Malaysian and Singaporean artistes perform on a common platform

The 4th Muzika Ekstravaganza with the theme Seasons of Love staged at Darul Makmur Auditorium in the Sultan Ahmad Shah Broadcasting Complex in Kuantan was once again the focus of music lovers.

A total of 25 guest artistes comprising comedians, singers and pop groups from Malaysia and Singapore put up a grand performance that enthralled more than 1,000 spectators at the auditorium recently.

Popular local entertainer Intan Nor Saina and Singaporean Khairudin Saharom, who were the masters of ceremony, led the two-hour show aired live via RTM1 and Singapore TV.

Malaysians artistes Zehra Zambri, Hazami, Sarah Raissuddin, Meet Uncle Hussain, Adeep The Fabulous Cat, Amylea Azizan, Izwan Pilus, Altimet, Rodi Kristal, comedians Sathiya and Angelina Tan, choir group Prima Chorus and dance troupe Swatari all received loud applause for their acts.

Singaporean artistes Hady Mirza, Hyrul Anuar, Maiya Rahman, Azyza, Rancour, Sleeq, Arif Samsudin and the Shuko Dancers added glamour the show.

by NIK NAIZI HUSIN

Hady on Strong bias persists against HIV victims Concert

SINGAPOREANS are aware about HIV, but they are less accepting of people with the disease, according to a survey released by the Health Promotion Board (HPB).

1,768 respondents were surveyed. They were divided into three age-groups: 18 to 29, 30 to 49, and 50 to 69.

Out of the respondents, 314 were considered to be at-risk.

This group consists of:

• Men who have sex with men
• People with multiple sexpartners
• People who engage in commercial or non-commercial sex, like one-night stands

According to the results, four in five Singaporeans have a high knowledge level of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (Aids) prevention.

But only about one in five said they would share a meal with a person with HIV.

Only one in five said they would buy food from a hawker with HIV.

When it comes to sharing a meal with a person with HIV, those aged 18 to 29 were most accepting, and 27 per cent from this group were willing to do so.

Only 16 per cent of those aged 50-69 were willing to do the same.

In terms of educational level, those with university degrees were most accepting of sharing a meal with someone whom they knew was HIV-positive.

About 36 per cent were willing to do so, compared to about 17 per cent of those with an educational level of PSLE and below.

Latest figures from the Ministry of Health show that there were 3,483 Singaporeans with HIV as of end 2007 .

To commemorate World Aids day on 1 Dec, HPB is organising an edu-tainment concert in Fort Canning Park on 29 Nov called Love Amplified. Performers include Stefanie Sun and Singapore Idol Hady Mirza among others.

For more information, please visit www.loveamp.sg.

Bad reputations on Hady Mirza's ex-girlfriend

She said that it affected her career especially with the media attention on her case.

A celebrity catfight in a bar cannot fail to grab public attention and the case was chronicled in Malaysian newspapers.

And Fazura was often shown as a wild party girl.

She said she decided to lie low for a while and as a result her star dimmed.

When she was charged, the Pahang-born model-turned-actress and former MTV host was a rising star.

Fazura made a winning debut in 2004 after her maiden role in the film Bicara Hati (The Heart Decides) won for her the Most Promising Actress Award at the 17th Malaysia Film Festival.

She found popularity playing Putri in the 2005 film Gol & Gincu (Lipsticks and Goalposts) - about futsal-playing young women - that spun off into the popular television series.

She was also hosting MTV Asia's show Boom showcasing bands from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia until last year when she left to concentrate on her acting career.

Fazura is probably best known among Singaporeans as Asian Idol Hady Mirza's ex-girlfriend. Their one-year relationship hit the limelight last year.

While both initially denied they were dating, they came clean after their break-up last year.

Fazura said she is thankful she had an army of supporters throughout the courtroom saga.

Gol & Gincu's co-producer, Ms Lina Tan of production company Red Films, told a Malaysian entertainment magazine, StarMag, that because of who Fazura is, the industry tends to judge her more harshly.

She said: 'The thing in this industry is, when you are female, young and beautiful, people judge you more.

'People look at her, she is gorgeous and beautiful, and so people just assume she will also be arrogant. But when you get to know her, she is warm, smart and funny.'

Singapore Day goes to Melbourne joining Dick Lee, Asian Idol Hady Mirza and hawkers from Food Republic

Phua Chu Kang says he has never been to Australia, but all that is about to change. Singapore Day 2008 will be held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, Australia, a 12,000-capacity arena which recently hosted opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and music legend Santana.

