#ShopeeGivesBack raised RM2.9 million to support underserved families

#ShopeeGivesBack raised RM2.9 million to support underserved families

Donations to 40 NGOs sustains long-term community-building for B40

#ShopeeGivesBack, Shopee’s long-term community initiative, has collectively raised RM2.9 million across two years, through fundraising efforts with over 40 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to help underprivileged Malaysians in times of need.

#ShopeeGivesBack which launched on 1 May 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, uses technology to help the underserved in Malaysia across four areas: underprivileged communities development, children and family services, health charities, and environmental charities. The platform provides Malaysians with an online avenue to support their favourite causes in the most convenient way. Shopee ensures that these NGOs have credible track records and are registered with the Registry of Societies.

RM2.1 million came through always-on platform donations as buyers shopped on a daily basis and made informed choices on which causes to donate to via the #ShopeeGivesBack dedicated microsite. 56% of donations raised through this channel went to B40 and community aid NGOs such as Pertubuhan Kasih Neelofa, Islamic Relief Malaysia, and Pusat Jagaan Nurul Jannah. 20% of the funds raised went to NGOs providing medical kits and mobile clinics during floods such as MERCY Malaysia. 14% of the donations assisted partners like UNICEF Malaysia in meeting critical needs of marginalised children and their families in Covid-19. 10% went towards environmental causes such as Zoo Negara, where the funds aid in the annual food, enrichment, and veterinary care of the animals.

RM800,000 was raised during special e-commerce campaigns helping targeted causes: Zoo Negara ticket sales for example raised over RM400,000 for animal welfare whereas over RM200,000 in flood relief funds (including RM100,000 matching contribution from Shopee) helped 1,300 families rebuild their lives after recent floods in Kedah, Kelantan, Selangor, Pahang, Terengganu, Johor, and Negeri Sembilan.

Huiyan Pan, Head of Brand Marketing at Shopee Malaysia said, “Based on the estimates from our key community development NGOs, we would have provided food and essential supplies to over 3,000 families in dire need during the pandemic. Shopee is humbled to be able to obtain the support of our NGO partners and galvanise shoppers on our marketplace to contribute towards long-term sustainability of these communities.”

Pertubuhan Kasih Neelofa, Islamic Relief Malaysia, and Pusat Jagaan Nurul Jannah are #ShopeeGivesBack’s longer-term partner NGOs. These three NGOs raised nearly RM400,000 in food aid, essential needs and household products for B40 families and homes in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Perak, Kedah, Sabah and Sarawak.

“Pertubuhan Kasih Neelofa was moved by the kindness of Malaysians to aid the underprivileged communities that have been affected by various unfortunate circumstances. The #ShopeeGivesBack program has provided a platform for generous donors to pledge their support, and we are grateful for the trust Malaysians placed in us to give back to the needy,” said Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor, Founder of Pertubuhan Kasih Neelofa.

For more information, please refer to the #ShopeeGivesBack microsite here: https://shopee.com.my/m/ShopeeGivesBack

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2022 Mooncakes: Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur x Melinda Looi

This Mid-Autumn, commemorate joyous reunions with Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur as the hotel reunites once again with award-winning Malaysian fashion designer, Melinda Looi, for another collaborative journey featuring ‘The House of Shí Wǔ 十五之家’, an avant-garde mooncake series that celebrates the classic heritage of Peranakan culture in Malaysia.

As one embraces the Mid-Autumn Festival that comes around every year, the occasion always rekindles a sense of reunion—be it with loved ones, with treasured trinkets or with one’s ancestry and familial roots. General Manager of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, Olivier Lenoir, elaborates, “We are fortunate to join forces with Melinda Looi once again for the opportunity to present to the market a seasonal collection that is out of the box. The envisioned concept lives up to its name thanks to our partner’s imaginative take on coalescing fiction and function in her impeccable work, and the chemistry we have developed gives us more reason to see this through together. More often than not, the authenticity and uniqueness of Peranakan culture is something that the modern society tend to lose touch with over time, and thus it feels right to showcase its significance this Mid-Autumn for all of us to reminisce the timelessness of one of Malaysia’s oldest legacies. It has always intrigued me personally, as I have witnessed the beauty of Peranakan heritage when I resided in Singapore for a time and much to my delight, the cultural legacy lives on here too.”

