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The entire <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> fraternity is going to be at the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) 2015 event, which begins today evening in <keyword id="8695" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Malaysia">Malaysia</keyword>. The three-day extravaganza will see presence of Bollywood biggies and have <keyword id="6354563" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hrithik-Roshan">Hrithik Roshan</keyword>, Shahid Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha, Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti setting the <keyword id="2885494" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIFA-stage">IIFA stage</keyword> on fire.<br />
<br /> And guess what is keeping stars busy before the event? No, not rehearsals, but their fans who are enthralled by their presence in the country. We bring to you some pictures wherein Hrithik is seen rocking Malaysia during <keyword id="2885495" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIFA-weekend-2015">IIFA weekend 2015</keyword> at the <keyword id="2885496" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pavilion-Mall-in-Kuala-Lumpur">Pavilion Mall in Kuala Lumpur</keyword>. Check them out below.<br />
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Hrithik Roshan touches down in Malaysia for IIFA 2015

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Eunice Mecija, a Taylor Swift fan from the Philippines, shared how she budgeted for the Eras Tour in Singapore.</li><li>Mecija's journey includes a flight to Malaysia, and then a bus trip to Singapore.</li></ul><p><em>This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Eunice Mecija, a 24-year-old graphic artist and Taylor Swift fan from the Philippines. It's been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider verified Mecija's expenses.</em></p><p>I've been a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-airline-replaced-three-flights-a380-qantas-sydney-melbourne-2024-2">Taylor Swift</a> fan for as long as I can remember. When I was in elementary school, my dad and I used to bond over Taylor's music during car rides. We often purchased her burned pirated CDs at a local mall in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, where I live.</p><p>I've had to follow Taylor from afar. The last time she had a concert in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retired-millennial-moved-america-philippines-slow-life-debt-free-2024-2">Philippines</a> was in 2014 during her Red Tour. So when it was announced that Taylor's only Eras Tour stop in Southeast Asia was in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-do-in-singapore-taylor-swift-concert-2024-2">Singapore</a>, I knew missing my favorite artist was out of the question. Singapore was one of the five countries I traveled to last year, and knowing how safe the city-state is influenced my decision to secure tickets.</p><div type="image" title="taylor swift red tour" height="2000" width="3000" msid="108197462" hostid="261" sizebytes="385854"></div><p><strong>Expense: Concert ticket</strong></p><p><strong>How much it cost: $294</strong></p><p>My friend's sister lives in Singapore, so she helped me score a ticket during the pre-sale for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-eras-tour-asia-bachelors-uob-credit-card-partner-2023-7">cardholders with United Overseas Bank</a>. There were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-eras-first-concert-tour-gross-over-1-billion-2023-12">over 1 million people</a> in the virtual line to snag tickets.</p><p>I managed to purchase a Category 3 ticket for $294.</p><p><strong>Expense: International transportation — flight and bus</strong></p><p><strong>How much it cost: $260</strong></p><p>The next step was to book flights to Singapore. Direct flights from Manila on carriers like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flight-attendant-slipped-sues-singapore-airlines-1-million-durairaj-santiran-2024-2">Singapore Airlines</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scoot-best-place-to-sit-on-a-plane-booking-flight-travel-2023-7">Scoot</a> were already sold out. I decided to book a flight from Manila to Kuala Lumpur with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airasia-best-airline-in-the-world-low-cost-budget-2023-7">AirAsia</a> instead for 14,000 Philippine pesos, or around $250.</p><p>To get to Singapore, I booked a return bus ticket from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airasia-best-airline-in-the-world-low-cost-budget-2023-7">Kuala Lumpur</a> to the city-state for 664 pesos, which is way cheaper than flying there.</p><p><strong>Expense: Lodging — nine nights</strong></p><p><strong>How much it cost: $1,110</strong></p><p>I've planned to be in Singapore from March 6 to 9 to catch the concert. I'm also planning to spend three days before and after the concert in the Malaysian capital. I invited my parents to join me in Kuala Lumpur in the days following the concert.</p><p>I booked six nights at a four-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur, which cost 335 Malaysia ringgit, or around $70, per night. That amounted to some $420 in total.</p><div type="image" title="a woman on a boat in ho chi minh" height="960" width="1280" msid="108197464" hostid="261" sizebytes="94036"></div><p>In Singapore, I booked a four-star hotel for 311 Singapore dollars, or around $230, per night. For three nights, it cost me $690.</p><p>In total, I budgeted a little over $1,600 for this trip. I avoid being too tight with money on vacations as I enjoy some luxuries on my trips. After all, why settle for less when you can treat yourself a little?</p><p>I'm also gearing up for another trip to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stockholm-sweden-wood-city-sustainable-development-photos-2023-7">Stockholm</a> for Taylor's Eras Tour stop there in May. I managed to snag the "We Never Go Out of Style" package, which cost 2,625 Swedish krona, or $250. That includes a reserved standing room, early entrance privileges, and VIP perks. Surprisingly, international tickets were more affordable than typical concert tickets in the Philippines, which can cost more than $300 for the best categories.</p><p>Overall, I feel like it was absolutely worth it to splurge on this trip. Many of my friends are Swifties, and they were supportive and happy that I could finally see Taylor in person. And I'm excited to indulge in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-michelin-list-ruined-hawker-culture-food-for-singapore-2023-6">Singapore's food scene again</a>. I've been craving the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-cheapest-michelin-starred-meal-singapore-noodles-review-photos-2022-2">perfect fishball noodle</a> for a year and can't wait to have a feast at a local food court.</p>

