Category: Hiburan

Singaporean, Ahmad Taufiq, Raising Funds To Enter Prestigious Strongman Competition In Africa

The heaviest thing he has ever lifted was a 380kg axle.

Yesterday, strongman Ahmad Taufiq Muhammad, 34, came close to breaking his personal record when he lifted a van with five crew members of ONE FM’s #1 Breakfast Show.

He started out comfortably – lifting up the van each time one member got into the van.

After the fourth lift, he had to kneel on the ground and catch his breath as the final member, DJ Glenn Ong, climbed into the van.

With his muscles strained, Mr Taufiq clenched his teeth and lifted the van one last time to cheers from the crew.

Estimating that he had lifted about 370kg, he said afterwards: “The weight increase was ridiculous.”

The freelance youth workerhopes to raise money to take part in the Arnold Classic Africa, an annual global strength competition.

He was invited to this year’s event, which will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on May 27.

Mr Taufiq, who weighs 145kg and is 1.77m tall, told The New Paper: “One of my friends suggested crowdfunding since it’s costly to travel to South Africa. I’m targeting to raise US$3,500 (S$4,800), which covers my airfare and lodging.”

From his own pocket, he will be spending about $5,000 more on a nutritionist, sports supplements, customised equipment and a protein-rich diet for 14 weeks.

“I spend a lot on food, as I have eight to 10 meals a day,” said Mr Taufiq, who prepares his own meals.

He took part in his first strength competition, Singapore Strongest Man, which was organised by HomeTeamNS, in 2005 and won.

He then progressed to regional and international events such as the Orang Kuat Sabah (Strongman Sabah) and World Natural Strongman Federation 3rd Laszlo Classic 2012 in Hungary.

HEART

When asked about the weights he will be carrying in the Amateur Strongman category, he quoted a saying in the strongman circle: “A strongman never asks the weight of the implements. A strongman just picks it up and does his best.”

And don’t think he’s all brawn. This muscleman has brains, and heart too.

The psychology graduate from the University of Wyoming in the US is taking a break from pursuing his PhD in family ecology at Universiti Putra Malaysia to start a boys’ shelter and concentrate on the competition.

He hopes people will fund him in his endeavour as he is the first Singaporean to take part.

“It’s an experience. The Arnold’s is much bigger than the Olympics in the strength community. Strength sports don’t receive as much recognition as compared to swimming and table tennis in Singapore.

“Everyone deserves a chance and people should have a little faith in me. I’ll put in a really good fight like I always do in competitions and aim to finish within the Top 10.” he said.

DJ Andre Hoeden, co-host on the ONE FM’s #1 Breakfast Show, said: “I’m proud to see him taking on the strongman series to represent Singapore. I support him.”

Mr Taufiq has raised US$1,515 so far. See www.makeachamp.com/taufiqstrongman for more information.

Source: www.tnp.sg

March 10, 2016
Online Shopping Scam: Man Ordered iPhone 6S, Gets Padlock Instead

Scams in the tech industry are a big-and-booming business. From cases of fake portable power-banks concealing bags of sand and blocks of metal to seem legitimate, to customers being sold dummy smartphones, it’s no wonder that many are hesitant to purchase electronic products through the internet.

Now, while many of us may think we’ve seen all the tricks of these ingenious tech conmen, the sly minority of the black tech trade who constantly endeavour the most creative of ways to rip off the money of consumers, blew us away once again with another cruel ploy.

Facebook user Alans Ng took to social media to share his story after he allegedly received asteel padlock instead of the iPhone 6S he ordered.

Ng allegedly ordered and purchased a brand new iPhone 6S online via 11 Street Malaysia, but was shocked when the parcel he received from the online distributor had nothing but a steel padlock encased within the packaging of the iPhone 6S.

According to Ng, the manufacturer blamed the distributor, claiming that someone in the distributor’s party had replaced the original content of the packaging with the steel lock.

Ng also adds that nothing seemed odd about the packaging upon receiving it, saying that the mobile phone’s packaging still had a layer of plastic wrap on it, verifying the fact that the courier services (Sky Net), had no part in this.

The plastic wrap, which was still intact, hinted at the fact that the distributor (11 Street Malaysia), tampered with the package and replaced its original contents with the steel padlock.

Below is Ng’s post on Facebook.

Ng ends his post on Facebook by asking the responsible parties to investigate the matter thoroughly and provide him with a proper resolve.

It goes without saying that the entire incident is nothing short of humorous yet bitter.

That being said, we hope Ng finds closure and receives his iPhone 6S as promised.

What is your take on the incident? Who do you think is responsible for this?

Do let us know!

UPDATE

In a comment on his original post, Ng explained that he had just gotten a call from the seller, who asked him to return the package to them and that they would ship a genuine replacement to him no later than Wednesday.

The link to Ng’s original post on Facebook can be found here.

Source: http://thecoverage.my

March 9, 2016
Malaysian Asia’s Next Top Model Asks Critics – Why Now?

Malaysian model Tuti has responded to critics who said it was un-Islamic for her to compete in a modelling show on TV, BBC reported.

