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Datuk Lee Chong Wei won 7th Malaysia Open Title @ Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil

Went to Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil during the quarter final and semi final for Malaysia Open 2011. Quite disappointed because of Lin Dan walkover and let his team mate Chen Long quality to semi final.

It’s due to he suffered a recurrence of an old injury on his left abdominal area, but I supposed is one of the China tactic to ask Lin Dan to walkover to give way to Chen Long? Hmm just too bad can’t witness Lee Chong Wei vs Lin Dan again. It will be a great game if they were to meet up.

On friday I still can see Misbun appear as Lee Chong Wei coach. When Misbun Sidek entered into the arena, there’s thunderous applause and support from the crowds. Hope Misbun will continue to support our Malaysian players!

I’m glad that Lee Chong Wei grab the 7th Malaysia Title and hope he will continue to make Malaysia proud!

Checkout the video I posted for Lee Chong Wei vs Chen Long on Semi Finals.

Chong Wei defeats Taufik for seventh home title

Lee Chong Wei defeated Taufik Hidayat 21-8, 21-17 to win the men’s singles title in the Malaysia Open badminton championships on Sunday.

KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei defeated Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat to win the men’s singles title in the Malaysia Open badminton championships on Sunday.

Chong Wei won 21-8, 21-17 in just 35 minutes to bag his seventh home Open crown and 16th BWF Super Series title.

The Malaysian was in full control in the first set and had his opponent scrambling to return shots from all corners of the court.

Chong Wei was especially deadly at the net, winning numerous points with his deft touches.

The second set started just like the first, with Chong Wei racing to a 17-7 lead. But just when it looked like a thrashing, Taufik put up a gallant fight-back to narrow the deficit to 17-15.

However, Chong Wei regained his composure and wrapped up the set and match 21-17 in 18 minutes.

Earlier, Chai Biao-Guo Zhengdong from China beat Danish pair Mads Conrad-Petersen and Jonas Rasmussen 21-16, 21-14 to claim the men’s doubles title.

Malaysia Open 2011 Final Results

Men’s singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Taufik Hidayat (Ina) 21-8, 21-17

Men’s doubles: Chai Biao-Guo Zhengdong (Chn) bt Mads Conrad-Petersen-Jonas Rasmussen (Den) 21-16, 21-14

Women’s singles: Wang Shixian (Chn) bt Wang Yihan (Chn) 21-18, 21-14

Women’s doubles: Zhao Yunlei-Tian Qing (Chn) bt Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang (Chn) 21-12, 6-21, 21-17

Mixed doubles: He Hanbin-Ma Jin (Chn) bt Tao Jiaming-Tian Qing (Chn) 21-13, 13-21, 21-16

Source : TheStar

Chong Wei crushes Chen Long for explosive final date with Taufik

By RAJES PAUL

IT was a fun day for shuttler Lee Chong Wei when he checked into the Malaysia Open final in ruthless fashion to keep alive the hope of becoming home champion for the seventh time.

Yesterday, the world number one crushed Chen Long of China 21-9, 21-9 in a lop-sided 39-minute semi-final match in front of vociferous home fans at the Putra Stadium.

He will play against an on-fire Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in today’s final and based on the current form of these two players, an explosive match is on the cards.

Yesterday, Chong Wei, boosted again by the presence of his coach Misbun Sidek, who was smartly dressed in a chequered shirt, showed no mercy to Chen Long.
Turning on the style: Lee Chong Wei returning a backhand shot to China’s Chen Long during their semi-final match yesterday. Chong Wei won 21-9, 21-9.

And Chen Long, despite an extra day’s rest after enjoying a walkover from injured compatriot Lin Dan in the quarter-finals on Friday, was unable to keep up with the fiery pace.

The Malaysian never took his feet off the pedal although he had a big lead over Chen Long throughout the match.

And at one stage, he even did a little jig after saving an almost impossible deep baseline return from Chen Long and it brought out a big uproar from the delirious fans.

Chong Wei said he went into the match with the intention of crushing Chen Long’s spirit from the start. “He is China’s upcoming youngster and it is dangerous to give him room to build up his confidence. I just went all out,” said Chong Wei.
Taufik Hidayat.

“I was very confident after taking the first game. All my strokes and counter attacks worked well for me and I just continued to enjoy myself. It felt really good.”

On his match against Taufik today, he said: “It is a familiar face but his condition seems to be better here. I will be ready. This is my homeground and I am determined to go out there and win my seventh Malaysia Open title.”

Chong Wei is the winner of the editions from 2004-2006 and 2008-2010.

Taufik, who won the 2000 Malaysia Open, is hoping to turn back the clock.

“I wish that I can go back several years. It will put me in a better position to challenge Chong Wei,” said the 30-year-old Taufik, who is one year older than the Malaysian.

“He is on top of his game as I was at one point of time. I have lost to him many times over the last two years but I beat him at the last World Championships.

“I feel good right now and I am hoping to get off to a great start this year. I will give my best against him and see what happens.”

Taufik was pleased with his superb 21-15, 21-19 win over compatriot Simon Santoso yesterday.

“I was a class above him in the opening game. I had a good lead in the second but I took it easy and Simon caught up. Fortunately, I made up for my hastiness to end the match early,” he said.

“It will be a different ball game against Chong Wei tomorrow and hopefully, I will be able to raise my game even higher,” added Taufik.

Despite the disappointment over Chen Long’s meek defeat yesterday, China can still afford a big smile. They are assured of three titles today as it will be all-China finals in the women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles events.

Semi-final results

Men

Single: Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Simon Santoso (Ina) 21-15, 21-19; Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Chen Long (Chn) 21-9, 21-9.

Doubles: Mads Conrad-Petersen-Jonas Rasmussen (Den) bt Naoki Kawamae-Shoji Sato (Jpn) 21-17, 22-20; Chai Biao-Guo Zhengdong (Chn) bt Mohd Ahsan-Bona Septano (Ina) 21-15, 21-14.

Women

Singles: Wang Yihan (Chn) bt Wang Xin (Chn) 21-18, 21-18; Wang Shixian (Chn) bt Jiang Yanjiao (Chn) 21-19, 21-17.

Doubles: Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Cheng Shu-Ma Jin (Chn) 22-20, 21-19; Zhao Yunlei-Tian Qing (Chn) bt Du Jing-Pan Pan (Chn) 23-21, 21-18.

Mixed doubles: He Hanbin-Ma Jin (Chn) bt Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Den) 21-17, 17-14 (rtd); Tao Jiaming-Tian Qing (Chn) bt Robert Blair-Gabrielle White (Sco-Eng) 21-11, 21-15.

Source : TheStar

Misbun delays meeting with BAM president

THE man in the spotlight – national coach Misbun Sidek – has chosen to delay the meeting with Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Datuk Seri Nadzmi Mohd Salleh.