I live in the Philippines but was committed to seeing Taylor Swift in Singapore. I'm spending $1,600 and making a whole trip out of it.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Marielle Descalsota has spent over $30,000 on <keyword id="19916662" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel" source="keywords">travel</keyword> in the last two years.</li><li><keyword id="20123716" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Timor-Leste" source="keywords">Timor-Leste</keyword> is one of the most <keyword id="20094370" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="expensive" source="keywords">expensive</keyword> countries she's traveled to.</li></ul>I graduated from college two years ago and set a goal for myself to visit <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/relocate-chiang-mai-thailand-affordable-quality-of-life-best-city-2024-7">at least 50 countries</a> before I turn 30.<br /><br />Even while maintaining a full-time job throughout most of my travels, I've already managed to tick 20 off the list. I've traveled to six countries in Europe and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/southeast-asia-travel-mistakes-packing-weather-clothing-traditions-medicine-2024-4">14 across Asia</a>.<br /><br />I spent about a quarter of my salary over the past two years on travel expenses, which have added up to over $30,000. I've managed to stay on a tight <keyword id="19936553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget" source="keywords">budget</keyword> even in upscale destinations like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/budget-trip-maldives-cheap-hotel-flights-travel-guide-2024-1">the Maldives</a> — where I spent less than $1,000 on a five-day trip — and backpacked on a few dollars a day in cities like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sleeper-train-overnight-thailand-bangkok-chiang-mai-review-tickets-guide-2022-8">Bangkok</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/backpacking-things-to-know-hotels-budget-asia-malaysia-singapore-2022-5">Kuala Lumpur</a>.<br /><br />But on a recent trip to Timor-Leste in May — a country in the South Pacific only slightly larger in size than the state of Connecticut — I found budgeting more difficult than ever. The country comprises half of Timor Island — which it shares with Indonesia — and is known for its unspoiled waters and vibrant coral reefs.<br /><br />It's one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://ceoworld.biz/2024/01/15/revealed-here-are-the-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-2024/">world's least-visited countries</a>, making airfare and hotel rates more expensive than many countries in <keyword id="19915288" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Asia" source="keywords">Asia</keyword>.<br /><br />Timor-Leste is on the United Nations' list of the world's <a target="_blank" href="https://unctad.org/topic/least-developed-countries/list">least-developed countries</a>. It's also one of the more expensive countries in the region, due to high trade costs, <a target="_blank" href="https://development.asia/policy-brief/increasing-timor-lestes-global-competitiveness#:~:text=Goods%20and%20services%20in%20Timor,developing%20countries%20in%20the%20Pacific.">according to Development Asia</a>. In addition to the centavo, which is only minted in coins, the country <a target="_blank" href="https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/timor-leste">uses the US dollar</a>, too — a stronger currency than what's used in nearby countries, including Indonesia and Australia.<br /><br />Here's a breakdown of what I spent in Timor-Leste.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="The view of a statue on an island from an airplane seat" height="2259" width="3012" msid="111973343" hostid="261"></div><h2>Cost of return plane tickets from Bali to Dili: $500</h2>Getting to Timor-Leste isn't easy. When I was traveling, Bali, Indonesia, and Darwin, Australia, were the only cities with flights to Dili, the capital, where the country's only international airport is located. Only two airlines — the Indonesian <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airasia-best-airline-in-the-world-low-cost-budget-2023-7">low-cost carrier</a> Citilink and the local airline Aero Dili — fly between Bali and Dili. The flight from Bali is less than two hours long — while there are no direct flights from the US to Bali, stopovers through bigger airports like Singapore and Tokyo are often used.<br /><br />I booked a return ticket with Citilink about three weeks before departure for $500 — which was around $100 cheaper than Aero Dili. This included a front-row seat reservation and a 44-lb checked bag allowance.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="Mountains on the horizon of Timor-Leste" height="2218" width="2957" msid="111973340" hostid="261"></div><h2>Cost of hotel stay for three nights: $500</h2>Timor-Leste only has a handful of three-star hotels and no luxury accommodations. While <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=d8a8d663cf225f9f1af6c2c8b57fcbf5a32c449e75ec22631b46dca219696226&amp;postID=668750ec5c62a271edc8447d&amp;postSlug=least-visited-countries-timor-leste-flights-hotel-budget-2024-7&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hilton.com%2Fen%2Fhotels%2Fdiltshi-hilton-dili-palm-springs%2F"><u>Hilton</u></a> plans to open a hotel in Dili's business district later this year, there were no international hotel chains when I visited.<br /><br />Many travelers stay in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/remote-ireland-island-great-blasket-hotel-job-caretaker-guest-house-2024-1">guesthouses</a> by the beach, which only have basic amenities such as fans and mosquito nets. I booked an entry-level room for three nights at Timor Plaza Hotel &amp; Apartments for around $500, including tax.<br /><br />While the room itself was basic — and had its fair share of critters — the hotel had a stunning view of Atauro, one of Timor Leste's two offshore islands. It was also located above a small mall, which made eating out easy.