Malaysia picked to host ‘Fear Factor’

DARING ATTEMPT: The South African production centre stunt director Francois Grobelaan replacing a Fear Factor flag with the Jalur Gemilang at the KL Tower on Thursday.The stunt was part of the launch of the Asian version of the reality show.

BY ZACK YUSOF
The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has been chosen to house the first Asian production centre for the popular stunt-challenge reality television programme Fear Factor.

The centre was set up this month by local media company Juita Viden to produce Fear Factor, which is licensed by Endemol, the world's largest format creator for television.

The centre will produce the Asian version of the show for Malaysia and other countries in the region.

Currently, it is shooting the first season for Malaysia, Indonesia and India.

Read full story: Malaysia picked to host ‘Fear Factor’

Good news for Petaling Jaya

Petaling Jaya will be declared a city next March
Read the good news from The Star:


PETALING JAYA: Petaling Jaya will be made a city next March, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo said Friday.

Petaling Jaya will be the second municipal council in Selangor to be given the city status after Shah Alam.

Shah Alam was made a city on Oct 10, 2000.

The MPPJ made an application to the Federal government for Petaling Jaya to be upgraded into a city in August, he told reporters after launching a project to name tree species here.

700 turtle hatchlings freed

BY K. SUTHAKAR
The Star

For decades, the beaches of Rantau Abang in Terengganu were famed for being the nesting sites of giant leatherback turtles.

However, the reptiles are in danger of disappearing forever from the beaches because of a significant fall in their population.

As part of efforts to halt the decline in numbers, some 700 green turtle hatchlings aged between one and two days were released on the beach recently in conjunction with National Day celebrations.

Read full story: 700 turtle hatchlings freed

The buck stops here, Bank Negara tells traders

BY M. KRISHNAMOORTHY
The Star

PETALING JAYA: “Don’t pass the buck,” Bank Negara has told petty traders, restaurants and retailers in a bid to collect the millions of RM1 coins in circulation before they cease to be legal tender on Dec 7.

Petty traders, restaurants and retailers have been “getting rid” of their RM1 coins by passing it off as change to the public.

Bank Negara, aware of this, held briefings for traders, hawkers and business associations telling them to stop the practice and bank in the coins to help the central bank mop up the coins by the deadline.

The central bank said that the public should refuse to accept RM1 coins as change.

Read full story: The buck stops here, Bank Negara tells traders...The Star

Related story: Bank Negara to withdraw RM1 coin from Dec 7

Get ready to Stomp

Yeh, get ready to Stomp.




All eyes will be on Istana Budaya’s concert hall foundations tomorrow night as the West End musical Stomp’s makes its explosive debut in Malaysia. Stomp, regarded as the loudest musical on Earth, cranks up the volume at Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur from Sept 13 to 25 – and this wacky show has the rocking pedigree to shake any venue to the ground.

After a thrilling weeklong run of sold-out shows at Hong Kong’s Academy of Performing Arts – Lyric Theatre, which ended yesterday, it’s now the turn of local theatregoers to brace themselves for impact.

All eyes will be on Istana Budaya’s concert hall foundations tomorrow night as the West End musical Stomp’s makes its explosive debut in Malaysia. Stomp, regarded as the loudest musical on Earth, cranks up the volume at Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur from Sept 13 to 25 – and this wacky show has the rocking pedigree to shake any venue to the ground.

After a thrilling weeklong run of sold-out shows at Hong Kong’s Academy of Performing Arts – Lyric Theatre, which ended yesterday, it’s now the turn of local theatregoers to brace themselves for impact.

Source: The Star

Whopping RM1.5b remains unclaimed

BY M. KRISHNAMOORTHY AND MEERA VIJAYAN

KUALA LUMPUR: A whopping RM1.5bil belonging to people who have forgotten about their money, lost their passbooks or died, is waiting to be claimed from the Registrar of Unclaimed Monies.

The money is mainly from savings accounts, fixed deposits and dividends that had been left dormant for seven years in financial institutions. These are submitted to the Accountant-General, who is also the Registrar of Unclaimed Monies.

Read full story: Whopping RM1.5b remains unclaimed...The Star