logo
Influencer ‘Ratu Naga' apologises over Perak anthem confusion

Influencer ‘Ratu Naga' apologises over Perak anthem confusion

Yahoo10-04-2025
KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — Social media personality Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah, better known as Ratu Naga, has issued an apology after wrongly accusing a Chinese school in Perak of singing the Malaysian national anthem in Chinese.
The incident unfolded after Syarul Ema, who is also a Perikatan Nasional activist, uploaded a video showing pupils singing at a school event attended by DAP Socialist Youth chief Woo Kah Leong.
In her original post, she appeared to suggest the students were disrespecting Negaraku — a claim that quickly drew backlash from netizens and went viral after others began resharing the clip.
Yesterday, Syarul Ema took to Facebook to clarify what happened, saying she had taken down her post within 10 minutes after realising her mistake.
'For some cybertroopers who claimed I've mocked the Perak Anthem, they are mistaken. I didn't even mention it was the state anthem,' she wrote.
She also pointed out that the video's spread did not originate from her page.
'The video didn't go viral from my platform, as some managed to download and share it,' she added.
Her clarification came amid mounting criticism online, with many accusing her of stoking racial sensitivities.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

US Navy Warship Rearms at Sea With One Eye on China War
US Navy Warship Rearms at Sea With One Eye on China War

Newsweek

time2 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

US Navy Warship Rearms at Sea With One Eye on China War

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A United States warship recently conducted a rearm-at-sea operation, demonstrating the Navy's capability to sustain combat power during a potential war with China in the vast Pacific. The destroyer USS Farragut had its missile canisters reloaded while anchored alongside the crane ship USNS Gopher State off the coast of Virginia on July 17, the U.S. Navy said. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment via email. Why It Matters The U.S. military has identified China—operator of the world's largest navy by hull count—as both a threat and a challenge in its priority theater, the Indo-Pacific, where it has deployed its most capable units, including missile-armed destroyers and nuclear-powered submarines. The rearmament demonstration comes amid concerns about how the U.S. Navy can sustain its presence at sea during combat—such as in its Red Sea operations, which expended a large number of missiles—without diverting warships to distant ports for replenishment. While U.S. warships can reload their munitions at bases or friendly ports across the western Pacific—including those in Japan and Guam—China has built a missile arsenal capable of targeting such facilities, potentially putting them out of action on the first day of a war. What To Know According to a photo released by the U.S. Navy, the Gopher State simultaneously transferred three missile canisters to the Farragut during what the official described as a "vertical launching system (VLS) rearmament evolution" conducted as part of Large Scale Global Exercise 2025. The United States crane ship USNS Gopher State transfers three missile canisters to the destroyer USS Farragut during a vertical launching system rearmament evolution off the coast of Virginia on July 17. The United States crane ship USNS Gopher State transfers three missile canisters to the destroyer USS Farragut during a vertical launching system rearmament evolution off the coast of Virginia on July 17. U.S. Navy/Cmdr. Duane Case Missile canisters were transferred to both the Farragut's forward and aft VLS cells, also known as launchers. The warship, a Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, is equipped with 96 launchers—32 forward and 64 aft—to accommodate various types of missiles. This marked the second time the Navy demonstrated rearming a warship at sea since October, when the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Chosin conducted a similar operation with the dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Washington Chambers off the coast of California. However, during the demonstration in the Pacific, the Washington Chambers was seen transferring only one missile canister to the Chosin's forward VLS cells. The warship is equipped with 122 VLS cells—61 in the forward and 61 in the aft launching systems. The Navy said the simultaneous rearmament of the Farragut's forward and aft VLS cells marked the first operation of its kind, demonstrating the vital role of expeditionary logistics in supporting "distributed maritime operations" and sustaining combat power at sea. Distributed maritime operations is the Navy's operating concept in response to China's anti-ship capabilities. Its features include making it harder for the adversary to target U.S. ships by dispersing them over a larger area and spreading weapons across different platforms. Tom Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Newsweek that the Navy would need to be able to rearm at sea or at anchor away from known port facilities, given the threat China poses to U.S. regional bases and the long distances from home waters at which U.S. warships would need to operate in a trans-Pacific conflict. United States sailors aboard the destroyer USS Rafael Peralta guide a missile canister into a vertical launching system cell while in port in Eden, Australia, on August 22, 2023. United States sailors aboard the destroyer USS Rafael Peralta guide a missile canister into a vertical launching system cell while in port in Eden, Australia, on August 22, 2023. Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Colby A. Mothershead/U.S. Navy Following the Chosin's rearm-at-sea demonstration, then-Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro called this ability critical to any future conflict in the Pacific: "Without the ability to rearm at sea, our service combatants must return to port, sometimes thousands of miles away." What People Are Saying U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander John Sefcik, a weapons officer assigned to USS Farragut, said in a news release on July 22: "The ability to conduct safe and efficient vertical missile rearm at sea is a critical warfighting enabler." U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Charles Kirol, a commander of the Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group, said in a news release on July 22: "Rearming warships at sea is a capability that adds significant complexity for those who choose to challenge us in conflict." Then-U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said in October 2024: "We are transforming the way the Navy fights." What Happens Next It remains to be seen when the U.S. Navy will officially employ rearm-at-sea as part of its routine operations. Until then, U.S. warships must return to port for rearmament.

