Look at Gua!
By Shuhaidah Saharani; Irwan Abd Rahman
FOR the best, most up-to-date and compelling showbiz and lifestyle goodies, explore the caverns of gua.com.my!
Officially launched today, the portal aims to be the best source of Malaysian entertainment and lifestyle content, in both Bahasa Malaysia and English.
This new site is produced and managed by Alt Media Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of media giant Media Prima.
“Looking at the current online environment, there’s a clear opportunity for someone to come in and be the leading brand for online entertainment and lifestyle content,” said Mohd Zulkifli Abd Jalil, Media Prima new media head of content creation and lifestyle portals general manager.
“The biggest websites right now are Maybank2u.com and Airasia.com, which are very functional, and news sites like The Star Online, which is more of a reformatted content site from a mainstream product.
“gua.com.my is a comprehensive Malaysian entertainment and lifestyle portal. We want to build a community of members, and everyone who signs up will not only enjoy the content, but will get their own personal page, and can join the forum, exchange ideas and opinions.”
But of all the names one could give a website, why `Gua’?
“GUA is a colloquial Malay term which means `me’, and that’s what this portal is all about – what `I’, the user, wants,” said Zulkifli.
“Gua also means `cave’ in Malay, and caves are always an adventure to explore. From gossip and entertainment, to food and travel, fashion, health and beauty, lifestyle, love and relationships, hobbies, music and video downloads, we’ve got it all.
“While most online portals provide only reformatted content from mainstream products, we have our own dedicated online editors, writers and producers to deliver exclusive, unique and compelling content, from the local to international scenes, including the Chinese entertainment world”.
Zulkifli stressed that the content in gua.com.my would always be fresh.
“The entertainment section on gua.com.my will be the most up-to- date, insightful and, having the advantage of being online, juicier than the average tabloid’s.
“Also expect the latest music, movies, DVDs, photos, books and comics and a squad of bloggers who are funny and angry, including some celebrities”.
Another interesting feature in gua.com.my is something along the lines of Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia which can be edited by users.
“The feature is called Guapedia, where, along with contributions by our readers, we will build the biggest database of Malaysian artistes and celebrities, including bios, pictures, discography, music links and video links. And as the name suggests, people can also contribute, sort of like with Wikipedia. We will, however, go through the entries and edit before uploading.
“Also, we’ll have the Gua Snap-Happy Posse, where we’ll have our members act as paparazzi and submit candid photos of celebrities. We’ll offer prizes for the best photos of their favourite celebs”.
Zulkifli said that the lifestyle section is also as comprehensive.
“In a laidback, witty and down-to-earth editorial style, gua.com.my will cover fashion, health, food, travel, horoscope and such. You don’t need to wait long to see the latest trends in our style section, and know the best places to eat and party from our directories.
“Gua will also have a relationship section, which will be loaded with stories and features on love and dating, including an `aunt agony’ column called Ask Amy, where members can seek help and advice about their problems. There’s also a greetings and dedications section, where people can pose lovey-dovey messages to their special ones.”
Zulkifli enthused that one of the best sections in gua.com.my is the video section, which offers an array of groundbreaking and exciting content.
“Apart from all the TV network shows, current and retro, we’ll have Malaysian independent shorts and features, plus trailers and teasers, behind-the-scenes footage, and user-generated content submitted by members. Also, there is a section called Street Talk, where our team will get opinions on random issues of the day.
“What’s more amazing is that we’ll also have exclusive shows which will only be available on gua.com.my.
We’ll start with a serial drama, the first ever Malaysian made- for-web drama, featuring some of the biggest names in the industry, called Kerana Karina”.
The music section, however, is yet to be fully available for enjoyment, according to Zulkifli, as it is still being developed.
“This music section will be up and running after Hari Raya. We want to run it after we’re completely happy with what it can give members.
“We will have over 300,000 of the best songs from classics to today’s top 40 favourites for members to download either to their PCs or their mobile phones. We’ll also bundle exclusive merchandise, concert tickets and more with these music downloads, to give unrivalled value to users”.
Obviously, this portal is very comprehensive and heavy with content. Would the portal be able to deliver, what with limited internet infrastructure in Malaysia?
“We’ve engaged the services of Limelight Networks, the company servicing other demanding sites like YouTube and MySpace, to manage our technical requirements. So members can be assured of only the best user experience. We’ll be updating our content every 12 hours, max, to keep it fresh”.
Zulkifli believes that looking at their plans and setup, gua.com.my will go far.
“We’re hoping for Gua to be among the top 10 websites in Malaysia in two years”.
Gua in brief
Entertainment and gossip
REVIEWS of latest music, movies, DVDs, books and comics; GUAPEDIA – where, along with contributions from readers, will be the biggest database of Malaysian artistes and celebrities; and of course, the best place for smoking-hot gossip every single day.
Lifestyle
EVERYTHING that covers the latest in fashion, health, beauty, food, travel and hobbies; up-to-date lifestyle info as well as honest takes on what to eat, where to go, and what to buy.
Music
THE music download section will kick off in November 2007 with more than 300,000 songs (and growing) in the library.
Love & relationship
STORIES and features on life, sex and dating; a special section for greetings and dedications; and the `home’ for problems solver, Aunt Agony.
Video archive
THE place for Malaysian independent shorts and features, trailers and teasers, behind-the-scenes footage and user-generated-content; local feature films download; and download shows like the early seasons of Majalah 3, Muzik Muzik and Spanar Jaya
Original video content
THE place for completely new and original shows exclusively for gua.com.my like Joke Aje, Doin It Right, Rev & Roll and the first ever made-for-web drama serial, Kerana Karina.
Community
THE place where members create profiles and share personal info and photos ala Friendster and Myspace; it’s also the place to share views and discuss current issues via forums.
(c) 2007 Malay Mail. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.