Uneasy in Anticipation of the Weekend - The Calm before the Storm?

EDITORIAL
Bukit Jalil - KL, MALAYSIA
31st July 2015


Frankly, ever since the Cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday my raya mood had taken its leave. Hence, I was pleasantly reinvigorated albeit briefly when I was invited to the Commissioner of Sports' office modest Hari Raya celebrations. Seeing the staff's kids singing and enjoying themselves reminds me of the few things that really matters in life.


Sadly, the reality is such that it'll be an apprehensive weekend for me in many, many, many years as you get the sense that things will happen over the weekend. Already I've received a security alert to stay away from certain areas in the capital in anticipation of a gathering by a group calling themselves "Demi Malaysia" amongst other names.

( Meeting the Grassroots after Friday Prayers at Panchor Mosque, Pagoh - Johor )

( Tan Sri Muhyiddin, consoling or being consoled by a supporter? Pagoh, Johor)

( Loyalty Pledge to UMNO & Tan Sri Muhyiddin. Sri Pekembar Complex, Pagoh-Johor )

( Doa Recitation at a Closed-Door Meeting with 800 UMNO members. Pagoh, Johor)

Earlier in the day, my team was in Pagoh, Johor to get a feel of the emotions of the UMNO grassroots in the home division of the ex-DPM. As expected emotions were running high and with many members being angry despite the urgings of Tan Sri Muhyiddin to remain calm and that this is the time for members to strengthen UMNO. This does not bode well for the coming weeks if one were to be reminded of what had happened in 1998 after the sacking of the then Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Then around afternoon to evening, in a university which I use as a benchmark for student activism or rather the lack of it I conducted a random survey of the opinions of students towards the current saga.
My findings indicates a seemingly non-chalant attitude and sometimes even amusing take on things vis-a-vis the present political conundrum with many thinking its either a big joke or a tele-novela drama unfolding. Compared this to 1998 where students were mostly angry with Anwar's sacking we can then draw a conclusion that things will be calm for now. FOR NOW!

My second last appointment for the day ended with my attempt to resign from a sports NGO being rejected in exchange for assistance rendered whenever possible to which I am thankful to the EXCO for understanding my predicament as I'll be able to complete my term as an office-bearer. After which I proceeded to another appointment in KL which lasted till around 2am or so. Both appointments reaffirmed my belief that there'll be relative calm.

This weekend might change the uneasy truce though.

ASEAN Prepares Future Leaders in Disaster Management

ASEAN
Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA
31st July 2015

The ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (the AHA Centre) has officially concluded the second batch of its signature programme – the AHA Centre Executive Programme (ACE Programme) today in Kuala Lumpur. Sixteen disaster management officers from ASEAN Member States' National Disaster Management Offices (NDMOs) from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam have successfully completed the six-month training with satisfactory performance.

As ASEAN is moving towards realising the vision of One ASEAN, One Response, “the AHA Centre as the knowledge hub for disaster management in ASEAN shall continue to implement the ACE Programme to provide opportunities for disaster management practitioners in ASEAN to prepare themselves as future leaders and champions to build a safer and disaster-resilient ASEAN, where ASEAN is responding to disasters together as one,” said H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN in his opening remarks.

“We hope the sixteen officers will make good use of the knowledge and experiences they have acquired in order to play a leading role in disaster management,” said Ms Yukiko Okano, Minister-Counsellor, Deputy Chief of Mission of Japan to ASEAN.

The ACE Programme last year involved 13 disaster management officers from the ASEAN Member States and was conducted from February  to August. Based on this experience, the AHA Centre introduced a new and improved curriculum by providing additional modules such as coordinated-needs assessment and field visits to different areas in Indonesia that have been severely affected by natural disasters.

“The successful completion of the second batch of ACE Programme is undoubtedly due to the joint and collaborative efforts of our partners and stakeholders. They have helped us immensely. We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the ASEAN Member States, in particular the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM and its Preparedness and Response Working Group), the Government of Japan, the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Dialogue Partners as well as many other partners that have been supporting AHA Centre in the programme,” stated Mr. Said Faisal, Executive Director of the AHA Centre.

The graduation ceremony was also attended by Mr. Ogu Salim Omar, Deputy Secretary, Malaysian National Security Council, ASEAN Dialogue Partners and other partner agencies.

