Cleffairy's Blog, page 14

Four Great Reasons to Plan Ahead for your Holidays

Let’s admit it – we can’t wait to go on a holiday. While we long to get out of town, there is nothing standing in the way of planning ahead for that much-needed domestic vacation post-lockdown.

Leading holiday destinations across the country such as Desaru Coast, aside from offering over 800 luxurious rooms within its impressive portfolio of five-star hotels, are curating enticing packages. These packages include a wide range of options on experiences and activities to explore and peace of mind flexibility when it comes to date changes.

So, stop dreaming about your next holiday and start planning! Here are just four perfectly good reasons on why you ought to start now:

Cuts the Stress
The best part about planning ahead for a holiday is that it alleviates the stress associated with making last-minute travel plans. Holidays are supposed to be fun and so should the planning of it. Don’t do it in haste under the pressure of tight timeliness. That only drains the fun out of it. So even before you can start the holiday, avoid setting everyone on edge even leaving home! Planning helps assure you of a hassle-free holiday with your loved ones. In addition, resorts within Desaru Coast have adopted very flexible policies when it comes changes in reservation dates, in keeping with the current times.

Money matters
Planning holidays early also gives you leverage in terms of budgeting for your travel, accommodation and general expenses. After a year of almost no travel for most Malaysians, everyone’s looking forward to a holiday – shoestring or otherwise. Yet cost is undeniably a major factor now in deciding where to go and what to do. Hoteliers, travel operators and attraction owners are getting creative! Some are offering reasonable rates, while others offer innovative solutions such as valued added packages to encompass the full holiday experience. These packages include lodging, fun recreational activities and even F&B offerings from breakfast to dinner. So all you have to do is just check-in, relax and enjoy the varied experiences that are in store for you, during your much-awaited holiday.

Customising unique experiences
One thing we learnt last year is that there are so many unique hidden gems within Malaysia that many have yet explored. But in order to ensure we maximise the opportunity to savour these experiences during our upcoming holidays, it’s best to do our homework early and plan ahead. For instance, if you’re headed down to the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia, and in search of some outdoor experiences, Desaru Coast offers specially curated nature excursions led by passionate naturalists who will lead you in a journey to hidden places, away from the typical tourist trails. Nature lovers can also book organised tours available to the Tanjung Belungkor mangrove and the nearby fruit farm. Alternatively, choose to journey through the scenic and alluring Linting Wetlands river ecosystem dominated by tidal mangrove forests within which lies the Belungkor Forest Reserve. On this tour, visitors can immerse in a brief history of the Johor Sultanate while learning about the variety of mangrove species and vegetation unique to the location.

Another noteworthy activity here is a tour to the fishing village of Sedili, located a mere 35 minutes’ drive from Desaru Coast. The tour begins with a boat cruise that covers three distinct vegetation belts that changes from rich mangrove forest, Nypa swamp, Putat and Pandanus belt before finally reaching the freshwater swamp where the endangered Water Trumpet can be found. Along the way your naturalist guide will highlight interesting wildlife that call Sedili home.

Don’t miss out!
Have you ever arrived at a much sought-after restaurant or Instagram-perfect spot only to be told that you can’t get in because they’re fully booked? This can be avoided by planning ahead. When travelling, make reservations in advance — not just for flights and hotels, but for restaurants, tours, and all the attractions as you detail your itinerary. And if you’re visiting on peak holidays, check ahead of time to ensure if these spots may be closed on such special occasions. Desaru Coast’s Adventure Water Park has stringent Health and Safety SOPs in place including a cap on the maximum number of visitors allowed per day. So as not to miss out on this experience, book ahead!

How to get the most and best from a holiday
A good place to start is the respective websites of the resorts and accommodations themselves. For instance, Desaru Coast, the trending premium beach destination for Malaysians is offering dream vacation packages from as low as RM799 under its ongoing Sand-sational Deal promotions. These include exclusive hotel and resort stays with non-stop fun-filled activities for families and adults alike including access to the Adventure Water Park, All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) or Banana Boat rides and Fruit Farm Tour. Participating hotel properties are The Westin Desaru Coast Resort and Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast.
To lure golfing enthusiasts to tee off at The Els Club Desaru Coast Ocean Course, Desaru Coast’s Golf Galore promotion offers unlimited access to Els Club’s 9-hole Academy Course and Driving Range, together with exclusive night stays at Desaru Coast’s Hotels and Resorts. The 2D/1N golf packages start from as low as RM489. The participating hoteliers are Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, The Westin Desaru Coast Resort and Anantara Desaru Coast Resort and Villas. Both promotions allow travellers to book their holiday packages ahead (before the upcoming Aidilfitri holidays in May 2021) to enjoy a vacation anytime in 2021.
Evidently, there is certainly so much to see and do in and around Desaru Coast. Visitors can complement nature-infused excursions and golfing sessions with a myriad of other activities including intimate beach walks or runs (thanks to the destination’s wide-open spaces) and indulge in some much-needed TLC with the many wellness and “me-time” pursuits available, such as yoga and spa sessions. Westin Desaru Coast’s Heavenly Spa promises a slice of heaven as they calm your nerves and soothe your senses from head to toe. Those looking for a musical twist to their ultimate spa experience can opt for Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast’s Rock Spa packages which will surely hit the right notes.
And if you desire to crank the adventure level up a notch, then take the scenic route to Sedili on a bicycle via low traffic routes to truly appreciate the natural coastal beauty along the way. Very soon, visitors to Desaru will also have the option of embarking on fishing excursions in the South China Sea! All these, coupled with the fantastic weather that Desaru Coast is currently experiencing, makes it the ideal destination.
But to get the most out of your holiday, one thing is essential – planning ahead! So, what are you waiting for? Start planning today and gather the whole family for an unforgettable holiday at Malaysia’s premier all-in-one destination. Desaru Coast truly has it all!

Recommended Ramadan Buffet in Kuala Lumpur 2021- Sudirman Café, Koptown EDC Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Feeling nostalgic and would like to indulge in authentic Malay delicacies for breaking fast with family and friends this coming Ramadan? Here’s one highly recommended one in Kuala Lumpur; the Sudirman Café at Koptown EDC Hotel.