And due to this, the BAM’s council, who will meet today, is unlikely to make any major decision.

However, according to one of the council members yesterday, they are determined to get Nadzmi to make a stand over the whole matter surrounding Misbun.

Yesterday, Nadzmi said that Misbun had sent a text message to him, saying that he would prefer to meet after the Malaysia Open, which will end today at Putra Stadium.

“He wants to stay focused on the Malaysia Open and I respect that. I will meet him after that,” said Nadzmi.

Misbun pulled a shocker when he tendered his resignation on Dec 31. However, he has been asked to re-consider his decision by the BAM exco.

Misbun has not made up his mind on his status but he has showed up to support and coach world number one Lee Chong Wei since the second day of the home competition here in Bukit Jalil.

There were high hopes that Misbun would meet Nadzmi before today’s council meeting so that the 30-member council members could be briefed on whether Misbun wished to retract his resignation letter and if he did, what are the conditions he wanted for his return.

Nadzmi said that his main objective today is to brief the council on Misbun’s decision to resign. “I want the council members to know want had happened. It is important to engage them and this is precisely why the meeting is taking place,” he said.

When asked whether any decision would be made today, Nadzmi said: “We will deliberate and discuss on Misbun’s resignation matter. But I promise that there will be an amicable decision on this matter.”

Source : TheStar

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Asian Game Badminton Final – Datuk Lee Chong Wei lost to Lin Dan “Super Dan 超级丹”

Too disappointed… Datuk Lee Chong Wei 李宗伟 again fail to bring down Lin Dan 林丹. Lee Chong Wei lost to Lin Dan again! 13-21, 21-15, 10-21 no gold for Malaysia in Badminton.

Super Dan 超级丹 won again this time! Lin Dan beat Datuk Lee Chong Wei in style and yet Datuk Lee tried his best becoming the first Malaysian men’s singles champion in 40 years at the Asian Games but not avail.

Lin Dan salute to his fans in Guangzhou.

Lin Dan just love punching in the air and taking off his shirt to the deafening roars of the home crowd. He just love to show his sexy naked body with six-packs!

I did a live tweet for the Asian Game badminton final yesterday of Lin Dan vs Datuk Lee Chong Wei, you can see how excited the game and most importantly Lee Chong Wei tried his best and I think Lin Dan still the best badminton player in the world even Datuk Lee is world number 1 in badminton now.

Super Dan bags it all

THE world’s most celebrated men’s singles badminton player, Lin Dan of China, finally has it all.

He fitted the final piece of the jigsaw in his immaculate career winnings by nailing the elusive Asian Games title in front of his adoring fans at the Tianhe Gymnasium yesterday.

And “Super Dan” did it in super style, defeating world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei 21-13, 15-21, 21-10 in the final.

And then he celebrated the victory in the only way he knew – letting out a loud cry, punching the air repeatedly and taking off his shirt to the deafening roars of the home crowd.

And he did a little more yesterday after the usual salute. He threw his shoes and sweat-soaked shirt to the delirious crowd.

With the triumph in the Guangzhou Asiad, the 27-year-old Olympic and three-time world champion has won all the major titles on offer in world badminton.

As for Chong Wei, his losing streak against Lin Dan on China soil continued and his hopes of becoming the first Malaysian men’s singles champion in 40 years at the Asian Games went up in smoke.

Punch Gunalan won the last Malaysian gold medal in the event at the 1970 Games in Bangkok.

Chong Wei was too disappointed and distraught to turn up for the post-match media conference. Said team manager Datuk Maijol Mahap: “He is sitting at a corner. The defeat was too disappointing for him.

Please let him be, for now.”

A thrilled Lin Dan, however, took his time to answer all the questions thrown at him.

“I have reached my target.

“I have won all the major titles that a player can win. This is really a wonderful moment for me,” he said.

“Of all the titles that I have won, the 2004 Thomas Cup Finals, however, will hold a special spot for me. It was the beginning of my rise as a player. And the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was an important one too.”

Although buoyed by his exploits, Lin Dan gave due credit to Chong Wei’s fighting spirit yesterday.

“This is my best Asian Games final. There was pressure on both of us. We played well even though it was so tough. Honestly, I was the lucky one to win.

“I give my due respect to Chong Wei. He really fought very hard today.”

Lin Dan showed he was much superior in the first game with his stronger attack taking him to an 11-6 lead.

Chong Wei came back from the game break with his brilliant deceptive shots to take three consecutive points but Lin Dan replied with a flurry of smashes to extend his lead to 15-9.

The Malaysian tried to break Lin Dan’s momentum but, in his haste, made too many mistakes to hand the game to his pumped up rival.

Chong Wei upped the tempo in the second game as Lin Dan appeared to take his foot off the pedal to allow the Malaysian to force a decider.

Lin Dan was devastating in the rubber game, leading 11-4 at the game break before romping home for the gold medal.

Source : TheStar

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Thomas Cup Updates : Malaysia lost to China 3-0 in Semi Finals

It was a sad day for Malaysia. We couldn’t deliver even a single point even with thousands of support and cheering from Malaysia fans in Bukit Jalil Putra Stadium indoor stadium. Dato Lee Chong Wei could not get hold of the game and Lin Dan was the one who control of the whole game.

“Today, China proved that they have a better team than ours. China’s players showcased better quality. Our players tried their best but they were simply not good enough,” said Rashid.

I think we need to brush up our players and we are just over confident and China players are still as great as the Great Wall of China and it’s unbreakable.

If Lee Chong Wei could deliver the first point in 1st Single for Malaysia against China Lin Dan, we still have hope and it will bring up the spirits of other players too! But unfortunately Chong Wei could not make it.

Lin Dan won 21-17, 21-8 to hand Chong Wei his first defeat in 19 matches with the much awaited Chong Wei-Lin Dan encounter lasting 48 minutes. The win stretched Lin Dan’s wins over Chong Wei to 14 against six defeats.

Look at Lin Dan sexy body after he won and took off his shirt, he dance in cloud nine too! He’s just too great…

Khoo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong was the hope to leave up the spirits but they fail to beat Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng they are just too good in handling in their games. Cai Yung-Yu Haifeng put China 2-0 in front in the semi-finals of the Thomas Cup when they beat the Malaysian pair of Koo Kean Keat-Tan Boon Heong 21-15, 21-10.

Thomas Cup Final will be China vs Indonesia and the interesting match will be Lin Dan vs Taufik!

Images Credit to ThomasUberKL2010

M’sia go down 0-3 to China in Thomas Cup semi

THOUSANDS of cheering Malaysian fans created an electrifying atmosphere at the Putra Stadium.

But their efforts failed to lift the spirit of the Malaysian players, who succumbed to three quick blows to go down 0-3 to defending champions China in the Thomas Cup semi-finals last night.

The defeat shattered Malaysia’s dream of ending an 18-year wait to lift the Cup they last won in 1992.