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="Woman riding on a scooter in Timor-Leste." height="3024" width="4032" msid="111973344" hostid="261"></div><h2>Cost of transportation: $90</h2><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-robotaxi-ride-hailing-app-video-2024-6">Ride-hailing services</a> weren't available in Timor-Leste, and taxi services are limited to the city center. I was quoted $20 per hour to rent a car, and I wasn't willing to pay $200 for a day.<br /><br />Fortunately, I met a local guide who charged $30 per day to tour me around Dili on a scooter. I found it an inexpensive and efficient way to travel from the gorgeous white-sand beaches to the beautiful tropical mountains.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="A sandwich with sausage and a cup of iced Timorese coffee" height="2263" width="3017" msid="111973342" hostid="261"></div><h2>Cost of food: $180</h2>Food in Dili is surprisingly international. Despite only a handful of international food chains — including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/review-cheapest-cheeseburgers-fast-food-mcdonalds-wendys-burger-king-2024-6">Burger King</a> and Gloria Jean's Coffee — operating in Timor Leste, Western food like burgers are ubiquitous. I ate mostly local Timorese food and Indonesian fare.<br /><br />I had set a daily budget of around $60 for meals, drinks, and snacks for my guide and me. While a plate of nasi goreng — Indonesian fried rice — costs around $3 to $4 in Bali, I paid around $15 for the dish in Dili. At a local café, I paid $8 for a small plate of jackfruit, carrots, lettuce, and tortillas.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="A Timorese woman weaving cloth in a market" height="1818" width="2424" msid="111973345" hostid="261"></div><h2>Miscellaneous costs: $415</h2>Before my trip, I spent $15 on an eSIM and $20 on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/travel-insurance/best-travel-insurance-companies">travel insurance</a>. When I arrived in Timor-Leste, I had to pay $30 for the visa-on-arrival, which allowed me to stay in the country for 30 days.<br /><br />Souvenirs in Timor-Leste are expensive. I purchased a small handmade bag and sarong from the local Tais market — a type of weave indigenous to the country — for around $70. I snagged a handmade belt at another shop for $30. I bought several bags of Timorese coffee — the country's second-biggest export — for $50.<br /><br />I didn't expect to find Western makeup products in Timor-Leste, so I bought a few items when I did find them at a local grocery for $70, although at a substantial markup compared to what they cost on retailers like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-original-book-business-booming-2024-6">Amazon</a>.<br /><br />I didn't spend much on sightseeing as most of my time was spent swimming at the beach and exploring the tropical mountains. For activities, I spent $30 on a massage at a traditional Chinese spa and $50 on a half-day scuba diving trip at the coast. I budgeted about $50 for tips.<br /><br />While traveling to Timor-Leste was expensive, the stunning views were worth it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.<br /><br /><em>Correction: July 25, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the size of Timor-Leste. It's slightly larger than the state of Connecticut, not smaller.</em><br />

I spent 3 nights in Asia's least visited country. It also turned out to be the most expensive.

<p class="drop-cap">Wendy Noble lives 15 minutes away from Malaysia's <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ghost-town-malaysia-forest-city-china-developer-estate-photos-2022-6"><u>Forest City</u></a>, across the border in Singapore. One Friday, after a tiring week at graduate school,<strong> </strong>all the 25-year-old wanted was to lounge by a beach.</p><p class="preview">A quick scroll through <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-ghost-city-forest-country-garden-2017-4"><u>online photos</u></a> of a pristine beach and luxurious golf resort inspired her and her roommate, Ree Nemis, to head to Forest City the following day.</p><p class="premium">Country Garden, one of the largest developers in China, <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-11-21/-100-billion-chinese-made-city-near-singapore-scares-the-hell-out-of-everybody"><u>spent $100 billion building Forest City</u></a>. The developer promoted it as a "living paradise" meant to house 700,000 people in luxury high-rise condominiums and villas.</p><p class="premium">The reality turned out to be different. Today, Forest City is a ghost town — one of several abandoned or near-abandoned housing projects in the Malaysian state of Johor, and part of <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/hong-kong-stocks-country-garden-s-woes-get-deeper-shares-dive-1033131383"><u>Country Garden's portfolio of problems</u></a>. The Chinese developer had over <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://apnews.com/article/china-country-garden-property-debt-8cee5b3d24762ef34e1bb056389d27d1"><u>$190 billion in liabilities</u></a> as of June, is <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/hong-kong-stocks-country-garden-s-woes-get-deeper-shares-dive-1033131383"><u>seeing massive sales slumps</u></a>, and contributes to <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-economy-outlook-real-estate-property-banks-crisis-debt-default-2024-1"><u>China's ongoing real-estate crisis</u></a>.</p><div type="image" title="Forest City's condominiums and villas" height="3024" width="4032" msid="108758581" hostid="261"></div><p class="premium">Forest City has shown it wants to shed its reputation as a ghost town, writing in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/country-garden-forest-city-in-johor-bahru-becomes-a-popular-destination-as-malaysias-tourism-industry-rebounds-301780543.html">press release</a> in March 2023 that it's a place to experience "coastal resort life" and branding itself as a "popular short-haul tourist destination." Forest City added in the press release that at least 15,000 people had visited its local waterpark from August to September 2022.</p><p>"The destination has been attracting not only local travelers but also many tourists coming from afar," Syarul Izam, the vice president of Forest City, said in the press release.</p><p>But this hasn't done much to transform its image.</p><div type="image" title="a mall without people in malaysia" height="3339" width="4447" msid="108767360" hostid="261"></div><p class="drop-cap">I first visited Forest City for BI in May 2022, shortly after Malaysia <a target="_blank" href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Malaysia-reopens-border-fully-to-foreign-tourists-after-2-years">opened international borders to quarantine-free travel.