Latest news with #LOWBOONTAT
The Star
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Batik mural brings colour, culture to KL
A family walking by the newly unveiled batik-inspired mural in Jalan Parlimen. — Photos: LOW BOON TAT/The Star New street art in Jalan Parlimen weaves Malaysian identity into cityscape VISUAL artist Arif Rafhan Othman, 48, better known by his moniker Superdoofus, is no stranger to incorporating batik into his creative work. His signature style, marked by vibrant splashes of colour and cultural motifs, has been featured in artistic projects across the country. However, his latest endeavour, a mural at 'Zon Jejak Pahlawan' in Jalan Parlimen in Kuala Lumpur, called for a deeper approach. Titled 'Mural Batik Madani', the artwork carries a message of inclusivity and shared identity, celebrating the common threads that unite all Malaysians. 'I want it to be a reflection of our common hopes and goals,' Arif told StarMetro at the event to unveil the installation. He hopes his design and personal outlook resonate with how many Malaysians feel; united by shared experiences and values. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa launched the event, along with Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif. Arif Rafhan says mural is meant to showcase the spirit of inclusivity. In her speech, Maimunah highlighted the role of public art in both beautifying the city and strengthening community ties. 'At Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), we believe the arts can foster a sense of pride and belonging among residents,' she said. 'This mural is more than just a visual landmark – it represents the rich cultural identity that defines Kuala Lumpur.' Spanning 183m in length and six metres in height, the mural is part of a joint corporate social responsibility initiative between Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and Berjaya Group Bhd. DBKL said in a media statement that work on the mural began on Feb 11 and was completed by March 24, nearly a month ahead of schedule. 'This mural is aimed at conveying a message of inclusivity and unity among Malaysia's diverse communities. 'It is also to highlight our heritage, including that of Sabah and Sarawak, using batik as an education and artistic medium,' said DBKL. Also present were Berjaya founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Federal Territories deputy director-general (Planning and Development) Datuk Ramlee Yatim.
The Star
3 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Underground cables delay Pandan Indah bridge works
View of ongoing work for the vehicular bridges connecting Jalan Pandan Mewah and Jalan Pandan Utama.— LOW BOON TAT/The Star A TRAFFIC dispersal project involving the construction of two vehicular bridges at Pandan Indah in Ampang, Selangor is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) said the project completion date was extended following the discovery of underground utility and telecommunication cables. Upgrading and construction works include the building of the bridges over Sungai Kerayong, piling and traffic light upgrades. MPAJ deputy president Hasrolnizam Shaari said the project that started in August last year was 50% completed. 'There were many utility pipes and cables that needed to be relocated before the construction could proceed, which resulted in a three-month extension. Hasrolnizam says traffic management measures are being implemented at the site. 'However, there are no full road closures in the area. 'To ensure safety and smooth progress of construction, traffic management measures including possible diversions, are being implemented at the site.' Hasrolnizam said MPAJ, in collaboration with the state government, aimed to reduce congestion at the busy intersection. StarMetro previously reported that the current traffic level of service (LOS) was grade F, but was expected to improve to grade D once the RM9.3mil project was completed. LOS refers to traffic flow designated by letter grades from A (free flow) to F (near gridlock). StarMetro's report on July 17, 2024. Grade D reflects 'steady traffic at high density'. A 100m stretch of Jalan Pandan Utama will have a lane share system during the construction period. Alternative routes include Jalan Pandan Muhibbah, Jalan Bunga Mawar 4 and Jalan Pandan Mewah.
The Star
3 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Eateries fear losing customers over commercial LPG costs, says association
Credit- LOW BOON TAT/The Star PETALING JAYA: Consumers will inevitably bear the brunt if food operators are forced to use commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in their operations, says a coffeeshop association. 'We do not want to pass down any costs as it does not solve any problems. 'At the end of the day, we will lose customers. Consumers will eat out less due to smaller spending power and ultimately, the impact comes back to us,' said Petaling Jaya Coffeeshop Association president Keu Kok Meng. He said the price of a bowl of noodles could increase by slightly more than RM1, when factoring in the cost of commercially priced gas cylinders. One subsidised LPG gas cylinder costs RM26 while the commercial variation is priced at RM70, marking an almost three times increase in cost. Citing the example of a stall selling prawn noodles, which uses two subsidised gas cylinders a day, costing a total of RM54, Keu said switching to commercial gas would increase the daily cost to RM140 daily. 'Lets say the stall sells 70 bowls of noodles a day, the price of a bowl may go up by slightly more than RM1. 'Passing down this cost will also not solve anything. 'It's been a tough time for hawkers. The best is to just allow the status quo. 'However, if enforcement under Ops Gasak does go ahead, an acceptable solution would be to allow stalls to have at least three subsidised gas cylinders visible on site,' he told a press conference on Tuesday (June 3). It was also attended by Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung. Keu said they had written to various stakeholders on this issue, including the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) and MPs, including MCA leaders. This comes after the ministry launched Ops Gasak, taking place from May 1 to Oct 31, to look into the misuse of subsidised LPG. MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong has been vocal on this issue, urging for hawkers to be given a clear assurance that they can continue using subsidised LPG so that food prices will not be raised. While the ministry previously said current enforcement measures only comprised advocacy, Keu claimed there was already action taken against a premises in Setia Alam, Selangor. 'It was extremely frightening when we heard about the seizures made. Imagine there are enforcement officers coming into the shop and say the Ops Gasak has begun, then asking for a permit,' he said, urging for more clarity on what this permit meant. 'Currently, we are clear on the permit which will allow users to store more than three cylinders but there is a grey area on whether these three cylinders can be used by the same party,' he said. MP Lee said he had sought for clarification on the matter from Selangor KPDN and said he will continue to help hawkers on this. He also proposed for the ministry to consult stakeholders like food courts, restaurants and coffeeshop operators as well as MPs before implementing such measures.
