Compiled by MARTIN CARVALHO, LIEW JIA XIAN and R. ARAVINTHAN

       A BOUTIQUE owner is doing her part in spreading the spirit of National Day by teaching others to paint the Jalur Gemilang on their faces on Facebook and TikTok, Harian Metro reported.

       Faridatul Aswani Mohd Zidan, who runs a bridal boutique in Kota Baru, said she and her husband Mohd Harmizi Mahmood would usually sew children’s National Day costumes besides offering face painting as an option.

       However, with the pandemic, Faridatul is teaching face painting online.

       “I initially lacked confidence when applying the make-up to create the Jalur Gemilang on the face as it is not something easy to do.

       “The hardest part is the star which has 14 points and I have to use my experience,” she said.

       Faridatul, 39, said it usually takes three hours to create the Malaysian flag.

       The mother of four said she would choose different kinds of designs for the Jalur Gemilang to mark the month-long National Day celebration.

       > Actress Oktovia Manrose has come out publicly to say that she has been using the hijab since May, Berita Harian reported.

       Oktovia, whose real name is Wan Syamira Putri Oktovia Wan Syahman, said she did not want to make a fuss about the change in her appearance, only adding that she did it for God.

       “Yes, I confirm that I am wearing the hijab.

       “Just a brief comment, I hope to share more of my new journey,” she said.

       Oktovia also said her decision to don the hijab was made after completing her stint as an actress. She noted that even if there were acting offers, she would decline them for the time being.

       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.