Malaysia Down and out of Thomas Cup: Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei goes down on his knees after failing to return Lin Dan’s shot in the first singles last night. Chong Wei lost 17-21, 8-21. Malaysia went on to lose the semi-final 0-3.

The semi-final was an anti-climax tie for Malaysia as the top players – world No. 1s Lee Chong Wei and Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong – failed to live up to expectations.

After playing so confidently in his previous two ties, Chong Wei wilted under pressure and went down tamely 17-21, 8-21 to his nemesis Lin Dan.

Hopes were then high on Kien Keat-Boon Heong to level the tie but they too found Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng too hot too handle, going down 15-21, 10-21 in just 36 minutes.

The hopes of the nation was then on the shoulders of veteran Wong Choong Hann to save the tie but he too crumbled under the weight of expectations, going down 16-21, 7-21 in 41 minutes.

And it was all over for Malaysia.

Invincible: China’s Fu Haifeng (left) and Cai Yun celebrating after beating Malaysia’s Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong in their first doubles match on Friday night. – AP

China will take on Indonesia in the final tomorrow.

The tame defeat of skipper Chong Wei came as a surprise and the Malaysian said that Lin Dan’s aggressive display at the start of the match broke his rhythm.

“He took a 10-3 lead in the opening game and that rattled me. I lost my focus and found it hard to narrow the gap,” said Chong Wei.

It was Chong Wei’s 15th defeat to Lin Dan in 21 meetings over the last six years.

I’ve got the rhythm: China’s Lin Dan performing a break dance after beating Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei in their Thomas Cup semi-final first singles match Friday night. – Bernama

“It suddenly felt like the court was too small and I could not see any space to hit the shuttle. I was demoralised when he retrieved all my attacking shots,” said Chong Wei.

“All of a sudden I felt that my standard had dropped. Lin Dan was too good today.”

National coach Rexy Mainaky pinned high hopes on Kien Keat-Boon Heong but, instead of enjoying the home advantage, they were beaten mercilessly by the fast attacking Chinese pair.

Boon Heong admitted that “we lost to a better pair”.

“They were good in all departments today. They were fast in their attack, solid in defence and able to read our game,” said Boon Heong.

“Overall, they were more solid. Kien Keat and I tried our best but it just did not happen for us.”

Said Kien Keat: “We have lost to them in team events for four times. It is not because we are not good team players. We are but they were just too good today. We will work harder to get the better of them.”

Gracious winner: Chen Jin (left) consoling Malaysia’s Wong Choong Hann after scoring the winning point for China

After the defeats of Chong Wei and Kien Keat-Boon Heong, Malaysian fans knew the battle was all over.

As expected, Choong Hann, despite pockets of brilliance, found his younger opponent Chen Jin a tough nut to crack.

With his defeat, Malaysia’s agonising wait for the Thomas Cup which they last won in 1992, continues.

Source : TheStar

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Thomas Cup : Malaysia beat Denmark 3-2 Thanks to Hafiz

Okay, Malaysia is set to fight against China this coming Friday for the Thomas Cup Semi Finals! Stay tuned! I must say today all our Malaysia players is in much better form compared to yesterday and the 2nd double been replace with Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif / Thien How Hoon which showed better fighting spirit but their understanding of each other is not there as this was the 1st time they paired up~! Still good result and good fighting spirits!

It will be excited to watch China vs Malaysia in this Thomas Cup Semi Finals. The most awaited match will be Datuk Lee Chong Wei vs Lin Dan. Will Datuk Lee deliver our first point in this semi? Hopefully!

Koo Kien Keat & Tan Boon Heong in joy!

Jongensen [Denmark] bt Wong Choong Han [Malaysia] – Joy vs Sorrow

Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif / Hoon Thien How – They are the much better pair.

Hafiz Hashim – Hero of the night!

Thomas Cup Quarter Finals Result

Peter Hoeg Gade vs Chong Wei Lee : 17-21, 17-21 (49mins)
Carsten Mogensen / Mathias Boe vs Kean Keat Koo / Boon Heong Tan : 17-21, 19-21 (41mins)
Jorgensen vs Choong Han Wong : 22-20, 16-21, 21-18 (72 mins)
Lars Paaske / Jonas Rasmussen vs Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif / Thien How Hoon : 24-26, 21-12, 21-19 (74mins)
Joachim Persson vs Mohd Hafiz Hashim : 12-21, 10-21 (31mins)

Our girls lost in Uber Cup. Indonesia beat Malaysia 3-0. Wong Meow Choo did not deliver the crucial points and she apologized for her defeat. Our team could not go on to semi finals in Uber Cup.

*Images credits to ThomasUberKL2010

HAFIZ TURNS IT ON TO TAKE MALAYSIA INTO THE SEMIS

2010-05-12

KUALA LUMPUR (12 MAY 2010) – Muhd Hafiz Hashim, the 2003 All England champion, powered Malaysia into the Thomas Cup semi-finals with a thrilling 3-2 win over Denmark in the quarter-finals – setting off celebrations inside and outside the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

Hafiz was the man of the hour – just when things looked bad for the Malaysians.

The Kelantan-born 28-year-old Hafiz tamed Denmark’s Joachim Persson 21-12, 21-10 in 31 minutes.

The ‘Mexican Wave’ which have been missing for quite sometime, was done several times by the home fans – to motivate the Malaysian players and the atmosphere was electrifying.

Just when Hafiz was to begin his press conference, team captain Datuk Lee Chong Wei came up to pass his mobile phone to Hafiz.

On the line was Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) patron Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib TunAbdul Razak, to congratulate Hafiz on his win and for taking Malaysia into the semis.

In the semi-finals tomorrow, Malaysia will be up against defending champions China.

In the other semi-final Indonesia, 3-0 winners over India in the quarter-finals, will meet Japan who stopped Germany 3-1.

“I cannot describe my feeling in securing the winning point to keep Malaysia in the tournament and a place in the semifinals,” said Hafiz, whose big smile spoke of the jubilation in the Malaysian camp.

It was an almost similar scene as it was yesterday – with Malaysia taking a pyschological 2-0 lead over Denmark – before they allowed their opponents to claw back into the game 2-2 going into the crucial third singles.

Chong Wei started the ball rolling when he beat Denmark’s veteran Peter-Gade Christensen 21-17, 21-17 in a 49 minute thriller. Kien Keat-Boon Heong stayed for a shorter period on the court in their 21-17, 21-19 win over Carsten Mogensen-Mathias Boe. The match lasted 41 minutes.

But Denmark reduced the deficit when 21-year-old Jan O Jorgensen outlasted Malaysia’s veteran Wong Choong Hann 22-20, 16-21, 21-18 which had the crowd on their feet during the 72 minutes they were on the court.

