Hope this works: (from left) Ng, Khor, Lee and Chung seen at the waterfront. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Centuries ago, when maidens in China could not freely socialise, Chap Goh Meh – the 15th and last day of Chinese New Year (CNY) festivities – was the only evening when they could step out of their homes without being closely chaperoned.
As they went out, dressed in their Sunday best, to temples to pray for a blessed future, young men would be out on the streets too – because this was about the only time of the year when they could openly admire the lasses of their villages.
If a young lady stole their heart at first sight, a young man would then seek the services of a matchmaker to make the proper enquiries and hopefully, introductions.
That is how Chap Goh Meh became to be known as the Chinese equivalent of Valentine’s Day, while in Penang and other parts of Malaysia, another tradition was added to it.
Sometime in the 19th century, single Chinese ladies went out in groups to the seaside on Chap Goh Meh and tossed out mandarin oranges which, just like throwing coins into a well, would hopefully bring them good luck in the form of the man of their dreams.
This tradition has stuck around to this day and for Jess Ng, 26, and her three gal pals, the new in-thing for them is to do it by themselves instead of being stuck in a crowd.
“I never threw mandarins for Chap Goh Meh before because I didn’t like the traffic jams and the large crowd of people.
“This year, we decided that since this is our first time celebrating Chinese New Year together since the Covid-19 pandemic, we should try this mandarin-throwing,” Ng said with a laugh.
Ng, Star Khor, 22, Rachel Lee, 20, and Kelly Chung, 28, are all hairdressers who had their fair share of troubles during the pandemic, as hair salons were among the last types of businesses to be allowed to resume normal operations.
Ng said she did not currently have a boyfriend nor did she believe that throwing mandarins into the sea would really help her find one.
“But I wanted to do it just to celebrate the last day of CNY. I pray that the Year of the Rabbit would be a happy one for the world. Everyone has been through a lot and I hope this year, we will all find blessings,” she said.
Unlike Ng, Lee went ahead and scribbled her phone number with a permanent marker on her mandarins before throwing them.
“I wouldn’t know what to do if someone actually calls me and say they found my mandarin,” Lee laughed.
After three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, global businesses were glad to see Chinese visitors once again arriving at
their local tourist attractions and shopping malls over the just concluded Spring Festival holidays. The recovery of Chinese outbound
tourism has ...
PETALING JAYA: Retiree K. Niyani got a phone call supposedly from a clinic, offering her a free medical screening for her heart condition.
“They knew I am a heart patient and the details were correct. I’ve never signed up for anything with them, so it’s strange they knew my medical condition,” she said.
“The clinic insisted that I go for a screening although I told them I go for regular check-ups at a hospital.”
Niyani, 67, said the phone call came from a landline number.
The caller, she said, mentioned the name of the clinic.
Upon searching the Internet for the name, Niyani, from Penang, found that there was no such clinic.
Instead, the search results showed a “wellness centre” with the same name that offered spa services.
The call was likely a ruse to lure people into spending money on purported health packages they don’t need.
In such cases, the victims are told that the health screening is by invitation only.
One of the most common requirements is that the person must have a credit card.
They are sometimes required to share their credit card number and other financial and personal details, including MyKad numbers, during the call.
“Most important is that you must have a credit card. Remember, this is by invitation only and we are offering to people aged between 30 and 65,” said one such caller.
According to the caller, the offer was being made in conjunction with World Heart Day (which is marked annually on Sept 29.)
A check by The Star on some of the names of the organisations and clinics supposedly offering these services revealed that some of them did not exist.
Some of these callers even had information on the person’s health status, especially those with heart conditions.
Content writer Fila Rizal, 42, said she received such calls from a mobile phone number, offering a free heart screening at a clinic.
“This happened several times despite me declining the offer. I have never heard of such a clinic,” she said.
Another person – who wants to remain anonymous – took up the offer and went to a screening.
He said the consultation comprised checking the vein on a finger.
“The doctor then asked me to get a package which was quite costly. I didn’t quite understand the package but it had some supplements in it as well. I put my foot down, saying that I did not want any of it. And I left,” he said.
Another anonymous participant said the package offered to him cost more than RM10,000.
“I did not understand what the package was all about, but the price tag shocked me. In fact, there were a lot of confusing details. Maybe they hope you would just buy into it,” he said.
Public health advocate Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said there is a possibility that scammers might have been given access to some health records by “irresponsible agents”.
Or the schemers might just be banking on general information on the Malaysian population’s health and disease statistics, he said.
“People must exercise common sense. If they have medical problems, go to a clinic or hospital.
“Do not engage in online consultations or other medical dealings,” said the former Health Ministry official.
“The ethics of screening of medical conditions must be done with proper consultation and follow-up.”
Unfortunately, such calls offering these supposedly free wellness screening packages are not new.
In July 2020, the National Heart Institute (IJN) issued an alert on its Facebook page cautioning the public against scam calls offering these so-called packages.
“We have been receiving calls from the public and our partners saying that they received a call from IJN offering free wellness screening packages and asking them to provide payslip, identification card and other personal documents to enrol for this screening,” it said.
“Please be aware that IJN does not engage with any third party to conduct any wellness screening promotion. We urge you not to provide your personal information and be mindful of the situation.”
