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BRATs Genting 2018 is looking for YOU!

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Malaysia’s top young journalist programme is open for submissions, and here’s your chance to be a part of it!

BRATs Genting 2018 is OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS, and you’re invited!

The international award-winning R.AGE team will be running the camp, showing you everything you need to know to be a modern multimedia journalist.

You’ll learn about video production, social media reporting, interviewing skills, photography, news writing, and so much more!

You’ll also go on amazing field assignments, to visit places and meet people only journalists would have access to.

But more important, the BRATs programme is probably the BEST training ground for teenagers who want to be part of the media industry. After you attend one of our camps, you’ll get year-long opportunities to work with R.AGE and The Star on exciting projects and assignments.

Camp will be held 19-22 Dec, and submissions end Dec 10, so don’t forget to click the button below to SIGN UP! =)

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The BRATs story

How it all began

IN 1993, The Star organised its first ever workshop for aspiring journalists. There were nine participants, and they gathered every month at the The Star’s office to learn all the skills of the trade.

After six months, the nine 16-year-olds published their very own pullout in The Star. By then, they had given themselves a name, the BRATs — Bright, Roving, Annoying Teens.

It would prove to be the start of a truly remarkable programme, held every year since.

In 1995, the programme grew to its current format, with three camps a year – each held in a different city and with new participants added to the “BRATs family”.

A lot has changed with the BRATs camps. We teach them social media skills, photography, online video production and everything else they need to become modern journalists.

But the one thing that hasn’t changed? The participants are still as bright, roving AND annoying as ever before — and we wouldn’t have it any other way =)

#BRATsLangkawi2018

March 2018 saw a brand new cohort of keen BRATs participants take a trip to Langkawi Island! But not just to soak up the sun – they took on the high seas and had some close animal encounters, which of course, they documented with style.

Armed with their notebooks, cameras, and BRATs spirit, they have written stories, produced videos, and captured photographs any professional journalist would be proud of.

Check out their stories and videos below!

BRATs STORIES

Langkawi March 2018

#TeamMayLee: The trick rider’s tale

ABU Ubaidah Muhammad Hamzah is a showman on a horse. The 24-year-old specialises in trick riding, a special equestrian field that combines athletics, acrobatics and horse riding.

Read more

#TeamClaire: Breeding the best

LANGKAWI is home to beautiful sandy beaches, crystal-clear water and, perhaps surprisingly, purebred Arabian horses.

Read more

#TeamSatpal: Racing to new heights

A FEAR of heights might have ended Muhammad Ziyad Muhammad Hamzah’s horse riding career before it even started, but growing up in a family of professional endurance horse trainers gave him the motivation to continue.

Read more

#TeamClaire: Plenty of opportunities at sea

DID you know that the first solar-powered boat in Malaysia was mostly built by local university students?

Read more

#TeamSatpal: Taking the wheel

CAPTAIN Yogeswaran Gopal Krishnan first stumbled across what would turn out to be a lifelong passion for sailing when he accompanied his friend to work on a ship as a crew member.

Read more

#TeamMayLee: From dreams to reality

CRUISING on a yacht with the sea breeze in his hair, Hamie Azuar Hamizan looks like he was born for the sea life.

Read more

#BRATsGenting2017

Thirty one BRATs participants saw Genting Highlands like never before: from gibbon-watching to being butlers for a day, they covered the entire Genting experience.

And of course, they documented the entire thing!

Armed with their notebooks, cameras, and BRATs spirit, they have written stories, produced videos, and captured photographs any professional journalist would be proud of.

Check out their stories and videos below!

BTS: BRATs Genting 2017

The BRATs’ stories and videos

December Camp

#TeamSatpal: Canines in action

THE idea of having a K9 unit at Resorts World Genting (RWG) dates back to 1970 when security guard Jerry Newton was on his nightly round with Nero, his pet German Shepherd.

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#TeamClaire: Top cops of Genting

BUSTING bad guys, rescuing citizens in distress, and swaggering around with firearms are all part of being a cop – according to the movies at least. To dispel some of those myths, we interviewed members of the Resort World Genting (RWG) auxiliary police about their lives and work.