</a></p><p>Back then, rows of skyscrapers gave way to a nearly empty beach. I saw roads that didn't have a single car on them and just a handful of people in the development's mall. The nearby hotel looked abandoned, with dragonflies breeding in the discolored swimming pool.</p><div type="image" title="A half-filled pool in Forest City Golf Hotel." height="2904" width="3872" msid="108767361" hostid="261"></div><p>Given Forest City's ongoing attempts to draw in tourists, I decided to visit again this year.</p><p>The Malaysian state of Johor received <a target="_blank" href="https://tourismjohor.my/2021-2023/">16.6 million tourists last year</a>. I took a 30-minute car ride across the border from Singapore, through Johor, and into the estate one weekend in early March.</p><p>The facilities that looked run down in 2022 were now in better shape. The pool was available for hotel guests to use.</p><p>Over the 48 hours I spent there, I saw several dozen people at the development's public attractions, which include the waterpark, artificial beach, and mall. Many of them were speaking Malay.</p><p>It was more people than I saw two years earlier — but it still felt like a ghost town.</p><div type="image" title="children playing at a waterpark in malaysia" height="1080" width="1920" msid="108767362" hostid="261"></div><p>One of the difficulties of reporting on Forest City is that official data on visitor and resident numbers is hard to come by. Country Garden, which has a 60% stake in the estate, did not respond to multiple requests for comment from BI. The remaining 40% of the estate is owned by Sultan Ibrahim, who was crowned the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/malaysia-king-luxury-cars-army-ties-hitler-sultan-ibrahim-iskandar-2024-1#:~:text=Sultan%20Ibrahim%20Iskandar%20has%20been,Hitler%2C%20and%20a%20private%20army."> king of Malaysia</a> in January. Representatives for Sultan Ibrahim did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.</p><p>In September, Forest City told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/seeing-is-believing-country-gardens-malaysia-project-spotlight-2023-09-13/">Reuters</a> that some 55,000 people visit its showroom each month and said the two hotels on site are "always fully booked." I visited Forest City's golf resort — one of the two hotels in the estate — and found several dozen people dining and checking in there. But around the area where the showroom is located — a mile away from the beach and waterpark — there were only a handful of people, mostly families looking for a spot to have a picnic.</p>          <p>Tourism numbers aren't the only ones hurting: The estate is also having trouble enticing and holding onto residents.</p><p>In 2022, one expert familiar with Johor's real estate market told me that several thousand people were living in Forest City. In August, Country Garden told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2023-malaysia-forest-city/">Bloomberg</a> there were 9,000 residents living there. In September, Country Garden told Reuters some 28,000 properties have been built so far. The developer did not state how many properties it plans to build.</p><div type="image" title="empty street in forest city" height="3448" width="4592" msid="108767363" hostid="261"></div><p class="drop-cap">Adilah Zain, a professor of tourism at MARA Technological University in Malaysia, told me there's at least one bright spot in Forest City's tourism outlook.</p><p>"Forest City is able to attract the weekend tourists," Adilah said, referring to tourists like Noble and Nemis.</p><p>In recent months, the development has held events, including golf tournaments and triathlons, to try to draw visitors. The weekend of my visit, Challenge Malaysia, a local triathlon, was being held at the beach. Photos posted online by the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=436803042022924&amp;set=pcb.436803745356187"> event's organizer</a> showed about a hundred people participating in the race.</p><div type="image" title="artifical beach in southern malaysia" height="1080" width="1920" msid="108767366" hostid="261"></div><p class="drop-cap">I spoke to several people who traveled to Forest City for the triathlon. Shawn and Gary, Malaysians who appeared to be in their late 20s, told me they had traveled six hours to Forest City from their homes in Kuala Lumpur to take part in the race.</p><p>"I didn't know what to expect," Shawn said of Forest City. "We've heard it's quite run down, and it turned out it's not that bad, but I'd rather go somewhere else if not for the event."</p><p>"I wouldn't come here. There's nothing here. It's quite dead," he added when I asked him if he would return.</p><p>One entrepreneur who owns a food business in Forest City said that for them, tourism doesn't translate into much profit.</p><p>"They come to the beach but don't spend a cent," the entrepreneur, who declined to be named for privacy reasons, told me.</p><p>"There's no point if it's crowded and the people don't spend," they said, adding that many visitors bring their own food rather than spend at eateries in the area.</p><p class="drop-cap">One attraction that appeared to be pulling visitors — and has gotten them to spend money — is Forest City's golf resort, which has 298 rooms and cost almost $600 million to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.straitstimes.com/business/property/johors-forest-city-golf-course-opens-even-as-mega-projects-fate-is-unclear">construct</a>.</p><p>Adilah said local golfers and tourists have been buying packages to play golf. There's no official data on how many people have stayed at the hotel since it opened in September 2018, but I saw at least 50 guests — a mix of golfers and locals on family holidays — at the hotel's lobby and swimming pool.</p><div type="image" title="golf resort lobby" height="1536" width="2048" msid="108758586" hostid="261"></div><p>Chandran, 28, a tourist from Singapore who had dined in one of the handful of eateries at the golf resort, said he thought it looked modern and luxurious.</p><p>"Next time, I want to book the suite at the hotel. My friend said he booked a room after he saw an advertisement for it on <a target="_blank" href="http://Booking.com">Booking.com</a>, and it's great," he said, adding that the nightly rates were much cheaper than in Singapore. A night at the hotel starts at around $90.</p><p>As for the rest of Forest City, though, Chandran had a different take.</p><p>"It's a bit creepy. Most of the houses are empty," he added.</p><p><em>March 25, 2024: This story has been updated.</em></p>

