This article originally appeared on Vulcan Post. 

If you’re looking for a Singaporean superstar, you don’t have to look much further than Stefanie Sun. With 15 years of experience under her belt, the Singapore-born singer has carved a name for herself in the Mandopop industry, gathering large throngs of fans in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mainland China, and of course, Singapore.

She has sold over 30 million copies of her albums since the start of her career, and taken home several Singapore Hit Awards, Global Chinese Music Awards, and MTV Asia awards. She was also awarded the Singapore Youth Award (Arts and Culture) in 2007 for her outstanding achievements in the music scene and contributions to the local and international community.

Not to mention, she’s the voice behind two of Singapore’s favourite National Day songs, which she performed during SG50’s National Day Parade.

Image Credit: The Straits Times

Here are the top 6 takeaways from Stefanie Sun for budding superstars.

1. Don’t Overlook Internships

As a graduate of Nanyang Technological University’s Business School, Sun made full use of her time there. Other than hanging out with her friends in Hall 8, joining bands and organising events, she also spent some time doing internships to help set her on the right career path.

In an interview with NTU, Sun shared that she did an internship with Warner Music, one of the biggest record labels around.

“I did my internship at Warner Music Singapore, where I met Princessa (a Spanish pop artiste) and Dr Bombay (the Swedish-Danish Eurodance performer who made Indian dance music). I had quite a bit of fun and quite a lot of stress! But it was a good experience and I am very thankful for the exposure.”

A few years later in 2000, she released her first album, Yan Zi (孙燕姿), under Warner Music. Coincidence? Sun’s never made the connection, but we’re sure her time working with a company like Warner Music must have helped give her the exposure she needed to set her on the path to success.

2. Do whatever it takes to succeed

Image Credit: TODAY

While Sun went on to build a career in Mandopop, Mandarin wasn’t her first language growing up. In fact, she admits that she grew up speaking primarily English, but chose to pursue a career in Mandopop because the English pop scene wasn’t as established.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Sun said:

“Singing in English is even less of an option. For Mandopop, there were [previous Singaporean successes like]Kit Chan and Tanya Chua. As for English pop, I don’t really know anyone [from Asia who’s succeeded]. I knew from a very young age that an Asian face is not going to make a [successful]English album. The support and structure was not there during my time and is still not there.“

However, she wasn’t fluent in Mandarin, as she shared in her essay contribution to Lee Kuan Yew’s book “My Bilingual Journey”. After an embarrassing moment on a television show with renowned presenter Jacky Wu, she vowed to improve her Mandarin and now has a large fan base in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mainland China.

“If you want it bad enough, you will find all ways and means to get it,” she said. “This is something that I have learnt over the years. You don’t get somewhere by doing nothing. Find the one thing that you love doing and just go for it. If you are not good enough at it, you had better get cracking.”

3. If you can’t beat them, make them laugh

While stars are often depicted in the media as glamorous and stunning beings, they have their off days too. On one such day, Sun was queueing at McDonald’s in a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops — someone took a picture of her, and it quickly went viral on social media. People started criticising her for her less-than-flawless look, commenting that she looked like an auntie.

But instead of fighting the critics, she used the opportunity to show her funny side by editing the picture: she added a crown to her head and cartoon characters that said: “So beautiful OK”. Everyone loved it.

“When I am not under pressure, I’d like to think I’m funny,” she said to Channel NewsAsia. “When I come across something funny, I just post it.”

With that one move, the frequent social media user showed us the number one rule in dealing with haters: if you can’t beat them, make them laugh. Not only does it keep you from offending fans, but your authenticity will shine through. Everyone loves a good joke, especially a slightly self-deprecating one.

4. It doesn’t hurt to be unabashedly patriotic

At a time when being patriotic may seem uncool to most youth, Sun shows her patriotism well. She’s worked on two wildly popular national day songs, and contributed to Lee Kuan Yew’s book. She was also one of the first few people to pay her respects to the late founding Prime Minister at the Parliament house, and held a minute of silence for him at her concert shortly after.

Despite having a crazy popular career in Taiwan and China, she’s still rooted to Singapore, sharing in her tribute to Lee Kuan Yew how grateful she is that her son will have the opportunity to buy a HDB flat when he grows up.

Her unabashed connection with Singapore has had people lauding her as one of Singapore’s most successful musicians. How successful? She was the first Singaporean celebrity to have an orchid named after her at the Singapore Orchid Show — the Dendrobium Stefanie Sun.

And how about that wax figure?

5. Fame comes with a price — sometimes it’s your safety

Image Credit: Lollipop

Being famous sounds great, but it comes with a price. Sometimes it’s privacy, other times it’s judgement. But, as Sun has experienced first hand, fame could also come with a lapse in safety.

In 2000, soon after Sun had begun her career in the music industry, she was held hostage by a man in his 20s at an autograph session in Sogo Department Store, Chungli, Taiwan. He held her at gunpoint while she was on stage, demanding a ransom for her release. Luckily, security personnel on-site were able to take him down quickly and nobody was hurt.

On a separate occasion, while filming a music video in Egypt in 2007, Sun’s crew were extorted by local gangsters pretending to be government officials. They were only able to get out with the help of the Singapore embassy.

Image Credit: Tom.Com

Sun seems to have taken these experiences to heart, and keeps her personal relationships and family under wraps. She secretly married her long-time boyfriend, Nadim Van Der Ros, in 2011, and gave birth to their son in 2012. She has yet to reveal her son’s name to the public, likely in a bid to keep him safe and out of the public eye.

So if you’re looking to be a superstar, remember what you may be up for as a result.

6. Learning is a life-long journey

It’s always tough to hear criticisms from others, especially when they’re based on fact. When Sun embarked on her Mandopop career, she was aware that her Mandarin wasn’t as fluent as those in Taiwan and China, where she was promoting her music at the time.

But it was only when she was a guest on Taiwanese variety show Jacky Go Go that she realised the need for her to buck up on her Mandarin conversational skills. When asked a question by host Jacky Wu, she was embarrassed to find that she didn’t understand it. In response, Wu simply remarked: “Why are young artistes these days so ignorant?”

“This passing remark by Taiwanese variety show host Jacky Wu was a stinging slap to my face, a big, red flashing wake-up call. It was an important turning point in my journey towards effective bilingualism. 

Now, even though I am still more comfortable reading and writing in English, Mandarin is no longer difficult. Today, I tend to use English and Mandarin separately and comfortably. When I receive the lyrics of a new song, I can quite easily understand the mood expressed by the words. When I speak in Mandarin, I no longer think in English first.”

While her language skills have improved, Sun has shown that there is no shame in learning, no matter how old you are or what skill you’re trying to pick up. In fact, she recently posted this Instagram photo of her revision of the Chinese language. Looks like she’s still learning.

Also Read: What Crystal Jade’s Boss Did With His Money Will Make You Salute Him With Respect

Living in a tropical country like Malaysia, which is basically summer all year round, it is a constant battle to ensure that your skin is oil-free when you are sweating under the hot sun. Nonetheless, ironically, applying oil to your face seems to be one of the hottest trends in the beauty scene. Aren’t we suppose to avoid products that results in oily skin? To clarify this, I turned to the founder of Daughter Earth, an online skin care store that sells facial oil.

“If your skin is fully cleansed and are replaced by wonderful plant oil, that are rich with nutritive properties, it can prevent the skin from overcompensating with more oil thus balancing your skin’s natural oil production while healing wounds caused by acne,” explained Tatiana Aziz, the founder of Daughter Earth.

Daughter Earth is an online beauty store on Instagram which specialises in home-made facial oils that are free of paraben, alcohol and mineral oil.

“I’m a real advocate when it comes to beauty products of nature origin, growing up in a Malay family my mom always have her beauty ‘petua’ ever since I was a little girl, for example she would made me pick hibiscus flower and leaf, crush them and massage them on my hair and scalp like a hair mask, and I remember having the most gorgeous lock of hair, thick curly with ringlets that dangles up to my waist,” said Tatiana.

Nutrients For Your Skin

Oil-based products are generally not affordable compared to other products in cosmetic chain stores. Seeing as there is a lack of affordable facial oil products in the market, Tatiana had the idea of starting her own facial oil brand.

“I saw an opportunity to create a much-needed product, and I realised that if I’m going to start selling them, making essential oils from scratch by myself could be an incredibly high risk. So I look up for factories that could provide high quality essential oils that are purer and safer for cosmetic use.”

The process of starting an online beauty store requires much research as you’re producing products that’s to be applied on your skin. “I would not stop researching until I’m absolutely satisfied with the type of oils that would work well with my product and would deliver the results that I expect them to, while catering for all the different skin types out there,” said the ambitious owner who’s really passionate about her products.

When asked about the ingredients of the facial oils, Tatiana explained that she sources most from overseas as she has to look around and be picky with the suppliers to ensure that they produce 100% organic oils and have suitable effects on various skin types. Then she has her own house lab whereby she mixes the essential oils in the correct ratio.

With the facial oils set at a standard price of RM67 including postage, Daughter Earth facial oils is packaged in a pretty three-side box. Being a new beauty store in the industry, Tatiana is always improving her products and taking constructive criticism. For instance, Tatiana shared that she recently changed her product bottles to be more convenient and user friendly with an attached dropper.

Also Read: This M’sian Startup Wants To Generously Pay You For Watching Video Ads – Because Time Is Money

Juggling a part-time business while working full-time

This article originally appeared on Vulcan Post. 

Ah, retirement — that one word that draws simultaneous sighs of content and dread amongst the best of us.

Retirement is hard to talk about; in Singapore and many Asian countries, money is still a taboo topic to bring up in everyday conversations. You’d be hard pressed to find someone willing to discuss their financial plans openly with family, much less with friends and acquaintances.

Image Credit: Sam Kang Li, Bloomberg

With my friends, we often joke about how our youth is running out, and how we’re growing older by the day — and we’re only in our 20s. But the scary truth is that our jokes do have an undercurrent of truth to them; savings don’t come overnight, and yet, it can often be hard to resist that plane ticket when the novelty of earning a couple thousand dollars a month has not run out.