Malaysia sprang a surprise by naming a scratch pair – pairing Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif with Hoon Thien How for the second doubles. The Malaysia started well by winning the first set 26-24 but lost the next two 12-21, 19-21 in a 74 minute match.

The score stood at 2-2 and it was left to Hafiz to deliver.

And he did it in style. Hafiz turned out to be Malaysia’s hero while Persson, Denmark’s hero in Tokyo four years ago when he beat Kwan Beng Hong for the winning point in their 3-2 win over Malaysia, was left in tears.

The ending was different from the 3-2 loss they surrendered to Japan, where instead of the gloom, there celebrations all around the stadium which was packed with nearly 10,000 spectators.

The last time Malaysia won the Cup was in 1992 in Kuala Lumpur, beating Indonesia 3-2 in the final. Malaysia were runners up in 1994, 1998 and 2002, losing Indonesia on each occasion.

“I gave my best. I could have done any much more on a night when Hafiz played really well. He deserved the win. Four years ago I beat Beng Hong to take my team into the final. But I could not repeat this tonight,” said Persson.

Source : ThomasUberKL2010

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New RM50 Note & Special Edition – Ringgit Malaysia

Have you seen or been using the new RM50 notes? It’s out few months back and now it’s widely use I guess. Even when you withdraw from all the major ATM, you will be getting new RM50 note instead of the old one.

The RM50 note gets a makeover with enhanced anti-forgery security features and a design theme reflecting how far Malaysia has moved up the economic value chain after 50 years of independence.

The illustrations on the note include oil palm trees and microbiology technology, representing Malaysia’s economic transformation to the higher value-added activities in the agricultural, manufacturing, services and other sectors. The front retains the portrait of the first king, Tuanku Abdul Rahman Tuanku Muhammad, on the right. The national hibiscus flower is in the centre.

Songket patterns frame the background and edges of the note to reflect traditional Malaysian textile handicraft and embroidery. The issuance of the new RM50 notes also commemorates Malaysia 50th independence anniversary.

On the back, first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman is featured raising his hand in proud declaration of Merdeka!

Security Features

The security features incorporated in the Fourth Series of RM50 banknotes are as follows :

* The Watermark Portrait can be recognised by tints that are lighter or darker than the surrounding paper. This watermark portrait which has a three-dimensional effect appears without sharp outlines. At the base of the watermark, the numeral 50 is clearly visible.

* The Security Thread is embedded in the paper and appears on the reverse side of the note as a silver coloured dotted line. When the note is held against the light, it is seen as a continuous dark coloured line and the repeated text BNM RM50 can be read. When viewed under ultra-violet light, the thread is seen in various changing colours known as the “rainbow effect”.

* Micro-Letterings of “BNM RM50″ which can be viewed under a magnifying glass.

* Invisible Fluorescent Elements can be seen through various elements of the background on the obverse and reverse side of the banknote and will fluoresce in different colours when viewed under ultra-violet light.

* Perfect See-Through Register feature where the graphic songket design on the obverse side of the note will register perfectly with the same graphic songket design on the reverse side when it is held against the light.

* Multicolour Latent Image of the denomination 50 can be seen when the banknote is tilted slightly and the colour changes when it is rotated.

* Holographic Stripe features the denomination 50 and the hibiscus flower, with a multi-coloured pumping and matt-structure effect.

* Hidden image with moiré effect where certain areas of the design appearance will change when the banknote is copied.

Members of the public are advised to take note of the security features and design of the new RM50 notes outlined above. The existing series of the RM50 banknotes will continue to be legal tender. For more info can visit www.bnm.gov.my

There is the logo of the 50th Independence anniversary in this special edition note. I myself also did not notice about this till I someone told me about this. I actually have this special edition note during the CNY, Ang Pau =p. So do take a look next time when you receive the new note whether it’s the special edition with the stated logo or not, if yes then keep it! =)

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It’s Krrunch Time, Get Playful!

24*7 online, 7 days a week, also looking at the monitor screen even dreaming…

boring and no life la…

until I found this…

Pringles!!

Yeah it’s Krrunch!

Much better and Krrunch after that!

Watch the video to find out how it happened. =p

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Do you feel dizziness? Quake in Sumatra, tremors in Malaysia

I was in Astro Mid Autumn Gathering in a boat @ Mines Wellness Hotel, heard some ppl mention about quake and termors, so I check my Twitter. When I reading my twitter updates, saw a lot ppl mention about termors felt in few places but I only feel the dizziness from the strong wave because i’m in a boat =p Do you feel the termors?

Met MyFM DJsMei Yan 颜薇恩 and Phoebe 菲比 there.

Mei Yan 颜薇恩

Phoebe 菲比

Phoebe 菲比

After checking TheStar online it’s true. I was thinking if it happens earlier then a lot of ppl can take the chance and go home earlier as need to evacuate the building. Haha right? Lazy pig is like that…

PETALING JAYA: A powerful earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale struck off the city of Padang off the coast of southern Sumatra at about 6.17pm on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people, trapping thousands of others and causing tremors as far away as peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.

The earthquake which damaged houses, brought down bridges and buildings and caused fires in Padang, also caused people to evacuate buildings in various towns and cities in Malaysia.

The epicentre of the quake was about 481km southwest of Kuala Lumpur.

At 6.38pm, a temblor measuring 5.5 in magnitude was also recorded 11km north of Padang.

So far, there has been no report of the 300 Malaysian students at Andalas University in Padang being affected by the massive earthquake.

Malaysian Consul-General Fauzi Omar told The Star that he has contacted the Sumatra Barat tourism chief and was told that there is no report of any Malaysians being hurt.

“Well at least the tourism chief’s handset is still working. I have been told the Minangkabau airport in Padang is closed.

“I am trying to leave for Padang tonight. It is a one-hour flight and by road it will take at least one day because of the bad road condition,” Fauzi said.

The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta is despatching a team to Padang in Sumatra to assist the Consul-General in Medan in checking on the students.

Padang was hardest hit by the earthquake.

“We are sending a team as soon as possible and our Consul-General in Pekan Baru will also be despatched to help,” said Malaysian embassy charge d’affaires Amran Mohamad Zain.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre first issued a tsunami alert for Malaysia (George Town and Port Dickson specifically), Indonesia, India and Thailand, but cancelled it at about 7.31pm.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department monitored the situation from the outset, but did not issue a tsunami warning because no significant waves were generated.

In the JayaOne complex here, reports came in of shaking furniture and swaying fixtures.

In KUALA LUMPUR, Mariam Anis and her colleagues on their 21st-floor office in Plaza Sentral in Jalan Sultan Ismail felt the tremors.

“The tremors were strong and I could feel the building shaking. My colleagues and I did not waste another second and ran towards the emergency stairways to make our way down from the 21st floor.

“It was rather scary,” she said.