Located along Raja Laut, Koptown EDC Hotel is a go to hotel if you’re looking to explore Kuala Lumpur. Offering 242 rooms consisting of Duluxe rooms and lavish suites, the hotel is a perfect place for business or pleasure. Nearby attractions are Sunway Putra Mall, SOGO, GM Plaza, Masjid India, KLCC & Bukit Bintang.

This coming Ramadan, Koptown EDC Hotel Kuala Lumpur will be celebrating Ramadan at their in-house café, the Sudirman Café with a wholesome and diverse blend of authentic Malaysian kampung delicacies providing patrons a journey that promises to excite their palate, delight their senses and transport them to a culinary wonderland.

Sudirman Café was named in honour of the late Sudirman bin Arshad, or better known by his stage name Sudirman, a legendary Malaysian singer and songwriter. Apart from being a renowned singer from Malaysia he was also a trained lawyer, a composer, writer (specifically focusing in producing memoir and children books), cartoonist, canned drinks entrepreneur and an actor.Throughout his career, he was known as the “Singing Lawyer”, the “People’s Singer”, the “Patriotic Singer” and the “Elvis Presley and Claude François of Malaysia”.

Seating in the cafe during the entire buffet session will be thoughtfully arranged to ensure ample space between guests as per Covid19 SOP rules set by the Malaysian government.

Sudirman Café will be serving their buffet menu on rotation basis, which means they will offer different menus on different days, but here’s giving you a glimpse of some dishes that you what you can expect during the buffet;

For appetizers, there are assorted fresh Ulam-Ulaman alongside with mouthwatering sambals for you to pair with.

Apart from Ulam-Ulaman, there are also assorted Kerabu for you to pick from. What’s a must try over here in my opinion is the Jelatah Timun& Nanas as well as the Mango Salad. These two is a real kicker. The taste leans more to the sour note and those who loves sourish food will be able to enjoy this to the max.

Salad counter offers plenty of fresh garden vegetables for you to assemble your salad bowl with. There’s also assorted jeruk and fruit Rojak for you to munch on too.

Noodle counter offers a variety of local noodles. Whether you prefer rice vermicelli or yellow noodles to go with the flavourful broth, they have it all.

A variety of hot seafood and vegetables dishes. Ko Po Sotong, Sayur Campur and Pucuk Manis Masak Lemak are some of the must try highlights if you would like something that’s full of flavour but not spicy of the palate.

Love traditional Malay dishes? Be sure to indulge your palate with some of the hot dishes at the buffet spread. Some of the must try that caught my attention is the Daging Masak Lemak Cili Api, Ayam Masak Merah, Kari Kepala Ikan, Asam Pedas Daging Tetel and Burung Puyuh Percik.

Ais kacang counter offers a DIY fun in making your own ais kacang.

Refreshment aplenty in the form of cordials as well as coffee and tea.

Carbonated fruit punch is also available at the refreshment counter.

Desserts includes traditional savoury and sweet kuih, cakes, bubur as well as jellies. If you have sweet tooth, let me assure you that you will not be disappointed.

Overall, dining at Sudirman Café at Koptown EDC Hotel Kuala Lumpur is fantastic. Not only the food is tantalisingly delicious but hospitality is above and beyond as well with friendly staff who are always helpful and eager to help.

For those who are interested to dine in Sudirman Café for buka puasa this coming Ramadan, you may refer to the information below:

Address:

Sudirman Café@ Koptown EDC Hotel Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Raja Laut, 50350 Chow Kit,
Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Contact:03-40519191

Price:
Adult-RM55 nett per pax
Children- RM35 nett per pax

Time: 6pm-10pm

Surau facility: Available for prayers at Level 12, Block B

Parking: Located at Block B and chargeable at RM5.00 per entry

Group buy promo: Buy 1 free 1

Reservations are highly recommended to avoid disappointments. Booking for the Sinar Ramadhan Buffet can be made at: 03-40519191 or 012 9112569

Website: https://www.edckl.com.my/

Chinese Food with Great Taste in Malaysia

Family that eats together, stays together. Won’t you agree with me with that statement? This statement is true for me and I think it’s the same with everyone else too. We may not see eye to eye and we may have disagreements with our family members every now and then but good food is always something what everyone can always enjoy, despite our differences.

My family and I love good food during our get togethers. Here’s sharing some of the must have family favourites whenever we eat together in family gatherings. They’re all Chinese food with great taste in Malaysia.

Spring Rolls– Spring rolls, or also known as popiah, are well loved Chinese pastries. It is usually deep fried and served as appetizers or snacks. Rolled in thin pastries stuffed with vegetable fillings and served with a side of dipping sauce, they’re pretty much addictive and a must have in family gatherings. For the Chinese, spring rolls also symbolises wealth as it looks like gold bars.

Dumplings– Dumplings is another one of the top delicacy that’s a must have in my family dinner or reunion gatherings. It’s a dish of dough stuffed with vegetable or meat fillings and we’d usually serve those either boiled with a side of black vinegar dippings or in soup.

Longevity Noodles– Longevity noodles is not something that we would order every time we get together. This is a dish exclusive only for birthdays and we only will order or make them when we celebrate someone’s birthday. So what’s so special about this dish? Well, unlike the regular noodles that we eat during normal days, these longevity noodles are served uncut or broken while being cooked. It’s supposed to symbolise good luck and long and healthy life ahead of you.

Assam Chye– Assam Chye is another one of my family’s favourite dish. It’s a spicy and sour vegetable dish. Really good to be paired with a bowl of piping hot rice, but strangely good on it’s own too. What’s special about this dish is that it’s actually known as the ‘rubbish’ dish in amongst the traditional Chinese. This is because This dish is made by dumping leftovers in one pot to be cooked with sour tamarind. This dish is made and served when we have too many leftovers and don’t know what to do with it.

Zong Zi– Zong Zi, or more commonly known in Malaysia as Zhang, are actually sticky rice dumplings. This dish is made from glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves, or sometimes with reed or other large flat leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling. My family’s version is always the vegetarian version, stuffed with salted egg yolks, vegetarian lock meat, chestnuts as well as Shittake mushrooms. This is usually served during Dragon Boat Festival gatherings.

Angkoo Kueh– Another special Chinese delicacy that’s worth mentioning is the Angkoo Kuih. Made to look like a red tortoise, this is a sweet Chinese pastry with soft, sticky glutinous rice flour skin wrapped around a sweet filling in the centre. This used to be traditionally served to celebrate baby’s full moon, but these days it’s more like a daily teatime desserts.

