Latest news with #Penang-born
Malaysiakini
5 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
reporter fires back at Saifuddin over Jho Low
Investigative journalist Tom Wright, who helped expose the 1MDB scandal, has hit back at Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail over the latter's claim that Malaysian authorities have no verified information on the whereabouts of fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low. 'Is he calling us liars?' Wright posted on X, responding to a news report quoting Saifuddin as saying there is no verified evidence that the Penang-born businessperson is in China.
Malaysiakini
5 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
reporter fires back at Saifuddin over Jho Low
Investigative journalist Tom Wright, who helped expose the 1MDB scandal, has hit back at Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail over the latter's claim that Malaysian authorities have no verified information on the whereabouts of fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low. 'Is he calling us liars?' Wright posted on X, responding to a news report quoting Saifuddin as saying there is no verified evidence that the Penang-born businessperson is in China.
Borneo Post
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Jho Low in Shanghai under alias? Anwar says he's read the news, will check with Home Ministry
Anwar affirmed that he had read about Low's latest purported sighting that has generated global buzz since yesterday. – Bernama photo GEORGE TOWN (July 19): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said he will verify with the Home Ministry following reports that wanted businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, is currently living the high life in China. Anwar affirmed that he had read about Low's latest purported sighting that has generated global buzz since yesterday. 'We have yet to get any information. Let me check,' he was quoted by the New Straits Times as telling reporters after officiating the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kompleks Madani Teluk Kumbar in Penang. 'I will need to check with the home minister about it,' he added, referring to Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. Former Wall Street Journal journalists Bradley Hope and Tom Wright who authored a best selling book titled Billion Dollar Whale claimed in a livestream yesterday that Low is residing in Green Hills, a luxury enclave in Shanghai. They alleged that Low is living under a false identity – Constantinos Achilles Veis – and using a fake Australian passport while working with entities linked to the Chinese government. Penang-born Low is accused of masterminding the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal and has been on the run since 2015, with his exact whereabouts remaining unconfirmed to date. – Malay Mail anwar ibrahim China Jho Low
Business Times
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Cathay cinema survived a world war, but there may not be a sequel for the icon
[SINGAPORE] Cathay cinema could face its final curtain call after 85 years, as streaming and shifting consumer patterns deal a fatal blow to theatres around the world. mm2 Asia - which bought the cinema chain in 2017 - on Thursday (Jul 17) said that Cathay Cineplexes' closure is one of several options being explored, in light of financial challenges. Originally known as Cathay Cinema, Cathay Cineplexes is one of Singapore's oldest cinema chains and its origins predate Singapore's independence and World War II. It opened its doors to the public in October 1939, as Singapore's first air-conditioned theatre. Having survived a world war, Cathay launched Singapore's first drive-in theatre in the 1970s and grew its network of theatres. The Business Times traces Cathay's storied history: BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Origins July 1935: Loke Cheng Kim incorporated Associated Theatres in Singapore. The Penang-born businesswoman had noticed a lack of entertainment establishments. Her husband Loke Yew was a Malaysian tycoon who made his fortunes in Malaysia and the region through tin mining, real estate and banking. 1936: A year later, her son, the prominent film entrepreneur Loke Wan Tho, embarked on the building of Cathay Cinema and the famous Cathay building. Wan Tho was a businessman and had a keen interest in ornithology and photography. Oct 3, 1939: Cathay Cinema's first outlet opened to the public, with the screening of a formerly banned film, The Four Feathers. The 1,300-seat theatre was located in the landmark Cathay building on 2 Handy Road. The 16-storey tower also housed a hotel and was Singapore's first skyscraper and tallest building at the time of its completion. 1941: The building was leased to the British colonial government and the Malayan Broadcasting Corporation and was used to broadcast war updates. 1942-1945: It housed the Japanese broadcasting department, military propaganda department and the military information bureau. Post-World War Two expansion 1945: The cinema reopened after the war, and the Cathay building became the headquarters for the Supreme Allied Commander of South-east Asia, Admiral Louis Mountbatten. February 1949: Cathay Organisation regained control of the building after the government vacated it. 1959: Associated Theatre was renamed Cathay Organisation. 