To make matters worse, many of us still hold beliefs about retirement that probably should have been left behind years ago. This applies not just to our parents’ generations, but also to the arguably more highly-educated youths of today. Beliefs such as “I’m still young!” or “Need to plan?” are not uncommon where retirement is concerned.

This video, though, which was released recently by the CPF Board, might be a sign that things are about to change for the better. In it, four mature individuals speak candidly with their family members on their thoughts regarding retirement. It’s heartening to see younger Singaporeans dishing out advice to their older relatives, especially when we’re so used to the reverse — you’d never expect that a video about retirement could be this sweet.

While brief, the conversations that each of the four pairs of family members have reveals the harsh truth: that many of us are severely underprepared when it comes to planning for our later years. With my own family members quickly approaching retirement age (no matter how much they would like to deny it), it’s an apt and crucial reminder to even youth like myself to start thinking about the big picture.

Image Credit: The Straits Times

The fact is that there’s no such thing as too early when it comes to making retirement plans, and if this video is any indication, then broaching the subject is not only important, but insightful too. It’s as if the sappy SG50 videos were not enough to turn our hearts to jelly.

This article was produced in collaboration with the CPF Big R Chat, a campaign that aims to encourage more Singaporeans to begin discussing their retirement plans. It provides Singaporeans with essential tips on retirement, as well as issues they should consider if they haven’t done so as yet.

Also Read: As SG50 Comes To An End, I Had The Most Honest Conversation With My Parents

This article originally appeared on Vulcan Post.

Krav Maga, or Kapap, is a self defence art form that originated in Israel. It was initially designed for military use, but has since gained prominence amongst everyday practitioners. Its name can be loosely translated to mean “contact combat”.

This week, we interview the co-founder of Kapap Academy Singapore, Qin Yunquan, who is a self defence instructor and social activist dedicated to empowering ladies of different ages through realistic self defence skills that are intuitive, simple to learn and execute, yet effective.

What makes Krav Maga a unique sport?

One of the skill sets I empower ladies with is Catch Wrestling. It’s a fighting system that has earned the reputation of being the most brutal submission style in existence today. What makes this system of ground combat unique is that it can be taught as both a sport as well as a self defence skill set.

In Catch Wrestling, finger locks, neck cranks, throws, takedowns, painful pressure points, etc. are allowed. Many of such attacks are not allowed in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu because of either the risks or pain inflicted. In the sport version of Catch Wrestling, there are also no weight categories or time limits. Due to the realism of Catch Wrestling as a system, it prepares its practitioners well for street engagements.

How did you begin exploring Krav Maga?

I was inspired to become a social activist for women empowerment by my co-founder, mentor and friend, Master Teo Yew Chye. Master Teo is a psychologist by training, but was himself inspired to help ordinary people stay safe after his brother was seriously hurt in a street attack. His brother eventually died, but this tragedy spurred him to help others. I was inspired by his mission and conviction to join him in this social mission.

Image Credit: Julian Fok Photography for Kapap Academy (Singapore)

What attracted you to Krav Maga, and how did you eventually pursue it as a career?

The decision to pursue the social mission of empowering ladies led me to pick the career to become a self defence instructor. It was a natural progression from my initial fascination to eventually become a professional.

After nearly six years of hard training, I am today a self defence instructor, a National Wrestler, one of a few certified Catch Wrestlers in Asia, and the CEO/partner of Kapap Academy (Singapore). What attracted me to this career is primarily the meaningful nature of my job, which if you think about it, is about saving lives. Most people do not wake up in the morning and feel that their jobs directly save lives.

Image Credit: Kapap Academy (Singapore)

I am privileged and blessed to be able to say that my job does. 70% of our students are women, of which about 10-15% have experienced first hand either domestic violence, robbery/theft, molestation or even rape. As such, we take our training very seriously — these women entrust their lives and well being to us to teach them the right skills to stay safe.

What is a common misconception people have about Krav Maga?

One of the most common questions I have been asked by women is if they’re suited to learn such a ‘brutal’ sport. My take on this issue is that the new ‘sexy’ today is a woman who can be comfortable with her gender, but yet is strong and able to look after herself when the need arises.

We are seeing more young women challenging traditional gender roles, to become a modern day femme fatale of sorts. They do not believe they have to hide behind men, and are willing to learn sports such as catch wrestling.

What do you think more people need to know about Krav Maga?

People often take their personal safety for granted, thinking that violent crimes such as robberies, physical/sexual assault and rape will only happen to others, never them. But the reality is that crimes can happen to anyone regardless of race, gender, religion, nationality, status or age.

You only get to decide how the attack is likely to end: with you out of danger, or you ending up as another police statistic. You can decide to fight back, and to do what it takes to survive the episode. There will be injuries and you may even be stabbed, or worse. However, by fighting back, you are saying to your attacker: I will not go down easily or cower in fear. I will not be intimidated; I will fight for my right to live, and you have no right to do what you please. I will not be a victim of your disrespect for others, nor your criminal intent.

What’s your advice to someone who wants to start practising Krav Maga?

Come and train with the right attitude: an open mind to learn, experiment, and try out what we impart to you. You do not need to be fighting fit to start learning Krav Maga. We have female students with osteoporosis, scoliosis, and even cancer survivors who train with us, simply because they want to learn how to keep safe. A few male students in their 60s are also far from being fit, but train with us and are now referred to as ‘Modern Street Combatives’.

Image Credit: Kapap Academy (Singapore)

Modern Street Combatives is an eclectic system of realistic self defence that draws upon Kapap, Savate (French street style kick boxing), Catch Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Dynamic Combat Method, and other realistic self defence styles.

What can one one expect in a class?

Expect to spend about 30-40% of a 2 hour session learning about predatory behaviour using our knowledge in psychology to avoid being set up, or how to get out of danger. We have our own in-house psychologist as well as instructors who are trained in the psychology of deception — a psychological strategy often used by predators to set their victims up for ambush attacks.

We’ll also teach you to create opportunities for escape and to defend your loved ones or yourself from a worst case scenario attack.

Finally, you will learn combative skills that are used by soldiers or the para-military police to engage an opponent. This includes stand up engagement to ground, knife defence, defence against chokes, getting out of body and forearm grabs, take downs, use of improvised weapons like car keys, umbrellas, water bottles, handphones, bags, etc.

Image Credit: Kapap Academy (Singapore)

We live to deliver on our mission — to provide ordinary people with the tools/skill sets to stay safe against worst case scenarios in the streets. It is our vision to become a regional training centre in a number of selected cities, with a growing presence in Malaysia and China.

So whether it is to prepare yourself for an overseas posting, overseas studies, or for travel to exotic places, we hope to help you keep safe while enjoying your new experiences abroad. Others, of course, train with us simply because in learning self defence, they develop a sense of confidence that they are able to take care of themselves or their loved ones when the unexpected happens.

To find out more about Kapap Singapore, visit their website or Facebook page.

“Ideas worth spreading” is the mission that TED and all of it’s TEDx counterparts around the world live by in spirit. I’ve always enjoyed TED-related talks because if you listen to it with a receptive mind, there are tons of learning and new interesting thought concepts that may very well be the one that revolutionises a certain industry (or even the world)—my all-time favourite being Tony Robbin’s Why We Do What We Do.

Because Starks are honorable.

TEDxKL 2015 – Infinity & Beyond was no exception, hosting presenters such as Irshad Mobarak, Datuk Ramli Ibrahim, Professor Adrian Cheok, Afdlin Shauki (otherwise known as Chief Kodok), Dato’ Sri Idris Jala and many other thought leaders in their own domain. While all the presentations were mind-opening in their own right, the one I really enjoyed was Afdlin Shauki’s talk on making an effort to keep your mind open and change your perceptions.

While all these speakers are specialists in their own field, I can’t help but observe many uncanny similarities in the traits that they propagate. As someone who aspires to be a TED speaker one day (I’m sure many people share my aspiration), I asked myself:

“What are these traits and how does it make these people an opinion leader in their métier?”

After pondering on the presentations for a more structured examination, here are some traits that I realise the speakers have in common.

They are brilliant storytellers

Datuk Sri Idris Jala says his dad told him: “If you want to be number one, there is only one lesson, you have to be ketui.*” *Ketui means “Kiasu” (Hokkien dialect for afraid to lose) in Kelabit! (Image Credit: TEDxKL)

Everyone has an idea that was meant to be heard, but if you fail to persuade your audience, it doesn’t really matter what your idea is. The most successful speakers are those who are abundantly driven and passionate about their vision. Not just the idea, but also how it can change the world and improve lives of millions of people worldwide. Being a passionate presenter makes your ideas contagious.

Ideas are not concrete, only when exposed to thoughtful people can they morph and adapt into their most potent form. Facts and figures don’t make your audience think, stories do. Our brains are constantly hungry for good stories. So if you want to connect with a huge audience, forget the data and make a firsthand connection with them by telling a story.

Neuroscientists confirm that our brains are more receptive to stories than cold, hard facts. When we read charts (and all other kinds of boring data), only the part of our brain that controls linguistic abilities light up. But when we are listening or reading a story, the other parts of the brain that we would use if we were actually experiencing the story shows high levels of activity as well.

“Stories are data for the soul.” – Brene Brown

Sh*t, I better improve my storytelling.

Also Read: 30 Years Later, Successful M’sian Man Reunites With Samaritan Who Changed His Life

They have the ability to unleash the vision within

Image Credit: TEDxKL

Passion and belief lead to mastery of a certain topic and this same mastery forms the premise of a prodigious presentation. To inspire others, you must first inspire yourself. If you’re not sure of yourself, you sure as hell can’t get people to share your vision! If you express your enthusiasm, passion and make a connection with your audience, you stand a more significant chance to persuade and inspire.

