Poi choi

AT a time when most investors would “fold” or “check” when it comes to investing in the aviation industry in the current economic climate, professional poker player and investor Dr Stanley Choi has made a bold “call”. The high roller went in big on AirAsia Group Bhd last month when he acquired a further 167.1 million shares in a private placement via his wholly-owned private vehicle Positive Boom Ltd, raising his stake from less than 5% to 8.96%. At 67.5 sen a piece, Choi’s increased stake in AirAsia cost him RM112.79mil. While it is obvious that aviation-related counters are among those favoured for Covid-19 recovery plays, how Choi raised his bets in AirAsia turned heads in the investment fraternity, especially the retailers. Just eight months ago, the group’s auditors Ernst & Young raised significant doubts on the group’s ability to continue as a going concern. Adding to that, the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) recently said the airline ... » Learn More about Choi’s bet for a royal flush

Corporate News Berjaya Corp appoints Jalil Rasheed as new Group CEO Berjaya Corp Bhd (BCorp) has appointed Abdul Jalil Abdul Rasheed, the former boss at Permodalan Nasional Bhd, as its new chief executive officer. Jalil, 38, will take over the post from Datuk Sri Robin Tan Yeong Ching, who will assume the role of executive deputy chairman of BCorp. Jalil brings with him 18 years of investment and business leadership experience, having worked in the UK, US, Malaysia and Singapore with the global investment firms, Aberdeen Standard Investments and Invesco Limited. MACC makes first arrest The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) made its first arrest under section 17A under the ASPRM 2009 law when it arrested a former director for bribery amounting to RM321,350. The ex-director of a shipping company was arrested for allegedly involving the remuneration of sub-contracting works for oil exploration vessel charter. The man, aged 64, was arrested ... » Learn More about Summary of Star Business stories from March 15 to 21

Just like how Seo Dal-mi (played by Bae Suzy) didn’t need a college degree to climb her way to the top of an AI firm in hit Korean series Start-up, we believe that you don’t need much more than the right mindset and attitude to succeed in life. If you haven’t seen the show Start-up, here’s a brief synopsis: set in Sandbox (a fictional Silicon Valley in Korea), the drama follows the lives of four main characters as they navigate the challenges of the start-up realm. Here are some of the best career advice from Start-up. Know your worth In episode 3, Seo Dal-mi famously said, “I want to be on the 32nd floor. The elevator we take won’t take me there. I should get on one that will. That’s why I’m quitting.” When she felt unappreciated and made used of by her ex-boss, she plucked up her courage and left her job. Quitting her job paved the way for better opportunities, ultimately allowing her to be CEO of Samsan Tech. Be passionate It’s hard to find someone who loves what they ... » Learn More about 9 career lessons we learnt from the K-drama Start-Up

HONG KONG: As China adopted a new five-year development plan last week, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and experts believe the national strategies will provide major support for the global financial hub, helping it break growth bottleneck and achieve greater development. HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam pointed out the new development plan will bring enormous opportunities to Hong Kong when speaking at a forum on Friday. How Hong Kong will leverage its unique strengths under “one country, two systems” to seize these opportunities and actively integrate into the overall development of the country will be crucial to Hong Kong’s future, she said. Lam said that Hong Kong can further strengthen its role as an intermediary between the mainland and the rest of the world and focus on the business opportunities in the mainland market. During the just-concluded sessions of the national legislature and political advisory body, China adopted the ... » Learn More about HK sees more benefits from China’s 5-yr plan

THE Cold War swept in from 1947 and took decades to end. The Korean War began a few years later and has not officially ended. From 1949, Kim Il-sung began building his political base in Pyong-yang. In the 1990s he passed the national leadership to his son Kim Jong-il, who later passed it to his son Kim Jong-un. Through all this, North Korea became something of a political football between China, Russia and the United States. The Cold War gave Pyongyang’s status a certain slant, while its nuclear weapons programme gave it another tilt. Little of it has been complimentary to North Korea. Nonetheless, Malaysia as a non-aligned country refused to board the Western ideological bandwagon against Pyongyang. It acknowledged North Korea as a fellow developing country, caught perhaps in some historical circumstances and having to meet some unique challenges of its own. Malaysia sought to be even- handed towards North and South Korea, hosting embassies of both countries in Kuala ... » Learn More about A test of quality friendships

