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Tuesday August 15, 2006 |
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Traditional village for Kedah |
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ALOR STAR: A traditional Kedah village will be built near Gunung Keriang here to showcase the lifestyle and culture of Kedah padi farmers. |
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Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the village would complement the Padi Museum, which was located some 50 metres from the village area. |
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“The location is strategic since it is near the Padi Museum and padi field,” he told newsmen after inspecting the project site recently. |
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He said the traditional village on 12.1ha site would, among other things, showcase old Malay houses, rice mill and old Chinese coffee shop. |
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“The traditional village will display farming tools and household furniture of the 1960s,” he said. |
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He said the state Economic Planning Unit had bought 20 traditional Kedah houses made without nails from several districts in Kedah to be displayed at the traditional village. |
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He said a man-made river would also be built in the village to show how farmers in the old days relied on river water for cleaning and cooking. |
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Mahdzir said the traditional village was aimed at promoting the state's culture and heritage, adding that tourists wanting to experience the traditional Malay lifestyle could stay there. |
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“The rice mill building would be used as an auditorium to promote Kedah culture to tourists while the coffee shop would be used as the registration centre,” he said. |
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Mahdzir said the village would be built in two phases, with construction work on phase one costing RM7mil to begin in October. |
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Phase one, comprising the traditional houses, a rice mill and a coffee shop on a 4ha site, is expected to be completed in 2008. |
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Sunday August 13, 2006 |
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Living dead of Rantau Abang |
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BY HILARY CHIEW |
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THE living dead – that is the acceptable way to describe the leatherback turtles in Rantau Abang, Terengganu, for now. |
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In conservation terminology, a population that has dwindled to the point of being incapable of regeneration is essentially living out its final years. This is characterised by continual reproductive activities of the few remaining adult animals. Hence, the term the “living dead”. |
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The newest round of dispute over the state of the leatherback turtles arose from a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) declaration that the beleaguered leatherback of Terengganu was “effectively extinct” which was met with an immediate rebuttal from the Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre (Tumec) – the national agency mandated to save the turtle – that the turtles were still laying eggs and technically not extinct yet. |
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To date, there have been five nestings by two leatherback turtles documented this season on the beaches of Dungun, Terengganu. Their exact locations are being kept secret. |
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While agreeing that the population of leatherback turtles, which nest in a few beaches in the world, is on the decline, Tumec director Kamaruddin Ibrahim insisted that it was not extinct but merely critically-endangered. |
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“I follow the IUCN (World Conservation Union) definition. Critically-endangered is one category before extinction,” he said. |
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It may be a case of semantics perhaps, but the fact remains that the majestic leatherback nestings that spawned a turtle-watching tourism industry from the 1960s right up to the 1980s will go down as a sad chapter in the nation’s environmental history. |
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In Rantau Abang, the statistics reveal the tragic fact that nestings have dwindled from the thousands in the 1960s to a meagre average of 30 per season since 2000; a drastic 90% reduction in around two decades. |
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The eggs laid since 2001 did not produce any hatchlings because they were not fertilised by a male turtle. Scientists predict that for every one thousand hatchlings produced, only one will reach adulthood to sustain the population. |
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However, Kamaruddin and his staff in Tumec are not prepared to give up. This season, the team has divided all five nests recovered so far into three clutches: two clutches are being incubated in two separate hatcheries and one clutch is buried in the beach. |
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Turtle scientist Prof Dr Chan Eng Heng of the University College of Science and Technology Malaysia (Kustem) cautioned that the effectiveness of captive-breeding and augmenting projects that were implemented elsewhere is questionable. Many scientists have criticised such projects as a waste of public funds. |
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Booming turtle tourism a distant memory for locals |
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THE excitement among villagers triggered by the sight of a nesting leatherback turtle along the famed 13km-long Rantau Abang nesting beach in Terengganu is a distant memory for Abdul Majid Abu Bakar, who operates the Dahimah guesthouse nearby. |
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Abdul Majid: Blames the authorities for the imminent extinction of leatherbacks |
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| “They don’t nest by the dozens like before. We can’t depend on the turtles for business anymore,” he lamented. He said nesting by 40 to 60 turtles in one night were common a couple of decades ago. |
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| Abdul Majid is a local villager who started the guesthouse with his Caucasian wife called Dahimah in 1988, 1km away from the Rantau Abang Turtle Information Centre. He benefited from the turtle-watching boom during the nesting months between May and September every year until the mid-1990s when the number of turtles started to decline. |
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| “Every single guesthouse in the area was fully-booked throughout the season. Some had to sleep in their tour buses while waiting to catch a glimpse of the leatherback laying eggs. |
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| “Then everything went quiet. Nesting became scarce and the tourists stopped coming. At the same time, we heard of turtles drowning in the sea. Fishing boats with trawl nets were creating havoc,” he recalled. |
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| “Then everything went quiet. Nesting became scarce and the tourists stopped coming. At the same time, we heard of turtles drowning in the sea. Fishing boats with trawl nets were creating havoc,” he recalled. |