1965: Cathay unveiled its second cinema, Orchard Theatre. Jul 14, 1971: It opened Singapore's first drive-in cinema in Jurong. The 5.6-hectare site at Yuan Ching Road, next to the Japanese Gardens, could pack 900 cars and 300 patrons in its walk-in gallery. The drive-in shuttered in 1985 due to poor attendance and rising competition from pirated videos. 1991: Cathay Cinema expanded from a single-screen to a multiplex with numerous cinema halls. 1997: The Cathay Cineleisure Orchard mall opened at the former site of the Orchard Theatre. 1998: Cathay Cineplexes incorporated to manage cinema operations. 1999: Cathay Organisation listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange. It was delisted in 2006. Jun 30, 2000: The cinema at the Cathay building closed as part of Cathay Organisation's S$100 million plan to redevelop the building. Feb 10, 2003: Alongside MacDonald House, the Cathay building was gazetted as a national monument. It was partially demolished, with its art deco facade preserved. 2006: The Cathay reopened as a cineplex, private residence and mall. Change in ownership November, 2017: The Cathay Organisation sold its cinema business to mm2 Asia for S$230 million. The entertainment company took over its eight theatres, comprising 64 screens, and purchased all shares of its cineplex subsidiary. March 2021: mm2 Asia was said to be mulling a spin-off of its cinema business with a Catalist listing. Battered by shrinking revenue during the pandemic, the segment weighed on the group's earnings and shares, having clocked a S$16.5 million pre-tax loss in 2020. Jun 27, 2022: Cathay Cineplexes ceased operations at its iconic The Cathay outlet on 2 Handy Road. Its space became a pop-up outlet for independent cinema operator The Projector from Aug 23, 2022. (ST) mm2 Asia said the move was part of cost rationalisation for its cinema operations. Cinema closures and unpaid arrears Jan 28, 2025: Cathay Cineplex received letters of demand from landlords of two outlets seeking around S$2.7 million in monies owed. Century Square sought payment of S$479,185 in rental arrears and other monies by Feb 10. Causeway Point demanded payment of S$1.2 million by Feb 10 and for S$1 million to be paid to its trustee, HSBC Institutional Trust Services, by Feb 3, in addition to legal fees. Both properties are owned by Frasers Centrepoint Trust (FCT). Feb 6, 2025: Responding to SGX queries, mm2 Asia said it had paid back S$12 million owed to landlords, and the remaining S$2.7 million is a quarter of the total sum owed to the two outlets' landlords from Apr 1, 2020, to Jan 31, 2025. The bourse operator had questioned why the owed monies were not yet paid despite mm2 Asia posting S$10.1 million in cash and cash equivalents for its H1 financials that year. The group clarified that Cathay Cineplex was not disputing the payments and added that the S$10.1 million in cash and cash equivalents were not restricted or encumbered, but instead had been partially deployed to its other businesses. It added that the cinema industry's slower-than-expected recovery hampered Cathay Cineplex's ability to repay arrears in a timely manner and said it was actively engaging the landlords to resolve the matter. Feb 17, 2025: mm2 Asia said Cathay's outlet at West Mall, owned by Singapore Land Group, would close for reinstatement works on Feb 20 - the same day its Bukit Batok shopping complex outlet's lease expired. It added that the cinema chain had been undergoing a post-Covid rightsizing for the past two years. Mar 27, 2025: mm2 Asia announced the closure of Cathay Cineplex's Jem cinema on Mar 27 as the outlet's landlord was terminating its lease from that date. The landlord, Lendlease Global Commercial Reit, sought S$4.3 million in monies owed by Cathay Cineplex. May 28, 2025: mm2 Asia proposed the S$1.7 million sale of part of its 29.29 per cent stake in its subsidiary Vividthree Holdings. It said proceeds would be used to repay outstanding debt and improve its financial position. Jul 1, 2025: Cathay Cineplexes received a S$3.4 million payment demand from Lendlease Global Commercial Reit, for arrears related to the cinema chain's use of the shuttered Jem premises. It was to pay up the monies by Jul 22, or alternatively, secure or compound the sum to the satisfaction of the Jem outlet landlord by that date. Jul 4, 2025: mm2 Asia proposed a placement of 1.875 billion shares to raise funds. Full subscription at S$0.008 per share would yield S$14 million in net proceeds. mm2 Asia said S$7.5 million would go to debts and liabilities, while the remainder would be for working capital. Jul 15, 2025: Cathay Cineplex gets statutory demands from FCT, the landlord of its Century Square and Causeway Point outlets, seeking more than S$3.3 million in owed monies. It must pay up the full amount by Aug 5, 2025, or alternatively secure or compound the sums to FCT's reasonable satisfaction. Jul 16, 2025: The cinema operator proposed extending the repayment deadline of S$54 million bonds maturing in December by six years, to Dec 31, 2031, avoid a default. Jul 17, 2025: To address financial challenges, mm2 Asia said it is considering winding up Cathay Cineplexes among other options. These include continuing talks with landlords to restructure existing obligations under a court-supervised process that allows operations to continue.
