Manhunt Singapore 2017 ( Changing Lives ) Press Conference - 27 April 2017 ( Video )

I have previously attended Manhunt Singapore Press Conference in 2015. I was unable to attend the 2016 press conference but was fortunate enough to cover the Manhunt Singapore 2016 Final. Manhunt Singapore have been around for many years. It has long established itself as one of the important show in Singapore. 

This year, there are a total of 20 Manhunt finalists and 10 Senior Manhunt finalists. In fact, Manhunt is a wonderful platform for finalists to showcase their looks and physique. It also allow finalists to embark on a journey to develop themselves and be groomed into fine modern gentlemen. While writing this, something just struck me on a recent bully case of a 76 years old elderly man by a couple at the Toa Payoh Lor 8 Food Centre. The man ( bully ) banged the elderly man from the back which make his fall forward. A gentleman will never behave in this way. Lack of social grace have prompted such undesirable behavior in our society. I believe Manhunt help to create awareness of a well groom gentleman in our society. 

Each of the finalists are champions. The theme for this year edition is "Changing Lives". According to Manhunt Singapore, they wanted the finalists to understand, while the end product is important to look ahead to, what's more important is the process and the development phases that will shape and mould him for his life ahead. In fact, each of the finalists does have a unique story to tell. The story that have different elements which shape them into what they are today. 

Beam also teamed up with the alumni of Manhunt to set up a non-profit organisation called ManKind Ltd, to allow the alumni to gather and build a force of good in a world that increasingly needs it. The adopted charity for this year is Helping Joy Ltd - a Singapore registered non-profit organisation which helps the needy and elderly of Singapore regardless of race, religion or language, by bring a little joy into their lives.

I will be looking forward to the final of Manhunt Singapore 2017.

Check out my video for my blog

Check the video for the event by Fadhil Saad

The Three days Travel Malaysia Fair 2017 is back ( 21-23 April 2017 )

Have you fully explore Malaysia ? If not, then this three days fair will be great for you. Well, Malaysia is our neigbouring country and also the top destination for Singaporean. Culturally, Malaysians and Singaporeans are very similiar. This year, the fair is promoting Visit Beautiful Terengganu. 

The fair has a long history which started in 2005 and is now a household name in Singapore.

The fair offers a wide range of holiday packages with a multitude of special products and services offered by the major players in the tour and travel industries. The fair is supported by the Express & Excursion Bus Agencies Association ( EEBA), Singapore - formed in 2003 by a group of operators aiming to increase the excursion of bus operations. Currently have more than 30b us operators providing land transportation for passengers travelling to Malaysia and beyond. 

Statistics shows that more than 28 million Singaporeans come to Malaysia every year with 5 million visitors traveled by express buses and excursion coaches. 

The Visit Beautiful Terengganu Year 2017 campaign will give everyone the opportunity to explore the multicultural sights, sounds and tastes as well as lifestyle in Terengganu. 

SHOCK WAVE 拆弹专家 Movie Review

Synopsis

JS Cheung, a Superintendent in Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau (EOD) of Hong Kong Police Force,went undercover seven years ago into the gang led by the most-wanted crime boss Blast. Cheung successfully uprooted the gang and arrested a few robbers including Blast’s younger brother Biao. However, Blast was on the loose and he swore he’d be back for revenge. Seven years have passed and Blast kick starts his plan – a series of bomb attacks have sparked fear among Hong Kong citizens. To maintain law and order, Cheung must put Blast behind bars and he is ready to sacrifice his life to fight a tough battle with the ruthless bomber.

The original theme song “慢慢习惯” (Getting Used To) is composed by local music producer Eric Ng 黄韵仁, lyrics written and sang by刘德华 Andy Lau

Cast and Production

Executive Producer: Daneil Lam

Producer/ Starring: Andy Lau

Director/ Scriptwriter: Herman Yau

Also Starring: Jiang Wu, Song Jia Phillip Keung,Ron Ng

Scriptwriter: Erica Li (“Sara”, “Ip Man: The Final Fight”, “The Legend is Born: Ip Man”)

Action Choreographer: Dion Lam (“The Storm Riders”, “Spider-Man2”, “The Matrix Revolutions”)

Art Director: Eric Lam (“As The Light Goes Out”, “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons”)

Director of Photography: Joe Chan (“Ip Man: The Final Fight”, “The Mobfathers”) 

Special Effect Production: FreeD Workshop (“To The Fore”, “Helios”, “Firestorm”)

Date of Release: 20th April 2017

Rating: TBA

Language: In Mandarin with English and Chinese Subtitles

Run time: 119-mins

Genre: Crime, Action

Review

If you are die-hard fan of Andy Lau, you must watch this movie. An explosive expert. This is something new for a change. But it is still an action packed movie. Fast paced and be warned of at least two sudden loud burst of sound, or shock wave during the movie. 

The storyline is fast paced and most of the drama are located within the tunnel. Unexpected treatments of hostages when demand are not met by the HK authorities. Acting from Jiang Wu as bad guy was pretty convincing. The explosions, from the special effects were also well created. But honestly, Andy Lau seems like a Robocop. Even with all his injuries, he still is able to execute his task as a bomb expert. There is heroism in him as he always said that he is there to save lives. 

