Category Archives: Tech ARP Events + Contests!

Here are the contests, events, and promotions on Tech ARP – everything from exclusive contests and giveaways, to our coverage of key tech events!

Our coverage of major tech, mobile and automotive events always features exclusive videos of the actual events. So it will be like you were there yourselves!

Don’t forget to check out our regular contests and giveaways, and SHARE THE NEWS!

WhatsApp Introduces Instant Video Messages!

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WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature – Instant Video Messages!

Here is what you need to know about WhatsApp Instant Video Messages!

WhatsApp Introduces Instant Video Messages!

On 27 July 2023, WhatsApp announced that it is rolling out a new feature – Instant Video Messages!

Instant Video Messages allows you to record and share short videos of up to 60 seconds directly into any WhatsApp chat.

WhatsApp envisions this as a way for people to share personal moments or events, like wishing someone happy birthday, or sharing good news with family and friends.

Think of Instant Video Messages as the video version of the Voice Message feature many people have been using for years to send short voice messages.

All WhatsApp Instant Video Messages are protected with end-to-end encryption to ensure that they can only be viewed by people you send them to.

Recommended : How To Link Multiple Phones On WhatsApp!

How To Record + Send WhatsApp Instant Video Messages

If you have used Voice Messages on WhatsApp, then you will be familiar with the method.

Tap on the voice recorder to switch it into video mode.
Tap and hold on the video recorder to record your video message.
You can also Tap and Swipe Up to record your video message in hands-free mode.

The Instant Video Messages that you send will play automatically with audio muted when the recipient views it in the chat. To listen to the audio, the recipient only needs to tap on the video.

When Will WhatsApp Instant Video Messages Appear?

According to WhatsApp, the Instant Video Messages feature have already started rolling out, and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.

From what we can determine, you should be able to use Instant Video Messages if you are using:

version 23.15.0 (17 July 2023) for Apple iOS
version 2.23.14.79 (17 July 2023) for Android

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Anwar Ibrahim Announces Financial Aid For Malaysians!

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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim just announced a slew of financial aid to help Malaysians deal with inflation this year!

Anwar Ibrahim Announces Financial Aid For Malaysians!

On Thursday, 27 July 2023, Malaysia Prime Minister announced a slew of financial aid during the launch of Ekonomi Madani: Memperkasa Rakyat (Madani Economy: Empowering the People) in Kuala Lumpur.

Here is a summary of the financial aid Anwar Ibrahim announced to help Malaysians deal with inflationary pressures this year.

Adults Earning Less Than RM100K To Get RM100

The Malaysian government will give RM100 e-Tunai cash incentive to all Malaysian citizens aged 21 years and above, earning RM100,000 or less in annual wages.

This cash incentive will be distributed via e-wallet, based on the success and impact of the e-Belia Rahman e-wallet credit rollout programme in the past. This incentive is also expected to spur digital payments, and the economy.

The government estimates that this cash incentive will benefit 10 million citizens in the B40 and M40 categories, and cost the treasury about RM1 billion (about US$ 220.9 million).

The estimated number of eligible recipients is expected to be around 10 million Rakyat comprising those of the B40 and M40 with allocations of around a billion ringgit.

Recommended : Bantuan Tunai Rakyat Malaysia 2023 Scam Alert!

Civil Servants To Get RM300

Civil servants at Grade 56 and below will receive RM300 in special assistance aid within the next two weeks.

This special assistance is expected to benefit 1.3 million civil servants, while they wait for the adjustment of their salaries and allowances.

Government Pensioners To Get RM200

Government pensioners will receive RM200 in special assistance aid within the next two weeks. This special assistance is expected to benefit over a million pensioners.

Civil Servant Salaries To Be Reviewed

The Malaysian government will review the salaries of civil services, and adjust them according to the nation’s financial ability.

Minimum Wage To Be Reviewed

The Malaysian government will review the minimum wage, and explore the progressive wage model to reduce reliance on foreign workers.

120% Financing For Homes <RM300K

The Malaysian government will enhance the Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme (HCGS) provided by the Housing Credit Guarantee Company Berhad (SJKP).

The SJKP will now provide housing loans of up to 120% of the house’s value, for houses worth up to RM300,000. This will allow purchasers to cover the legal cost of the purchase, as well as renovations and furnishing their home.

The government will guarantee the scheme with a fund of RM5 billion (about US$1.1 billion).

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Price + Pre-Order In Malaysia!

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Samsung just launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5, and here are the official price list + pre-order promotion for this new foldable smartphone in Malaysia!

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 : What’s New, What’s Not?

When folded, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 looks like a rather tall and chunky smartphone. Its 6.2-inch Cover Screen is large but has a tall aspect ratio. You can use it like any regular smartphone, without opening the foldable display.

The hinge mechanism, which occupies its entire left side, has been improved, allowing the Galaxy Z Fold 5 to fold completely flat, reducing its folded thickness by 15% to just 13.4 mm! It is also 10g lighter at 253 grams.

When unfolded, you will get a massive 7.6-inch display with a squarish 5 by 4 ratio, which offers about twice the screen space as a regular smartphone.

This super large display is what makes the Galaxy Z Fold 5 such a productivity powerhouse. It also features a hidden 4 megapixel camera under this large main display.

What may put some people off is how tall and thick it is when folded. It is quite hard to fit the Galaxy Z Fold 5 in most pockets. That’s probably why the Z Flip design is more popular, despite having a much smaller display.

But what people who have tried it out will realise – its large display is incredibly hard to give up, because you can do so much more on it.

The Cover Display itself features a 10 MP punch hole camera with an f/2.2 aperture, while at the back, it features the same triple camera setup, which consists of:

a 50 megapixels Dual Pixel camera
a 10 megapixel telephoto camera, and
a 12 megapixel ultra wide angle camera

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is protected all around by a tough Armour Aluminium frame. Incredibly, it is IPX8 water-resistant, even though it is not dust-resistant due to its hinge mechanism.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 : Model + Colour Options In Malaysia!

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 comes in three main colour options:

Phantom Black
Cream
Icy Blue

Samsung is also offering two other colour options exclusively on its own online store:

Gray
Blue

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 : Price + Pre-Order In Malaysia!

These are the available models and launch prices for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 smartphone in Malaysia:

12 GB + 256 GB : RM6,799 (about US$1,495 / £1,157 / A$2,214 / S$1,987)
12 GB + 512 GB : RM7,299 (about US$ 1,604 / £1,242 / A$2,376 / S$2,133)
12 GB + 1 TB : RM8,299 (about US$ 1,824 / £1,413 / A$2,702 / S$2,425)

Just in case you are wondering, the launch prices for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the same as the launch prices for the Galaxy Z Fold 4. There was no price increase year-on-year.

From now until 17 August 2023, you can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 to enjoy this special pre-order promotion:

Double the storage from 256 GB to 512 GB, or from 512 GB to 1 TB for FREE!
RM600 e-Voucher
Save up to RM600 when you trade-in your current phone
Get 40% off Samsung Care+
Earn 1% Samsung Rewards
Enjoy up to 20% off purchases of selected Galaxy devices and accessories

All pre-ordered devices will ship out from 14 August 2023 onwards.

Here are the available online pre-order options for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 in Malaysia:

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Price + Pre-Order In Malaysia!

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Samsung just launched the Galaxy Z Flip 5, and here are the official price list + pre-order promotion for this new foldable smartphone in Malaysia!

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 : What’s New, What’s Not?

Samsung maintained the same design from last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 4, so you may not be able to distinguish between the two models… until you turn it on.

Then you will realise that it has a much larger 3.4-inch front display, which is now called the Flex Window, instead of the Cover Screen. It is now much more useful. Not only can you check notifications, and send quick replies to text messages, it comes with 14 essential widgets out of the box!

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 has the same large 6.7-inch foldable display as the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4, which supports a Full HD+ resolution, and a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. The difference this year lies in its No-Gap Flex Hinge and improved Ultra Thin Glass with a droplet fold, allowing the Galaxy Z Flip 5 to fold completely flat.

Like the previous models, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is IPX8 water-resistant, even though it is still not dust-resistant due to its hinge mechanism. It is protected on all sides by a tough Armour Aluminium frame, and on the back by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 supports a single nano SIM card, and an eSIM, so you can use up to a total of two SIMs. It comes with a capacitive fingerprint sensor built into the Power button on the right side.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 has the same 10 MP punch hole camera hidden at the top of its foldable display, albeit with a slightly larger f/2.2 aperture. So you can expect it to perform slightly better in low-light conditions.

At the back are the same two 12 MP cameras from the Galaxy Z Flip 4 – a main camera with f/1.8 aperture, and an ultra-wide angle camera with a 123° field of view, and f/2.2 aperture.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 also comes with the same 3,700 mAh dual battery as the Galaxy Z Flip 4. But it now supports 25 watt fast wired charging, with a suitable charger.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 : Model + Colour Options In Malaysia

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 will be offered in four main colour options in Malaysia:

Graphite – legacy colour
Lavender – similar to Bora Purple, their signature colour for the Z Flip 4
Mint – new colour
Cream – new colour

In addition, Samsung will offer these four colours exclusively on their online store:

Gray
Blue
Green
Yellow

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 : Price + Pre-Order In Malaysia!

These are the available models and launch price list for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 in Malaysia:

8 GB + 256 GB : RM4,499 (about US$988 / £766 / A$1,463 / S$1,311)
8 GB + 512 GB : RM4,999 (about US$ 1,098 / £851 / A$1,625/ S$1,456)

Just in case you are wondering, the launch prices for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 only went up by RM100 (~US$22 / £17 / A$33 / S$29) over the launch prices for the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

From now until 17 August 2023, you can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 to enjoy this special pre-order promotion:

Double the storage from 256 GB to 512 GB for FREE
RM400 e-Voucher
Save up to RM600 when you trade-in your current phone
Get 40% off Samsung Care+
Earn 1% Samsung Rewards
Enjoy up to 20% off purchases of selected Galaxy devices and accessories

All pre-ordered devices will ship out from 14 August 2023 onwards.

