Find out how to create, join, or quit the new WhatsApp Voice Chat feature for large groups!
WhatsApp Voice Chat : What Is It?
On 14 November 2023, WhatsApp launched a new Voice Chat feature for large groups of 33 to 256 participants.
Previously, both voice and video calls in groups were limited to 32 participants, so larger groups have to manually choose which users to include under that threshold. That changed with the new Voice Chat feature, which allows larger groups of 33 to 128 participants, albeit still far below the maximum limit of 1,024 members for every WhatsApp group.
Unlike voice calls, group members won’t receive any sound notifications of Voice Chats. Instead, when you start a Voice Chat, group members will see a pop-up window in the chat group. Group members can then choose to join the voice chat, or ignore it.
Please note that WhatsApp Voice Chat is only enabled for large groups with 33 to 256 participants. It will not appear in smaller, or much larger groups.
Here is how you can create a new Voice Chat in your group.
Step 1 : Open the WhatsApp group, in which you wish to start a Voice Chat.
Step 2 : Tap on the Voice Chat option on the upper right corner of the group chat. The icon has a blue audio wavelength symbol.
If you don’t see the Voice Chat icon, that likely means your WhatsApp group is too small (32 or fewer participants), or is much too large (257 or more participants).
Step 3 : A Voice Chat pop-up will appear at the bottom of the screen. Tap on Start voice chat to initiate the voice chat for the entire group.
That’s it! All members in that WhatsApp group will now see a notification about a Voice Chat, which they can join or simply ignore.
Once you wish to end the Voice Chat, simply tap on the red X icon on the pop-up.
As you can see, it’s easy to create a new Voice Chat, and to stop it once you are done.
If you find this guide useful, please share it with your family and friends!
As you can see, it’s easy to join and quit any Voice Chat in your WhatsApp group.
You can also see how the Voice chat option appears like a message in the group, allowing participants to ignore and continue with their posts, and replies.
If you find this guide useful, please share it with your family and friends!
WhatsApp Voice Chat : Some Important Notes
Please take note of these limitations or possible concerns:
Voice chats are only available for groups of 33 to 256 people.
This feature is only available on your primary device.
Group members not in the voice chat can see the profiles of those in the voice chat from the chat header and the Calls tab.
Voice chats will end automatically once everyone has left the chat. They’ll also end if no one joins the first or last person in the chat for 60 minutes.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Latest update @ 2024-02-28 : Added a new Steam special, and removed an expired special. Previous update @ 2024-01-10 : Added a new Steam special, and removed an expired special.
Note On Free Steam Game Specials
These specials are not DLCs, but consists of unique freebies like avatars, skins and stickers that are not available via other channels.
If you are looking for free Steam games or DLCs, they are available in our separate article – Latest FREE Steam Games! which features multiple sections below:
Free Steam Games Free Steam games that are normally paid, and/or offer +1
If you like our regularly updated list of free Steam specials, games and DLCs, please support our work! Don’t forget to also share this list of free Steam specials with your friends!
Thank you, and happy gaming!
Free Steam Game Specials
Steam Game Special #1 : Dinos vs Robots Fest
In conjunction with its Dinos vs Robots Fest at the all-new Steam Points Shop, Steam is giving away three freebies – two Animated Avatars, and an Animated Sticker! This offer is good from now until 10 AM PT on 4 March 2024!
To get your free Steam Dinos vs. Robots freebies, just follow these steps:
Click on the free Robo Call Animated Avatar, and click on the blue Free button in the pop-up screen.
Click on the free Dino Roar Animated Avatar, and click on the blue Free button in the pop-up screen.
Click on the free Robo Rodeo Animated Sticker, and click on the blue Free button in the pop-up screen.
That’s it!
Steam Game Special #2 : Friends of Chirper for Cities: Skylines II
Raise a city from the ground up and transform it into a thriving metropolis with the most realistic city builder ever.
Push your creativity and problem-solving to build on a scale you’ve never experienced. With deep simulation and a living economy, this is world-building without limits.
To redeem Friends of Chirper for Cities: Skylines II, follow these steps:
Log into your Paradox Interactive account, or create a new one.
Click on the Redeem option at the top of the screen.
Key in this code – CHIRPERISBACK and click on the Redeem button.
Once you see the message “You have successfully redeemed your code for: Friends of Chirper – Cities: Skylines II“, it has been added to your account.
In addition, you can get “extra gifts” for Cities: Skylines II when it releases, if you connect your Cities: Skylines account to your Paradox Interactive account.
Steam Game Special #3 : Dying Light 2 Demolisher Avatar
Humanity is fighting a losing battle against the virus. Experience a post-apocalyptic open world overrun by hordes of zombies, where your parkour and combat skills are key to survival. Traverse the City freely during the day, but watch the monsters take over during the night!
During the Steam Summer 2023 sale, Techland is giving away a special Demolisher Avatar for FREE! Here is how you can get the Demolisher Avatar for Dying Light 2!
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Scroll down to the Fighting Style quiz at the bottom of the page
Answer the 8-question quiz in any manner you prefer.
Once you are done, click on the Submit Responses button. If you want to change anything, you can still do so by clicking on Redo Responses.
Once you click on the Submit Responses button, a pop-up window will appear. Click on the Confirm button to proceed.
That’s it! You will now receive the Demolisher Avatar! Note – this avatar is not tradable or marketable.
Steam Game Special #4 : Redfall Animated Chat Stickers
The open-world FPS game, Redfall, has just launched, and Arkane + Bethesda Softworks are giving out animated chat stickers!
To get one of those four chat stickers for free, all you have to do is complete a simple personality quiz to determine which of the Redfall heroes you are most like:
The island town of Redfall, Massachusetts, is under siege by a legion of vampires who have blocked out the sun and cut the citizens off from the outside world. Created by science experiments gone wrong and gifted with psychic abilities, Redfall’s vampires will challenge you and your squad to get creative. You will choose from a team of diverse heroes – each with their own character-specific abilities – to overcome the vampire legion and their brood of maniacal followers. Who do you play first?
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Scroll down to the quiz, and select your preferred answers to the 8 questions.
Once you are done, click on the Submit Responses button. If you want to change anything, you can still do so by clicking on Redo Responses.
Once you click on the Submit Responses button, a pop-up window will appear. Click on the Confirm button to proceed.
That’s it! You will now receive one of these four animated chat stickers. Do note that they appear to be issued randomly, regardless of your answers. They are also not tradable or marketable.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
The new Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra offers two refresh rate options (Settings > Display > Motion smoothness) for its display:
Adaptive : Get smoother animation and scrolling by automatically adjusting your screen refresh rate up to 120 Hz
Standard : Get longer battery life by automatically adjusting your screen refresh rate up to 60 Hz
By default, the Galaxy S24 Ultra uses the Adaptive mode for smoother graphics, but you can choose to switch to the Standard mode for a longer battery life.
While the display may be capable of going as low as 1 Hz, it never went that low. When I tested the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s display in multiple apps, this was what both refresh rate options did:
Adaptive : The display dynamically switches between 24 Hz, and 120 Hz (occasionally 60 Hz, and 80 Hz).
Standard : The display dynamically switches between 24 Hz, and 60 Hz
In the next section, we will look at how the two refresh rate options affect the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s battery life.
To test its battery life, we turned off Automatic Brightness, to fix the brightness level and make sure the screen brightness does not change as the ambient brightness changes.
We also set its display brightness to 50%, which is slightly higher than the average indoor brightness level of 40% during the day.
We then ran the PCMark Work 3.0 battery life test until its battery capacity dropped to 20% several times, and this was the best result we obtained with the Standard and Adaptive refresh rates :
Look at that! The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra lasted almost 14 hours with the Adaptive refresh mode enabled, and lasted almost 16.5 hours with the Standard refresh mode!
This is a 6-7% improvement in battery life over last year’s Galaxy S23 Ultra – approximately an extra hour of battery life, at the same battery capacity. Very nice!
Now, let’s compare its battery life at 60 Hz and 120 Hz, against the Z Flip5, the S23 Ultra, and the S22 Ultra smartphones.
Standard Refresh Rate (60 Hz)
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra naturally has the best battery life with the refresh rate set to 60 Hz (Standard) – lasting just under 16.5 hours.
Even though it runs on powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is more power-efficient than Samsung’s older flagship devices like the Z Flip5, the S23 Ultra, and the S22 Ultra.
Work 3.0
S24 Ultra
S23 Ultra
S22 Ultra
Z Flip 5
Battery Capacity
5,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
3,700 mAh
Battery Life
16 hrs 25 mins
15 hrs 18 mins
14 hrs 15 mins
11 hrs 4 mins
Utilisation
per min.
4.06 mAh
4.36 mAh
4.68 mAh
4.46 mAh
Adaptive Refresh Rate (120 Hz)
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s Adaptive refresh rate is so efficient, it lasts almost 14 hours. Even so, the higher refresh rate uses a significant amount of power.
Even with the same battery capacity and similar Adaptive Mode enabled, the Galaxy S24 Ultra uses 6% less power than the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and 23% less power than the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra supports up to 45 watts of wired fast charging, but unfortunately, does not come with the charger in-the-box.
So we tested it using the standard 15 watt and 25 watt Samsung fast chargers that shipped with their previous smartphones, which is what we believe most users will end up doing.
Charging Speed
S22 Ultra
S24 Ultra
S23 Ultra
S24 Ultra
Z Flip 5
Z Flip 5
Battery Capacity
5,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
3,700 mAh
3,700 mAh
Charger Output
15 watts
25 watts
15 watts
15 watts
25 watts
15 watts
Charging Time
64.5 min
68 min
88.8 min
106.5 min
105 min
129.5 min
Charging Speed
(per minute)
62.0 mAh
58.8 mAh
45.0 mAh
37.6 mAh
28.2 mAh
22.9 mAh
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra charges really fast with a 15 watt charger, and even faster with a 25 watt charger. It basically needs just over 1.75 hours to fully recharge with a 15 watt charger, and just over one hour with a 25 watt charger.
This gives us a battery life to recharging time ratio of about 7.8:1 (15 watt), or 12.2:1 (25 watt), which is good. You basically get about an hour’s worth of battery life for every 8 minutes you recharge at 15 watts, or 5 minutes at 25 watts.
If you prefer to get faster charging, you should purchase the optional 25 watt USB-C super fast charger. It will cut your charging time by a considerable 38.5 minutes for a full recharge:
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Let’s take a look at the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphone, which is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile SoC!
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra : Flagship Class Performance!
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is powered exclusively by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, which has a slightly overclocked prime core. It has eight processor cores in a quad-cluster architecture:
1 x Arm Cortex-X4 core (3.39 GHz, instead of 3.3 GHz)
3 x Arm Cortex-A720 cores
2 x Arm Cortex-A720 cores
2 x Arm Cortex-A520 cores
This mobile SoC also comes with the Qualcomm Adreno 750 GPU which supports ray-tracing, an improved Hexagon NPU, and the Snapdragon X75 5G modem that supports Sub-6Ghz and mmWave connectivity.
We first tested the Galaxy S24 Ultra using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browsing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
Work 3.0
S23
Ultra
S24
Ultra
Z Flip
5
Z Flip
4
S23 FE
Mobile Platform
SD 8
Gen 2
SD 8 Gen 3
SD 8
Gen 2
SD 8+
Gen 1
Exynos
2200
Performance Score
16408
14931
14655
14429
13971
Web Browsing
15680
11663
11404
12097
11664
Video Editing
7879
6474
7943
7387
7369
Writing
22257
20333
19525
17593
18138
Photo Editing
35533
34350
324420
31762
27060
Data Manipulation
12171
14070
11788
12523
12616
Interestingly, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 was much slower than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 used in last year’s Galaxy S23 Ultra, and just barely faster than the SD 8 Gen 2 used in the Galaxy Z Flip5.
I should point out that these are peak performance results. The truth is – you won’t be able to actually tell the difference between all these flagship-class mobile processors in normal usage. They are all really fast.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra : Storage Performance
PCMark also has an Android Storage 2.0 benchmark that measures the smartphone’s storage I/O performance.
Storage 2.0
Z Flip
5
S23
Ultra
S24
Ultra
S23 FE
Z Flip
4
Mobile Platform
SD 8
Gen 2
SD 8
Gen 2
SD 9
Gen 3
Exynos
2200
SD 8+
Gen 1
Storage Score
48435
41647
33005
31839
27271
Sequential Read (MB/s)
2676.53
2592.42
2907.37
1584.66
1350.51
Random Read (MB/s)
49.95
38.25
60.98
31.25
33.94
Sequential Write (MB/s)
2631.38
603.29
3084.95
510.16
256.81
Random Write (MB/s)
76.66
81.44
106.34
81.13
50.29
Samsung appeared to be using faster flash storage in the Galaxy S24 Ultra. However, its overall storage score was lower than the S23 Ultra and Z Flip5, due to much slower database read and write speeds.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra : Gaming Performance
For gaming, we tested the Galaxy S24 Ultra using 3DMark, with these results :
3DMark
S24
Ultra
S23
Ultra
Z Flip
5
Z Flip
4
S23 FE
Mobile Platform
SD 8
Gen 3
SD 8
Gen 2
SD 8
Gen 2
SD 8+
Gen 1
Exynos
2200
Solar Bay Unlimited
8576
NA
5481
NA
4570
Wild Life Extreme
Unlimited
5020
3814
3705
2636
2233
Wild Life Unlimited
20534
14554
14823
11144
8671
Sling Shot Extreme
Unlimited
19653
13904
13558
6912
9484
Sling Shot Unlimited
22656
16344
16661
10690
11348
Where the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra really shines is in its gaming performance. Its Adreno 750 GPU not only supports ray tracing, it does a fantastic job of delivering top-notch 3D graphics performance.
Not only does it have a faster GPU, the Samsung S24 Ultra also has a 90% larger vapour chamber that allows it to better sustain peak performance during intense gaming sessions.
Although ray tracing games are far and few in between for now, the new Solar Bay benchmark shows that the Galaxy S24 Ultra delivers 56% better 3D with ray tracing performance than the Galaxy Z Flip5, and 88% better performance. than the Galaxy S23 FE!
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra : Overall Performance
We then tested the Galaxy S24 Ultra using AnTuTu, yielding these results :
AnTuTu
S24
Ultra
S23
Ultra
Z Flip
5
S23 FE
Z Flip
4
Device
SD 8
Gen 3
SD 8
Gen 2
SD 8
Gen 2
Exynos
2200
SD 8+
Gen 1
AnTuTu Score
1826776
1212174
1187296
1166868
856357
CPU
456400
261886
393404
329078
205939
GPU
682555
538823
282780
425455
362669
Memory
380519
236163
291048
193981
135707
UX
307302
175302
220064
218354
152042
Will you look at that? The AnTuTu benchmark shows that the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a solid 50% faster than the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip 5 – both powered by last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Very nice!
But note that its temperature jumped by almost 12°C! At peak performance, the Galaxy S24 Ultra can get really toasty!
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Performance Summary
There is no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra offers top-notch performance, thanks to its use of a slightly overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, and a 90% larger vapour chamber.
It shows in the benchmarks – the Galaxy S24 Ultra topped all of the benchmarks, except for work performance. It is particularly strong in 3D graphics and ray tracing performance. With gaming performance like this, dedicated gaming smartphones seem rather pointless.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra : Price + Colour Options
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is available in four main colours:
Titanium Black
Titanium Gray
Titanium Violet, and
Titanium Yellow
Here are the official launch prices for the three available storage capacities:
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
In addition to those four main colours, you can also buy the Galaxy S24 Ultra in these three special colours, which are available exclusively through the Samsung.com website:
Titanium Green
Titanium Orange, and
Titanium Blue
In addition to those four main colours, you can also buy the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ in these three special colours, which are available exclusively through the Samsung.com website:
Jade Green
Sandstone Orange, and
Sapphire Blue
Samsung Galaxy S24 Series : Price + Storage Options
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with 12 GB of RAM, and storage options of 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB. Here are the official launch prices for the three available storage capacities:
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (S24+) comes with 12 GB of RAM, and storage options of 256 GB, and 512 GB. Here are the official launch prices for the two available storage capacities:
The Samsung Galaxy S24 comes with 8 GB of RAM, and storage options of 256 GB, and 512 GB. Here are the official launch prices for the two available storage capacities:
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Samsung just launched the new Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphone, and here is our comparison of all four main colours!
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra : 4 Main Colours Compared!
Samsung just launched the new Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphone, and it will be available in four main colours with a matte finish :
Titanium Black
Titanium Gray
Titanium Violet, and
Titanium Yellow
The names of those colours are a nod towards the titanium frame that protects the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, but is not available base and Plus models.