The ACE Programme is supported by the Government of Japan through Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) under the Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN (DELSA) project and JICA. The programme also gets support from the Government of Australia, the Government of New Zealand, the Government of the United States of America, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) Subang, the AADMER Partnership Group (APG), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), International Organization for Migration (IOM), RedR UK, RedR Australia, University of Canterbury of New Zealand, Syiah Kuala University Indonesia (TDRMC), United States Department of Agriculture Forest Services (USFS), Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management, Civic Force Japan, DHL, Cohn & Wolfe PR, British Council Indonesia and London School Academy Indonesia.

"...It'll Get Worse before It Gets Better...! "

( "Unimportant" files in flames at Police HQ, Bukit Aman-KL )

EDITORIAL
Taman Tun Dr. Ismail - KL, MALAYSIA
30 July 2015

"...It'll Get Worse before It Gets Better...! "

That was a phrase that I'd used in the long question I'd posed to Tan Sri Muhyiddin yesterday during his first press conference after being dropped from the cabinet. The phrase was however not the thrust of my question as expulsion and being thrown into jail were some of the words mentioned, to which I was roundly booed by the media practitioners present (which in my opinion is rather unprofessional  but that's for a before the scene story to be penned later).

First, there was the "unimportant" fire at the Police Headquarters in Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur for all to see yesterday. Then today, judging by the calls and SMS received today from of all people,  sales representative or agents of property developers my fears are partly justified. A simple explanation is that developers are starting to 'aggressively' clear whatever stocks they have.

Malaysia, brace yourselves for more difficult times!!!

x-DPM Muhyiddin 1st PC After Being Dropped- Expected Fireworks Fizzled!

POLITICS Editorial
Bukit Damansara-KL, MALAYSIA
29 July 2015

( x-DPM & Elected UMNO Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin

 arriving for his 1st Press Conference after being dropped, at his residence around 11.40am. )

( Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin answering all and any questions save for one hurled during PC. 

The ASEAN 500 Editor's Vantage Point )

If one had come for a "spill the beans" session, they would have left severely disappointed. Instead, Tan Sri Muhyiddin had deftly returned the shuttle back to PM Najib's court by driving home the point that he has no issues working with the PM save for the 1MDB saga. His down to earth persona and what seemed-like a conciliatory tone in essence sets the stage for the PM's camp to decide on which tune for them to play in the next orchestra performance.

In typical malay shadow play or wayang kulit though, Muhyiddin did state that being a god-fearing Muslim who submits to the Creator's scheme of things he has been elected and appointed to carry out his duties faithfully, truthfully and to the best of his ability failing which he would have committed a breach of trust. (...Saya dilantik untuk menjalankan tugas dan amanah. Jika saya tidak menjalankan tugas, bererti saya pecah amanah! ).

Not wanting to be accused of pandering to the international press, the shrewd politician decided to answer most questions in the Malay language despite being asked in english. There were some light-hearted moments when a reporter asked him when did he know that he was dropped, was it before or after the UMNO Cheras Division assembly. A reporter was also ooh at for asking whether the good Tan Sri expects that he will be expelled or even thrown in jail.

Muhyiddin also highlighted the fact that as he is still an UMNO member, Deputy President of UMNO and Barisan Nasional's Deputy Chairman his task is to help strengthen UMNO and its component parties though for how long will only be known when the UMNO Supreme Council sits next. As long as the fight is over issue(s) rather than down-right personal like what had happened between Dr.Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim in 1998, UMNO would pass the steep-learning curve.
 

Those expecting fireworks had a fizzled display. Those concerned about a possible return to mob rule were pacified for now and while many will disagree with me UMNO will be strengthened after the brouhaha is over PROVIDED the fight is over issues.

( Some photographers were hoping to take the first shot at 11 )

MEDIA Alert, by telum

MEDIA
MALAYSIA
Tuesday, 28 July 2015

The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily have been temporarily suspended

The Malaysian Home Ministry has recently suspended the publishing permit of The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily for three months from 27th July 2015. Their digital platforms like The Edge Markets, The Edge Property, The Malaysian Insider and #edGY are still available.