Here are the available online pre-order options for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 in Malaysia:

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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How WithSecure Offensive Security Drives Business Resilience!

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Find out how WithSecure harnesses the power of offensive security to drive business resilience and enhance protection for its clients!

WithSecure Drives Business Resilience Through Offensive Security!

WithSecure (formerly known as ‘F-Secure Business’) is harnessing the power of offensive security in its co-security and co-monitoring products and services. This revolutionary approach is designed to anticipate and mitigate cyber threats by understanding them from an attacker’s perspective.

During the SPHERE security conference 2023, WithSecure’s Chief Product Officer, Antti Koskela, shed light on their game-changing offering called ‘attack surface management.’ This managed service offers a comprehensive view of vulnerabilities in a company’s cloud-based estate.

As a result, WithSecure’s focus on the digital perimeter empowers businesses to reduce their overall attack surface, enhancing their cybersecurity posture in the ever-evolving threat landscape.

How WithSecure Offensive Security Drives Business Resilience!

WithSecure also introduced three groundbreaking services that amplify their commitment to ‘outcome-based security’ and ‘co-security’. This groundbreaking development was revealed by WithSecure Executive Vice President (Solutions) Scott Reininga, also at the SPHERE security conference 2023.

Reininga underscored WithSecure’s unparalleled expertise in offensive security, revealing that they are the home of one of the world’s most proficient offensive security teams. This team, a fusion of penetration testers (pentesters), red, blue and purple teamers, has profound knowledge of adversary tactics, tradecraft, and techniques.

Penetration testing is a cybersecurity practice that aims to discover vulnerabilities in a system by simulating controlled attacks. Their goal is not to cause damage but to pinpoint weaknesses for rectification. This proactive method, which can involve exploiting software vulnerabilities or simulating social engineering tactics, is key in any comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, offering a practical evaluation of potential risks rather than a theoretical one.

Our relentless pursuit of research and system testing allows us to uncover system vulnerabilities proactively. This crucial data is the building block of our products that are proactive, minimally disruptive, and crafted from the perspective of an attacker.

– Scott Reininga, WithSecure Executive Vice President (Solutions)

These insights were unveiled by Reininga during his recent product launch event titled ‘Co-security and co-managed services for partners’. He was joined on stage by WithSecure Vice President (Offering and Customer Experience) Niko Isotalo.

Expanding on WithSecure’s strategic approach, Isotalo said that the company’s outcome-based security framework model “connects Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and board members, offering clarity about the interplay between security outcomes and business objectives.”

This alignment clarifies the indispensable role of security in the core business framework to board members.

– Niko Isotalo, WithSecure Vice President (Offering and Customer Experience)

Reininga and Isotalo unveiled the three new offerings during their joint session. The first, termed “co-monitoring,” is a partnership model. WithSecure validates the genuineness of security incidents before alerting the duty manager, effectively curbing false alarms.

WithSecure collaborates with clients to supervise their digital ecosystems, particularly during periods when they are stretched thin on resources. This service, providing support beyond standard working hours, can also deliver round-the-clock monitoring if necessary.

Isotalo further introduced the second service, incident readiness software, recognising that many organisations lack comprehensive incident readiness plans.

Our software simplifies the creation, testing, and updating of such plans, which serve as essential shields against cyber threats.

Focusing on the urgency of immediate incident response, Reininga introduced the third service, an incident response retainer.

Our incident response retainer provides unlimited incident response within the critical initial 72 hours of an event. We eliminate the need for negotiation about budget and resource allocation.

We engage consultants rapidly, supported by our globally lauded 24/7 incident response team and top-tier threat intelligence unit, guaranteeing our customers industry-leading service level agreements (SLAs).

By integrating offensive security acumen, co-monitoring capabilities, incident readiness software, and swift incident response, WithSecure empowers organisations to effectively safeguard their digital assets and curtail the impact of potential breaches.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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The First 11 Tesla Supercharger Locations In Malaysia!

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As well as announcing that the Model Y is now available for order in Malaysia, Tesla also listed 11 Supercharger locations!

Tesla Supercharger : What Is It?

The Tesla Supercharger is a fast-charging station for Tesla and compatible electric vehicles, that delivers up to 250 kW of high-voltage direct current power. Think of the Supercharger as an electric “refuelling” station for your Tesla car.

Tesla Superchargers allow you to quickly recharge your electric vehicle – a 15 minute recharge can add up to 261 km / 200 miles of range. Not as fast as refuelling an internal combustion engine vehicle at the petrol station, but much faster than charging at home!

While some Tesla cars come with free supercharging for life, most models have annual or one-time credits. Then users are billed by the energy consumed. On top of that, an idle fee may be charged if you leave your car plugged into the Supercharge after charging is complete.

Globally, there are over 45,000 Supercharger stations, making it the largest fast charging network in the world. But there are currently none in Malaysia…

Tesla Lists 11 Supercharger Locations In Malaysia!

On Friday, 14 July 2023, Tesla started opening the order book for three Tesla Model Y trims in Malaysia, with delivery estimated to take place only in early 2024.

While Tesla did not announce it, its website now lists 11 Supercharger locations that it plans to install in Malaysia.

Penang

Perai, near the intersection between the Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (BKE) and Jalan Permatang Pauh

Perak

Ipoh, along the PLUS North-South Highway, near Jalan Tambun

Kuala Lumpur

Bukit Tunku, along Jalan Kuching, near Lebuhraya Sultan Iskandar (formerly Mahameru)
Along Jalan Sultan Ismail, next to the Klang River
Bukit Bintang, near the Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Raja Chulan intersection
Cheras, on the MEX Highway, near Jalan Cheras.
Bukit Jalil, near the Lebuhraya Bukit Jail and Jalan Barat intersection at Technology Park Malaysia.

Selangor

Petaling Jaya – near the intersection between the KESAS and LDP highways in Puchong
Dengkil, along the ELITE highway

Negeri Sembilan

Along the PLUS North-South Highway, near Jalan Rantau-Pedas

Johor

Iskandar Puteri, along the Second Link Expressway, near the Tanjung Pelepas Highway

Please note that these locations are subject to change, and their target opening dates have not been announced. However, it is highly likely that all eleven locations will go “live” by the time the first Tesla Model Y cars are delivered to their owners.

While Tesla has only revealed 11 locations so far, you can count on it to add more over time. After all, Singapore already has ten Supercharger stations!

In addition, these 11 Tesla Superchargers only cover the West coast of Peninsular Malaysia, with zero coverage on the East coast, and none in Sabah and Sarawak.

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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Avanade Launches New Generative AI Services!

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Avanade just unveiled new generative AI services to help organisations and their people work responsibly and innovate with artificial intelligence!

Avanade Launches New Generative AI Services!

July 10, 2023 – Avanade, the leading Microsoft solutions provider, today unveiled new services to help clients address the pressing challenge to ready their people, processes, and technologies for artificial intelligence (AI).

As generative AI technology continues to transform the way we work, live and conduct business in every part of the world and in every industry, expectations are growing exponentially.

Avanade’s Trendlines research reveals that 85 percent of organisations expect AI to increase revenue growth by 2025, with more than two-thirds anticipating AI to be responsible for up to 16 percent growth in global annual revenue. All this points to lucrative rewards for those that seize the growth opportunities of AI now.

Avanade’s new services will enable leaders to assess and monitor multiple business and IT domains to prioritise actions, so they can responsibly harness the benefits of AI.

However, the research also indicates organisations are not ready. Trendlines shows that only 36 percent of business and IT leaders are completely confident that their organisation currently has sufficient checks and balances in place to mitigate the potential risks and harms of AI. Meanwhile, nearly half (48 percent) admit to not having specific guidelines and/or policies put into effect yet for responsible AI.

There is no end point to AI readiness. As generative AI continues to reshape the global business landscape, the importance of adopting an AI-first mindset cannot be overstated.

To seize the growth opportunities of AI and mitigate risks for unintended consequences through continual change, leaders need to consider more than the technology implications of AI. Ultimately, AI-first is people-first.

– Jillian Moore, Global Head of Advisory at Avanade

New Avanade Generative AI Services!

Avanade’s new services have been designed to expedite business value derived from AI while cultivating an AI-first mindset:

The Avanade AI Organisational Readiness Framework provides a comprehensive assessment of an organisation’s business and IT areas. It offers detailed insights into AI readiness across people, processes, and technologies, enabling leaders to prioritise responsible actions for leveraging AI’s benefits.

The service includes executive coaching, tailored employee training, and an innovative “AI control tower” with cloud-based tools, dashboards, and knowledge resources. This ensures continuous AI readiness and empowers leaders to monitor and take real-time actions.

The Avanade AI Governance Quick Start Service addresses the crucial requirement for responsible AI governance. It enables leaders to translate corporate values into guidelines and practices for governing the ethical use of AI.

With a strong framework and methodology, organisations can proactively assess risks in AI projects and enhance their existing business and IT governance processes, policies, and behaviours to effectively manage and reduce AI risks across all functions.

These new services compliment Avanade’s existing portfolio of generative AI strategy workshops, with options ranging from a 2-hour workshop to a 6-week strategy Proof of Concept engagement.

As generative AI gains momentum in Southeast Asia, we see a profound shift in how people engage with technology and how organisations function. Avanade is committed to helping our clients navigate this dynamic landscape, focus on doing what matters, and fully embrace the potential of generative AI responsibly.

By evaluating their AI readiness and establishing an ethical technology framework, organisations can ensure their digital advancement aligns with their core values – enabling them to simultaneously prioritise innovation and responsibility.