Ahead of the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s official launch, we were given special access to all four main colours that will be offered through retail stores, including Samsung Experience Stores.
Take a look at all four colours, and let us know which you prefer!
In addition to the four main colours, Samsung will also make these three special colours available exclusively through online orders on the Samsung.com website:
Titanium Green
Titanium Orange, and
Titanium Blue
However, I have no idea if these three special colours are readily available for the pre-order, or will be held back until after the pre-order period.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra : Same Price For All Colours!
Regardless of the colour you prefer, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will only vary in price according to storage capacity.
Here are the official launch prices for the three available storage capacities:
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Series : Price + Storage Options
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with 12 GB of RAM, and storage options of 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB. Here are the official launch prices for the three available storage capacities:
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (S24+) comes with 12 GB of RAM, and storage options of 256 GB, and 512 GB. Here are the official launch prices for the two available storage capacities:
The Samsung Galaxy S24 comes with 8 GB of RAM, and storage options of 256 GB, and 512 GB. Here are the official launch prices for the two available storage capacities:
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Update @ 2024-01-17 : Added a new free game, and removed two expired games, and three expired DLCs!
Note On Free Steam Games + DLCs
Please note that some of these games are not directly available on the Steam store. Please follow the instructions below, to redeem these games on the Steam store.
If any of the Steam games or DLCs are no longer free, please just let us know so we can remove them. If you know of any free Steam games or DLCs we should add to this database, do let us know!
Because there are so many free Steam games and DLCs, we have divided them into sections, so it’s easier for you.
Free Steam Games Free Steam games that are normally paid, and/or offer +1
Finally, you can look at our 2023 list of free Steam games and DLCs for older free games and DLCs that may still be free.
If you like our regularly updated list of free Steam games and DLCs, please support our work! Don’t forget to also share this list of free Steam games and DLCs with your friends!
Thank you, and enjoy all these free Steam games and DLCs!
Steam Games That Are Free To Download + Keep!
Free Steam Game #1 : Avalon Lords: Dawn Rises
Avalon Lords: Dawn Rises is a medieval real-time-strategy game set in the lands of Spero during the Order of Dawn’s rise to power.
During its Early Access launch, the game will feature three multiplayer combat modes, and post-launch, we will be adding single-player campaign modes.
Avalon Lords: Dawn Rises is currently a free-to-play Early Access game, but its developer – Animus Interactive, is making it a paid game soon, with new enhancements.
But if you get it now (while it remains free), it will remain yours to keep, even after it becomes a paid game.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
That’s it! It has now been added to your Steam account, and you can download and install it anytime after this.
Free Steam Game #2 : You Are A Pilot
In an alternative universe where humankind did not create a wheel, you are a pilot who drives jet-powered flying car.
The pilot always has a job. To earn money for food, you can: deliver various goods, try your luck in crazy death racers, drive taxi, or or pursue a career in science.
You Are A Pilot is currently a free to play game, but its developer – Gunter Games – announced that it will be transitioning to a Paid game for $2 on 19 January 2024.
If you get it now while it’s free, it will remain yours even after it becomes a paid game, so get it ASAP:
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
That’s it! It has now been added to your Steam account, and you can download and install it anytime after this.
Free Steam Game #3 : Head 2 Head
Welcome to the Realm of the Master Mind, a sacred realm where the greatest warriors of all time gather to master the ultimate fighting style know as ALL HEAD JITSU!
In order to practice this supernatural art, a Head Hunter must offer their own head (and all of the knowledge within it) to gain access to the power to use any head they desire.
Head 2 Head is currently a free to play game, but its developer – ArcForged – announced that it will be transitioning to a Paid game at $14.99 with more features.
If you get it now while it’s free, it will remain yours even after it becomes a paid game, so get it ASAP:
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
That’s it! It has now been added to your Steam account, and you can download and install it anytime after this.
Free Steam Game #4 : Case #1472
A mysterious woman is sitting in front of you. Who is she? And who are you? And why are you both there?
Case #1472 is mystery information digging interrogation thriller game where there are more things going on than what meets the eye, but are you able to unravel what has happened?
Case #1472 is currently a free Early Access Game, but its developer, Broken at Release, is planning to make it a Paid game once it’s finished sometime in “a few months”.
So get this game now while it’s still a free Early Access Game, and the full, final game will be yours when it’s finally released in “a few months”!
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
That’s it! It has been added to your Steam account!
Free Steam Game #5 : モールス信号で愛を伝えよ (Japanese Morse Code)
This game is a practice game of Japanese Morse code.
A game developed for such people is “Tell me your love with Morse code.”It’s called “Morse Legend Game” for short.
If you use this, you can easily practice Morse code.The operation is simple and just press the SPACE key.Now you can easily express your love to your loved ones in Morse code
This is currently a free game, but its developer, INORK Game, is planning to make it a Paid game in a week. If you get this game while it’s still free, it will remain yours when it becomes a paid game!
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
To celebrate the third anniversary of 3on3 FreeStyle, Joycity prepared a bunch of in-game goodies that will surely make your 3on3 experience even more remarkable!
Click on the Download button to add the DLC to your account.
That’s it! They are both part of your Steam account, and you can download and install them anytime you want!
F2P Steam Game + DLC #2 : World of Tanks + Snatch Gift Pack
This exclusive DLC features essential supplies so you can be prepared for any battle! Seize the opportunity to equip your arsenal with the “Snatch Gift Pack” DLC, available for a limited 14-day period.
This bundle contains:
3 projection decals: “Good Luck Charm”
3 Large Repair Kits
3 Large First Aid Kits
3 Automatic Fire Extinguishers
Make sure you follow these steps to get this game and the DLC for FREE by January 24, 2024.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
That’s it! Both the base game and the free My First Pet Stuff Pack are now in your Steam account, and you can download and install them anytime you want!
Free DLCs For Paid Steam Games!
Free Steam DLC #1 : Coming Soon
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Find out how to renew your Malaysian passport online through the MyOnline Passport service in 2024!
You Must Renew Your Malaysian Passport Online!
MyOnline Passport is a service by the Immigration Department of Malaysia, which allows you to renew your Malaysian passports online.
On 11 May 2022, the Immigration Department stopped allowing most people to walk-in for their passport renewal. Except for a selected group of people, everyone else must renew their passports online.
The MyOnline Passport service was originally designed by the Immigration Department of Malaysia as a convenient, online way for people to renew their Malaysian international passports.
However, it is now the only way to renew your Malaysian passport for most people, from 11 May 2022 onwards. Here is what you need to know about the process.
Only For International Passport Renewals
The first thing you must be aware is that MyOnline Passport can only be used to renew existing international passports issued by the Immigration Department of Malaysia.
You cannot use it to apply for a new passport, or to replace a stolen or damaged passport. You also cannot use it to renew special or restricted passports.
To apply for a new passport, or to replace a stolen / damaged passport, or renew special or restricted passports, you must walk-in.
Children who are less than 13 years old, special needs individuals, and those performing the Haj, must also walk-in to renew their passports.
Who Can Apply For Online Passport Renewal?
The MyOnline Passport service is only open to applicants 13 years and older, with existing Malaysian e-passports (passport with microchip).
Underaged applicants (13-18 years old) must have the consent of their parent(s) / legal guardian(s) to apply online, and the parent(s) / legal guardian(s) must be present during the collection of passport.
Can Overseas Citizens Use MyOnline Passport?
This service is also open to Malaysian citizens living overseas, with collection centres in these countries :
If you submit the online application before 3 PM on a working day, you will be able to collect the new passport on the same day.
If you submit the online application after 3 PM on a working day, or anytime during a holiday, you can collect the new passport after 10 AM on the following working day.
Where Do You Collect The Passport?
Applicants can collect their renewed passports from a Passport Recipient and Issuance Office of their choice, from a list in the system.
The collection date and time will be provided, depending on the date and time the application was submitted.
How Much Does It Cost?
The MyOnline Passport service is free. You only need to pay for the standard Malaysian international passport renewal fees :
13 to 59 Years Old : RM200
Above 60 Years Old : RM100
Payment must be made via a credit card or debit card / direct debit (FPX) on the website.
Key in your 12-digit MyKad identity card number (without dash).
Click on the Check button.
If you get the green No restriction result, then you may apply to renew your passport online.
What Is Required To Submit An Application?
Here is what you need to have, before applying for online renewal of your Malaysian international passport.
an existing Malaysia e-passport (passport with microchip) that is not defaced or water-damaged
a digital passport-sized photo with these specifications :
a) background must be white, and without shadows (coloured backgrounds will not be accepted)
b) applicants must wear dark clothing that cover the shoulders and chest.
c) applicants who wear a scarf or hijab must wear dark-coloured scarf / hijab, and it must not cover the face.
d) uploaded photo must have been taken at a professional photo studio, in the format provided by the photo studio. Polaroid photos will not be accepted.
e) applications that do not meet these specifications will be put on-hold, resulting in delayed issuance and collection.
f) you may have your passport photo taken at the Passport Recipient and Issuance Office you selected to collect your passport, if your passport photo does not meet the required specifications
a valid credit card / debit card / online bank account to make the required payment
In addition, you must be sure that :
you are able to physically collect the new passport in-person (a representative may not collect for you)
for underaged applicants : both applicant and parent(s) / legal guardian(s) must be present to collect the new passport
Passport Photo Specifications
Here are the latest specifications for online submission of passport photos (source | source):
Background must be white and without shadows. Coloured backgrounds will not be accepted.
Applicants are required to wear dark clothing that cover the shoulders and chest.
Applicants may wear dark-coloured scarfs or hijabs but they must not cover the face.
Applicants must not wear glasses, coloured contact lenses, or hair/head accessories. Hair should not cover the face.
Applicants must look directly at the camera, with both eyes open, and the mouth closed.
You must take the photo at a professional photo studio, and upload the soft copy in the format provided by the photo studio. Polaroid pictures will not be accepted.
If the photo you upload do not meet the specifications, your application will be put on-hold, and you will be asked to resubmit the photo, or get one taken at a passport office.
Finally, when it’s time to collect your renewed passport, please make sure you bring :
your MyKad identification card
your existing Malaysian international passport
the payment receipt issued by the system
for underaged applicants : your parent(s) / legal guardian(s) must bring your Birth Certificate
You cannot send a representative to collect your passport. If you fail to bring the necessary documents, or collect your passport in person, the renewed passport will not be released.
Underage applicants must be accompanied by their parent(s) / legal guardian(s), or their renewed passport will not be released.
You may make multiple passport renewals, but you must submit one application per person.
Please avoid registering from 10:55 PM to 12:30 AM, because that’s when the system undergoes daily maintenance and no payment can be processed during that time.
If You Get An Error Message…
If you get an error message while making payment, please contact your bank for further instructions.
If your photo was rejected, you can upload a new photo, or have your passport photo taken at the Passport Recipient and Issuance Office you selected to collect your passport.
If you get this error message – “Kindly contact the Immigration Department of Malaysia”, it means your online application was unsuccessful for one of these reasons :
The file containing your fingerprint was damaged or deleted. You will be required to go to the passport office to have your fingerprint taken again, to avoid problems at the airport arrival / departure gates.
Your application does not meet with the specifications listed on MyOnline Passport.
The information provided was inaccurate, and/or contradicts the information in the Immigration Department system.
How To Resubmit Photo / Supporting Documents
If you need to resubmit your photo or supporting documents, please use these links :
Please use this link to check your passport renewal status.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Find out how to register for your PADU Central Database Hub account, so you can check and update your information!
PADU Central Database Hub : What Is It?
Malaysia introduced the PADU Central Database Hub – on Tuesday, 2 January 2024. Developed in just 7 months, PADU is designed to give the government a better way to distribute subsidies, and make other policy decisions going forward.
PADU accomplishes this by combining data from over 400 government agencies, and related organisations, into one central database, hence its name – Pangkalan Data Utama (PADU), or Central Database Hub in English.
The Malaysian government has currently made PADU open to Malaysian citizens and permanent residents, who are 18 years and older. However, it is not mandatory for anyone to register for a PADU account.
Registering for a PADU account will allow you to check and update your information in the system. But even if you do not register for an account – PADU will automatically consolidate your data from multiple government agencies.
Step 2 : Key in your basic information in the registration form:
Nama Penuh / Full Name
No. Kad Pengenalan / Identity Card Number
Poskod / Postcode
No. Telefon Bimbit / Mobile Telephone Number
E-mel / Email address
Then click on the Seterusnya / Next button.
Step 3 : The PADU system will send your mobile number a One-Time Password (OTP). Key in the OTP number, and click on the Seterusnya / Next button.
Step 4 : You will now be asked to create a password for your PADU account. Make sure your password meets these minimum requirements:
it must have at least 8 characters
there must be a combination of capital and small letters
you must include at least one special character like @$!%*$?&
Step 5 : Key in the same password to make sure it’s correct. You can click on the eye button to view the password. Then click on the Seterusnya / Next button.
Step 6 : The PADU system will generate a QR code, which changes over time. Open your smartphone camera app, and aim it at the QR code.
Alternatively, you can use a QR code reader on your smartphone to read the generated QR code.
Step 7 : When the link pops-up in your smartphone’s camera app or QR code reader, click on it to launch the e-KYC (electronic Know Your Customer) process.
Step 8 : You will now be asked to take and upload photos of both the front and back of your MyKad identity card.
Please make sure you do this in a bright area, as you should not use a flash.
You need to avoid glare – light reflecting off the plastic MyKad.
You need to make sure the MyKad is within the dotted-line frame, when you take the photos.
You also need to make sure the MyKad is in focus when you take the photos.
Note that there is a magnification feature at the upper right corner, that allows you to zoom in at up to 2.5X. This is actually a very useful feature.
After trying it out, I found that the best way to avoid shadows is to use the maximum 2.5X magnification feature to take the photo of the MyKad from a distance.
Reflections on the plastic MyKad is a problem. But you can avoid the glare by taking the photos at a slight angle.
Step 9 : Next, you will be asked to take a selfie using your smartphone, and upload it.
Even though there is the same option to zoom in with a magnification of up to 2.5X, don’t use it. Keep it at 1X.
There is no requirement to take the photo with a white background. You just need to make sure you take the selfie in a bright area, so there is no need to use a flash (to avoid glare).
You will need to make sure your face is within the dotted line frame, before you take the photo. Make sure you are looking forward, with your eyes opened. If you are wearing glasses, please take them off to avoid glare.
Note : Samsung smartphone users may notice that the system hangs with the “Trying to access lens” message. You can either wait a few minutes, or click on the Tukar Lens (Change Lens) option at the top left corner of the screen.
That’s it! After you upload photos of your identity card, and your selfie, you will receive a message stating that PADU will need up to 3 days to verify your identity, and will inform you when your account has been successfully created.
All you need to do is wait for the email or SMS notification. Once you receive the notification, you can proceed to log into your PADU account using the password you registered at https://www.padu.gov.my/.
We hope you found this guide useful. Please SHARE this article with your family and friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Epic Games Christmas 2023 + New Year 2024 Free Games!
Just like last year, Epic Games is giving away a slew of games for Christmas 2023 and New Year 2024!
Here is the list of FREE games that Epic Games will give away for just 24 hours, every day from 15 December 2023, until 11 January 2024!
Free Epic game on 13-20 December : Destiny 2: Legacy Collection
Create your Guardian and embark on a cinematic story in an evolving universe filled with a variety of co-op missions and PvP modes. This edition includes The Witch Queen, Beyond Light, and Shadowkeep.
Play through three epic campaigns, unlock 37 Exotic weapons, 15 Exotic pieces of armor, and the power of Stasis, allowing you to lock down and control the battlefield. This collection includes:
Action fighting at its extreme! One of the most popular and widely played RPGs in the world, Dungeon and Fighter is now back as a 2.5D action fighting game.
Choose from 16 charming characters, each with their distinct skills and personalities. Outsmart, outplay, or downright beat up your opponents and become the master of the Ultimate Will!
Online Mode: Ranked Match, Player Match, Ranking
Local Mode: Free Battle, Story Mode, Arcade Mode, Survival Mode
Practice Mode: Training Mode, Tutorial
Collection: Player Profile, Replay Library, Gallery, Glossary
Inspired by RuneScape, Melvor Idle takes the core of what makes an adventure game so addictive and strips it down to its purest form! This is a feature-rich, idle/incremental game combining a distinctly familiar feel with a fresh gameplay experience.
art of rally is a stylized experience inspired by the golden era of rally from the creator of Absolute Drift. Race across the world through colorful and stylized environments in top-down view. Will you master the art of rally?