“When you’re faced with choices in life, think about the points – Who am I and what do I stand for? What is the inherent truth?” – H.E. Vicki Treadell

Hence, I believe it is important to stay true to yourself and stay authentic when telling stories. The most inspiring speakers I have come across are very open and comfortable with exposing their vulnerabilities. Don’t be afraid to express your passion on a certain topic. To get a better understanding, watch this TED Talk video by Brené Brown.

They have an open mind

This is my favourite trait of all. Have you ever experienced an interpersonal conflict where each person keeps insisting that they are correct and the other party is wrong? Sadly, life is not math (or programming) and some arguments just cannot be solved with a simple right or wrong. Life hardly ever works that way.

“I am not always right. I can be wrong.” – Afdlin Shauki, realising that sharks aren’t that scary after taking selfies with them.

Sadly, traditional education systems do their best to differentiate right from wrong in an effort to punish the wrong. In most schools (especially Chinese vernacular schools), teachers punish students when they question authority and for asking why (which ironically, is the basis of science). I don’t know about you but I believe that this process slowly but surely instills the fear of failing since early childhood and stifles innovative thinking.

By definition, the notion of right or wrong is subjective. Not only do humans proclaim what is right and wrong based on our perception, we also tend to hold onto it as truth and become defensive about it. Embracing the fact that right or wrong is a fleeting thought will open your mind to new information. Some of the most successful people in the world did what others said would never work.

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” – Henry Ford

Be open to new concepts, enrich your mind and start believing.

Also Read: How To Juggle A Side Business & Full-Time Job, According To A Young Beauty Entrepreneur

They do tons of research because they want to

“We’re moving from information communication to experience communication. That’s the future of the Internet.”
— Professor Adrian Cheok, Inventor & Professor of Pervasive Computing
(Image Credit: TEDxKL)

Referring back to the previous point on traditional education, I’m was dumbfounded when my cousin-niece told me about her schooling experience (she’s studying in a vernacular primary school in Malaysia), and that the education system is still built on endless spoon-feeding and rote learning. Looking back at when I was still in primary/secondary school and despite all the technological and thought advancement brought forth by the internet, I realised nothing much has changed!

“I always disliked studying, thankfully I realised that studying and learning are two totally different things!”

To my shock, our youth education system is still stuck in the f*cking industrial age (which is a giant disservice to the country and the students). This obsolete education model with a one-size-fits-all approach, is definitely not meeting needs of our growing knowledge economy. There is so much more to be done to give the future generations a personalised learning experience that empowers them with the technical skills, knowledge and values to thrive in our modern society.

So the question is, how did the TED speakers get so good?

To be really, really good at something, one must embrace a mixture of active learning and meaningful learning. Active learning is the best method to retain knowledge in the long run by trial and error (not just to score in exams). And engaging in meaningful learning will help structure thoughts in a relational manner, which helps immensely in solving real-world problems.

To reinforce this point, all TED speakers speak from experience instead of reciting lines from a textbook. They find a topic that they are truly interested in, do tons of research about it and question themselves (active learning), finally using that knowledge to solidify their understanding about that topic (meaningful learning). When these speakers pitch a presentation to the TED Talks committee, they see it as an opportunity to strengthen their grasp in their chosen area (and to know their sh*t better).

They are strategically comical

“I’m excited to be wrong because it means that I can learn something new. If you’re wrong, it’s the best opportunity for you to learn.
What I saw was that people change the world by adding value into other people’s lives first before making money.”
— Afdlin Shauki, Actor | Director | Comedian | Singer (Image Credit: TEDxKL)

Jeremey Donovan (the author of How To Deliver A TED Talk, amongst many other things) said that the most compelling TED talks average a laugh a minute, even when the topic takes a serious tone. So, why do all TED speakers have humour as one of they key weapons in their arsenal?

The use of humour in presentations is very powerful if you know how to harness it to your advantage. Humour impacts the psychological, emotive and cognitive. Due to the fact that humour-processing abilities are developed in parallel with growing cognitive and language skills, interpreting jokes uses both hemispheres of the brain and can be used to surprise, build an emotional connection with the audience, and provide stress relief (especially when talking about serious topics).

As a speaker, he is already in a more powerful position by being on stage. With this in mind, well-timed jokes can help manage audience emotions and make them a lot more receptive to what you are saying.

That being said, there is a vast difference between incorporating humour into a compelling presentation and being a stand-up comedian. Reflect on your personal experiences that invariably relates to your idea. Carefully select experiences that you think your listeners can effortlessly relate to so they can visualise your point first hand. The mental image that you create can help your message linger at the top of your audience’s mind.

So to sum it up:

1. Be a brilliant storyteller

2. Unleash the vision within

3. Open up your mind

4. Do tons of research!

5. Be funny (strategically)

I’ve got my work cut out for me. Time to work on these traits  !

Also Read: “There’s No Such Thing As An Original Idea” & 9 Other Lessons M’sian Startups Taught Me

This article is originally titled “’Visionary’ and 4 other traits TEDxKL speakers have in common” and you can read the full original article here. It is republished with permission. 

This article originally appeared on Vulcan Post. 

In a somewhat unexpected move, one of Singapore’s political parties running in the upcoming elections has released an app that will provide voters with the necessary information and updates they need for election season.

They’re none other than the People’s Action Party (PAP) — the current ruling political party in the country.

The app is called PAP4SG, and is currently available only on the App Store. It’s the first time ever that a political party has launched an app, but not without good reason too: with so much of the campaigning process being run on the Internet these days, this move might just give the PAP an edge when it comes to winning the votes of the younger, more tech-savvy demographic.

Image Credit: App Store

Upon opening the app, users might be surprised to find that they’re asked to enter their postal codes. This is not the usual procedure with other apps, after all. But it only makes sense: keying in your postal code will allow the app to automatically pull up the information relevant to your constituency, and show you the PAP politicians that will be representing you in Parliament, should you vote them in.

Image Credit: App Store

The fact that the app addresses you by name is also a nice touch, and provides a sense of affinity with app users — which is presumably what a politician should be gunning for.

Image Credit: App Store

Apart from election related news, the app also contains links to local news, updates from the PAP’s Twitter feed, and according to the app description, a “Sticker Camera fun feature”. It is a bit odd that an app from a political party would come with such a component, but I guess you can never have too many stickers — they might help alleviate the boredom when the campaigning starts and you’re waiting for the rallies to begin.

You have to give props to them for the moustache logo. Everyone loves a good moustache.

It remains to be seen how the opposition parties will try to one-up this move by the PAP, but it seems they do have their work cut out for them. After all, I never thought I’d see PM Lee’s face staring back at me from an app.

You can download the app in the Apple App Store, Android users will have to wait a while.

Also Read: Singaporeans Having That Awkward Conversation With Their Family Is Surprisingly Insightful

A bomb exploded near the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok yesterday killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 120.

The shrine is a major tourist attraction and foreigners, including two Malaysians were among casualties. The explosion took place at the Rajprasong intersection—the same place where many of the recent political demonstrations were held.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit told reporters, “We are not sure if it is politically motivated but they aim to harm our economy and we will hunt them down.”

The explosion occurred at about 7pm on Monday and no one has taken responsibility for the explosion at the time of this writing.

Image Credit: Vice News

According to The Star Online, a Malaysian embassy official from the capital confirmed that two Malaysians also lost their lives due to the explosion. Thai media centre identified a Malaysian man and a woman among eight other foreign nationals.

According to The Star, the two are Neoh Jai Aun and Lim Saw Sek who were believed to have been enjoying a holiday in Bangkok.

Two Chinese nationals, two citizens of Hong Kong, two Malaysians, one Singaporean and five Thais were among those who were killed. The rest have yet to be identified.

Also Read:9 Challenges Stopping Malaysia From Achieving Wawasan 2020

Along with the significant number of fatalities, several cars and motorcycles were also damaged.

Vice news reports that national police chief Somyot Poompummuang said, “Those who have planted this bomb are cruel. They aim to kill because everyone knows that at 7 p.m the shrine is crowded with Thais and foreigners. Planting a bomb there means they want to see a lot of dead people.”

The country’s national chief said that a bomb on a motorcycle caused the blast.

According to The Star Online, an unconfirmed police report also states that there is a possibility of two other bombs—indicating that those responsible wanted to cause major damage.

Since the wake of the attack, a video of the attack has been surfacing on social media.

And you can check it out below. Do note that the video contains graphic imagery.

19.42?. ????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????? 5 ?? ??????? 25 ?? #onenews pic.twitter.com/2DNDrI74Ah

— ?????? onenews (@dekdue_03) August 17, 2015

Here’s a video that also captures the moments right after the blast.

According to The Malaysian Insider, Marko Cunningham a paramedic said, “There were bodies everywhere. Some were shredded. There were legs where heads were supposed to be. It was horrific.”

Also Read: Positive And Negative Effects Of The Ringgit’s Shameful Fall That You Didn’t Think About

This article originally appeared on Vulcan Post. 

“Where you want to eat?” 

It’s the quintessential Singaporean question asked by all — answering is the difficult bit.

In Singapore, there’re various independent apps you can utilise to search for restaurants, cafés, patisseries and rotisseries, but forget all the fancy red velvet cake, and angus burgers with a side of truffle fries — what if all I want is a good bowl of hokkien mee, and for cheap? Well, look no further: the Ministry of Trade and Industry has just created a searchable online directory of budget hawker food around the island. And when we say budget, we really mean it.

Scrolling through the directory, I found almost nothing above $5 and a comprehensive list of cheap eats from the heartlands to the CBD. Pretty useful if you’re looking to save some money on your meal. As someone well-versed in the philosophy of le budget and considers Ananas Cafe a respectable fine dining establishment, I decided to put it to the test. 

1. Nasi Lemak in Toa Payoh

Cheap is always good.

From the cheapest to the most expensive, you’ll see the rare sight of a $1.50 meal. Quite a thorough list, although there might be more out there that we don’t know of.

2. Nasi Briyani in Bedok

Majestic.