Bhavya Kapoor, Southeast Asia Managing Director, Avanade

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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WithSecure Takes Offensive Security Approach To Cloud Threats!

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WithSecure is harnessing the power of the offensive security approach in tackling evolving cloud threats!

WithSecure Takes Offensive Security Approach For Cloud Threats!

In a shifting cybersecurity landscape, WithSecure (formerly known as ‘F-Secure Business’) is harnessing the power of offensive security in its co-security and co-monitoring products and services. This revolutionary approach is designed to anticipate and mitigate cyber threats by understanding them from an attacker’s perspective.

During the recent SPHERE security conference 2023 in Helsinki, Finland, WithSecure’s Chief Product Officer, Antti Koskela, shed light on this approach.

We’ve done identity assessments for many cloud-based companies, unveiling weaknesses in their cloud platforms.

Our offensive security approach is about understanding the attack surface of a cloud-based estate. We focus on the digital perimeter, which is crucial to reducing the overall attack surface.

Koskela went on to explain that WithSecure has distilled this insight into an innovative managed service offering called ‘attack surface management’. This service provides a comprehensive view of a company’s vulnerabilities, including IP addresses, port vulnerabilities, exposed APIs and web services, identity matters, patching levels and more.

With more open architecture, control over your attack surface becomes paramount. ‘Zero trust’ alone isn’t the answer as human errors happen. Our holistic approach helps mitigate this.

WithSecure’s product suite integrates various cloud-native solutions to deliver protection based on specific client requirements. This collaborative process, termed ‘co-security’, is driven by the security and business outcomes defined by the clients. Koskela emphasised the tripartite focus of their solution:

It’s about process, people, and technology. We collaborate to secure the outcomes, letting company directors steer the course of business.

Our WithSecure Elements platform is the cornerstone of our technology, built collaboratively with our clients.

Koskela acknowledged the evolution of the IT industry, from client-server in the ‘90s to hosted services in the 2000s, cloud computing in the 2010s and cloud-native in the 2020s. He underscored the need for a new security approach to match the evolving business environments:

The cloud offers agility, speed, cost-efficiency. But with new technologies come new security considerations.

WithSecure has been proactive, creating solutions for every technological shift – be it firewalling and endpoint protection during the hosted services era, or data security and VPNs for the cloud computing era.

And now, with the rise of cloud-native tech, we’re helping clients to understand and secure their digital perimeter through our offensive security approach.

WithSecure Chief Product Officer, Antti Koskela (left), and APAC Regional Director Yong Meng Hong (right)

WithSecure Elements Picking Up In APAC

Since its mid-2021 debut, WithSecure’s Elements platform has gained considerable momentum here in Malaysia and the broader Asia-Pacific region. This comprehensive cybersecurity platform has made its mark by providing organisations with a unified solution to their security needs.

Elements equips enterprises with the insight, adaptability, and technology to tackle evolving threats and changing business environments.

Offering unified endpoint protection across devices, clouds and servers, Elements consolidates everything from vulnerability management and collaboration protection to detection and response into one easy-to-navigate security console.

– WithSecure Asia-Pacific Regional Director Yong Meng Hong

Yong further emphasised that the cloud-based Elements platform provides real-time visibility across an entire IT infrastructure, simplifying how enterprises manage their cybersecurity.

Flexible licensing options, including fixed-term subscriptions and usage-based billing, ensure that organizations can tailor their cybersecurity services according to their specific needs.

Elements offers centralised management capabilities, giving IT managers a comprehensive overview of their enterprise’s IT infrastructure, enhancing their reassurance and control.

Today, WithSecure is globally recognised, trusted by a myriad of enterprises to safeguard against cyber threats, while also protecting tens of millions of consumers through over two hundred service providers and telecommunications partners.

For organisations looking to navigate the cloud’s security challenges, WithSecure’s offensive security approach could be just the safeguard they need.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Avanade + Accenture: 2023 Microsoft Global SI Partner of the Year!

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Avanade and Accenture have just been named 2023 Microsoft Global SI Partner of the Year, for the 18th time!

Avanade + Accenture: 2023 Microsoft Global SI Partner of the Year!

Avanade and Accenture have been named 2023 Microsoft Global SI Partner of the Year. This is the 18^th time that Avanade and Accenture received the Global SI Partner of the Year recognition from Microsoft.

In total, Avanade and Accenture received close to 120 Partner of the Year awards across various technology and country categories throughout their history, for helping clients transform their employee and customer experiences by creating and delivering leading-edge solutions using Microsoft solutions.

Both companies were also recognised with 17 other awards including Malaysia Partner of the Year and Singapore Partner of the Year.

Dynamics 365 Sales & Marketing Partner of the Year
Low Code Application Development Partner of the Year
Automotive, Mobility and Transportation Partner of the Year
Customer Experience Partner of the Year
Malaysia Country Partner of the Year
Singapore Country Partner of the Year
Germany Country Partner of the Year
Greece Country Partner of the Year
France Country Partner of the Year
Portugal Country Partner of the Year
UK Country Partner of the Year
Denmark: Azure Core: Cloud Infrastructure Partner of The Year
Finland: GSI Growth Champion Partner of The Year
Asia Pacific: Azure Data & AI Partner of the Year
Asia Pacific: Azure Infrastructure Partner of the Year
Singapore: Financial Services Industry Partner of The Year
Japan: Energy and Resources Partner of the Year

The companies were also named finalists in the following five categories: Retail & Consumer Goods Partner of the Year; Dynamics 365 Finance Partner of the Year; Dynamics 365 Services Partner of the Year; Security Compliance Partner of the Year; Business Intelligence Partner of the Year

The unique partnership between Avanade, Accenture and Microsoft truly enables us to do what matters for our clients – building more resilience in a world of continuous change, empowering employees to embrace new ways of working, strengthening customer experience and now, guiding them on their journey to an ‘AI-first’ world.

Being recognized as Microsoft’s Global SI Partner of The Year for the 18th time is a remarkable achievement that is only possible because of our people all over the world who, every day, bring unrivalled expertise, experience and insights to help our clients solve their toughest business challenges.

– Avanade CEO Pam Maynard

Avanade + Accenture Collaborates With Microsoft On AI

Avanade, Accenture and Microsoft recently announced an expansion of their close collaboration to help organizations adopt the disruptive power of generative AI, accelerated by the cloud, to fundamentally transform their businesses.

By tapping into the new Accenture Center for Advanced AI, with its deep focus on generative AI and large language models, and the new Avanade AI Organizational Readiness Framework, the companies can help their clients take advantage of generative AI for safe and responsible innovation at scale.

Over the past year, we’ve expanded our partnership with Microsoft by helping more clients transform their organizations through the adoption of data and AI, cloud, metaverse, sustainability and other technologies.

Together with Avanade, we take great pride in helping clients accelerate change to achieve new growth and value, and we look forward to an exciting journey forward with Microsoft.

– Chris Howarth, Senior Managing Director and Accenture Microsoft Business Group Lead

Combined, Avanade and Accenture now have more than 65,000 professionals dedicated to delivering Microsoft technologies.

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Malaysia Airlines Passengers Won’t Need To Turn Off Devices!

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Passengers on Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and MASwings won’t need to switch off personal devices during take-off and landing! Here is what you need to know!

Malaysia Airlines Passengers Won’t Need To Turn Off Devices!

On Tuesday, 28 June 2023, the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) announced that its airlines – Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, and MASwings – are the first airlines to enable Gate-to-Gate connectivity for passengers by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).

From 1 July 2023 onwards, passengers on three airlines can keep their personal devices switched on at all times. There is no longer the need to switch off your phone, tablet, laptop, or other devices, or stow them during take-off or landing.

As long as those devices must have their wireless connectivity turned off using the “Airplane Mode” or “Flight Mode“, you can continue to use them during take-off, or landing. This allows you to continue working on your laptop, or watch downloaded content on your phone or tablet during the entire journey, without interruption.

With this new regulatory approval, Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, and MASwings are the first airlines to allow Gate-to-Gate connectivity for passengers departing from Malaysia.

We are committed to providing exceptional customer service and innovative travel experiences which places customers at the heart of everything we do.

By enabling gate-to-gate connectivity across all our airlines, it allows passengers to stay connected throughout their journey with us; whether it’s to keep their loved ones updated on the move or even get some work done during their flight.

– MAG CEO Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi

Malaysia Airlines To Provide Free Wi-Fi For 2H 2023!

Malaysia Airlines also announced that it will provide limited free Wi-Fi connectivity to its Business Suite, Business Class, and Enrich Platinum (regardless of ticket class) passengers from 1 July until 31 December 2023.

Each passenger will be given up to 100 MB of free Wi-Fi data per sector to use, at a speed of up to 512 kbps. This free Wi-Fi offer will be made available on 20 Malaysia Airlines aircraft.

Beyond that free limit, passengers can continue to surf the Internet through its pay-per-use Wi-Fi offering. In addition, all passengers can access its wireless in-flight entertainment system through its web-based MHStudio service.

As part of our connectivity strategy, we will be actively expanding the number of our aircraft equipped with Wi-Fi to provide an improved in-flight experience to our valued customers. With a focus on safety, comfort, and convenience, we are dedicated to making air travel more accessible and enjoyable for all of our passengers.

We will continue to invest in innovative technologies and services to meet the changing needs and provide comfort to our passengers as guests to our ‘home’.

– MAG CEO Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi

The wireless connectivity onboard MAS aircraft, and passenger ability to use their devices from Gate-to-Gate, will come in handy with the refreshed Boeing 737 cabin, which feature lightweight seats that lack in-flight entertainment screens.

Instead, these new seats will come with a personal device holder, and a pair of USB Type A and USB Type C charging ports.

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Beware – KL Police To Conduct Massive Traffic Op In July 2023!

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Be warned – the KL police just announced it will conduct a massive traffic op throughout Kuala Lumpur for the month of July 2023!