Read more

#TeamMayLee: Police with a purpose

THE word “police” might bring to mind uniforms and police cars, but below that surface is an immense amount of coordination that ensures the unit’s efficiency and effectiveness. This is where Isaac Koh, 25, comes in.

Read more

#TeamSatpal: A gateway to the hilltop

THE first thing one notices when approaching Resorts World Genting (RWG) by car are the strings of gondolas gliding up the mountainside, floating above the occasional fog that clouds the area.

Read more

#TeamMayLee: Putting safety first

BEHIND Awana SkyWay’s effortless glide lies great effort, teamwork and precise maintenance – the responsibilities of Francis Lee, assistant vice president of the SkyWay operations and technical division for Resorts World Genting (RWG).

Read more

#TeamClaire: Now everyone can ride

THE date Dec 20, 2017, marked the first birthday of Awana SkyWay. According to operations executive Asman Faidy, 42, there are usually 20,000 passengers each day, rising to 30,000 on weekends.

Read more

August Camp

#TeamMayLee: Captivated by coniferous trees

#TeamMayLee did its part to help with coniferous tree-replanting, and also learnt about the trees part in Malaysia’s ecosystem.

Read more

#TeamHansel: Taking a walk on the wild side

This nature guide believes that reptiles and amphibians should be given a second chance. #TeamHansel investigates!

Read more

#TeamClarissa: Moth-ers unite at Genting

#TeamClarissa hit up the Chin Swee Temple in Genting Highlands to look for moths, and they found plenty! Here is what they learnt.

Read more

#TeamHansel: Housekeeping with the BRATs

#TeamHansel went behind the scenes at Hotel on the Park, Genting, to learn more about the hidden world of housekeeping!

Read more

#TeamClarissa: Keeping traditional art alive

#TeamClarissa took a peek into the East Coast’s art culture, and explored its significance to Malaysians.

Read more

#TeamMayLee: Service with a smile

Working in a restaurant is no easy task, but that does not deter these crew members from proving their mettle, as #TeamMayLee soon found out.

Read more

March camp

Team Julien: A gibbon love story

Team May Lee: Pitcher perfect

Team Claire: Voice of the forest

Team Julien: Best laundry plant ever

Team May Lee: A cuppa France

Team Claire: The butler life

BRATs Langkawi 2015

Twenty young and enthusiastic teens are back at Pulau Langkawi for the last BRATs workshop of 2015!

As they’re at a journalism camp, they’re required to blog about their experience. And with fun assignments at the SkyCab and SkyBridge, Skytrex Adventure Park as well as the mangrove swamps along Kilim River, you can be sure that they’ll have interesting stories to tell.

For the BRATs blog stories

#BRATSLANGKAWI

Follow the BRATs on Twitter to find out what they’re up to in Langkawi! Full stories and videos by the young journos will be up on this page real soon =)

#TeamSatpal: Turtle-y in Trouble

The 21st century brings unseen threats to local turtle conservation efforts.

Read more Like this post3

#TeamMayLee: The Point of Being Malaysian

In a modest village situated on the sandy shores of Terengganu, the production of ikan bilis has formed the livelihoods of most families for multiple generations.

Read more Like this post6

#TeamSatpal: The Fisherwomen’s Tale

When men go out to sea, these inspiring wives stay on land to support the family fishing business. by TEAM SATPAL On the coastline of Pantai Penunjuk in Kijal, Terengganu, lies the village of Kampung Tengah. This hidden gem on the map is home to fishing families whose main commodity is ikan bilis, or anchovies. […]

Read more Like this post3

#TeamMayLee: Conservation Conversation

Resorts World Kijal serves as a pioneer within the multitudes of hotels who now offer turtle- related services

Read more Like this post4

#TeamClarissa: Scoring in a Different Kind of Net

What life is like for a small-town fisherman in Terengganu.

Read more Like this post3

#TeamClarissa: Slowly but Surely

Turtle sanctuary efforts pay off as an unprecedented number of turtles return to nest.

Read more Like this post3

#TeamSatpal: Taking the wheel

CAPTAIN Yogeswaran Gopal Krishnan first stumbled across what would turn out to be a lifelong passion for sailing when he accompanied his friend to work on a ship as a crew member.