Teresa Wong has moved back to Astro Radio

Teresa Wong started her career in Astro Radio as a Writer / Presenter in 2005 before she was promoted to Editor in 2010. She left for a brief stint as Head of News in Star Radio Group from August 2014 to July 2015. Back in Astro Radio, Teresa now takes over as Head of News and Traffic. In her new role, Teresa manages the news and traffic department, which churns out news and traffic reports daily for the 9 radio stations in Astro Radio’s stable, namely Hitz, Mix, Lite, Era, Sinar, Gegar, THR, Melody and MY FM. She can also be seen presenting the news on Bizworld and Nightline on TV3. Teresa can be contacted at teresa_wong@astro.com.my or follow her on Twitter at @teresa_wong

Emmy Abdul Alim relocates to Dubai

Emmy Abdul Alim has recently relocated to Thomson Reuters Dubai as Editor, Islamic Economy Portal. She first joined Thomson Reuters in a Contractor position in July 2012 as Editor, Islamic Finance Gateway. She has been based in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Emmy will continue with her Islamic Finance Gateway portfolio in addition to her new responsibilities building and managing editorial content for Thomson Reuters' new Islamic Economy portal that will be officially launched in 4th quarter of 2015. She can be reached at emmy.alim@thomsonreuters.com

Firdaous Fadzil moves back to KL

Firdaous Fadzil, Journalist at The Star’s Terengganu bureau will be leaving his position on 31st July 2015 and will be based back in KL. Prior to joining The Star, Firdaous was writing at the New Straits Times. During his time based in Terengganu, he covered local news and handled the bureau for three months. Sharanpal Singh Radhawa will be replacing Firdaous at Terengganu bureau.  Firdaous can be contacted at firdaousfadzil@thestar.com.my

The Star welcomes new Sub-Editor

Elizabeth Tai has joined The Star as an Assistant Chief Sub-Editor. She first joined The Star as a Journalist in 2000 and left in 2012 to work as a Digital Content Specialist at Social Media Marines (Australia). Elizabeth now subedits for the newspaper and also volunteers as a Digital Marketer and Content Marketer for a non-profit organisation.  She is open to connections and can be reached at liztaiwrites@gmail.com. Visit her website at elizabethtai.com where she writes about writing and digital trends in publishing and marketing.

CLEO Malaysia appoints new Fashion Editor

Nadira Roslan, better known as Ira Roslan has joined CLEO Malaysia as Fashion Editor. She was previously Public Relations Manager at PRCOMM by Andrews Models.  Ira can be reached at iraroslan@bluinc.com.my, her DID (603) 7952 6502 and her mobile (601) 6353 8100.

Zoe Liew is now at GEMFIVE

Zoe Liew has moved to GEMFIVE, an online shopping portal operated by GuoLine eMarketing, an independent new private entity owned by the Hong Leong Group. Her title is Manager, Editorial & Sales Production. Zoe was previously at Her World Malaysia where she helmed the editorial team from 2013.  She can now be reached at zoe.liew@gemfive.com

JUICE Malaysia appoints Writer

Cindy Low has joined JUICE Malaysia as a Writer. She first joined JUICE Malaysia as an Editorial Intern in September 2014. In her present role, she conducts interviews with local and international musical acts and personalities, writes feature stories, all with a focus on urban and popular culture.  Cindy can be reached at cindy.low@revasia.com and her mobile (601) 2397 7619.

Shakila Rajendra leaves Marie Claire Malaysia

Shakila Rajendra left Marie Claire Malaysia as Deputy Editor on 14th July after almost 2 years working with the magazine. She left to pursue her postgraduate studies (in Climate Change at SOAS) in London for about a year in September. She will be available for small freelance projects also during this time. To keep in touch with Shakila, please email her at shajendra@gmail.com, Facebook or Instagram

Liyana Shazreen is now taking freelance assignments

Liyana Shazreen has left Digital Imaging Publication and is now writing on a freelance basis. She was previously Writer at Digital SLR Photography (Malaysia) and an Assistant Editor at Aperture magazine. Also, she spent a brief time as Reporter at The Malay Mail Online. Now, she is open to freelance assignments ranging from feature article, copywriting, as well as copy editing.  Get in touch with her at liyanashazreen@gmail.com or her mobile (601) 2674 8423.