Massive KL Police Traffic Op To Involve 1000 Officers!

On Tuesday, 28 June 2023, Kuala Lumpur Police Chief, Dato’ Mohd Shuhaily bin Mohd Zain officiated the launching ceremony of the KL police’s Kuala Lumpur Police Operation Respect for Road Laws together with Other Enforcement Agencies (Operasi Hormat Undang-undang Jalan Raya Polis Kuala Lumpur Bersama Agensi-agensi Penguatkuasaan Yang Lain).

This massive KL police operation will take place throughout Kuala Lumpur, for the entire month of July 2023. This operation will be conducted not just by the KL police, but also the Road Transport Department (JPJ), the KL city hall (DBKL), and the Environment Department (JAS).

Roughly 1000 police personnel and officers from other agencies will be involved in this operation, but they will focus on their respective jurisdictions:

This operation will involve about 1,000 officers and police personnel with the respective agencies focusing on the offences under their own jurisdiction.

KL Police Traffic Op In July 2023 To Focus On 7 Aspects

Together with partner agencies, the massive KL police traffic operation in July 2023 will involve checking on illegal parking, obstruction of traffic, running red lights, illegal number plates, illegal tinting, and offences committed by motorcyclists.

Enforcement officials will immediately issue summonses to motorists and pedestrians caught flouting traffic laws during this operation, which will involve seven separate operations to curb traffic offences:

Operation Illegal Parking (Op Parkir Haram)
Operation Traffic Obstruction (Op Halangan)
Operation Red Light (Op Lampu Merah)
Operation Number Plates (Op Numbor Pendaftaran)
Operation Dark Tinting (Op Cermin Gelap)
Operation Motorcycle (Op Motosikal)
Operation Education (Op Didik)

Police and enforcement officers will also take this opportunity to educate motorists and pedestrians on the dangers of not obeying traffic rules.

In addition to looking out for traffic offences, the KL police will also run background checks on motorists for outstanding arrest warrants and criminal records, and look for stolen vehicles.

While not involved in traffic offences, the KL Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department will also be on the lookout for drug-related offences during this operation.

Finally, the police will also take action against workshops that are conducting illegal modifications of vehicles.

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Selangor Civil Servants Get Extra Hari Raya Haji Holiday!

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The Selangor state government just announced an extra Hari Raya Haji holiday for civil servants!

Selangor Civil Servants Get Extra Hari Raya Haji Holiday!

On Tuesday, 27 June 2023, the Selangor State Secretary Datuk Hari Karim announced an additional Hari Raya Haji holiday on Friday, June 30, in addition to the existing holiday on Thursday, June 29.

However, this additional Hari Raya Haji holiday will only apply to civil servants in the Selangor state’s departments, agencies, and local authorities.

Government subsidiaries (GLCs) and private companies are not subject to this directive. It will be up to each respective employer to decide whether to grant their employees an additional Hari Raya Haji holiday.

Statutory bodies, government subsidiaries and private parties, however, are not subject to this directive and are left to the discretion of their respective employers under the Employment Act 1955 (Act 265).

The additional day would grant those lucky enough to receive it a long 4-day weekend, in line with the 2023 school holidays.

This would likely result in heavy traffic on the highways as people take this opportunity to return to their hometowns to celebrate Hari Raya Haji with their families.

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Malaysia hikes electricity tariff for top 1% of households!

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Malaysia just raised the electricity tariff for the top 1% of households, while slashing industrial power tariffs!

Malaysia Hikes Electricity Tariff For Top 1% Of Households

On Friday, 23 June 2023, the Malaysia Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC) Ministry announced a hike in the electricity tariff for the top 1% of households for the second half of 2023.

From July to December 2023, household using more than 1,500 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per month, will no longer enjoy the 2 sen/kWh rebate. In addition, they will incur a surcharge of 10 sen/kWh, resulting in a total increase of 12 sen/kWh.

What this effectively means is that all those high-consumption households will see a minimum increase of RM 187 or 25%. Approximately 83,000 households would be affected if they continue to use more than 1,500 kWh per month.

For the ICPT adjustments within the period of July to December 2023, the users who will be affected are domestic users who use more than 1,500-kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity and the majority of which live in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Penang.

Of course, those high-consumption households can avoid the surcharge by reducing their power consumption.

The remaining 99% of domestic users will be unaffected by this hike in electricity tariff. The government has allocated RM2.7 billion to continue their electricity subsidy.

Malaysia Reduces Electricity Surcharge For MV / HV Users!

Meanwhile, the electricity tariff surcharge for non-domestic medium-voltage (MV) and high-voltage (HV) users will be reduced from 20 sen/kWh to 17 kW/h for the months of July to December 2023.

This is based on normalising fuel costs – the electricity tariff surcharge is adjusted every six months under the ICPT mechanism to reflect changes in power generation costs in the preceding six months.

The electricity surcharge for non-domestic customers using low-voltage (LV) power, such as small and medium-industries (SMEs) will remain unchanged at 3.7 sen/kWh.

Finally, the government agreed to greatly lower the electricity surcharge on water and sewerage operators, from 20 sen/kWh to just 3.7 sen/kWh.

Category	Usage	Rebate	Surcharge
Domestic	Up to 1,500 kWh	2 sen/kWh (no change)
Domestic	Over 1,500 kWh		10 sen/kWh (+12 sen/kWh)
Commercial	Low Voltage		3.7 sen/kWh (no change)
Commercial	Medium Voltage High Voltage		17 sen/kWh (-3 sen/kWh)
Commercial	Water + Sewerage Operators		3.7 sen/kWh (-16.3 sen/kWh)

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Malaysia To Ban SMS With Personal Details!

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Telcos in Malaysia will soon ban SMS messages with personal information, as part of the MCMC’s initiative to prevent scams! Here is what you need to know!

Malaysia To Ban SMS With Personal Details!

On Sunday, 2 July 2023, four Malaysian telcos – Maxis, Celcom, Digital and U Mobile will ban SMS messages containing personal information , as part of the MCMC’s initiative to prevent scams.

In addition to the May ban of SMS links, both local and international users will be prevented from sending any SMS message containing:

personal details
mobile or fixed line phone number
banking details like account number
MyKad number

All SMS messages containing these forbidden items will not be blocked, but their senders won’t be charged for those blocked messages.

No Ban For SMS With Personal Details Via Short Codes

It should be noted that this ban on SMS messages with personal details do NOT apply to businesses using legitimate Enterprise short codes. They will still be allowed to issue SMS messages with URLs (links), phone numbers, and personal details.

Here are the current Enterprise short codes for Celcom and DIGI, from which you “may” continue to receive SMS messages with hyperlinks (URLs) and personal information.

Telco	Enterprise Short Codes
Celcom	CelcomDigi / EASYRELOAD Celcom / CELCOM 2000 / 2901 / 20000 / 78888 28888 / 28882 / 22288 / 28282 / 22888 2001 / 22002 / 22009 / 21888 / 22022 / 22033 / 22162 / 22244 / 22262 / 22990 / 23000 / 23222 / 23777 / 25000 / 25555 / 26664 / 26668 / 26674 / 26680 / 26699 / 27100 / 27200 / 27999 / 28000 / 29888 / 29992 / 29999 / 39131 / 39140 / 39146 / 39170 / 39172 / 39230 / 39231 / 39240 / 39254 / 39258 / 39281 / 39291 / 39442 / 39466 / 39470 / 39471 / 39496 / 39504 / 39505 / 39506 / 39509 / 39513 / 39514 / 39515 / 39518 / 39881 / 39437 / 39132 / 39133 / 39144 / 39162 / 39177 / 39498 / 39502 / 39511 / 39512 / 39495
Digi	CelcomDigi / Digi / DigiRewards 200 / 2901 / 2691 / 5001 / 27676 20000 / 21000 / 28879 / 28888 / 28882 / 22288 / 28282 / 22888

Maxis has 5-digit short codes like 1XXXX, 2XXXX, and 6XXXX, but has chosen to block SMS messages containing personal information from their Enterprise short codes:

In order to prevent individuals from becoming online scam scams, the Malaysia Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has issued a directive to all telcos on 14 February 2023 to block sending and receiving of short messaging service (SMS) from local, international mobile numbers and applications containing below contents:

URL link and any clickable link e.g. shorten URL; shorten URL;
Request for user’s personal information e.g name, IC number, account number and
Mobile and fixed line number

Blockings are being implemented in stages; started from 2 May 2023 for SMS between individuals; the next and last stage is the blocking of SMS containing the above 3 elements from mobile and applications such as Enterprise SMS service and Maxis IoT SIM from 2 July 2023.

Risky SMS Ban Helpful, But Other Platforms Still A Risk

While this measure is really helpful in reducing scams, the ban is limited to SMS messages. It does not prevent scammers from sending similar scam messages through instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, etc.

I should also point out that links are not inherently bad. Links in messages, even SMS messages, are mostly safe.

Perfectly Fine

Clicking on a link to read an article / terms and conditions of a promotion
Clicking on a link to enrol in a promotion which does not require you to log into any website
Clicking on a link to check in for a flight, or get a travel update

However, they can be used to send you to a phishing website which is designed to look like a genuine bank / payment website. Hence, it is critical that you should NEVER log into any website through a link.

NEVER DO THIS

Clicking on a link to log into a bank website
Clicking on a link to make a purchase or payment
Clicking on a link to log into any account / email

Phishing attacks work by tricking you into going into a fake website that looks like the real website. But you still have to log into the fake website to give the scammers your login details.

If you click on a link, and you are asked to login – this is likely a phishing attack. But don’t worry – as long as you refuse to log into any website after clicking on a link, the phishing attack fails.

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Malaysia Schools To Start In January Again From 2026!

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The Malaysia Education Minister just announced that schools will begin in January again, from 2026 onwards!

