CENDANA And MATRADE | Promote Malaysian Arts And Culture Internationally!

The Cultural Economy Development Agency (CENDANA) and Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will be collaborating to provide opportunities for Malaysian artists and practitioners to tap into their respective programmes, facilities and networks to grow the exports of the Malaysian arts and culture sector. 

The collaboration will among others, facilitate greater access for the local arts and culture community to CENDANA's newly announced Mobility Funding Programme as well as MATRADE’s export promotion funding programmes such as Market Development Grant (MDG) and Services Export Fund (SEF) if they qualify according to the set criterias.

The Mobility Funding Programme provides support to local artists to present high-quality works that express and enrich Malaysia’s artistic diversity, as well as increase arts appreciation and participation in Malaysia or abroad. It also supports local artists to participate in international festivals, exhibitions, trade fairs, biennales, conferences amongst others in addition to supporting our artists to nurture relationships with a view of developing new markets and audiences for their work.  

According to the Chief Executive Officer of MATRADE, Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros, the national trade promotion agency has always supported the development of the local arts industry and promotion of Malaysian art expression internationally through its global network. 

In the past recent years, MATRADE has been actively involved in promoting Malaysian arts in major cities of London, Melbourne, Shanghai and Miami. MATRADE has 46 offices worldwide.

For the past 5 year, Malaysia has exported RM14.6 million worth of visual arts (paintings, drawings & sculpture) and these arts were exported mainly to Switzerland, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, USA and UAE.

Exports of Malaysian arts however are still relatively small. Nonetheless, potentials for arts and culture can go beyond physical exports as it also has services components that can be marketed globally such as Intellectual Property (IP),  creative contents as well as commercial talents and professionals. “Therefore, MATRADE will continue to promote Malaysian arts and culture in the international market as we realise market potentials have not been fully tapped yet,” he explained.

According to Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros, MATRADE recognises that the cultural economy is an important component of the creative economy. As such apart from promoting exports of digital content, MATRADE’s collaboration with CENDANA will now allow the national trade promotion agency to also strengthen the export promotion of the other component of the creative economy, which is the arts and culture sector. 

“Together with CENDANA, our facilitation can be a catalyst for local companies to export and strengthen their footprint overseas,” he added. Some of the areas where MATRADE can assist include identifying industry opportunities as well as provide advisory services to the Malaysian companies intending to export their products or services. If need be, Malaysian exporters can also leverage on MATRADE’s overseas offices when meeting potential buyers and partners.

CENDANA’s second funding programme, the Mobility Funding Programme announced at the event provides support to local artists to present high-quality works that express and enrich our artistic diversity, as well as increase arts appreciation and participation in Malaysia or abroad. It also supports local artists to participate in international festivals, exhibitions, trade fairs, biennales, conferences amongst others in addition to supporting our artists to nurture relationships with a view of developing new markets and audiences for their work.  

During the joint press conference held today, Izan Satrina Dato’ Mohd Sallehuddin, Founding CEO of CENDANA said “Malaysia is a country that has an abundance of great art and beautiful stories to share with the world. However, many artists may not have the necessary tools to respond to opportunities extended to them. So, today is a great step forward where not only do we as CENDANA play a role in enabling our artists, but we are able to synergise these efforts with government agencies like MATRADE to benefit a wider arts and culture community. The Mobility Funding Programme looks at small to mid-scale touring work from performing arts, visual arts and independent music, focusing on local and international platforms that improve access to high-quality Malaysian art.”

The Market Development Grant (MDG) is a financial support facility in the form of a reimbursable grant to assist Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Professional Service Providers, Trade & Industry Associations, Chambers of Commerce and Professional Bodies to undertake eligible export promotional activities. This financial support will address the funding gaps among the exporters who need it to scale up and to defray costs of international promotion. 

