Latest news with #SAYS
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Adopt a furry friend at Furever Friends adoption drive
KUALA LUMPUR: Animal lovers in the Klang Valley looking to open their homes to a cat companion are invited to the Furever Friends Cat Adoption Drive happening on July 20 at Pavilion Damansara Heights. The event, which runs from 1pm to 6pm, is part of the Furever Friends campaign organised by SAYS, JUICE, Fly FM and Lumi News. It is held in conjunction with TV3's Cat Fashion Week and aims to promote animal welfare by encouraging adoption over buying. All cats featured at the event are under the care of Pads & Paws KL, a local rescue group that rehabilitates and fosters abandoned and stray animals. Many of the cats available have been rescued from the streets or surrendered by previous owners and are now looking for a second chance at a loving home. The adoption process is straightforward. Interested adopters can scan a QR code at the venue to fill in a short form. Upon approval, they will pay an adoption fee — RM150 per cat or RM250 for a pair — and sign a contract before taking their new pet home. A refundable deposit of RM100 per kitten will also be collected, to be returned once proof of spaying or neutering is provided. Older kittens have already undergone the procedure. Adopters are reminded to bring their own pet carriers. If one is not available, Pads & Paws KL can temporarily hold the cat until the adopter returns with a carrier. TV3's Cat Fashion Week offers various family-friendly activities including a feline catwalk, face painting and a photo booth. The campaign will culminate in Malaysia's first televised cat fashion competition, with the grand finale airing on TV3 at 9pm on Aug 17.
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
‘Nandini Mana?!' traces Malaysia's cultural ties across the world
Nandini will cover three continents over the span of two months, with a daily budget of RM170. (SAYS pic) KUALA LUMPUR : Local media platform SAYS has launched 'Nandini Mana?!', a refreshing new travel and culture series that explores food, heritage and identity through the eyes of a Malaysian. Fronted by SAYS video lead Nandini Balakrishnan, the show traces cultural connections across Asia and Europe, revealing how Malaysia is more deeply intertwined with the world than we often realise. Over the span of two months, Nandini will cover three continents, with just two flights. The rest of her journey is done the old-school way: by land, rail and sea, all on a modest daily budget of RM170. Each stop comes with a self-imposed challenge: Eat only local food Learn five phrases in the local language Collect a matchbox as a keepsake The trailer has garnered over 262,000 views and nearly 500 comments on Instagram, reflecting a strong interest for relatable content rooted in shared experiences. 'I wanted to explore places that feel far from Malaysia but are actually deeply linked to us, through food, migration, language or shared history. Connections and threads exist everywhere, and I want to show it in a way that feels honest, raw and very Malaysian. Jom lawatan sambil belajar with me!' Nandini shared. In Episode 1, Nandini visits a Sri Lankan Malay-owned restaurant in Colombo, chats with the owner and enjoys a home-style meal that reminds her of Malaysia. The debut episode has racked up more than 211,000 views, setting a strong tone for the rest of the series. From Sri Lanka, she will travel by ferry to India, diving into Tamil Nadu's rich culture through stops in Trichy, Madurai, Pondicherry and Chennai. Her route then continues westward to Istanbul, before winding through Greece, North Macedonia, Albania, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and finally England, all told from a proudly Malaysian point of view. Catch new two-to-three minute episodes every week on SAYS' Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
'Nandini Mana?!' explores global culture with a Malaysian lens
Media platform SAYS has launched Nandini Mana?!, a travel and culture video series exploring the intersections of culture, history and identity through a distinctly Malaysian lens. Hosted by SAYS video lead Nandini Balakrishnan, the series traces cultural links across Asia and Europe, uncovering shared heritage, culinary ties and connections between Malaysia and communities abroad. Spanning three continents over two months, the journey is limited to just two flights and a daily budget of RM170, with travel by land, rail and sea. At each stop, Nandini takes on three challenges: eat only local food, learn five local phrases and collect a matchbox. The trailer has drawn over 262,000 views and nearly 500 comments on Instagram, showing an interest among viewers for authentic and meaningful storytelling. "I wanted to explore places that feel far from Malaysia but are actually deeply linked to us, through food, migration, language or shared history. Connections and threads exist everywhere, and I want to show it in a way that feels honest, raw and very Malaysian. Jom lawatan sambil belajar with me!" Nandini shared. FIRST STOP: SRI LANKA The first episode features Nandini visiting a Sri Lankan Malay-owned restaurant, where she speaks with the owner and samples her food. Debuting with over 211,000 views, the episode received a strong response and set the tone for the rest of the series. From Sri Lanka, Nandini will travel by ferry to India, exploring Tamil Nadu's cultural landscape through Trichy, Madurai, Pondicherry and Chennai. She will then head west to Istanbul, continuing overland through Greece, North Macedonia, Albania, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and finally England.