Malaysia's $100 billion ghost town really wants to draw in tourists. It's not working.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Nigerian influencer Ramon Abbas, also known as Hushpuppi, was known for flaunting his wealth online.</li><li><strong>In an affidavit, the FBI alleges his lifestyle was funded by a series of cybercrimes, including money laundering and fraud.</strong></li></ul><p>On the surface, Hushpuppi looked just like every other rich Instagrammer with millions of followers and millions to spend.</p><p>A Richard Mille watch. A Rolls-Royce Wraith. Shopping bags from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Chanel. You name it, the Nigerian influencer — real name Ramon Abbas — had it, and he showed it.</p><p>And while the online flexing brought him 2 million followers, it also led the FBI right to his doorstep. On November 7, Abbas, 40, was<a href="https://www.insider.com/nigerian-influencer-hushpuppi-sentenced-11-years-jail-2022-11"> sentenced to 135 months in federal prison</a> for money laundering and internet fraud.</p><p>Insider attempted to reach Abbas for comment for this story via his lawyers. Louis Shapiro, one of his attorneys, declined to comment. John O. Iweanoge, II, Abbas' other lawyer, did not respond to Insider's request for comment.</p><h2><strong>A 'Yahoo' boy from the slums of Nigeria</strong></h2><p>Abbas grew up in a poor neighborhood of Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria. A driver named Seye, who knew him as a child, told <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58553109">the BBC</a> that Abbas' father was a taxi driver and that his mother worked at the market.</p><p>By Abbas' own account — detailed in a handwritten letter, dated September 9, to the judge overseeing his trial — he started selling sneakers and clothing out of his car trunk in his neighborhood over 25 years ago. As his fashion business grew, Abbas was able to open boutiques around the city.</p><p>But everyone else, Seye told the BBC, knew Abbas made money through other means. </p><p>Abbas was a "Yahoo" boy, Seye said, referring to a term used to describe people who were involved in cybercrime, such as internet fraud and love scams.</p><p>"Hushpuppi grew up in my community, in Bariga," Adedeji Oyenuga, an associate professor at the Sociology department at Lagos State University, told Insider. The neighborhood was considered a slum, with many people living in poverty.</p><div type="image" title="A shanty slum built on stilts in the Bariga waterfront fishing community in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital." height="2757" width="3676" msid="96481721" hostid="261" sizebytes="1142836"></div><p>As part of his Ph.D. research, Oyenuga spent six years living among a group of Yahoo boys in Abbas' community.</p><p>Yahoo boys tend to be aged 15 and above, Oyenuga said. Some left school early. Others completed parts of their formal education but were unable to secure a place at a university or a job.</p><p>"They have a lot of awareness about what the world has to offer, but great frustration that they can't find it for themselves because of unemployment and other thwarted opportunities to make a living," Daniel Smith, a professor at the Anthropology department of Brown University, told Insider about the reasons some young Nigerians get mixed up in crime.</p><p>Very few succeed because of cybercrime — much less get to a level like Abbas', Smith said. </p><h2><strong>Transforming into the influencer known as Hushpuppi</strong></h2><p>In 2014, Abbas left Nigeria for Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, the BBC reported.</p><p>It was around this time that his Hushpuppi online persona took off, per <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2021-hushpuppi-gucci-influencer/">Bloomberg</a>.</p><div type="image" title="A screenshot of one of Abbas’ Instagram post, obtained by the FBI as part of their investigation into his crimes. Abbas enjoyed flaunting his ill-gotten wealth online, posing alongside expensive vehicles while wearing luxury clothing." height="1165" width="1554" msid="96481725" hostid="261" sizebytes="149560"></div><p>The captions on his now-defunct Instagram account were a mix of motivational wisdom and hashtags showing off the luxury brands that he wore in the photos. </p><p>"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live it's whole life believing that it is stupid. #versace #versacemedusa #Versaceshoes #Versacebelt #Versacering #versacesneakers #Medusa #sneakers #sneakerhead #SneakerRoleModel," read the caption on a now-unavailable post on Abbas' Instagram account, per Bloomberg.</p><p>Back in Nigeria, Abbas' Instagram presence turned him into a celebrity of sorts. He was seen rubbing shoulders with famous Nigerian musicians and prominent local politicians, the Pidgin-language service of <a href="https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/tori-53296813">BBC News</a> reported in July 2020.</p><h2><strong style="color: #000000;">Social media posts catch the FBI's attention</strong></h2><p>Abbas moved to Dubai and continued to upload images of himself posing with luxury vehicles and private jets while decked out in designer gear. </p><p>Insider scanned through pages of court documents, old media reports, and retail sites to put together a picture of Abbas' spending habits. Among the items that made an appearance on his Instagram page: a black Bentley Bentayga (retail price starting at $160,000), a Disney x Gucci collection T-shirt ($650 and up), and a Richard Mille RM11-03 watch ($230,000). </p><div type="image" title="Screenshots of Abbas’ Instagram posts where he flaunted his Richard Mille watch, obtained by the FBI as part of their investigation into his crimes." height="1436" width="2632" msid="96481728" hostid="261" sizebytes="236338"></div><p>Everyone scrolling through his public Instagram profile could see the extent of his money — including the FBI.</p><p>"We have a lot of people at the FBI who are constantly looking through open source media and other intelligence data to identify investigations that we should be going after, and this is one of those examples," FBI special agent Andrew Innocenti, who was involved in the case, told Insider. </p><p>As far back as 2019, Nigerian media outlets were speculating that Abbas was a fraudster and a Yahoo boy, Innocenti said. Those reports plus his social media presence gave Innocenti and the FBI an inkling that something could be amiss, he added.