YBhg Datuk Rashidi Hasbullah, Secretary General of Ministry of Tourism and Culture graced the joint press conference and acknowledged the returning 7-member Malaysian delegation that travelled to the Australian Performing Arts Market at Brisbane, Australia in  February 2018. YBhg Datuk Rashidi Hasbullah also applauded Koe Gaik Cheng, a Malaysian arts administrator that was selected after a competitive call for application to be attached with the Adelaide Festival Centre from July 2018. The Adelaide Festival Centre currently presents the OzAsia Festival, Australia's premier international arts festival that is focused on Asia.

YBhg Datuk Rashidi Hasbullah said “It is an honour to acknowledge these 7 artists in taking part in CENDANA’s first trade mission in an effort to reinforce the position of Malaysian arts and culture and our practitioners in the eyes of the international players. Malaysia’s art scene is set for a surge with the establishment of CENDANA and such collaboration like today with MATRADE is highly commendable and we encourage for more public and even private partners to come forward in ensuring the sustainability of our cultural economy.”

Through the initiative, the Malaysian delegates ranging from performance artist and playwright directors, to contemporary Malaysian gamelan ensemble and a group of multi-instrumentalists were able to promote and showcase their works at the APAM and resulted in opportunities to perform in Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Hungary among others. Koe Gaik Cheng will return from her attachment and return to share her learnings with the local communities.

Call for applications opens this 25 April 2018 via CENDANA's website www.cendana.com.my 

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FrogAsia | The Leaps Of Knowledge Conference 2018 Elevating 21st Century Teaching And Learning In Malaysia

The Leaps of Knowledge Conference 2018 presented by FrogAsia Sdn Bhd with the support of the YTL Foundation saw more than 1,000 educators, parents, students and members of the education sector gathering to elevate 21^st Century education in Malaysia. Held at the JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur, this year’s conference aimed to inspire, equip and empower Malaysians to collaboratively and collectively do more to raise the bar in education.

The Leaps of Knowledge Conference 2018 – themed Level Up!, centred around the commitment of the community of educators, parents and individuals to continue leveraging on the foundations built over the last six years, levelling the playing field across all schools in Malaysia through technology. This year’s conference explored how the community can work together to raise the bar by celebrating each other’s successes, learning from each other and collaborating on new ideas to increase outcomes for 21st Century learners. 

During the workshops, the participants gained deeper understanding of higher order thinking skills and how educators can incorporate them into teaching and learning. There were also gamified experience workshops that introduced the new features of the Frog VLE to parents and teachers to demonstrate the capability of such technology when implemented in today’s education system.

“At FrogAsia, we believe in a world where everyone loves learning and where technology removes boundaries. With technology, there is equal access to quality education regardless of location or background. By bridging the digital divide, the education divide is also bridged at the same time. After six years of driving 21^st Century education in Malaysia, we have seen the huge difference that Frog is making in the Malaysian education system. Schools from across the country can collaborate and support one another, and student progress can be monitored and tracked to help them improve. Today, we are gathering educators, students, parents and other members of the education community to join forces to raise the bar further and make 21^st Century learning even more accessible and empowering,” said Lou Yeoh, Executive Director of FrogAsia Sdn Bhd.

At the conference, FrogAsia launched its inaugural FrogPlay World Championship, a competition that aims to encourage students around the world to collaborate and optimise the use of the FrogPlay gamified learning and revision application on the Frog Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). FrogPlay, available online on the Frog VLE and on the Google Play Store, motivates students to learn and progress by doing revision using gamification. Thousands of quizzes are available for the students’ revision, including quizzes from trusted education partner Pelangi Publishing Group, teachers and the Ministry of Education. FrogPlay also provides detailed reports to help parents and teachers help their child and classroom of students perform better.  

Since its launch last year, students have clocked over 1.5 million revision hours on FrogPlay. By tracking the hours spent on FrogPlay and the progress of students, FrogAsia saw evidence that revising via the gamified-learning app resulted in an improvement in student performance across all subjects for both primary and secondary schools. For example, students who used FrogPlay for physics revision are observed to have increased their average scores by up to 29% points.

