Latest news with #Choy
Rakyat Post
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Rakyat Post
'will you be my witness?': This Dance-Theatre Show Questions What It Really Means To Be Seen
Subscribe to our FREE We live in an age of receipts – if it's not in an IG story, did it even happen? 'Pics or it didn't happen' might've started as a joke, but let's be real: it's now a whole philosophy. And in this digital jungle of selfies, soft-launches, and Stories, Low Yee Choy's new work will you be my witness? is a gut-punch of honesty. Blending theatre and dance, the piece unpacks our craving for connection and the quiet ache of wanting to be seen – not by everyone, but maybe just by one person. We sat down with Choy, Artistic Director of lowercase labs and the mind behind this latest production, to talk loneliness, social media spirals, working with dancers, and why sometimes, brushing your teeth can be revolutionary. lowercase labs lowercase labs TRP: So, what sparked the idea for will you be my witness? Choy: The idea came to me while I was stuck in traffic. I had this sudden moment of That led me to think about how our generation is obsessed with being seen. Not just in the social media sense of broadcasting ourselves, but that deeper, quieter desire for someone – just one person – to really witness our lives. Not for fame or performance, but for intimacy. That was the seed for will you be my witness? 'Other lives are just as rich, chaotic, and worthy of witnessing.' (lowercase labs) TRP: The show spirals from routine into surreal. Why that structure? Choy: It starts off in a very everyday, mundane way – like, brushing teeth, getting in the car, standard routine stuff. But as the piece progresses, it spirals. That's deliberate. I wanted it to mirror what it's like to let someone truly witness you. At first, it's all surface-level. You show them your 'daily life' version of yourself. But when someone really sees you, it gets messy. You unravel a bit. The structure of the show reflects that spiral from routine into something more intimate and chaotic – like the deeper layers of a relationship or even self-reflection. lowercase labs lowercase labs I used to subscribe to the idea of solipsism. I used to joke that I was the only real person in the world and everyone else was just an NPC (laughs). There was a time I genuinely questioned whether other people were as 'real' as me. That moment in traffic really broke that illusion. It reminded me that we all bleed the same. That's why I wanted the show to carry that sense of sonder – to remind us to pay more attention to each other. This show is my attempt to remind them that other lives are just as rich, chaotic, and worthy of witnessing. 'With dance, it's all in the body – how you hold yourself, how you move through space.' (lowercase labs) TRP: You're working with choreographer Kenny Shim to merge theatre and dance – how is that going? Choy: Surprisingly smooth. I was Assistant Stage Manager for a production he choreographed before, so there is already a familiarity there. The process was split: I started with R&D to explore the concept with the dancers through theatrical methods, then Kenny came in and 'dancified' everything. He's this essential bridge between my theatre brain and the dancers' bodies, especially since most of them are ballet-trained. Honestly, he saved us from so many potential miscommunications. lowercase labs lowercase labs TRP: What was something that surprised you in rehearsals? Choy: Honestly? How different dance feels from theatre. I knew it would be different, but I didn't realise how embodied it is. I was talking with a friend about this and we said, actors have their lines and musicians have notes, but with dance, it's all in the body – how you hold yourself, how you move through space. Also, how much I rely on structure! I'm a very system-oriented person. I like knowing what beats we're hitting and when. But in dance, there are fewer 'anchors,' especially during creation. That was both challenging and liberating. There was a moment I asked, 'Wait, is there like… a dance notation system out there?' (laughs) If there is, I need it! 'If my show gets people talking at the mamak after, then I've done my job.' (lowercase labs) TRP: You've done Shakespeare, you've done participatory work. How does this piece fit into your larger body of work? Choy: It's a progression. Not a departure, but growth. Every year, I challenge myself to do something new. Last year was Titus Andronicus , this year it's dance… who knows what's next? I don't want everyone to walk out with the same interpretation. If my show gets people talking at the mamak after, then I've done my job. That's what art should do – make you feel, make you talk. Whether you 'got it' or not is secondary. (lowercase labs) TRP: How has your relationship with performance changed since starting lowercase labs? Choy: There's more support now. More funding, more structure. But I'm very aware of the privilege I have, and I want to use that to create platforms for others – especially younger or underrepresented artists who might not have the access. Collaboration is a huge part of that. For Titus , I worked with a florist. For witness , it's dancers. It's less about being the genius in the room, and more about curating the right people and letting them shine. (lowercase labs) TRP: Do you worry about how audiences will respond? Choy: Of course. It's the usual artist fear lah – what if it doesn't translate? What if nobody feels anything? I think every artist, to some level , is narcissist. If they say they're not, they're lying to you (laughs). But I also believe that audiences don't need to walk away with my message. They just need to walk away with a message. Cry, laugh, get angry – whatever. I'm not interested in spoon-feeding meaning. I'm interested in creating space for interpretation, especially with something so physical and non-verbal as dance. It's a