Straits Times
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Food Picks: Thevar's luxe new home in Mohamed Sultan Road with $298 tasting menu
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE – Two-Michelin-starred Thevar has moved from its somewhat cramped space in Keong Saik Road to new digs in Mohamed Sultan Road. There, chef Manogren Thevar, 34, has created a serene space in which to serve his modern Indian food. The walls are a terracotta colour, the rug patterned like floor tiles in a Chettinad home. Custom-made tables and comfortable chairs are well spaced out and the restaurant is lit by the soft glow of pendant and wall lamps from Japan. The $2 million fit-out is all about quiet luxury. The main dining area seats 28 and he has two counter seats in the kitchen. On the floor above is a private dining room equipped with a kitchen and it can seat up to 10. To make the transition to the new location seamless, the Penang-born chef has not made drastic changes to the $298++ a person tasting menu, but says he is working on new offerings. My meal tells me the chef is firing on all cylinders at the new place. Summer Tomato Chaat, one of the snacks, is topped with sweet, tiny Tomberry tomatoes, tempered by gently tart tamarind gel. There is a burst of freshness from coriander chutney and crunch comes from little crumbs sprinkled on top and the potato tart shell. His Pani Puri is another beautiful snack, the shell made with dehydrated carrot juice and filled with tomato and buttermilk spheres, and pomegranate arils. It is refreshing but also intense – who knew carrot juice could taste this good? I could have bowls of the khichdi, which hides under a perfectly cooked abalone in the Abalone Khichdi course. The homespun dish of rice and lentils cooked together into something porridge-like gets a glow-up, with Koshihikari rice and pearl couscous. Some of the couscous is toasted or deep-fried, adding crunch. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore No train service across entire Bukit Panjang LRT line due to power fault Asia 4 dead, 38 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore Pedestrian-only path rules to be enforced reasonably; focus on errant cyclists: Baey Yam Keng Singapore 17-year-old youth charged with trespassing on MRT tracks; to be remanded at IMH Business Microsoft cutting 9,000 jobs companywide in second major wave of layoffs this year Asia Malaysian nurses following the money abroad for more opportunities World Trump tax Bill stalled by Republican rebellion in Congress Chef Thevar's spicing is always on point and this is on full display in the main course of Mysore Spiced Rack of Lamb, perfectly medium rare and very aromatic with coriander, cumin, cinnamon and dried chillies. Sorrel chutney adds tang, as does pineapple and mango achar. I love the lamb biryani served alongside – aromatic and light. The rose granita in the Peach & Paneer dessert is so perfect for hot weather and a good landing pad for paneer and peach ice cream, and slices of peaches. The petit fours remind me of how far chef Thevar and his restaurant have come in seven years. They are perfectly executed and perfectly delightful: tiny madeleines with warm spices, QQ mango lassi mochi and an unexpected gift, small wedges of Masala Chai Caramel Tart. Now chef, this tart is just as good as the Cempedak Puff that so enchanted me in the early days of Thevar. It needs to be a full-sized dessert. Where: 16 Mohamed Sultan Road MRT: Fort Canning Open: 6 to 11pm (Tuesdays to Fridays), noon to 3pm, 6 to 11pm (Saturdays), closed Sundays and Mondays Info: Call 9750-8275 or go to