Welcome to CarSifu

CarSifu, a guide on all things automotive, is now the new name of Automania under a recent rebranding exercise. CarSifu aims to be the leading auto buying guide, bringing Malaysians the latest reviews by an experienced editorial team; it also delivers news, buying advice, comparisons and a large selection of cars for sale. Published by the Star Media Group, it is available as a print pullout every Thursday and is represented online by CarSifu.my, which is updated daily. To reach out to CarSifu on editorial matters, email carsifu@thestar.com.my or call (603) 7967 1388 (Ext. 1317). To advertise, contact Tengku Zarak Tengku Kahar at tzarak@thestar.com.my or call (603) 7966 8232. To work on special print / digital projects, contact Paul Chin at paul.chin@thestar.com.my or call (603) 7967 1388 (Ext. 1161).

Caijing’s (Beijing) Han Shulin now looking for news sources about energy market in Southeast Asia

Han Shulin covers energy and electricity for Caijing Magazine. Besides news within China, he is also interested in the energy market in Southeast Asia. He is keen to receive press materials concerning energy and electricity in Southeast Asia. Please contact him via email at shulinhan@caijing.com.cn

Prospek Hartanah Malaysia is hiring

Want to rub shoulders with property investment experts, developers, and successful entrepreneurs? Join Prospek Hartanah Malaysia, which claims to be the first and only Malay magazine on property and entrepreneurship! They are looking for full-time Journalists, Graphics Designers, Sales Executives, and Admin Assistants to join their team. Intern, junior, and senior positions are available. Send your CV to Ameena Siddiqi at ameena@prospekhartanah.com to apply.

Metros.Events is hiring

Metros.Events is a brand new events portal. They are looking to hire a Writer / Community Manager. Writers with a journalistic backgrounds or fresh graduates with an interest in journalism are encouraged to apply. Applicants should have an interest in all things related to events - ranging from parties, to expos, to runs and even to maybe a baking club! In short, interesting personalities with varied interests are a huge plus! Kindly submit CVs, writing samples and possible start dates to contact@metros.events

The Bugis Warrior PM Shows His Mettle - Bring It On, GE14!

POLITICS Editorial
F.T. of Putrajaya, Administrative Capital of MALAYSIA.
28 July 2015

The much maligned and under-sieged Malaysian PM Dato' Seri Najib Razak revealed his true mettle today when he dropped elected UMNO Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Vice-President Dato' Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal who are Deputy PM and Senior Minister respectively from his cabinet in a reshuffle today.  Though increasingly unpopular and laughed at for his no-show at an event titled "Nothing to Hide" held on Friday the 5th of June just before the fasting month begun this year, nobody is laughing at him now in a day of the fallen 2 Tan Sris (compared to the earlier day of the 5, 6, 7 or 8 Tan Sris depending on who one had talked to).

Though many were surprised at how swift the guillotine had followed the laws of gravity, I am not surprised a bit at the sequence of events having been repeatedly reminded over the dining table on how a younger Najib had made a certain promise at the TPCA Stadium in KL many decades ago as a warning to those who seek to create chaos in the country. Though many had seen a cabinet reshuffle coming, the timing must surely have been brought forward by the UMNO Deputy President's speech at the Cheras UMNO Division meeting just 48 hours ago. How events have unfolded to shock the senses of the masses!

In this times of rising prices, general economic discontent and low national morale a strong leadership is what the country needs instead of a divided front. The ASEAN 500 wishes PM Najib and his new cabinet All the Very Best in running the country and enhancing the general well-being of its citizens.

ASEAN, UK to Deepen Cooperative Relations

ASEAN, UK to Deepen Cooperative Relations

ASEAN

Jakarta, INDONESIA

28 July 2015 

Link to photos.

Prime Minister David Cameron made a historic visit to the ASEAN Secretariat yesterday, pledging to deepen the UK’s economic ties with the region.

In welcoming the Prime Minister, H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN, said the visit reflected the UK’s commitment and political will to deepen its relations with ASEAN. He stated that the UK’s keen interest in strengthening economic relations augurs well with the region’s drive towards greater economic integration.

Secretary-General Minh updated the British leader on the progress made in realising the ASEAN Community by the end of this year, highlighting key achievements and challenges that need to be addressed. With a combined GDP of nearly US$2.6 trillion in 2014, he highlighted that ASEAN is currently the 7th largest economy in the world and is on track to become the 4th largest by 2050.

Prime Minister Cameron commended the progress made in realising the ASEAN Community which would bring about tangible benefits to the region and beyond. In this regard, he said that the UK will step up its economic engagement by exploring cooperation in areas such as infrastructure development and e-commerce. The British leader said he would appoint a special envoy for trade to facilitate trade and investment relations between ASEAN and the UK.