Tangyuan– Usually served during Winter Solstice. It symbolises togetherness, but in my family, it’s usually served as desserts.Tang Yuan is type of round dumpling. The dough is made of glutinous rice flour and water, and filled with sweet fillings like red bean, lotus paste, peanuts or black sesame seeds.

If there’s one thing that I miss dearly before Covid19 restriction strike the country is the get together sessions with my family. We used to get together over lunch or dinner in restaurants and we’d catch up on each other’s lives over the meals. But these days, we don’t do that anymore. Dining out is a real pain with so many SOPs to follow and we rather order food delivery via Foodpanda. It not only saves us the hassle of having to travel unnecessarily but it’s quick and convenient too. Fancy some delicious Chinese food for your get together? Try ordering some from Foodpanda. You’ll be spoiled for choices.

The Best Way to Conquer Your Fear Is To Face It

The best way to conquer your fear is to face it. Yes. I’m all about that, and I also believe in celebrating every small achievements along the way. I used to be afraid of the open water but today, I’m a certified Open Water and a Nitrox Diver.

Let me share this with you; I used to be afraid of water. My first introduction to the underwater world wasn’t exactly gentle or pleasant. I was first introduced to the underwater world back in Oct 2016, in Pulau Tioman. It was a sponsored trip by the Berjaya Group, where influencers and members of the media were invited to cover for their TICD program (Tioman Island Clean Up Day).

I was inexperienced. I didn’t know how to swim in the sea, and during the snorkeling session, they dumped me alongside with my husband and son in the middle of Renggis Island in Tioman where the surface of the water is freaking rough and choppy. It was actually a dive spot and very deep too. Thinking back, it was already near monsoon and even by a scuba diver’s standard, the water was terribly rough then.

My first thought when we got down from the boat to snorkel was; I’m gonna die, cuz I felt the water was pulling me down and I’ll drown anytime. I really feel as if I’ll drown as the surface was really choppy and my life-jacket was somewhat oversize and it feels like it’s choking me up more than keeping me afloat. I had no idea back then that it’s impossible to be pulled down by the water and sink, cuz the water density is high enough to keep you afloat. I didn’t like the feeling. I hated the feeling of snorkeling even more. I keep swallowing salt water through my snorkel and my mask was foggy.

It was scary, but despite of my fear and the foggy mask, I managed to get a glimpse of the beautiful marine creatures down there. The corals were practically in full bloom with small fishes swimming around. It’s an entirely different world I’m seeing and I was immediately enchanted by it. I wanted to be part of this world and wanted to explore it. It was simply mesmerizing and I thought it’s such a shame that I’m afraid of this. I kept thinking then, if only I can conquer my fear.

Fast forward to 2019, I was invited to do coverage again, and this time around it was in Perhentian. Again, my family and I went snorkeling. This time around, I was much more prepared and know what to expect on the snorkeling part. The water was slightly choppy and wearing the life-jacket was still uncomfortable as ever, but this time around I was using my own snorkel and mask and it fits me better and I’m able to somewhat enjoy snorkeling. It feels easier and more relaxing this time around. We did a 4 hours of snorkeling straight and I thought, I should take this to another level; go try scuba diving.

And so I dragged my husband to try scuba diving with me with the excuse of celebrating his birthday and our anniversary and signed up for the Open Water Diver Course after a few months of slow brainwashing and coaxing.

After some Covid19 lockdown hiccups in 2020, we finally got ourselves certified. The rest is history.

It’s now 2021. From not knowing how to swim and flailing in the water, I’m now dragging my husband, who is now somewhat upgraded into my personal exclusive dive buddy with me to dive in lakes with limited visibility. Yea. I’m badass like that.

It doesn’t take just a day or two to conquer my fear. It took years and gosh, what a journey it was.

My advice to all of you out there who is afraid of water but want to try diving, don’t be afraid. Nobody is going to dump you into the sea and leave you to survive it. If you sign up to try for scuba diving, your first breath underwater will always be in a confined and controlled environment; and shallow enough that you will be able to stand, under strict supervision of diving professionals who will monitor you carefully like a hawk. So guys, don’t be afraid to try.

The best way to conquer your fear is to face it. Trust me. I know this first hand.

Lake Diving at Hulu Langat, Selangor with Scuba Dobedo Divers

I’ve been itching to dive again since my last dive in September last year after my Open Water Diver certification, but with travel restrictions imposed by the government is still in effect, there’s nothing much I can do. With the recent news that the Malaysian government is strictly putting their feet down and they’re not going to consider reopening the state border until at least the end of May 2021 if the Covid19 numbers has drastically gone down to two numbers or 80% of Malaysian population have been vaccinated, I was left utterly devastated. I knew that since I’m living in Kuala Lumpur, I couldn’t possibly cross the state and island diving trips is no longer possible since there are none in my state. I can now kiss Vitamin Sea goodbye until the restrictions is lifted off.

Tough being a scuba diver in the Covid19 era, huh. I’ve always believed in focusing on the solution instead of the problem. So, the problem here is that I want to dive but I can’t dive in the sea because there are none in Kuala Lumpur or Klang Valley area. The solution? Go for lake diving, then. There are plenty in Klang Valley for me to dive in.

And so, I scoured around in Facebook groups and discovered that Scuba Dobedo Divers organizes lake diving in Klang Valley area every weekend. It’s just a half day trip and just about 1 hour drive away from my place and I thought, this is it, and I signed up for a lake diving experience.

Now, let me be honest with you. Prior to the Covid19 pandemic crisis, I would have never considered lake diving. I’ve watched plenty of videos on lake diving in Malaysian lakes and the limited visibility shown in the videos was more than enough to scare me off. Most of the DMs and diving professionals that I’m acquainted with kinda told me that there’s nothing interesting to see or experience as well if I were to dive in lakes. They think that I would just be wasting my time and money if I were to do that. Hearing that, I keep telling myself that there’s no point in diving if I can barely see anything. Plus, I wasn’t sure if the guides or dive leaders are trustworthy and dependable, considering I’m still a novice in this whole diving thing. I wasn’t sure if I can handle it and I keep making excuses not to explore lakes even though most of the lakes in Klang Valley are just a stone throw away from the place I’m living.