Tremors were also felt in the federal administrative capital of PUTRAJAYA. Mohd Kamel Othman, press secretary to Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, was in his office at the Prime Minister’s Department when he felt the tremors.

“I could literally see the building moving from left to right. Even the flowerpots were shaking. I immediately rallied my colleagues to leave the building.

“My minister also came out of his office as he too could feel the tremors,” he said, adding while he had experienced tremors before, the ones which on Wednesday were stronger.

In GEORGE TOWN, people rushed out of several high-rise buildings in Macallum Street, Tanjung Bungah, Tanjung Tokong, Gurney Drive and the inner city of George Town.

Student C.Y. Khoo, 18, said she decided to walk out from the cinema in Gurney Plaza with her friends after she felt the tremors.

“I feared for my safety. My friends and I decided to get out from the cinema although we like the movie very much,” she said.

A Golden Screen Cinema spokesman said a tremor was felt at about 6.20pm for about 25 seconds.

“Some moviegoers walked out of the cinema but … generally, the situation was not that serious,” he said.

Penang police chief Deputy Comm Wira Ayub Yaakob said policemen were deployed to monitor the situation.

“My men were on the look-out and would have moved in to help if the need arose,” he said.

Marine Operations Force Region I commander Asst Comm Zainul Abidin Hasan said all his men, both at the base and on patrol, were put on standby.

State secretary Datuk Zainal Rahim Seman said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was concerned about the initial tsunami alert.

“The state directed all relevant departments such as the police to be on standby,” he said.

A State Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said they received numerous calls from anxious residents enquiring about the tremors.

However, there were no reports of any injuries or of anybody trapped in lifts or buildings.

In JOHOR BARU, many people rushed out of buildings and the new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex halted operations abruptly and was evacuated for about 40mins.

This caused massive congestion as thousands of motorists were returning from Singapore after office hours.

Fire and Rescue Department personnel were called in to check the building before operations resumed.

The lanes were later reopened and traffic policemen deployed to control traffic at the complex.

Assistant administrative worker Wong Hook Tuck, 52, who was at his office at level six of Menara Plaza Pelangi, described the tremors as bad.

“The tremors started at around 6.15pm and lasted for about five minutes.

“I felt very dizzy and all my colleagues and I started to evacuate the building as the fire alarm had gone off,” he said.

He said he was in shock and had thought that there was an earthquake in Malaysia.

In Taman Ehsan Jaya, administrative executive Surinder Kaur said she was shocked when the people in her apartment building started running downstairs, saying that there was an earthquake.

“I stay on the second floor and I didn’t feel anything, but my neighbours warned me about the tremors and told me to quickly evacuate,” she said.

She said one of her neighbours was having his dinner at the time and the whole table started to shake, spilling the soup he was eating.

“All of the residents quickly assembled at the ground floor; the tremors lasted for about four minutes,” she said.

In SINGAPORE, residents from Toa Payoh, Woodlands, Bukit Timah, Simei and Kembangan in the eastern part, reported tremors shaking their buildings, The Straits Times reported.

A spokesman from National Environment Agency said it received calls from members of the public from Red Hill, Choa Chu Kang, Changi, Toa Payoh, the city area, Punggol, Sengkang, Sembawang and Pasir Ris.

Kee Ya Ting of Woodlands said she thought her flat was going to collapse.

“I was scared. I live on the 12th floor. I was sitting at my desk when the flat shook and I felt myself swaying from left to right. I thought my flat was going to collapse,” she told the paper.

In PADANG itself, the situation looked dire. Indonesian television reported that hundreds of buildings had collapsed and many people were feared trapped under the rubble.

Footage from Padang showed flattened buildings, with at least one person trapped underneath, a foot sticking out from beneath the debris, The Associated Press reported.

“The earthquake was very strong,” said Kasmiati, who lives on the coast near to the epicenter. “People ran to high ground. Houses and buildings were badly damaged.”

“I was outside, so I am safe, but my children at home were injured,” she said before her cellphone went dead.

The quake triggered a landslide that cut off land transport to the provincial town of Padang Pandang, which lies about 70km north of Padang, said a police officer in the town, who identified himself only as Riko. He said three cars were reportedly hit by the landslide.

Padang, a sprawling low-lying city of around 900,000, was badly hit by an 8.4 magnitude quake in September 2007, when dozens of people died and several large buildings collapsed, AP said.

Power in the city was reportedly cut and telecommunications networks were down or overloaded, making it difficult to get accurate information about the extent of the damage.

“Many buildings are badly damaged, including hotels and mosques,” said Wandono, an official at Meteorology and Geophysic Agency in the capital, Jakarta, citing reports from residents.

He said a steep, sloping riverbank collapsed, houses had toppled and a fire had broken out in buildings on the road to Padang.

Wednesday’s quake comes a day after a quake with a magnitude of between 8.0 and 8.3 in the South Pacific hurled a massive tsunami at the shores of Samoa and American Samoa, flattening villages and leaving at least 99 dead and dozens missing.

The epicenter of Wednesday’s temblor off Indonesia lies several thousand kilometres to the west, on the other side of Australia.

Danger ahead
Geologists have said Padang, which lies near the colliding Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates, is the most likely in the country to fall victim to the next major quake or tsunami, AFP reported.

“There will be aftershocks but it’s difficult to predict whether there will be a bigger quake,” Geological Disaster Mitigation and Volcanology Centre head Surono told AFP.

“There are three big volcanoes in West Sumatra — Merapi, Talang and Tandikat. We fear that this quake might cause volcanic eruptions there,” he said.

Experts have said the city is most at risk from a final segment along the zone shifting to unleash a massive amount of energy.

The zone’s other segments have already cracked, including a large portion off Aceh, at the northern tip of Sumatra, which triggered the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami which killed more than 220,000 people.

Plans for evacuation shelters and improved roads to provide better escape routes from tsunami have mostly not been realised.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.

A quake on the main island of Java earlier this month killed 123 people.

Source : TheStar

Posted in Blog, Sports | No Comments »

Gary Chaw vs Justin Lo – Fighting in HK streets

OMG, two of my favorites male singers fighting in Hong Kong… What’s happening? Malaysia Boleh? Fight over $ or girls or career? Don’t fight pls, sing a long! We make friends not enemies. =)

Fists of fury in HK streets

HONG KONG: Award-winning Malaysian singer Gary Chaw and Hong Kong artiste Justin Lo are normally the best of friends. But the two pop stars turned into the worst of enemies during a roadside brawl after drinks at a pub here.

The local paparazzi were rewarded with dramatic photos of Chaw and Lo punching each other and Chaw kicking Lo while the latter was in the back seat of a taxi.

Lo, better known as Zak Tin, was even invited as the guest singer at Chaw’s concert in Malaysia last year.

On Tuesday night, they had gone for a drink at a pub with several friends at Central district.

When they’re not fighting: Lo (right) appeared as a guest singer at Chaw’s concert in Kuala Lumpur last year.

