and be part of this wonderful movement that just so happens to be a great work of art," she continued.
OlaBola has earned RM16.67mil at the Malaysian box-office, making it the No. 4 best-earning local film of all time.
In September, the film bagged three awards at the Malaysian Film Festival for Best Costume, Original Song and Score. It also received a Special Jury Award for achievements as a film that promoted unity and family values through sports.

True or Not: JPJ refutes rumours on road tax increase

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PETALING JAYA: The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has denied rumours of an increase in road tax for motor vehicles of 880cc and above starting January next year.

“The information is fake, and has been spread through social media and WhatsApp applications lately.

“The department views this matter seriously as it can cause misunderstanding among the public,” JPJ said in a statement Monday.

The rumours started earlier in the day and began circulating on social media that road tax would go up by 25%.

JPJ advised the public not to believe information from social media, and to get in touch with the authorities directly instead of spreading unverified information.

Akaun Emas to keep withdrawal choices

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PETALING JAYA: The Employees Provident Fund has said that Akaun Emas will not affect all other existing schemes, where members have the option to make full or partial withdrawals upon reaching 55.
The partial withdrawal at age 50 also stays.
Here is a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help readers better understand the new schemes and its impact on their contributions.
1. I am 56 now. Will I continue to get dividends in my existing EPF account (Akaun 55) along with the new Akaun Emas next year?
Members will continue to earn dividends in both Akaun Emas and the balance in Akaun 55.
2. Will there be special dividends for Akaun Emas?
There will be no difference in the annual dividend payout percentage between both accounts to be fair to all EPF members.
3. I am 45 this year. How will this change affect me?
Contributions in Account 1 and Account 2 will not be affected and your contributions will continue to be split between these two accounts.
Members can still make withdrawals from Account 2 subject to eligibility.
4. What are Account 1 and Account 2?
Your EPF savings are split into two accounts. Seventy per cent of contributions goes into Account 1 and 30% goes into Account 2.
5. Can I make withdrawals from Account 1?
Yes, but only when you reach 55.
6. Can I make more withdrawals from Account 2.You can withdraw for the existing pre-retirement schemes such as for housing, education, health, after age 50 and to perform the haj.
7. I am 55 this year. How will this affect me?
Contributions from Account 1 and 2 will be transferred to Akaun 55 for members who have reached 55 and above starting Jan 1, 2017.
After the transfer to Akaun 55, withdrawals can be made subject to current eligibility and procedures.
Any further contribution (from Jan 1, 2017) will be parked under the new Akaun Emas.
There will be no pre-retirement withdrawals from Akaun Emas.
Accumulated contributions in Akaun Emas can only be withdrawn at age 60.
8. I will be 58 years old on Jan 1, 2017. Can I still withdraw my EPF savings?
Akaun Emas will not be applied retrospectively. Anything contributed up to Dec 31, 2016 will remain in Akaun 55 and members are allowed to make full withdrawals.
Any further contributions from Age 58 to 60 will be parked in Akaun Emas and can only be withdrawnat the age of 60.
9. Members who are aged 60.
Balances in Akaun 55 and Akaun Emas will be combined.
10. What’s the purpose of two accounts when eventually it’s going to combine at age 60?
Following the Members Consultation Exercise last year, a total of 94% of respondents overwhelmingly agreed for the EPF to maintain the Age 55 withdrawal, with new contributions from age 55 to 60 to be locked in until age 60, hence the introduction of Akaun Emas.
11. If a person is still working at 58 and becomes terminally ill, can he withdraw from Akaun Emas?

Yes, under the Incapacitation Withdrawal scheme.

Ringgit slightly higher against US$ early Monday

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KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit traded slightly higher against the US dollar early Monday on improved buying interest and despite a decline in global crude oil prices, dealers said.

At 9am, the local unit improved against the greenback at 4.4550/4600 from 4.4580/4700 on last Friday.

Global crude oil prices declined further amid concerns over the outcome of this week's meeting of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Brent Crude was at US$46.40 per barrel, down 84 cents, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 74 cents at US$45.32 per barrel.

Meanwhile, the ringgit was lower against other major currencies.

The local unit traded lower against the Singapore dollar at 3.1285/1325 from 3.1090/1191.