But now that travel restrictions will still be in effect probably til kingdom comes, I thought that I wouldn’t have any other options than to dive in lakes. I told myself to stop making excuses and stop getting influenced by naysayers. I told myself that it would be safe, plus one of the Scuba Dobedo instructor as well as the DM who leads the lake exploration as a guide also happens to be my Taichi coach and my martial brother. I wouldn’t just be diving with strangers, but with people who I can trust. I assured myself that even if there’s limited visibility in the lakes I’ll be diving, it would be an exciting experience for me as a diver and so I brainwashed my husband a.k.a my dive buddy and my friend Stella&her husband Ben to come along with me.

And so my lake exploration adventure began. Dive location: Port Kura Kura Dive Site, Semenyih Dam at Hulu Langat, Selangor. The Semenyih Dam is one of the Klang Valley major dams in Selangor, Malaysia. Built in 1985, the dam is surrounded with green forested hills. The dam provides one of the most picturesque sights in Selangor.

It also supplies a major portion of drinking water to the Klang Valley population. It’s not a famous spot for scuba diving and a special permit is needed to scuba dive over here but it’s certainly famous for those who are into fishing. Every now and then on weekends it will be visited by anglers, and sometimes cycling and hiking enthusiasts as well. To reach this place is abit of a pain. You need to kinda jungle trek a little bit and unless you are driving a 4WD vehicle, you would need to park your vehicle at about 5 minutes walk away. Luckily for us, the organizers helped us with our heavy scuba equipments and stuff by using their vehicle. The road to the dam can be likened to slithering snake. My son and I actually puked while on the way to the place. If you’re the type who are prone to motion sickness, I’d advice you pop some non-drowsy motion sickness pills to ward off your motion sickness away.

This place is still at sea level, and therefore no Altitude Diving Specialty is required to dive here. The max depth of this dam is 45m, but our dive plan is to just dive up to 11m max. Expected visibility range is around 1-2m. The purpose of the dive is to explore the dive site and spot any underwater creatures that’s inhabiting this ecosystem. For every two divers there will be one dive guide; an Instructor or a Dive Master leading the dive.

Frankly speaking, I was really nervous. Unlike everyone else who are experience divers, I’m only an Open Water Diver with only 9 logged dives under my belt prior to this one. I haven’t really fundive before and all my dives were certification and training dives instead of a fundive. All things considered, this is my first official fundive, and it’s a limited visibility one at that.

After briefing was done, Tom, my husband and I alongside with other group of divers made a shore entry and a slow descent. The visibility was bad. It was just about 1m and we can barely see each other. It takes quite awhile for the eyes to focus to get used to the surrounding. And you need to be extremely alert to be able to stick to your buddy and your guide. I’m the sort of person who is afraid of the dark and gets really afraid if I couldn’t see anything, but strange enough, upon descend and getting used to the surroundings, I feel much calmer than when I was diving in the sea. The water was quite warm and very calm. There were no rough currents for me to fight against when underwater.

The dive spot we were exploring have soft muddy bottom. Despite of the sediments floating around and severely limiting my visibility, I discovered that I can glide easily after adjusting my buoyancy. It’s weird. I don’t know how everyone else feel, but I love the feeling of diving in this place. I was strangely unafraid once underwater and only focus on following my guide-the torchlight being my guiding point. The visibility was about 1m or less throughout the entire exploration dive, but we managed to spot some aqua creatures that’s inhabiting this dam’s ecosystem.

Pictures credit to Tom ST Chan

We managed to spot some mussels, juvenile crab, juvenile lobster, and juvenile shrimps. I think I also caught a glimpse of a strange looking black coloured fish with yellow eyes swimming by, but I’m not very sure what fish it is. Since I didn’t snap a picture of it and identify the fish, I guess I won’t officially be including it in my logbook. To say that I’m a happy diver is an understatement. I wasn’t really expecting to see those creatures. I have low expectations on this dive and didn’t expect to spot anything at all as I was forewarned about the visibility, but I’m glad we did.

Surface interval before our second dive.

Abit of a Taichi routine with my teacher Tom, and my martial brother Spyros during the surface interval. I was feeling abit tired and sleepy during the surface interval, so performing some Taichi routine helps to boost my energy a little. (I’ll talk about that and the benefits of practicing Taichi in other postings).

Me and my husband after our second dive. Yea…I didn’t forget my signature Jalur Gemilang pose.

All things considered, there are a few things I feel I need to jot down for those who are interested in exploring this dive site:

1. The road to the Semenyih Dam requires a skillful driver as it’s curves and somewhat ‘snakey’. Those who are prone to motion n sickness should take some motion sickness pills to ward it off before you start driving, or your first dive wouldn’t be comfortable. Veloxin should be good. It’s non-drowsy.
2. Driving in a 4WD to reach the place is recommended, but if you’re not driving one, be sure to be properly attired for a short jungle trekking.
3. The shore of this dive site does not have shady areas, so it’s recommended that you pop up a fly sheet for shelter. I usually don’t recommend divers to use sunblocks as it can hurt the marine creatures, but in this case I do recommend one. Slather some good amount of reef friendly sunblocks on your body if you don’t want to suffer sunburns. Alternatively, you can use Aloe Vera gels.
4. Monkey alert. Plenty of monkeys lives here, I’d personally recommend you to set up a tent and put your belongings and food in there to keep them safe if you are bringing any.
5. The shore is scorching hot in the morning. Prepare sufficient cold drinks to keep yourself hydrated. Isotonic drinks, mineral water and coconut juice is highly recommended. Some would prefer coffee or tea but I wouldn’t exactly recommend that as these beverages are diuretic instead of hydrating.
6. Visibility at this dive site is bad, you can lose your guide and buddy easily if you don’t focus. I lost my buddy and guide 3 times while diving here, and some other divers with different guides lost their buddies too, but there’s nothing to be afraid of or panicked about. If that happens to you, just follow the lost buddy procedure and make a safety stop if necessary and resurface to wait for your guide and buddy. The surface is calm and since the area is not that huge, you can see the shore from where you are once you resurface. Once reunited, you may continue the dive or abort the dive as you saw fit. My guide, my buddy and myself did just that and it was still an enjoyable dive for us.
7. You need to be well equipped for this exploration dive. Must have items for the dive; high lumen diving torchlight (shallow light torches are useless here), aluminium pointer or shaker to make sounds in case you need to catch attention, diving knife in case you get tangled with something and a good dive com. I recommend those with bright LCD screen display and those with strong backlight instead of dot matrix ones. You will not be able to read the dot matrix screen in low visibility environment. A compass will also be helpful for the exploration dive.
8. Watch your buoyancy. The bottom of this dive site is soft and muddy, so be sure not to hit the bottom when you descent and try your best to not kick any mud up or you will end up worsening the visibility for yourself and your buddies.
9. Monitor your gauge and dive com closely for your remaining air and safety stops. Since the visibility is really low and you can sometime overlook the dive com for a safety stop. Overlooking this is dangerous as you might suffer from DCS if you’re not careful.
10. Proper weighting is required. This is freshwater we are talking about, and you can sink down easily, so make sure you don’t overweight yourself.