This year, the hotel revels in another opportunity with its esteemed partner, Melinda Looi, and her ingenious notions in having a whimsically modern touch on a cultural legacy and festival that are both ancient. ‘The House of Shí Wǔ 十五之家’, unlike any other, is a Mid-Autumn advent calendar fused with the essence of journeying down the Peranakan-themed memory lane. Comprising a novel collection of four classic mooncakes along with numerous curated treasures of different kinds, ‘The House of Shí Wǔ 十五之家’ resembles an intricate wooden structure of a miniature house that moonlights as a multipurpose box, complemented by a grand and functional canvas bag. The term Shí Wǔ, or ‘fifteen’, represents the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese calendar where Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated. It is also the number of curated items that are hidden within the house to which should each be unveiled, by unboxing one item per day, within the 15 days leading up to Mid-Autumn Festival for the best element of surprise.

The illustrious exterior of ‘The House of Shí Wǔ 十五之家’ is an accolade to the timeless architectures and motifs found in the artistry of iconic Peranakan homes throughout the Straits of Malaysia. As an enhancement to the overall concept, the design plays an important role in ensuring the items encased within the house have their thematic essence in check, and that includes purposefulness—respectively categorized into food, fun and flair. Food; the exquisite collection of edibles made from homemade recipes of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s finest chefs, which includes mooncakes with flavours like Shanghainese Yam with Single Yolk, Pure Red Bean, Pure Pandan, and White Lotus with Double Yolk, as well as a series of premium traditional tea to go with a bite. Fun; the nostalgic childhood games that many Malaysians would hold close to heart during the festival such as colourful shuttlecock (毽子), mini lantern and mini mooncake mould keychain. Flair; the limited edition lifestyle items that would speak for themselves, such as designer scarf and scented candle, exclusively curated by Melinda Looi herself.

“The aspirations from our last collaboration were a game changer, and I am honoured to explore new horizons with Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur for another year. The idea of curating a bespoke advent calendar has always been in my wish list, thus I was over the moon when the concept and design received their best vote. As we aim to have a bold yet exquisite Mid-Autumn series that could resonate with Malaysians in general, the Peranakan heritage fits the bill given its very distinctive series of motifs, architectural beauty and fascinating history that could undoubtedly inspire anyone to capture the quintessence of it for a momentous effect. ‘The House of Shí Wǔ 十五’ is intended to ignite the sense of timelessness to its owners, hence the concept, content and outlook. It makes more than an exclusive gift since it can be repurposed as a refined ornament in one’s home, a little one’s traditional dollhouse or even a whimsical storage box for personal gems,” Fashion Designer, Melinda Looi, expresses.

The House of Shí Wǔ 十五之家

Food
1) Four (04) x 185± gram mooncakes

• Shanghainese Yam with Single Yolk
• Pure Red Bean
• Pure Pandan
• White Lotus with Double Yolk

2) Premium Teas
3) Fortune Cookies
4) Candies

Fun
1) GHKLxML Mini Mooncake Mould Keychain
2) Paper Lantern
3) Colourful Shuttlecock 毽子

Flair
1) GHKLxML Designer Scarf
2) GHKLxML Scented Candle

‘The House of Shí Wǔ 十五’ is exclusively available for pre-orders on Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Online Store from July 2022 onwards at a special Early Bird price of MYR 288 nett (Originally priced at MYR 328 nett). While stocks last.

Pre-order from July 2022 onwards and collection / delivery is available from August 15, 2022 onwards. To pre-order online, CLICK HERE or contact store.kuagh@hyatt.com for bulk purchase enquiries.

Watch my unboxing video here (or click this link to watch the IG reels version):

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Malaysian online fashionistas celebrated endemicity in Boho-inspired style

Malaysian online fashionistas celebrated endemicity in Boho-inspired style

21 per cent increase in Boho inspired clothings up to June this year with later trend shifting towards fall/holiday 2022 inspired jackets, skirts and pants on Shopee

Malaysians’ fashion purchase driven by the need to switch from casual to office wear post-pandemic? Shopee’s fashion purchase insight tells another story.

The trend shows that colourful Boho appeal which came back in Spring/Summer 2021 made it through Fall/Holiday 2021 and Spring/Summer 2022 on Shopee. However, it may be phasing out soon to make way for fall/holiday 2022 colour blocking.