The Star
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Jobs galore for career seekers
Ideal platform: Job seekers looking at getting a headstart in life at Manulife Insurance's booth during myStarJob Fair 2025 that ends today. — LOW BOON TAT/ The Star KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians seeking employment or a career change have found the best opportunity to do so at myStarJob Fair 2025. The two-day fair, which began yesterday, saw droves of fresh graduates and job seekers making their way to the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre here. Among them was Yusruzainy Said, 42, from Sepang, who was elated at being shortlisted as a candidate after only his first interview. 'I was looking for a job which matched my current experience in the oil and gas industry, and was happy after being shortlisted for a sustainability management post at the very first booth I stopped at.' Yusruzainy said he had been to several other job fairs and decided to explore the opportunities at the myStarJob Fair after learning about it from LinkedIn. He said the job interview was carried out by Lotuss Stores (M) Sdn Bhd, which set up a booth at the event. 'My application was processed and I was informed that I was shortlisted for the position. I hope to get good news from the company,' he added. Another job seeker was J. Aksshara, 26, who is currently employed in the automotive industry in Kuala Lumpur. She was accompanied by her father, Jesudas Ragavan, 55, who was visiting from Muar, Johor. 'I'm very active on social media and came across this job fair online, so I decided to come,' she said. Aksshara said she was interested in switching to a career in the food and beverage sector. 'I was surprised to see that The Chicken Rice Shop has a booth here. 'My advice to those seeking employment is to visit job fairs as it is a good opportunity to meet people while also exploring job opportunities,' she added. For fresh graduate Mason Ng, 22, the job fair proved helpful for those seeking to start their career. 'I just returned home to Kuala Lumpur after graduating from a university in Sydney, Australia. 'I came to know of the job fair through word of mouth and decided to come to see if I could find a suitable job in sales or as a financial analyst,' he said. Meanwhile, Manulife Insurance Bhd head of recruitment Levi Choong described the job fair as an ideal platform to create better brand awareness among Malaysians while also hiring the right talents for the company. 'We have had enquiries from fresh graduates and some who have been in the workforce for a few years, and are now at a crossroads and looking for other options in life,' he said. Choong was glad at the response the Manulife booth received and expects more enquiries over the weekend. 'We had quite a few who were really interested. We took their particulars and contact details, and will follow-up with these candidates. 'We want the community to know that we are here to serve them and are seeking more insurance advisors for this purpose,' he added. Lotuss Stores head of talent acquisition Caroline Tay said the job fair provided an opportunity to create better brand awareness while hiring the right candidates for the company. 'We want Malaysians to know what the company is all about while looking for the right personnel,' she said. Tay said the company was looking at hiring those with the relevant skills and experience. Organised by Star Media Group, the job fair saw a total of 24 companies and agencies setting up 28 booths representing several industries and sectors. Present at the event was its senior manager (Event & Exhibition) Elaine Wong who presented certificates to event sponsors. Admission to the job fair is free and it is open from 11am to 7pm.
The Star
21-05-2025
- The Star
Infinix GT 30 Pro phone with 6.78in Amoled screen launches from RM1,299
The device comes in Shadow Ash, Blade White, and Dark Flare colour options, with an edgy futuristic gamer aesthetic and RGB lighting on the back. — LOW BOON TAT/The Star Infinix today (May 21) launched the GT 30 Pro, a new gaming-centric midrange smartphone featuring a 6.78in Amoled display with a refresh rate of up to 144Hz. On the back of the device is a dual camera system with a 108-megapixel main wide-angle shooter and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. The hole-punch selfie camera, on the other hand, has a 13-megapixel wide-angle sensor. The device is powered by a 5,500mAh battery with 45-watt wired charging as well as 30-watt wireless charging, and is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Ultimate 5.5G processor. It also features artificial intelligence-powered features like game performance tuning, document summarisation, photo editing, live call translations, wallpaper creation, and contextual search. — Infinix It also has 12GB RAM, and the choice between 256GB or 512GB internal storage, with up to 1TB expandable storage via microSD card. True to its gaming-centric nature, the GT 30 Pro also features capacitive shoulder triggers on the back, which should be especially handy for shooter games. There's also the option to grab a MagCase, which Infinix says is a cooling-optimised case for the device, and a MagCharge Cooler accessory, which cools and wirelessly charges the GT 30 Pro. True to its gaming-centric nature, the GT 30 Pro also features capacitive shoulder triggers on the back, which should be especially handy for shooter games. — Infinix On the software side of things, Infinix promises two years of Android updates and three years of security patches with the device. It also features artificial intelligence-powered features like game performance tuning, document summarisation, photo editing, live call translations, wallpaper creation, and contextual search. The Infinix GT 30 Pro is available from today and is priced at RM1,299 (256GB) and RM1,499 (512GB), with each order including a MagCharge Cooler and MagCase while stocks last. There's also the option to grab a MagCase, which Infinix says is a cooling-optimised case for the device, and a MagCharge Cooler accessory, which cools and wirelessly charges the GT 30 Pro. — Infinix The device comes in Shadow Ash, Blade White, and Dark Flare colour options, with an edgy, futuristic gamer aesthetic and RGB lighting on the back. The Infinix XPad GT gaming tablet was also launched at the event today, with a 13in 144Hz capable screen, 256GB internal storage and 8GB RAM, and 10,000mAh battery with 33-watt fast charging, priced at RM1,699.