Free Epic game on 24-25 December : Ghostwire: Tokyo
Tokyo is overrun by deadly supernatural forces, perpetrated by a dangerous occultist, causing Tokyo’s population to vanish in an instant.
Ally with a powerful spectral entity on their quest for vengeance and master a powerful arsenal of abilities to unravel the dark truth behind the disappearance as you FACE THE UNKNOWN in Ghostwire: Tokyo.
Free Epic game on 25-26 December : The Outer World: Spacer’s Choice Edition
The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is the ultimate way to play the award-winning RPG from Obsidian Entertainment and Private Division.
The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition includes the base game and all add-on content as the definitive way to play the beloved RPG from Obsidian Entertainment.
Free Epic game on 26-27 December : Human Resource Machine
Human Resource Machine is a puzzle game for nerds. In each level, your boss gives you a job. Automate it by programming your little office worker. If you succeed, you’ll be promoted up to the next level for another year of work in the vast office building. Congratulations!
Cursed to Golf offers a fresh take on the golfing and roguelike subgenres. Make your way through a hole within the PAR Count or your curse will take you back to the beginning of the course!
To add to the challenge, these courses don’t just have bunkers and rough spots but are also chock full of mad obstacles like high powered fans, spikes, TNT boxes, teleporters and a whole load more. It’s all par for the course in this twisted take on the classic game!
Cat Quest is an open world RPG set in the pawsome world of cats!
Leap into a grand adventure in purrsuit of the evil Drakoth and your catnapped sister! Explore Felingard’s huge overworld map, risk life and limb delving into dungeons for epic loot, and lend a paw to a furry cast of characters in a flurry of side quests.
Free Epic game on 30-31 December : Snakebird Complete
Introducing Snakebird Complete: The Ultimate Snakebird Experience!
Embark on an extraordinary puzzle-solving adventure bringing together hit classic Snakebird and Snakebird Primer, offering the complete Snakebird experience in a single, comprehensive package.
Free Epic game on 31 December – 1 : Saints Row + 5 DLCs
Experience the biggest and best Saints Row playground ever created; the unique sprawling world of Santo Ileso is the backdrop for a wild, larger than life sandbox of thrilling side hustles, criminal ventures and blockbuster missions, as you shoot, drive, and wingsuit your way to the top.
Download it here! Don’t forget to also pick up the five free DLCs too:
Hexy Halloween Cosmetic Pack
Dead Island 2 Free Cosmetic Pack
SteelSeries Free Cosmetic Pack
Festive Felonies Free Cosmetic Pack
Front to Back Cosmetic Pack
Free Epic game on 1-2 January : Ghostrunner
Ghostrunner is a hardcore FPP slasher packed with lightning-fast action, set in a grim, cyberpunk megastructure.
Climb Dharma Tower, humanity’s last shelter, after a world-ending cataclysm. Make your way up from the bottom to the top, confront the tyrannical Keymaster, and take your revenge.
Welcome to Escape Academy. Train to become the ultimate Escapist. Solve Puzzles. Hack Servers. Meet the Faculty. Brew the perfect cup of tea. Escape Rooms in single player or co-op with a friend – local or online!
Free Epic game on 3-4 January : 20 Minutes Until Dawn
Face an onslaught of endless hordes and outlast the night in 20 Minutes Till Dawn. Create dynamic builds from a variety of weapons, runes, and special abilities in order to survive for 20 minutes.
Are you strong enough to see daylight once again, or will you allow the creatures of the night to consume you?
Free Epic game on 4-5 January : A Plague Tale: Innocence
Follow the grim tale of young Amicia and her little brother Hugo, in a heartrending journey through the darkest hours of history.
Hunted by Inquisition soldiers and surrounded by unstoppable swarms of rats, Amicia and Hugo will come to know and trust each other. As they struggle to survive against overwhelming odds, they will fight to find purpose in this brutal, unforgiving world.
Free Epic game on 5-11 January : Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Fire up Star-Lord’s jet boots for a wild ride across the cosmos in this third-person action-adventure game, a fresh take on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
With the unpredictable Guardians at your side, blast your way from one explosive situation to another, with original and iconic Marvel characters caught in a struggle for the fate of the universe. You got this. Probably.
That’s it! The game is now added to your Epic Games account, and you can download and install it anytime after this.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
The government just introduced PADU – the Central Database Hub for managing subsidies more effectively in Malaysia! Here is what you need to know…
PADU : Malaysia’s Central Database Hub
On Tuesday, 2 January 2024, Malaysia introduced Pangkalan Data Utama (PADU) – the Central Database Hub in English.
Developed in just 7 months, PADU is designed to give the government a better way to distribute subsidies, and make other policy decisions going forward.
The PADU Central Database Hub will combine data from over 400 government agencies, and related organisations. However, it will not include your private banking information.
Here is what you need to know about PADU, and whether you should register for an account.
Here is a quick summary of what you need to know about the PADU Central Database Hub:
What Is PADU Used For?
The PADU Central Database Hub consolidates data from government agencies in order to create more accurate household profiles for “the targeted reassignment of subsidies”.
The information stored in the database will be used as a reference to determine how to distribute subsidies, and other government assistance in the future.
Who Controls PADU Data?
Data in the PADU Central Database Hub is managed by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM).
What Data Is Stored In PADU?
PADU will store nearly 300 types of data from federal government agencies, and will gradually include data from state and local governments. There are currently eight data categories:
Basic personal information
Address and residential status
Education level and field
Household information
Business or career information
Income for the past 12 months
Monthly financial commitments
Government aid received in the past 12 months
Will PADU Collect Banking Data?
No, the PADU Central Database Hub will not collect banking data, as that is forbidden by the Banking and Financial Institutions Act 1989 (BAFIA).
Who Can Apply For A PADU Account?
PADU is currently open only to Malaysian citizens and permanent residents, who are 18 years and older.
Is It Mandatory To Register For PADU Account?
No, it is not mandatory to register for an account, or update their information in the PADU system.
The Malaysian government does not actually require you to register for your PADU account, as the Central Database Hub will automatically consolidate your information from multiple agencies.
Refusing to apply for your PADU account will merely mean you may not be able to update or correct the information in the system. This may affect your eligibility for future subsidies or government aid.
Is There A Deadline To Apply For A PADU Account?
The public will allowed to register, check and update their information on PADU, from 2 January until 31 March, 2024.
What Do You Need To Register For A PADU Account?
Registering for a PADU account requires you to have at least a smartphone with Internet connectivity.
The process is straightforward and pretty simple:
Register using your full name, MyKad number, and the postcode. These details must match your MyKad.
Submit your mobile number to receive a One-Time Password (OTP).
After verifying your mobile number, you can create a password for your account.
Then you need to use your smartphone to take photos of the front and back of your MyKad, as well as a selfie.
That’s it! You then have to wait up to three days for your details to be verified. Then you can access your account, and make any necessary changes or corrections.
We will have a comprehensive guide up shortly, so please check back for a link later.
What If You Don’t Have Smartphone Or Internet?
The government will deploy an outreach team to cover locations which lack Internet connectivity.
The government will also open registration counters at selected locations like district offices, federal and state government agencies, as well as Pusat Internet Desa.
You can also register for your account at DoSM state offices, and any Pusat Economy Digital (PEDi) offices.
How Many Times Can You Edit Your Information?
You will have until 31 March 2024 to edit and update information in the PADU Central Database Hub.
In addition to the deadline, it appears that the PADU system will only allow you to make just one submission. That’s it – you can only submit any amendments / changes / updates to your data once.
According to the official website, you will not be allowed to edit your information once you confirm your submission. So please go through your information and make sure they are all correct before you submit it!
What If I Made A Mistake?
According to the official website, after submitting your changes, you will not be allowed to make any further changes until the next update window in the “upcoming phase”.
It is unknown when the next update window, or the “upcoming phase”, is scheduled to occur. So it is best to ensure that all of your PADU data is accurate before submitting.
We hope you found this FAQ useful. Please SHARE this article with your family and friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
NOTE : If you are looking for newer games, please check out the new 2024 edition of free Steam games and DLCs!
Current update @ 2023-12-29 : Added a new game. Previous update @ 2023-12-26 : Added a new DLC.
Note On Free Steam Games + DLCs
Please note that some of these games are not directly available on the Steam store. Please follow the instructions below, to redeem these games on the Steam store.
If any of the Steam games or DLCs are no longer free, please just let us know so we can remove them. If you know of any free Steam games or DLCs we should add to this database, do let us know!
Because there are so many free Steam games and DLCs, we have divided them into sections, so it’s easier for you.
Free Steam Games Free Steam games that are normally paid, and/or offer +1
If you like our regularly updated list of free Steam games and DLCs, please support our work! Don’t forget to also share this list of free Steam games and DLCs with your friends!
Thank you, and enjoy all these free Steam games and DLCs!
Steam Games That Are Free To Download + Keep!
Free Steam Game #1 : Head 2 Head
Welcome to the Realm of the Master Mind, a sacred realm where the greatest warriors of all time gather to master the ultimate fighting style know as ALL HEAD JITSU!
In order to practice this supernatural art, a Head Hunter must offer their own head (and all of the knowledge within it) to gain access to the power to use any head they desire.
Head 2 Head is currently a free to play game, but its developer – ArcForged – announced that it will be transitioning to a Paid game at $14.99 with more features.
If you get it now while it’s free, it will remain yours even after it becomes a paid game, so get it ASAP:
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
That’s it! It has now been added to your Steam account, and you can download and install it anytime after this.
Free Steam Game #2 : Graveyard Smash
Graveyard Smash is a tongue in cheek, small, retro-style, skill-based action game in which you play the protagonist Manuel Rodriguez, the main groundskeeper of a local cemetery.
Each night Manuel will run around on a randomly generated map using his shovel to smash the ever growing number of Undead back into the grave and prohibit the Undead from attending the mash.
Four Mans Games is going out of business, and is giving away Graveyard Smash for free until 11:59 PM PST on 31 December 2023, so get it ASAP:
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
That’s it! It has now been added to your Steam account, and you can download and install it anytime after this.
Free Steam Game #3 : Pulseball
With the easy to learn controls, anyone can learn how to play right away. The game is simple, run around in first-person and shoot the ball with your pulse gun to move it and score goals. Both the ball and your gun have realistic physics which allows you to bank shots off the walls, the ceiling, or even other players to help you win.
You can get Pulseball for free for a limited time by following these steps:
Using Steam App
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
In the Google Chrome address bar, type this and press Enter: javascript:AddFreeLicense(1287150)
That’s it! It is now added to your Steam account!
Free Steam Game #4 : Vamps For The Memories
An undead lord is terrorizing the countryside and every hunter in the realm is clamoring to be the first to stake’m! Play as two hunters who band together in their quest to defeat the new evil first!
This is a cozy 90s JRPG style game where finding topics to banter about is a key to survival and trading stories of past battles gets you new and powerful skills.
You can get Vamps For The Memories for free for a limited time by following these steps:
Using Steam App
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
In the Google Chrome address bar, type this and press Enter: javascript:AddFreeLicense(1915660)
That’s it! It is now added to your Steam account!
Free Steam Game #5 : Pleim
Pleim is an adventure game with a focus on immersion in the atmosphere of the city of the same name. You can talk with the inhabitants of the city, learn important details from the dialogues and investigate a high-profile case.
You can get Pleim for free for a limited time by following these steps:
Using Steam App
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
In the Google Chrome address bar, type this and press Enter: javascript:AddFreeLicense(1765280)
That’s it! It is now added to your Steam account!
Free Steam Game #6 : Case #1472
A mysterious woman is sitting in front of you. Who is she? And who are you? And why are you both there?
Case #1472 is mystery information digging interrogation thriller game where there are more things going on than what meets the eye, but are you able to unravel what has happened?
Case #1472 is currently a free Early Access Game, but its developer, Broken at Release, is planning to make it a Paid game once it’s finished sometime in “a few months”.
So get this game now while it’s still a free Early Access Game, and the full, final game will be yours when it’s finally released in “a few months”!
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
When asked if you want to allow this page to open Steam, select Allow.
That’s it! It is now added to your Steam account!
Free Steam Game #9 : Elspell
Welcome to the magical world of Elspell! Here you will run into a variety of monsters and challenges you must overcome by casting a wide array of elementally-aligned spells.
The core of Elspell’s gameplay comes from its unique spellcasting system, which grants you the ability to string together specific arm and hand movements to cast spells.
Please follow these steps to get this game for FREE. Please let us know if this method no longer works, so we can remove it.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
When asked if you want to allow this page to open Steam, select Allow.
That’s it! It is now added to your Steam account!
Free Steam Game #10 : モールス信号で愛を伝えよ (Japanese Morse Code)
This game is a practice game of Japanese Morse code.
A game developed for such people is “Tell me your love with Morse code.”It’s called “Morse Legend Game” for short.
If you use this, you can easily practice Morse code.The operation is simple and just press the SPACE key.Now you can easily express your love to your loved ones in Morse code
This is currently a free game, but its developer, INORK Game, is planning to make it a Paid game in a week. If you get this game while it’s still free, it will remain yours when it becomes a paid game!
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
That’s it! It has been added to your Steam account!
Free Steam Game #11 : The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
SEGA is celebrating April Fool’s Day by giving away The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, and it is not a joke!
It is actually a real game – a visual novel style point-and-click adventure game that takes place on Amy Rose’s birthday, where she’s hosting a murder mystery party on the Mirage Express!
SEGA released The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog for FREE on 1 April 2023, but it is unknown how long the game will be available for free after April Fool’s Day, so it’s best to grab it ASAP!
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Team up with four other Classmates to survive against a sixth player controlling a dreadful, horrifying Fiend, in this evolution of multiplayer horror games inspired by classic horror stories.
For these Classmates, their last year of high school might be their last year of life. After being transported to a nightmarish copy of their hometown through an occult game of cards, six classmates soon find out that they are not alone, and that to escape, they’ll have to work together against all manner of Fiends lurking in the shadows.
Last Year has been delisted from Steam, but you can still get it for FREE for an indefinite time, if you follow these steps!
Using Steam App
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
In the Google Chrome address bar, type this and press Enter: javascript:AddFreeLicense(844526,”Last Year”) or javascript:AddFreeLicense(844526)
That’s it! It is now added to your Steam account!
Free Steam Game #13 : Zombie Shooter: Ares Virus
In YEAR 2037, a pandemic of an unknown plague virus infection wiped out most of world animals and citizens. The world turns into a DEAD ZONE and survivors’ lives are threatened with zombies!
The places you liked to hang out are now full of undead walking zombies and persons you know mostly disappear. Blood and deadly venom spreads everywhere… How will you survive in this Zombie Pandemic game?
Make sure you follow these steps to get Zombie Shooter : Ares Virus for FREE for a limited time!
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
When asked if you want to allow this page to open Steam, select Allow.
That’s it! You now have the Fantasy Royal VR in your Steam account!
Free Steam Game #15 : Bodyless
Bodyless is a surreal VR experience based on the director’s childhood memory during Taiwan’s martial law period in the 1970s, when human qualities were simplified and quantified with few characteristics recognized and measured by the ruling class.
Follow these steps to get the Bodyless for FREE :
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
When asked if you want to allow this page to open Steam, select Allow.
That’s it! You now have the 告死天使之言 Death Angel in your Steam account!
Free Steam Game #19 : iREC
iREC is a first-person atmospheric horror game, with puzzle elements, inspired by the environment of Outlast.
The game begins when a narcotics police officer gets a hint from an informant. No time to ask for a search warrant, he decides to act alone and invade the place, a logistics company called AtlasLog.
Follow these steps to get the iREC for FREE :
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
That’s it! It is now part of your Steam account, and can be downloaded any time you want!
Free Steam Game #22 : Challenge Speedball
Challenge Speedball is a cooperative multiplayer game based on the paintball variation called Speedball.
In this fast paced competition, teams of 1 to 5 players occupy a small playing field filled with inflatable “bunkers”.
Each team tries to eliminate each others players by “marking” them with paint until they are all eliminated. They can also win by reaching the other team’s home base.
Follow these steps to get Challenge Speedball for FREE :
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
When asked if you want to allow this page to open Steam, select Allow.
That’s it! You now have Challenge Speedball in your Steam account!
Note : Please let us know if this stops working!
Free Steam Game #23 : Puzzle – LINES AND KNOTS
Puzzle – LINES AND KNOTS is a logical puzzle game for meditation. The goal of the player is to assemble a puzzle consisting of nodes. Easy-to-grasp mechanics, swap hexagons with lines.
Follow these steps to get Puzzle – LINES AND KNOTS for FREE :
Install and open the Steam client.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Click on this link – this is an important step. Please let us know if it no longer works.