different kind of conversation with the audience. lowercase labs lowercase labs TRP: What kind of stories are haunting or calling to you right now? Choy: I'm very much a one-project-at-a-time kind of person – but I've been feeling drawn to installation work – something that lasts for a month or so. I don't know yet if it'll involve performers, but I'm curious about creating something that sits in a space, like an art gallery installation or maybe something outdoors. I like the idea of people encountering it over time, in their own way. But I don't know… let's see. (laughs) TRP: Finally, what does it mean to have a witness? Choy: It means having someone who sees you. Really sees you. Not in a performative, social media kind of way – but in the quiet, consistent, human way. And maybe, some days, being your own witness is enough too. will you be my witness? is not just a show. It's a plea, a mirror, a love letter to anyone who's ever sat alone in traffic and wondered if anyone else feels the same. Spoiler: they do. (lowercase labs) Catch will you be my witness? from 26 June – 28 June at 8.30 p.m. and 28 June – 29 June at 3 p.m. at Black Box, Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC). Tickets are available for purchase Follow Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Woman sentenced after brothel discovered
A woman has been handed a suspended jail term for her involvement in running a brothel. Shu Choy, 68, pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court in November to one count of conspiracy to corrupt public morals and another of possessing criminal property. The court heard she owned a property at 64 Upper Orwell Street, Ipswich, and had allowed a man to run the brothel from it, fronted as a Chinese medicine shop. Choy, of Lorian Close in Barnet, north London, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. The offences were said to have happened between 12 June 2019 and 19 October 2021. Choy's daughter Mingzi Shi had been charged with the same offences, but after Choy changed her pleas to guilty, prosecutors decided not to offer evidence against the daughter, and she was acquitted. Choy's guilty pleas came as the trial was set to start and the jury had been sworn in. She then tried to change her pleas, arguing that she had been pressured into pleading guilty and had been "inadequately advised" by her barrister. Judge David Wilson rejected her attempts to change her pleas and said he believed she was trying to "manipulate the court process" by securing acquittal for her daughter and then trying to prove her own innocence. During the trial, prosecutors said Choy played her part in running a "large-scale prostitution business" by taking "rent" money from a man in China. The court heard police had been observing the business before two undercover officers went in to confirm the services that were being offered, without using them. The building was searched, and a wall chart showed the names of "young women" who were working there. Phone records revealed messages that had been sent out advertising services, the court heard. Documents showed that the average payment was about £120 and would be split evenly between the "masseurs" and the business. More than £20,000 was said to have been paid into a bank account linked to Choy. Judge Wilson said Choy "Knew full well sexual services were being sold on the premises" and that there was "exploitation of vulnerable individuals". Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Brothel was disguised as Chinese medicine shop
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Puyallup's finance reports had ‘significant deficiencies,' including $2M grants
A new report from the Washington State Auditor's Office says the City of Puyallup didn't properly report millions of dollars it received in federal funds. According to the 2023 report– which the auditor released earlier this month on May 15 – the city had 'significant deficiencies' in its financial reporting. The report says the city didn't: Report $2.1 million in federal COVID-19 relief grants it received in 2023. Include 'all financial activity in the accounting systems and [ensure] that the financial statements submitted for audit were accurate, complete and agreed to underlying accounting records.' Ensure the ending cash it reported on its bank statements was accurate. Wendy Choy, an assistant director with the auditor's office, told The News Tribune the office audits the City of Puyallup once a year. This report reviewed the city's financial records from Jan. 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2023. 'Part of the city's annual report package includes a schedule for federal awards,' Choy said. 'It's a schedule that lists all the federal expenditures that the city spent — in our case, during the audit period during 2023. In that schedule, you're supposed to list all your federal expenditures by program.' Choy said the city filed the report they were supposed to and was still tracking the $2.1 million they received in COVID-19 funds, but neglected to include it in the report. 'They filed [the report], it just didn't include this $2.1 million grant,' Choy said. 'It's not a violation in the sense that the money is not accounted for.' The News Tribune spoke to Puyallup's city manager, Steve Kirkelie, and the city's spokesperson, Eric Johnson. Kirkelie and Johnson both said the city is looking at this report as a learning opportunity. 'We completely recognize that the auditor serves a very important function in this state and to our city,' Kirkelie said. 'We take it very seriously and we're working with the auditor.' Both men said the mistakes happened due to new staffing. The city's financial analyst resigned in April 2024 and its finance manager retired in September 2024. When the city started preparing its financial statements for the audit that October, there were two new staff members overseeing the process. '[The retired staff], they built up so much knowledge — and when that person retires, they retire their brain with them,' Kirkelie said. 