For $4.50 a plate, that’s not too bad for the rich and magical dish that is Briyani.

3. “I don’t know what to eat but I’m in the area.”

Some days.

Enter up to three food types in the search, or click on ‘All of the above’ to broaden your palatial horizons.

4. “I just want Laksa, anywhere I don’t care.”

So many Laksa, so little time.

Go on a food quest for the best neighbourhood laksa.

5. Cai Png in Orchard?

If you’re in Orchard, you’re in Orchard man. Things are gonna get a bit pricey.

Economical Rice in Orchard? Denied.

While the UI is pretty clunky and basic, and the directory not fully populated (I actually know where to get cheap cai png in Orchard), it’s a great starting point for the frugal Singaporean. If atas food just doesn’t cut it for you, at least you know which corner stall to head to for an economical lunch.

Also Read: [Startups To Watch] Upcoming App Hawker.Today Will Deliver Hawker Food Right To Your Doorstep

Did you know that roughly 10% of the annual waste in Malaysia happens to be clothing? In fact, many of us have piles of clothes lying in our closets—clothes that we’d never wear and some clothes that we just can’t wear.

What do we do with them? Do we just leave them to rot in our closets? Or is there a way for us to put them to better use?

Two thrifty sisters, Syakirin Rosik and Athirah Rosik seem to agree. The sisterly duo were disheartened by the absence of enough places where we could send our used clothes to and also by the lack of transparency that’s implicitly tagged onto many donation boxes and charities.

Image Credit: Thrift-On-Wheels

“Many of the clothes donated to underprivileged communities are stained, or can no longer be used which we find heartbreaking,” the sisters remarked.

“A good example of what happens in Malaysia is the donation of clothing that recently went to the Kelantan flood victims. We see news of male victims wearing baju kurung, because there isn’t enough male clothing contributed to their camps,” they added.

Given the issue at hand, the duo joined forces to set up a social enterprise called Thrift-On-Wheels (no, it has nothing to do with Macklemore and his song) as a way to help us better deal with our overfilled closets.

Get Paid For Your Old Clothes!

At the core, Thrift-On-Wheels is a waste management enterprise that’s looking to connect fashion consumers who lack affordable and quality products with the countless number of Malaysians who throw away their used clothes are still in pristine condition which adds up to our disastrous waste. What’s more? They pay their contributors as a reward for their effort in making the world a greener place.

Well, that’s not all. You can submit a pickup request here and they will drop by, buy and pick up your items for free.

Image Credit: Thrift-On-Wheels

They have a mobile boutique called The Thrift Truck that cruises through Klang Valley selling the donated clothes. And that’s how they make their money—by reselling used clothes and books.

The Thrift Truck operates 7 days a week and is parked at different places around Klang Valley, depending on its operational schedule. They currently focus on areas such as Damansara, TTDi, Bangsar and Mont Kiara and they will be extending their operations such as Puchong, Klang, Ampang from September.

Besides that, contributors and thrifters can also drop by their operational center otherwise known as The Thrift House to sell or buy used clothes.

They also host monthly events called Thrifty Party at their Thrift House for passionate thrifters and shopaholics to come together to thrift and mingle. They provide light food, good music and a 5% discount for anyone who brings their own bags or refuses their paper bags.

Image Credit: Thrift-On-Wheels

You would be able to find cool stuff at the Thrift House, like vintage Reader’s Digest from the 70’s with beautiful artworks as covers; Marvel vintage comics and other publishers; and high-end clothes like Burberry, Tommy Hilfiger and Coach, which you can purchase for less than RM50.

That being said, retail is only a small part of their efforts to recycle and reuse the donated clothes.

Also Read: How To Juggle A Side Business & Full-Time Job, According To A Young Beauty Entrepreneur

What Can You Donate?

You can donate clothes in any condition to them and you can count on the team to put them through a sorting process and each piece of clothing is inspected for stains, broken zippers, among other things.

“One of the weirdest things we had donated to use are probably a bunch of undergarments. If we did not sort out the donated clothes, these used undergarments might actually go to members of underprivileged communities. It is degrading to them, and we don’t want that to happen,” they added.

Image Credit: Thrift-On-Wheels

Clothes that are in good conditions will be sold as part of their inventory and for donations they will consider a group of people who will receive them. For example, they’ll donate clean and washed blouses and comfortable pants or skirts to activists who need the clothes for a group of low-income single mothers.

In fact, the clothes that are donated to charities and individuals are from the Thrift-On-Wheels inventory and it’s the same clothes that would have been resold.

Clothes that are not in the best of condition will be upcycled by marginalised groups. “We have made purses, bags, and wallets from stained T-shirts, trousers and other clothing materials that we pick up from regular homes around Klang Valley,” the team shared.

“What sets us apart from other donation points is that we screen through the items to make sure it’s clean, usable, and comfortable for the person who will eventually receive them.”

Image Credit: Thrift-On-Wheels

They also accept furniture and household items as donations as well.

“We have once received a commode chair and have donated it to activists who work with old folks homes. We’ve also donated two boxes of children’s books to the Bajau Laut community in Mabul, Sabah,” the duo shared.

“I’m gonna pop some tags, only got twenty dollars in my pocket …”

Prior to Thrift-On-Wheels, Syakirin Rosik was conducting her postgraduate research in Physics and Athirah Rosik was an experienced manager in the F&B industry. They claim to have been regular impulse buyers who’d spend hundreds on ill-fitted “branded” products that were probably put together by underpaid kids from Bangladesh or China.

Image Credit: Thrift-On-Wheels

During their travels, they found many thrift stores that carried quality items with very affordable prices and over time, they took a vow to stop being part of today’s “fast fashion culture” that doesn’t pay a minimum wage to their workers and they are at peace knowing that they are part of a movement for a greener planet.

They’ve been thrifting for about two years before starting Thrift-On-Wheels.

The duo said, “Thrift culture is basically the culture of wise use. It could be wise use of money, clothes, or anything else. It promotes creativity and smart spending.”

But that’s not how the world perceives thrifters; in fact, a common stereotype people have towards thrifters is that they are cheap or maybe poor. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Thrifters are financially smart and frugal and they believe that frugality needs to be celebrated in a society where overspending and over consumption is the norm.

Image Credit: Thrift-On-Wheels Facebook Page

“Paying less for an item doesn’t necessarily mean you are comprising on quality. The same jeans sold at Guess for hundreds of ringgit can be found at Thrift-On-Wheels for RM30, with absolutely no flaws and in pristine condition.”

“For a long time, many of our friends didn’t realise that most of the items in our wardrobe are thrifted, as they couldn’t tell the difference. So they were quite surprised and impressed when they found out,” they remarked.

Frugality is a quality that we definitely need to celebrate in our culture as it helps us put our resources to better use, although I do feel that frugality is best exhibited within boundaries—nobody likes an overboard cheapskate.

Also Read: Two Lifelong Friends Spill On Their Unusual Spectacle Business And Why One Pair Is Never Enough

Thrift-On-Wheels is currently looking to hire retail associates, retail manager and interns and you could send over your resume to this link. Find out when is their next Thrifty Party by following them on Facebook. 

Malaysia is seeing a dramatic shift from traditional businesses towards the digital space. Many companies are rising to change to way how things are done by using technology and smartphones, and LaundryDone is one of them.

“I started to wonder why there wasn’t like a dish-washing type tech that would make it all just one simple process. That’s when I realised having an on-demand laundry delivery service is the closest thing to it!” Following that, the two founders, Justin Ng and William Goh, started idealising the idea in May this year. “We love the convenience of having our chores eliminated. And that’s what we believe LaundryDone represents—you hate it, we get it.”

The process of getting your laundry done by LaundryDone is easy and straightforward. Currently the requests are done over phone calls and SMS. They will be rolling out their web application on the 20th of August, and then the phone number will be used just as a support system.

The process of getting your laundry done by LaundryDone is simple and straightforward: head on to their website, users place a pickup time, and also a pickup location, next a notification will be delivered when a driver is on their way. After sorting out your laundry, the driver will come to your doorstep in the next 48 hours and deliver your fresh clothes. Users can choose to do the payment either by credit card on their platform itself or via cash on delivery (COD).

Other than cleaning up your dirty clothes, LaundryDone also helps you to wash and iron your household items such as table cloths, bed sheets, curtains and more.

How much does it cost? Currently delivery is free on all orders over RM50 and orders under RM50 has a RM5 delivery fee.

Also Read: 5 Platforms To Help You Express Your Inner Hipster With Customised T-Shirts

When asked who are the users of LaundryDone, Justin said they are targeting three different markets, the expats, businessman/entrepreneurs, and single/couple young adults who are new in the workforce.

This strategy is on point because these three categories of people tend to be the busiest. At the moment, LaundryDone is serving one customer a day. “We are working hard to grow it to 10 customers a day. With the launch of our online platform this month, we will roll out the next phase of our marketing efforts to reach this goal,” Justin shared.

At this point, the team has three laundromats, and they are serving Damansara, Hartamas, and certain parts of Kuala Lumpur. And of course you’re more than welcomed to drop them a line if you would like LaundryDone to go to your area.

Will LaundryDone disrupt the traditional brick and mortar laundry industry? Justin is confident of that. However, he doesn’t agree that they will be replacing the traditional laundry shops.

“The downside of owning a laundromat is you’d be restricted by the location that it is opened at. Our concept is centered on creating a healthy network of laundromats (providers). We don’t need to be adding more laundromats into an already very saturated and competitive industry. But rather, work with them and create more consistent traffic flows to their outlets—in turn, increasing their revenue and giving them peace of mind.”

Verdict: 4/5

There are many possibilities for LaundryDone to grow its position in the industry, mainly due to the convenience that it brings. It is still quite early to judge, but LaundryDone is off to a good start because they understand their target customers’ needs. Be sure to keep an eye on LaundryDone as their web app will be released on the 20th of August.