When asked if you want to allow this page to open Steam, select Allow.
That’s it! You now have Puzzle – LINES AND KNOTS in your Steam account!
Free To Play Steam Games + DLCs That Are Free!
F2P Steam Game + DLC #1 : World of Tanks + A Present From Vinnie Pack
Winter fun has arrived in World of Tanks! Grab Holiday Ops resources to upgrade your Festive Village and an eye-catching decal with this exclusive, time-limited Holiday Ops Gift Pack DLC!
Add the bundle to your account for free to get 50 of each Holiday Ops resource (Meteoric Iron, Pure Emerald, Rock Crystal, and Warm Amber) and 3 “Present from Vinnie” decals.
Make sure you follow these steps to get this game and the DLC for FREE by January 8, 2024.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Amplify your Arsenal’s flair with the extravagant Cumulus Collection. Become the envy of your enemies and fellow Tenno alike with the stunning Cirrus Armor Bundle, Cumulus Syandana, Stratus Pistol Skin and more!
The Cumulus Collection includes:
Cirrus Armor Bundle
Cumulus Syandana
Stratus Pistol Skin
Spektaka Color Palette
3-day Resource Booster
Make sure you follow these steps to get the Warframe Cumulus Collection for FREE, until 10 January 2024!
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
That’s it! Both the base game and the free My First Pet Stuff Pack are now in your Steam account, and you can download and install them anytime you want!
F2P Steam Game + DLC #4 : The Sims 4 + Romantic Garden Stuff
Build a lush Victorian garden for your Sims and get ready for romance with The Sims™ 4 Romantic Garden Stuff.
Set the mood with romantic, floral fashions for your Sims and share a playful moment by the magnificent water fountain. Then head over to the Wishing Well, toss in a coin, and see if your Sim’s deepest desires come true.
EA is giving away Romantic Garden Stuff for free until 2 AM (GMT+8) on 10 January 2024. So make sure you follow these steps quickly to get them free:
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
That’s it! Both the base game and the free Romantic Garden Stuff are now in your Steam account, and you can download and install them anytime you want!
F2P Steam Game + DLC #5 : The Sims 4 + My First Pet Stuff Pack
Teach your Sims how to care for smaller household pets, decorate a home with pet-inspired furniture, and dress pets in your favorite Sims outfits!
EA is giving away My First Pet Stuff Pack for free until 2 AM (GMT+8) on 10 January 2024. So make sure you follow these steps quickly to get them free:
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
That’s it! Both the base game and the free My First Pet Stuff Pack are now in your Steam account, and you can download and install them anytime you want!
F2P Steam Game + DLC #6 : World of Tanks + Free Supplies Pack
Command over 600 machines from World War II through the mid-20th century and prove yourself against players from around the world.
Grab a bunch of useful resources with the Free Supplies Pack. This DLC contains days of WoT Premium Account to speed up your progress in the game, a set of large consumables that will come in handy during heated battles, and some credits for your needs.
Make sure you follow these steps to get this game and the DLC for FREE.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
That’s it! They are both now added to your Steam account!
F2P Steam Game + DLC #7 : World of Tanks Blitz + Welcome Bundle
Jump into a free-to-play MMO action shooter featuring a huge roster of over 300 massive tanks, stunning graphics, and intuitive touch-screen controls. This bundle includes:
1 Thunder and Lightning Rare camo certificate
500,000 credits
3 days of Premium Account
The Welcome Pack is FREE to add to your Steam account for an indefinite time.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Click on the green Download / Add to Account button.
That’s it! You now have the World of Tanks Blitz game and the Welcome Bundle DLC in your Steam account!
F2P Steam Game + DLC #8 : World of Warplanes + Curtiss XP-31
World of Warplanes is an aerial combat MMO action game set in the Golden Age of military aviation.
This bundle includes the American Curtiss XP-31 Tier II premium fighter. This aircraft is armed with four machineguns, which make it a formidable opponent in the sky!
Make sure you follow these steps to get this game and the DLC for FREE.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
That’s it! They are both now added to your Steam account!
Free DLCs For Paid Steam Games!
Free Steam DLC #1 : Game of Gnomes for Train Simulator Classic
Chase the gnomes, collect the presents and return them to the house – but watch out for snowballs and those mischievous gnomes! If all goes to plan, ‘Little Ned’ will be back running around the Christmas tree and no-one will have to know about the night-time adventures……
Make sure you follow these steps to get the Game of Gnomes DLC for FREE!
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
It’s been 20 years since the events of the original game. The virus won, and humanity is slowly dying. You play as Aiden Caldwell, a wandering Pilgrim who delivers goods, brings news, and connects the few remaining survivor settlements in barren lands devastated by the zombie virus.
However, your true goal is to find your little sister Mia, who you left behind as a kid to escape Dr. Waltz’s torturous experiments. Haunted by the past, you eventually make the decision to confront it when you learn that Mia may still be alive in Villedor — the last city standing on Earth.
The Crane Bundle, which consists of the Crane Outfit and the Spectral Bat, is now FREE for a limited time! Here is how to get it free:
Key in the code – CRANEBUNDLE into the Enter Your Code section (if it’s not already pre-populated).
Click on the Redeem button.
You will be asked to log into the Pilgrim Outpost, or create a new account.
After logging in, link your Pilgrim Outpost account to your Steam account.
That’s it! The Crane Bundle items will now appear in your in-game stash. You need to make sure you complete the Prologue section to gain access to them.
Free Steam DLC #4 : Al Studdard Jr. for Lego 2K Drive
Welcome to Bricklandia, home of a massive open-world LEGO driving adventure. Race anywhere, play with anyone, build your dream rides, and defeat a cast of wild racing rivals for the coveted Sky Trophy!
For a limited time, you can get the free Al Studdard Jr. character by completing a 2K survey and link your 2K account. But here is how you can get it free without going through the whole process!
Launch the Lego 2K Drive game.
Click on the Store tab to go to the in-game store.
Click on the Redeem Code option at the bottom of the page.
Key in this code – 5S4HVE3KUCL4.
That’s it! You now have the Al Studdard Jr. character for free!
If that fails, you can always try the official method :
Launch the Lego 2K Drive game.
Link it to your 2K account.
Scan the QR Code in the main menu.
Answer the survey. to receive the in-game store code.
Click on the Store tab to go to the in-game store.
Click on the Redeem Code option at the bottom of the page.
Key in the code you received.
That’s it! You now have the Al Studdard Jr. character for free!
That’s it! The Karak Azgaraz DLC is now in your Steam account!
Note : This DLC requires Warhammer Vermintide 2 main game (not free) to use!
Free Steam DLC #6 : Two DLCs for Hearts of Iron IV
Take command of the world’s mightiest war machine, managing industry, diplomacy and battle plans to defend your interests and dominate the planet in Hearts of Iron IV.
For a limited time, you can get the Hearts of Iron IV: By Blood Alone DLC, as well as the mystery Bella Ciao bonus game / app for FREE!
Make sure you follow these steps to get these two DLCs for FREE for a limited time!
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Click on this link for the By Blood Alone DLC – this is an important step.
When asked if you want to allow this page to open Steam, select Allow.
Click on this link for the Bella Ciao bonus – this is an important step.
When asked if you want to allow this page to open Steam, select Allow.
That’s it! You now have the two DLCs in your Steam account!
PS. Please let us know if this fails to work, and we will remove it.
Note : Both DLCs require you to have the Hearts of Iron IV base game (which is not free) to add to your Steam account.
Free Steam DLC #7 : Special Godir Helmet for Age of Wonders 4
Rule a fantasy realm of your own design in Age of Wonders 4! Explore new magical realms in Age of Wonders’ signature blend of 4X strategy and turn-based tactical combat. Control a faction that grows and changes as you expand your empire with each turn.
Make sure you follow these steps to get this freebie!
That’s it! The free Cat’s Meow Cloak now in your Steam account!
Note : This DLC requires Forspoken main game (not free) to use!
Free Steam DLC #9 : Palamute Layered Armour Set for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
The “Velkhana Costume” Palamute Layered Armor allows your Palamute to dress up as Velkhana, the Elder Dragon coming to Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak in its fourth free title update.
Layered armor is a cosmetic item which changes the appearance of the character without affecting their stats and abilities.
Make sure you follow these steps to get the “Velkhana Costume” Palamute Layered Armor Set for FREE!
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
You will see Rakarth in the list under Your Inventory.
Click on the Rakarth option to expand it.
Click on the Get Now button.
You will be asked to connect Total War Access with your Steam account. Click Continue.
Log into your Steam account.
That’s it! Total War Access will add Rakarth to your existing Warhammer 2 game in Steam!
Note : This DLC requires the base game – Total War: Warhammer 2 – to work.
Free Steam DLC #12 : Two Point Hospital : Free Sega 60th Items
To celebrate 60 years of SEGA’s proud history, these free items were plucked from the annals and gifted to you to spruce up your hospitals.
SEGA Out Run machine
One-eyed Mammoth (from Space Harrier)
SEGA Dream Catcher machine
SEGA Periscope Arcade Game
Put a smile on the faces of your patients with historic masterpieces from arcade times gone by (and a giant one-eyed mammoth from Space Harrier, because why not?)
Follow these steps to get the Two Point Hospital SEGA 60th Items for FREE :
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Click on the Add to Account button to add it to your Steam account.
You can choose to install it now, or postpone the installation.
That’s it! You now have the SEGA 60th Items in your Steam account!
Note : You need the base game – Two Point Hospital – to make use of these items.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Find out why your eMADANI application may be rejected, and how to appeal!
6.5 Million Malaysians Received Free RM100 eMADANI Credit!
On 27 July 2023, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the Malaysian government will give a special, one-off RM100 eWallet credit under the eMADANI programme.
The eMADANI programme kicked off on 4 December 2023, giving 10 million Malaysian citizens the opportunity to receive the RM100 eWallet credit.
As of Wednesday, 6 December 2023, some 6.5 million people have had their eMADANI applications approved. According to the Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, another 1.8 million eMADANI applications are being processed.
However, many reported they failed to get the free RM100 eWallet credit. Find out why your eMADANI application may be rejected, and how to appeal!
Those who do not meet those qualifications won’t be able to receive the free RM100 eWallet credit.
You Received eBeliaRahmah
Those who received the eBeliaRahmah assistance earlier are automatically disqualified for the eMADANI programme, because they have already received eWallet cash to promote the use of cashless payments amongst the youth.
You Did Not Submit Your Tax Return
Unfortunately, the eMADANI programme is using your LHDN tax return for the 2022 assessment year to determine your income level, if you are not receiving the Rahmah Cash Assistance.
People who did not file a 2022 tax return will, unfortunately, not qualify for the free RM100 eWallet credit, even if they earned too little to require filing taxes with LHDN.
After applying for eMADANI, your application will be approved and rejected within 1-5 days. Unfortunately, if your application is rejected, the notification will not tell you WHY it was rejected.
The good news is – there is a dispute process. Sort of.
Contact The eWallet Service Provider
The first thing you can try is to reach out to the eWallet service provider you registered with, to find out why your application was rejected.
It is possible that you may need to submit additional information, or documents, like a copy of your identification card for verification.
If you are using the Shopee app, you can raise a dispute with their customer service.
Select eMadani Claimants as your user type.
Select “eMadani Unable to claim“
Fill in your personal details.
Upload any necessary photos or screenshots.
Contact The Ministry Of Finance
If you cannot resolve the problem through the eWallet service providers, you can try contacting the Ministry of Finance through these dedicated channels of eMADANI:
Email : emadani@treasury.gov.my
Telephone : 03-8882-4565
Toll-free : 1 800 88 2747
If you found this article useful, please SHARE it with your family and friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
What exactly is the EPF “flexible” Account 3, and how does it affect your retirement plans? Here is what we know so far…
EPF Account 3 To Be Implemented In April 2024
When Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim tabled the 2024 Budget on 13 October 2023, he also announced that the government will introduce a flexible EPF account, which would allow people to withdraw their retirement savings immediately.
On 21 November 2023, the Deputy Finance Minister I, Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, announced that the “flexible” EPF Account 3 will be implemented in April 2024:
EPF will announce its dividend in February 2024, and the Finance Ministry will then announce a detailed plan on the flexible account. The third account will be implemented starting from April next year.
EPF Chief Executive Officer Datuk Seri Amir Hamzazh Azizan said that it is fine-tuning details of the “flexible” third account:
We are looking at all possibilities, whether it (withdrawals) is free for all or whether it should be guided.
The concept at the moment is to have a flexible account because we have learned during Covid that sometimes there would be circumstances that make it difficult to go from day to day.
Here is what we know so far about the EPF “flexible” third account, or Account 3:
EPF Account 1 Won’t Be Affected
Currently, EPF contributions are divided into two accounts:
Account 1 : 70% of monthly contribution
Account 2 : 30% of monthly contribution
EPF chief strategy officer, Nurhisham Hussein, said in July 2023 that the percentage of contribution for the proposed “flexible” Account 3 has yet to be determined, but would be about 5% to 10% of the monthly contribution.
He also said that Account 1 would remain with its 70% contribution, and that contribution to Account 2 would be reduced instead, to fund Account 3. When implemented, the ratio would look something like this:
Account 1 : 70% of monthly contribution
Account 2 : 20% to 25% of monthly contribution
Account 3 : 5% to 10% of month contribution
EPF Account 3 Will Apply To All
When introduced, Account 3 will apply to all EPF contributors. This was confirmed by Deputy Finance Minister I, Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, on 24 October 2023.
It can be accessed by all members, be they from the B40, M40 or T20 groups.
EPF Account 3 Will Have Lower Dividend
While there was speculation that the flexible Account 3 would have no dividend, EPF chief strategy officer Nurhisham Hussein, dispelled that notion on 11 July 2023.
However, the proposed EPF Account 3 is expected to have a lower dividend rate when implemented. The lower dividend rate has not been revealed.
The lower dividend rate for Account 3 will be a real concern for contributors who want to save for their retirement, and do not plan to withdraw their savings early.
Even a small reduction in the dividend rate will make a big difference, because of the snowball effect of compound interest over time.
Fortunately, Nurhisham said that members will have the option to transfer their Account 3 savings into Account 1 or Account 2, if they prefer to avoid the lower dividend rate.
Hopefully, this can be implemented with a single opt-in registration, and would not require the money to be transferred on a monthly basis.
EPF Account 3 Will Offer Immediate Withdrawals
In the past, contributors can request to withdraw from their Account 2 to fund certain large purchases:
To pay for education
To purchase or build a house
To pay for a housing loan
To cover medical expenses
Unlike Account 2, the proposed “flexible” third account will function like a savings account, and allow contributors to withdraw, as and when they wish.
EPF Accounts To Be Renamed
When EPF introduces Account 3, it will also introduce new names for the three accounts, to better reflect their purposes:
Account 1 : Retirement Account
Account 2 : Value-Added Account
Account 3 : Flexible Account
The renaming will help people better understand the use and purpose of each account.
Personally, I feel that the EPF “flexible” Account 3 is like swatting an elephant with a lidi stick.
EPF contribution amounts to 23% to 24% of your monthly salary. Even if Account 3 receives 10% of that contribution, that amounts of just 2.3% to 2.4% of your monthly salary.
Account 3 is targeted at the informal sector workers, many whom earn minimum wage or close to it. Let’s say you earn RM3,000 a month – TWICE the minimum wage of RM1,500.
Your Account 3 will only receive RM72 a month.
After 1 year, your Account 3 will only have RM864.
As you can see – that is not a lot of money, even for people who earn twice the minimum wage. Yes, it is better than borrowing money from loansharks, but the small percentage that funds Account 3 means you don’t really have much to work with.
On top of that, you are actually “losing” money even if you don’t actually withdraw any money. Parking all the money in Account 3 will garner lower dividends. It may be small, but the difference snowballs over time because of compound interest.
As it is, EPF announced in mid-November 2023, that some 48% of its contributors – 6.3 million people – have less than RM10,000 in their accounts!
If you can afford it, you should transfer all money stored in the “flexible” third account, to Account 1 or Account 2, when this scheme is implemented.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Ten million Malaysian citizens will soon receive a special RM100 eWallet credit through the eMADANI programme! Here is what you need to know!
eMADANI : 10 Million Malaysian Citizens To Get Free RM100!
On 27 July 2023, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the Malaysian government will give a special, one-off RM100 eWallet credit.
On Wednesday, 29 November 2023, the government announced that the eMADANI programme will benefit some 10 million Malaysian citizens and 2 million businesses, with a total budget of RM 1 billion.
