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The Star
13 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Ratings, reviews and riddles: What's the deal with online reviews?
One of the first things that online shoppers usually search for when looking to buy something is user reviews. Rows upon rows of stars, scores, and ratings that are meant to guide and inform each and every purchase can in reality turn out to be far less useful than hoped for these days. From Malaysia Cyber Consumer Association (MCCA) deputy president Azrul Zafri Azmi's perspective, reviews remain very relevant to Malaysian consumers, especially when it comes to things like ordering from e-commerce platforms or deciding on where to eat. According to him, studies have shown that 71% of Malaysians take reviews into account before making an online purchase. However, he says that there are still some clear underlying issues when it comes to online reviews in Malaysia. 'The challenge now is not access to reviews, but how authentic and reliable they are. 'Honestly, trust has dropped a bit in recent years. Some consumers have started to question reviews that sound too generic or too perfect. 'We're seeing more fake reviews, incentivised ones, and even copy-pasted feedback across listings. These trends make it harder for genuine reviews to stand out,' Azrul Zafri says. Tainted trust This rings true for KL-based auditor Lee Xien Wen, an avid online shopper who says he has encountered everything from irrelevant and unhelpful reviews to ones he suspects are outright fake. 'Some of the reviews would say things like, 'Looks pretty, haven't tried it yet', often repeated in different languages. 'It makes me think they're just trying to earn points or rewards, or could even be fake reviews generated by bots. 'If I see too many like that, I usually avoid the seller or brand altogether and look for a different option,' he says, adding that this has led him to prefer official seller pages for products rather than third parties' pages, and to look for user-posted product review videos that appear to be more genuine. From Azrul Zafri's point of view, reviews being left on e-commerce platforms solely to obtain rewards, without any helpful information for other potential buyers, undermine the purpose of reviews entirely. From Azrul Zafri's point of view, reviews being left on e-commerce platforms solely to obtain rewards, without any helpful information for other potential buyers, undermine the purpose of reviews entirely. — AZRUL ZAFRI AZMI 'This is a big issue. It's unethical, and more importantly, it misleads others. Some platforms give coins or points for every review, which unintentionally encourages this behaviour. 'When users rate a product they haven't even tried, it defeats the whole purpose of helping other consumers make better choices,' he says. According to Azrul Zafri, those leaving such reviews may not fully understand the impact of what they are doing, which in the long run 'damages the system that all of us rely on – and genuine buyers end up getting misled', he adds. An April 2025 statement from the Mufti of Federal Territory's Office (FT Mufti) similarly states that leaving false reviews or ratings for products purchased on e-commerce platforms without using them or examining their quality is an act of deception, which is prohibited or 'haram'. The FT Mufti further states that any rewards obtained through disingenuous reviews are also considered 'haram' and should be left unused until their expiry. Azrul Zafri further notes that there are also restaurants that offer discounts or free items in exchange for five-star ratings on platforms like Google, which he believes is problematic. 'I think encouraging reviews is fine – but when businesses tie rewards specifically to five-star ratings, it becomes manipulative. 'It's no longer about feedback; it's about boosting ratings unfairly. It also puts pressure on customers to give high scores, whether they mean it or not,' he says. Confusing mix Concerns have also been raised about e-commerce platform features that aggregate reviews on similar items within the same product category from other listings across the site. Azrul Zafri says that the aggregated reviews might not even refer to the exact same product, potentially misleading buyers. 'When reviews from different sellers or product variants are lumped together, consumers may think they're looking at feedback for the exact item they're buying – when they're not. 'That creates confusion, especially if one seller has poor service or quality,' he says. Shoppers like Lee point out that reviews from other sellers are not indicative of how responsive or reliable a specific seller may be, while sellers like Fithry Akbar Ali feel that the feature is unfair, as it took them years to build a strong reputation, with newer sellers benefiting from the pool of existing reviews that they did not earn. Fithry Akbar operates an online shop primarily centred around video games. 'I've encountered new competitors who just started selling similar products as myself and others, but noticed their product has over 500 reviews, despite it being a new listing. 'It completely kills off years and years of reviews built by original sellers. Buyers would then simply buy from these new sellers, thinking their product is trustworthy and reliable due to the high ratings,' he says. He also highlights the possibility of counterfeit product listings being associated with real ones due to being furnished with aggregated reviews, which could further mislead consumers into buying fake products. Fake reviews have become a significant concern across e-commerce platforms, especially overseas, according to various reports. — Image by freepik In a statement to LifestyleTech, a Shopee spokesperson addressed these concerns, stating that the intended purpose of such aggregated reviews is to provide assistance to new sellers and product listings. 'This feature only lasts for seven calendar days from the time of a new listing creation, after which sellers will have to rely on themselves to get good reviews. 