Come Oct 4, the popular TV character will be part of a 200-strong Singaporean entourage that will be flying to Melbourne to entertain and feed some 6,000 Singaporeans living, working and studying there.

Joining him will be singer-composer Dick Lee, Asian Idol Hady Mirza and hawkers from Food Republic, who will be whipping up Singaporean favourites like chicken rice, char kway teow and ice kachang for the hungry masses.

The Singlish-spewing contractor with the huge mole and curly hairdo appeared in character at the press conference on Tuesday for the launch of Singapore Day 2008, an annual event which aims to connect Singaporeans overseas to home.

This year's gathering will be held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, a 12,000-capacity arena which recently hosted opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and music legend Santana.

The event has taken about a year to organise and costs $3 million.

This is the second time the Overseas Singaporean Unit (OSU) is organising Singapore Day. The inaugural event was held at New York City's Central Park last April and attracted 6,000 Singaporeans, most of whom were living in the United States.

Australia was chosen because it has one of the four largest Singaporean populations overseas, together with the US, China and the United Kingdom.

And Melbourne got the nod over the other major Australian city Sydney because it has a slightly larger Singaporean population - and response from the Singaporeans there was also more enthusiastic, said OSU director Roy Quek.

Hady Mirza performs at Hari Raya festivities

The streets of Kampong Glam exploded in an array of multi-coloured lights spelling out festive greetings yesterday, when Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng launched this year's Hari Raya light-up.

The light-up is part of month-long activities organised by Jalan Besar GRC grassroots bodies to mark Hari Raya Puasa on Oct 1. The festival celebrates the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, which starts on Sept 1 and ends on Sept 30.

The Kampong Glam light-up, themed as Hari Raya @ The City, will last until Oct 5.

In conjunction with the light-up, a 21/2 hour concert pulling in 2,000 people took place last night. Asian Idol Hady Mirza and groups from Jalan Besar GRC will performs at the events.

Throughout the month, the neighbourhood will buzz with activities such as the nightly breaking of the fast at the Sultan Mosque in Mascat Street, a food-and-goods bazaar along Kandahar Street and performances by members of community clubs at the Malay Heritage Centre every weekend.

Hady Mirza on Sense of Home

What: Sense Of Home is the first local English drama series filmed entirely overseas. It is a collection of four stories about Singaporeans abroad living, working, travelling ... or simply lost.

Follow, for example, the adventure of Marcus and Caroline, two Singaporeans long-settled in Siem Reap who have an awakening of sorts when they are trapped in a rural Cambodian village after an accident.

The series features popular local faces like Rui En, Fiona Xie, Edmund Chen, Andrea De Cruz and Asian Idol Hady Mirza, acting alongside local actors from each of the foreign countries.

Mercy Relief upbeat Singaporeans features Singapore Idol Hady Mirza

One of Singapore's largest humanitarian organisations, Mercy Relief, is optimistic that Singaporeans will continue to give generously.

This is despite the recent scandal affecting Renci Hospital and Medicare Centre, one of the country's biggest charities.Following its numerous relief efforts overseas, Mercy Relief is now turning its attention back home.

Mercy Relief received donations worth over US$700,000 from Singaporeans for Myanmar's Cyclone Nargis and Sichuan earthquake disasters. Every cent, it said, went towards the relief efforts in Myanmar and China.

It also said it is confident Singaporeans will continue to be charitable.T K Udairam, chairman of Mercy Relief, said: "I think the population is able to differentiate between what the money is going for and what some of the leaders are doing a bit out of the way.

"I really think we have not been affected that way, because we have been very clear that every bit of money we have, we give out to charity. So it has not been an issue." The organisation also limits each chairman's term to two two-year periods.

On whether the prosecution of Renci's former CEO for fraud will make donors wary of giving, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zainul Abidin Rasheed feels the impact will be short-lived.

He said: "I suspect it will have an effect on Singapore minds... When you have charitable organizations subject to scrutiny and investigations, people will tend to be a bit cautious.

"But we see also, in the case of NKF (National Kidney Foundation), people are now coming round, responding to it - because people know there are a lot of people needing help, needing that touch of mercy, needing that touch of graciousness."

He was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of Mercy Relief's latest campaign to promote a more grateful and gracious society in Singapore.

The Senior Minister of State noted it would take some time for Singaporeans to be truly gracious as it is not their second nature.

The campaign features Singapore Idol Hady Mirza as its ambassador.