Lou added: “We were so excited to see the impact of FrogPlay last year, which was driven by the FrogPlay Championship. The competition was successful in encouraging students to proactively learn and revise on FrogPlay even after the competition ended which led to an improvement in their academic performance. We believe in providing Malaysian students with exposure to the best education possible and equipping these students to be globally competitive. This is why we are taking the FrogPlay Championship to the global stage, where students in Malaysia will get to compete with students from all around the world including schools in the United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and the United States of America.”

The conference featured Shaheen Mistri, Founder of Akansha and CEO of Teach for India who spoke on her belief that educators and students are partners in building education in a nation, and encouraged collective impact through the contribution of all in the community. Through her talk, she called upon the participants to evaluate the tools they already possess and to use them effectively to raise the bar in education in Malaysia, which will set a standard and be a role model for the world. 

Programme Director of YTL Foundation, Datin Kathleen Chew was also one of the featured keynote speakers. She spoke on the impact and success stories that were the result of the collaboration between YTL Foundation, FrogAsia and the Ministry of Education. “It is evident that change has taken place and that technology has made a huge impact to education in Malaysia. We are so glad to be partners with change makers in this country and will continue to contribute to this initiative that aims to inspire and upskill learners nationwide.”

After her speech, Datin Kathleen invited three teachers from schools that benefited significantly through the various initiatives like the Frog Classroom Programme, 1BestariNet Teacher Award and FrogPlay Championship. These three teachers were the Headmistress of SK Kayang Noridah Hamdan, 2nd runner up of the 1BestariNet Teacher Award 2017 Mohamad Jalil, and Chew Soo Lee, Frog Admin of SJK(C) Choon Cheng, School Winner of FrogPlay Championship 2017.

Leaps of Knowledge is sponsored by YTL Foundation, also a key partner in the Frog Classroom Programme where they, together with the Ministry of Education, contribute to building 21st century learning spaces for schools. YTL Foundation had recently contributed a sum of RM1.5 million together with the Ministry to provide 21st century education infrastructure to 50 Tamil schools nationwide.

Interested to know more about FrogAsia Sdn Bhd,
Website : https://frogasia.com/en/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/FrogAsia/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/frogasia/

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EXCITING | BIGGER | WILDER With More SPLASH At SUNWAY LAGOON’S AQUA RUN 2 !

Prepare to run, slide and climb with your family and friends at the upcoming Sunway Lagoon’s Aqua Run 2 this 22^nd April 2018 (Sunday).

Guests will be promised BIGGER and WILDER SPLASHES as they go through the fun run’s obstacle course spanning approximately 3.5km! Runners will experience a H2Owesome time with adrenaline-inducing challenges such as Avalanche Peak, Go Kart Sweat, Daredevil Splash Mountains, Zambezi River Adventure, and Water Boogie Disco among the 12 fun zones. Pump up the volume with the Music Party finale to end the run. So exciting to join Sunway Lagoon’s Aqua Run 2 !

All package purchases are inclusive of entrance to Aqua Run and Sunway Lagoon’s park admission ticket at only RM150 (applicable for Malaysians)! Find out more at www.sunwaylagoon.com/aqua-run-2.

For more information about Sunway Lagoon’s Aqua Run 2,

Website : www.sunwaylagoon.com

Customer Care : +603 5639 0000

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Love The Mission Supersoft Original Wraps That Melt In My Mouth!

Malaysia’s favourite wrap just got better! Mission Foods has upgraded its Original Wrap with a Supersoft formula,with the launch of the Supersoft Original Wraps.The upgraded wraps are now even softer and more pliable, with a melt in your mouth texture and even more flexible to hold all your favourite ingredients.

Made by one of the largest tortilla, flatbread and corn flour producers in the world, the all-new Supersoft Original Wraps enhances Mission’s repertoire of best-selling wraps –6-Grain, Wholegrain, Onion & Chives, Garlic and Potato, all of which will be upgraded to the Supersoft formula. Mission Supersoft Original Wraps are sold alongside the other flavours in the bread aisle of most leading supermarkets in packs of 8.