At about 1am, Chaw left the pub in anger while Lo followed with a “red face”. They then had a heated argument by the roadside.

Hong Kong’s Oriental Daily News reported that Chaw punched Lo until he collapsed on the side of the road.

Lo got up and fought back. After a while, they were pulled apart by their friends.

In a dramatic turn of events, the duo left in a taxi together with two male friends but the vehicle made an emergency stop soon after.

Chaw alighted and was seen jumping on the street and calling out to Lo to step out for a one-on-one fight. The latter refused.

The 30-year-old Malaysian then kicked at Lo who was in the back seat.

After a while, the 33-year-old Lo got off and was seen grimacing in pain, using his hands to cover his groin.

Then Chaw grabbed a road sign and attempted to hit Lo with it, but was stopped by their friends.

Half-an-hour later, both of them left separately accompanied by friends. Chaw behaved as though nothing had happened during an interview with a Hong Kong radio station on Wednesday. He only talked about his concert in November.

At a press conference in Hong Kong last night though, Chaw apologised to Lo for his act.

“I have no excuses, no reasons. I am wrong. I am willing to take whatever responsibility, punishment….

“Justin had never wanted to hurt me with his actions. It is very obvious this is not a fight … it was me who lost control,” he said.

Chaw, who was born in Sabah, was sent to study in Canada when he was only nine. He returned home and participated in an Astro singing contest in 1999 but lost.

Later, he was signed up by a recording company and released his album Xiao Wo Ben (Laugh at my stupidity).

Lo, who is also a song-writer and record producer born in America, was signed up as a singer in 2005.

The same year, his debut album Justin was released and became a hit with 15,000 copies sold on the first day. He held his debut concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum the next year and the tickets were sold out within 10 minutes.

He held his seventh concert in Malaysia on Christmas eve in 2006.

Source : TheStar

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1Malaysia F1 Team – Malaysia's own F1 Team!

What’s your view on this 1Malaysia F1 Team to join in 2010 championship? I feel like it’s a waste of money $ instead of promoting Malaysia. Can our own F1 team even finish the race or dropped out halfway? How long can we survive and sustain in this F1? Or can we actually make profit and benefit out of it? Even Alex Yoong, Malaysia very 1st F1 driver, also cannot survive long in F1 and join A1 instead. How many million or billion gonna spend in this F1 team? hmm…

Malaysia’s own F1 team

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will have its own team in Formula One next year.

A Lotus-powered racing team, to be called the 1Malaysia F1 team, will take on giants like Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes and Renault in the premier motorsports event next year.

The team will join Force India-Mercedes as Asia’s representatives in F1, along with old-timers like Toyota.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has accepted Malaysia’s bid to enter the 2010 and future Formula One World Championships, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced yesterday.

F1 foray: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak receiving a model of the Malaysian F1 car at the Finance Ministry in Putrajaya.

The 1Malaysia F1 team will be a partnership between the Govern-ment and the private sector, including investors led by Datuk Kamarudin Meranun (AirAsia Deputy CEO), Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes (AirAsia CEO) and SM Nasaruddin SM Nasimuddin (Naza Group CEO).

The Malaysian-owned team will also mark the return of Proton-owned Lotus, the prestigious constructors who left F1 in 1994.

Najib, who made the announcement at the Ministry of Finance yesterday, said the team would be based at the Sepang International Circuit, making it the first to be located outside Europe.

“This is where the cars will be designed, manufactured and tested. It will be ‘Made-in-Malaysia, by Malaysians’ and of course, the pit-stops will be run by Malay-sians,” he said.

“This is a meaningful development and I hope that it will further raise our country’s profile on the world stage.”

The team will have a Malaysian technical and pit crew, totalling some 200 people, to be managed by former Renault technical director Mike Gascoyne.

Najib added that the team hoped to announce its two drivers by Oct 31.

“Currently, six local and international drivers have been shortlisted for evaluation,” he said.

“Our F1 team will also have technical experts from outside Malaysia to ensure that we are ready to compete on the world’s most prestigious racing stage.”

Malaysia hosted its first F1 race in 1999 at the Sepang F1 Circuit and Alex Yoong was the first Malaysian to race in the championships in 2001 and 2002 for Minardi.

The Prime Minister had earlier launched the exchange programme between employees from the government and government-linked companies (GLCs) as part of the Government-GLCs Cross-Fertilisation Programme.

He handed letters-of-trust to 47 government and GLC staff taking part in the programme.

Source : TheStar

F1 entry – good timing or big risk?

EYEBROWS were raised when news broke that Malaysia is participating in the Formula One (F1) race next year via the Lotus F1 team.

The team is a collaboration between the Government and a group of entrepreneurs linked to AirAsia Bhd and the Naza Group, with Proton Holdings Bhd’s British subsidiary, Lotus as the constructor.

Sceptics are many, especially since big names in the auto world such as Honda and BMW have withdrawn their participation from the sport due to the global economic crisis.

BMW Sauber Formula One crew pushing Nick Heidfeld’s race car past stacks of tyres at the Sepang International Circuit during the F1 race in April.

As the United States and countries across Europe and Asia are still trying to revive their economies, why would Malaysia choose this time to join one of the world’s most expensive sports? More importantly, who is forking out the money?

Let’s talk money

F1 is well known for its huge spending. The reported 2008 team budgets ranged from US$45mil to US$445mil (RM158mil to RM1.6bil) for sponsorship, supplier deals, prize money, team owner contributions, tyre provision and supply of customer engines.

In May, the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA), the ruling body of F1, decided to cap the budget for 2010 to £40mil (about RM228mil) in a bid to prevent more teams from dropping out and to encourage the entry of new contenders.

Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, the AirAsia Bhd boss and one of the investors in 1Malaysia F1 Team Sdn Bhd, which owns the Lotus F1 team, told CNN in a recent interview that the budget cap, coupled with the huge F1 following, made it “a good time to join F1”.

His co-investor, as well as partner in AirAsia, Datuk Kamarudin Meranun concurs, calling the venture “a commercially viable one”.

While Lotus F1’s budget remains sketchy for now, Kamarudin reveals that an initial investment of £10mil (RM57mil) has been made to start the construction of the vehicle. “We’re starting mid-way. So we need to be quick to get the approvals for the car,” he says.

While FIA’s capped budget covers team expenditure, it does not include marketing and hospitality, remuneration for test or race drivers, fines or penalties imposed by the FIA, and engine costs, which may come up to few hundred million ringgit more.

It also does not include the setting up of the new headquarters at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), for which 8,000ha to 12,000ha of land have been allocated.

An SIC official says the two- to three-year development cost for the state-of-the-art facilities for the new HQ could reach millions, or perhaps billions, of ringgit.

The funding of F1 teams is usually supported by sponsorship. Companies form tie-ups with the teams in various capacities for brand-building purposes.