Shopee’s data¹ revealed that Malaysians were buying 21 per cent more Boho² influenced clothing between 1 June 2021 to 30 June 2022.

The trend, according to Shopee, gradually took over the more practical athleisure clothing starting from the first half of 2021 when sales for athleisure wear tapered off by 10.2 per cent compared to the same period the year before. This was the beginning point for colourful outerwears, peasant blouses, flowy maxi dresses and skirts, loose and lightweight button-down shirts with retro patterns, denims and slacks.

The height of this trend, according to Shopee users’ purchase insight came in the first quarter of this year when Malaysians were fulfilling their suppressed travel and leisure appetite with vacations, hang outs at cafes, shopping malls and more.

The total number of purchases for boho themed chino pants increased by 114 per cent, dresses 55 per cent and skirts 41 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Conversely, searches for lounge and sleepwear continue to drop.

With boho inspired style reaching its optimum point, Shopee Malaysia users’ purchase trend, in alignment with the global fashion trend, started to show a shift towards colour blocking.

Between March and May this year, as global fashion labels started to give consumers a glimpse into their upcoming fall/holiday 2022 collection which mainly consist of faux leather jackets, tank tops and mason pants, we see users starting to prepare their wardrobes to be on trend for the next half of the year.

Neutral, ivory and peachy beige colour palettes were gradually replacing the colourful boho-chic styles. This purchase pattern, according to Shopee’s consumers’ insight, had its beginning in the second quarter of this year.

Between April and June this year, Shopee users were starting to purchase 13 per cent more blazers and coats from the quarter before and this upward trend is expected to stay until the end of fall/holiday season 2022.

With the rise in demand for blazers and coats, Shopee also saw a 35 per cent increase in sales for undershirts between the first quarter and second quarter this year.

Consequently, demand for trousers – with fitted waists and wide hems — also saw a 10 per cent increase.

With the gradual transition between fashion trends, Malaysians are also seen to be buying new footwear to match.

Malaysians are seen purchasing sandals and mules to match their Boho influenced outfit while loafers, high and low tops, stilettos and oxfords were purchased to gear themselves up to head back to their offices after a long hiatus. As such, these items saw an increase in demand and are replacing flip flops this year compared to last year. According to Shopee, the buying behaviour observed is a sign that Malaysian online fashion shoppers are beginning to enjoy dressing on trend again. With Malaysia in the endemic phase, Malaysians are also bracing themselves for the cooler days ahead in their air conditioned offices after fulfilling their suppressed appetite for leisure and travel.

¹Shopee Platform Data: 1 January 2021 - 30 June 2022
² Short form of Bohemian which is characterised by long flowing or tiered skirts and dresses, peasant blouse and the look is often layered and colourful

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Recipe: Macaroni and Cheese

My kids love macaroni and cheese (aka mac 'n' cheese). 

This is the best one I’ve made to date, extra cheesy and rich, with a nice crunchy topping (made using panko breadcrumbs). To balance out the richness, we usually serve it with a salad on the side as well as some tomato ketchup. Do remember to make extra so you can have the leftovers for lunch the next day! 😋

Macaroni and Cheese (Mac 'n' Cheese)
Recipe by Baby Sumo

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Recipe serves 6

Ingredients
300g macaroni
50g butter
50g plain flour
800ml full cream milk
100g shredded Cheddar cheese
100g shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the topping
2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp butter, melted

Serve with:

Boom Grow's “The Great Mix” (Parris romaine, buttercrunch and rocket)
8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
Red amaranth microherbs

1. Cook macaroni in salted water according to packet instructions. Drain well and toss in 1-2T olive oil.

2. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add flour and cook, stirring frequently to make a roux. Whisk in milk a little at a time and cook for 8-10 mins until you get a thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and stir in both cheese.

3. Brush a pie dish with oil. Add macaroni and sauce and toss until well coated. Mix breadcrumbs with melted butter and then sprinkle over top of macaroni.

4. Cook in preheated oven (180°C) for 25 mins. Turn on hot grill to brown the top, for about 2 mins. Serve with salad and tomato ketchup on the side.

5. If you have any leftovers, store in fridge and heat up for 10 mins in a 180°C oven before eating. 

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