Najib launches website for youths to discuss nation-building ideas

KUALA LUMPUR: A new website has been launched to challenge Malaysians, especially youths, to present and brainstorm ideas and tackle problems.

The Genovasi Challenge website, www.challenge.my, aims to empower the people to create and transform ideas into solutions.

The first challenge is entitled 'Connected Communities' with attractive prizes to be awarded for the best ideas.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak launched the website on Wednesday during a brainstorming session at a popular cafe in Bangsar.

The session tackled about 12 invoking topics such as ways to improve customer service, the education system, tourism revenue, street cleanliness as well as decreasing instances of diabetes in the country.

About 48 people from various sectors of the community participated in the informal session. They included youth leaders, bloggers, young opinion leaders, media and corporate individuals.

Najib, who spent time with the participants, was passionate about the session and was impressed with the ideas put forward.

"We believe in the young people.

"Great ideas were generated and it can be translated into action. "We want to build the nation. As the Prime Minister, I want to listen and use your ideas," he said during his interactive session with those present.

All for charity, none for Jaycee Chan

10 Nov – It looks like Jaycee Chan will have to make it on his own, as his father; Jackie Chan has decided to donate all his money to charity.

As reported on Investorplace, during a promotional event in Beijing, international Chinese movie star Jackie Chan, who has a fortune estimated at USD130 million, recently announced that he will donate all his wealth to charity.

The "Chinese Zodiac" star, who originally intended to split his wealth between his family and charity, has decided to give it all to the needy. Chan was quoted saying that his son Jaycee should be capable of earning his own money now that he has his own career.

On the other hand, Jaycee Chan has not been very successful in the business, with several movie flops and an average accomplishment in music. His 2012 film, "Double Trouble", recently bombed with profit less than USD10,000 in Hong Kong.

Sex blogger Alvin Tan loses scholarship

PETALING JAYA: The National University of Singapore has terminated sex blogger Alvin Tan’s scholarship over his Internet sexploits.

The prestigious university, however, stopped short of expelling the 24-year-old from law school but he will have to pay full non-subsidised fees as a foreign student should he resume studies, reported Singapore Straits Times, quoting unnamed sources.

Tan was an Asean scholar and had been on “leave of absence” from his classes for almost a year when he started uploading pornographic pictures and videos of himself and his girlfriend Vivian Lee on a blog titled “Sumptuous Erotica”.

Tan has refused to comment on the university’s decision.

“I’m sorry but I can’t comment. I’m bound by a confidentiality agreement,” he said.

The university has also kept mum, with the spokesman stating that the school’s disciplinary proceedings were confidential.

An estimate shows that it may have cost the Singapore go­­­vernment – the benefactor of the Asean scholarship programme – at least RM275,000 to fund all of Tan’s seven years of study in the city state.

The highly prestigious scholarship is awarded to only 170 undergraduates from nine Asean countries annually. It covers tuition fees, accommodation and also provides an allowance for the recipients.

Last week, after deciding on the punishment, the university said Tan’s actions were “inappropriate and was detrimental to the reputation and dignity of the university”.

Singapore Education Minister Heng Swee Keat also told Parliament on Monday that Tan’s behaviour was “reprehensible and unbecoming of a scholar”.

Tan said he apologised to the university during the disciplinary hearing on Oct 31.

Meanwhile, both he and Lee have deleted all of their Facebook posts referring to the blog.