'All such reviews are clearly marked within the app as 'Similar Product'. These Similar Product Reviews provide helpful product context for newer listings, but they do not replace the seller's effort in earning buyer trust,' it says. The e-commerce platform adds that it is not a replacement for other metrics such as store ratings, fulfilment speed, and chat responsiveness, which individual shops must still earn independently. 'Through this feature, we aim to promote fairer competition on the platform, prioritising quality, value, and service instead of legacy seller reputation alone. 'New or smaller sellers with strong offerings benefit from a level playing field, while buyers enjoy a broader range of trusted options. 'Building consumer trust and providing fair opportunities for sellers remain top priorities for Shopee,' it says. Filtering fakes The platforms themselves say that they have mechanisms in place to ensure that reviews left by customers are authentic. For instance, Lazada says in a statement to LifestyleTech that it uses 'AI (artificial intelligence) to guide users in writing more informative reviews, prompting them to comment on key aspects such as durability, design, and functionality. 'To encourage authentic user-generated content, Lazada offers LazCoins as incentives – with the highest coin rewards granted only to reviews that meet minimum word counts and include supporting visuals like photos or videos. 'We continuously moderate our review platform and take proactive steps to reduce unhelpful or suspicious reviews,' it says. The e-commerce platform adds that it also uses AI and performs manual checks of reviews to detect 'inauthentic patterns' and flags certain high-quality ones as 'Quality Reviews'. Meanwhile, the Shopee spokesperson says only customers who have actually purchased a product are able to leave reviews. 'Shopee takes a serious view of fake ratings or reviews. Under Shopee's Terms of Service, sellers must not take any action that undermines Shopee's feedback or rating system. 'Users found to be engaging in manipulative activities will face a range of penalties, including having their accounts frozen or being permanently banned on our platform. 'Consumers who are concerned they may have bought products based on fake ratings and reviews can report such products to Shopee for our investigations. They may also raise a Return/Refund request to get a refund for their purchase,' the spokesperson says. Both platforms allow users to further indicate if specific reviews are 'helpful' to boost their visibility to others as well. While Azrul Zafri acknowledges the efforts being made by the platforms, he says that more can still be done. 'Platforms need better filters for fake or copy-paste reviews, and they should educate users more clearly on review ethics,' he adds. Fake reviews have become a significant concern across e-commerce platforms, especially overseas, according to various reports. Most recently, the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) obtained a formal commitment from Amazon earlier this month to address fake reviews and 'catalogue abuse', which is a practice where sellers repurpose existing product listings to sell unrelated or lower-quality items by misleading consumers, following a four-year probe. This commitment comes in the form of faster detection systems, prompt removal of fraudulent reviews, and imposing bans on offending sellers and reviewers. Travel planning and booking platform, TripAdvisor, similarly reported a slew of fake reviews on its website in 2024. Based on figures from the website's 'Transparency Report 2025', 8% of the 31.1 million reviews it received that year were fake. This includes manipulative reviews meant to 'boost' a location or business's reputation, vandalism from a competitor, promotions of unrelated services or agendas, and paid reviews. Quest for quality Azrul Zafri advises that Malaysians treat reviews as a starting point and to be savvier consumers by looking beyond surface-level star ratings. He also recommends that shoppers be wary of overly generic comments and to try to find more detailed feedback instead. 'Reviews help, but they're not the full story. These days, I always tell people: don't just stop at star ratings. Take a bit of time to really get to know what you're buying. 'First, it's good to check the same product across different platforms – Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop – because sometimes the listings look the same but the sellers or the prices are very different. If it looks too cheap to be true, chances are... it probably is. 'Also, I personally like to watch quick (video) reviews. Even a short video can show how the item looks, how it's used, or what people honestly think about it – that's often more helpful than a wall of copy-paste reviews. 'Another good tip is to read comments in Facebook groups or forums. Malaysians are quite active online, and you'll often find people sharing real experiences – both good and bad – especially when a product disappoints or doesn't match expectations. 'Spend a few extra minutes doing a quick check, and it can save you from a lot of regret later,' he says. Azrul Zafri also believes that some form of light regulation by the Malaysian government would be helpful in facilitating a better e-commerce environment for local consumers. This would serve not to police opinions, but instead to ensure transparency. He suggests introducing a code of conduct for platforms to clearly define what is permitted, what isn't, and how to handle cases of abuse. He adds that ideally, this should be developed with input from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, relevant ministries, and civil society. 'Just like we've done with cybersecurity and online scams, we need to promote digital literacy and ethics – especially among students and young adults. 'I think it should be a joint effort between government, NGOs like MCCA, schools, and even the platforms themselves,' he says.