China's fiery baijiu spirit evolves to attract younger drinkers

timean hour ago

China's fiery baijiu spirit evolves to attract younger drinkers

BEIJING -- The centuries-old fiery Chinese spirit baijiu, long associated with business dinners, is being reshaped to appeal to younger generations as its makers adapt to changing times. Mostly distilled from sorghum, the clear but pungent liquor contains as much as 60% alcohol. It's the usual choice for toasts of 'gan bei,' the Chinese expression for bottoms up, and raucous drinking games. 'If you like to drink spirits and you've never had baijiu, it's kind of like eating noodles but you've never had spaghetti,' said Jim Boyce, a Canadian writer and wine expert who founded World Baijiu Day a decade ago. The annual event aims to promote the traditional liquor, which is far less known internationally than whiskey or vodka. Moutai, a kind of baijiu made in mountainous Guizhou province in southwestern China, is known as the country's 'national liquor.' Perhaps its biggest endorsement came in 1974, when U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger banqueted with Deng Xiaoping, who would later become China's top leader. 'I think if we drink enough Moutai, we can solve anything," Kissinger said. 'Then, when I return to China, we must take steps to increase our production of it,' Deng replied, according to an archived document from the U.S. State Department's Office of the Historian. Price fluctuations of Feitian Moutai, the liquor's most famous brand, serve as a barometer for China's baijiu market. This year, its price has dropped by 36% after four consecutive years of decline, according a report by the China Alcoholic Drinks Association. The report forecast China's baijiu production will likely fall for the eighth straight year in 2025. Baijiu consumption has dropped as people spend more cautiously, cutting back on banquets and drinking due to a weaker economy. Perennial anti-corruption campaigns by the ruling Communist Party targeting lavish official dinners have taken a harsh toll. In May, the party issued new rules banning cigarettes and alcohol during work meals. China's drinking culture is evolving, with younger people keen to protect their health and less inclined to overindulge or be bound by rigid social conventions. Faced with far more choices, they might instead opt for whiskey, wine or non-alcoholic alternatives. 'There is an old saying in China: 'No banquet is complete without alcohol.' It means in the past, without alcohol there is no social lubricant,' 30-year-old Chi Bo said while having cocktails with friends in Beijing's chic Sanlitun area. 'People no longer want to drink alcohol or tend to drink less but they can still sit together and even discuss serious affairs,' Chi said. 'Most of the people don't want to drink alcohol unless they have to.' Baijiu makers are responding with creative innovations like baijiu-flavored ice cream. Kweichou Moutai partnered with China's Luckin' Coffee last year to introduce a Moutai-flavored latte that reportedly sells 5 million cups a day across China. Bartenders also are designing cocktails using a baijiu base. 'There are so many choices right now,' Boyce said. 'It's just about fighting for attention in terms of choice.' Jiangxiaobai, a newer brand made in southwestern China's Chongqing, has targeted young consumers from the beginning. It offers fruit-infused baijiu with an alcohol content below 10%, packaged in smaller, more affordable bottles adorned with philosophical or sentimental phrases meant to resonate with Chinese youth such as, 'Unspoken words. In my eyes, in drafts, in dreams, or downed in a drink.' 'Our promotion of products combines the culture and lifestyle young people advocate," Jiangxiaobai marketing director Fan Li said. "From our products to our branding, it's a process of embracing the younger generation." Shirley Huang, out with friends on a Friday night in Sanlitun, said she had never touched baijiu at age 27, preferring cocktails. But that night, something new on the menu caught her attention: a baijiu-based cocktail. 'Baijiu is quietly making its way into our lives. We just haven't noticed,' she said 'It may not appear as itself, but it reemerges in new forms.'

Trump tariffs: Brazil faces a 50% levy
Trump tariffs: Brazil faces a 50% levy

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Trump tariffs: Brazil faces a 50% levy

President Trump signed an executive order that will allow him to enact an additional 40% tariff on goods from Brazil, bringing the total tariff rate to 50%. Market Domination Anchor Josh Lipton recaps the latest. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Market Domination. Well, fresh trade news now to report President Trump signing an executive order imposing a 40% additional tariff on imports from Brazil that raises the total levy to 50%. The White House says the tariffs will be effective in 7 days. The move coming in response to recent Brazilian policies that the Trump administration says are at odds with US interest. Now, additionally, the US plans to impose a 25% tariff on goods from India and an additional import tax, President Trump saying that is due to India's purchasing of Russian oil. Trump has said on his truth social platform that India is quote our friend, but India's tariffs are far too high. And the latest round of tariffs do come after two day of talks in Stockholm between Chinese and American negotiators. Officials from both nations agreed to seek an extension of their 90-day tariff truce. Trump has reached tariff agreements with the European Union, Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia, all of which he says would open markets for American goods while enabling the US to raise tax rates on imports. Related Videos Bishop: Low Interest Rates Are Needed in South Africa What Trump's Big Pharma CEO letters mean for drug pricing power Labor data: Jobs report preview & immigration policy's impact Trump Says Aug. 1 Tariff Deadline Won't Be Extended Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store