Malaysia Schools To Start In January Again From 2026!

On Tuesday, 23 May 2023, the Malaysia Minister of Education, Fadhlina Sidek, announced that schools will once again start their academic sessions in January, from 2026 onwards.

The Education Minister said that the Malaysia Education Ministry (KPM) has initiated efforts to restore the old academic calendar which begins in January, and ends in December.

The 2024/2025 academic calendar is being brought forward to start in February 2025.
The 2026 academic calendar will then begin in January 2026.

I’m pleased to announce that the start of the school session will return to January in 2026. The ministry hopes that, with the announcement, all financial and economic aspects can be planned earlier by all relevant parties starting now.

The planning of family holidays, festivals and vacation days for teachers, as we announced in 10 initiatives on Teacher’s Day, can be arranged based on the school session that will be gazetted.

Not Possible For Malaysia Schools To Start In January 2025!

The minister said that returning the school session to January next year is not possible as it would conflict with major examinations, school holidays, as well as floods.

The ministry must ensure that the teaching and academic session runs in a period of 26 to 32 weeks to ensure an optimum learning period in a year. Due to the changes (from the COVID-19 pandemic), the schooling session for 2023/2024 academic calendar started in March.

The changes to the academic calendar of the school session allows the school to plan and implement rehabilitation, strengthening and enrichment activities intensively to increase the students’ readiness to follow the next school year.

The minister had earlier pointed out in March that bringing forward the academic calendar to January 2025 was not possible as the ministry had to comply with various requirements under the Education Act 1996. She also said that it needs to avoid disrupting the examination schedule for STPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia), STPM (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia), and STAM (Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia). There is also the need to account for local economic factors, and the year-end floods.

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Uncle Roger Cancelled In China After Xi Jinping Joke!

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Malaysian comedian Uncle Roger just got cancelled from Chinese social media platforms after making jokes about Xi Jinping and China!

Uncle Roger Cancelled In China After Xi Jinping Joke!

Uncle Roger just got cancelled from Chinese social media platforms after making jokes about Xi Jinping and China!

The Malaysian comedian, whose real name is Nigel Ng, said that his accounts on Bilibili and Weibo where he has 400,000 followers, were suspended due to a “violation of relevant laws and regulations“!

This crackdown by Chinese authorities came after he posted a video clip on Twitter and YouTube called “Uncle Roger about to get cancelled“.

In that video clip, which appears to be from an undated standup show, Uncle Roger cracked some jokes about China and Taiwan.

Uncle Roger : Are you from Boston?

Audience : Originally from Guangzhou.

Uncle Roger : Guangzhou, China. China, okay, China. Good country. Good country. Good country. Good country. Phew! We have to say that now, correct? All the phone listening. All the phone listening. This nephew got HUAWEI phone. They all listening.

Uncle Roger (tapping his phone) : All our phone tap into it. Long live President Xi. Long live President Xi. Phew! Uncle Roger social credit score going up. Nice.

Uncle Roger : Any niece and nephew from Taiwan?

[Audience woos]

Uncle Roger : Not a real… not a real country. I hope one day you rejoin the motherland. One China.

[Audience laughs]

Uncle Roger : No, don’t clap too hard. This not political show. No, don’t clap. Uncle Roger gonna get cancelled after tonight.

Uncle Roger (looking at audience member) : Nice. Go write good report for Uncle Roger, okay? Dear CCP, Uncle Roger good comrade. Good comrade. Don’t make him disappear, please.

Even though both Twitter and YouTube are not accessible in China, Chinese authorities apparently felt aggrieved enough to order the cancellation of Uncle Roger’s social media accounts in China.

Uncle Roger about to get cancelled.

🎟️ Buy the FULL SHOW now to watch from home: https://t.co/ebzr06mDV9

Dropping June 4 on @momentworld pic.twitter.com/zmYtTp0tBh

— Nigel Ng (Uncle Roger) (@MrNigelNg) May 15, 2023

Uncle Roger Proves Chinese Cancel Culture + Rides Controversy!

Despite being cancelled on Chinese social media, and losing access to thousands of his fans, this appears to be a deliberate and incredibly smart move by Nigel Ng.

Chinese comedian Li Haoshi (who goes by the stage name, House), was just arrested and fined $2.1 million for making a joke about a Xi Jinping slogan. So Nigel Ng is well aware of the danger of criticising Xi Jinping and/or the CCP government.

Yet, he deliberately dropped the video clip on Twitter and YouTube right after the Li Haoshi controversy exploded, with the title “Uncle Roger about to get cancelled“. And the CCP government in China took his bait, and promptly cancelled him.

In one swoop, Nigel made his Uncle Roger character famous worldwide. His cancellation is now international news, exposing millions of people to his jokes and character. His 400,000 Weibo fans are now a drop in the bucket. His two video clips have now been viewed MILLIONS of times!

And thanks to his newfound fame and reach, Nigel Ng should see a huge boost in pre-order of the full video which is set to be released on June 4, 2023.

By taking Nigel’s bait, the CCP government just showed the world how it does not operate according to the rule of law. Rather, the CCP government under President Xi Jinping operates autocratically using the rule by law. Anyone who offends Xi Jinping or the CCP government in any way, will get the law thrown at them, whether it is right or not.

The controversy also highlighted the difference between CCP-controlled mainland China, and democratic Taiwan. Even though Uncle Roger in the clip called Taiwan “not a real country”, he was not cancelled in Taiwan because Taiwan not only allows free speech, it protects that right in its constitution.

Nigel Ng certainly isn’t losing any sleep over getting cancelled by the CCP government in China, because he now lives in the United Kingdom where free speech is also protected. In fact, he just doubled down by reposting the video on Twitter, with the message “for some reason this clip got a ton of views this past weekend. I wonder why” together with a pre-order link for his full video.

I should point out that this is not Nigel Ng’s first rodeo with Chinese nationalists.. In January 2021, he was severely criticised on Weibo for collaborating with Chinese-American YouTuber Mike Chen, who is well-known for his critical views of the CCP government.

Even though both did not mention politics during their vote, the social media backlash forced Nigel to apologise for the collaboration, even acknowledging that the video created a “bad social impact”. At that time, he removed all videos involving Mike Chen – which drew criticism that he was too weak.

However, it appears that Nigel Ng may have grown some cojones since then. Good for him!

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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You Can Now Edit Your WhatsApp Messages!

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You can now use edit your WhatsApp message for up to 15 minutes!

You Can Now Edit Your WhatsApp Messages!

On Monday, May 22, 2023, Mark Zuckerberg announced that you will now be able to edit your WhatsApp messages up to 15 minutes after they’re sent!

This is, arguably, one of the most requested features to be added to WhatsApp, since many of us suffer from “fat fingers syndrome”, while others are forced to suffer through our typos!

Before this feature was introduced, the only way to “fix” a typo, was to post the corrected message, and delete the previous message with the typo(s). The only problem is you end up with a ton of “message deleted” remnants.

Here is how you can edit your WhatsApp messages:

Long-press on a sent message, and a menu will drop down.
Select the Edit option from the drop-down menu.
After editing your message, simply press Enter to save the edit.

Do note that the edited message will display “Edited” next to it, so your recipients know that it has been edited.

Also, this Edit option is limited to 15 minutes after you send a WhatsApp message. You cannot edit a message if you wait longer than 15 minutes after sending that message!

Recommended : How To Link Multiple Phones On WhatsApp!

You Can Edit Your WhatsApp Messages… In Coming Weeks!

You can give it a try, but this feature likely isn’t available yet in your WhatsApp. Mark Zuckerberg and WhatsApp was just announcing a new feature.

You will have the ability to edit your WhatsApp messages for 15 minutes in coming weeks, as the update is rolled out globally.

For the moments when you make a mistake, or simply change your mind, you can now edit your sent messages.

From correcting a simple misspelling to adding extra context to a message, we’re excited to bring you more control over your chats. All you need to do is long-press on a sent message and choose ‘Edit’ from the menu for up to fifteen minutes after.

Edited messages will display ‘edited’ alongside them, so those you’re messaging are aware of the correction without showing edit history. As with all personal messages, media and calls, your messages and the edits you make are protected by end-to-end encryption.

This feature has started rolling out to users globally and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.

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Comedian in China arrested + fined US$2.1 Million!

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A comedian in China was just arrested and fined US$2.1 million for using a CCP slogan created by Chinese President Xi Jinping in his joke!

China Arrests + Fines Comedian US$2.1 Million For CCP Joke!

In the communist utopia of China, comedian Li Haoshi (who goes by the stage name, House) was just arrested by police after being fined a whopping 14.67 million yuan, which works out to about US$2.1 million!

What dastardly crime did Li Haoshi / House commit to deserve such a massive fine, and arrest? Well, the Chinese comedian simply made a joke using a CCP slogan created by Chinese President Xi Jinping!

The fine was issued by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, which concluded that his show was “a plot amounting to a serious insult to the People’s Liberation Army, and creates a bad social influence“.

We will never allow any company or individual to wantonly slander the glorious image of the People’s Liberation Army on a stage in the [Chinese] capital, never allow the people’s deep feelings for the soldiers to be hurt, and never allow serious subjects to be turned into entertainment.

What a glorious statement indeed by the most noble bureau of culture in China!

The Bureau confiscated RMB 1.32 million in “illegal proceeds” from the entertainment company representing House, and fined it RMB 13.35 million. The company was also banned from performing in Beijing indefinitely.

But that was not the end. On Wednesday, May 17, the Chaoyang branch of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau stated that an investigation was opened against Li Haoshi / House for making “derogatory remarks against the People’s Liberation Army”.

On the morning of Thursday, May 18, the comedian was arrested by the police. There has been no word on his whereabouts since then.

The US$2.1 Million CCP Joke That Made China Mad!

So what exactly was the world’s most expensive joke all about?