It declined against the yen to 3.9653/9701 from last Friday's 3.9174/9283.

The ringgit was also lower against the euro at 4.7334/7392 from 4.7023/7154 and weaker against the British pound at 5.5576/5652 from 5.5475/5643.

Work on Malacca port starts in 2017

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New O&G centre: Noormustafa posing with a scale model of the port servicing the oil and gas industry. The project is expected to generate demand for port services.
New O&G centre: Noormustafa posing with a scale model of the port servicing the oil and gas industry. The project is expected to generate demand for port services.

T.A.G Marine with Chinese investors will build the RM12.5bil hub
SHAH ALAM: Construction of the RM12.5bil Kuala Linggi International Port (KLIP) in Malacca will begin in the first quarter of next year.
T.A.G Marine Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Wira Noormustafa Kamal Yahya hoped the port servicing the oil and gas industry would attract more investors. T.A.G Marine owns the project.
Noormustafa would finance the development of the port with investors from China. However, he declined to delve into the shareholding structure.
He said KLIP would bring back Malacca’s glory days, when it was a regional trading hub in the 15th century.
“Kuala Linggi is blessed with natural depth at 30m and is very conducive for servicing large tankers.
“There will be no need for maintenance dredging and it is also suitable for shipbuilding and repairing.
“My company has been servicing large ships for the past 10 years handling palm oil, crude oil, liquefied natural petroleum, liquefied natural gas (LNG) among others. We are also the first in the region to handle LNG transfer from ship to ship.
“The RM12.5bil KLIP is the extension of it in a bigger scale,” he said.
Noormustafa, a seasoned mariner, said Kuala Linggi is strategically located and KLIP would ease the traffic at one of the busiest and important waterways in the region.
“This chokepoint that sees about 100,000 of large tankers and other types of ships plying through annually is prone to accidents and ships are wary of the close quarter situation in this area.
“The Transport Ministry has gazetted KLIP not only as a industrial port and a bunkering hub, but also a port of refuge to aid casualty and vessel in distress,” he said.
Besides being the project’s owner, T.A.G Marine also have to look for investors.
Noormustafa said investors must have synergies with the KLIP business model, adding that many foreigners had expressed interest in the project.
“I don’t want the investors to come in and dictate. I am sure of what I’m doing and I will do it according to my own style. At the moment, the ground-breaking is set to be in the first quarter of 2017 and it will take about 10 years to complete,” he said.
KLIP, which garnered a lot of media attention at its launching, will be developed on a 620-acre reclaimed land to offer storage, repair and bunkering services. In Singapore, ships could waste a lot of time just waiting to deliver, take on goods, refuel or undergo maintenance work.
The project, the latest in a string of developments to capture Asia’s rising oil demand and the waterways along the Strait of Malacca and the Strait of Singapore, is expected to generate huge demand for port services.
It was reported that traffic sailing through the straits, valued at US$600bil in annual oil trade – makes up a third of global oil demand.
Noormustafa pointed out that KLIP development would complement Singapore instead of being a competitor to it.
“The pie is big enough and it all boils down to branding the area as a shipping hub, where the east meets west.
“For me, I am thrilled to do this for the country that will provide 6,000 job opportunities,” he said, adding that T.A.G Marine’s sister company, Linggi Base Sdn Bhd will be the master developer of KLIP.
Malacca governor Tun Dr Mohd Khalil Yaakob and Second International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan launched the KLIP earlier this month.

Bank Negara wants rules of NDF market to be changed

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Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim: "Perhaps it is time to change the rules of the game."
Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim: "Perhaps it is time to change the rules of the game."

KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) wants a change in the rules for the offshore ringgit non-deliverable forward  (NDF) market following the recent weeks of speculative position taking.

Saying that “perhaps it is time to change the rules of the game,” central bank governor, Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim said on Monday that the financial market players, especially those in the NDF market, need to be as transparent as the demands they expect of others. 
“Similarly, jurisdictions that govern them ought to make this opaque market more transparent and accountable,” he added in his keynote address at the Global Banking Leaders programme here,

Paradoxically, while there has been tremendous demand globally for transparency on governments and policymakers, the same level of intensity is not necessarily reflected for financial market players, he pointed out.

