News Links - 8/28/06

[dleedlee]

Lam Suet, Roy Cheung, Josie Ho and Francis Ng, starring in 'Exiled' directed by Hong Kong's Johnny To,REUTERS/Bobby Yip (HONG KONG)

Feng Xiaogang and Daniel Wu at news conference for The Banquet REUTERS/Bobby Yip (HONG KONG)

Rain Dogs to screen at Venice Film Festival, Hong Kong producer Daniel Yu, actors Cheung Wing-hong and Liu Wai-hung pose after a news conference in Hong Kong, on four locally made and invested movies to participate in the upcoming Venice Film Festival, August 28, 2006. REUTERS/Bobby Yip (HONG KONG)

Gillian, Charlene, Yumiko Cheng in front of 'Dignity' banner

Artists including from right, singer Charlene Choi, Gillian Chung, movie star Jackie Chan and Andy Lau attend a demonstration as denouncing the magazine cover in Hong Kong Monday, Aug. 28, 2006. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Jacky Cheung at Privacy and Dignity rally

Gillian


Jackie Chan's "Rob-B-Hood" Eyes Golden Holiday Box Office
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 131817.htm

Rage snowballs as magazine publisher defends photos
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_deta ... r=20060828
Hong Kong singer files injunction against magazine
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?fi ... sec=nation

Widespread condemnation in HK over indecent photos of star published in magazine
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/ ... 86/1/.html

Krrish: Superman takes Indian beating
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_deta ... r=20060828

Jolin to Release New Album in September
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 131757.htm

Chinese Band "F.I.R" Brings New Album in Beijing
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 131930.htm

SE7EN's New Mandarin Song "Qi Xi"
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 131994.htm

Photos: Lin Chiling Speaks for Aee Shoes
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 131828.htm

[Brian Thibodeau]

Those are some damned fine shoes...

[dleedlee]

She's still slated for Battle at Red Cliffs, right?

[Mike Thomason]

That Gillian Chung thing really gets my goat! Can't Hong Kong entertainers be treated with even a modicum of dignity? It really shows just how low the Hong Kong gutter snakes are prepared to stoop for an "exclusive"...

What makes it worse, for me, is that it happened in Malaysia at the Genting resort. I love Malaysia dearly, as I travel there at least twice a year, but this is just yet another blow to their flagging SE Asian presence. First there was the scandal last year of organised crime working in with Kuala Lumpur International Airport baggage handlers to rip-off and steal from foreign travellers (which, believe it or not, is still going on -- my suitcases were broken into and rifled through before they left KLIA in June of this year!); then there were the distasteful photographs of a woman detained by police forced to squat in a compromising (and naked) position while she was being held in custody splashed all over the tabloids; and more recently there have been questions raised as to the misappropriation (read: theft) of government funding through corruption of failing government airline, Malaysian Airlines (or MAS). Now this - a high profile Hong Kong celebrity illegally photographed in various states of undress for nothing other than sensationalist headlines designed to sell copies of a publication of a (now) questionable nature.

Malaysia, I hate to say it, but Vision 2020 is being compromised and undermined each and every day with irresponsible acts like this...

[dleedlee]

First there was the scandal last year of organised crime working in with Kuala Lumpur International Airport baggage handlers to rip-off and steal from foreign travellers

I think that's pretty common problem in the industry as a whole. Probably worse now with restrictions to only TSA approved locks which allows TSA employees to open these 'locks'. What this means is that the TSA inspectors have "master keys" for these locks and can open the locks without breaking them, if they need to inspect your suitcase.

[Mike Thomason]

First there was the scandal last year of organised crime working in with Kuala Lumpur International Airport baggage handlers to rip-off and steal from foreign travellers

I think that's pretty common problem in the industry as a whole.

In this instance, the issue was brought up because the Malaysian media made such a big song and dance about the whole thing. They painted it as a blow to Malaysian tourism, a blight on the face of Malaysia as a holiday destination for foreign travellers and so on and so forth -- then claimed that the culprits had been uncovered, the crime ring smashed, and the errant employees dismissed and charges brought against them not long before Christmas last year. Then, reports started creeping out from Malaysian nationals and international visitors that the problem hadn't been dealt with at all; reports of baggage/luggage theft started to increase again in the months around Chinese New Year this year, before tapering off slightly before I flew up in May.

When I got home, surprise, surprise, my luggage had been broken into and rifled through -- this was brought to my attention by Customs here in Perth who picked up the violation immediately on receival of my suitcases. Which is why I'll be flying Singapore Airlines next time and avoiding (as well as not patronising the corrupt services that are MAS and KLIA) the Malaysian Peninsula altogether; oddly enough, Singapore Airlines offer a faster flight, and better connecting route, for where I have to travel to (the state of Sarawak on Borneo island), as well as a much more competitive fare. Guess it only took one bad experience with the trouble-fraught MAS and KLIA for me to cease my support of them...

Anyway, why should such a thing be dismissed as "common"? As an international domestic traveller who pays a premium price to commute in comfort and security, I shouldn't have to expect these kinds of criminal activities simply because they're glibly written off as "common"...

[dleedlee]

Common, as in not restricted to solely a Malaysian airlines problem. It's also a domestic airline travel problem here in the US, too. And the last time I flew to China, the cheap lock on my luggage was missing when I retrieved it. Intentional or accidental, I don't know. My apologies if you felt dismissed, I'm sure it was a pretty traumatic experience to undergo and you have my fullest feeling of empathy.

[Mike Thomason]

Thanks for the reply -- yes, it was terrible to have spent a month somewhere, in relative safety, and then see my suitcases come down the baggage claim conveyor belt with the zips mangled, locks torn off, secondary belt straps ripped off and the contents of my luggage spewing all over the place. Put a real dampener on the whole trip...

But back to topic, the fact that this incident with Miss Chung occured in Malaysia is yet another astronomical blow to their SE Asian face. I can somehow see this blowing up into other HK entertainers boycotting tours and appearances there for fear of similar gross invasions of their privacy. Which is sad, as it can be a nice place -- it's just that a lot of people in positions of public office and/or respectability there frequently abuse their roles for just these kinds of selfish acts*.

(* it should be noted that, while I was there for the month of May, nearly every night's local newstories commenced with a tale of governmental/public office corruption where the perpetrator was caught embezzling to the tune of hundreds of thousands...or cases of sexual impropriety, extortion or similar scandals were being exposed with gleeful abandon like such a thing was to be admired...sad, really...)

[Brian Thibodeau]

It's interesting how the most self-proclaimed conservative countries on this planet are also often the most plagued with corruption at the expense of the people. Do as the leaders say, but not as they do, so to speak...

[dleedlee]

`Boycott magazine' stars urge public
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_deta ... con_type=3


Easy Finder has printed an estimated 15,000 additional copies since the controversy broke out last week.