The eMADANI programme is a new initiative that is designed to stimulate the micro, small and medium enterprises (PMKS), as well as promote cashless payments, and alleviate inflationary pressures on the rakyat.
Here is what you need to know about the eMADANI programme, and the one-off RM100 eWallet credit…
Here is what you need to know about the eMADANI programme, and how to get the free RM100 eWallet credit:
Who Qualifies For eMADANI RM100 Free Credit?
The eMADANI programme, and the free RM100 eWallet credit, is open to Malaysian citizens who are 21 years and older as of 1 January 2023; and have either:
have an annual income of RM100,000 or less, based on LHDN records as of 15 July 2023
However, those who received the eBeliaRahmah contribution earlier will not qualify for the eMADANI programme, as they have already received eWallet cash to promote the use of cashless payments amongst the youth.
The government estimates that 10 million Malaysians will qualify for the eMADANI free RM100 eWallet credit.
When Can You Redeem The RM100 eWallet Credit?
Those who qualify for the RM100 eWallet credit will be able to redeem it through selected eWallets (see below) from 8 AM on 4 December 2023 until 11:59 PM on 20 February 2024.
Which eWallets Do You Need?
You will need one of these four eWallets to receive the free RM100 credit through the eMADANI programme:
MAE
Setel
ShopeePay, and
Touch ‘n Go eWallet
Please note that these four eWallet providers will also be offering additional incentives in the form of vouchers, cashbacks, discounts, reward points, and coins. So be sure to “shop around” for the best offers, before deciding on which eWallet to use!
To obtain the free RM100 eWallet credit, follow these steps:
Download the eWallet of your choice (from the list of four above) from the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or HUAWEI AppGallery.
If you have not registered and verified your eWallet account, please do so first.
In the eWallet of your choice, tap on the eMADANI redemption link.
Key in the required information in the eMADANI redemption page, and tap on the Send button.
You will be informed if your application is successful.
If successful, the RM100 will be credited into the eWallet, and you can use the money immediately.
Please note that you can only redeem the RM100 eWallet credit from one eWallet provider.
Where Can You Spend The RM100?
The RM100 eWallet credit must be spent physically in retail stores and businesses using the the eWallet of your choice, except:
peer-to-peer transfers
cash redemptions
bill payments through the eWallet
government fee payments through the eWallet
telco postpaid payments and prepaid reloads through the eWallet
game payments through the eWallet
parking and toll payments
investment activities through the eWallet
e-commerce or online transactions
When Must You Spend The RM100?
Please note that the RM100 eWallet credit must be spent by 11:59 PM on 29 February 2024.
From 1 March 2024 onwards, any unspent eMADANI credit will automatically expire, and be removed from the eWallet.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
All states except Johor,
Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis
and Terengganu
14 Jan
15 Jan
Sun
Mon
YDPB Negeri
Sembilan’s Birthday
Negeri Sembilan
25 Jan
Thu
Thaipusam
Johor, Kuala Lumpur,
Negeri Sembilan, Penang,
Perak, Putrajaya and
Selangor
1 Feb
Thu
Federal Territory Day
Kuala Lumpur, Labuan,
Putrajaya
8 Feb
Thu
Israk and Mikraj
Kedah, Negeri Sembilan,
Perlis and Terengganu
10 Feb
11 Feb
Sat
Sun
Chinese New Year
All states
12 Feb
Mon
All states except Johor and Kedah
20 Feb
Tue
Independence Declaration Day
Melaka
4 Mar
Mon
Accession Anniversary
of Terengganu Sultan
Terengganu
12 Mar
Tue
Awal Ramadan
Johor, Kedah and Melaka
23 Mar
Sat
Sultan of Johor’s Birthday
Johor
28 Mar
Thu
Nuzul al-Quran
All states except Johor, Kedah,
Melaka, Negeri Sembilan,
Sabah and Sarawak
29 Mar
Fri
Good Friday
Sabah and Sarawak
10 Apr
11 Apr
Wed
Thu
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
All states
26 Apr
Fri
Sultan of Terengganu’s
Birthday
Terengganu
1 May
Wed
Labour Day
All states
17 May
Fri
Raja of Perlis’
Birthday
Perlis
22 May
Mon
Wesak Day
All states
22 May
23 May
Mon
Tue
Hari Hol Pahang
Pahang
30 May
31 May
Thu
Fri
Harvest Festival
Labuan and Sabah
1 Jun
2 Jun
4 Jun
Sat
Sun
Tue
Hari Gawai
Sarawak
3 Jun
Mon
YDP Agong’s Birthday
All states
16 Jun
Sun
Arafat Day
Kelantan and Terengganu
17
Jun
Mon
Hari Raya Haji
All states
18 Jun
Tue
Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis,
Terengganu
30 Jun
Sun
Sultan of Kedah’s
Birthday
Kedah
7 Jul
Sun
Awal Muharram
All states
8 Jul
Mon
All states, except Johor, Kedah,
Kelantan & Terengganu
7 Jul
9 Jul
Sun
Tue
Georgetown World
Heritage City Day
Penang
13 Jul
Sat
Penang Governor’s
Birthday
22 Jul
Mon
Sarawak Day
Sarawak
30 Jul
Tue
Sultan of Pahang’s
Birthday
Pahang
11 Aug
Sun
Hari Hol Almarhum
Sultan Iskandar
Johor
24 Aug
Sat
Melaka Governor’s
Birthday
Melaka
31 Aug
Sat
Merdeka Day
All states
1 Sep
Sun
Kelantan & Terengganu
16 Sep
Mon
Prophet Muhammad’s
Birthday
All states
16 Sep
17 Sep
Mon
Tue
Malaysia Day
All states
29 Sep
30 Sep
Sun
Mon
Sultan of Kelantan’s
Birthday
Kelantan
5 Oct
Sat
Sabah Governor’s
Birthday
Sabah
12 Oct
Sat
Sarawak Governor’s
Birthday
Sarawak
31 Oct
Thu
Deepavali
All states except Sarawak
1 Nov
Fri
Sultan of Perak’s
Birthday
Perak
11 Dec
Wed
Sultan of Selangor’s
Birthday
Selangor
24 Dec
Tue
Christmas Eve
Sabah
25 Dec
Wed
Christmas Day
All states
2024 School Holidays For Malaysia
The COVID-19 pandemic has thoroughly screwed up the school term and holidays. Instead of starting in January and ending in December, the new term now starts in March and every year will have two “academic years”.
It will now take until 2026 for the government to shift the school term back to January-December. This is quite confusing for many of us parents, so here is a quick summary of the school holidays for the year 2024.
Here are the school holidays for Group A states of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Holiday
Start
End
Days
Term 1 Holiday
24 May 2024
2 June 2024
10
Term 2 Holiday
13 Sep 2024
21 Sep 2024
9
Term 3 Holiday
20 Dec 2024
28 Dec 2024
9
Year End Holiday
17 Jan 2025
15 Feb 2025
30
In addition, the government also announced these extra holidays for Group A schools:
Festival Holidays
Group A
Notes
Chinese New Year
Saturday + Sunday,
10 and 11 February 2024
Part of 2023-2024
Year-End Holiday
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
7 to 9 April 2024
10 to 11 April 2024
3 extra days
Public Holiday
Hari Deepavali
30 October 2024
31 October 2024
1 extra day
Public Holiday
Christmas
25 December 2024
Public Holiday
Chinese New Year
Wednesday + Thursday,
29 and 30 January 2025
Part of 2024-2025
Year-End Holiday
Group B Schools
Here are the school holidays for Group A states of Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Holiday
Start
End
Days
Term 1 Holiday
25 May 2024
2 June 2024
9
Term 2 Holiday
14 Sep 2024
22 Sep 2024
9
Term 3 Holiday
21 Dec 2024
29 Dec 2024
9
Year End Holiday
18 Jan 2025
16 Feb 2025
30
In addition, the government also announced these extra holidays for Group B schools:
Festival Holidays
Group B
Notes
Chinese New Year
Saturday and Sunday,
10 and 11 February 2024
Within 2023
Year-End
Holiday
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
8 to 9 April 2024
10 to 11 April 2024
12 April 2024
2 extra days
Public Holiday
1 extra day
Pesta Kaamatan
Only for Sabah + Labuan Thursday and Friday,
31 and 31 May 2024
Part of
Term 1
Holidays
Hari Gawai Dayak
Only for Sarawak Saturday, 1 June 2024
Sunday, 2 June 2024
Part of
Term 1
Holidays
Hari Deepavali
Except Sarawak 30 October 2024
31 October 2024
1 November 2024
1 extra day
Public Holiday
1 extra day
Only for Sarawak 30 October 2024
31 October 2024
1 extra day
Public Holiday
Christmas
25 December 2024
Part of
Term 3
Holidays
Chinese New Year
Wednesday + Thursday,
29 and 30 January 2025
Part of 2024-2025
Year-End Holiday
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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.
The Malaysia Ministry of Education just announced the 2024 – 2025 school term + holiday calendar! Here is what you need to know!
2024 – 2025 Malaysia School Term To Begin In March!
Back in August 2022, the former Malaysia Minister of Education, Dr. Radzi Jidin, announced that the 2023 school term would begin in March. The final 2023 – 2024 school calendar for Malaysia was only confirmed on 10 December 2022, with an additional delay of one week.
On 8 November 2023, the Malaysia Ministry of Education quietly released the 2024 – 2025 school term + holiday calendar (PDF download), which would begin in March 2024, and end in January 2024.
This shortened school year is in line with efforts to bring the school year back to the pre-pandemic schedule, as announced in May 2023.
The 2024/2025 academic calendar is being brought forward to start in February 2025.
The 2026 academic calendar will then begin in January 2026.
2024 – 2025 Malaysia School Term + Holiday Calendar!
Here is the 2024 – 2025 Malaysia school term calendar that the Malaysia Ministry of Education (KPM) released in November 2023.
Group A states (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu) will begin the 2024 school term on 10 March 2024, and end on 15 February 2025.
Group B states (Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya) should begin the 2023 school term on 11 March 2024, and end on 16 February 2025.
The opening of the 2024 – 2025 school year in Malaysia has been brought forward by about 9 days, and the school year shortened by 2 weeks, compared to last year.
The number of school holidays have been reduced by 17 days, down from 75 days last year to just 58 days in the 2024 – 2025 school year.
Group A
Group A states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Group A : 2024 – 2025 school year will last from 10 March 2024 until 15 February 2025
Group A
School Starts
School Ends
Days
Term 1
10 March 2024
23 May 2024
48
Term 1 Holiday
24 May 2024
2 June 2024
10
Term 2
3 June 2024
12 September 2024
71
Term 2 Holiday
13 September 2024
21 September 2024
9
Term 3 Part 1
22 September 2024
19 December 2024
63
Term 3 Holiday
20 December 2024
28 December 2024
9
Term 3 Part 2
29 December 2024
16 January 2025
15
Year End Holiday
17 January 2025
15 February 2025
30
Group B
Group B states are Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Group B : 2023 / 2024 academic year will last from 11 March 2024 until 16 February 2025
Group B
School Starts
School Ends
Days
Term 1
11 March 2024
24 May 2024
48
Term 1 Holiday
25 May 2024
2 June 2024
9
Term 2
3 June 2024
13 September 2024
72
Term 2 Holiday
14 September 2024
22 September 2024
9
Term 3 Part 1
23 September 2024
20 December 2024
62
Term 3 Holiday
21 December 2024
29 December 2024
9
Term 3 Part 2
30 December 2024
17 January 2025
14
Year End Holiday
18 January 2025
16 February 2025
30
Extra Holidays For 2024 – 2025 Malaysia School Term!
Here is the list of additional holidays for schools in Malaysia for the academic year of 2024 – 2025 :
Group A
Group A states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Festival Holidays
Group A
Notes
Chinese New Year
Saturday + Sunday,
10 and 11 February 2024
Part of 2023-2024
Year-End Holiday
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
7 to 9 April 2024
10 to 11 April 2024
3 extra days
Public Holiday
Hari Deepavali
30 October 2024
31 October 2024
1 extra day
Public Holiday
Christmas
25 December 2024
Public Holiday
Chinese New Year
Wednesday + Thursday,
29 and 30 January 2025
Part of 2024-2025
Year-End Holiday
Group B
Group B states are Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Festival Holidays
Group B
Notes
Chinese New Year
Saturday and Sunday,
10 and 11 February 2024
Within 2023
Year-End
Holiday
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
8 to 9 April 2024
10 to 11 April 2024
12 April 2024
2 extra days
Public Holiday
1 extra day
Pesta Kaamatan
Only for Sabah + Labuan Thursday and Friday,
31 and 31 May 2024
Part of
Term 1
Holidays
Hari Gawai Dayak
Only for Sarawak Saturday, 1 June 2024
Sunday, 2 June 2024
Part of
Term 1
Holidays
Hari Deepavali
Except Sarawak 30 October 2024
31 October 2024
1 November 2024
1 extra day
Public Holiday
1 extra day
Only for Sarawak 30 October 2024
31 October 2024
1 extra day
Public Holiday
Christmas
25 December 2024
Part of
Term 3
Holidays
Chinese New Year
Wednesday + Thursday,
29 and 30 January 2025
Part of 2024-2025
Year-End Holiday
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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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.
How To Setup Galaxy S23 FE : Step-By-Step Instructions
It is very easy to setup the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE as a new device. However, please note that the Galaxy S23 FE setup process will take about 10 minutes or so.
Press the Power button for 4-5 seconds to start up your Samsung Galaxy S23 FE smartphone.
It will take about 23 seconds to boot up for the first time.
In the Welcome screen, it will default to English (or the default language for your region).
If you need to change the language, tap on the current language, and select the language you prefer.
There is also an Accessibility option below the Start button for those who need it.
Once you’re ready, click Start to begin the setup process.
The first thing you need to do is agree to the EULA (End User Licence Agreement) and the Privacy Policy.
You can skip sending Samsung your Diagnostic Data.
In the next screen, you will have the option to migrate your settings and accounts from your existing device.
If you prefer to set up the Galaxy S23 FE as a new device, tap on the option to Set up manually.
Next, you will be asked to log into your Wi-Fi network for Internet connectivity.
Select your Wi-Fi network and key in the password to connect.
Once your Galaxy S23 FE connects to the Wi-Fi network, it will try to connect to the mobile network.
This is when you will be asked to insert a SIM card, or set up your mobile network using an e-SIM.
To do all that later, simply tap on the option to Set up later.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE will now take about 46 seconds to get some stuff ready.
After that is done, you are given the option to copy your apps and data from your old smartphone.
This is a long process, which you can do now, or do it later after setting up the Galaxy S23 FE.
To do it later, or set it up as a new device, simply tap on the Don’t copy option.
Now you will be asked to log into your Google Account, or create a new one.
To skip for now and do it after setting up the phone, click on Skip.
Next, you will be given the option of disabling certain Google services.
Generally, I would recommend leaving them enabled, except sending Google your usage and diagnostic data.
Now, you will be asked to protect your Galaxy S23 FE by selecting a preferred login method – Face recognition, Fingerprints, PIN, Password, or Pattern.
If you select the Face Recognition or Fingerprints option, you will need to select a secure screen lock method using Pattern, PIN or Password.
Next, you will need to go through the Face Recognition / Fingerprints training process.
The fingerprint sensor is built into the display, and the sensor area will flash green to guide you during the process.
Simply press your finger onto the sensor area, and lift it when you feel a vibration. Keep repeating the process, while shifting the position of your finger each time.
After setting up your fingerprints, you will be asked if you would like to download the Smart Tutor app.
Despite its name, this is actually a remote access tool that allows Samsung support staff to remotely diagnose your device.
Tap Next to continue and install the app.
Now, you will be asked to log into your Samsung account, or create a new one.
You can choose not to use a Samsung account, or do it later.
Until you use a Samsung account though, you won’t be able to access certain Samsung services.
You will now have the opportunity to turn off certain Samsung apps and services.
These are all key features that will greatly impact your use of the Galaxy S23 FE, so I recommend that you leave them all enabled.
Next, you will have the option of selecting either a Light or a Dark theme.
Select whichever you prefer and tap Next.
That’s it. The setup process is done. Tap Finish to start using the Galaxy S23 FE!
As you can see – it’s really quite easy to setup the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE as a new device!
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE : Price + Availability
The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE comes with colour options of Mint, Lavender, Gray and Silver, with two exclusive colours on their website – Tangerine and Indigo. They are all offered with two RAM and storage options:
6 GB + 128 GB
8 GB + 256 GB
These are the available models and launch prices for the Galaxy S23 FE :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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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.