Read more Like this post6

#TeamMayLee: From dreams to reality

CRUISING on a yacht with the sea breeze in his hair, Hamie Azuar Hamizan looks like he was born for the sea life.

Read more Like this post5

#TeamClaire: Plenty of opportunities at sea

DID you know that the first solar-powered boat in Malaysia was mostly built by local university students?

Read more Like this post2

#TeamSatpal: Racing to new heights

A FEAR of heights might have ended Muhammad Ziyad Muhammad Hamzah’s horse riding career before it even started, but growing up in a family of professional endurance horse trainers gave him the motivation to continue.

Read more Like this post3

#TeamMayLee: The trick rider’s tale

ABU Ubaidah Muhammad Hamzah is a showman on a horse. The 24-year-old specialises in trick riding, a special equestrian field that combines athletics, acrobatics and horse riding.

Read more Like this post1

#TeamClaire: Breeding the best

LANGKAWI is home to beautiful sandy beaches, crystal-clear water and, perhaps surprisingly, purebred Arabian horses.

Read more Like this post2

The participants

These 20 participants from workshops from the last three years came back for another round of BRATs in the beautiful island of Langkawi!

MARSHA CHOO WEN LIN
LAU JIAN HUI
OOI TZE HAN
KHAIRUL ADRI
ONYSHA ENKAYE BOAK
YAP CHIEN SHING
VICTORIA TAY HUEY QI
NATHAN THARMALINGAM
WAN ADAM ABD AZIZ
KENNETH CHOONG WAI MUN

ELIZABETH WONG KAI YAN
CHOO XIN ER
KASHMEERA PILLAI
DHARMINI ILANCHERAN
DIVYA RAMESH
KIMMY KHOO SU YIN
MOHAMAD HIDAYATH HISHAM
MARIA MURUGIAH
NITHYIALAKSHMI RAVINDRAN
JANELLE TAN YAN WEI

Congratulations, and welcome to the BRATs family! We’ll see you all at the next BRATs camp! =)

BRATs JB 2015

We came, we saw, we conquered! We’ve completed another BRATs workshop and boy, we had so much fun!

The BRATs participants roamed the streets of Johor Baru and spoke to some interesting people like the Sultan of Johor’s laundryman, the owner of one of the oldest kopitiams in town and the young man who runs his family’s 96-year-old bakery business.

And of course, we went to Legoland Malaysia Resort to interview the manager and lifeguards of their new water park!

Check out the groups’ stories below, and tell ’em what you think in the comments! =)

What happened at BRATs JB

Oh my guard!

Water park manager Robert Harrison hopes to inspire lifeguards to reach their full potential

Read more Like this post10

Building blocks of empowerment

Lego Friends, an interactive musical, aims to help its young fans become more empowered and confident.

Read more Like this post9

Life of a lifeguard

Training every week, and standing in the
sun every day – but it’s a dream job!

Read more Like this post6

VIDEO: The process of baking with a wood fired oven

James Lim shows the BRATs from #TeamMayLee what a typical day is like in the world of traditional baking.

Read more Like this post6

The Sultan of Johor’s laundryman

Meet the couple behind Kedai Dobi Shanghai, a true treasure of Malaysian culture and heritage in Johor Baru’s historic Jalan Tan Hiok Nee.

Read more Like this post5

VIDEO: The past and present of Restoran Hua Mui

BRATs from #TeamVivienne discover how was Restoran Hua Mui like 46 years ago and some of its interesting features.

Read more Like this post4

Piping-hot passion

With third-generation baker James Lim at its helm, 96-year-old Hiap Joo Bakery and Biscuit Factory is still baking strong.

Read more Like this post2

Striking a chord

The BRATs spoke to Hua Mui’s loyal customers to find out what makes the restaurant so special to them.

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Living history

Jalan Tan Hiok Nee has enough history and drama to fill a Hollywood film – if you know where to look.

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Old is gold

Restaurant owner David Chiang is making sure one of the oldest kopitiams in Johor Baru retains its history.

Read more Like this post2

BRATs Raub 2015

Our first BRATs camp of the year in Raub, Pahang was AMAZING!

We stayed at the super-awesome Casabrina luxury resort, rode through the jungle on pick-up trucks, played with baby elephants and – of course – learnt a whole lot about being journalists.