Secretary-General Minh and Prime Minister Cameron exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues that affect peace and stability. In stressing the importance of making the region a nuclear weapons free zone, Secretary-General Minh said ASEAN has called upon all Nuclear Weapons States (NWS) to accede to the Protocol of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone. Therefore, the recognition and support of NWS of this endeavour is of paramount importance to ASEAN. 

Secretary-General Minh and Prime Minister Cameron also discussed the issue of South China Sea, agreeing on the importance of efforts towards a peaceful solution in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law  of the Sea  and ASEAN 's Six Points Principles.

In conjunction with the visit, an ASEAN-UK business forum was convened at the ASEAN Secretariat. The event was participated in by high-level government and business leaders and representatives of key British companies with investment interests in ASEAN.  

USD982M Liverpool FC Held by Lowly-Rated Malaysian XI, 1-1

SPORTS Editorial
Bukit Jalil Stadium-KL, MALAYSIA
24 July 2015

 (82nd Minute, Corner Kick to Malaysian XI with the score still at 1-1. )

94:06 or 94 minutes and 6 seconds. That was how long I sat with Malaysian 'traitors' and enjoyed every minute of it when the Liverpool team valued at USD982million by Forbes in May 2015 were held to a 1-1 score by lowly-Malaysia XI, a team worth perhaps not more than RM10million and a pack of ice(or two!) plus add-in all the cencalok, tempoyak and budu (all 3 are local delicacies) you can find.

( After 94:06, Game Over. 1 - 1. )

 However, the traitors I sat with are the harmless sorts i.e. fans who choose to support their favourite EPL team over the home nation's Malaysian XI. In the end, the list of winners and losers can be read as follows:

WINNERS
- Bookmakers.
Going into the game the talk was not about who will win but rather by how many goals Liverpool FC would. Obviously, a draw or a lost is beyond their wildest expectatations.

- Event Promoters.
Estimated lower-end revenue from tickets sale is around RM4.4m (based on 50,000 tickets sold x RM88). I'd estimated a 50,000 crowd at least based on the 3-tier seating in the stadium with the first tier being almost at capacity with 90-95% filled, second tier at 50-55% while the top most tier there were many empty seats with perhaps 30-35% capacity. Bear in mind the revenue from merchandising, corporate sponsorship and broadcasting have not been factored in.

- MSL
...and one smug ASEAN500 editor who had to go for a 2km walk to get a free ticket for the game courtesy of father-in-law, Haji Zakaria Rani.


LOSERS
- Malaysian Liverpool fans.
- Dented Pride, Liverpool FC.

( 16th Minute, Malaysian XI 1 - 1 Liverpool FC. 

Silence of the Lambs. 4 minutes earlier Malaysian XI had just scored. )

Global Digital Insurance Benchmarking Report 2015 Released by Bain & Co

FINANCE
Bangkok, THAILAND
20 July 2015.

 

NEARLY HALF OF INSURERS WORLDWIDE SAY THEY LACK AN
ACHIEVABLE PLAN TO CARRY OUT A SUCCESSFUL DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

New benchmark survey from Bain & Company finds four major pathways
that leading insurers are taking to realize digital progress

Bangkok, 21 July 2015 – It might as well be the beginning of the millennium for the global retail insurance industry, which trails far behind other industry sectors – retail, media and retail banking – when it comes to adopting digital tools and business models. Bain & Company, in its new benchmark survey of 70 life and property and casualty (P&C) insurers worldwide, Global Digital Insurance Benchmarking Report 2015: Pathways to Success in a Digital World, suggests the lag stems from a lack of confidence among insurance executives in their ability to execute the digital transition.  Almost half of the companies surveyed said they don’t believe they have an achievable plan, and 60 percent are missing some key elements for the journey, such as a clear vision or compliance and risk processes.  This inaction has created a vacuum that upstart disruptive companies are rushing to fill with alternative products and solutions that aim to address customers’ frustrations with traditional insurance offerings.

Harshveer Singh, leader of Bain’s life insurance sector in Asia-Pacific, reveals that there are six key dimensions of a successful digital transformation.  While he acknowledges that no one company currently excels across all, he argues that in the very near future, all insurers will at least have to meet a minimum threshold in each to realize digital progress.