'You want to make sure you're capturing their institutional knowledge.' Kirkelie said the city noticed the mistake, but at that point, it was too late to submit the correct information into the audit. 'We recognize that and that is an error on our part and we are working [to make sure] that doesn't happen again,' Kirkelie said. Kirkelie said the city's finance department has 14 full-time staff members, with about half of those people working on these reports. The finance director, finance manager and financial analyst are the three people most involved in putting the reports together. Both men confirmed that no positions have been cut from the city's finance department these past few years. When The News Tribune asked them how the size of their finance department compares to other Western Washington cities of similar size, they said they did not know. Johnson said that, after the audit, the city hired one more person to its finance department – meaning the department now has three new staff members. On top of the new staffing, the city had also recently transitioned to new finance software, which led to more confusion on how to properly report the funds. 'Most grants that we receive from the state and federal government are reimbursement-based,' Johnson said. 'In this case, we were actually issued the money up front and then we would have to document how we were spending them … [it's not] what we were used to at the federal or state level.' Kirkelie said that, while they are not expecting any of their finance staff to leave any time soon, it will inevitably happen again someday — and this experience allows the city to be on guard so that something like this doesn't happen again. '[We can say], 'OK, you're leaving, let's go through all of these and make sure our i's are dotted and our t's are crossed,' Kirkelie said. Johnson said the $2.1 million that didn't get reported is part of the $14 million the city got in American Rescue Plan funds, which the city uses to support economic development for local businesses. Kirkelie pointed at Puyallup's parklets program as an example. Kirkelie said the city's total biennial budget is $312 million for 2025 and 2026. According to the auditor's report, a city has to undergo a federal grant compliance audit if it spent more than $750,000 in federal funds each year. When the city failed to report the $2.1 million, the paperwork made it look like the city didn't have to go through a federal audit when it did. 'A federal grant compliance audit is where we come in, in this case, to review certain federal programs for the City of Puyallup to make sure they can meet federal regulations,' Choy said. Choy also said the city submitted bank statements that contradicted each other. She said many cities have statements that don't line up, but they submit additional documents that explain why. 'Typically there will be a difference and that difference is based on reconciling,' Choy said. 'For example, your Dec. 31 bank balance may not also take into consideration checks that you've already sent out in the mail, the other party hasn't cashed it out yet.' The issue in the City of Puyallup's case, Choy said, is that they couldn't find documents explaining why their statements didn't align. 'In this case, the city was unable to provide those documentations for the reconciling items due to the [staff] turnover they've experienced,' Choy said. In the report, the auditor recommended the city revamp its procedures to ensure their financial reporting is accurate from here on out. Kirkelie and Johnson said that is what the city intends to do. 'We could have done a better job of, really, redundancy and double-checking our work and the auditor pointed it out for us,' Johnson said. When The News Tribune asked Kirkelie and Johnson what the city's plan was to prevent this situation from happening again, they said the plan consists of: Changing internal processes so that multiple people look at each report before the city submits it to the auditor's office. Increasing training for its new staff members, including a refresher class from the city's legal department this summer on federal contracting and federal expenditures. 'Part of what we're doing here now is making sure that there is clear protocols in place that, when somebody submits documents to the auditor or in the day-to-day reconciliation of our financial statements, that there is a double check there — maybe even a triple check,' Johnson said. Kirkelie reiterated that the mistakes were about documenting funds properly, not losing funds entirely. 'We're not missing $2 million,' Kirkelie said. 'That didn't just disappear — the funds are there, [the mistakes just happened] when we went to reconcile the general statements.' Kirkelie said the city is in good financial health. He said the city had a credit agency review its bond rating as part of its quest to build a new police station at 1015 39th Ave. SE. The city's bond rating is a double A rating — the equivalent of a 700 credit score for an individual. 'That rating really, essentially, says the City of Puyallup is healthy from a financial standpoint and is at low risk,' Johnson added. The auditor is set to do its next annual review of the city in October.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HTA personnel woes put $100M Hawai‘i Convention Center project at risk