The participants were divided into three groups, each with a R.AGE or Star journalist assigned to lead them.

Check out the groups’ stories below, and tell ’em what you think in the comments! =)

What happened at BRATs Raub

#TeamKenneth

My BRATs Experience: Nathelie Yong and Lydia Lee

Two crazy, rather noisy girls, fresh out of high school; one skipped college classes to come, the other waiting on art school.

Read more Like this post6

My BRATs Experience: Dianne Leong Mae Lynn

Thinking that I would spend most of my time in the ever famous six star resort, Casabrina, doing nothing but writing articles in an air conditioned suite all day long, I decided to join this 4 day 3 night journalism camp.

Read more Like this post9

My BRATs Experience: Elizabeth Ong

The moment I received the email from The Star BRATs informing me that I had been selected as one of the participants of BRATs Raub, I was screaming and dancing alone in my room.

Read more Like this post14

My BRATs Experience: Latashah Vallimanalan

When I first found out that I had been selected for BRATs, I didn’t think that I would have the time of my life.

Read more Like this post7

My BRATs experience: Audrey Au Yong

My BRATs memories in a poem.

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7 things you didn't know about elephants

ELEPHANT TRIVIA FTW, all the way from the National Elephant Conservation Centre!

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The healing heaven

#TeamKenneth talks to Casabrina owner Felix Tee on the resort’s unique approach to wellness.

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Elephantrivia: 7 things you didn’t know about elephants

#TeamKenneth contributes a few facts they learnt at the elephant sanctuary.

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A passion for elephants

Young guides working at the National Elephant Conservation Centre (NECC) do it out of passion for these gentle jumbos.

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The change they chose

Two orang asli villages open up to the BRATs about the challenges of moving with the times.

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#TeamIan

#TeamIan’s Sky-High Adventure

If you’re into heights and in need of excitement, you’ll definitely need to visit SkyBridge.

Read more Like this post1

The BRATs explore the importance of Langkawi’s mangroves

To learn about journalism, sometimes you have to get your hands dirty — and that’s exactly what the aspiring teen journalists at the BRATs Langkawi 2015 Year-End camp did on Dec 2-5. The participants were divided into four teams, and we were part of #TeamIan, named after our facilitator, R.AGE editor Ian Yee. We visited the […]

Read more Like this post1

Life of a lifeguard

Training every week, and standing in the
sun every day – but it’s a dream job!

Read more Like this post6

Living history

Jalan Tan Hiok Nee has enough history and drama to fill a Hollywood film – if you know where to look.

Read more Like this post1

My BRATs Experience: Nathelie Yong and Lydia Lee

Two crazy, rather noisy girls, fresh out of high school; one skipped college classes to come, the other waiting on art school.

Read more Like this post6

My BRATs Experience: Tan Cheng Yew

I could go on and on about how much I love the camp, but one of the numerous things I have learned from the BRATs program is to keep our articles short, simple and sweet.

Read more Like this post13

No place like home

A young orang asli talks to BRATs about life away from his village, and how there’s no place like home.

Read more Like this post4

Resort respects nature

Casabrina owner, Felix Tee shares about the importance of being eco-friendly and living healthy.

Read more Like this post4

Big love

What’s it like working with elephants all day, every day? #TeamIan finds that it can be a mammoth task.

Read more Like this post4

#TeamMayLee

Langkawi getting trashed

The BRATs from #TeamMayLee learn how Langkawi’s mangrove forests are under threat.

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#TeamMayLee: Conquering great heights

Check it out as #TeamMayLee face the fearsome heights in Sky Bridge and the challenging obstacles in Sky Trex.

Read more Like this post1

A cruise for mother nature

Day 3 for #TeamMayLee – We had fun in the sun replanting mangrove trees, eagle watching, and exploring Bat Cave!

Read more Like this post1

Building blocks of empowerment

Lego Friends, an interactive musical, aims to help its young fans become more empowered and confident.

Read more Like this post9

Piping-hot passion

With third-generation baker James Lim at its helm, 96-year-old Hiap Joo Bakery and Biscuit Factory is still baking strong.