To demonstrate the new product’s soft yet strong traits, Mission Foods Malaysia launched a campaign celebrating women called #softandstrong. Powered by industry luminaries, the #softandstrong campaign will run until the end of April and celebrates the feminine qualities in women while reveling in their inner strength.

“Mission Foods is all about constant improvement and innovation making sure we continue to excite taste palates and bring inspiring ideas to our consumers. The new Supersoft Original Wraps gives us the opportunity to connect with our female consumers on a deeper level and celebrate them for being soft and strong, traits that we love in our new product,” said Randall Tan, Brand Manager for Mission Food South Asia.

#Softandstrong brings together three big names – iconic Malaysian songstress Ning Baizura, inspiring fitness personality Linora Low, and successful entrepreneur behind the Frankitas brand, Francisca Turner. The three ladies are true examples of everyday women who have faced and overcome adversities in their lives to become successful in their lines of work.

As a prelude to the launch and in conjunction with International Women’s Day, the trio were enlisted to share inspiring and empowering quotes on what being #softandstrong means to them. They also created four recipes each which are featured in Mission Foods recipe booklet, given away complimentary to consumers in Malaysia and Singapore with the purchase of Mission Foods products.

Ning Baizura, who is widely known as one of Malaysia’s Top 3 Divas demonstrated her favourite decadent dessert recipe Passion fruit Crispy Layered Crepe at the launch. While she is hailed as one of the top songstresses in Malaysia, Ning has also launched her own line of perfumes and is in the midst of opening a restaurant, while proudly being a doting wife and mother to a 5-year old. She shared the importance of young girls and women recognising the strength within them while remaining true to their feminine side. “It is quite a challenge to possess both values of soft and strong. I’m really delighted to be chosen as one of the representatives to spread the word to women out there that if I can do it, so can you,” said Ning.

Linora Low, a radio host, MC and a well-known advocate of mindful eating and healthy living said that the campaign is really meaningful to her as it echoes her mission to spread the message of self-love amongst women. “Women are usually mistakenly identified as the weaker sex as they are soft and sensitive, but being soft is our strength not our weakness. Women can move mountains and rise above anything once we put our minds to it and it is our softer side that lends us the empathy to be kind while being strong,”Linora said as she demonstrated her recipe for Chicken Kebab Wrap. Linora also enjoys baking strips of the wraps to add extra crunch and taste to her favourite salad recipes.

Francisca Turner, founder of Frankitas, a socially-conscious fashion brand that has gone international, described her journey as an entrepreneur as a life-altering experience. “As an entrepreneur you need a strong and disciplined mind but you also need to know when to be soft – enough to bend but not break,” the mother of three young children reiterated one of the quotes she shared in the campaign. At the launch she shared her family’s favourite recipe, Bogor-style Egg Murtabak that uses the softness and strength of the wraps to hold the ingredients in while it is deep-fried to perfection.

Mouse mommy also love the flexibility and texture of the Mission "Super Soft" original wraps that can hold more my favorite food ingredients like cheese, tuna, salad and olive at one go without tear off.

Interested to get to know more about Mission Wraps,

Website : www.missionfoods.com.my

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Lady’s Choice ‘Ibu Sejati’ Campaign Inspire And Appreciate Malaysian Mothers!

Being a mum is tough, let alone measuring up to the ideals of a perfect mum. The increasingly high standard of motherhood has become ingrained in our culture today as parents strive to provide the best for their children.

Malaysia’s leading mayonnaise brand, Lady’s Choice today announced the launch of
‘Ibu Sejati’, a nationwide awareness campaign aimed at breaking the stereotype of perfect mum. More than just a statement, the brand put forward a powerful message of “Tiada ibu yang sempurna, hanya ibu yang sejati” to reiterate that being a real mum is all about loving unconditionally.