The planned closure of the Hawai 'i Convention Center in 2026 and 2027 for $100 million worth of repairs could extend even longer, putting the state at risk of losing even more millions of dollars in group tourism bookings if a new project manager is not promptly found. Isaac Choy, HTA vice president of finance and acting chief administrative officer, who had been managing the project, was put on unpaid leave May 9 at the direction of the state Department of the Attorney General and the Department of Human Resources amid allegations he made racist and sexist remarks on the job. Choy, a former state tax director and lawmaker who was elected to five terms in the House of Representatives serving the Manoa district from 2008 through 2018, joined HTA in 2023. He has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them false and retaliatory. He said in an email to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the Department of the Attorney General has acknowledged him as a 'whistleblower ' who was working with the department, staff, other public bodies and the Legislature to report and resolve violations or suspected violations of law, rule or regulations and contracts executed by HTA. When queried about the attorney general's involvement or Choy's designation as a whistleblower, Toni Schwartz, spokesperson for the Department of the Attorney General, said in an email that the department 'will not make statements on the existence or status of possible pending investigations.' Teri Orton, Hawai 'i Convention Center general manager, asked members of the HTA Budget, Finance and Convention Center Standing Committee during a meeting Wednesday to find a way to put Choy back on the project, perhaps as a contractor, since the center is well into the planning phase to repair a leaky rooftop terrace deck and address other deferred maintenance such as the center's elevators. Orton told committee members the center already has relocated six of its largest citywide events in 2026 and 12 in 2027. The economic loss alone from Rotary International Convention, which Honolulu had planned to host June 5-9, 2027, is estimated at more than $35 million based on estimates from Rotary's 2020 convention, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 'We are pressed to start and finish this construction project within that time frame. We absolutely cannot let this project run behind schedule into 2028 because it will mean we will have to relocate additional business (and ) we have put out our word on the line, ' Orton said. 'This is a sense of urgency and a plea to everyone in this committee that we find someone to spearhead this project, ' she said. 'We are so late in the game in the planning process for this project that to bring anyone in at this point other than Isaac is going to be a huge undertaking in bringing this person up to speed. We have $100 million in projects in two years.' Caroline Anderson, HTA director of planning and interim HTA president and CEO, told the Star-Advertiser on Friday that the agency had sent the state Department of Accounting and General Services a request for proposals and the current contracts to review. 'I am meeting with them next week to get their assistance. They know how important this project is for the state, ' Anderson said. James Kunane Tokioka, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, estimated at the HTA Budget, Finance and Convention Center committee meeting Wednesday that it would cost more than $561, 000 to hire outside professional services if other state agencies cannot provide a project manager to take over Choy's duties at the center. One reason HTA is having difficulty finding a project manager from within its staff is that the agency has multiple vacancies, and many HTA staff members including Anderson already are working multiple jobs or do not have the necessary skills to oversee a large-scale construction project. To be sure, State Sen. Kurt Fevella (R, Ewa Beach ), HTA contractors, former HTA employees and some board members alleged in a May 4 that HTA and DBEDT failed to respond promptly to complaints about a hostile work environment, including alleged racist and sexist comments, that they claim contributed to the recent resignations of five Native Hawaiian members of HTA's leadership team. First 90 days The convention center threat is just the latest challenge Anderson has had to steer HTA through as she embarks on a 90-day action plan to shore up the state's top tourism agency following its latest major leadership scramble. Daniel Naho 'opi 'i, HTA's last interim president and CEO, abruptly resigned March 21 after just 18 months on the job. His resignation letter to the HTA board characterized the work environment as 'toxic ' and fraught with power struggles. Anderson is working closely with HTA Board Chair Todd Apo, who assumed the role March 27. Apo replaced Mufi Hanne mann, who stayed on the HTA board but resigned as chair following blowback from a recent state financial audit. Anderson told the HTA board during a May 1 meeting that she plans in the next 90 days to focus on stabilizing the agency's leadership and organizational structure and strengthening strategic communication. She also aims to improve the HTA board by defining roles and duties, establishing intraboard relations and board and staff relations, consolidating board committees and identifying necessary and beneficial board training. Anderson said the plan's goals include achieving a collaborative and cohesive team that communicates and coordinates efforts and works together efficiently ; reducing overdue invoices by 100 % and identifying other outstanding contractor issues ; reviewing and updating HTA policies and procedures ; and improving board work and efficiencies. She also set a goal by July 1 to fill several key staff leadership vacancies, including a public affairs officer, brand manager for the stewardship team and chief stewardship officer. Anderson said she wants to prioritize effective tourism policy development by setting clear direction while empowering staff to implement its annual Strategic Tourism Management Plan, which she said is due around November along with the next round of Destination Management Action Plans, or DMAPS, the community-driven tourism management plans for each island. It's been a challenging start. Some HTA board members already are pushing to evaluate Anderson's performance in her new role and for her to complete other employee evaluations by June. Increased scrutiny Since 2002, the state Office of the Auditor has conducted five management and financial audits of HTA, and the latest released this month was as unfavorable as the last four. 