One for the album. Overall, I enjoyed my dive immensely. My guide Tom is very patient and attentive and I feel that I could trust my life with him during the dive. The lake exploration diving trip is a huge personal achievement for me. Not only I get to see plenty of marine creatures but I get to practice my buoyancy, finning and real-life buddy lost procedure as well. It’s definitely a good training ground if you’d like to practice your skills and build your confidence. Not exactly for the faint hearted but adventurous scuba divers would probably enjoy diving here. So, will I consider diving here again? Yes, definitely. I’m already scheming for my next exploration dive and looking forward for more adventure in the nearest future.

Before I end this post, I’d like to thank Tom ST Chan, Spyros and Farah for being so helpful and patient with us. Thank you so much. You guys are such a gem and I look forward to dive with you guys again.

Interested to explore this dive site? Refer to the details below for more information:

Hulu Langat Lake Exploration Dive

-Diving dates: Every Saturday and Sunday.
-Price: 2 dives RM180- includes refreshments, tank&weight (additional charges for other equipments)
-Free and easy and no charges for accompanying non divers.

Contact: Judy- +60 12-213 1139
Tom- +60 12-291 8883

Website: https://scuba-dobedo.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scuba.dobedo.divers/

Address:
Scuba Dobedo Divers
3rd Floor, Lot 22951, Jalan Emas, Taman Emas, 43200 Cheras, Selangor

Things You Need to Know About Private Mandate by DDNK

In this challenging Covid19 era where the pandemic is a global affair, business establishments are losing more than they could ever earn. In most countries, when disease preventive measures is taken by their respective governments, things really goes down into the ditch when lockdown law is executed and only essential businesses and services are allowed to operate.

The economic ecosystem does not only consists of essential businesses and therefore, people are losing their jobs more than ever now and consequently losing their income.To survive the dark ages of the economy, many started to look into investment as a type of passive income. Sadly, not many have the skills to do so.

There are many ways to invest your money and get generous returns, but if you are not really familiar with all things investments, then you might want to consider Private Mandate as one of your investment solution.

What is Private Mandate? Well, for those who are still threading their feet into the world of investment, Private Mandate is a form of tailor made or customized investment method, directly on the Stock Exchange through a Licensed Fund Manager. The determination of these stock investment decisions is determined based entirely on the Licensed Fund Manager’s options and strategies. To further elaborate; If an individual wants to invest in the stock exchange, one will open a CDS account and install apps in the mobile phone for the stock transaction. The activities of price monitoring, analysis, selection, selling and buying of shares are done by the individual investor, while private mandate, the individual “hires” the fund manager to perform the activities of price monitoring, analysis, selection, timing, selling and buying of shares.

Of course, there’s a huge difference between self investment and getting yourselves a private mandate. First of all, when you are investing in stocks on your own, you are free to make decisions that you saw fit regarding for your investments and your profit is 100%. However, if you have no experience, lack of knowledge of fundamental analysis and appropriate techniques, there is a high probability that you will lose your money than you could make. This is normal, especially when you are inexperienced. Plus, if you cannot monitor the stockmarket all the time, it is likely that you missed a critical moment to cut loss or stop loss or sell at the maximum price.

If you think you are not skillful enough and not able to monitor stock market all the time, that’s when you need a Private Mandate- where you hire another party who has expertise, a good team and a good track record of returns to invest on your behalf.

There are several types of Private Mandates available in the market. Remember, the private mandate means the fund manager’s salary. Not everything is the same. Some invest only in unit trusts and some invest in stock exchanges. It depends on the fund manager. So get to know the fund manager and his strategy.

1) Unit Trust Private Mandate

Customized investments where various unit trust funds are invested in various categories and from different unit trust companies such as Principal (formerly CWA), Kenanga, Public Mutual, Eastpring, PHEIM and many others. Usually this is a long -term investment.

2) Malaysian Stock Exchange Private Mandate

This investment will select blue chip stocks on the Malaysian stock exchange in various potentially profitable sectors. Investors will select potential stock counters from various sectors. Usually this is a medium length investment.

3) International Stock Exchange Private Mandate

These investments involve various different national exchanges that have the potential to rise such as ASEAN, ASIA PACIFIC, JAPAN and CHINA. This investment will look at potential internationally. If the economy of a country grows, investment will be focused on that country. Usually this is a medium -term investment.

4) Private Mandate Focusing in US Stock Exchange

Usually these investments choose the Dow Jones stock market, S&P 500 and Nasdaq. Usually this is a medium length investment. There is a reason why only the Nasdaq. The potential and shariah -compliant options are many and very suitable for the choices of Malaysians.

5) EPF Private Mandate

This investment is through deduction of 1 epf account. Usually for private mandate investment by kwsp deduction, the minimum deduction is RM5,000 and invested in Unit Trust. If you want to invest this epf deduction on the Malaysian stock exchange, it requires a deduction of at least RM30,000. Keep in mind, for this KWSP private mandate, you need to find a licensed financial planner, not a regular Unit Trust Agent. Keep in mind, not everyone is eligible to contribute to the KWSP private mandate, because at least you need to be eligible for a deduction of RM5,000 for private mandate unit trust and RM30,000 for private mandate of the Malaysian stock exchange through the deduction of KWSP account.

Confused on Private Mandate and Unit Trust? Well, for Unit trusts, as we all know, are investments on their own Unit Trust funds, while Private Mandates are investments directly to stock counters on the stock exchange.