The Star
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
'Still Live' series in KL creates a shared space for sound and sketch
Indie folk outfit Satwo, featuring husband-and-wife duo Maz and Rafiz, is set to appear at the 'Still:Live' sunset session in Kuala Lumpur this Saturday. Photo: Maisu Blurring the lines between sight and sound, the latest edition of Ur-Mu's Still Live series pairs live painting with acoustic music for an immersive experience. Still Live – an initiative by the Ur-Mu art private museum – takes place at Boombong, The Toffee, Jalan Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur on June 14. Ur-Mu, which operates three distinct art gallery spaces in downtown Kuala Lumpur, will open the doors of Ur-Mu @ Toffee – its Raja Chulan outpost housing two private art collections – as part of this weekend's Still Live programme. Each ticket includes a pre-show tour led by renowned art collector and lawyer Pakhruddin 'Pakha' Sulaiman, whose 1990s Malaysian art collection fills Ur-Mu@Toffee on Level 6. Ur-Mu's 'Still Live' series blends live acoustic music with on-the-spot drawing for a uniquely immersive experience. Photo: Ur-Mu This Saturday's Still Live, a sunset session, starts at 4pm. Inspired by the art term 'still life', the series allows the audience to enjoy a live acoustic set and try their hand at live drawing. Nur Khairi Hamidi, Ur-Mu's museum coordinator, explains that while still life drawings traditionally feature inanimate objects like fruits or flowers, Still Live adds a twist – here, it's the performing musicians who become the subject. 'The idea behind Still Live is to basically combine two unique jam sessions: live acoustic performance and live drawing by the audience. We wanted to gather crowds of both fine art and music enthusiasts into one event, and break the boundaries between the two disciplines,' says Khairi. The sold-out first edition, held on Feb 22 at Ur-Mu Bukit Bintang, brought together KL-based acts Faye Faire, Note/Void, and RuoH for an intimate night of music (folk to post rock) and art. Renowned art collector Pakhruddin (centre) will be conducting a pre-show gallery tour at Ur-Mu@Toffee, where he will share insights and stories from his distinguished art collection. Photo: Pakhruddin Sulaiman 'We wanted to keep the momentum going, as we received a lot of positive feedback from those who came for the first show – for many of them, it was their first time experiencing this kind of mash-up between art and music," says Khairi. 'The musicians also had a lot of fun with the gig, because it was their first time being drawn while they performed,' he adds. The weekend's Still Live edition promises an equally compelling line-up, featuring husband-and-wife indie folk duo Satwo – joined for the first time by cellist Azrul Asyraf – alongside singer-songwriters Umar Akmal, and Syiqin Azln. For Satwo, Still Live will actually be its second art-related performance this year. Last month, the duo performed its rendition of two poems – Satu and Gurindam Apati – by Pahang-born writer and filmmaker Dr Razli Dalan at the launch of his illustrated poetry book Koleksi Puisi Puisi Sendu at the Kokopelli gallery in Petaling Jaya. Unwind with a sketch pad in hand at this relaxed evening drawing session. Photo: Ur-Mu Satwo's Rafiz Mohamed Zakaria, 44, believes that music and visual art are 'intertwined and mutually enriching.' In the live scene, Rafiz and his wife Tuan Mazlinna Tuan Abdul Malek – better known as Maz – have connected with audiences across a range of art and music events. "Since the Renaissance, music has inspired painters, opening emotional and imaginative spaces,' says Rafiz. 'Today, from album covers to performance visuals, music gives soul to form and art gives face to sound – together, they create deeper meaning," he adds. The second Still Live edition (4pm-8pm) happens at Boombong, The Toffee, Jalan Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur on June 14. Tickets: RM60.