Also Read: This Startup By 2 Female Globetrotters Might Just Dethrone Travel Companies

This article originally appeared on Vulcan Post. 

Uber is no stranger to complaints, as we’ve seen since they launched here in Singapore. From surges that amount to $100 cab fares on peak hours to stubborn drivers — it’s tough love when you’re a premiere international private car service. Of course, there’s the nice side as well, such as when they delivered ice cream to wherever you were, and supported local art on their fleet of cars.

But now, there’s a spot of bother on the Uber brand: they are being accused of racism, and it’s all because of one driver. An angry rant by Facebook user Qyshia Santoz revealed that her Uber driver had consciously chose not to pick her just because “I do not take ppl cover like tat”, referring to her hijab. 

The issue of the hijab, although already widely discussed in 2013, still remains. That said, wearing the hijab in Singapore — given that we’re a multicultural society —  is nothing to bat an eye about, so it is quite extreme for the Uber driver to be reacting in this way. The consensus from the general public so far has also been on the side of the Uber customer, and range from the angry “Uber is stupid anyway” argument to the shocked “I cannot believe it” assortment.

Regardless of what the Internet is saying, though, what’s clear is that this is the act of one bad seed, and not Uber itself. Though at the rate at which complaints at Uber is being made, it seems they do have their work cut out for them in trying to regain the trust of passengers.

For now, we have contacted a representative from Uber and will post an update when we get one.

Also Read: Keep Your Shoes On!: The Unspoken Rules Of Being A Respectable Uber Passenger

Dion Cools, a Malaysian-born teenager will be living the dream of many other Malaysians tonight, as he will be facing Manchester United at Old Trafford alongside his team, Club Brugge.

Cools joined Club Brugge in July and made his Champions League debut by coming on as a substitute during the first leg of their tie against Panathinaikos. He then went on to score his first goal in the second leg on the 50^th minute of the game and his team went on to secured a win with 3 goals.

Cools was born in Kuching to a Belgian father and a Malaysian mother and was signed by the 13-time Belgian League winners Brugge last month after a compelling season with another Belgian club Our-Heverlee Leuven.

According to The Star, he said, “It is a match that we are looking forward to but we have been preparing for this match like any other match. I am excited and I hope to start the game in Old Trafford in front of 75000 fans.”

Also Read: Two Sisters Want To Help You Pop Some Tags With Their Thrift Shop On Wheels

“United have world-class players and we as a team will have to keep all of them quiet. We have to show respect but not too much that we are in awe of their stars. We have to be strong, play to our strengths and not to the strengths of our opponents,” he added.

Image Credit: Fourth Official

Cools said in an earlier interview with FourFourTwo that it would be an honor for him to represent Malaysia.

Cools parents migrated away from Sarawak over 20 years ago, however, he still used to visit his mother’s family in Malaysia regularly. He claims to be in love with the food and mentions famous Sarawk’s laksa and the chicken rice as his favourites.

According The Star, he said, “Realistically, my next target is to be selected for Belgium Under-21s. As for my future – Belgium or Malaysia? Time will tell,” when asked about whether he’d represent Malaysia.

Also Read: Malaysian Startup LaundryDone Wants To Clean Your Dirty Underwear For You – And More.

Our iPhones can be very mysterious creatures. Despite us using them every day, there are so many features that we’ve probably never come across. So what do we do with these features we never use?

We prank our friends, of course!

Here are the top six ways to prank our friends on the iPhone, using their own iPhones. We’ve also thrown in a bonus in case you can’t get your paws on your friends’ iPhones — it’s been personally proven to work by our writer Delfina (you’re a good sport, Delfina!).

1. Enable Restrictions

What would drive your friends more bonkers than not being able to use certain apps? With restrictions — which are basically meant to make a phone child-safe — you can lock your friends out of certain parts of their phone using a specific passcode. Just go to Settings > General > Restrictions, type in a unique passcode, and start picking parts of the phone you want to lock.

Sadly, there’s a limit to the apps you can close, but the app that would annoy them the most would have to be the camera app. Just switch that off, and the function will disappear from the phone completely!

2. Stalk 

We all have those friends who, when they see you in public, will text you something creepy like “that ice cream looks delicious” or “hope you have fun shopping!” instead of walking up to you to say hi. But what would be even creepier is if that person could send you messages that actually made sense regardless of where you are.

To commit the creepiest prank possible, make use of Apple’s creepiest stock app: Find Friends. All you need is both yours and the phone of the friend you want to stalk. Go into their Find Friends app, approve the use of location services, and add yourself into that app to receive their location information. Unless they use the app often (which is unlikely), they won’t even realise that they’re sending you all this information.

I wouldn’t recommend using it more than once though — there are lines to draw in pranking too, you know.

3. Autocorrect

We all know that the annoying Autocorrect will change what you’re trying to say into something completely different. The best thing about this is that you can set the autocorrects that your friends will get.

Just go to  Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement, and add all the replacements you want. You can start small by just changing ‘no’ to ‘yes’ or ‘lol’ to ‘butts’, but the awesome thing about this prank is that you can tailor it to your friends.

If your friend is constantly texting his/her other half, you can maybe change “dear” to “butthead”, or “i love you” to “i love your sister”. Or if he/she’s a grammar nazi: “their” for “there”, “it’s” for “its”, and so on. Let your creativity run wild!

4. Speak Auto Text

Let’s admit it: we’ve been spoilt by Autocorrect. But what if Autocorrect was said out loud?

Just go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Speak Auto Text, and this will make your phone read out suggested words as you type, making any texting session a loud affair. It’s like having your own grammar nazi built into your phone, and if you manage turn it on on your friend’s phone without them noticing, you can be sure they will be driven up the wall by their strange talking iPhone.

5. Guided Access

Image Credit: iMore

This is probably one of the most popular pranks, and that’s because it’s so simple to implement. Just go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Guided Access, and turn it on.

Then, go into any app of your choice, and triple-click the home button. This will bring up a prompt for you to select a part of the screen you want to block off — you can choose to block off the whole screen if you want. So the next time your friend wakes up their phone, they won’t be able to leave that app or even use it.

6. The Power Of Accessibility

Nothing quite screams a broken iPhone screen like colours that are all wrong. Simply go to Settings > General > Accessibility, and you get a plethora of ways to change the way your display works. For a warped experience, turn on Invert Colours, or get rid of colours completely by turning on Grayscale. Or, if you want to make fun of your friend’s eyesight, turn on Zoom to put a massive magnifying glass on the screen, or turn on Larger Text to make the text on the phone huge.

Alternatively, do them all at the same time, and when your friend freaks out over how weird their phone is, just tell them that it’s broken. Poor iPhone.

Bonus: ScaryCam

If you don’t have access to your friends’ phones, try pranking them with your own phone instead! This app, ScaryCam, disguises an elaborate prank in the form of an idiot test. After you’ve opened the test, pass it to your friend and tell them to get through this seemingly easy game. Halfway through the game, they’ll be in for a huge scare, as a scary gremlin will pop out to interrupt the game.

The best thing about this ‘test’ is its inbuilt recording function that will record the player’s reaction while they are getting pranked. Just download it after, and hello Facebook!

Also Read: So I Mailed Myself Some Glitter

From the makers of the ever-popular Subway Surfers, Blades of Brim by SYBOS is an amalgamation of everything you would ever want in a mobile game. A fast-paced endless runner that doubles as a combination battle system and takes place in a gorgeous highly styled world full of alternating epic dungeons and space portals.

Be warned, this is a load of fun and it is highly addictive, be ready.

The Multiplier Effect

In Blades of Brim it’s all about the multiplier. It doesn’t matter how far you run or how many monsters you kill, if you don’t increase your multiplier, your score will always be limited.

A couple of steps to ensure your multiplier always stay high is to upgrade your gear. Brim has some gorgeous looking gear in the form of weapons, armor and pets. Max out the levels to increase a bonus multiplier for the strongest gear you have currently equipped. Collecting all of the same type of armor will also increase your multiplier effect.

Keep an eye on your combos as well as it will add on to your multiplier. The combo counter appears at the top middle of your screen and it counts the number of goons in a row that you kill, the bigger the combo the higher the points. You will generally get the highest combos after a dungeon run so one thing you can do to maintain your combo count is to extend it by summoning your pet and by doing wall runs. Take out as many monsters as you can to increase your combo count.

The Goonies

Blades of Brim is filled with purple minion type monsters known as goons, that come in a variety of shapes and sizes, all intended to impede your process. Remember Goonies never say die and neither should you!

Goons

Goons are easy to spot and the most basic of them can be killed with either a sideswipe or a forward attack roll. Goons with a shield and helmet will take two hits to kill.

Flappers

The flappers or flying goons will need to be taken out with a jump attack. Use these goons to traverse higher platforms or get across areas by jumping across them.

Looters

Looters will be carrying either a large bag of gold or a bag of essence, they run very fast but when they stop they can be killed like any other goon. These guys appear randomly but will always spawn in the tunnel above a cave.

Wizards

Wizards are the worst. They run away like Looters but they summon a bunch of other goons to block your path as they do. Just catch up to them and swipe away!

Crusher

The Crusher takes up two lanes and can easily end your run with one fell swoop. The trick is to avoid the lane that he’s holding his hammer in to avoid his swipe and then slide into him to knock him back. Rinse and repeat.

Wizards and Crushers are never found in dungeons so if you have to clear a mission with them just stay in the outside world. It’s also not mandatory for you to kill all the monsters you encounter, if you want to they’re fairly easy to avoid with Golden Wings and Wall Runs.

Also Read: How To Be A Pro At Crossy Road, The Game With The Cutest Pixelated Roadkill

Gotta Stash Em’ All

Unstashed loot is like no loot at all. All the loot you collect will only be obtained upon death if you run through a stash point. The map on the right hand side will indicate the location of stash points. So if you’re close to a stash point and have a lot of gold, essences or even a treasure chest it might be worth the essence points to just revive yourself and keep going.