'HTA's lack of accountability, lack of measurable results, and lack of tracking of progress have been recurring themes in past audits by the Office of the Auditor, ' the audit read. 'HTA's inability to demonstrate its effectiveness undermines its credibility with the public and policymakers, as well as its ability to effectively make data-driven decisions and allocate.' The latest audit called HTA's destination management efforts 'not new or effective, ' and said action plans for each island were 'poorly planned and executed ' and that many of the efforts 'did not address hot spots.' Anderson said that prior to the state audit, HTA had conducted an internal audit and since then has been 'putting more metrics, milestones, targets into not only DMAPs, but also our strategic plan as well.' HTA entered this legislative session in a better place with a $63 million recurring budget and no threat of dissolution after years of struggles. Last year, state lawmakers tightened oversight of HTA by removing its exemption from the administrative supervision of boards and commissions, which put DBEDT in the driver's seat when it went into effect July 1. The exemption was its last after the Legislature took away its procurement exemption in 2021, and in 2022 the agency lost its special fund status. However, this year state lawmakers moved swiftly to pass Senate Bill 1571, which if signed by Gov. Josh Green will change HTA's governance model and tighten oversight of the agency. They were reacting to a state financial audit of HTA, which was conducted by Accuity LLP and released in late March, that determined procedural deficiencies allowed for inappropriate freebies at the Hawai 'i Convention Center. Apo told the HTA Administrative and Audit Standing Committee on April 7 that based on input from HTA staff that he did not 'see an abuse of discretion ' and recommended putting the matter 'to bed.' John Cole, state deputy attorney general, told the Star-Advertiser that the matter had been referred to the Department of the Attorney General, but it was determined there was not enough information to open an investigation. The Department of the Attorney General has declined to provide status updates ; however, it has been directed by Green to review the Choy matter. It also has been asked by HTA to determine whether the agency must pay $780, 000 in interest for millions of dollars in to its largest contractor, the Hawai 'i Visitors &Convention Bureau. On Friday, HVCB said it was still due $3.8 million in unpaid invoices, down from the more than $11 million in back payments it was owed by HTA some months ago.
The Star
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Ipoh to host Malaysian Culinary World Cup 2025
IPOH: Several types of Malaysian heritage food will be presented during the second Malaysian Culinary World Cup 2025, to be held here in June. Besides the food prepared for the competition, visitors to the three-day event from June 27 to June 29 will also have the opportunity to savour the delicacies. Celebrity Chef Fazalina Ismail announced that dishes such as "Nasi Ayam", "Mee Goreng", and "Laksa" would be featured during the competition. "Additionally, the National Archives Department will have a corner showcasing special traditional Perak food such as 'Bubur Anak Lebah', 'Nasi Lemuni', and 'Ikan Sungai Masak Tempoyak'," she said during a press conference held at Tandoor Grill Restaurant here on Tuesday (May 19). Perak Deputy Speaker Jenny Choy Tsi Jen represented Perak tourism, industry, investment, and corridor development committee chairman Loh Sze Yee. Also present was Malaysia Bersatu Culinary Association (MBCA) president Chef Arthur Lim. MBCA is organising the event. Choy, reading out the speech on behalf of Loh, stated that the event is an international culinary competition being held for the second time. She mentioned the first edition was organised in 2023 at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) in Kuala Lumpur, where it earned recognition from the Guinness World Records as the world's largest culinary competition. "The event returns for its second edition, this time to be held at Bulatan Sultan Azlan Shah in Ipoh, which will serve as the stage for showcasing talents in the culinary arts. "To date, nearly 660 entries, comprising 500 local and 160 international participants, have been received. "The competition will take place over three days, featuring 65 categories for both professional chefs and culinary students," she said, adding that among the 115 professional judges, 55 are from international countries. Choy said there will also be categories for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), both for adults and children. "In addition, there will be 80 booths selling local products throughout the three-day programme. "Competitions like this serve to uncover the talents of both professional chefs and culinary students, enhancing quality and techniques in the culinary world to compete at an international level. "Furthermore, hotel and tourism industry players often use such competitions as a platform to scout for new talents to join their organisations," she said, adding that admission to the event is free for visitors. Lim said Ipoh has a lot to offer, and the event was held here to promote the city's and the state's tourist attractions. "Usually such big events are organised in Kuala Lumpur or Penang. "So this time we wanted to do something different and hold the event in Ipoh instead," he added. Among the strategic partners supporting the event are the National Archives of Malaysia, Tourism Perak, Ipoh City Council, and the Perak State Development Corporation.