Daily Express
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Express
Get a real kick out of the all-new Nissan KICKS e-POWER
Published on: Saturday, May 10, 2025 Published on: Sat, May 10, 2025 By: Terence Toh, FMT Lifestyles Text Size: Christiansen Ng and Irene Cho have fallen in love with their Nissan KICKS e-POWER electrified vehicles. (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle) PETALING JAYA: Like many Malaysian drivers, finance analyst Irene Cho had never been behind the wheel of an electrified vehicle before. When she heard, however, that the all-new Nissan KICKS e-POWER electrified compact SUV had hit the local market in December, she decided to check it out. Stopping by an Edaran Tan Chong Motors outlet, Cho gave the vehicle a test drive – and fell in love with it immediately. 'It felt very powerful, and the price was reasonable, so I decided to take it. I'm involved with an NGO, and just a few days after getting the car, I had to go from Kuala Lumpur to Perlis for a project. I had a very, very good drive!' Cho told FMT Lifestyle. Equipped with Nissan's second-generation e-POWER system, this new SUV offers a thrilling and efficient drive, perfect for those trying out electric mobility for the first time. The revolutionary new vehicle combines style and sustainability, offering drivers remarkable 21.7km/l fuel efficiency at estimated distances of 900km per full tank. The vehicle is fully electric-motor-driven, with a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder engine that acts as a generator for its lithium-ion battery. This means the Nissan KICKS e-POWER never needs to be charged externally. Its innovative e-Pedal Step also allows drivers to accelerate and decelerate with a single pedal, with a unique regenerative braking system employed to help charge its battery. All this equates to a smoother driving experience – something Christiansen Ng has definitely been enjoying. The KL-based banker revealed that the Nissan KICKS e-POWER's pleasant handling once helped him stay cool-headed through a five-hour traffic jam during the festive season. 'It goes very smoothly around corners. With previous cars, my mother used to get motion sickness. But with this car, she doesn't,' Ng shared. Both Cho and Ng expressed admiration over how silent the Nissan KICKS e-POWER is. Even at highway speeds, the vehicle seems engineered for serenity, gliding like a cloud over most types of terrain. This is thanks to an extensive use of insulative materials in its engine system. They also liked having the option to switch between multiple driving modes – ECO, SPORT, STANDARD, and EV – each subtly shifting how the car behaves. It's not just about performance, but about giving the driver a bit more say in how the journey unfolds. Road safety is also a top priority for car buyers today, and this demand is clearly reflected in the design of the Nissan KICKS e-POWER. The stylish vehicle comes with a plethora of advanced safety features aimed to provide users with peace of mind. The Nissan KICKS e-POWER boasts a five-star Asean NCAP rating, the highest level of safety evaluation. This is thanks to features such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, Intelligent Driver Awareness, Blind Spot Warning, and Intelligent Forward Collision Warning. 'I like Nissan's 360˚Safety Technology,' Ng said. 'There were times when there were cars that braked unexpectedly in front of me, and it was lucky I had the Autonomous Braking System. It started beeping to warn me. I'm very happy because it helped prevent what could have been an accident.' As for Cho, her favourite feature is the Intelligent Rear View Mirror. This mounted 2MP camera with a high-resolution display offers drivers wide, reflection-free views of what's behind the vehicle through clear, flicker-free images. 'I find this very useful when going down Malaysian highways; it helps me prepare for the unpredictable. With this mirror, I can see what's behind me very clearly. It helps me feel safer,' Cho said. Other highlights include its 7-inch (17.8cm) full-colour driver instrument display, a D-shaped flat-bottom steering wheel with multifunction controls, and an infotainment system with an 8-inch (20.3cm) touchscreen offering Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. The Nissan KICKS e-POWER comes in two variants: VL and VLT. Colour options are Brilliant White Pearl, Sunrise Orange, Red Pearl, Brilliant Silver and Black Star. For those looking to make a bolder statement, the VLT variant adds a touch of flair with two-tone options featuring a Super Black roof, along with an exclusive Dark Metal Grey body colour. Prices begin at RM113,800, making this a compelling entry point into the world of electrified driving with a sporty edge.