During his show in Beijing on Saturday, Li Haoshi / House spoke about how he adopted two stray dogs since moving to Shanghai. He joked that when they chased after a squirrel one day, he was reminded of these eight words:

作风优良，能打胜仗
Good style of work, capable of winning battles

That was a flipped version of the slogan that was coined by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, when he set out a list of qualities he wanted from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)

建设一支听党指挥能打胜仗作风优良的人民军队
Build a people’s army that obeys the party’s command and can win battles with a good style of work

In the audio shared to Weibo, his audience can be heard laughing at the joke. Unfortunately, it went viral and caught the attention of Chinese nationalists and then the CCP government.

His joke was deemed to be insulting because “dogs” and “stray dogs” are used as insults in China. It is also common for Chinese netizens to also use insults like “American lapdogs”, for example.

In other words, his joke was perceived to be insulting both President Xi Jinping (who coined the slogan), and the PLA by referring to its soldiers as “stray dogs” that can win battles with a good style of work.

At military parades, especially when Xi Jinping is watching, PLA soldiers will often shout the slogan:

听党指挥，能打胜仗，作风优良！
Follow the Party’s command, capable of winning battles, with excellent conduct!

Now, such jokes may be par for the course in many free, democratic societies, but Li Haoshi / House appeared to have forgotten that China under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is neither free nor democratic.

If he made the same joke using a slogan by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, he would have gotten only laughs, because Taiwan is free and democratic. Unfortunately, he made a joke about the CCP and the PLA. Even worse, he made a joke about something Xi Jinping said, and that was the ultimate sin that anyone in mainland China can commit.

Li Haoshi / House and his company were not the only casualties of this expensive joke. Three other comedy companies suspended all of their performances as a result of this controversy :

Danli Ren Comedy (单立人喜剧),
Owl Comedy (猫头鹰喜剧), and
Xiaosheng Comedy Club (笑生喜剧脱口秀俱乐部)

Even more startling – a 34 year-old woman surnamed Shi was detained by police in Dalian city, after she posted a comment online, asking “Why should House be banned? Aren’t all soldier brothers also dog brothers?”

This goes to show just how closely the CCP government monitors speech in China, and how swiftly and mercilessly it strikes at people who even deigns to mock its authority.

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AI Will Let Tom Hanks Appear In Movies After Death!

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Hollywood legend Tom Hanks believes that AI (artificial intelligence) will let him continue appearing in movies long after his death!

Tom Hanks : AI will let me appear in movies after death!

In a recent interview, Tom Hanks says he believes he could continue appearing in movies long after his death, thanks to AI (artificial intelligence).

He said that AI could be used to recreate his image, ensuring that he would continue to appear in movies “from now until kingdom come”. But he admitted that AI posed both artistic and legal challenges to the movie industry.

This [legal ramification] has always been lingering. The first time we did a movie that had a huge amount of our own data locked in a computer – literally what we looked like – was a movie called The Polar Express

We saw this coming, we saw that there was going to be this ability to take zeros and ones from inside a computer and turn it into a face and a character. That has only grown a billion-fold since then and we see it everywhere.

The Polar Express, which was released in 2004, was the first movie to be entirely animated using digital motion capture technology.

Recommended : Did Tom Hanks Just Die Suddenly?!

AI technology is a boon for movie studios, which can now use it to recreate actors after they have died or are no longer capable of acting. For example, the voice of Darth Vader in The Book of Boba Fest and the Obi-Wan Kenobi series was AI-generated from James Earl Jones’ archival voice recordings.

AI is also being used to de-age actors, to allow actors to appear like younger versions of themselves. Most recently, it was used to make 80 year-old Harrison Ford appear much younger in the latest Indiana Jones movie.

However, AI poses a problem for actors because it can be used to create digital versions that are used without their permission, or without compensation to them or their families.

I can tell you that there is discussions going on in all of the guilds, all of the agencies, and all of the legal firms in order to come up with the legal ramifications of my face and my voice and everybody else’s being our intellectual property.

Anybody can now recreate themselves at any age they are by way of AI or deep fake technology. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but performances can go on and on and on and on.

Outside the understanding of AI and deep fake, there’ll be nothing to tell you that it’s not me and me alone. And it’s going to have some degree of lifelike quality. That’s certainly an artistic challenge but it’s also a legal one.

Well, Tom Hanks will soon experience that AI treatment again. In January 2023, it was announced that he and Robin Wright would be de-aged in Robert Zemeckis’ film adaptation of Here – a movie that follows the inhabitants of a single room over the course of several years. The film is set to be released in 2024.

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Touch ‘n Go eWallet, PayDirect + RFID Are Okay Now!

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Touch ‘n Go eWallet, PayDirect + RFID services have just been restored, after going down for most of the day!

Touch ‘n Go eWallet, PayDirect + RFID Went Down!

Touch ‘n Go eWallet, PayDirect and RFID services went down for most of the day today. Many users were logged out of the Touch ‘n Go eWallet app, and had difficulty logging back in. They often received error messages like:

Sorry, something wrong happened there! But don’t sweat it, we’re doing our best to fix this for you. Please try again.

Sorry, but heavy traffic is causing delays in processing your request. Don’t fret, we’re fixing this. Hold tight & try again later.

Recommended : TNG RFID Bar Code Scanning Scam Debunked!

Even when users could log in, they reported that their ewallet balance were either wiped out, or incorrect. Some even reported that their ewallet balance kept changing randomly!

Many users were also unable to make payments, or perform NFC card reloads. PayDirect payments also is not working.

Even worse, Touch ‘n Go eWallet outage this time has cut off access to TNF RFID, with highway users reporting long queues at the RFID lanes. The RFID lanes at the SPRINT Expressway, Penchala Link and Kerinchi Link have consequently been closed down.

The only way for motorists to get through the tolls is to use their Touch ‘n Go card. So please make sure you reload your TNG card before using the highways!

Touch ‘n Go Finally Solves eWallet, PayDirect + RFID Problems!

Hours after users started complaining, the Touch ‘n Go eWallet team finally responded, saying that they are working on a fix.

All they can tell their users is that if they have sufficient balance in their eWallet, they can still pay for tolls and parking via PayDirect and RFID.

Dear valued users,

We are currently facing technical issues but be rest assured, we are rectifying the matter.

If you have enough balance in your Wallet, you are still able to pay for tolls and parking via PayDirect and RFID.

We apologise for the service interruption and inconvenience this may have caused.

Thank you for your kind patience and understanding.

The Touch ‘n Go Wallet team.

But as many users have reported, that is just not possible. Both PayDirect and RFID appear to be down, which is why several highways have already closed their RFID lanes.

In addition, some users have reported that their eWallet balance is now empty, or has the wrong balance, or has insufficient balance. So they won’t be able to make payments, unless they have a physical TNG card as backup.

Finally, at around 3:36 PM, the Touch ‘n Go eWallet team reported that they finally restored all its services!

Touch ‘n Go eWallet and its services are up and running.

We apologise for the inconvenience caused earlier and thank you for your kind patience.

However, it looks like it will take time for all issues to be resolved. Users loading TNG eWallet after this will see a banner telling them not to worry about mysterious transactions that appear in their history, because they are just “delayed notifications”.

Got a txn you didn’t perform? Reset assured, it’s a delayed notification. Apologies for the confusion.

Several Touch ‘n Go eWallet users continue to complain that they still are unable to login, or make payments / transfers, or have wrong balances in their accounts.

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Former exec: China has backdoor access to TikTok data!

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A former top ByteDance executive is alleging that the China has backdoor access to all TikTok data!

Former Exec : China Has Backdoor Access To TikTok Data!

A former top executive at ByteDance – TikTok’s parent company, has just claimed that it built a “backdoor channel” in its code to allow the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) supreme access to user data in TikTok.

This revelation came as part of the lawsuit that Roger Yu Yintao, filed against ByteDance for wrongful termination from his job as head of engineering in the United States. He says he worked there from August 2017 till November 2018.

In his lawsuit filed on May 12 at the San Francisco Superior Court, Roger Yu alleges that he was fired from his job for his “observation and reporting of illegal conduct” at ByteDance to his supervisors.

He said he observed ByteDance being “responsive to the CCP’s requests” to share, elevate, or even remove content”, describing the company as “a useful propaganda tool for the Chinese Communist Party”, and is engaged in a “culture of lawlessness”.

More shockingly, he claimed that the CCP has a special office in ByteDance, sometimes referred to as the “Committee”. Its task was allegedly to monitor ByteDance, and advise it on how to advance “core Communist values”.

He also claimed that the CCP “Committee” can demote content it viewed as unfavourable to China’s interests, and even has a “death switch” to turn off Chinese versions of its apps.

Roger Yu also claimed that he “saw the backdoor channel in the code”. If true, such a backdoor would give China and the CCP government unfettered access to all data in TikTok, no matter where the data is located.

The Committee maintained supreme access to all the company data, even data stored in the United States.

Roger Yu Yintao (left) and ByteDance founder, Zhang Yiming, at ByteDance, 2015

Allegedly, ByteDance was “aware that if the Chinese government’s backdoor was removed from the international / US version of the app, the Chinese government would, it feared, ban the company’s valuable Chinese-version apps”.

Roger Yu also accused ByteDance of scraping data from its competitors – mainly Instagram and Snapchat, without users’ permission. He claimed that ByteDance used software to “systematically” collect videos from its competitors, and repost them to its own platform using fake accounts, without their creators’ permission.

ByteDance Denies Allegations Of Backdoor Access For China

A ByteDance spokesperson has denied the allegations laid out in Roger Yu Jintao’s lawsuit, claiming that he only worked for a short time on an unrelated app called Flipagram, which was discontinued for business reasons.

We plan to vigorously oppose what we believe are baseless claims and allegations in this complaint.