Investing in stock exchange counters can actually be done on your own if you have a CDS account, however if you lack stock analysis skills (Fundamental and Technical) and also time to monitor your preferred stock counters on a daily basis, it is quite difficult and impractical for you to invest seriously. .

However, if you just like to invest with a low amount of RM100 to RM1000, there will be no problem if you lose. In contrast to the Private Mandate, the minimum investment is RM50,000 where the Licensed Fund Manager invests seriously and has a specific profit target, due to the profit sharing concept. If you want to hire a Fund Manager to manage your money, then you need to open a Private Mandate account.

The benefits of private mandates are owned individually. Profits vary between each private mandate investor to another investor (individually customized).Profits are different between all private mandate investors (stock buying timing varies time and price) as fund managers actively invest in private mandates on behalf of investors as fast as daily to weekly.

Interested in investing via Private Mandate but not sure how you can start and who you should pick as your Private Mandate? Here’s a recommendation for you;

Dato Dr Nazri Khan. A renowned stock investment expert in Malaysia His tagline “Tak hensem takpe janji kaya” has drawn the attention of many to what stock markets are and why stock market can change a person’s financial freedom status.

About Dato Dr Nazri Khan or DDNK

• Dato Dr Nazri Khan (License No: eCMSRL/B9561/2019) is a graduate of Economics and Finance from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, and also PhD holder from Multimedia University. He is currently the designated CEO (appointed by Tan Sri Vincent Tan) and Fund Manager of Inter-Pacific Asset Management, a subsidiary of Berjaya Corporation Group in the global stock market. One of the Unit Trust Funds managed by him (Interpac Dana Safi) is the best performing fund in Malaysia for January – August 2020 according to Lipper Investment source and Fund Supermart.

• Top private mandates (DDNK Global Fund) managed by Dato ’Dr Nazri Khan (DDNK) himself were among the best performers. For a period of 8 months, the YTD performance as of 31 August 2020, DDNK managed to deliver approximately 70% net return toward investors within nine months DDNK was in the office. (Subject to the third party authorized verification).

• Previously he was Senior Vice President of Phillip Capital Management Investment and Senior Vice President Affin Hwang Bank for ten years. He has almost 23 years of international level experience in the regional economy and stock market. He has also been appointed as an Adjunct Professor by Multimedia University, Cyberjaya Malaysia in recognition of his expertise in the world of stock investment.

• He is also a former Chief Investment Officer, Hermana Capital Berhad and a former Chief Research Officer of MIMB Investment Bank and has been involved in various programs organized by the Securities Commission Malaysia and Bursa Malaysia.

• Dato Dr Nazri Khan is also Malaysian mainstream media choice in commenting on the Stock Market such as TV3, TV1, Astro Awani, Bloomberg, CNBC, TV Al-Hijrah, The Star, The Edge, Bernama, Sinar Harian, Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia.

• Apart from that, Dato Dr Nazri Khan has been named as one of the ‘Financial Service Industry’ from The ONE Awards 2018 (Malaysia Outstanding National Entrepreneurs 2018) presented by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He is also recognized as the Top Opinion Leader 2015-2017 and Social Influencer 2019 Outstanding Contributions on BursaMarketPlace from Bursa Malaysia.

• Founder and Chairman of the World Class Association, Technical Analysis Association of Malaysia (MATA). Comment by DDNK: In our international conference (IFTA) organized two years ago October 2018, we managed to bring 300 delegates from all over the world which was officiated by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed.

• Full Member of the UK Society of Technical Analyst

Starting from 2020, DDNK opens up the opportunities for you to invest in Private Mandate by DDNK where he himself manages your money.

Here is one of the portfolio testimonial by one of his client.

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Interested? Contact: https://wa.link/eikpmp to find out more about it.

Get Active with District Race Malaysia by AIA Vitality

District Race Malaysia by AIA Vitality is back and ready to empower Malaysians in an all new, free to participate, augmented reality digital event. Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the holding of all mass participation sporting events impossible, thus challenging people to get creative with their fitness routine. The latest edition of District Race Malaysia is launched today (1 March 2021) with this context in mind. Powered by its cutting-edge technology platform, it promotes users to lead active and healthy lifestyles in the new normal by providing an engaging and fun urban exploration experience through the District app.

This year, District and its presenting sponsor AIA Vitality have extended the event across all of Malaysia, so anyone can participate and enjoy the fun.

The 4-month event aims to motivate people to stay active and stay healthy, by exercising in a new and exciting way while being comfortable and safe. The new version of the District app offers everyone multiple ways to participate regardless of their fitness level – there are enhanced fitness experiences, augmented reality and various community competitions for all to experience.

The easiest way to get started is to walk, jog or run to virtual checkpoint locations nearby. Simply open the app, press Start, and walk through the GPS locations to earn points. Explore in your neighbourhood or at a local park; there are checkpoints everywhere.

Those who do not want to collect checkpoints can also earn points for any kilometers walked or run. These activities can be tracked in the District app or by linking a GPS-supported wearable device, such as a Garmin. After linking a wearable device, all activities will sync directly to the District app and points will be credited towards the overall leaderboard. It has never been so easy to participate in an event.

In addition to monthly competitions, there is a Grand Prize draw that will run for the length of the event from 1 March to 30 June, with amazing prizes up for grabs. Any activity that garners 2,000+ points will receive one lucky draw entry and the grand prize lucky draw winner will drive away a brand-new Proton X50. There are over 40 contest prizes to be won, including Garmin watches, adidas gear, and much more.

District Race Malaysia by AIA Vitality is also a fantastic way to connect with families and friends and get active together virtually, despite not being able to meet in person with the on-going MCO restrictions in place. Participants can invite friends and family members to join their team to race and for a chance to win. The largest team during the event will win free District Race Malaysia T-shirts and the 2021 District augmented reality enabled medal.

“Over 8,000 participants took part in the first edition of the District Race which was held at Dataran Merdeka Kuala Lumpur in 2019 and we were thrilled by the amazing response we received. Although the global pandemic has disrupted several parts of our lives, we want to instill that having a healthy and positive lifestyle for many young people and families is important,” said Josh Tendler, Head of Marketing, District Technologies. “The District App is powered by location-based technologies and gamification, now enables linking GPS-supported wearable devices to the platform. That is why we are taking our race for the community in Malaysia to a digital format this year – with the mission to stay active and healthy. This is going to be a race unlike anything we have seen before,” he added.