If you want the very best mobile + broadband deals from Maxis, there is only one way – you must first quit Maxis! Here is how it worked for me…
Don’t Bother Asking For Special Deals On Maxis Mobile / Broadband!
I have been a loyal Maxis customer for many years, and every time my contract comes up for renewal, I will ask for special deals to stay on. The most I will get is a free smartphone to renew my contract for another 2 years.
But finally, I had enough. I was stuck with 0-1 bar of mobile connectivity from March until September 2023, and Maxis wouldn’t even compensate me for the poor reception. So I gritted my teeth and waited out my contract.
Once my contract expired, I quickly decided that I would save over RM1,900 per year migrating to Digi. But out of (misplaced?) loyalty to Maxis, I called their customer care hotline, and even went to a Maxis Center to check if there are any deals for me to stay on.
As usual, Maxis had nothing to offer me as a loyal customer. But there was a surprise for me this year – I will not be receiving a free smartphone to continue my contract, unless I choose to upgrade to the new Maxis 5G plans… with an increase, of course!
So learn from my experience – don’t bother asking Maxis for any special deals to stay on as a loyal customer. To be fair, other telcos likely don’t offer deals to loyal customers to stay on as well. But I have only been a Maxis customer, and can only speak from my own experience.
How To Get Special Deals On Maxis Mobile + Broadband!
I discovered that the only way that Maxis will ever offer me any special deals to stay on, is if I actually quit their service. And even then, Maxis only did it at the very cusp of my migration process.
When Maxis was ready to hand over my five mobile numbers to Digi, a member of their retention department called me and offered these great deals to stay on.
Existing Maxis 4G Package : RM423 Per Month
First, I should point out that my existing Maxis package bundled a RM98 principal line with four supplementary lines, and 100 Mbps fibre broadband. By bundling with broadband, my principal line has unlimited data, albeit only on the 4G network. There is no 5G connectivity.
However, Maxis only allows a single Share 48 supplementary line with 30 GB of data for the RM98 principal line. So I have to pay a ridiculous RM38 for the remaining three supplementary lines, with just 1 GB of data.
The total pre-tax cost was RM399 per month, or RM4,788 per year.
Maxis 4G Plans
4G Data
Cost
Postpaid 98
Unlimited
RM 98
Postpaid Share 48
30 GB
RM 48
Talk and Surf 1
1 GB
RM 38
Talk and Surf 1
1 GB
RM 38
Talk and Surf 1
1 GB
RM 38
100 Mbps Fibre
Unlimited
RM 139
Total Before Tax
–
RM 399
300 Mbps Broadband Offer : RM100 Per Month
First, Maxis agreed to match Digi’s offer of just RM100 per month for 300 Mbps. That’s RM39 (28%) cheaper than my current 100 Mbps plan, and RM49 (33%) off their current 300 Mbps plan.
Over two years, I will save RM1,176! But I was only getting this special offer because I was really quitting Maxis.
Bundled
Broadband
Maxis
Normal
Maxis
Special
Digi
100 Mbps
RM 129
RM 90
RM 90
300 Mbps
RM 149
RM 100
RM 100
Special Maxis 5G Offer #1 : RM245 Per Month
For the five mobile lines, Maxis offered me a RM245 plan, which would give every user 120 GB of 5G data per month.
There is a 2-year contract, but Maxis will throw in five free smartphones – a Vivo Y36 (8 GB + 256 GB) or equivalent per account.
Not only does that give all of us a heck of a lot of mobile data, and a new smartphone per person, it is also RM15 cheaper than my current package!
Maxis 5G Plans
5G Data
Cost
Special Postpaid 49
120 GB
RM 49
Special Postpaid 49
120 GB
RM 49
Special Postpaid 49
120 GB
RM 49
Special Postpaid 49
120 GB
RM 49
Special Postpaid 49
120 GB
RM 49
Total Before Tax
–
RM 245
Special Maxis 5G Offer #2 : RM281 Per Month
Maxis also offered me a more expensive RM281 monthly plan, consisting of a principal line with 300 GB of data, and four supplementary lines with 50 GB of data.
It would come with a more expensive HONOR 90 smartphone with 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage, with a 2-year contract.
I should point out that the supplementary lines are not only RM10 cheaper, they come with 50X more data, and 5G connectivity!!! Makes you want to tear your hair out, doesn’t it?
Maxis 5G Plans
5G Data
Cost
Special Postpaid 169
300 GB
RM 169
Special Postpaid 28
50 GB
RM 28
Special Postpaid 28
50 GB
RM 28
Special Postpaid 28
50 GB
RM 28
Special Postpaid 28
50 GB
RM 28
Total Before Tax
–
RM 281
Special Maxis 4G Offer : Only RM200 Per Month!
If I prefer to stick with 4G connectivity only, Maxis offered me a 4G-only plan for just RM200 a month, without contract or free smartphone.
Basically, my supplementary lines would now get a ton of data, and I would save RM60 per month on my existing Maxis package!
Maxis 4G Plans
4G Data
Cost
Special Postpaid 48
70 GB
RM 48
Special Postpaid 48
70 GB
RM 48
Special Postpaid 48
70 GB
RM 48
Special Postpaid 28
50 GB
RM 28
Special Postpaid 28
50 GB
RM 28
Total Before Tax
–
RM 200
Why I Declined The Special Deals On Maxis Mobile + Broadband!
While the special deals offered by the Maxis retention department were enticing – free phones! more data! more speed! – Digi still offered a substantially better deal.
My parents, for example, do not need 50 GB of data. They just needed something more reasonable than 1 GB, and I wanted to pay a more reasonable price for their lines.
On top of that, staying with Maxis would not solve my biggest problem – poor connectivity. I have been suffering from poor reception for six months (and counting), and sticking with Maxis for another 2 years was unthinkable.
Maxis may have once been known for having “better coverage” than other telcos. But if they cannot restore proper connectivity after 6 months (and counting), it’s time to move on. I also did not like the fact that they refused to compensate me for the poor connectivity all those months.
But this article is not about dissing Maxis. I wrote this article to share with you the best way to get such special deals from Maxis.
I called them, I even spent time at the Maxis Centre to talk to the staff. There was simply NO special deal or offer for an existing customer. You must literally quit Maxis – sign an agreement to port out to another telco, and be on the verge of switching, before Maxis will ever offer you these special deals.
Even if you want to stick with Maxis, you should still quit and port out to another telco at the end of your contract. This way, you will get access to these special deals. You will only lose out if you stay loyal.
As for me, I bid adieu to Maxis, and started my journey with Digi hours later. It was easy. You should give it a try!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
I just saved over RM1,900 per year by simply switching from Maxis to Digi! Here is what happened!
Switching From Maxis To Digi Saved Me RM1.9K / Year!
My contract with Maxis just expired, and I decided to see if it was worth renewing with them, or switching to Digi. I had earlier asked my neighbours using Digi, and most of them seemed happy with their service.
So I compared the latest mobile and broadband packages from both Maxis and Digi, and I was shocked by how much cheaper Digi was, compared to Maxis. Take a look at what I found!
Existing Maxis 4G Package : RM423 Per Month
My existing Maxis package bundled a RM98 principal line with four supplementary lines, and 100 Mbps fibre broadband. By bundling with broadband, my principal line has unlimited data, albeit only on the 4G network. There is no 5G connectivity.
However, Maxis only allows a single Share 48 supplementary line with 30 GB of data for the RM98 principal line. So I have to pay a ridiculous RM38 for the remaining three supplementary lines, with just 1 GB of data.
The total cost was RM423 per month, or RM5,075.28 per year. Maxis offered to let me continue with this 4G-only package, but I would no longer get any free smartphone for a 2 year contract.
Maxis 4G Plans
4G Data
Cost
Postpaid 98
Unlimited
RM 98
Postpaid Share 48
30 GB
RM 48
Talk and Surf 1
1 GB
RM 38
Talk and Surf 1
1 GB
RM 38
Talk and Surf 1
1 GB
RM 38
4G Backup
Unlimited
RM 0
100 Mbps Fibre
Unlimited
RM 139
Total Before Tax
–
RM 399
6% Service Tax
–
RM 23.94
TOTAL PAYABLE
–
RM 422.94
New Maxis 5G Package : RM445 Per Month
If I wanted a free smartphone with a 2 year contract, I would need to upgrade to the new Maxis 5G plans. The existing RM98 4G plan has been replaced by a new RM109 5G plan – a RM 11 per month premium for 5G connectivity.
From what I understand, tying it with Maxis fibre broadband would still get me unlimited mobile data, but only on 4G. The 5G data is limited to 150 GB, which is more than plenty especially since 5G connectivity is limited.
What I cannot understand is why Maxis continues to limit this RM109 principal line to just one RM48 Share line. If I want all four supplementary lines to have more than 1 GB of data, I would need to upgrade my principal line to their RM199 plan! Ridiculous!
The only good news is they dropped the price of their 100 Mbps broadband from RM139 to RM129. But it makes more sense to upgrade to 300 Mbps for just RM149 per month. Even so, the new Maxis package works out to an unpalatable RM572.40 per month, or RM6,868.80 per year!
Maxis 5G Plans
5G Data
Cost
Postpaid 199
4G : Unlimited
5G : 300 GB
RM 199
Postpaid Share 48
30 GB
RM 48
Postpaid Share 48
30 GB
RM 48
Postpaid Share 48
30 GB
RM 48
Postpaid Share 48
30 GB
RM 48
4G Backup
Unlimited
RM 0
300 Mbps Fibre
Unlimited
RM 149
Total Before Tax
–
RM 540
6% Service Tax
–
RM 32.40
TOTAL PAYABLE
–
RM 572.40
Sorry, mum and dad, you guys are just going to have to put up with just 1 GB of data if we stick with Maxis.
With their sacrifice, I can get by with just paying Maxis RM445.20 per month, or RM5,342.40 per year. That’s a small 5% increase of RM267.12 per year.
This new package would also get me one of these smartphones with a 24-month contract:
Samsung A14
vivo A78
HONOR 90 Lite
Maxis 5G Plans
5G Data
Cost
Postpaid 109
4G : Unlimited
5G : 150 GB
RM 109
Postpaid Share 48
30 GB
RM 48
Talk and Surf 1
1 GB
RM 38
Talk and Surf 1
1 GB
RM 38
Talk and Surf 1
1 GB
RM 38
4G Backup
Unlimited
RM 0
300 Mbps Fibre
Unlimited
RM 149
Total Before Tax
–
RM 420
6% Service Tax
–
RM 25.20
TOTAL PAYABLE
–
RM 445.20
Digi 5G + 4G Package : Only RM286 Per Month!
But when I checked out the Digi plans, they completely wipe out Maxis.
The Digi RM90 principal line offers free 5G connectivity, with 60 GB of data per month. Unlike Maxis, tying up with Digi Fibre Broadband does not give me unlimited mobile data, but that’s okay – 60 GB is plenty.
More importantly, Digi lets me add up to six supplementary family lines, and their cheapest RM20 family line comes with 10 GB of data per month! That goes up to 15 GB with a 1-year contract, and 25 GB with a 2-year contract!
On top of that – Digi offers 300 Mbps fibre broadband for only RM 100 per month! Granted – there is no 4G backup, but that’s RM49 cheaper than Maxis! Would you pay RM49 per month for “4G backup”? Heck, no!
The Digi package is a mix of 4G and 5G, but that’s okay, because my parents no longer have to worry about how much data they have left.
Digi Plans
Data
Cost
Postpaid 90
5G : 60 GB
RM 90
Postpaid Family 20
4G : 25 GB
RM 20
Postpaid Family 20
4G : 25 GB
RM 20
Postpaid Family 20
4G : 25 GB
RM 20
Postpaid Family 20
4G : 25 GB
RM 20
4G Backup
NA
NA
300 Mbps Fibre
Unlimited
RM 100
Total Before Tax
–
RM 270
6% Service Tax
–
RM 16.20
TOTAL PAYABLE
–
RM 286.20
And here is the cherry on the top – for a 24-month contract, Digi gives you one of these two bonuses:
a free smartphone worth up to RM1,099 (HONOR 9o Lite / Samsung A14), or
extra 60 GB of mobile data, or
unlimited social media data, or
5 GB of international roaming data in 70 countries
Needless to say, this Digi package is a much better deal, as it only costs RM286 per month, or RM3,434.40 per year!
How Much I Save Over 2 Years Switching From Maxis To Digi
In the end, I switched to the Digi Postpaid 90 principal line, and gave all of my supplementary lines a decent 25 GB of mobile data.
Over a standard two-year contract, I will end up saving RM 3,281.76, and get a free smartphone worth RM 1,099. That’s a total saving of RM 4,380.76! Just think of what you can do with all that money!
If I renewed with Maxis, I would have upgraded to their new 5G plan to get that free smartphone and unlimited data. However, my parents would have to continue suffering with 1 GB of data, and I would have to pay an additional RM 3,816 over 2 years compared to Digi!
If I wanted my parents to have a decent amount of mobile data, I would have to really pay Maxis through my nose, and fork out an extra RM 6,868.80 – exactly twice of what the Digi package costs. It just doesn’t make sense to do that.
No matter how I calculate, it just doesn’t make sense (sen?) to stick with Maxis. I will save anywhere from RM1,900 to RM3,400 per year switching to Digi. It really pays to shop around!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Updated @ 2023-09-23 : Added a new free code.
Previous update @ 2023-09-01
Honkai Star Rail Codes + Bonuses
Honkai Star Rail is a free-to-play turn-based role playing game with flashy combat in a beautiful anime-inspired world.
To keep players engaged, and to encourage new players to join, MiHoYo regularly drops free codes that you can redeem for free Stellar Jade, Refined Aether or Credits.
This video gives you both the latest list of free codes, as well as the latest official update videos from MiHoYo! Enjoy!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Updated @ 2023-09-20 : Updated the list of free Dead by Daylight codes and bonuses!
Dead by Daylight Codes + Bonuses
Dead by Daylight is a multiplayer (4 vs 1) horror game where one player takes on the role of the savage Killer, and the other four players play as Survivors, trying to escape the Killer and avoid being caught and killed.
Survivors play in third-person and have the advantage of better situational awareness. The Killer plays in first-person and is more focused on their prey.
The Survivors’ goal in each encounter is to escape the Killing Ground without getting caught by the Killer – something that sounds easier than it is, especially when the environment changes every time you play.
To keep the game fresh, Behavior Interactive regularly releases free codes that you can redeem inside the game for Bloodpoints, Iridescent Shards, Rift Fragments, Charms, and even cosmetic items.
Behaviour Interactive also offers special Dead by Daylight bonuses for simply logging in, or purchasing one of their other games.
Dead by Daylight Codes : How To Redeem Them?
Follow these steps to redeem the Dead by Daylight codes :
Launch Dead by Daylight.
Go to the in-game store.
Click on the Redeem code button on the upper right corner.
Enter the code.
Click on the Redeem button.
That’s it! It’s that simple! Don’t forget to tell your friends!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
The FDA just approved two new 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines, which the CDC is now recommending for everyone 6 months and older!
Here is what you need to know about these new COVID-19 vaccines for 2023-2024!
FDA Approves Two 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccines!
On September 11, 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna for 2023-2024.
In tandem, the US FDA also removed authorisation for the previous Pfizer and Moderna Bivalent vaccine in the United States.
FDA Takes Action on Updated mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines to Better Protect Against Currently Circulating Variants
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took action approving and authorizing for emergency use updated COVID-19 vaccines formulated to more closely target currently circulating variants and to provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death.
Today’s actions relate to updated mRNA vaccines for 2023-2024 manufactured by ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc. Consistent with the totality of the evidence and input from the FDA’s expert advisors, these vaccines have been updated to include a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant XBB.1.5.
Individuals 5 years of age and older regardless of previous vaccination are eligible to receive a single dose of an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months since the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
Individuals 6 months through 4 years of age who have previously been vaccinated against COVID-19 are eligible to receive one or two doses of an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (timing and number of doses to administer depends on the previous COVID-19 vaccine received).
Unvaccinated individuals 6 months through 4 years of age are eligible to receive three doses of the updated authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or two doses of the updated authorized Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.
The FDA is confident in the safety and effectiveness of these updated vaccines and the agency’s benefit-risk assessment demonstrates that the benefits of these vaccines for individuals 6 months of age and older outweigh their risks.
Individuals who receive an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine may experience similar side effects as those reported by individuals who previously received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines as described in the respective prescribing information or fact sheets.
The updated vaccines are expected to provide good protection against COVID-19 from the currently circulating variants. Barring the emergence of a markedly more virulent variant, the FDA anticipates that the composition of COVID-19 vaccines may need to be updated annually, as is done for the seasonal influenza vaccine.