StarBiz reported there has been a substantial selldown in government bonds, led by foreign selling, since the aftermath of the US presidential election.

The rout in the country’s bond market saw the Malaysian Government Securities (MGS) yields rising at its fastest pace ever to around 15-month high in a matter of two weeks.  The ringgit is now hovering at its lowest levels in 19 years as a result of continued capital outflow.

Speaking on recent developments in the ringgit exchange market and BNM’s announcements to reinforce and strengthen the market from being adversely impacted by speculative activities, he said:

“Our market activity and exchange rate should reflect the economic realities of Malaysia. As such, when it comes to the pricing of the ringgit exchange rate, it should never be disconnected from real economic activities in the onshore market,” he said.

He said in recent weeks, speculative position taking in the offshore ringgit NDF market has had adverse impact on the domestic foreign exchange market.

“While the ringgit faced the same external shocks as many neighbouring countries, activities in this opaque market had exacerbated the depreciation pressure by disrupting the price discovery process. This, for me, should not be tolerated.

“For a small but highly open economy like ours, we face unique challenges. The volatile and erratic movements in the financial markets render the opening up of financial markets and continuous liberalisation more challenging.

“Nevertheless, as an economy that operates on free market principles, it is still a path we need to take. But we need to open up responsibly – we have to ensure the markets, players and products in our economy are transparent, fair and serve their intended purposes,” he said.

Muhammad also said BNM had been taking measures to reduce the speculative and damaging influence of NDF since the early 2010s.

“It is our responsibility to ensure orderly functioning of the foreign exchange market and maintain public confidence in the financial system. The recent actions by the Bank (BNM) are merely to reinforce our existing policy on offshore trading of the ringgit.

“Besides reducing the detrimental effects of financial market speculation on our markets, these policy reinforcements are aimed at instilling greater transparency, integrity and fairness in our financial markets. This is our responsibility as regulators and policymakers, of financial market development that aspires to see a more open and transparent market,” he said.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Cops: Couple who harassed MBSA officer arrested

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PETALING JAYA: A married couple who allegedly harassed a female Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) officer for issuing a parking ticket are expected to be charged Friday.
This was confirmed by Sungai Buloh OCPD Supt Dr Abdul Aziz Awang Darus, who said the two would be brought to the Shah Alam court.
“They were arrested on the day of the incident and referred to the deputy public prosecutor for the next course of action,” he said.
The suspects, in their 30s, were detained by a team of policemen at 10.24am after the authorities were alerted to the incident.
It is learnt that the couple would be charged at the Shah Alam court under Section 353 of the Penal Code for using criminal force to deter a public servant from carrying out his duties.
Deputy Supt Md Noor Aehawan Mohammad is expected to hold a press conference later Friday.
On Thursday, a video showing a woman from MBSA being harassed by the couple went viral.
The two-minute video showed the 23-year-old officer being cornered by the two after issuing a traffic summons to the woman.
It was believed that the woman had failed to display a parking coupon in her vehicle, which led to the officer issuing the summons.
The woman was seen holding onto the MBSA officer’s shirt tightly for the bulk of the video, refusing to let go until the summons was cancelled.
A short scuffle ensued as the officer tried to move out of the way but was prevented by the man, who tried to take her photo.
During the video, the victim was also heard calling for help to her partner, who tried to defuse the situation.

Ringgit lower against US$ Friday, lowest in 19 years

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The local unit declined against the greenback to 4.4580/4700 from  4.4450/4550 Thursday.  This was lower than the 4.4602 against the US dollar during the Asian financial crisis in 1997/1998
The local unit declined against the greenback to 4.4580/4700 from 4.4450/4550 Thursday. This was lower than the 4.4602 against the US dollar during the Asian financial crisis in 1997/1998

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit was traded lower Friday against the US dollar, as the greenback rallied on expectations of a hike in US interest rates next month, dealers said.
The local unit declined against the greenback to 4.4580/4700 from  4.4450/4550 Thursday.
This was lower than the 4.4602 against the US dollar during the Asian financial crisis in 1997/1998.
Meanwhile, the ringgit was lower against other major currencies but remained almost unchanged against the Singapore dollar.
The local unit was almost flat against the Singapore dollar at 3.1090/1191 from 3.1093/1167.
It strengthened against the yen to 3.9174/9283 from 3.9389/9481 Thursday.
The ringgit was lower against the euro at 4.7023/7154 from 4.6966/6094 and weaker against the British pound at 5.5475/5643 from 5.5354/5500.