If you’re in a tough area and death seems imminent but you’d like to try and save your loot, you can also summon your pet. Not only does your pet have nifty attack skills and a double-jump ability that may protect you, but it also gives you an extra life if you die (the pet dies as well, but sacrifices must be made for loot).

Get High

The higher you go up in the game the greater the rewards are. Dungeons at the higher levels carry excellent loot but be careful as goons there will be much tougher. Your best bet would be to just knock them off the lane if you can.

You can get high by using walls and jumping on flappers, while running on a wall you can swipe upwards and towards the path to get more height. Flappers as well if timed correctly can boost you up, but it’s a somewhat tricky skills and may take you a few attempts to get used to it.  You can summon your pet as well to get high, as they have the double-jump ability.

Rune Away!

Runes are spread randomly across the world and after collecting 5 you’ll be transported to a space portal world filled with coins! Note that the 5th rune you collect will have a shiny portal behind it so you know when you’ll be teleported. You can’t die in this stage and it’s a welcome relief, so if you’re in a tight spot remember to Rune Away!

Blades of Brim was released as an iOS exclusive but has recently been announced that it will be published soon on Android.

Also Read: 5 Things We Malaysians Need For The Ultimate Home Theatre Experience

This article originally appeared on Vulcan Post. 

Election season is upon us, as you should probably have realised from the sudden influx of embarrassing videos of politician wannabes going around on Facebook. While an exciting time to be a voter in Singapore — especially if it’s going to be your first time voting — this period can be a confusing one if you don’t understand the terms being thrown around in the newspapers and at rallies.

So to help you make a considered and informed vote, here is a guide to some General Elections (GE)-related trivia you should probably know about.

Image Credit: The Straits Times

Register Of Electors

Basically a three-word version of the term “voters”. The register of electors refers to Singaporeans who have been deemed eligible to vote at the general or presidential elections.

Presiding Officer

This is the person you will meet when you go to the polling stations on Polling Day. They will give you the ballot paper for you to indicate your vote, and have the authority to help blind people cast their votes.

Independent

An independent is someone who is running in the elections, or has been elected as MP, but is not affiliated to any political party.

Notable example: Tan Lam Siong, an independent candidate, has expressed his intent to contest in the Potong Pasir SMC at the upcoming elections. Check out his blog here.

Image Credit: tanlamsiong.blogspot.com

Gerrymandering

A few weeks ago, you would have heard that the boundaries of electoral divisions (or constituencies) have been redrawn. As it turns out, there is a name for this process: gerrymandering.

In case you were wondering why the opposition parties were disgruntled over the announcement that the electoral boundaries were already drawn, you’ll first have to understand that gerrymandering holds the potential to change the results of an election. The Washington Post explains it pretty well in this graph:

Image Credit: Washington Post

And if you still haven’t quite figured out which constituency you are in — or no longer in, as the case may be — you might want to find out with this nifty Google Maps tool.

Nomination

Candidates who wish to run in the general elections must submit their nomination papers at a set time and date to the Returning Officer (see below). Failure to do so will render them ineligible to contest.

Notable example: The Singapore Democratic Alliance, who fielded a team to contest Tanjong Pagar GRC in the 2011 GE, were disqualified after they submitted their nomination papers 35 seconds after the 12pm deadline.

Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP)

This is a member of any of the opposition parties who has been declared an MP despite losing at the general elections, by virtue of them being one of the “best losers”. They enjoy almost the same rights as MPs, except they don’t get to vote on the passing of certain Bills.

(Not related to Nominated Members of Parliament, or NMPs, who are not voted in but chosen by a group of MPs.)

Notable example: The Singapore People’s Party’s Lina Chiam has been serving as NCMP since the 2011 GE, after she lost to the PAP’s Sitoh Yih Pin by 114 votes — the smallest margin out of all the constituencies contested.

Image Credit: TODAY

Deposits

An amount of money that candidates pay in exchange for the right to run in the elections. This is to deter parties from fielding candidates who have no realistic chance of winning.

In Singapore, deposits are valued at S$16,000, and will be returned to candidates if they secure at least 12.5% of the valid votes in their constituency.

Notable example: The Singapore Democratic Alliance’s Desmond Lim forfeited his deposit in the 2011 GE when he garnered a paltry 4% of votes in the Punggol East ward.

Election Expenses

There is a limit to how much each candidate can spend on their campaigning process. According to the Elections Department of Singapore, this is how much each candidate is allowed:

Image Credit: Singapore Elections Department

Incumbent

The incumbent of a political office is someone who is the existing holder of the position. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, for example, could be referred to as the incumbent Prime Minister of Singapore.

Cooling-Off Day

Cooling-Off Day falls on the eve of Polling Day, and all campaigning is not allowed during this 24-hour period.

Notable example: On Cooling-Off Day during the 2011 elections, MP Tin Pei Ling had a close brush with the guidelines when one of the administrators of her Facebook page posted a comment under her name.

Image Credit: RazorTV, Facebook, The Straits Times

Walkover

Walkovers happen when a candidate wins because there is no contest, or because their competitors have forfeited or been disqualified.

Notable example: Walkovers have taken place at Tanjong Pagar GRC at every election since it was formed in 1991.

Returning Officer

A returning officer is the civil servant who oversees the entire elections process, ensuring that it runs smoothly and fairly.

Notable example: Yam Ah Mee.

Image Credit: YouTube

Now that you know what these terms mean, stay vigilant during campaigning season and vote wisely, Singaporeans!

Also Read: PAP Launches New App For A Tech-Savvy Campaign, Complete With Weird StickerCam

“Hold on, let me VSCO this first.”

I was recently at a volunteering event, where we were providing complimentary family photo-taking and instant prints. Time was tight and we had to rush through many households just so that each got the chance to enjoy this service. Despite this, my fellow volunteer kept on insisting, “hold on, let me VSCO this first!”

A minute later, he’d exclaim, “see, so much nicer.”

It’s amazing what Visual Supply Company is enabling us to do with our photos. Beyond offering digital photography tools for us to use, they have built a space for anyone armed with a smartphone to freely create, explore, and share.

“It’s an opportunity to help people and to change people’s perceptions, in our case, on what it means to value art, creativity, and being human, because taking a photo ultimately is about being human and showing that.”

— Greg Lutze, Co-Founder of VSCO, in an interview with The Verge.

Today, we have the privilege to take a sneak peek into this creator’s smartphone and see what apps he brings along with him every day!

Greg’s apps screen (Image Credit: Greg Lutze)

1. VSCO

VSCO (Image Credit: softpedia)

“The best app for editing, sharing and discovering photography from all around the world.”

Check out Greg’s VSCO account here.

Also Read: 3DAround Takes Food Photography To A Whole New Level

2. Canopy

Canopy (Image Credit: gum7apps)

“A curated guide to Amazon. I use it to create gift lists for family and friends.”

Browse through Greg’s collections here.

Also Read: StarHub Releases New Travel App Goru, An Impressively Curated Platform For Everything Singapore

3. WorldMate

WorldMate (Image Credit: WorldMate)

“My go-to app when travelling. I store all my flights, hotel and car reservations on WorldMate.”

Also Read: Travel Review Platform Wedilo Wants To Make The Elusive Reliable Review A Reality

4. Babbel

Babbel (Image Credit: Babbel)

“A great app for learning foreign languages. I’m currently trying to learn French and Spanish.”

Also Read: My Aone Learning: An Airbnb-Like Platform That Brings Instructors And Learners Together Offline

5. Slack

Slack (Image Credit: Techcrunch)

“This app essentially replaces internal emails for VSCO. It’s part instant messenger, part forum, part announcement board.”

Also Read: Could Messenger.Sg Be Magic For Singapore?

For the aspiring #vscocam photographer out there, Greg also shared a few tips on how to create great images:

Live an interesting life

“The best way to create interesting images is to live an interesting life — travel places, meet people, go outside and try things that scare you. The images you create will be a natural result of the life you are leading.”

Play around

“There is no exact formula for a “successful” image. Take risks and try something new everytime you shoot. Play around with how you frame your subject, change your height or distance, edit with a new preset or tool, or simply photograph something or someone you never have before.”

Don’t overedit

“Nothing destroys an image like over-the-top editing — a little goes a long way. My go-to editing process in VSCO generally looks something like:

1. Add Preset A1 (from The VSCO Minimalist Collection)
2. Adjust Exposure +1
3. Adjust Contrast +2
4. Share to my VSCO or social media”

Well there you have it; some pretty neat tips from Greg himself. Did you know that the VSCO website also produces many tutorials on how to use each tool? Check them out here and have a blast!

Also Read: Apps I Live By: Singapore-Based Fashion Photographer, Lenne Chai

We bring to you health and fitness enthusiasts to introduce the apps, websites, gadgets, and tips that they use in their daily lives. If you’re feeling motivated, come on and #GetFitWithVP! Should you have any stories to share or would like me to feature any personalities, feel free to contact me at jean@vulcanpost.com, or hit me up on Twitter (@jeannkhoo). 

If I can describe Ashley Greig in two words, that would be ambitious and gregarious. Currently working as a full-time lecturer teaching English in a private university, Ashley has a big ambition – she wants to be a writer and write her own book, which explains why she is now actively writing for digital news portals.

29-year-old Ashley Greig gained social media fame after she participated in the Panasonic I Love Myself Beauty Search 2014 last year. She took part in the beauty contest mainly because the contest did not stipulate body size, weight or height for participation. So although Ashley did not look like the typical beauty pageant with small waist or fair skin, she decided to give it a try with the purpose of challenging the stereotypical generalisation of beauty.

Being confident as she is, Ashley has no issues telling me her actual weight. “I was at 121kg, super obese, right now I am 95kg, to reach my ideal weight, I should be around 76kg.”

Sitting in front of me, Ashley was already in her workout gear, wearing a Xiaomi Mi Band fitness tracker, planning to hit the gym after the interview. It is safe to say that she has dedication and commitment, hence that explains the results in her weight loss.