Read more Like this post2

My BRATs Experience: Tay Khye Vern

It took a mere 4 days and 3 nights, a group of the most extraordinary peers, and a team of professional journalists to fundamentally change the way I perceived the world.

Read more Like this post6

Dedication to translocation

The National Elephant Conservation Centre (NECC), Kuala Gandah is highly involved in the translocation of wild elephants.

Read more Like this post4

Eco-friendly luxury

Casabrina Vacation Villas dazzles with its sheer luxury but, behind the scenes, also does its best to respect and nurture nature.

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A Haven for Elephants

27 elephants have found a safe haven in The National Elephant Conservation Centre (NECC) in Kuala Gandah, Pahang.

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Living the Temuan way

The Temuan tribe’s way of life has remained pretty much the same for generations – and that’s how they like it, as #TeamMayLee discovered.

Read more Like this post1

JOIN BRATS!

We select the best young writers from across Malaysia to join our three journalism camps every year. Are you one of them? =)

Sign up!

Videos by the BRATs

VIDEO: The process of baking with a wood fired oven

James Lim shows the BRATs from #TeamMayLee what a typical day is like in the world of traditional baking.

Read more Like this post6

VIDEO: The past and present of Restoran Hua Mui

BRATs from #TeamVivienne discover how was Restoran Hua Mui like 46 years ago and some of its interesting features.

Read more Like this post4

Video: Felix Tee, the man behind Casabrina resort

BRATs from #TeamKenneth get up close and personal with Felix Tee

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Video: Jumbos of National Elephant Conservation Centre (NECC)

Meals, daily routines and an amazing personality!

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Video: Youthful Elephants at National Elephant Conservation Centre (NECC)

#TeamKenneth talks to the people at the National Elephant Conservation Centre (NECC) in Kuala Gandah.

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Video: The Casabrina Family

#TeamMaylee learns the roles of the workers at luxury resort, Casabrina

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Video: Casabrina, an eco-friendly resort

#TeamIan quizzes Felix Tee with some interesting questions!

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Video: Not quite irrelephant

#TeamIan takes on Kuala Gandah Elephant Santuary

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VIDEO: BRATs Connect with Ti-Ratana

Here’s a video of the BRATs giving back at Ti-Ratana

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VIDEO: The buskers of Langkawi

BRATs get personal with the buskers of Langkawi to find out more about the busking scene there.

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VIDEO: Sailing the Andaman Sea with Olivia Laurent

BRATs get personal with a French national who is currently travelling the world and now in Langkawi, Malaysia.

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VIDEO: Hanging out with common marmosets

BRATs Langkawi 2015 gets up close and personal with common marmosets at Underwater World Langkawi

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Stories by the BRATs

Our BRATs teen journalists write for us all year long. Here are their stories!

VIDEOS: Sinking Treasures of Pulau Duyong

The BRATs in the Kuala Terengganu workshop interviewed some of the boat makers at Pulau Duyong and talked about the struggles that came with it.

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VIDEO: Seberang Takir’s Keropok Lekor

The BRATs visited Seberang Takir for their first assignment where they saw how Keropok Lekor was made

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VIDEO: Traditional Delights: Lekor Terengganu

The BRATs take on Terengganu and this time they’re going behind the scenes to see how the famous keropok lekor is made.

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VIDEO: Oil palm plantation

Four BRATs found out what it’s like in a rural oil palm plantation and here’s the video to prove it.

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VIDEO: Interview with Haley Reinhart from American Idol

Members of the BRATs young journalist programme got to talk to American Idol season 10 finalist Haley Reinhart.

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VIDEO: Lawson interview

Our very own BRAT got to interview the boys from Lawson.

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VIDEO: Harlem Shake BRATs Johor Baru 2013

The BRATs of Johor Baru shaking it off to the beats of Harlem Shake.

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VIDEO: The life of a Lego master model builder

The BRATs at Johor Baru interviewed the record-breaking Lego model builder Stefan Bentivoglio.

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VIDEO: BRATs The Johor Baru heritage trail – The old and the new

The BRATs got to visit the Hiap Joo Bakery, Salahuddin Bakery, Kedai Dobi Shanghai and Chaiwalla & Co. container cafe on the Johor Bahru Heritage Trail.

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