‘Ibu Sejati’ spotlights three real-life Malaysian mothers telling inspiring stories about how they cope with their day-to-day struggles. Delivered through a series of videos, the emotionally-engaging stories depict the unique roles of these mothers and the different approach they take in putting their children first. Akin to unsung heroes for their loved ones, these mothers include a working mum Wan Musfirah Aimi, a single mum Natalie Hussin, and a fulltime housewife Normayani Isa, who are all blessed with three kids.   

“The role of a mother has evolved with greater responsibilities in today’s fast paced environment – from finding the balance between careers, being a dutiful wife and raising her children, while having time for herself. The multitude resources on the internet, while inspiring could also mount to peer pressure amongst parents, often striking the fear in them that they are not doing enough for their children,” said Shiv Sahgal, Marketing Director of Foods & Refreshments, Unilever (M) Holdings Sdn Bhd.

Research has shown that 84 percent of Asian moms surveyed seamlessly use the Internet as part of their lives and they believe it is a functional resource that helps them make better decisions for their families[1]. This situation could lead to mothers inadvertently becoming more susceptible to social pressures, with parenting skills and choices often being judged.

Shiv explained, “As the No. 1 mayonnaise brand that is trusted by millions in Malaysia, we are in the position to drive this conversation. ‘Ibu Sejati’ encourages mothers to accept the reality that perfect mums don’t exist, while it’s okay to live an authentic life and show their love, even if it takes just a simple great-tasting, nutritious breakfast. And we at Lady’s Choice want to take a proactive role to inspire and provide solutions for all mothers.”

The ‘Ibu Sejati’ campaign is a timely initiative in line with the introduction of the new packaging for Lady’s Choice mayonnaise. Sporting an unconventional look in a sleek and convenient jar, Lady’s Choice mayonnaise maintains its goodness as an easy, versatile and efficient solution to prepare tasty and nutritious sandwiches without the hassle to make from scratch.

Lady’s Choice mayonnaise made with 100% real ingredients and rich in Omega-3, which is an essential fatty acid for child’s development, Lady’s Choice mayonnaise is an ideal companion to relieve mothers of the struggle in preparing nutritious breakfast for their children.

Taking ‘Ibu Sejati’ across Malaysia, Lady’s Choice has established a unique content collaboration with Media Prima Television Networks to expand its reach and engage with millions of mothers through its leading television platforms. The collaboration also taps on the network’s creative resources to bring the ‘Ibu Sejati’ stories to live, while giving the content a high-quality treatment.

Johan Ishak, Chief Executive Officer of Media Prima Television Networks said, “Of all collaborations we’ve had with Unilever brands over the years, this produces one of the most gratifying outcomes from a creative standpoint. The ‘Ibu Sejati’ campaign carries such a meaningful message and it deserves to be heard across millions of households nationwide. We are fully on board with Lady’s Choice and stand behind their inspiring move to help motherscope with their struggles especially in the morning.”

In extension of the campaign, Lady’s Choice will go on a nationwide activation to connect with Malaysian mums and provide ongoing nutrition education from the month of April until September 2018. In celebration of Mother’s Day, Lady’s Choice will also be rewarding mothers with exclusive spa vouchers in the month of May.

Interested to get to know more information about Lady’s Choice,

Website : http://www.facebook.com/LadysChoiceMalaysia/

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[1]Microsoft Digital Mum Survey, 2015

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Never Missed Sahur Anymore With Quick, Easy and Tasty Ayam Brand™ Recipes For Ramadhan!

Celebrate Ramadan and Raya this year with Ayam Brand™, a brand famed for its wide range of healthy and convenient, preservative-free products,that provide a healthier choice daily meals and festive fare alike. Ayam Brand™ introduces some Quick, Easy and Tasty Ayam Brand™ recipes for the fasting month. 

Early morning got to ready for subuh prayers, we want something simple and fast meal to prepare as well as provide nutritious and energy meal that able to provide the adequate energy for the whole day consumption. 

Sometimes wake up late or ready children for school, might be missed the sahur. Quick, easy and tasty Ayam Brand™ recipes would be really helpful!  