Mr. Yu worked for ByteDance Inc. for less than a year and his employment ended in July 2018.

According to earlier reporting of Roger Yu Yintao’s lawsuit, he realised that ByteDance had been engaged for years in a “worldwide scheme” to steal and profit from content created on other platforms soon after he began his job.

In response to those allegations, the ByteDance spokesperson said that the company is “committed to respecting the intellectual property of other companies, and we acquire data in accordance with industry practices and our global policy.”

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OPPO Shuts Down Its Zeku Chip Design Division!

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OPPO just gave up on its custom chip aspirations, and has abruptly down its Zeku chip design division!

OPPO Shuts Down Its Zeku Chip Design Division!

OPPO has finally given up on its custom chip aspirations! The Chinese smartphone brand is shutting down its Zeku chip design division, which it established only a few years ago.

OPPO announced the decision abruptly in a short statement, and said that “the company will properly arrange related matters and continue to deliver great products and service to users worldwide“.

Due to the uncertainties in the global economy and the smartphone industry, we have to make difficult adjustments for long-term development. Therefore, the company has decided to cease the operation of Zeku.

This decision comes after rumours swirled that OPPO is preparing to withdraw from France, and even the whole of Europe by 30 June 2023. OPPO had earlier pulled its phones from Germany due to a legal spat with Nokia in 2022, and now OPPO France employees and partners claim that they were told to stop selling OPPO phones.

While OPPO finished Q1 2023 on a strong note – as the world’s 4th largest smartphone brand, its total shipments dropped 8%. That is better than the industry average – the global smartphone market shrank by 13% that quarter. It appears that OPPO believes global demand for smartphones will continue to be weak for quite some time to come…

Recommended : How To Link Multiple Phones On WhatsApp!

What Zeku Did For OPPO : A Short History

Zeku started in 2019 by designing co-processors for imaging and other components in OPPO smartphones, but have not been able to develop a full SoC. Its biggest success was, arguably, the MariSilicon X neural processing unit (NPU) which it introduced in December 2021.

Finalised after three years of research and development, the OPPO MariSiliconX was fabricated on the 6 nm process technology. It was designed as a dedicated imaging NPU, to accelerate AI noise reduction algorithms, and deliver greater dynamic range and better colour reproduction.

That NPU has been used in many OPPO flagship smartphones, including the latest OPPO Find N2 Flip. After that, Zeku introduced MariSilicon Y in late 2022 – a wireless audio SoC.

Despite Zeku not being able to deliver a full mobile SoC, OPPO was expected to invest more in chip design, both as a way to differentiate from other brands, as well as a way to avoid getting cut off chip supplies due to rising US-China tensions.

So the decision came as a surprise, especially when Zeku was still looking to hire more than 100 positions a month ago on LinkedIn!

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99 Speedmart Stops Using Single-Use Plastic Bags!

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99 Speedmart just stopped using single-use plastic bags! Here is what you need to know!

Claim : 99 Speedmart Is Charging RM2 For Plastic Bags!

People are sharing this warning on WhatsApp and social media, warning that 99 Speedmart is now charging RM2 for plastic bags, instead of the standard 20 sen rate.

To encourage customers to bring their own bags, starting from May 1st, Speedmart 99 will charge RM2 for their recycle bag instead of the usual 20 cents. Better bring ur own bag when shopping for groceries at 99.

Truth : 99 Speedmart Has Stopped Using Single-Use Plastic Bags!

This appears to be a misunderstanding of a new 99 Speedmart policy to stop using single-use plastic, and move to reusable bags. Here is what you need to know…

Fact #1 : Pollution Charge For Plastic Bags Is 20 Sen Minimum

In May 2022, all state governments in Malaysia agreed to implement a pollution charge on plastic bags, with a minimum charge of 20 sen each. This is part of the “No Plastic Bag Campaign” already carried out in Penang, Selangor and Johor since 2021.

Money collected from the pollution charge does not go to the business collecting them, but instead, goes to each state government.

Fact #2 : 99 Speedmart Stops Using Single-Use Plastic In May 2023

99 Speedmart announced on April 1, 2023, that it would stop using single-use plastic from 1 May 2023 onwards.

Say NO to plastic bag! 🌎
99 Speedmart will stop using single-use plastic bag effective from 1st May 2023. Customers are encourage to bring your own reusable bag or may purchase our “Bag for Life” with only RM2 at any 99 Speedmart outlets near you.
#saynotoplasticbag
#saveearth
#99Speedmart

Perhaps they should not have posted it on April 1, because apparently many people thought they were joking…

But I personally called 99 Speedmart and they confirmed that it is genuine. From 1 May 2023 onwards, they would no longer offer single-use plastic at their outlets, not even if you are willing to pay 20 sen each.

Fact #3 : 99 Speedmart Will Offer RM2 Bag For Life Instead

Instead of single-use plastic bags, 99 Speedmart will offer customers the option to purchase its Bag for Life for RM2 each.

The Bag for Life is a reusable bag that is not only larger, it can be used again and again. On top of that, it will be replaced for FREE if it’s damaged after months or years of use.

That’s why they are calling it Bag for Life – you pay RM2 for a lifetime of use with each reusable bag, which is truly a great initiative!

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You Can Renew Expired Driving Licence Without Retaking Test!

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You can now renew your long-expired Malaysian driving licence without retaking your driving test!

Amnesty For Expired Driving Licence!

On Wednesday, 3 May 2023, Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced an amnesty for those with expired driving licences. If you have a driving licence that expired as of January 1, 2018, you will be able to renew it without having to take a driving test.

Motorists with expired driving licences longer than a year will have until December 31, 2023, to renew their expired driving licences. The driving test requirement will apply again, from January 1, 2024 onwards.

The government decided to offer this amnesty because many Malaysian living abroad were unable to return during the COVID-19 pandemic to renew them.

We decided to allow the renewal of expired licences given the fact that many Malaysians living abroad were unable to do so during Covid-19 with the movement control order.

This amnesty will also begin on Monday, May 8, and end on December 31, 2023. Please note that this initiative only applies to Malaysian citizens, and not to foreigners holding special passes like the MyKAS card.

In addition, only those who have not been blacklisted by the police, or have any existing restrictions imposed by JPJ, and are free from any suspension due to a conviction or court order may renew their expired driving licence.

Earlier : Retake Driving Test If Licence Not Renewed On Time!

The Malaysia Road Transport Department (JPJ) had been warning motorists to renew their driving licences on time, or risk getting them revoked.

These are the four categories of expired licences that may be revoked, if they are not renewed in time :

Learner’s Driving Licence (LDL) : Up to 2 years
Probational Driving Licence (PDL) : More than 1 year
Competent Driving Licence (CDL) : More than 3 years
Public Service Vehicle / Goods Driving Licence (PSV / GDL) : More than 3 years

If your licence is revoked, you will need to undergo the full process to re-qualify and obtain a new licence.

The moratorium on revoking expired driving licences actually expired on 31 December 2021, but JPJ extended it to 30 June 2022 after discovering that hundreds of thousands of drivers have yet to renew their expired licences.

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You Can Now Renew Driving Licence For 10 Years With 10% Off!

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You can now renew your Malaysian driving licence for 10 years, with a 10% discount to boot!

You Can Renew Driving Licence For 10 Years With 10% Off!

On Wednesday, 3 May 2023, Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that you will now be able to renew your Malaysian driving licence for 10 years, with a 10% discount to boot!

This new initiative doubles the validity of your driving licence between renewals from 5 years. On top of that, motorists will get to enjoy a 10% discount on their renewal fees.

The only caveat is that your driving licence must not have expired for more than a year.

They will be charged the same fee of RM30 per year, but if they renew for 10 years at one go, the fee is RM270. This means they will only be paying for nine years.

Those who want to renew must ensure that their licence has not expired for more than a year.

You will be able to renew your driving licence for 10 years, and receive the 10% discount from Monday, May 8, 2023 onwards.

Amnesty For Expired Driving Licence!

The Minister also announced an amnesty for those with expired driving licences. If you have a driving licence that expired from January 1, 2018 onwards, you will be able to renew it without having to take a driving test.

Motorists with expired driving licences longer than a year will have until December 31, 2023, to renew their expired driving licences. The driving test requirement will apply again, from January 1, 2024 onwards.

For those who are not aware, the Road Transport Department can revoke your expired driving licence if you do not renew them on time. You will then have to undergo the full process to re-qualify and obtain a new licence.

These are the four categories of expired licences that may be revoked, if they are not renewed in time :

Learner’s Driving Licence (LDL) : Up to 2 years
Probational Driving Licence (PDL) : More than 1 year
Competent Driving Licence (CDL) : More than 3 years
Public Service Vehicle / Goods Driving Licence (PSV / GDL) : More than 3 years

This time, the government has decided to offer this amnesty because many Malaysian living abroad were unable to return during the COVID-19 pandemic to renew them.

We decided to allow the renewal of expired licences given the fact that many Malaysians living abroad were unable to do so during Covid-19 with the movement control order.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Malaysian Telcos Ban SMS Links To Prevent Scams!

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Malaysian telcos have started banning SMS links, as part of the MCMC’s initiative to prevent scams! Here is what you need to know!

Malaysian Telcos Ban SMS Links To Prevent Scams!

On Tuesday, 2 May 2023, four Malaysian telcos – Maxis, Celcom, Digital and U Mobile started banning SMS links, as part of the MCMC’s initiative to prevent scams.

From this day onwards, users will be blocked from sending or receiving SMS with a link. MCMC had earlier issued the directive to all telcos on February 14, 2023, but the ban on SMS links is only now being implemented.

The ban on SMS links is currently not mandatory for all telcos, and is being implemented in phases. Currently, the ban is limited to SMS between individuals.

Businesses using short codes like 6XXXX, 2XXXX and 1XXXX will eventually be banned from including a URL link in their SMS messages. They will be given time to switch to other methods to send promotional messages with links to their customers.