The following table shows rates for Asian currencies against the dollar at 0131 GMT(0931 Malaysian time Friday).
   
    CURRENCIES VS U.S. DOLLAR
  Currency                Latest bid   Previous day  Pct Move
  Japan yen                   113.77         113.34     -0.38
  Sing dlr                    1.4328         1.4320     -0.06
  Taiwan dlr                  31.950         31.927     -0.07
  Korean won                 1180.23        1180.10     -0.01
  Baht                         35.69          35.65     -0.10
  Peso                        49.975         49.980     +0.01
  Rupiah                       13565          13555     -0.07
  Rupee                        68.73          68.73      0.00
  Ringgit                     4.4630         4.4450     -0.40
  Yuan                        6.9204         6.9180     -0.03
                                                           
  Change so far in 2016                                    
  Currency                Latest bid  End prev year  Pct Move
  Japan yen                   113.77         120.30     +5.74
  Sing dlr                    1.4328         1.4177     -1.05
  Taiwan dlr                  31.950         33.066     +3.49
  Korean won                 1180.23        1172.50     -0.65
  Baht                         35.69          36.00     +0.87
  Peso                         49.98          47.06     -5.83
  Rupiah                       13565          13785     +1.62
  Rupee                        68.73          66.15     -3.75
  Ringgit                     4.4630         4.2935     -3.80
  Yuan                        6.9204         6.4936     -6.17

PNB reveals secret of how it makes money to pay high dividends

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The meeting where the world class fund revealed for the first time the secrets on how it is able to make the money to give out the big dividends it has been giving out for years. (PNB president and group CEO Datuk Abdul Rahman Ahmad (right) speaking as PNB group chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar looks on during the media briefing on PNB Strategic Plan 2017 - 2022 at Grand Hyatt Hotel yesterday. IZZRAFIQ ALIAS / The Star. November 24, 2016)
The meeting where the world class fund revealed for the first time the secrets on how it is able to make the money to give out the big dividends it has been giving out for years. (PNB president and group CEO Datuk Abdul Rahman Ahmad (right) speaking as PNB group chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar looks on during the media briefing on PNB Strategic Plan 2017 - 2022 at Grand Hyatt Hotel yesterday. 

PETALING JAYA: Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) hardly opens up to the media, especially when it comes to matters pertaining to its investment strategies.
But when it decided to open the doors and let out the secret on how the country’s largest unit trust has been able to return a dividend of at least 6% irrespective of the performance of the markets, PNB did it in style.
It broke away from tradition at the very onset. Members of the media were told to occupy the seats at the main table instead of the top officials. There were 10 tables and the prime seats at all the tables were for the media. That itself caught everyone by surprise.
PNB’s group chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar used a lapel microphone on stage when briefing on the group’s five-year strategy, setting the tone for a good 90-minute discussion on the operations of the fund-management company that has 12.6 million account holders.
Wahid, who himself had served under PNB-controlled companies before taking on the assignment with the Government, started the ball rolling at 10.46am. After having completed his first 115 days as PNB chairman following his appointment on Aug 1, Wahid said his waistline had expanded.
He felt that it was an indication of him getting comfortable with his new task. But quickly, Wahid, who trained as an accountant, went for the subject matter for the day – setting the future path of the fund that has RM260bil in assets under management.
“The honeymoon period is over,” he said, as the slides started to roll in the background on how big and how much PNB has done so far. For the first time, information such as how much PNB has paid out over the years was revealed. More interesting is that the amount it needs to earn in a year to pay out a dividend of between 6% and 7% was also made known.
The numbers are staggering. PNB has distributed RM136.4bil to its account holders since its inception in 1981 and estimates making RM15.18bil this year to continue with its trend of paying dividends of about 6% or more.
As a fund, PNB is no small fish – it is among the top-five in the region and the companies under its stable commanded 10% of Bursa Malaysia’s market capitalisation of close to RM1.7 trillion as at end-September.
Wahid’s partner to chart the next five years of PNB is another well-known name in Malaysia’s corporate circles – Datuk Abdul Rahman Ahmad, who was appointed as president and group chief executive officer of PNB on Oct 1.
Only 55 days into the job, Abdul Rahman had to come up with a strategic plan.
“It is the fastest plan that I have ever devised,” he said as he took over the presentation from Wahid.
Abdul Rahman’s first message was that corporate Malaysia has got to start producing the results desired by its investors. That is obvious, as both Abdul Rahman and Wahid are known for their work in corporate Malaysia.
The duo held court until the bunch of journalists exhausted all questions pertaining to PNB, which had shied away from the media for years. At the end, many left convinced that this is indeed a new-look PNB.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Yuna explains suspicious bite mark on neck

