Compiled by C. ARUNO and LIEW JIA XIAN

       POPULAR Malay tune X Missing U has been adapted by Hong Kong singer Gloria Tang (pic) and released as a single called I’ll Be Missing You on Dec 21, China Press reported.

       Originally written by Faizal Tahir, Ja’a, Mage, Mike Chan, Tuju and Yonnyboii, Tang’s new single was a hit among fans, garnering more than 660,000 views in just a week after its release.

       The song was a collaboration between Tang, known popularly as G.E.M. (Get Everybody Moving) and local company Faithful Production, marking a turning point in exporting Malaysian songs overseas.

       Faithful Publishing production director Karim Karam said the adaptation was an achievement and recognition of local music composers.

       “The negotiation process took five months. The success of this project shows a capability to increase the export value of local songs on the international stage.

       “In this new digital age, music composers and publishing companies must have a wider outlook and their works are capable of competing on the global stage,” Karim said.

       Faizal said he did not expect his song would be adapted by an international singer and hoped that there would be more opportunities for collaboration between Malaysian composers and foreign artistes.

       X Missing U, which was originally performed by Faizal, Dayang Nurfaizah, Yonnyboii and Tuju, was released in 2020.

       Tang was the only Asian artiste featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and was the first Chinese female singer to have three videos exceeding 100 million views on YouTube.

       > A man’s swift action of propping up his Mercedes Benz using reams of paper saved him a huge sum in potential repairs from flood damage, China Press reported.

       A Facebook user with the handle Yuyu Chang described how he lifted his Mercedes AMG A45S hatchback using a hydraulic jack before propping each of the tyres up by stacking reams of paper up to around one metre high.

       “I’m lucky that I paid attention during physics class while in school,” Chang quipped.

       Despite floodwaters entering his house on Dec 18, his RM430,000 vehicle was undamaged, thanks to his creative solution.

       However, when his photos became widely shared online, many Internet users commented that it was not a good idea to use paper to prop up the car as paper tends to disintegrate after being soaked for a prolonged period.

       Instead, many recommended using bricks.

       The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.