Tuti, whose real name is Nuraini Noor, was quoted as saying that she did not face such controversy before when she participated and won modelling competitions in Malaysia.

“Different people have different points of view and I am not in control of that. I respect each and everyone’s opinion.

“I don’t like to put labels on anything. I’m a citizen of the world. I’m that kind of girl who chases her dreams,” Tuti said.

Tuti is one of the 14 contestants in the latest season of Asia’s Next Top Model, scheduled to begin airing across the region on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old model is said to be one of the show’s first ethnic Malay contender.

Other Malaysians who have competed on the show was Shareeta Selvaraj and Melissa Tan Li Hsia in the third season, while Sheena Liam was the winner for the second Asia’s Next Top Model, The Star reported. – March 7, 2016.

Source: www.themalaysianinsider.com

March 9, 2016
What To Do And Where To Catch The Solar Eclipse

A solar eclipse will take place on Wednesday (March 9), and thousands are expected to gather at various vantage points across the island to view it.

Solar eclipses occur when the moon crosses between the sun and the earth, forming a shadow on the earth’s surface.

Here are some things you should know about the eclipse.

When will the eclipse occur?

Wednesday’s solar eclipse will happen between approximately 7.20am and 9.30am. The peak of the solar eclipse will be at 8.23am, where a maximum of 87 per cent of the sun is expected to be obscured by the moon when viewed from Singapore.

Sunrise on that day will be at 7.12am.

Where can I view it?

The Astronomical Society of Singapore says one can get an unobstructed view of the eastern horizon from anywhere in Singapore, at a compass heading of 94 degrees in order to view the eclipse.

What are the other types of solar eclipses?

The solar eclipse on Wednesday will be a partial eclipse, which is the most common out of the three types of eclipses.

Total eclipses occur when the sun is completely covered by the moon when viewed from the earth’s surface, while partial eclipses occur when a portion of the sun is obscured by the moon.

The last type of solar eclipse, known as the annular eclipse, occurs when the sun and moon are completely in line with each other in relation to the viewer on earth, but the apparent size of the moon is smaller than the sun.

This forms a light around the moon from the viewer’s perspective, commonly known as the “ring of fire”.

How often do solar eclipses occur?

Solar eclipses occur once every 18 months according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), but they can be viewed only from a specific region on earth due to the small size of the shadow formed by the eclipse.

In Singapore, 146 eclipses have been or will be seen from the year 1700 to 2100. The last eclipse happened in January 2009, while the next solar eclipse, an annular one, will occur on Dec 26, 2019.

How can I view it?

Anyone keen on observing the solar eclipse is advised to do so with extreme caution.

Serious and permanent eye damage may occur as a result of looking at the sun without proper equipment. A pair of solar filters or glasses is needed for safe viewing.

The same rule applies to devices used to take photographs of the solar eclipse, as focused sunlight may potentially heat up and crack the optics of cameras.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of unsafe methods to view the eclipse:

1. Both polarised and non-polarised sunglasses

2. Solar film used in cars and household windows

3. Tinted glass, such as brown and green coloured beer bottles

4. Photographic negatives

5. X-ray film

6. CDs/DVDs

7. Photographic filters

8. Looking at the reflection of the eclipse through a bowl of water or a mirror

9. Welding glasses which do not block out ultraviolet and infared light

Are there events that I can attend to view it?

There are three public events that The Straits Times recommends.

1. The National University of Singapore (NUS) will play host to the Solar Eclipse 2016 @ NUS event, to be held over two days on March 8 and 9.

Members of the public can join in the activities for free, which will kick off with an astrophotography exhibition beginning at 2pm on Tuesday. It will be held at the Faculty of Science in NUS.

Following that, a series of public lectures related to the eclipse will start at 7pm, while an overnight stargazing session will begin concurrently in the lead up to the solar eclipse observation the next morning.

Live streaming of the total eclipse to be recorded by two NUS Physics Department students in Luwuk, Indonesia, will be shown at the event.

2. Over at the Science Centre Singapore, thousands are expected to turn up at an eclipse viewing event beginning at 7.30am on Wednesday.

A live stream of footage from the total eclipse viewed in Micronesia will be screened, courtesy of a team from San Francisco’s The Exploratorium that Science Centre Singapore has partnered with.

3. The Astronomical Society of Singapore will be organising a hosting event at Labrador Park, beginning from 7am on Wednesday. This will be held at the Red Beacon area, and members of the public will be able to view the solar eclipse safely through solar-filtered telescopes set up by the society.

Source: http://news.asiaone.com

March 8, 2016
Help! Ada Hantu In Our Hotel Room

Stomper Siti noticed something out of the ordinary in a photograph she took with her some of her companions at a hotel in Singapore on Feb 13.

According to the Stomper, after the photograph was taken, she noticed that there was a reflection of a ghostly white figure in a window at the top left hand corner of the image.

Said Siti with regards to what happened:

“We saw the figure two days after we took the photograph.

“The image was a selfie, no one was taking the photo for us.

“We were freaked out by what we saw.”

Source: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg

March 7, 2016