</p><p>In October 2019, one of Abbas' co-conspirators in online scams was arrested in a different investigation, but the police uncovered communications between the two, Innocenti said. </p><p>Eventually, Abbas' social-media pages were used as evidence to establish charges against him, per the FBI affidavit filed against Abbas by Innocenti in June 2020.</p><p>The FBI was able to link the phone number that Abbas used to communicate with his co-conspirator to an email address that he used to create his Hushpuppi Instagram and Snapchat accounts.</p><p>The FBI was even able to use his birthday posts to verify his name and date of birth against his previous US visa application.</p><p>One of those posts, uploaded to Instagram on October 11, 2017, featured a cake that said "Happy Birthday Ramon" and the caption "Thanks so much @gucci for this special. God bless you guys at the Dubai Mall Gucci Store!!!," per the affidavit.</p><p>According to the affidavit, Abbas "finances this opulent lifestyle through crime," by targeting victims around the world "in schemes designed to steal hundreds of millions of dollars."</p><p>In one scheme in January 2019, Abbas allegedly worked with a co-conspirator to launder $14.7 million that North Korean hackers stole from a bank in Malta, per a<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/nigerian-man-sentenced-over-11-years-federal-prison-conspiring-launder-tens-millions"> statement</a> from the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.</p><p>In another scheme, Abbas and his co-conspirators allegedly tried to steal $100 million from an unnamed Premier League football club by intercepting payments using fake emails, per the affidavit.</p><p>The Dubai police caught up to him in June 2020, and they released <a href="https://twitter.com/DXBMediaOffice/status/1276133837374926850">a stylized video of the raid.</a></p><p>It featured Abbas' Instagram photos spliced together with footage of the police barging into his apartment, and cybercrime-style graphics layered over clips of people typing away at computers — a flashy end to the showy Instagram star. </p><h2><strong>'Continue to shame those waiting to shame me'</strong></h2><p>While Abbas' story has captivated the world, Smith, the Brown University professor, said it's important to not let the attention further contribute to stereotypes that exist about Nigeria.</p><p>"Most Nigerians don't hope that their country is going succeed because of crime," Smith said. "People would much rather have more legitimate ways of making a living."</p><p>In some ways, Abbas' story fits right into the global narrative of online wealth-flaunting — <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkBRiAqqQNu/?hl=en">inherited</a>, acquired, earned, and ill-begotten alike. In others, Abbas' story fits right in with that of the Yahoo boys he grew up with in Nigeria.</p><p>Many of the young men who made money through illegal means flaunted it everywhere — not just online, Oyenuga, the Lagos State University professor, said. If they made enough money, there was a chance they could move to a new community and re-establish themselves as a person who got rich through legitimate means, he added.</p><p>One thing, however, is clear to Innocenti: Abbas was good at the social-media game.</p><p>"Somebody like this doesn't become as well known and as prolific as Abbas was unless he knew what he was doing. He capitalized on opportunities early in life and he utilized social media in a really effective way to gain followers," Innocenti said.</p><p>After his arrest, Abbas even gained an additional 200,000 to 300,000 followers before Instagram took down his Hushpuppi account, Innocenti said.</p><p>Abbas was on top of his social-media game up until the very end, per Bloomberg.</p><p>On June 7, 2020, he posted a photo of a white Rolls Royce with the caption, "May success and prosperity not be a 'once upon a time' story in your life… Thank you lord for the many blessings in my life. Continue to shame those waiting for me to be shamed #RollsRoyce #RoyceRoyceCullinan #RR #AllMine."</p><p>Two days later, the Dubai police was at his door.</p>

Inside the Instagram-fueled rise and fall of Hushpuppi, an influencer who showcased money, jets, and cars online — and brought the FBI right to his door

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Kim Jong Un's half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, was killed at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017 after two women smeared VX nerve agent on his face.</strong></li><li><strong>Both women have consistently claimed their innocence, saying instead they thought they were taking part in a prank TV show.</strong></li><li><strong>The trial ended abruptly on Monday when the only remaining defendant pleaded guilty to a comparatively minor charge of "causing hurt," instead of the initial charge of murder.</strong></li><li><strong> The other defendant was released last month with no formal explanation. Neither woman had testified in the trial.</strong></li><li><strong>There are a number of unexplained mysteries and inconsistencies in the case, which could now may never be cleared up.</strong></li></ul><p>The trial into the assassination of the half-brother of Kim Jong Un <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vietnamese-woman-doan-thi-huong-suspected-of-killing-kim-jong-nam-pleads-guilty-2019-4">ended on Monday</a> without testimony from either defendant.</p><p>The resultant lack of detail on how Kim Jong Nam's assassination really went down could turn the death into a mystery forever.</p><p>A Vietnamese woman, Doan Thi Huong, and an Indonesian woman, Siti Aisyah, were accused of killing Kim Jong Nam after smearing the lethal nerve agent VX on his face at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia, in February 2017.</p><p>The video below shows footage of the assassination, obtained by Japan's Fuji TV channel and annotated by the UK's Channel 5 News.</p><p>Both women were originally charged with murder, but denied it. In Malaysia, murder is punishable with death.</p><p>While the women accept that they rubbed a substance into Kim's face, they have said they did not know what it was, and thought they thought they were taking part in a prank TV show.</p><p>Kim was the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kim-jong-un-family-tree-2018-1">eldest son</a> of North Korean's former leader Kim Jong Il and one of his mistresses. He was once considered a potential successor.