But is she going to get carried away because of this achievement? It doesn’t seem so.

In fact she injured herself few months ago due to two slipped dics. “I pushed myself too much in the gym, I was trying to compete with my guy friends, I was doing leg presses, 102kg, for a girl that is a lot, even some guys can’t even do half of that.” The doctor has advised her to stop weight lifting, at least not for now, but she remains optimistic and hopes to lift again. “I am planning to go back [weight lifting], don’t tell my parents,” Ashley said cheekily.

For The Sake Of Health

Ashley loves herself, regardless of before or after losing weight, but now she care for herself more than ever which explains the reason she started her fitness and weight loss journey. “I have always loved myself, that is for sure, it just that I care about myself not to lead an unhealthy lifestyle because I know I want to live a long life.” Apart from that this journey has given a boost to her self confidence. “Now I feel that I am in control with my own life, and that itself gives me a sense of confidence.”

Also Read: #GetFitWithVP: How We Can Apply Dwayne Johnson’s Fitness Lessons In Entrepreneurship

Due to her injury, for now Ashley focuses more on cardio exercises. “I focus a lot on cardio, right now I am cutting fats, I am not bulking or anything like that,” described Ashley when talking about her workout regime.

Her cardio regime lasts for two to three hours, just enough time for her to finish at least two books. “I do basically everything, running, elliptical training, I don’t listen to music so much because I have the gym’s music, what I have is my Asus tablet, and I read while I run, I just put it there and flip it every time.”

Ashley is also extremely strict in her diet, using MyFitnessPal to keep track of her calories and maintains a strict diet.

People around Ashley have seen her tremendous changes compared to her old self before she lost weight.

Ashley’s Facebook feed is fill with inspiring quotes and before and after photos that show her sweating her way to a healthier lifestyle. She adopted a fitness mantra that inspired her to keep going on in this journey. “It is about determination. Determination is the difference between what you want now and what you want most. There is a fried chicken here, but what I want most is to lose weight and be healthy, the only difference between that two is the determination.”

Also Read: #GetFitWithVP: Nikki Bella, Professional Wrestler, WWE Divas Champion

This article originally appeared on Vulcan Post. 

She sits on a backless stool, her back straight, narrating the events of last night — she was at a shoot for The 5 Show dressed as a villain from Power Rangers. Behind her, a golden Buddha and porcelain deities look on, picture frames of family events and an assortment of certificates line the adjacent wall, and her Siamese cat Ashley sleeps soundly on the couch. Shirley Chua is at home dabbling in some light housework like most housewives on a late balmy afternoon. But unlike most housewives, Shirley Chua has a not-so-secret life as a 68-year-old cosplayer.

At 3 in the afternoon, a sweet and bubbly lady greets me at the door. Aunty Shirley — as she is known in the cosplay community — is pint-sized and looks youthful for her age. She proves this further by showing me some family pictures. “This is my younger brother!” she exclaims. He does not look younger than her. Her smiley demeanour and bright eyes give her a youthfulness that is unlike other people her age.

Image Credit: Aunty Shirley’s Facebook page

Origin Story

When Shirley’s son was in secondary school, he immersed himself in the world of cosplay. As a young teenager, he was going to need all the chaperoning he could get to attend conventions and events — and Shirley was happy to volunteer. “For me I’m very sociable, it’s only my husband who wasn’t happy at first. He’s very, very shy,” she says, laughing. “But I couldn’t go near him! Young teenagers ah, don’t want their mothers to be too close, so I just lingered around.” Besides following her son Skyy to events, she was also responsible for sewing his costumes, which she enjoyed.

It was during her time lurking around at conventions when Shirley found that most parents thought of cosplaying as a negative thing. “I kept hearing other parents saying it’s a waste of time and money, and also a bad influence on their kids — I really think it is not true. It’s really just a hobby for them, and it’s good to see young children passionate about something,” she says.

Cosplayers at the Singapore Toy, Games and Comic Convention (SGTCC). (Image Credit: thepicturestory.photoshelter.com)

After years of getting involved with her son’s cosplaying, she decided to drop the bomb in 2011 and said to her son: “Mama also want to join.” The first thing he told her, Shirley relates, was that it was a “young people activity”, but he obliged and found her some age-appropriate roles to start with. Her first role: Erina Joestar, grandmother to Joseph Joestar, a character from Japanese manga JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.

Fashion Forward

“I loved doing the catwalk at the event! When I came out, everyone clapped and cheered,” Shirley recalls of her very first cosplay outing at Downtown East. She adds, “I think people did not expect to see an actual auntie.” Since then, her repertoire of costumes has grown, according to her son’s advice to stick to more mainstream characters: a Disney fairy godmother, Rita Repulsa from Power Rangers, the Red Queen from Alice In Wonderland. Soon, she started to experiment more and requested to try “younger outfits”.

Image Credit: Aunty Shirley’s Facebook page

Case in point: Supergirl. Despite her son’s disapproval of the idea, she secretly bought a Supergirl costume online, choosing to let her son know about it only on a convention day itself. Thankfully, the big reveal was a success and she was even complimented by him saying that she really looked young. Nice move.

Besides the Supergirl outfit, all of her clothes are homemade. Shirley showed me her secret weapon — a classic Singer sewing machine she set up in her basement — which was also her workshop of sorts. “Some outfits I can take a few days to complete but my Red Queen one took three months because of all the details in it,” she explains.

One by one, the outfits came out: Rita Repulsa’s headgear, her son’s Loki get-up, Chun Li, Storm (“I look really young when I wear this!”). All this, while I stood there thinking that you couldn’t have a groovier mother than Shirley.

The Workshop

With great power comes social media

Shirley’s hip auntie street cred soon began to pick up, and she became a fixture at most cosplay conventions. Like always, popularity and fans comes with a Facebook page. Her son set one up for her, taught her the ropes of Facebook updating, and left it at that. Within a day, her Aunty Shirley page — get this — amassed over 1000 likes organically, sans a blog, sponsorship deal, advertorials and all the frills.

Image Credit: Aunty Shirley’s Facebook page

This year, her page is a flurry of activities. Besides making appearances at events, she can also add another achievement to her plate: Shirley’s face is on a plane. Nominated by her family members, Shirley was part of a contingent of 50 to be honoured in Jetstar’s SG50 community campaign. Plus, she’s enjoyed a lot of TV screen time these days too on local talkshows and the news. Not bad for an ‘aunty’, eh?

Life 101

I asked Shirley what it is about cosplaying that she finds special. The first thing she said was family. Today, she cosplays with her son and his girlfriend at events, and she sees it as a family bonding activity. Her husband still shies away from all the attention, but happily drives them to events and accepts that it’s something that is important to his wife and son.

Image Credit: Shirley Chua’s Facebook page

She’s also found family in the cosplay community, and witnessed firsthand how she’s inspired so many with what she did. “When I first joined, there were some older cosplayers who wanted to give up but when they saw this aunty cosplaying, I guess they felt more confident,” she says. Shirley also explained how she enjoys the roleplaying aspect of cosplay. “Your costume becomes even more believable when you get into character,” she tells me. “Sometimes some of them really take it very seriously!”

“But I love cosplay because it makes people brave.”

There are so many ways to be brave in this world, and for Shirley and her friends, it is through cosplay. Shirley goes on to talk about parents who don’t see cosplay as an opportunity to bond with their children, why young people need to be confident and be passionate in everything they do, that she would encourage people her age to also cosplay, and most importantly, how much her life has changed for the better since she took the leap into the intriguing world of cosplay.

“It’s a very colourful world, and it’s fun. I have something to look forward to. I may be be 68 but I also want to have fun, right?” she laughs. I was sitting there being schooled about life basically, by someone who is really living. I guess you really find courage in the most unlikely places.

Then, she brings me down to earth again as she tells me proudly of all the fond memories of cosplaying with her son and the people she has met so far. She also speaks of her ‘shy husband’ and his change of heart with a twinkle in her eye. She tells me, “Last time he refused to drive me to the event so I said “I’ll go take the bus then!” but in the end he still drove me there and picked me up after.”

It is evening outside and Ashley the cat lazily stirs awake. I take it as my cue to wrap up the interview. While I put on my shoes, I ask her what she does daily on off-peak days.

“Everyday I’ll do some housework, then I’ll go online to check on my page and chat with some friends, and then play some games,” she enthuses. She plays FarmVille — that’s right, she’s a cosplayer and a casual gamer — she is officially the coolest 68-year-old I have ever met.

Also Read: As SG50 Comes To An End, I Had The Most Honest Conversation With My Parents

For years, the property ecosystem has relied on the rhetoric of real estate agents and their ability to bridge the needs of sellers with those of buyers and tenants. If you needed to rent a house, you’d probably look for an agent who would take you through a collection of available listings and find you a place that would suit you best.

The property agent would usually charge the property owner a commission for the sale, or the equivalent of a half to one month’s rent for finding them a tenant. That’s been the de facto standard for years—a standard that Wong Whei Meng, the founder of Speedrent, feels no longer applies in today’s world.

Image Credit: Media.ibisworld.com

Based on his personal experience as a landlord, Wong felt that property agents were behaving just like messengers, and that they weren’t providing him with any real value. “Dealing with 3 agents would require me to repeat the same thing 3 times. In an app, you just need to state it one time, and it can be replicated many, many times,” Wong said.

In order to address the issue at hand and to disrupt the current property ecosystem, he came up with Speedrent, an app that he feels will one day become the de facto property agent.

Rebirth of Saywa

The app was initially called Saywa—a play on the word ‘sewa’ (rent)—but unfortunately, many people couldn’t figure that out. And the ones that did often mistook ‘sewa’ as the brand. To avoid confusion, they decided to get a better name.

Wong said, “Getting a name that’s easily remembered and says what we do is crucial.” And thus Speedrent was born.

Image Credit: Play Store

“The new app has significantly improved user experience by doubling the chat and meet, but it is worth noting that Speedrent has less users compared to Saywa because we have just launched for a month under this brand name,” he added.