This article contains spoilers. Sisyphus: The Myth came out of the gate strong, introducing us to two timelines and the outrageous time travel gimmick that connected them, and delighting us with some of the most bold and ridiculous action set pieces ever seen on Korean TV. But these explosive opening few episodes were always going to be a hard act to follow. Having perhaps given too much away in its blitzkrieg opening, the show has lost its element of surprise. The plot continues to add new details, but these now feel like filler in a framework that we were mostly clued in on at the outset, and it hasn’t taken too much guesswork to fill in the gaps ourselves. With the stakes already so high, the series needs badly to produce its trump card. Episode five begins with Seo-hae (Park Shin-hye) and Tae-sool (Cho Seung-woo) after their narrow escape off the bridge. They retreat to the office of Tae-sool’s old flame Seo-jin (Jung Hye-in) and then to Tae-sool’s house to recuperate. ... » Learn More about K-drama midseason recap – Netflix’s Sisyphus: The Myth comes back down to earth

This article contains spoilers of the show. For writers of murder stories, it is essential viewers be convinced that any character can be capable of murder. Yet at the same time, artistic licence gives creators the opportunity to employ misdirection that leads us to suspect someone, only for the blame to ultimately lie somewhere else. Beyond Evil has had two main cases to solve: the probable murder of Lee Yoo-yeon (Moon Joo-yeon), sister of Lee Dong-sik (Shin Ha-kyun), two decades in the past; and the disappearance of Kang Min-jung (Kang Min-ah), daughter of Kang Jin-mook (Lee Kyu-hoi), in the present. Before becoming a police officer, Dong-sik was a suspect in the original case and becomes one again in the present. Several other red herrings, not to mention Shin’s nervy and slippery performance, accumulate over the first four episodes, each giving more credence to his culpability. Then, suddenly, he’s in the clear, but he remains in the bad books of his new partner, young ... » Learn More about K-drama midseason recap: Beyond Evil – serial killer drama keeps its knives sharp, twisting all the way

Wednesday March 24, 2021 - The Hong Kong film One Second Champion has beaten out all the other competitors to emerge as the Hong Kong box office champion for the second weekend running. The solo directing effort by Vampire Cleanup Department co-director Chiu Sin Hang tells the story of a father, played by Canto-pop singer, Endy Chow Kwok Yin, who takes up prizefighting to help fund surgery for his hearing-impaired son. Born with the ability to see one second into the future, this "superpower" gives him a powerful edge in the boxing ring, until one day he loses the ability, right before a potentially deadly match with an elite Thai boxer, played by Chanon Santinatornkul, (Bad Genius). One Second Champion has collected over HK$7 million (S$1.2 million) over two weekends at the Hong Kong box office. The never-say-die spirit of the film's protagonist can be said to mirror that of the Hong Kong film business. Cinemas were ordered shut on 2 December 2020 due to the surge in Covid-19 ... » Learn More about One Second Champion and the interminable spirit of the Hong Kong film industry

Choi Young Seok poses during a recent interview at the Taekwondo Association of Thailand headquarters. (Photo: Jetjaras Na Ranong) Nineteen years ago, he had no interest in coming over to Thailand for a coaching assignment, and now taekwondo expert Choi Young Seok of South Korea is eager to spend the rest of his life in the Kingdom. Choi is one of the most successful foreign coaches in Thailand's sporting history, having guided his pupils in his "second home" to several Olympic medals and world titles. Since he took over the reins of the Thai national taekwondo team in 2002, the Kingdom has claimed at least one podium finish in the sport at every Olympics for a total of five medals. Missing from his curriculum vitae as Thailand coach, however, is an Olympic gold medal. His ultimate dream is not only to help Thailand win an Olympic gold but also to achieve the historic feat as a Thai. Affectionately known as "Coach Che," the 48-year-old from Seongnam has initiated the ... » Learn More about A Korean coach with a Thai heart

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi flagged on Wednesday rising costs from a global chip shortage and reported quarterly revenue below market estimates, even as its international business head jumped ship to TikTok owner ByteDance. Shares in Xiaomi Corp fell as much as 9% in early morning trading on Thursday, before paring losses to trade down 5%. Xiaomi is the latest in a line of global companies to warn of an extreme chip shortage, which initially hit production at car companies including Volkswagen , but is now pressuring makers of smartphones and consumer electronics. As well, Xiaomi's strategy to diversify revenue by investing in financial technology firms has run afoul of China's running crackdown on such companies. Revenue in Xiaomi's internet services unit, which houses the fintech business, rose just 8% in the fourth quarter. "Tightening regulations on the fintech business would weigh on 2021 (estimated) earnings growth," Daiwa Capital Markets ... » Learn More about Phone maker Xiaomi flags rising costs of chips, shares fall