Heng Zee Wang, Chief Marketing Officer, AIA Bhd. shared the same sentiments: “District Race by AIA Vitality took Malaysia by storm when it first launched in 2019. As the presenting sponsor, we are so excited to bring it back in a new and evolved format that will continue to inspire Malaysians from all walks of life to go out there and be active despite the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought our way. We’re always committed to looking for innovative and fun ways to help Malaysians live Healthier, Longer and Better Lives – one of them being our unique health programme AIA Vitality which motivates people to make healthier choices in their everyday lives. This collaboration with District Race is a perfect fit for us as it will enable people to explore their cities and communities with their families and friends in a healthy and safe way.”

The District app is available for download via the App Store and Google Play Store.

General registration for District Race Malaysia by AIA Vitality, is still open for free sign ups by downloading the app at: https://rebrand.ly/DistrictRaceMY
For more information, follow @DistrictRaceMY on Facebook and Instagram, or visit the event page at: www.exploredistrict.com/en/events/district-race-my-2021

Genting SkyWorlds To Make Debut in 2021

In a symbolic gesture leading up to the opening of Southeast Asia’s most anticipated theme park this year, Resorts World Genting today officially unveiled the logo of Genting SkyWorlds.

The live virtual event was witnessed by specially invited guests and members of the media, who participated in the event via the Zoom video conferencing platform.
Genting SkyWorlds will be an exciting, immersive outdoor theme park at an elevation of six thousand feet above sea level.

This is set to make Genting SkyWorlds one of the most unique theme parks in the region, if not globally.

Slated for opening in Q2 of 2021, Genting SkyWorlds will take visitors on a sky-high adventure through nine movie and adventure inspired ‘worlds’ – Eagle Mountain, Central Park, Liberty Lane, Robots Rivet Town, Andromeda Base, Ice Age, Studio Plaza, Epic and Rio.

Each world will feature a host of exciting rides and attractions for the whole family to enjoy. These attractions are specially curated and designed to send imaginations soaring through an immersive experience, as if taken straight out of a movie scene. This will be complemented by a unique array of themed retail, dining, and entertainment experiences, providing a truly holistic experience for the entire family.

“Genting SkyWorlds is the result of many years of hard work by our dedicated team members and our partners from all over the world. We are almost ready. We are putting the finishing touches to this amazing theme park, which we believe to be Southeast Asia’s most anticipated theme park. We believe we will deliver the very best experience to our guests throughout this journey,” said Mr. Lee Thiam Kit, Head of Business Operations and Strategies, Resorts World Genting.

The newly-revealed Genting SkyWorlds logo features an amalgamation of clouds, five stars, and the façade of Genting SkyWorlds. Like a jewel on a pillowy crown, the clouds in the logo are symbolic of the theme park’s surroundings and its ‘elevated’ offering to visitors. The five stars represent the premium experience offered by Genting SkyWorlds and the brand’s five core values of hard work, honesty, harmony, loyalty and compassion. Meanwhile, the colours and façade of Genting SkyWorlds in the logo are bright and inspiring, complementing the journey into a world of fantasy.

World-Class Collaboration
In addition to its own original and exciting Intellectual Properties (IPs), Genting SkyWorlds will also incorporate 20th Century Studios brands and IPs across its world-class rides and attractions, made possible through a strategic collaboration between Genting Malaysia and 20th Century Studios. These IPs include Ice Age, Night at the Museum and Planet of the Apes, among others.
For further information or any queries, please visit www.gentingskyworlds.com or call 03-6101 1118.

Insight Interior with Ed Mun

It’s 2021 as of writing, and it’s been a year since the Covid19 pandemic has hits the world hard. The world is no longer the world that we used to know due to the impact that Covid19 global crisis has made; be it on a personal level or on a socioeconomic level. Showing no signs of receding anytime soon where the daily numbers of infections is still raising worldwide, many business establishments had to take drastic measures to stay afloat, and this includes those who are involved in the interior design industry, an industry that’s practically walks on a thin eggshells when the pandemic arrives our shores.

Realizing how important it is to make changes and adapt in this dog eat dogs world, plenty inspiring individuals emerges with wisdom and knowledge on how to take the Covid19 battle by it’s horn, and one of the prominent one in the interior design industry that’s worth mentioning is Ed Mun.

So who is Ed Mun? For those who are not in the interior design circles, Ed Mun is the founder of Space Utilisation Analyst. Having over 30 years of experience operating his interior design firm successfully under his belt, he aspire to make the interior design industry flourish again during this difficult times.

Due to the rapid changes brought about by the pandemic, Ed Mun sees the need to assist the interior design industry by sharing his experiences, knowledge and know-how to budding startups. Hence, he established his channel the ‘Insight Interior with Ed Mun (IIEM)’.

The content serves to share his design thinking application, processes, and the realities of the interior design industry in hopes to improve the survival rate of interior design startups in a regulated but unenforceable industry.

A great breakthrough to bridge the gap came to light during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Ed Mun was given the opportunity to become Smart Selangor Delivery Unit’s (SSDU) office interior design consultant.

According to Ed Mun, SSDU’s requirement is to design a communal office that focuses on collaboration, open concept, free movement, encourage creativity, and even play at the same time. They wanted to create the workspace of tomorrow that focuses on breaking the silos amongst agencies and entities within the government. Ed Mun applied his trade specialty in holistic space assessment, and pushed his design boundaries is by incorporating scientific measurement, psychology of space, and Zen theory to develop a space for his client’s needs.

Inspired by Apple Park and Google Workspace, Ed Mun emulate collaborative elements, in short this design style is called “Wacky Office”. This style is about designing a space that is a perfect balance of work and play. The idea is to design an effective, flexible and tech savvy co-working space for people to come to work, explore ideas and sit down together to discuss. SSDU’s Center of Excellence (COE) will be the transformative co-working space that will spearhead their quest to a smart state by 2025.

“IIEM is all about bridging the gap between professional industry players with the consumers and budding interior designers. I believe there are many aspects of the real world that are not taught to budding interior designers in universities, that is why many set up and fail quickly.We are, after all entering into a new era, ‘The Great Reset, where the ways no longer applies,” he added while calling all youths to aware that the world evolving at an exponential speed and drastic changes is needed to adapt.