Although there is not much storyline, but the excitements battling the terrorists help to keep the audience glued to the big screen. The funny thing is that you get to see some familiar faces of elderly actors whom once dominates the Hong Kong TV drama in their heydays. I think it is now a trend to get them to appear in movies. Although their roles are small but it helps to remind audience that they are not forgotten in this entertainment industry. 

There is also love shown between Andy and his girlfriend. Due to Andy occupational hazards, he does have difficulty find a wife.

Unfortunately, Andy Lau with his recent injuries, was unable to attend any movie promotion as in Gala Premiere around Asian countries. Hope to see more of his films after his full recovery. 

My rating for this movie is 3/5. Dying for some Asian action movie, this will be my recommendation. 

Movie Trailer

Theme Song MV

Singtel and Telkomsel present Festival RISING50

Photo caption: A wefie to celebrate the launch of Singtel Dash’s new mobile remittance service.

Singapore, 26 March 2017 – More than 4000 Indonesians from all walks of life attended Festival RISING50 at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Singapore today. Presented by Singtel and Telkomsel, this is the first concert event of RISING50 celebrations held in commemoration of 50 years of bilateral relations between Singapore and Indonesia.

Popular Indonesian music artistes were specially invited to Singapore to take part in the festivities and entertain the Indonesian community. Popular pop band, Armada, wowed the audience with songs such as Mau Dibawa Kemana and Pergi Pagi Pulang Pagi. Siti Badriah, one of Indonesia’s up-and-coming dangdut singers, got the crowd singing and dancing along with her hit songs such as Brondong Tua and Goyang Pumang.

Singtel and Telkomsel also launched a real-time mobile remittance service to Indonesia at the event. This service allows Singtel Dash customers in Singapore to send money to 4,500 Kantor Pos cash-out locations across Indonesia - an enhancement to the current facility that lets customers send money to Indonesian bank accounts.

For more information on Festival Rising50 and Singtel Dash, visit www.dash.com.sg.

Photo caption: Siti Badriah opens Festival RISING50 with Brondong Tua, an energetic number.

Photo caption: (from left) His Excellency Ngurah Swajaya, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Singapore; Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO, Consumer Singapore, Singtel;

Pak Ririek Adriansyah, CEO, Telkomsel and Pak Gilarsi Wahju Setijono, President Director, PT POS Indonesia launch Singtel Dash’s new mobile remittance service at Festival RISING50.

Photo caption: (from left) Pak Gilarsi Wahju Setijono, President Director, PT POS Indonesia; Pak Ririek Adriansyah, CEO, Telkomsel; His Excellency Ngurah Swajaya, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Singapore and Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO, Consumer Singapore, Singtel are all smiles as they take a wefie with the crowd.

Photo caption: The 4,000-strong crowd sing and dance along with the performers.

Photo caption: Pop band Armada charms the crowd with their hit songs.

Photo caption: Enthusiastic crowd enjoying themselves at Festival RISING50.

LG listens to the consumers' needs, they came out with their new flagship smartphone G6.

Although it is quite common that smartphone companies does gather the needs of the consumers for smartphone design, but this is the first time I came across a company which does address the real needs of consumer. In fact they even have a video with the consumers spelling out their individual needs. Do check out my video which I have taken during the LG G6 launch at the National Gallery of Singapore.

LG G6 is their flagship smartphone which features bold new display format with a cinematic viewing experience, exceptional screen to body ratio, wide angle camera etc. The smartphone will be retail at S$988 and will be available from 14 April 2017 onwards at M1, Singtel, Starhub and other LG authorised retailers. For every purchase of the G6, it comes with a free flip case worth S$58 while stocks last.

Well, it is the first smartphone in the world to feature 18:9 display format. With a 5.7 inches QHD+ ( 2,880 x 1,440 resolution ) FullVision display, I am pretty sure you will enjoy watch your movie on the LG G6 smartphone. 

Oh, that one hand ergonomic design of LG G6 is still an important requirement from consumers. Yes, I can speak for myself on that requirement too.

Another first is the Dolby Vision. LG G6 supports two high Dynamic Range ( HDR) standards so that viewers get more out of their cinematic contents. 

LG G6 has dual 13MP camera with wide Angle lens ( 125 degrees ) to capture better photos.

A new feature is the Square Camera Mode which offers new exciting ways to create photos with snap shots, match shot, grid shot and guide shot features. You need to try it out to able to appreciate it. 

One very important requirement from consumer is that it must be durable. LG G6 has IP68 water and dust resistance,which makes it protected up to 1.5m of water for as long as 30 minutes. High temperatures and nail penetration were all taken care by the proprietary technology that dissipates heat via an internal heat pipe, the first in an LG smartphone.