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Local singer-songwriter Yuna was a part of Yonders first anniversary celebration last night. Photo: The Star/Azlina Abdullah
Local singer-songwriter Yuna was a part of Yonders first anniversary celebration last night. Photo: 
When local singer-songwriter Yuna was sported what looked like a bite mark on her neck in a photo posted on Rockaway Festival’s official Facebook page last week, tongues started wagging.
“It’s actually spider bites,” she says with a laugh when asked during an interview with the local media if the marks were love bites.
The Crush hitmaker explains she was on tour in Alabama in the United States five weeks ago and was bitten while she was asleep. The marks were also on her hands and face.
Yuna, who was performing at the first anniversary party of music streaming service Yonder in Kuala Lumpur, also shares about her new single Pulang with SonaOne.
“We always get caught so up with work, we forget to go home to our family and friends,” she says of the song.
This photo of Yuna at Rockaway 2016 was posted on the rock festivals official Facebook page, sporting what looked like bite marks (inset) on her neck. Photo: Rockaway
This photo of Yuna at Rockaway 2016 was posted on the rock festivals official Facebook page, sporting what looked like bite marks (inset) on her neck.

Apple issues recall on September, October 2015 iPhone 6S

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Return policy: Apple Stores are able to check handsets against a list of serial numbers and will either replace the battery or refund the cost of a new one if the original has already been replaced by its owner. — AFP
Return policy: Apple Stores are able to check handsets against a list of serial numbers and will either replace the battery or refund the cost of a new one if the original has already been replaced by its owner. 

A number of Apple handsets manufactured between September and October of 2015 are eligible for replacement batteries after a fault was discovered. 
The battery fault causes, per TechCrunch, a "very small number" of handsets to shut down without warning, the Cupertino device designer and manufacturer announced on Nov 21. 
Apple Stores are able to check handsets against a list of serial numbers and will either replace the battery or refund the cost of a new one if the original has already been replaced by its owner. 
Apple noted that it had no safety concerns with the fault batteries, putting distance between itself and trouble that afflicted the launch and eventual permanent withdrawal of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 earlier in the year.

Viral video will crash your iPhone

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Frozen Apple: You can get your iPhone working again by warm resetting it. — TAN KIT HOONG/The Star
Frozen Apple: You can get your iPhone working again by warm resetting it. 

A viral video titled "Honey" has been making the rounds that when played will freeze or lock up your iPhone after about 10 seconds, according to the Verge.
The bug seems to affect most iPhones even with the latest iOS 10.1 or 10.2 beta installed.
The video, which can be shared via a link, seems to cause the iPhone to slow down after about 10 seconds and eventually freeze it – this will happen even if you closed the video midway.
Pressing any button (including the power button) or tapping the screen will no longer work – the only way to recover your iPhone is to warm reset (some call it hard reset) it.
If you have an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, a warm reset is initiated by holding down the power button and the volume down button until you see the Apple logo. If you have any other iPhone, the warm reset is initiated by holding down the Home and the power buttons for a few seconds until you see the Apple logo.
Apple has yet to release a patch to fix this issue so be careful if you receive any video links in your messaging apps and remember that if it happens, you can simply warm reset your iPhone to get it to work again.
Be careful though because at this point it's unclear if the video is doing more than just freezing your iPhone.