Please find attached the press release and report.

If you have any queries or would like to schedule an interview please get in touch.

Kind regards

Susan

Susan Renshaw (née Byam-Cook)

Manager, Marketing

Bain & Company SE Asia, Inc.

Launch of The ASEAN 500.

EDITORIAL-ASEAN 500
Taman Tun Dr. Ismail-KL, MALAYSIA.
17 July 2015

 LAUNCH of " The ASEAN 500 "

MEDIA STATEMENT

Ever since my stint in a Directorate at the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta-Indonesia brief involvement with an ASEAN periodical circulated mainly in Manila-Philippines and right through to my Hosting of TV programmes like the socio-political economic "To the Point" and the self-explanatory "Islamic Finance Today" amongst others with Capital TV, Damansara-Malaysia friends, acquaintances and even guests had requested that I provide coverage to certain media events.

Hence, heeding to requests from friends and such and aligning them with my network throughout ASEAN especially in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia as well as Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Brunei to a certain extent I would like to announce on this auspicious 1st day of Syawal 1436 Hijrah which falls on 17 July 2015 the debut of  " The ASEAN 500 ".

The ASEAN 500 essentially refers to the ever-growing ASEAN Economic Community or AEC population of 500 million people and growing. It is this potent force of more than 500 million ASEAN citizens which if harnessed well can lead to an improved general well-being of the citizens of ASEAN. The ASEAN 500 hopes to contribute towards this "improved general well-being" goal by working with selected partners.

Further enquiries can be directed to The ASEAN 500's editor at amirulaei@gmail.com.

Amirul HM

Editor

The ASEAN 500

Financial Inclusion Through Islamic Finance

MIFC

iFLIX Offers Subscribers BEST HOMEGROWN CONTENT Just In Time for Hari Raya.

LIFESTYLE
Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA.
15 July 2015

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

iFLIX OFFERS SUBSCRIBERS THE BEST IN HOMEGROWN CONTENT JUST IN TIME FOR HARI RAYA

iflix adds Primeworks’ immensely popular Malaysian TV shows and movies to its extraordinary content offering for subscribers to enjoy this Hari Raya

KUALA LUMPUR, July 16, 2015 – iflix, Southeast Asia’s leading Internet TV service, offering subscribers unlimited access to thousands of hours of entertainment for a low monthly price, today announced it has entered into a benchmark agreement with Primeworks Distribution, the content distribution arm of Media Prima Berhad, for an extraordinary range of Malaysia’s favourite TV series and movies, perfect for binge-watching with loved ones this Raya.

The catalogue deal includes popular Malay dramas like Setia Hujung Nyawa and Ariana Rose. The top trending drama series saw a combined 8.5 million viewers tuning in weekly during the shows’ premier runs. iflix currently features every episode of both series for subscribers to binge on this Hari Raya.

iflix subscribers will also have unlimited access to Primeworks Distribution’s hit comedy Friday, I’m In Love and smash hit shows such as Aku Isterinya, Cinta, and Senario, rounding out the tens of thousands of hours of top TV shows and movies available on iflix.

Full release and image are attached below for your kind consideration.

Interview opportunity is available with iflix Malaysia CEO, Azran Osman-Rani.

Please let me know if you have any questions, or would like additional information. 

You can read more about iflix at www.iflix.com

Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to e-mail us at media@iflix.com

Thank you!

Let's play,

iCar Asia Raises $11.5 million - Enabling the Group to Drive Towards Profitability

CORPORATE

Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA.

6 July 2015

Dear Editor,

I am very pleased to share some exciting news on behalf of iCar (ASX:ICQ). The Company recently announced to the market that it has raised $11.5 m which has been determined enough capital to see the business through to profitability. The funds will be invested to launch market leading consumer apps in 3 countries and launch new products to accelerate revenue growth, and capitalise on the massive market opportunity that exists for the leading automotive classified sites in Malaysia, Indonesia & Thailand. Thailand being one of the fastest growing car markets globally with a market opportunity of more the US$5b by 2020.

I have attached iCar’s ASX release along with investor presentation below.

Please let me know if you would be interested in speaking further with iCar CEO, Damon Rielly on this opportunity and company developments.

Look forward to speaking to you soon!

Best Regards,

Peggy Lee
Director of Corporate Communications
Catcha Group