The LG G6 has Google Assistant built-in. It works seamlessly with LG apps, empowering users to get fast answers, manage everyday tasks, enjoy music, video etc

"The LG G6 offers users new visual and manual experiences as it marries an expanded screen with the convenience of one-handed use." said David Yoh, Mobile Communications Business Director of LG Electronics Singapore. "LG will continue to lead smartphone innovation with a focus on convenience and reliability in order to exceed consumer expectations."

For more info, please visit  http://www.lg.com/sg/mobile-phones/lg-G6

Guide Dogs Association of the Blind receives one-year flight sponsorship from Scoot-Tigerair

Flying on board Scoot-Tigerair, the sponsorship will help ease costs of bringing guide dogs into Singapore and to support training capabilities

SINGAPORE, 10 April 2017 – Guide Dogs Association of the Blind (GDAB) today announced receiving a one-year sponsorship from Scoot-Tigerair that will benefit the visually-impaired community in Singapore. As part of the agreement, Scoot-Tigerair has committed to sponsoring six return flights between Australia and Singapore from April 2017 and March 2018 to help GDAB strengthen its training capabilities and bring more guide dogs into Singapore.

GDAB has been in partnership with Guide Dogs Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, from whom they procure their guide dogs, since 2011. To date, there are a total of eight guide dogs in Singapore, of which six were brought into Singapore by GDAB. The organisation is also looking to send candidates to Australia for Guide Dog Mobility and Orientation & Mobility training course through this sponsorship.

Scoot-Tigerair is one of the first Singapore-based airlines to allow certified guide dogs on board and has a team of cabin crew trained to assist visually-impaired passengers. Prior to the sponsorship, the airline had accommodated the transfer of two guide dogs from Australia in June 2016 and March 2017.

“We are delighted and most grateful to receive this sponsorship from Scoot-Tigerair in support of our work to provide visually impaired Singaporeans with guide dogs. With Scoot-Tigerair’s experience in transferring guide dogs, it will not only ease the cost of transfer but also ensure the process seamless and stress-free. In recent years, we have observed greater acceptance towards guide dogs and also improved accessibility in public places and we look forward to forming more guide dog teams in Singapore,” said Ms Lee Sutton, Vice-Chairman of GDAB.

“Scoot and Tigerair are happy to support GDAB’s effort to enhance the mobility of the visually impaired in our community. This is in line with our brand DNA to empower our guests to embark on exciting travel adventures. We will continue our efforts to improve our capabilities to assist customers with special needs,” said Leslie Thng, CCO of Scoot and Tigerair.

About Guide Dogs Association of the Blind Ltd

Guide Dogs Association of the Blind Ltd (GDAB) is a non-profit voluntary welfare organisation founded in 2006. It focuses on enhancing the quality of life for blind and visually-impaired people in Singapore through the provision of training and rehabilitation programme such as Orientation & Mobility and Guide Dogs Programme. The organisation also actively advocates for an inclusive society where every blind and visually-impaired person is empowered for independent living. Till date, GDAB has served more than 200 blind and visually-impaired people and has successfully paired four Guide Dog teams. GDAB is an associate member with the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) and holds the Institute of Public Character status.

For more information on GDAB, please visit www.guidedogs.org.sg. To make a donation, please visit www.give.asia/charity/guide_dogs_association_of_the_blind_ltd.

About Scoot™

Scoot™, the low-cost, medium haul arm of the Singapore Airlines Group managed by Budget Aviation Holdings, has carried over seven million guests since taking to the skies in June 2012. The world’s first all 787 Dreamliner fleet operates between Singapore and Sydney, Gold Coast, Bangkok, Taipei, Tokyo, Tianjin, Shenyang, Nanjing, Qingdao, Seoul, Hong Kong, Perth, Osaka, Kaohsiung, Hangzhou, Melbourne, Guangzhou, Jeddah, Chennai, Amritsar, Sapporo, Jaipur, Dalian and soon to Athens. Scoot provides – in addition to fantastic value airfares – a safe, reliable and contemporary travel experience with a unique attitude – Scootitude™. Offering amenities including on-board Wi-Fi Internet connectivity and in-seat power as well as the ability to redeem and accrue Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles, Scoot was voted 2015-16 Best Low Cost Airline (Asia/Pacific) by AirlineRatings.com and ranked in the Top 10 of the World’s Best Low-Cost Airlines in 2015 by Skytrax. Scoot is passionate about changing the way people travel long distance. Book your tickets at FlyScoot.com or contact our Call Centre. Find out more on FlyScoot.com, Facebook.com/FlyScoot, Instagram.com/FlyScoot or Weibo.com/Flyscoot.

About Tigerair

Tigerair is the low-cost, short-haul arm of the Singapore Airlines Group managed by Budget Aviation Holdings. Established in 2004, Tigerair is a leading Singapore-based no-frills airline that offers affordable travel options and a seamless customer experience.

With a fleet of Airbus A320-family aircraft, Tigerair operates flights to 40 destinations across Asia including Singapore, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Tigerair empowers travellers to explore new destinations, and accumulate memorable experiences, by offering an increased network of destinations. It is also committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety, security and reliability. For more information, please visit www.tigerair.com.