New Straits Times
20-05-2025
- New Straits Times
'Furever Friends' campaign to raise awareness on animal welfare
ANIMAL welfare in Malaysia has become an increasingly pressing issue. According to the Department of Veterinary Services, over 7,600 cases of animal abuse were reported between 2021 and 2024, with Selangor recording the highest number of incidents. Of those cases, dogs were the most abused, followed by cats, horses, rabbits, birds, and cows, in that order. There were also reports of animal abuse on exotic species, including chickens, hamsters, goats, guinea pigs, geese, fish, ducks, turtles, and snakes. In addition, there have been many troubling cases of animal abuse that sparked public outrage. This includes the tragic killing of beloved stray dog 'Kopi', the harrowing viral video of a dog being set on fire, the disturbing incident of men stuffing cats into gunny sacks in Cheras, and many other heartbreaking instances. In response to this, SAYS has launched 'Furever Friends', a campaign to raise awareness, advocate for stronger animal welfare laws and help furkids find their forever homes. Running from May 13 to July 31, the campaign is a collaboration between SAYS, JUICE, Fly FM, and Lumi News, and supported by respected animal welfare organisations including A Dog's Life, Paws Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Selangor, and Trap - Neuter - Release - Manage Malaysia (TNRM Malaysia). At the heart of the campaign is a special landing page that will host a wide range of content: There will also be a special section where animal lovers can submit photos and heartwarming stories about their pets for a chance to be featured on the site. 'Furever Friends' is more than just a campaign — it is a call to action. Whether it is rescuing an animal, spreading awareness, or simply choosing kindness, every small action helps make a difference. SAYS head of content Gowri Chitra Martin said: "The heartbreaking cases we've seen remind us why movements like 'Furever Friends' are urgently needed. Every act of kindness, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to a future where every animal feels safe, loved, and valued." "Furever Friends is about bringing people together — animal lovers, advocates, and everyday Malaysians — to drive real change. We want to push for better legislation and enforcement of animal welfare laws, particularly in terms of punishment for animal abusers. Animals should have rights too, and no one should be allowed to get away with hurting them," she added.
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
What customers really think of major supermarket's decision to scrap all self-checkout tills
A supermarket chain which became Britain's first to return to fully-staffed checkouts after axing most of its self-service till has revealed what customers really think of their bold decision. Going against the grain, Booths made the decision to ignore what rival supermarkets were doing by favouring staffed tills over self-service checkouts in November 2023. All but two of the store's 27 locations have made the change in a bid to improve customers' experience. Nigel Murray, managing director of Booths, has now revealed how customers are responding to their decision. He revealed that the move has helped play a major role in driving customer satisfaction up. Mr Murray told The Grocer: 'We're at 74 now, up from 70 (out of 100). Not all of that is due to the fact that we've taken self-service checkouts out of many of the stores. 'But when you look at things like service, into the 'promise of things to come' section, we've scored brilliantly.' The Booths boss also revealed that the supermarket chain, whose headquarters is in Lancashire, has brought a reduction in theft and a faster checkout experience. He added: 'Because in really simple terms if you've got somebody who is doing a job repetitively for six, seven, eight hours a day, they are going to do it faster and better than if you are just turning up to do it once every three days. 'Over the last year, where we've put more self checkouts in, we're always making sure that the traditional kind of belted checkout is there.' Booths was founded in 1847 by Edwin Henry Booth and has remained a family owned and run business ever since. From a single shop to the present day, the company now has 28 stores across the north, employing around 3,000 people. The decision to return to fully-staffed checkouts came at a time when many supermarket chains are bringing more self-checkouts into their stores. Last month, Tesco continued to rollout further self-checkout measures with their new Scan As You Shop measure. While some were delighted with the technologically-advanced new system, many likened it to airport security, and some thought the move was a step 'too far' from traditional, staffed tills and described it as 'dystopian'. Tesco has rolled out the Scan As You Shop (SAYS) system in a select number of stores across the UK. Shoppers pick up a scanning device when they enter the store, and then they scan each item as they put it in their trolley or basket. When they have finished, they can pay for all their items without having to scan them through the staffed or self-serve checkouts. Upon paying, SAYS customers may be randomly selected for a 'service check' where a staff member makes sure each item has been processed correctly. The new checkouts are said to weigh the trolleys of those using SAYS to ensure the weight is the same as the items scanned. Meanwhile, last year Sainsbury's claimed its shoppers love their self checkout machines and value the 'speedy checkout'. Boss Simon Roberts said that Sainsbury's had invested in more self checkouts in recent years but was committed to having non-automated belt checkouts as well. Discussing the importance of self checkouts last April, Mr Roberts said: 'If you visit one of our supermarkets, what you'll see is definitely more self checkouts than a number of years ago, because actually a lot of customers like the speedy checkout. 'Over the last year, where we've put more self checkouts in, we're always making sure that the traditional kind of belted checkout is there.' Other supermarket chains in the UK, including Amazon Fresh use 'Just Walk OUt' technology which uses cameras, sensors and AI to track what customers have picked up and bought. It allows customers to walk out with their items without using a self-checkout or a fully-staffed till.
