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The Star
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Sun bear spotted in Kemaman village stirs fear
Compiled by MARTIN CARVALHO, and SOME 500 villagers in Felda Seberang Tayor in Kemaman, Terengganu, have become a little fearful after having spotted a sun bear loitering around their village, Kosmo! reported. The bear is said to have been feasting on fruits from the villagers' orchards, showing a particular fondness for durians. Resident Johari Ariff, 49, claimed he stumbled upon the bear climbing a durian tree last week. 'I steeled myself to chase the animal down from the tree. But I was shocked that it had such long claws and sharp teeth,' he told the Malay daily. 'Thankfully, I managed to run off to save myself.' Another villager, Nazli Derani, 47, said the bear had also encroached into jackfruit and coconut orchards and is believed to have become active during the fruiting season. Aside from suffering losses, he also said villagers are now afraid to venture out at night. 'Our children aren't allowed to play outside unless accompanied by an adult,' Nazli added. Terengganu state Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) director Loo Kean Seong said that the department has set up traps and will monitor the situation until the bear is caught. > Singer and actress Abby Abadi can't recall why she left the popular '90s girl group Elite, but she's looking forward to performing with them again in their first concert in over 25 years, Harian Metro reported. 'I wasn't annoyed with anyone. I'm not sure what led me to leave Elite, but it was a decision I made wholeheartedly,' the 48-year-old said. 'It also wasn't because I wanted to pursue acting either. In fact, I can't even recall exactly when I left Elite.' Abby, whose real name is Arbaiyah Abdul Manan, said she only remembers starting her acting career in 2000 when she landed a role in the police action drama Gerak Khas. Elite, formed in 1996 under the KRU music label, saw Abby involved in two albums – Catwalk and Tamparan – before her departure. She was later replaced by Fiza. Abby also said she didn't keep up with Elite's progress after stepping away, as she felt it was no longer relevant to her. The group is scheduled to perform their first reunion concert Elite Live '25 at the Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) on Sept 20. Besides Abby and Azza, the concert will feature Shasha Saidin, Watie Sadali and Linda Rafar. (The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.)
The Star
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Orang Asli villagers bridge gap to kids' studies
Compiled by BENJAMIN LEE, and ORANG Asli villagers from Pos Balar in Gua Musang, Kelantan, have taken it upon themselves to build a temporary bridge to cross the torrential Sungai Balar as school holidays draw to an end, reported Berita Harian. The new bridge, made out of wood, was built with a team of 57 villagers with the primary goal of enabling their kids and teachers from the nearby villages to attend the nearby SK Balar across the river with the first term holidays ending on June 9. Orang Asli Village Development and Safety Committee chairman Hanan Anjang said the temporary bridge took nearly eight hours to complete and was the third one built at the exact crossing location. He said the bridge was a temporary measure as plans for a new permanent bridge have finally been announced to be in the works. 'We were informed that the construction of a new bridge will begin this month but while waiting for the new bridge to be completed, residents still need to cross the river to get to school. 'So, we rebuilt the temporary bridge for the third time to ease access for parents and teachers,' he said. Previously in March, a permanent steel suspension bridge crossing for the river was destroyed after heavy rains resulted in extremely strong currents that left Pos Balar villagers isolated. On June 1, the Orang Asli Development Department announced the construction of a new RM400,000 bridge for Pos Balar. > Actress Amira Othman has denied talks of her potential marriage to fellow actor Fattah Amin, Kosmo! reported. The 31-year-old singer said there were currently no wedding plans, despite appearing to have grown closer to Fattah in the eyes of their fans. 'There has been all kinds of speculation with some even saying I'd be getting married in May, but I was performing in Johor. So, it was all just playful teasing from my fans. 'There's nothing like that (getting married). 'If anything is really happening, I'll definitely share it,' she told the daily. Speculation began shortly following Fattah's divorce from Nur Fazura Sharifuddin in October last of the pair's close relationship only intensified after they were featured together in several high-profile brand campaigns, with social media photos of them together also going viral.