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, for example, took up a substantial sponsorship deal for Brawn GP in March this year (Virgin’s involvement, however, ends in November).

Fernandes is not new to such arrangements since his low-fare carrier has a three-year partnership with the AT&T Williams team as its official airline since 2007.

The Lotus F1 team, one suspects, will follow the same marketing trend of searching for potential corporate sponsors. Since its entry is supported by the Government as an opportunity to profile the 1Malaysia theme, government-linked companies are likely to be roped in.

F1 a nationalism symbol?

Talking about country profile, motor racing started out as a country-based competition and eventually evolved into a commercial sport involving independent teams and car manufacturers.

The existing F1 teams do not have specific country identity, with the exception of Force India, which used to be Spyker F1 team before it was sold to a private consortium comprising Indian millionaire Vijay Mallya and successful European e-businessman Michiel Mol in late 2007 for 88 million euros.

Force India’s main sponsor is Kingfisher, the flagship brand of Vijay’s beer and aviation businesses. His conglomerate, the UB Group, has annual sales of over US$4bil and a market capitalisation of US$12bil. Forbes puts Vijay’s net worth at US$1.2bil, one of the richest in India.

The team uses an Indian flag in its logo but the drivers are non-Indians – Adrian Sutil is from Germany and newly promoted driver, Vitantonio Liuzzi, is Italian. The team is solely driven by its private-entity owners and does not involve any Indian government initiative.

Similarly, India’s hosting of the F1 Grand Prix in 2011 is also an initiative driven by individuals. The project owner, JPSK Sports Private Ltd, owned by the Jaypee construction conglomerate, is funding the circuit construction costs.

The Malaysian entry, in contrast, has the Government’s backing, although the idea of Lotus F1 was mooted by both Fernandes and Kamarudin.

“There’s an opportunity to participate (due to the spot vacated by BMW Sauber) and so we went ahead to conceptualise the idea of our own team, roped in SM Nasaruddin SM Nasimuddin (executive chairman and chief executive officer of Naza Group) and Proton, and approached the Prime Minister for his blessing,” explains Kamarudin.

“The concept of 1Malaysia is not limited to people. My view is that it should be extended, to encompass the partnership of the private sector and the Government.”

Separately, Fernandes says the entry is “great for Malaysia” as it will further utilise its “hardware” at SIC while developing “the soft side – drivers, engineers, management”.

But what about risks?

As with any investment, there will be financial risks. In this case, the millions of ringgit that will be spent to set up the F1 team is at stake. Some argue that the huge investments are well worth the money because of the brand recognition gained internationally.

National oil company Petronas claims its annual cost of sponsoring F1 is less than 5% of what it would cost to gain similar exposure. Last year, its exposure via F1 was valued at about RM1bil.

But Petronas’ involvement is different as it does not run an F1 team. It supports BMW Sauber as its lubricant sponsor, and rightly so, since it’s in the oil business.

(It is uncertain if the national oil company’s sponsorship of BMW Sauber will continue since BMW has withdrawn from the team and Sauber does not have a firm entry for next year’s race.)

Aside from financials, there could also be the intangible risks. A poor performance may bring more detrimental publicity than the desired high profile.

Note that Malaysia’s first F1 driver, Alex Yoong, drove for the Australian-owned Minardi F1 team back in 2001 and 2002. Yoong only managed to finish five races out of the 11 in 2002, because of setbacks like engine, hydraulics and gear box problems.

Lotus technical director Mike Gascoyne is, nevertheless, confident of Lotus’ future performance. He told the British press recently that Lotus F1 was “a very substantial team.”

Gascoyne has over 20 years’ experience in the sport, having worked with Force India, Toyota, Renault and Jordan Formula One teams.

Still, it remains to be seen how Malaysians would feel, watching with millions of viewers worldwide, when Malaysia’s team finishes weakly, or perhaps not even completing races.

Lotus no newcomer to F1

The association of Lotus and F1 is not foreign. In fact, Lotus was a well-known participant in the glamorous sport in the 1960s. Between 1958 and 1994, the original Lotus team achieved 73 grand prix wins, 102 pole positions, six drivers’ world titles and seven constructors’ crowns from 489 starts, with illustrious names of the calibre of Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Sir Stirling Moss, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jochen Rindt, Mario Andretti, Ronnie Peterson, Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet and Mika Hakkinen in its roll call of drivers.

Its success track record is mainly linked to founder Colin Chapman, who remained passionate about the sport until his death in 1982. Lotus’ last F1 race was in 1994.

The Lotus company, meanwhile, had been struggling with financial difficulties and had different shareholders trying to revive its finances. Proton has been the major shareholder since 1996, but it has long been rumoured that it wants to divest its stake.

OSK Investment Bank, however, said Proton had no urgency to sell Lotus Cars as the subsidiary had returned to profitability since 2008 with net earnings of £1.5mil.

While the Government’s involvement in the Lotus F1 team is via Proton, analysts do not expect the national car company to offer financial support. Proton’s role in the F1 venture will mainly be as the coordinator for Lotus, says an analyst in a recent report.

Source : TheStar

One Malaysia F1 team

After Honda and BMW have quit Formula One, and when the country is facing an economic recession, the government makes an announcement of forming the “One Malaysia F1 team”. It shows the spirit of “Malaysia Boleh” but from the commercial point of view, could such a huge investment bring the country any remuneration?

There are pros and cons to own a F1 team. The pros include enhancing the popularity of the country, Proton, Air Asia, Sepang International Circuit (SIC) and other sponsors, particularly Proton, in the international arena.

In fact, Lotus used to own a remarkable F1 team. It had won the annual championship for seven times since its first entry into the F1 race in 1958. By entering the race, Proton may master the latest technology and overcome the weaknesses of the engine, so as to open up more oversea markets.
“Is it a wise decision to join as even some famous automobile companies are unable to sustain?”

Once Proton gains a good reputation, it can sell a large number of licensed products. At the same time, the Malaysian team’s entry can stimulate F1 ticket sales, reversing SIC’s gloomy operation. Also, the team may share the total prize of US$500 million, as well as the TV rights revenue.

However, the formation of a team costs a lot. First of all, the new team must pay the The International Automobile Federation, commonly known as FIA, an entry bond of US$48 million. Also, Malaysia has to raise funds to build a production, design and technology development centre near the SIC.

Although Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak did not disclose the cost of setting up the team, it is estimated to cost at least US$100 million, including the salaries and business entertainment expenses of the drivers and the captain. For example, after Honda took over the whole racing team in 2006, it had to allocate up to US$500 million for its annual budged.

We are worrying about the Malaysian team’s ranking as the higher the points a team can accumulate, the higher the prize they get. If the Malaysian team is ranked at the bottom, it does not only have failed to gain popularity, but it may harm the brand. With Honda’s technology, it had been suffering a bleak record for eight years and in 2007, the team was ranked number nine with only 14 accumulated points. Meanwhile, BMW decided to quit F1 because of its poor performance this year.

