Compiled by C. ARUNO and HO JIA WEN
STREET vendors in Bentong, Pahang, were startled after it was announced that Bentong Walk, a night market with performances held every Saturday, would be cancelled beginning Aug 24, reported China Press.
The Bentong cultural street working committee made the announcement via a WhatsApp message on Saturday itself and caught vendors off-guard.
Bentong Walk was suspended between 2020 and 2024 due to the Covid-19 pandemic but was revived during Chinese New Year this year.
Residents in Bentong were reportedly excited when lanterns and other decorations returned to Jalan Chui Yin.
Organisers even managed to invite the cast of Happy Dragons, a Malaysian Chinese New Year film, to do a press tour there.
However, in just half a year, the usual stage performances at Bentong Walk ground to a halt due to a lack of funds.
Many vendors from outside of Bentong began to pull out of the weekly event.
According to committee president Peng Cheng Wei, they had relied solely on rent from vendors to operate.
“We will discuss with the Bentong Municipal Council on finding a more sustainable business model in the future.”
Peng hopes that Bentong MP Young Syefura Othman can help raise funds to restart Bentong Walk.
> Malaysian singer Fish Leong has shut down all her social media accounts, sparking deep concern among fans, reported Sin Chew Daily.
When contacted, her agency said Leong was fine but did not explain her abrupt withdrawal online.
While some fans speculated that the move signalled the impending release of a new album, others reckoned the singer might be feeling stressed and has decided to temporarily unplug from social media.
The 46-year-old “queen of ballads” is originally from Bahau, Negri Sembilan. She made her debut in 1999 and has sold more than 20 million records.
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.