A concept model of a next-generation fighter jet was displayed at Airshow China 2022 held in Zhuhai, South China’s Guangdong Province in November 2022. Photo: Liu Xuanzun/GT
A promotional video released by the Chinese aviation industry on Tuesday featured computer generated images showing what analysts said on Wednesday could represent a concept of the country’s next-generation fighter jet, which reflects China’s determination to outpace the US in new warplane development.
The video, published in the WeChat video channel of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), introduced China’s airborne radar development and featured near its end a computer-generated clip showing three unknown aircraft flying in formation.
The aircraft looked like the J-20 stealth fighter jet, but with no canards, tails or fins, and the diamond-shaped wings appeared bigger than those of the J-20, giving it what seems to be a blended wing-body configuration, observers said, who also speculated that it might be China’s next-generation fighter jet.
At the Airshow China 2022 held in Zhuhai, South China’s Guangdong Province in November 2022, AVIC put on display a concept model of a next-generation fighter jet, which also had a tailless design like the aircraft shown in the latest video.
Other countries are also conducting research and development into next-generation fighter jets, and tailless designs similar to the one shown by China are some of the most popular concepts, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
A tailless design will give the next-generation, or the sixth-generation, fighter jet superior stealth capability in all directions than current fifth-generation ones, and a blended wing body design will provide higher lift, longer range and lower fuel consumption. However, without vertical tails, the new aircraft will lose out on maneuverability if it does not use other designs or technologies to compensate, like thrust vectoring control-capable engines and split brake rudders, or other innovative approaches, analysts said.
With the project name Next Generation Air Dominance, the US’ next-generation fighter jet might also use a tailless design, according to a computer-generated rendering by US military warplane contractor Lockheed Martin, US news website Defense News reported in September 2022.
Based on the information available now, China has started research and development in terms of the next-generation fighter jet, and it is in a confident place to eventually outpace the US, Fu said.
The US has been criticized for pushing for more military presence in Asia out of a zero-sum game mentality and jeopardizing
regional stability, after the US has managed to expand access to four additional military bases in the Philippines to boost its military
flexibility in possible war scenarios with China.
US’ reaction to Chinese civilian airship is really overdone
Recent signals sent from the US on China have been utterly chaotic, which may bring more uncertainty to already strained
bilateral relations, Chinese analysts said on Friday. They urged the US to be more sincere in fixing relations with China instead of making
provocative actions against it, especially after the picture of a white balloon made headlines in the US and some Western countries on Friday,
as Pentagon officials claimed that a Chinese spy balloon hovering over Montana this week had a flight path that took it over "sensitive sites"
in the US.
In a new dress-down era, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his Cabinet are paving the way with their ‘tie-less’ approach, which highlights less bureaucracy and formality. There is no point having government leaders in designer suits if they lack emotional intelligence and are corrupt, say image experts.
Less formal: Anwar is setting a trend for workplace dress code.
PETALING JAYA: The “dress down” culture of the government is being well-accepted all around, with experts saying the new approach highlights less bureaucracy and formality.
The post-pandemic environment has ushered in a trend of informality in the workplace, according to professional image consultant Dolly Kee.
She said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who these days seldom wears a necktie, was conveying an image of a leader who wants to be seen as relatable, genuine, relaxed and approachable.
Anwar had opted for a pair of baju melayu and sandals when clocking in on his first day in office on Nov 25, 2022.
The PKR president chaired a no-tie Cabinet meeting on Dec 7, 2022.
“It is definitely his deliberate choice which, when in the right environment and when he has confidence and stylish intention, can certainly work,” she said.
However, Anwar has been photographed wearing a complete suit and tie as well as songkok when having an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and other rulers, including the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, and the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
“The suit-and-tie look is highly recommended as a complete set for most professional and formal events or occasions.
“This is especially true for events involving an audience with royalty and high-level meetings with country heads and senior foreign dignitaries, as well as while attending parliamentary sittings, where the highest degree of decorum is to be expected,” she said.
She pointed out that batik shirts and the baju melayu could be vibrant alternatives to the formal suit-and-tie look.
“We are blessed with our beautiful batik shirts and baju melayu for men. The quality of each of the dress choices, such as long-sleeved batik shirts, offers our senior top officials the classy-style equivalent of the suit and tie.
“Generally, be it in the civil service or the corporate sector, if your boss doesn’t wear a tie, jacket or blazer, any subordinate who does will inadvertently commit the faux pas of ‘outdressing the boss’,” said Kee.
Urbane Academy Sdn Bhd founder Georgianna Das said times had changed as far as the professional dress code was concerned.
“Everyone should be comfortable wearing what they want to, as long as it’s not garish, vulgar or jarring to anyone. Malaysians would want leaders who have integrity and put the welfare of all citizens in the country first.
“There is no point having government leaders in designer business suits if they lack emotional intelligence and practise corruption, nepotism or cronyism,” said Das.
Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni said most of the ministers and senior officers opted for the no-tie look as they wanted to display the same image as the prime minister.
“It’s a matter of individual choice and style whether to wear a tie or otherwise when attending official programmes,” he said.
Hope this works: (from left) Ng, Khor, Lee and Chung seen at the waterfront. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