F1 is a “money-burning” sport. Even it does bring certain economic benefits, its return has been reduced under the shadow of the global financial turmoil and the automobile industry downturn. Is it a wise decision to join as even some famous automobile companies are unable to sustain?

Compared to other racing teams, the Malaysian team possesses the advantage of the government’s support. But under the circumstances of deteriorating national budget deficit, would it be a wise investment?

What benefit has the country actually gained after spending US$130 million to build the circuit, hosting F1 races since 1999 and allowing Petronas to sponsor the BMW team for four years? It is better to show the people a clear account. The government should learn a lesson from previous failed investments in order to become a pragmatic investor. (By LIM SUE GOAN/Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/Sin Chew Daily)

Source : SinChew

Posted in Automotive | 1 Comment »

Andy Lau and his Malaysian wife / girlfriend Carol Chu

Andy Lau and his 24 years Malaysian girlfriend Carol Chu is the current hit news. Some suspected that they have a son and daughter. 華仔的長女叫劉雲楓約11歲，兒子則叫劉雲祖則約9歲. Not sure whether it’s real or not. So are they going to married within 100 days of Carol Chu’s father’s death? I was told that Carol Chu was actually stay nearby my area?? Apa la… So many years I also never get to know this. If not sure can see Andy Lau in person. Haha.

Andy Lau spotted at dad-in-law’s grave

HONG KONG superstar Andy Lau was finally seen paying his last respects to his girlfriend Carol Chu’s father.

Chinese dailies said Lau was seen at a memorial ceremony in front of the elder Chu’s grave at the Hokkien Cemetery in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.

This time, he was without any “shield” or sunglasses. However, there were three security men at the entrance of the cemetery.

It was reported in major Chinese dailies that Lau was wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans although Guang Ming Daily had managed to take exclusive pictures of Lau at the cemetary.

The photographs were however taken from afar and were grainy and all of them only showed the side of his face and body.

The dailies quoted a worker at the cemetery as saying that Lau had arrived at about 9am with Chu, her five siblings and two brothers-in-law. They left 30 minutes later after a simple ceremony.

During the funeral, a man believed to be Lau was hidden from view by an umbrella-carrying brigade.

Spotted: Superstar Andy Lau and Malaysian girlfriend Carol Chu arriving at the KL International Airport (inset) to catch a flight to Hong Kong Tuesday, after attending the funeral of Chu’s father. On Monday, Lau was seen at the Hokkien cemetery in Kuala Lumpur for the seventh-day memorial service.

Source : TheStar

Finally Andy Lau hold Carol Chu hands and let the paparazzi snap their photo. Now both of them are in Hong Kong.

Ending decades of denials, Hong Kong pop star Andy Lau finally went public with his Malaysian partner Carol Chu on Tuesday.

The couple, who have reportedly been together for 24 years, firmly held hands as they touched down in Hong Kong and made their way to an airport lounge past a media scrum.

The pair were in Malaysia last weekend for Chu’s father’s funeral. A teenage boy and girl, long rumoured to be the couple’s children, were nowhere to be seen.

Lau, who turns 48 next month, has kept coyly mum about his love life for decades to maintain his image of a single and available pop star.

He is said to have met Chu, a part-time model who had won a local beauty title, while he was on vacation in Malaysia with close friends in 1985.

Source : MSN

（香港）劉德華（華仔）高調與朱麗倩手牽手交纏返港，正式公開朱麗倩“你是我的女人”身份，打破24年地下情禁忌，獲得歌迷支持，讚他保護朱麗倩很Man，讓一直不敢公開的華仔放下心頭大石。

華仔和朱麗倩抵港後，對媒體詢問是否在百日內完婚，他首次回應：“不是，不再多解釋，等我先帶她回去休息。”擺出男人疼愛女人的有擔當模樣，與過去的閃躲否認形同2人。

而週三（8月26日）凌晨2時許，華仔在網誌上留言感謝歌迷為他遮風擋雨；但字裡行間一句：“仍然可以夢中見嗎？”剎那流露一點擔憂？而文中亦未有再交代與朱麗倩的24年情。華仔連日來與父母面對傳媒追訪，都一起封嘴，貫徹一向低調作風；朱麗倩則留在劉家大宅休息。

華仔在網誌上為前日引起的機場混亂致歉，及感謝歌迷一直以來的百二分包容及支持。他最後一句提到“仍然可以夢中見嗎？”似有點擔心歌迷對他公開戀情的看法，但很快已說要收回那句話，繼續與歌迷在“夢中見”。

Source : SinChew

Is Lau’s long-term partner expecting a baby?

SPECULATION is rife that former beauty queen Carol Chu, the long-term partner of Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau, could be pregnant.

All the local Chinese dailies reported that pictures taken at the airport in Hong Kong showing the bloated stomach of Chu could be an indication of her pregnancy.

China Press reported that Chu was seen shielding her stomach throughout while holding hands with Lau after arriving at the airport in Hong Kong.

Sin Chew Daily also reported that Lau was even seen embracing and holding her by the waist at times, fearing that journalists might run into her.

Meanwhile, the same paper reported that a fan by the name of Kiki had threatened to take her own life after learning about Lau’s relationship with Chu.

“I am not strong enough to accept the fact. The only thing that can console me is for me to take own life so that you won’t forget me.

“I hate you! Go get married! My life would be your wedding gift,” said the fan whose comment was posted on an official website.

However, there were many who posted comments giving their blessings to the couple.

Source : TheStar

Andy Lau and Choo wed in Vegas last year

HONG KONG superstar Andy Lau and former Malaysian beauty queen Carol Choo actually tied the knot in Las Vegas last year, major Chinese dailies reported.

The official website of Clark County in Nevada which provides online search on marriage records, showed that Lau Tak Wah, Andy and Choo Lay Keng had registered their marriage on June 23, 2008.

After their secret marriage was exposed by the Taiwan and Hong Kong media, Lau, 47, finally admitted in his official website on Saturday that he and Choo, 43, were married.

He apologised to his fans for keeping his marriage a secret.

Lau said he and Choo had decided to get married because they wanted to have children.

He said he had kept it a secret to avoid his wife from being “chased after” by the media, adding that he had planned to announce the marriage when Choo becomes pregnant.

The couple who had been dating for over two decades made their first public appearance when Lau came to Malaysia to attend the funeral of Choo’s father recently.

Another Hong Kong superstar who had his marriage exposed in the same manner was Leon Lai Ming, who married his model girlfriend Lai Gia in March last year.

Singer Miriam Yeung Chin Wah also married his boyfriend Gary Ting Ho Lam secretly in the city of sin on Aug 11.

Source : TheStar

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