Latest news with #Rozana
New Straits Times
06-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Court throws out defamation suit against reporter, newspaper company
GEORGE TOWN: The High Court here today dismissed with costs a defamation suit filed by a businessman against a reporter and an English-language daily newspaper. Judge Datuk Rozana Ali Yusoff ruled that reporter Imran Hilmy Taufik Hilmy and The Star Publication had not defamed Datuk Seri Sabaruddin Ahmad in the article titled "Nasi Kandar Shakedown: Penang Restaurant Claims They Are Being Harassed for Protection Money", which was published online on Oct 16, 2020. "Having considered all the facts and evidence, I find that the second defendant (the reporter) and the third defendant (the newspaper company) did not defame the plaintiff (Sabaruddin) as alleged. "Accordingly, the court dismisses the defamation suit with costs," she said in her judgment. Rozana awarded costs of RM30,000 to both the second and third defendants. Sabaruddin filed the suit in April 2021, seeking various damages, the removal of the article, and a public apology. The case stemmed from a police report lodged by the owner of a well-known nasi kandar restaurant in Penang, who alleged that he and his staff were being harassed for protection money. The reporter interviewed the restaurant owner and his son, who claimed that a man with the title "Datuk" had threatened them. They alleged that staff risked being assaulted and the premises vandalised if the money was not paid that day. "The 'Datuk' even threatened to poison the food and make it public so that customers would avoid the restaurant," they claimed. In her brief grounds, Rozana said the defendants had relied on the defence of qualified privilege, which they had successfully established. She said that both the reporter and the publication had a duty to report the matter in the public interest, particularly for the benefit of customers frequenting the restaurant. "I am of the view that the article was substantively well-written," she added. Rozana also ruled out that the plaintiff had failed to prove any malicious intent on the part of the defendants. Imran and The Star were represented by lawyers Nicholas Navaron and Soraya Sulaiman Ong, while Sabaruddin was represented by counsels S. Raveentharan and R. Asmeeta.
New Straits Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Non-stop musical magic from a groovy grandpa
WHENEVER Datuk Suhaimi Abdul Rahman steps on the big stage, he feels 'ready to rock'. And once he starts, there is no stopping the 67-year-old — at least for two hours and a half. Suhaimi, better known as Amy of rock band Search, made history in his 44-year career by keeping some 15,000 rock fans spellbound from 9pm to 11.30pm at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur recently. Delivering 21 of his greatest hits, both solo numbers and songs from his band, Amy sported a golden hairdo reminiscent of American rock and country legend John Denver in Amy Search Magic Konsert Solo Pertama. The gentleman dubbed Malaysia's 'grooviest grandpa of rock' also showed many of his young fans how keeping fit, eating right and developing a positive outlook could make anyone 'young at heart'. DANCED Amy not only sang but also danced around the large stage, moving from musician-to-musician amongst his 10 talented 'co-stars' who were led by music director Rie Tsuji on the keyboards and veteran guitarist Edrie Hashim. Amy arrived on the dot, dressed in an all-black outfit. He began his concert with 'Gita Rama Sita', a song that appeared to pay tribute to wayang kulit, but actually spoke about true love and loyalty. This energetic song, which ended with Amy's trademark whistle 'phweeet!' was followed by 'Aku', the title track of his 1999 solo album. The song about self-love was followed by 'Apa Saja' from his 1997 album 'Camouflage', and this song also carried the message of being true to oneself. The audience clapped along to Amy's first three songs, after which he wished them a belated 'Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri'. Amy said: "After 44 years of creating a legacy with my band Search, I am ready to showcase a different side of myself." EDRIE HASHIM He then introduced Edrie to his guests, and told them that his next song, 'Suralaya Dalam D Major' was the guitarist's composition. This bittersweet song, about a meeting which turned out to be a dream, saw many guests sing along and once it was over, Amy remarked, "Are you enjoying yourself tonight?" Amy then sang 'Mengintai Kelawar' and 'Ghairah', from his 1994 album 'Magic', and paid tribute to his 'sifu' Datuk M. Nasir as well as the late lyricist Loloq for coming up with such masterpieces. After 'Kau Bukan Saduran', a catchy song about staying away from "fakes", Amy presented his first Search song for the evening, a medley of 'Kau Pergi', 'Gadisku' and 'Rozana'. 'Kau Pergi' was a breakup song, while 'Gadisku' was Amy's tribute to his actress daughter Nabila Huda, and the sing-along 'Rozana' was Search's most popular "dreamgirl" anthem. "There's a beautiful moon in the sky tonight, and it brings out love and passion," remarked Amy. Fans automatically knew that his next song was 'Fantasia Bulan Madu', a bittersweet "must sing" in all Search concerts. The guests waved their hands and swayed at their seats with Amy's next song 'Pawana', a cautionary tale about desire. Amy then paid tribute to Search's longtime guitarist Hillary Ang for "showing him the ropes" in rock music. 'Hillary is the one man whom I can safely say is the founder of my band. And what I love most about him is his humility and down-to-earth ways." As fans applauded, the musician himself suddenly appeared on stage and received boisterous cheers. MEDLEY Amy then sang a medley of Nasir's hauntingly beautiful 'Suatu Masa', Lefthanded's 'Ku Di Halaman Rindu' and Sweet Charity's 'Sejuta Wajah'. Rie, Edrie and the band did a splendid job rearranging the songs to make them sound slower and more sentimental. It was a subtle tribute to Amy's collaborators who had "left" us over the years. "Let's all observe a moment of silence to our departed friends, we will always remember them and their music will live on," said Amy, who then sang an upbeat medley of 'Kau Kepala Sotong' and 'Hey! Apache', and 'Kongkang', songs which reflected his playful side. Amy's upbeat moment continued with 'Rentak Laguku', a youthful song which was his 2014 duet with Klang-born pop-rock trio Bunkface. After the melancholic but melodious 'Kalimah Cinta' and 'Tinggal Sepi', Amy told his guests that he had finally come to the end of the show. "Don't worry, there's a few more," he teasingly said, and belted out the sing-along Search hits 'Aku Dah Bosan', 'Saat Yang Ku Idamkan' and 'Kerja Gila'. Amy said that he wanted to "save the best for last" and delivered the operatic sing-along 'Tiada Lagi'. "Nobody goes home without this song," said Amy as the lights dimmed once again, signalling 'Isabella', Search's 1989 monster hit about forbidden love. Amy said: "This concert is a tribute to all the fans who have supported my artistic journey from the beginning. "Every song I perform reflects the colours of my life."