Speedrent caters primarily to landlords who prefer to take matters into their own hands because they feel that property agents offer poor service at a high expense.

“We are truly focused in helping people to rent, instead of letting them figure it out themselves,” said Wong. In fact, he is boldly determined to dominate the entire property rental vertical with Speedrent within the next two years, as he truly believes he’s helping both landlords and tenants.

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Death of Property Agents?

The common view is that most agents focus on transactions that deal with the purchase and sale of property because commissions are usually higher in such cases. In comparison, rental transactions aren’t that lucrative.

Image Credit: Speedrent

Given that Speedrent is looking to dominate the entire property rental vertical, it’s important that property agents who provide value added services, have strong networks and excel in providing after-sale services, won’t be affected or fazed by the app. This will ensure that landlords won’t be reluctant to pay such agents the money that they are owed.

He added, however, that “great agents do not represent the majority of the agent population; we think that landlords that do not mind DIY leasing property will start using us because they are empowered to perform such transactions easily with our app guiding every step”.

This, of course, raises the question of why we’d need messengers in today’s hyper-connected economy in the first place. While it might seem that property agents have become expendable today, there are still a few cases in which property agents are of use. For example, if you’re an extremely busy landlord, it’s more sensible to find a good and responsible agent who can show your property to tenants on your behalf.

The Path Ahead

The team at Speedrent is busy marching towards its goal of becoming the industry leader by constantly finding ways to add value for both landlords and tenants. In fact, they are currently building an app to ease the process of signing up for broadband/payTV—they hope to remove the need for users to visit physical shops at all.

In the next couple of years, Wong believes that Speedrent will be present in all major cities in ASEAN, providing their users with a simple, hassle-free rental experience.

“There is nothing stopping us from helping landlords collect their rent through our platform, to help them deal with property issues that arise during tenancy period; and at the same time providing a safe guarantee to tenants from bad landlords,” he remarked confidently.

Speedrent in the future will become the protectors for both parties. They will help landlords collect rent on time, and assist them with evicting tenants should the need arise. At the same time, they will ensure that landlords abide by a standard code of conduct when dealing with tenants who do pay their rents on time. They are looking to emulate eBay by overseeing the entire transaction, by ensuring that everyone is on their best behaviour.

A property agent confided in me recently that times are indeed tough. That said, I feel that there’s a long way to go before Speedrent or any platform will be able to truly ‘disrupt’ the industry. Still, given the strong ideals of its founder, we might just see it happen much sooner than we anticipate.

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In conjunction with Merdeka Day which is just around the corner, the team at Vulcan Post has chosen 12 different experiences that you must have while you are in Malaysia. Of course, this list is not only for Malaysians; travellers who wish to experience what it’s like to live in this tropical country should also be sure to keep reading.

#1 Visit the Petronas Twin Towers

One of the most iconic landmarks in the city of Kuala Lumpur is the Petronas Twin Towers. It’s also one of the tallest buildings in the world at 452 meters tall, and consists of 88 floors.

There are two ways you can explore the Twin Towers. One is a simple visit to the skybridge — the structure that connects the towers — and the second option is to go to the skybridge and all the way to level 86. This will take you to the Observatory Deck, where you’ll enjoy a great view of the stunning cityscape.

Image Credit: Asiaotaku

Tickets go on sale at 8:30am, and are sold on a first-come-first-serve basis. It is recommended that you start lining up at 7am — most tickets are gone by 9am.

Operating Hours

Visiting Days: Tuesday to Sunday (closed every Monday)
Open on all public holidays with the exception of Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji
Visiting Hours: 9am – 9pm (closed from 1pm – 2.30pm on Fridays)
Ticketing Counter: Concourse level, PETRONAS Twin Towers

Ticket Price

Adult RM84.80
Adult (MyKad) RM26.50
Child RM31.80
Child (MyKid) RM12.70

Image Credit: World For Travel

#2 Test your stamina and climb the 272 steps to Batu Caves

Batu Caves is a stunning and renowned cave temple in Kuala Lumpur. To get a good look at the limestone formations in the caves, you must first get past the 272 steps that lead up to the main entrance.

The place is usually filled with tourists, and it is highly recommended that you visit Batu Caves during the colourful Thaipusam festival — one of the world’s largest religious festivals — where a colourful procession of Hindu devotees can be seen pay homage to Lord Murugan.

Image Credit: www.makemytrip.com

#3 Visit BOH Tea Plantation & channel the British with a spot of tea-drinking

The cool and chilly weather up at Cameron Highlands makes it the best place for a getaway in Malaysia. It’s not only the biggest hill resort in Malaysia; Cameron Highlands is also famous for its flora such as flowers, strawberries, and vegetables.

Of course, a trip there would not be complete without a visit to the BOH Tea Plantation. The cool hill station is where you’ll be able to enjoy a steaming cup of hot Cameronian tea, and take in the stunning view of the tea plantation at the same time.

Image Credit: www.lakwatseradeprimera.com

#4 Diving in Pulau Redang, Terengganu

Also known as Redang Island, Pulau Redang is situated approximately 45 km northeast of Kuala Terengganu. It’s home to some of the best beaches, with crystal clear waters and white sands. This means that if you’re planning to go scuba diving, you’ll be able to catch sight of a colourful array of coral species and marine life such as sharks and manta rays.

Image Credit: www.islandgetaways.com.my

#5 Take a walking tour through Malacca

Malacca is one of the top choices among travellers and city-dwellers from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The UNESCO World Heritage City is famous for its architecture (especially its red mosaic buildings) and easy-going culture. Visitors can usually be found wandering the streets of Malacca, strolling through the night markets, shopping for antiques, and tasting different cuisines like the famous chicken rice balls.

Image Credit: turnthere.wordpress.com

#6 Climb the magnificent Mountain Kinabalu in Sabah

Rising 4,905 meters above sea level, Mount Kinabalu is not only one of the highest mountains in the world, but also one of the most important biological sites globally. That said, it is pretty to climb — you won’t be needing any special tools or mountaineering skills.

Image Credit: mtkinabalu.wordpress.com

Also Read: These 12 Cafés In Klang Valley With Free WiFi And Power Sockets Are Professional Nomads’ Best Bet

#6 Visit the attractions in Genting Highlands, Pahang

Located at the peak of Ulu Kali Mountain, Genting Highlands attracts around 20 million visitors to its resort every year with its theme parks, hotels, a casino and different entertainment spots like SnowWorld, Genting Bowl, and more. Due to its cool climate and close proximity to Kuala Lumpur — it’s only an hour’s drive away from the city — Genting Highlands has become a popular spot for city-dwellers from KL. Don’t forget to ride the skyway cable car to the top of the hill.

Note that Resorts World Genting is in the midst of makeover for the world’s first Twentieth Century Fox Theme Park. Other rides and attractions such as First World Indoor Theme Park, SnowWorld, Sky Venture, Genting Bowl, Vision City and Funtasy World Video Games Park, however, remain open as usual.

Image Credit: http://kliatravel.com/

#7 Shop till you drop in Bukit Bintang

Malaysia, especially Kuala Lumpur, is a shopping paradise; at least 20% of urban Malaysians spend their weekends at shopping malls. From Bukit Bintang to KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Centre), immerse yourself in the year round sales and the abundant food, fashion, and entertainment choices.

Image Credit: Malaysia Chronicle

#8 Heritage trails and gastronomic treasures in Penang

Food in Penang consists of a mix of traditional Malay, Chinese, Indian, as well as Peranakan dishes. Known to many as the Pearl of the Orient, Penang is also one of Malaysia’s most famous food haunts, so it’s no surprise that it’s a top choice for foodie travellers.

The capital of Penang, Georgetown, has also been listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, and houses various landmarks from Islamic mosques and classical Chinese shoplots, to colonial mansions. Throw in local favourites such as Char Kuey Teow, Cendol, and Laksa, and there you have it — a city made for walking and eating.

Image Credit: www.thebackpackingbedouin.com

#9 Enjoy duty free shopping in Langkawi

Pulau Langkawi, is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Malaysia, thanks to their beaches, rainforests, mangrove wetlands, as well as the stunning view from Gunung Mat Chinchang, which you can access via a cable car ride.

But the biggest attraction of Langkawi would have to be the shopping. Many items there, such as alcohol, chocolates, and luggage, are much cheaper as they are exempt from tax.

Wine & Liquor House, located within Langkawi Fair Shopping Mall, offers a wide array of duty-free wine, liquors, and cigarette brands. (Image Credit: www.langkawi-info.com)

#10 Get a view of the city skyline at The Roof

It is undeniable that Kuala Lumpur is a vibrant and beautiful city. There are many great rooftop bars where you could go to to sit back and enjoy the sunrise or sunset. We recommend Stratosphere in The Roof, Bandar Utama, because it gives a 360-degree view of suburban Petaling Jaya and its surroundings.

Image Credit: www.juiceonline.com

#11 Say hi to Orang Utans in Kabili-Sepilok Nature Reserve, Sabah

The precious home of the last wild Orang-Utans in Northern Borneo can be found at Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve. There, you’ll be able to see the endearing species up close, while surrounded by gorgeous orchids and giant trees. Don’t forget to go on one of the nature trails — such as the Water Hole Trail and Mangrove Forest Trail — to explore Borneo’s beautiful natural environment.

Image Credit: http://www.tourism.gov.my/

#12 Immerse yourself in the Borneo culture at Sarawak Cultural Village

Located at Mount Satunbong, Sarawak Cultural Village is known as a living museum that showcases Sarawak’s rich cultural heritage. It’s perfect for those who wish to learn about the various tribal groups of Sarawak: there, you can check out their handicraft, try your hand at the blowpipe, and take part in their traditional dance.

A visit to their longhouses will give you a glimpse into the lives of each ethnic tribe, as well as a preview of upcoming international events like the Rainforest World Music Festival and the World Harvest Festival.

Image Credit: http://www.tourism.gov.my/

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