</p><p>The murder trial, which started in October 2017, has been mired in multiple delays and ended abruptly, without the murder charges being fully litigated.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>On Monday Doan Thi Huong, the Vietnamese defendant, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vietnamese-woman-doan-thi-huong-suspected-of-killing-kim-jong-nam-pleads-guilty-2019-4">pleaded guilty to the lesser charge</a> of voluntarily "causing hurt by a dangerous weapon" - in this case the nerve agent - and was sentenced to 40 months in jail.</p><p>The sentence will be counted for her February 2017 arrest, which would give her a release date of June 2020.</p><p>However, her lawyer told reporters that Huong would be freed in this May, less than two months after her guilty plea, because of a a one-third reduction in her sentence for good behavior, The Associated Press reported.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>Last month Malaysian prosecutors <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kim-jong-nam-murder-suspect-released-no-explanation-2019-3">unexpectedly dropped murder charges</a> against Aisyah.</p><p>Neither the judge presiding over the case nor prosecutors explained the reasoning behind the early release.</p><p>Malaysian Attorney General Tommy Thomas said it came after lobbying from the Indonesian government, and that Malaysia made the decision "taking into account the good relations" between the two countries.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kim-jong-nam-murder-suspect-released-no-explanation-2019-3">Malaysia abruptly released a woman accused of murdering Kim Jong Un's half brother with a nerve agent and won't say why</a></em></p><p>The end of the case means that neither Huong nor Aisyah were able to testify.</p><p>Their testimonies would have provided an important glimpse into how the two women were involved in the plot and who recruited them.</p><p>There are still a number of unexplained mysteries and inconsistencies about the case - and now they may never be resolved.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><h2>The defendants said they thought it was a prank, not an assassination</h2><p>The two women have claimed to know nothing about any assassination plot. Aisyah said she was recruited to be part of a Japanese prank show in January 2017, five weeks before the assassination.</p><p>She said her "trainers" led her through luxury hotels, malls, and airports in Malaysia and Cambodia, where she practiced smearing oil and hot sauce on Chinese-looking men, <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/kim-jong-nam-accidental-assassination">GQ reported in September 2017</a>. It's not clear if Huong received the same training.</p><p>Aisyah's handlers - a man who purported to be Japanese, and another who purported to be Chinese - were later revealed to be North Korean agents, GQ reported.</p><p>Malaysia singled out four North Korean suspects in the murder, but they <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-northkorea-malaysia-kim-police/four-north-korean-suspects-fled-malaysia-after-airport-murder-police-idUKKBN15Y069">fled the country</a> on the day of the assassination. Their whereabouts are not known.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>According to GQ, Aisyah was so convinced by the gameshow cover story that she even thought her arrest and imprisonment were part of the prank.</p><p>Andreano Erwin, the acting Indonesian ambassador in Malaysia, <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/kim-jong-nam-accidental-assassination">told GQ</a>: "The first time we visited her, she kept asking when she could leave the jail. The second, she complained that she still hadn't been paid for the last prank. The third time, she accused us of being part of the prank."</p><p>"The fourth time, we showed her a newspaper proving Kim Jong Nam had died," he said. "When she saw it, she started to cry."</p><h2>Why plot to kill Kim Jong Nam?</h2><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Business Insider/Samantha Lee" title_caption="The Kim family tree. Click to enlarge." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a517f77c32ae634008b4e08-960/bi-graphicsthe%20kim%20family%20tree.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></div><p></p></div></div><h2>Why was Kim Jong Nam was carrying an antidote?</h2><p>Kim was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-kim-jong-nam-had-nerve-agent-antidote-in-bag-malaysian-court-told-2017-11">carrying a dozen vials of atropine</a>, an antidote for poisons like VX, in his bag on the day he was assassinated, the murder trial heard.</p><p>Six months before he was killed, he also reportedly told a friend that his <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kim-jong-uns-murdered-half-brother-kim-jong-nam-was-scared-for-his-life-2018-2">life was in danger</a>.</p><div id="kim-jong-nam-was-reportedly-carrying-vials-of-vx-antidote-in-his-bag-when-he-was-attacked-6" data-slide-number="6" data-slide-anchor="#kim-jong-nam-was-reportedly-carrying-vials-of-vx-antidote-in-his-bag-when-he-was-attacked-6" data-slide-title="Kim Jong Nam was reportedly carrying vials of VX antidote in his bag when he was attacked." data-slide="" data-e2e-name="slide-6"><div><div><p>Nial Wheate, a pharmaceutics lecturer at the University of Sydney, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/30/asia/kim-jong-nam-antidote-intl/index.html">told CNN last year</a>: "If you know someone is coming after you with a nerve agent, atropine is a key drug you would want to carry."</p></div></div></div><p>Why he did not use the antidote upon being smeared with VX is not clear.</p><p>Upon hearing her sentence on Monday, Huong cried in the courtroom and later told reporters <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-47769962">according to the BBC</a>: "Only God knows that we did not commit the murder. I want my family to pray for me."</p><div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korean-defector-calls-out-kim-jong-un-terrorist-singapore-summit-2018-6">North Korean defector: Kim Jong Un 'is a terrorist'</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

The borderline-unbelievable assassination of Kim Jong Nam could be a mystery forever after trial finishes with no testimony from either defendant