Hindustan Times
25-04-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Money matters stifles rural consumer aspirations
If you know Ankur Dahiya's background, you will understand why she built Rozana, an e-commerce platform for rural India. Born to a conservative family in Haryana, she grew up in the village, living the rural life, fighting to study computer science and management. Later she consulted on several rural projects of the government, across 13 states, understanding the service need-gaps and paucity of products first-hand. Four years ago, she co-founded Rozana, a hyper-local e-commerce platform currently servicing 19,000 villages in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Familiar with the hole-in-the-wall kirana shops stocking limited items, Dahiya offers a wider selection of branded products – from food and beverages to personal and home care to kitchen items. Aspirations and tastes of rural India have evolved. 'People living in small villages like the convenience of online shopping, seek quick deliveries and are open to trying out new products', she says. Her observations are backed by The Rural Barometer Report 2025 released last week by GroupM and Kantar which showcases the evolution of rural consumers, recalibrating their choices amidst economic strain even as they embrace digital platforms. From tighter household budgets to increased trust in digital media, the report reveals a rural consumer that is cautious yet connected. It says 7 in 10 rural consumers now engage with online media, a 28% rise since 2022. Social media, video content, and instant messaging platforms are becoming the norm, especially, among the younger, affluent users. OTT platforms, digital wallets, and e-commerce are no longer an urban niche, the report says. Rural consumer aspirations are soaring, says Ajay Mehta, managing director -- OOH Solutions, GroupM India. 'It's led to 60% expansion in their consumption basket in the last three years, which means the number of product categories they are buying has grown to include cosmetics, personal care items and convenience foods,' Mehta says. Rozana's Dahiya agrees. 'Red lipstick on the platform sold like hot cakes recently. There is an opportunity in villages to create a new category in a segment and a product within the category,' she says. Likewise, her platform did terrific business selling mixer-grinder-juicers in a village with 400 homes which was ordering 7-8 units in a day, apparently to make mango and banana shakes and to grind daals, Dahiya says. Convenience food is selling and consumers are open to experimenting. 'When we ran out of Maggi on the platform, we pushed pasta. In a month's time it became our best-selling product as people started having it with tomato and onion 'tadka'', she recalls. Though 80% of Rozana's business still comes from Cash on Delivery, Mehta says digital payments and digital entertainment are getting popular. 'Nearly 70% of rural users are online. From a media perspective, print and TV are trusted but viewership of YouTube and OTT is growing. For digital commerce, people are improvising. They are sending their orders on WhatsApp and making UPI payments. Additionally, they are also buying fashion online from Meesho and Myntra,' he says. Yet they are concerned about money. Three in four rural Indians express anxiety over their financial stability. Discretionary spends – notably on durables and vehicles – are on a decline, the Rural Barometer Report says. 'Inflation is a real issue even more so since we first flagged it in our report last July,' Mehta says. 'So, while aspirations are rising, there are financial worries. My assumption is that in the medium term, if the situation stabilizes and the pressure eases, there's going to be a lot of pent-up demand. And there may be a consumption boom.' But brands must not take the rural consumers for granted. 'They are seeking quality. They want a Nike type of product but not at its price point. So, aspirations exist but we have to deliver that aspiration in the budget that they have,' Dahiya says. Dumbing down rural audiences is a no go, Mehta warns. 'Thanks to YouTube and social media, they are very aware. You cannot compromise on any part of the package you're offering, whether in terms of product quality or delivery,' he adds. His advice to brands is not to talk down to them. 'Instead, spend time understanding their aspirations, creating products and services which appeal to them. But they cannot be cheaper or inferior versions of urban products. That is a complete no, no,' he says.