Believing that youths are the future leaders of Malaysia and how they play an important part in building the nation and shaping the country, he believes in passing on wisdom and experiences openly, hoping that young designers learn to practice good business ethics, finances for the long haul in the interior design industry.

“Given the right skills, I believe in them and the change, ” Ed Mun added.

His specialty trade secret of pushing design boundaries is by incorporating scientific measurement, psychology of space, human behavior and Zen theory to develop an original method of in space assessment, hence providing holistic, cost- effective solutions for his notable clientele that includes Samsung, Hong Leong Bank, Mary Kay, Volvo Malaysia, MURAD Beauty, Hong Leong Bank, Al-Madinah University and Fuji Xerox, just to name a few.

Ed Mun has started building his connections from since MCO was implemented in the year 2020, and has been sharing his master class since then on his social media platforms. From 2021 onwards, Ed Mun intend to share at least one master class video per month where he will continue to create insightful tutorial videos weekly.

Apart from that he will also be taking some time out from his working hours to connect personally through his ‘5 Mins With Ed Mun’ talk”. This will be conducted through LIVE sessions where one can connect with him personally on FB Live and IG Live every Friday at 3pm.

If you are an interior designer, or aspiring to be one, you might want to take a peek at all the sharing sessions that Ed Mun is hosting.

Insight Interior with Ed Mun (IIEM) is available on these social media platforms below:

Facebook : @insightinteriorem
Instagram : @insightinteriorem
Twitter : @insightedmun
YouTube : Insight Interior with Ed Mun
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-mun-021436139

Himalaya Natural Protein 5 Anti Hair-Fall Shampoo Review

The stress of having to stay at home all the time due to the MCO 2.0 is really getting to me. I lost appetite, I don’t sleep well, and consequently, my body punishes me for it, and my hair started to fall alot whenever I brush them. It’s really scary because I can actually feel my hair becoming thinner.

So I tried these hair care product: the newly improved Himalaya Natural Protein 5 Shampoo (upgraded formulation); in Anti-hair Fall variant.

Himalaya Anti Hair-Fall set consists of Himalaya Anti Hair Fall Oil, Himalaya Anti Hair Fall Shampoo and Himalaya Leave on Treatment Cream.

Himalaya Anti Hair Fall Oil- This anti hair fall oil function as a hair growth stimulator. It prevents hair from thinning and relieves dry and itchy scalp.

Himalaya Anti Hair-Fall Shampoo- The shampoo provides nourishment for the hair all the way to the root, helps improve hair texture, strengthen weakened hair fall due to breakage and helps to nourish and reduces hair damage.

Anti Hair Fall Cream- The cream helps to reduce hair fall, strengthens hair follicles to promote hair growth and helps to nourish the hair and reduce hair damage.

Using this hair care set is pretty much straight forward, where you first need to apply the Himalaya Anti Hair Fall Oil on the hair prior to washing before following up with a regular shampoo wash with the Himalaya Anti Hair Fall Shampoo and applying Himalaya Leave on Treatment Cream on damp hair after the wash.

I’ve been using this set of hair care items for about two weeks , here’s sharing my honest review on it:

First of all, I didn’t really find it convenient, because I’m not quite into elaborated routine, where I had to apply the oil before hair-washing, but I discovered after a few usage that this is quite relaxing and thereupeutic. I noticed that despite the hassle, it does have a plus point. It not only smell intensely refreshing but helps reduce my scalp’s itchiness after a few usage. Dandruffs are amazingly gone too. The shampoo have a real thick lather, so it is quite economical as you only need to use just a little bit of the shampoo at every hair wash, even if you have long hair like me.

Now, I’ll be honest with you, the Himalaya hair care products did not exactly stop my hair from falling, but this is perhaps I didn’t use it long enough yet to see the real effect yet. I have only used it for two weeks and just about two weeks, but it does significantly reduced the amount of hair from falling after each wash, so I guess it is quite good, considering I’ve only used it for just two week.

Here’s the showing you how much my hair has fall before and after usage. Hair fall is definitely reduced.

My hair is well moisturised. And I noticed that after using this Himalaya Anti Hair Fall set, my hair no longer looks limpy. My hair now looks like it got a nice volume, and styling is now much more fun to do. My hair feels softer and easier to manage and the best part is scalp itches less too. And oh, did I mention that these products smells really good? Well I guess I did. And let me stress this again, I absolutely love the scent of the shampoo and the hair cream.

The herbal-ish and flower-ish smell is so refreshing and at the same time, it’s also calming and helps me to go to sleep easier whenever I use it to shower at night. My husband commented that I smell as if I’ve worn perfume in my hair these days.The scent lasts for about 2 days, which is a real bonus.

So do I like the Himalaya Anti Hair Fall Oil, Himalaya Anti Hair Fall Shampoo and Himalaya Leave on Treatment Cream? Well, despite disliking that it’s not an all in one type of hair care product as I’m all for all things convenient, I certainly grow to like them. ALOT. They’re really worth buying if you would like to stop suffering from itchy scalp and hair fall. And great for those who would like to increase hair volume too.

Will I recommend to others? Yes, it’s effect is not bad, considering I just used it for two weeks and my hair falls started to reduce. I definitely recommend these products.

Himalaya new Natural Protein 5 Shampoo is available in 6 variant;

* Anti Dandruff- Soothing&Moisturising: suitable to help fight dandruff and soothes scalp
* Anti Dandruff-Gentle Clean: suitable for hair with dandruff flakes
* Softness&Shine Daily Care: suitable for full and dry hair
* Smooth&Silky: suitable for rough and fizzy hair
* Repair&Generate: suitable for lifeless and damaged hair
* Anti- Hair Fall: suitable for weak and hair fall-prone hair

All these shampoo uses exotic herbs with Natural Protein 5 for hair structure replenishment. They are also free from preservatives like MIT,CMIT and parabens.

Himalaya Protein 5 Shampoo is available for purchase at Himalaya Boutique, and major drugstores like Watson and Guardian.

For more info on Himalaya products and ongoing promotions, please refer to the links below:

Facebook: https://instagram.com/himalayamalaysia

Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/HimalayaHealthcareMalaysia/