With the sahurand iftar meals more than 12 hours apart, meals rich in fish, fibre, beneficial fats and with a lower glycemic index (GI) can make a huge difference.

Malaysians love their fish and in fact, the annual per capita fish consumption by Malaysians is the second highest among Asian nations, and is the fifth highest in the  world[1].

Coconut is another quintessential part of South East Asian cuisine. Coconut milk is used extensively in savoury and sweet dishes, while coconut oil is used for cooking and cosmetic purposes.

Findings from the Department of Statistics Malaysia for 2016 support show that coconut recorded the highest per capita consumption (PCC) of 17 kilogrammes per year while the PCC of 7.2 kilograms for mackerel and PCC of 2.4 kilogrammes for tuna PCC[2] are both high.

Traditionally, coconut products like coconut milk and oil, and fish like mackerel and tuna require more time to prepare. Fish needs to be cleaned and deboned manually while coconut milk needs to be squeezed. Producing virgin coconut oil at home from coconut milk can take a minimum of 3 hours[3]! Many Malaysians don’t have the time and the culinary skills to do these tasks from scratch.

Renowned anti-aging expert, Professor Dr. Takuji Shirasawa, has studied the benefits of coconut milk, coconut oil and fish extensively, and recommends it for its high content of lauric acid and MCT, and Omega-3 respectively which is beneficial for brain health and cardiovascular health. Dr. Shirasawa is the author of numerous books on anti-aging, including ‘Food For the Brain’, with recipes tailored to fit Asian readers’ culinary practices. He is also the brand ambassador Ayam brand coconut products.

The brand understands the need for every family to have quick, healthy, tasty and convenient food that is affordable during Ramadan, especially for sahur.  Show stopping dishes for Hari Raya are also a must but with the twist of being healthy and tasty. Adding a modern, time-saving twist to traditional favourites, Ayam Brand™ has prepared a series of 10 recipes for both Ramadan and Raya.

A warm bowl of Kelantan-style Bubur Kacang with Corn will give you that extra boost of energy as coconut milk is mainly made up of lauric acid and medium chain fatty acid (MCT) which makes it easier for our body to metabolize[4]. Sambal Petai with Mackerel eaten with hot steamed rice is a traditional favorite that will fill you up with the added benefits of DHA and EPA from the cold sea Mackerel which can help to improve cardiovascular functions[5]. Try the gently spiced Thai Fish Cake for its high protein content that can provide sustained energy throughout the day.

Break fast with the sweet and rich Seri Muka as the coconut milk used in this recipe will be broken down by our body into monolaurin that has antiviral and antibacterial properties[6]. Take it up a notch with the Chicken Pesto Pasta that is easy to make and filling as well. Serve it with Thai Basil Sardines for a kick of spiciness.

Show off your culinary skills this Hari Raya with the aromatic, Kelantanese favorite of Ayam Percik and complement it with the classic local delicacy, Sardine Assam Laksa. The sardines used for the assam laksa is an excellent source of Omega-3 that our body needs to promote brain growth as well as reducing risk factors for heart diseases.Serve your guests with the traditional Kuih Cara and end your Raya spread on a high note with sweet Coconut Panacotta topped with any fruits of your likings.

The complete range of Ayam Brand™ healthy and convenient products are available at retail outlets nationwide.For more creative and fun Raya recipes, 

Website : http://www.ayambrand.com.my/recipes-video

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[1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4989178/#CIT0002

[2]https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat=164&bul_id=UDROQllWME5ETGZrcUE5VnAzcHJEQT09&menu_id=Z0VTZGU1UHBUT1VJMFlpaXRRR0xpdz09

[3]https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/how-to-make-pure-coconut-oil-at-home-free-of-preservatives-and-chemicals-1718029

[4]https://nutritionreview.org/2013/04/medium-chain-triglycerides-mcts/

[5]https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/3/1/1/4557081

[6]http://food.ndtv.com/beauty/10-amazing-coconut-milk-benefits-for-hair-face-and-skin-1421580

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