You may not notice but the FDA is not calling these vaccines a “booster dose”. Instead, both vaccines are considered as “updated vaccines” that will better target the currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 virus variants.
Both 2023-2024 updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are based on the same mRNA vaccine technology as their original and bivalent vaccines. But the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines no longer targets the original, ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Instead, they both target the XBB.1.5 variant, which was dominant when these vaccines were developed. Even though the XBB.1.5 variant is no longer the dominant variant, the FDA has determined that it is similar enough to most prevailing variants to offer good cross-protection.
As before, these updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines are designed to prevent death and severe disease, and not avoid mild disease or symptomatic infections.
The FDA is still reviewing a third updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine from Novavax. The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine does not use mRNA, and is based on a synthetic spike protein with an adjuvant instead.
On Tuesday, September 12, 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially recommended that everyone 6 months and older get the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines that were just approved by the US FDA.
CDC Recommends Updated COVID-19 Vaccine for Fall/Winter Virus Season
CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 illness this fall and winter. Updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna will be available later this week.
Vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death. Vaccination also reduces your chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration. If you have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past 2 months, get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect yourself this fall and winter.
The virus that causes COVID-19 is always changing, and protection from COVID-19 vaccines declines over time. Receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine can restore protection and provide enhanced protection against the variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States.
Last season, those who received a 2022-2023 COVID-19 vaccine saw greater protection against illness and hospitalization than those who did not receive a 2022-2023 vaccine. To date, hundreds of millions of people have safely received a COVID-19 vaccine under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.
This recommendation came after the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) was presented with new data which showed that the highest rates of hospitalisation and deaths from COVID-19 were for the very old – adults over 75, and the very young – infants younger than 6 months.
CDC Recommendations For 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccines
CDC just released its recommendations for who should get the 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines:
Everyone 6 Years And Older
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 years and older should get one dose of the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, regardless of whether they received any original COVID-19 vaccine in the past or not.
People 65 Years And Older
People who are 65 years and older may get one additional dose of the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, four or more months after receiving the first dose.
Immunocompromised People
People who are moderately or severely-immunocompromised may get one additional dose of the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, two or more months after receiving the first dose.
Unvaccinated Children 6 Months To 4 Years (Pfizer)
The CDC is recommending three doses of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines:
First dose of the 2023-2024 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
Second dose : 3-8 weeks after first dose
Third dose : at least 8 weeks after second dose
Vaccinated Children 6 Months To 4 Years (Pfizer)
The CDC is recommending that children who received the original Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine should receive these updated doses:
3 doses of the original vaccine : get one updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dose
2 doses of the original vaccine : get one updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dose
1 dose of the original vaccine : get two updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses
2 doses of the original vaccine + bivalent booster : no need for updated vaccine
Unvaccinated 5 Year Old Children (Pfizer)
The CDC is recommending that unvaccinated 5 year-old children should receive one dose of the updated 2023-2024 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
Vaccinated 5 Year Old Children (Pfizer)
The CDC is recommending that 5 year-old children who received the original Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine should receive one dose of the updated vaccine:
1 or more doses of the original vaccine : get one updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dose
Unvaccinated Children 6 Months To 5 Years (Moderna)
The CDC is recommending two doses of the updated Moderna 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines:
First dose of the 2023-2024 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
Second dose : 4-8 weeks after first dose
Vaccinated Children 6 Months To 5 Years (Moderna)
The CDC is recommending that children who received the original Moderna COVID-19 vaccine should receive these updated doses:
2 doses of the original vaccine : get one updated Moderna vaccine dose
1 dose of the original vaccine : get two updated Moderna vaccine doses
2 doses of the original vaccine + bivalent booster : no need for updated vaccine
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Is your brand-new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 arriving soon? Take a look at what to expect inside the box, and just how easy it is to setup!
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 Unboxing : What’s In The Box?
When you get your hands on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, you will notice just how slim the box is. Inside, you will find only these items:
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 smartphone
Set of documents – quick start guide in two languages, and a warranty card
USB Type C to Type C cable
SIM card extractor pin
Despite supporting faster 25 watt charging, the Galaxy Z Flip5 does not come with any charger in the box. You won’t find any USB Type C earphones tuned by AKG either. Not even a TPU case to hold you over until you get a better case.
How To Setup Galaxy Z Flip5 : Step-By-Step Instructions
It is very easy to setup the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 as a new device. However, please note that the Galaxy Z Flip5 setup process will take about 8 minutes or so.
Press the Power button to start up your Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 smartphone.
It only will take 9 seconds to boot up for the first time.
In the Welcome screen, it will default to English (or the default language for your region).
If you need to change the language, tap on the current language, and select the language you prefer.
There is also an Accessibility option below the Start button for those who need it.
Once you’re ready, click Start to begin the setup process.
The first thing you need to do is agree to the EULA (End User Licence Agreement) and the Privacy Policy.
You can skip sending Samsung your Diagnostic Data.
In the next screen, you will have the option to migrate your settings and accounts from your existing device.
If you prefer to set up the Galaxy Z Flip5 as a new device, tap on the option to Set up manually.
Next, you will be asked to log into your Wi-Fi network for Internet connectivity.
Select your Wi-Fi network and key in the password to connect.
Once your Galaxy Z Flip5 connects to the Wi-Fi network, it will try to connect to the mobile network.
This is when you will be asked to insert a SIM card, or set up your mobile network using an e-SIM.
To do all that later, simply tap on the option to Set up later.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 will now take about 23 seconds to get some stuff ready.
After that is done, you are given the option to copy your apps and data from your old smartphone.
This is a long process, which you can do now, or do it later after setting up the Galaxy Z Flip5.
To do it later, or set it up as a new device, simply tap on the Don’t copy option.
Now you will be asked to log into your Google Account, or create a new one.
To skip for now and do it after setting up the phone, click on Skip.
Next, you will be given the option of disabling certain Google services.
Generally, I would recommend leaving them enabled, except sending Google your usage and diagnostic data.
Now, you will be asked to protect your Galaxy Z Flip5 by selecting a preferred login method – Face recognition, Fingerprints, PIN, Password, or Pattern.
If you select the Face Recognition or Fingerprints option, you will need to select a secure screen lock method using Pattern, PIN or Password.
Next, you will need to go through the Face Recognition / Fingerprints training process.
Please note that the fingerprint sensor is built into the Power button on the right side.
After setting up your fingerprints, you will be asked if you would like to download the Smart Tutor app.
Despite its name, this is actually a remote access tool that allows Samsung support staff to remotely diagnose your device.
Tap Next to continue and install the app.
Now, you will be asked to log into your Samsung account, or create a new one.
You can choose not to use a Samsung account, or do it later.
Until you use a Samsung account though, you won’t be able to access certain Samsung services.
You will now have the opportunity to turn off certain Samsung apps and services.
These are all key features that will greatly impact your use of the Galaxy Z Flip5, so I recommend that you leave them all enabled.
Next, you will have the option of selecting either a Light or a Dark theme.
Select whichever you prefer and tap Next.
After that, you will be given a list of advice on how to take care of your Galaxy Z Flip5.
Arguably, the most important advice would be to avoid scratching the foldable display, or applying any film to the display.
You should also keep the Galaxy Z Flip5 away from credit cards and implanted medical devices.
Tap Next once you are done reading.
That’s it! You have successfully setup the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 as a new device!
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 : Price + Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 comes in four main colour options:
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
These are the available models and launch prices for the Galaxy Z Flip5 :
Just in case you are wondering, the launch prices for the Galaxy Z Flip5 only went up by RM100 (~US$22 / £17 / A$33 / S$29) over the launch prices for the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Here are some online per-order and purchase options for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
In this guide, we will show you how to setup your new Samsung Galaxy Z.Flip 5 smartphone for the first time!
How To Setup Galaxy Z Flip 5 : A Video Guide!
We have the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 smartphone with us, and soon you will get yours too.
In this 4K video, we will show you how to setup the Galaxy Z Flip 5 smartphone for the first time, as a new device!
The setup process is very easy, and will only take about 8 minutes if you are setting it up as a fresh device.
How To Setup Galaxy Z Flip 5 : Step-By-Step Instructions
It is very easy to setup the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 as a new device. However, please note that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 setup process will take about 8 minutes or so.
Press the Power button for 2-3 seconds to start up your Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 smartphone.
It will only take 9 seconds to boot up for the first time.
In the Welcome screen, it will default to English (or the default language for your region).
If you need to change the language, tap on the current language, and select the language you prefer.
There is also an Accessibility option below the Start button for those who need it.
Once you’re ready, click Start to begin the setup process.
The first thing you need to do is agree to the EULA (End User Licence Agreement) and the Privacy Policy.
You can skip sending Samsung your Diagnostic Data.
In the next screen, you will have the option to migrate your settings and accounts from your existing device.
If you prefer to set up the Galaxy Z Flip 5 as a new device, tap on the option to Set up manually.
Next, you will be asked to log into your Wi-Fi network for Internet connectivity.
Select your Wi-Fi network and key in the password to connect.
Once your Galaxy Z Flip 5 connects to the Wi-Fi network, it will try to connect to the mobile network.
This is when you will be asked to insert a SIM card, or set up your mobile network using an e-SIM.
To do all that later, simply tap on the option to Set up later.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 will now take about 23 seconds to get some stuff ready.
After that is done, you are given the option to copy your apps and data from your old smartphone.
This is a long process, which you can do now, or do it later after setting up the Galaxy Z Flip 5.
To do it later, or set it up as a new device, simply tap on the Don’t copy option.
Now you will be asked to log into your Google Account, or create a new one.
To skip for now and do it after setting up the phone, click on Skip.
Next, you will be given the option of disabling certain Google services.
Generally, I would recommend leaving them enabled, except sending Google your usage and diagnostic data.
Now, you will be asked to protect your Galaxy Z Flip 5 by selecting a preferred login method – Face recognition, Fingerprints, PIN, Password, or Pattern.
If you select the Face Recognition or Fingerprints option, you will need to select a secure screen lock method using Pattern, PIN or Password.
Next, you will need to go through the Face Recognition / Fingerprints training process.
Please note that the fingerprint sensor is built into the Power button on the right side.
After setting up your fingerprints, you will be asked if you would like to download the Smart Tutor app.
Despite its name, this is actually a remote access tool that allows Samsung support staff to remotely diagnose your device.
Tap Next to continue and install the app.
Now, you will be asked to log into your Samsung account, or create a new one.
You can choose not to use a Samsung account, or do it later.
Until you use a Samsung account though, you won’t be able to access certain Samsung services.
You will now have the opportunity to turn off certain Samsung apps and services.
These are all key features that will greatly impact your use of the Galaxy Z Flip 5, so I recommend that you leave them all enabled.
Next, you will have the option of selecting either a Light or a Dark theme.
Select whichever you prefer and tap Next.
After that, you will be given a list of advice on how to take care of your Galaxy Z Flip 5.
Arguably, the most important advice would be to avoid scratching the foldable display, or applying any film to the display.
You should also keep the Galaxy Z Flip 5 away from credit cards and implanted medical devices.
Tap Next once you are done reading.
That’s it! You have successfully setup the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 as a new device!
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 : Price + Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 comes in four main colour options:
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
These are the available models and launch prices for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 :
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.
Here are some online per-order and purchase options for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
The Tesla Model Y is now available for order in Malaysia, and here is the price list for the three trims and all available upgrade options!
Tesla Model Y : Available Trims In Malaysia Revealed!
Tesla is finally coming to Malaysia, offering the Model Y in three trims:
Model Y with Rear-Wheel Drive only
Model Y Long Range with Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive, and
Model Y Performance with Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive
The Tesla Model Y is a mid-sized electric SUV offering 2100 litres of cargo space, with seating and storage for up to five passengers. It only takes 3.7 seconds for the Model Y to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h, with a range of up to 533 km (WLTP) per charge.
The Model Y comes with an all-glass roof, autopilot, active safety features, and a HEPA air filtration system. In Malaysia, the Tesla Model Y is covered by a basic vehicle warranty for the first 4 years or 80,000 km (whichever comes first). Its battery and drive unit have a longer warranty of 8 years or 192,000 km, whichever comes first.
Tesla Model Y : Price + Option For Each Trim In Malaysia!
As of Friday, 14 July 2023, you can place an order for any of the three Tesla Model Y trims, but delivery is estimated to take place only in early 2024. Here is the starting price for each available trim in Malaysia:
Model Y (Rear-Wheel Drive) : RM 199,000
Model Y Long Range : RM 246,000
Model Y Performance : RM 288,000
The Tesla Model Y is eligible for Malaysia’s EV incentives, which include:
full import and excise duty exemption for newly-registered zero-emission CBU electric vehicles
100% road tax exemption
individual income tax relief of up to RM2,500 on expenses related to the cost of installing, rental, purchasing (including hire-purchase equipment), or subscription fees for EV charging facilities, for the assessment year of 2023.
companies that rent non-commercial EV may claim tax deduction on the rental amount up to RM300,000 from the year of assessment 2023 until 2025.
After those tax deductions are factored in, the starting price for each Tesla Model Y trim is estimated as:
Model Y (Rear-Wheel Drive) : RM 190,500
Model Y Long Range : RM 237,500
Model Y Performance : RM 279,500
However, those are base prices, and do not include optional upgrades, or the Wall Connector for home charging.
Tesla Model Y : Colour + Upgrade Options In Malaysia!
The Tesla Model Y comes in the Pearl White Multi-Coat colour as standard, but you can opt for the following colours at additional cost:
Solid Black : + RM 5,000
Midnight Silver Metallic : + RM 5,000
Deep Blue Metallic : + RM 5,000
Red Multi-Coat : + RM 10,000
The standard Model Y comes with 19″ Gemini wheels, which you can upgrade to 20″ Induction wheels for RM10,000. The Model Y Long Range, however, only comes with 19″Gemini wheels, with no upgrade options. The Model Y Performance comes with 21″ Überturbine wheels as standard, and no upgrade options either.
All three Model Y trims come with Black interiors as standard, but you can opt for Black and White interiors for an extra RM5,000. Other upgrade options available to all three Model Y trims include:
Enhanced Autopilot : + RM 16,000
– Navigate on Autopilot
– Auto Lane Change
– Autopark
– Summon
– Smart Summon
Full Self-Driving Capability : + RM 32,000
– All functionality of Basic Autopilot and Enhanced Autopilot
– Upcoming : Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control, Autosteer on city streets
After factoring in ALL available upgrades, here are the Model Y prices in Malaysia, with their estimated prices after EV savings:
Model Y (Rear-Wheel Drive) : RM 256,000 (RM 247,500 after savings)
Model Y Long Range : RM 293,000 (RM 284,500 after savings)
Model Y Performance : RM 335,000 (RM326,500 after savings)
Note : Full Self-Driving (FSD) Capability includes Enhanced Autopilot
But that is not the final top-of-the-line price list though. Tesla has not announced the cost of its Wall Connector home charging solution for Malaysia. It costs $475 in the United States, so expect to top up another RM2,000 to RM2,500 for the Wall Connector in Malaysia.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Dead by Daylight is a multiplayer (4 vs 1) horror game where one player takes on the role of the savage Killer, and the other four players play as Survivors, trying to escape the Killer and avoid being caught and killed.
Survivors play in third-person and have the advantage of better situational awareness. The Killer plays in first-person and is more focused on their prey.
The Survivors’ goal in each encounter is to escape the Killing Ground without getting caught by the Killer – something that sounds easier than it is, especially when the environment changes every time you play.
To keep the game fresh, Behavior Interactive regularly releases free codes that you can redeem inside the game for Bloodpoints, Iridescent Shards, Rift Fragments, Charms, and even cosmetic items.
Behaviour Interactive also offers special Dead by Daylight bonuses for simply logging in, or purchasing one of their other games.
Dead by Daylight Codes : How To Redeem Them?
Follow these steps to redeem the Dead by Daylight codes :
Launch Dead by Daylight.
Go to the in-game store.
Click on the Redeem code button on the upper right corner.
Enter the code.
Click on the Redeem button.
That’s it! It’s that simple! Don’t forget to tell your friends!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
Timothy Shim gives us the low-down on the 5 strategies for negotiating airfare discounts with SAP Concur!
Negotiating Airfare Discounts with SAP Concur!
Whether it’s a short hop to a neighboring city for a client meeting or an international conference halfway around the globe, airfare costs can significantly dent your company’s budget. That’s where systems like SAP Concur step in.
From leveraging data to setting up effective travel policies, we will explore five strategies for negotiating airfare discounts with SAP Concur. But before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let’s understand what SAP Concur is and how it functions as a critical part of your corporate travel management toolkit.