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Nicky Loh/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Najib Razak</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Police have finished counting valuables seized from properties linked to Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak.</strong></li><li><strong>As well as $28-million worth of cash, police seized 12,000 pieces of jewelry, 567 handbags, 423 watches, and 234 pairs of sunglasses.</strong></li><li><strong>Najib lost a re-election bid last month after facing financial scandals related to the state investment fund 1MDB, which is missing billions of dollars.</strong></li><li><strong>Najib has denied any wrongdoing but many voters were swayed by reports that hundreds of millions of missing funds were found in the prime minister's personal accounts.</strong></li></ul><p><br />Valuables seized by police from properties related to former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak are worth up to $273 million.</p><p><span>Jewelry, handbags, watches and other items were all seized last month during <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/raid-on-najib-razak-properties-what-was-seized-1mdb-2018-5">raids on six properties</a> as part of an investigation into how billions of dollars went missing from the state investment fund 1MDB. Najib lost last month's election after his popularity began to plummet from 1MDB-related financial scandals, including hundreds of millions of dollars that were reportedly found in his personal bank accounts.</span></p><p><span>Amar Singh, head of Malaysia's Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID), said in a press conference on Wednesday that the raids led to the "biggest seizure in Malaysia's history" with the items valued between $223 million and $273 million. </span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin</span></p><p class="caption">Commissioner Amar Singh, Malaysia's Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director, displays photos of items from a raid during a news conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia June 27, 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>The seized items included 12,000 pieces of jewelry, 567 handbags, 423 watches, and 234 pairs of sunglasses.</span></p><p><span>"</span>Among them were 1,400 necklaces, 2,200 rings, 2,100 bangles, 2,800 pairs of earrings, 1,600 brooches and 14 tiaras," Singh said. "We took 16 days to count."</p><p><span>The jewelry also included one diamond and yellow gold necklace worth $1.5 million. It also took eight days to count and then value the 100 different brands of watches.</span></p><p><span>Last month, Singh announced that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/police-found-29-million-cash-in-residence-linked-to-najib-razak-1mdb-2018-5">26 different currencies totaling $28.6 million</a> had been taken from an empty apartment in the same building as Najib's son and daughter. There were so many notes, 11 counting machines and 22 bank officers were required over three days.</span></p><p><span>Hundreds of luxury handbags were also reported by Singh at the time, who said Hermes was cooperating in providing a value for the bags, which can cost up to $200,000.</span></p><p><span>The announcement of the raids' findings has been done in stages purely for logistical reasons, according to the police.</span></p><p><span></span><span>"We couldn't do the counting at the premises because the numbers were too huge," Singh said.</span></p><p><span>The raided properties were Najib's official residence and office, three units the Pavilion Residences building and another of Najib's homes. The empty apartment was where most of the items were taken from. </span></p><p><span>Singh said Najib and his wife will soon be called in for questioning on the items and to determine their ownership.</span></p><p><span>Malaysia's new prime minister, 92-year-old Mahathir Mohamad, told Reuters last week there's an "almost perfect" case against Najib's role in the 1MDB scandal.</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-happened-at-the-trump-north-korea-summit-2018-6">Why the North Korea summit mattered even if it was 'mostly a photo op'</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

$273 million-worth of valuables were seized from Malaysia's former prime minister including 567 handbags, 234 pairs of sunglasses, and 12,000 pieces of jewelry

<p>If you've ever wanted to seem like an <keyword id="51418" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="architecture">architecture</keyword> buff and don't have a lot of time to study, the <a href="http://vimeo.com/56974716" target="_blank">ABC's of Architecture Vimeo vid</a> is for you.</p>
<p>The minute and half animated short from user <a href="http://vimeo.com/fedelpeye">fedelpeye</a> lists the world's most famous architects in alphabetical order with cartoon designs of their most famous buildings.</p>
<p>Check it out below:</p>
<p></p>
<p>And here's the full list of featured architects, via <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5974354/learn-the-abcs-of-architecture" target="_blank">Gizmodo</a>:</p>
<p>Alvar AAlto - Säynätsalo Town hall - Finland<br /> Luis Barragán - Satellite Towers - Mexico City<br /> Santiago Calatrava - Satolas Airport Railway Station - Lyon France<br /> Luís Domènech i Montaner - Antoni TÀpies foundation - Barcelona<br /> Eduardo Souto de Moura - Paula Rego's House of Stories - Cascais Portugal<br /> Norman Foster - London City Hall - England<br /> Frank Gehry - Guggenheim Bilbao - Spain<br /> Herzog &amp; de Meuron - Beijing National Stadium - China<br /> Arata Isozaki - Palau Sant Jordi - Barcelona<br /> Philip Johnson - The Glass House - New Canaan, Connecticut<br /> Louis Kahn - National Parliament of Bangladesh - Dhaka City<br /> le corbusier - Villa Savoye - Poissy, Francia<br /> Ludwig Mies van der Rohe - Barcelona Pavilion - Spain<br /> Oscar niemeyer - National Congress of Brazil, Brasília<br /> Joseph Maria Olbrich - Secession Building - Vienna - Austria<br /> César Pelli - Petronas Twin Tower - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br /> Giacomo Quarenghi - The Smolny Institute - St. Petersburg, Russia.<br /> Renzo Piano + Richard Rogers - Pompidou Centre - Paris, Francia<br /> Álvaro Siza - Ibere Camargo Foundation - Porto Alegre, Brazil<br /> Kenzo Tange - Tokyo Olympic Stadium - Japan<br /> Jørn Utzon - Sydney Opera House - Australia<br /> William Van Alen - Chrysler Building - New York City<br /> Frank Lloyd Wright - Guggenheim New York - United States<br /> Lannis Xenakis - Philips Pavilion - Expo '58 in Brussels<br /> Minoru Yamasaki - World Trade Center - NYC<br /> Zaha Hadid - The Pierres Vives building - Montpellier, France</p>

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