The MCMC has issued a directive to all telcos to block sending and receiving of SMS with URL link. The objective is to prevent users from becoming victims of online scams

MCMC issued the directive to all service providers on Feb 14 and is currently assessing the progress. For now, the block is still not mandatory.

The blocking of person-to-person SMS with URL links will take effect from 2 May 2023. For SMS sent by business via short codes such as 6XXXX, 2XXXX and 1XXXX, this will be done later and specific notification to business users will be sent.

Malaysia Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching said in February 2023 that blocking such SMS links will ensure that people won’t click on them and possibly end up as a scam victim.

Only SMS Links Banned, Links Via Other Platforms Still A Risk

While this measure is really helpful in reducing scams, the ban is limited to SMS links. Scammers can still send links through instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, etc.

That does not mean that links are inherently bad. Links in messages, even SMS messages, are mostly safe.

Perfectly Fine

Clicking on a link to read an article / terms and conditions of a promotion
Clicking on a link to enrol in a promotion which does not require you to log into any website
Clicking on a link to check in for a flight, or get a travel update

NEVER DO THIS

Clicking on a link to log into a bank website
Clicking on a link to make a purchase or payment
Clicking on a link to log into any account / email

Phishing attacks work by tricking you into going into a fake website that looks like the real website. But you still have to log into the fake website to give the scammers your login details.

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Microsoft : No More Windows 10 Updates, EOL In 2025!

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Microsoft will no longer issue major Windows 10 updates, and will end support for the operating system in October 2025!

Microsoft : No More Windows 10 Updates, EOL In 2025!

On Thursday, 27 April 2023, Microsoft announced that it will no longer issue any further major Windows 10 update. The current 22H2 version that was released in October 2022, and entered broad deployment on November 18, 2022, would be the final version of Windows 10.

In addition, Microsoft announced that all editions of Windows 10 will reach the end of support on October 14, 2025.

Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Enterprise
Windows 10 Education
Windows 10 Pro Education
Windows 10 Pro for Workstations
Windows 10 IoT Enterprise

However, Microsoft will continue to issue monthly security update releases (including Windows Defender updates) until that EOL date.

Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025. The current version, 22H2, will be the final version of Windows 10, and all editions will remain in support with monthly security update releases through that date. Existing LTSC releases will continue to receive updates beyond that date based on their specific lifecycles.

The only exception will be existing LTSC (Long Term Servicing Channel) releases – they will continue to receive updates beyond that EOL date, based on their specific lifecycles.

Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 : Jan. 9, 2029
Windows 10 IoT LTSC 2019 Core : Jan. 9, 2029
Windows 10 IoT Core LTSC : Jan. 9, 2029
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 : Jan. 12, 2027
Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2019 : Jan. 9, 2029
Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 : Jan. 13, 2032

Microsoft also took the opportunity to announce that two Windows 11 LTSC releases will be available in the second half of 2024:

Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC
Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC

Enterprise users who want to plan and test applications and hardware while waiting for a Windows 11 LTSC release, should start doing so with the current Windows 11 22H2 edition.

Microsoft : Please Upgrade Before Windows 10 EOL!

Microsoft is therefore encouraging users to transition to Windows 11, because it will no longer release any feature upgrades.

Despite Windows 11 being introduced over 1.5 years ago, many Windows 10 users still refuse to upgrade / migrate to Windows 11.

According to the both Steam Store’s March 2023 and StatCounter’s survey, more than 73% of Windows-based PCs are still running on Windows 10!

On its part, Microsoft stopped selling Windows 120 downloads in January 2023, but until Microsoft starts cutting off security updates in October 2025, there will be little impetus for Windows 10 users to migrate to Windows 11.

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Ethylene Oxide Found In Mi Sedaap Noodles Too!

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The Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) just announced that the carcinogenic ethylene oxide was also found in Mi Sedaap instant noodles! Here is what you need to know…

KKM Orders Recall Of Two Ah Lai + Indomie Instant Noodles

On Monday, 24 April 2023, the Taipei Department of Health announced that found the presence of carcinogenic ethylene oxide in “Ah Lai White Curry Noodles” from Malaysia, and “Indomie : Special Chicken Flavour” noodles from Indonesia.

Both instant noodles were ordered to be taken off the shelves, and its importers fined between NT$60,000 (US$1,960) and NT$200 million (US$6.5 million).

On 26 April, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) announced that its tests of Ah Lai White Curry Noodles samples showed that they comply with local legislation. However, to “ensure the continuous food safety control”, the Ministry ordered the voluntary recall of all “Ah Lai White Curry Noodles” batches that expire on 25 August 2023.

KKM also ordered the voluntary recall of all Indomie : Special Chicken Flavour noodles, and incoming batches will be tested before release at entry points into Malaysia.

KKM : Ethylene Oxide Found In Mi Sedaap Noodles Too!

KKM also informed the public that after all Mi Sedaap instant noodles produced in Indonesia were withdrawn in 2022 because they were found to contain ethylene oxide, its Food Safety and Quality Department had been conducting continuous monitoring of food sold in Malaysia, whether produced locally, or imported.

KKM shared that in its surveillance of 36 samples of instant noodles of various brands from 2022 until today, 11 samples of Mi Sedaap instant noodles were found to contain ethylene oxide, and enforcement action was taken, which may include issuing compounds, court action, as well as product recalls.

Last year, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) also ordered a recall of two Mi Sedaap instant noodles flavours – Korean Spicy Chicken and Korean Spicy Soup, with expiry dates of March 17 2023 and May 21 2023, due to the presence of ethylene oxide.

Those two products, fortunately, did not appear to have been imported into Malaysia, according to KKM.

The Risk Of Ethylene Oxide In Instant Noodles

At room temperature, ethylene oxide is a flammable colourless gas, with a sweet odour. It is often used as a pesticide and sterilising agent, but is considered a health risk if remnants remain on the food products.

The US EPA considers ethylene oxide to be carcinogenic to humans by the “inhalation route”, with exposure linked to an increased risk of lymphoid cancer, and breast cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies ethylene oxide as a Class 1 carcinogen. Due to its carcinogenic properties, the EU sets the limit for ethylene oxide very low, at just 0.02 mg/kg.

Over the years, ethylene oxide has been detected in instant noodles from different brands, which is why regular tests are important to make sure they remain below acceptable limits.

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Toxic Ethylene Oxide Found In Two Instant Noodles!

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Two instant noodles were just withdrawn after they were identified to contain toxic and carcinogenic ethylene oxide!

Toxic Ethylene Oxide Found In Two Instant Noodles!

On Monday, 24 April 2023, the Taipei Department of Health released the results of its 2023 inspection of instant noodles available in Taipei, in which it found that two types of instant noodles from Malaysia and Indonesia were found to contain the toxic and carcinogenic ethylene oxide.

In its statement, the Taipei Department of Health stated that a batch of “Ah Lai White Curry Noodles” from Malaysia, and a batch of “Indomie : Special Chicken Flavour” noodles from Indonesia both contain ethylene oxide – a chemical compound associated with lymphoma and leukaemia.

Tests conducted by the department detected ethylene oxide in both the noodles and the flavour packet of “Ah Lai White Curry Noodles“, but only in the flavour packet of “Indomie : Special Chicken Flavour” noodles.

Both instant noodles were ordered to be taken off the shelves, and its importers fined between NT$60,000 (US$1,960) and NT$200 million (US$6.5 million).

Chen Yi-ting (陳怡婷), who heads the Taipei Department of Health’s Food and Drug Division, said that they conducted the instant noodles inspection in the city by randomly selecting 30 products from supermarkets, convenience stores, hypermarkets, traditional wet markets, Southeast Asian food shops and wholesale importers.

On 26 April 2023, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) ordered a recall of both instant noodles. It also announced that ethylene oxide was found in 11 samples of the Mi Sedaap instant noodles earlier.

The Risk Of Ethylene Oxide In Instant Noodles

Over the years, ethylene oxide has been detected in instant noodles from different brands, which is why regular tests are important to make sure they remain below acceptable limits.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

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PM Anwar : Extra Public Holiday For Hari Raya 2023!

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The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, just announced that there will be extra day of public holiday for Hari Raya 2023!

Updated @ 2023-04-20 : Updated with the confirmed day of public holiday
Originally posted @ 2023-04-18

Extra Public Holiday For Hari Raya 2023 Confirmed!

On Thursday, 20 April 2023, the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal, Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad announced that Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2023 falls on Saturday, April 22.

In keeping with the command of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and with the consent of the Rulers, I hereby declare that the date for Hari Raya for the states in Malaysia has been set for Saturday, April 22, 2023

Now that Hari Raya 2023 has been confirmed to fall on Saturday, April 22, the extra day of public holiday will fall on Friday, April 21.

For the full list of school and public holidays for Hari Raya, please click here!

PM Anwar : Extra Public Holiday For Hari Raya 2023!

On Tuesday, 18 April 2023, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, announced that there will be an additional day of public holiday for Hari Raya 2023!

In his public announcement, he said that the extra day of public holiday will depend on the first day of Syawal:

Friday, April 21 is a public holiday if the first day of Syawal falls on Saturday, April 22
Monday, April 24 is a public holiday if the first day of Syawal falls on Friday, April 21

The International Astronomy Centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) predicted that the first day of Aidilfitri will fall on April 21.

The Prime Minister said the extra day of public holiday will make it easier for the public to make travel plans for the Hari Raya festivities.

This announcement only applies to Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan, based on Section 8 of the Holiday s Act 1951. Prime Minister Anwar said that it will be up to the Sabah and Sarawak state governments to declare the date for the public holiday accordingly.

He also announced four days of toll-free travel. But please be warned that during the Hari Raya 2023 festive season, seven traffic offences will be non-compoundable, and will be referred to the courts.

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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