5 Minute Read
Use SAP Concur’s robust reporting tools to gain insights into your company’s travel patterns and use this information to identify potential areas for negotiation with airlines.
Centralize your company’s travel bookings with SAP Concur and present your travel volume data to airlines when negotiating for discounts.
Use SAP Concur to plan and book corporate travel in advance, demonstrating your commitment to airlines and leveraging this in your negotiations for better rates.
Track airfare fluctuations with SAP Concur and use your active engagement with market trends to secure better deals from airlines.
Leverage SAP Concur to manage and track your company’s relationships with airlines, leveraging your loyalty and long-term commitment to negotiate for ongoing discounts.
5 Strategies for Negotiating Airfare Discounts with SAP Concur!
SAP Concur is a cloud-based solution integrating travel, expense, and invoice management into one unified system. It aims to simplify these processes and provide a seamless, user-friendly experience.
Travel Management with SAP Concur
Concur Travel is a feature within the platform that allows businesses to manage and streamline their corporate travel processes. It offers a comprehensive range of services, including online booking tools, travel management services, and mobile applications.
These services aid companies in reducing costs, enforcing travel policies, and providing travelers with a smooth and efficient experience.
Expense and Invoice Management
Concur Expense and Concur Invoice are additional features to simplify the expense and invoice management processes. Concur Expense lets employees quickly capture and submit expense reports from any location.
That does much to reduce errors and improve compliance. Concur Invoice automates invoice processing, helping businesses manage spending and cash flow more effectively.
SAP Concur’s Impact on Business Operations
By integrating travel, expense, and invoice management, SAP Concur gives businesses visibility and control over their spending. It also offers valuable insights into spending patterns, helping companies make informed decisions and save money.
Whether a business has a small travel team or a large multinational operation, SAP Concur is designed to adapt to unique needs and deliver tangible benefits.
The first step to effective negotiation is knowing your ground, and in the context of airfare discounts, that means understanding your travel data. SAP Concur shines here, providing businesses comprehensive insights into their travel habits.
Key Data Points to Focus On
First, pay close attention to your company’s frequently traveled routes, preferred airlines, and ticket classes. Focus on asking the right questions to provide the most actionable insights for your business. For example;
Which routes are your employees traveling the most?
Which airlines are they choosing?
Are they booking economy, business, or first-class tickets?
These data points provide a solid foundation for negotiation discussions with airlines.
Analyzing Trends and Patterns
SAP Concur allows you to analyze trends and patterns in your travel data over time. For instance, you may find that your employees travel more frequently during certain times of the year or prefer specific airlines for international flights. These patterns can provide leverage when negotiating airfare discounts.
Translating Data into Negotiation Power
Armed with this data, you can approach airlines with confidence. Showcase your loyalty to specific airlines, emphasize the volume of business you bring, and demonstrate your understanding of your company’s travel needs.
When airlines see that you know your travel patterns and preferences, they’re more likely to consider offering discounts.
Actionable Tips
Use SAP Concur’s reporting tools to gain a comprehensive overview of your company’s travel patterns.
Analyze the data to identify trends, such as the most frequently traveled routes, the most used airlines, and peak travel periods.
Use this information to identify potential areas for negotiation with airlines.
Once you’ve grasped your travel data, it’s time to focus on volume. As with many things in business, higher volumes can often lead to better deals, and air travel is no different.
With SAP Concur, you can aggregate your travel data to demonstrate the volume of your bookings, forming a compelling case for discounts.
Consolidating Travel Bookings
It’s essential to consolidate your company’s travel bookings as much as possible. Instead of allowing your employees to book flights individually, use SAP Concur to centralize your travel bookings.
This simplifies the booking process and allows you to negotiate with airlines as a single, high-volume customer.
Presenting Your Case to Airlines
When you approach airlines with a substantial volume of business, you’re in a much stronger negotiating position. Airlines are always looking for consistent, reliable customers. Showing them that you provide significant business can encourage them to offer you better rates.
The Win-Win Situation
By offering airlines a substantial and steady volume of business, you’re creating a win-win situation. The airline gets a reliable source of revenue, and in return, your company gets more favorable airfare rates. This symbiotic relationship is the heart of effective negotiation.
Leveraging SAP Concur’s Tools
SAP Concur provides the tools necessary to leverage your travel volume effectively. This platform is an essential partner in your negotiation journey, from consolidating bookings to presenting comprehensive reports.
Using SAP Concur to showcase your travel volume, you can confidently negotiate airfare discounts and ensure your company gets the best possible deals.
Actionable Tips
Use SAP Concur to centralize all your company’s travel bookings.
Make a report showcasing your company’s travel volume.
Present this report to airlines when negotiating discounts.
Strategy #3: Utilize Advanced Booking
We’ve all heard the saying, “The early bird gets the worm,” right? In our case, replace “worm” with “discount.” Being an early bird can be a real game-changer when bagging those sweet airfare deals. And here’s where SAP Concur comes in handy, making advanced booking a breeze.
Think about it – when airlines see steady, early bookings, they’re more willing to give us a break with some discounts. Plus, it’s a stress reliever! You get to avoid the last-minute scramble for tickets, and it’s easier to plan your budget when you know the costs upfront.
SAP Concur is like that incredibly organized friend we all wish we had. With its advanced booking feature, planning your corporate travel well in advance is simple. You can book flights, reserve hotels, and even arrange ground transport, all in one place.
The Art of Negotiation with Advanced Booking
But let’s get back to the discounts. Advanced booking can give you a leg up when negotiating with airlines. Showing them that your company is organized and committed to booking in advance can be a persuasive argument for a lower rate.
Creating a Win-Win Situation (Again!)
Just like with travel volume, advanced booking creates a win-win situation. The airlines have the security of early and regular bookings, and you get to bag those tempting discounts. It’s like a beautiful dance, and SAP Concur is your dance partner, guiding you through each step.
So, remember to plan. It’s not just about saving your sanity; it’s about saving dollars. Advanced booking with SAP Concur? That’s a smart move.
Actionable Tips
● Use SAP Concur’s booking tools to plan and book corporate travel well in advance.
● Track the cost savings achieved through advanced booking.
● Highlight your company’s commitment to early booking when negotiating with airlines.
Next up on our list of strategies is dynamic pricing. That might sound like some sort of jargon straight out of a business textbook, but trust me, it’s more complex than it sounds. It’s all about adaptability, flexibility, and being ready to ride the ever-changing airfare prices.
Airfare prices are like a rollercoaster—they go up, down, and make sudden turns. As a savvy business, we must monitor these fluctuations and use them to our advantage. When we know that prices are changing, we can swoop in and grab those discounts when they pop up.
This is where SAP Concur struts its stuff. It allows us to track these price changes and alerts us when prices drop. It’s like having a vigilant guard dog that barks (or, in this case, sends notifications) when a good deal is on the horizon.
Dynamic Pricing and Negotiation
When you’re at the negotiating table with airlines, being able to talk about dynamic pricing can give you an edge. It shows airlines that you’re not only aware of the market trends but you’re also ready to react to them. This can make them more willing to offer special deals and discounts.
Creating Yet Another Win-Win
By now, you’ve probably noticed a pattern—we’re all about creating win-win situations. With dynamic pricing, the airlines get a customer who’s engaged and responsive to the market, and you get to save some of those hard-earned dollars.
So, let’s embrace the rollercoaster of dynamic pricing. We can ride the ups and downs with great discounts with SAP Concur. Remember, being adaptable in business is a virtue; in this case, it can save you money!
Actionable Tips
Use SAP Concur’s tracking features to keep an eye on airfare fluctuations.
Book immediately to secure the lower rate when you notice a significant price drop.
Mention your dynamic pricing strategy during negotiations with airlines to show that you’re an active and engaged customer.
Last but not least is the power of long-term partnerships. We’re not just talking about fleeting, one-off deals here. No, we’re looking at the big picture—establishing relationships with airlines that can lead to ongoing discounts.
Loyalty goes a long way in business, and air travel is no different. Airlines appreciate customers who stick around. Knowing they can count on your company’s regular patronage gives them stability.
This is where SAP Concur’s ability to track and manage your travel data shines. It helps you keep track of your company’s relationship with each airline and makes it easier to demonstrate your loyalty when negotiating for better rates.
Using Partnerships to Negotiate Discounts
When you’ve established a long-term relationship with an airline, you’re no longer just another customer—you’re a valued partner. This gives you a significant advantage when negotiating airfare discounts.
Airlines are more likely to give better rates to customers who will continue to bring them business.
The Long Game Wins
Establishing long-term partnerships is like playing the long game. Yes, it requires commitment and consistency, but the payoff can be substantial. Airlines get the assurance of your loyalty, and you get the benefit of ongoing discounts. It’s a classic win-win.
Actionable Tips
● Use SAP Concur to track your company’s relationship with each airline.
● Share this data with airlines to demonstrate your loyalty and commitment.
● Leverage your long-term relationship with airlines to negotiate for ongoing discounts.
Final Thoughts: Turning Strategies into Savings with SAP Concur
We’ve certainly covered some ground! From understanding your travel data, leveraging your travel volume, utilizing advanced booking, and implementing dynamic pricing, to establishing long-term partnerships, it’s clear that there are multiple strategies for negotiating airfare discounts.
And guess what? SAP Concur has been our faithful companion, offering us the tools and features to implement these strategies effectively. It’s more than a travel, expense, and invoice management platform.
It’s a powerful ally that helps us navigate the tricky terrain of corporate travel and airfare negotiation.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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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.
To help you plan your holidays in the new year, here is a summary of the public and school holidays in Malaysia for 2023!
Updated @ 2023-06-27 : Added extra public holiday for Hari Raya Haji 2023.
Updated @ 2023-04-20 : Added extra public holiday for Hari Raya 2023.
Updated @ 2023-04-11 : Added extra school holiday for Hari Raya 2023.
Updated @ 2023-04-07 : Added extra school holidays for 2023 / 2024 school term. Originally posted @ 2023-01-02
2023 Public Holidays For Malaysia
Here are the public holidays for Malaysia in the year 2023. Some of these days may be subject to change.
Date
Day
Holiday
States
1 Jan
Sun
New Year’s Day
All states except Johor, Kedah,
Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu
2 Jan
Mon
All states except Johor, Kedah,
Kelantan and Terengganu
14 Jan
Sat
YDPB Negeri
Sembilan’s Birthday
Negeri Sembilan
22 Jan
23 Jan
Sun
Mon
Chinese New Year
All states
24 Jan
Tue
All states except Johor, Kedah,
Kelantan and Terengganu
1 Feb
Wed
Federal Territory Day
Kuala Lumpur, Labuan,
Putrajaya
5 Feb
Sun
Thaipusam
Johor, Kuala Lumpur,
Negeri Sembilan, Penang,
Perak, Putrajaya and
Selangor
6 Feb
Mon
Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan,
Penang, Putrajaya and Selangor
18 Feb
Sat
Israk and Mikraj
Kedah, Negeri Sembilan,
Perlis and Terengganu
19 Feb
Sun
Terengganu
4 Mar
5 Mar
Sat
Sun
Accession Anniversary
of Terengganu Sultan
Terengganu
23 Mar
Thu
Awal Ramadan
Johor, Kedah and Melaka
Johor Sultan’s Birthday
Johor
7 Apr
Fri
Good Friday
Sabah and Sarawak
8 Apr
Sat
Nuzul al-Quran
All states except Johor, Kedah,
Melaka, Negeri Sembilan,
Sabah and Sarawak
9 Apr
Sun
Kelantan and Terengganu
15 Apr
Sat
Declaration of Melaka
as a Historical City
Melaka
21 Apr
22 Apr
23 Apr
Fri
Sat
Sun
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
All states
24 Apr
Mon
All states except Johor + Kedah
26 Apr
Wed
Sultan of Terengganu’s
Birthday
Terengganu
1 May
Mon
Labour Day
All states
4 May
Thu
Wesak Day
All states
17 May
Wed
Raja of Perlis’
Birthday
Perlis
22 May
Mon
Hari Hol Pahang
Pahang
30 May
31 May
Tue
Wed
Harvest Festival
Labuan and Sabah
1 Jun
2 Jun
Thu
Fri
Hari Gawai
Sarawak
5 Jun
Mon
YDP Agong’s Birthday
All states
18 Jun
Sun
Sultan of Kedah’s
Birthday
Kedah
28 Jun
Wed
Arafat Day
Kedah and Terengganu
29 Jun
Thu
Hari Raya Haji
All states
30 Jun
Fri
Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis,
Terengganu + Selangor
7 Jul
Fri
Georgetown World
Heritage City Day
Penang
8 Jul
Sat
Penang Governor’s
Birthday
19 Jul
Wed
Awal Muharram
All states
22 Jul
Sat
Sarawak Day
Sarawak
30 Jul
31 Jul
Sun
Mon
Sultan of Pahang’s
Birthday
Pahang
23 Aug
Wed
Hari Hol Almarhum
Sultan Iskandar
Johor
24 Aug
Thu
Melaka Governor’s
Birthday
Melaka
31 Aug
Thu
Merdeka Day
All states
16 Sep
Sat
Malaysia Day
All states
17 Sep
Sun
Kelantan and Terengganu
28 Sep
Thu
Prophet Muhammad’s
Birthday
All states
7 Oct
Sat
Sabah Governor’s
Birthday
Sabah
14 Oct
Sat
Sarawak Governor’s
Birthday
Sarawak
3 Nov
Fri
Sultan of Perak’s
Birthday
Perak
11 Nov
Sat
Sultan of Kelantan’s
Birthday
Kelantan
12 Nov
13 Nov
Sun
Mon
Sultan of Kelantan’s
Birthday
Kelantan
12 Nov
Sun
Deepavali
All states except Sarawak
13 Nov
Mon
All states except Johor,
Kedah, Kelantan, Sarawak
and Terengganu
11 Dec
Mon
Sultan of Selangor’s
Birthday
Selangor
24 Dec
Sun
Christmas Eve
Sabah
25 Dec
Mon
Christmas Day
All states
26 Dec
Tue
Christmas Holiday
Sabah
2023 School Holidays For Malaysia
The COVID-19 pandemic has thoroughly screwed up the school term and holidays. Instead of starting in January and ending in December, the new term now starts in March and every year will have two “academic years”.
This is quite confusing for many of us parents, so here is a quick summary of the school holidays for the year 2023.
Here are the school holidays for Group A states of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Holiday
Start
End
Days
2022 Year End Holiday
17 Feb
18 Mar
30
2023 Mid-Term 1 Holiday
21 Apr
29 Apr
9
2023 End-Term 1 Holiday
26 May
3 Jun
9
2023 Term 2 Holiday
25 Aug
2 Sep
9
2023 Term 3 Holiday
15 Dec
1 Jan
18
In addition, the government also announced these extra holidays for Group A schools:
Festival Holidays
Group A
Notes
Chinese New Year
Sunday to Tuesday,
22 to 24 January 2023
1 extra day
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Thursday, 20 April 2023
2 extra days
Hari Raya Qurban
Wednesday, 28 June 2023
1 extra day
Hari Deepavali
Sunday, 12 November 2023
Monday, 13 November 2023
Public Holiday
1 extra day
Group B Schools
Here are the school holidays for Group A states of Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Holiday
Start
End
Days
2022 Year End Holiday
18 Feb
19 Mar
30
2023 Mid-Term 1 Holiday
22 Apr
30 Apr
9
2023 End-Term 1 Holiday
27 May
4 Jun
9
2023 Term 2 Holiday
26 Aug
3 Sep
9
2023 Term 3 Holiday
16 Dec
1 Jan
17
In addition, the government also announced these extra holidays for Group B schools:
Festival Holidays
Group B
Notes
Chinese New Year
Friday to Tuesday,
20 to 24 January 2023
1 extra day
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Thursday, 20 April 2023
Friday, 21 April 2023
3 extra days
Pesta Kaamatan
Only for Sabah + Labuan Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Wednesday, 31 May 2023
2 extra days
Hari Gawai Dayak
Only for Sarawak Thursday, 1 June 2023
Friday, 2 June 2023
2 extra days
Hari Raya Qurban
Wednesday, 28 June 2023
Thursday, 29 June 2023
2 extra days
Hari Deepavali
Except Sarawak
Monday, 13 November 2023
Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Replacement
1 extra day
Only for Sarawak
Monday, 13 November 2023
1 extra day
Chinese New Year
Friday, 9 February 2024
Saturday, 10 February 2024
Sunday, 11 February 2024
Monday, 12 February 2024
1 extra day
Public holiday
Public holiday
Replacement
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.