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Abdul Majid, 47, blamed the lack of action from the authorities for the imminent extinction of the leatherbacks. |
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“Why was there no action against the trawlers? The Department of Fisheries is empowered to confiscate, destroy and prosecute those that violate the rules on using banned fishing gear. It should be held accountable for what has happened to these turtles,” he said. |
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He also wondered what happened to the half-million hatchlings released over the past decades. |
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“Were they also caught in those nets?” he asked. |
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However, he refused to accept that the long tradition of egg consumption among locals was a contributing factor to the turtle’s imminent extinction. |
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The turtles are still nesting in Sabah and Indonesia even though the eggs there have been commercially exploited extensively. He said that while leatherback eggs were consumed, until the practice was banned in 1987, the nesting rate remained high. |
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Turtle expert Prof Dr Chan Eng Heng explained that while Abdul Majid’s observation was true the impact from long-term egg consumption would only be felt when the “gap” left by the dead turtles was not filled by a new generation hatched from the eggs laid some 20 years ago; hence, the sudden crash in the Rantau Abang population in the mid-1990s. |
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“There can be total consumption of the eggs for 20 years and everything seems all right until the adult population begins to die due to natural or human-induced causes. That’s when the effect becomes tangible,” she added. |
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Friday August 18, 2006 |
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Visa joy for Chinese and Indian tourists |
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PUTRAJAYA: Tourists from China and India will now be given multiple-entry visas. |
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However, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that while the visas would be valid for a year, the foreigners could not remain in the country for more than a month per visit. |
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The single entry visa charges of RM30 for the Chinese and RM50 for Indians have been retained for the multiple-entry visas. |
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This move is part of the promotions under Visit Malaysia Year 2007, as well as to cater to the increasing number of arrivals from the two countries. |
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“A total of 7.19 million tourists arrived between January and May, which is an increase of 5.4% compared with the corresponding period last year,” he told reporters yesterday after chairing a Cabinet committee meeting on tourism. |
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“Tourists from China and India form some 10% of the total number of arrivals.” |
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Najib said the Government had also lifted the freeze on foreign caddies imposed in July last year following complaints from golf course operators. |
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“They said the number of golfers from overseas had dwindled, and since we have to compete with other countries, we need to provide such a service. |
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“So now, operators can apply for foreign caddies from the Home Affairs Ministry,” he added. |
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Najib, who chairs the Cabinet committee for foreign workers, said that hotels, spas and the travel and tourism sector were also allowed to hire foreign workers. |
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The Cabinet, he said, had also agreed to his proposal to set up a consulate in Mumbai as soon as possible in view of the high number of visa applications. |
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Later, Najib witnessed the signing of a working agreement between Ships Classification Malaysia and Biro Klasifikasi Indonesia. |
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The agreement will facilitate efforts by the two parties on co-operation in design appraisal, inspection and certification of offshore and onshore structures in Indonesia and South-East Asian waters. |
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Wednesday August 23, 2006 |
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Some Ipoh roads to close for Ang Lee’s latest shoot |
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IPOH: Oscar-winning Taiwanese director Ang Lee will film his latest movie Lust, Caution in parts of the city from Sept 1 to 10. |
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The spy thriller, based on a 26-page short story by famed Chinese writer Eileen Chang, will star Cannes best actor winner Tony Leung, Chinese-American pop star Wang Lee-Hom and mainland newcomer Tang Wei. |
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The story revolves around a group of patriotic students who plot to assassinate an intelligence chief in the Japan-backed Chinese Government during World War II. |
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Leung plays the intelligence officer while Wang and Tang portray the students. |
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To facilitate filming, the city council has announced that parts of Jalan Bandar Timah would be temporarily closed from Sept 3 to 5, as well as parts of Jalan Chung On Siew, from Sept 1 to 8. |
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On Sept 6, the entire stretch of Jalan Bandar Timah, Jalan Panglima and Jalan Tun Sambanthan will be closed to traffic from 7am to 7pm. |
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Jalan Chung On Siew, Jalan Chua Cheng Bok, and Jalan Che Wan will be closed from 7pm on Sept 7 to 7am the next day. |
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Jalan Sultan Yusuf, Jalan Panglima, Jalan Tun Sambathan, Jalan Dato’ Maharajalela and Jalan Pasar will be closed from 7pm on Sept 8 to 7am the next day. |
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Motorists are advised to take alternative routes. |
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This will not be the first time an international movie is being filmed in the state. In 1999, 20th Century Fox filmed Anna and the King here, in Tasek Chenderoh and parts of Batu Gajah. |
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Other movies like Paloh (2002), Embun (2002), Tamil film Kathal Kisu Kisu (Love Gossip), Sepet (2005), Gubra (2005) and historical television series Tun Tan Cheng Lock (2004) were also shot here. |
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Wednesday August 23, 2006 |
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Homestay plan bears fruit |
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BY STEPHEN THEN |
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Foreign tourists enjoying local delicacies in the Tenyok Rimba Community Resort in Long Bedian. |
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| MIRI: Five years ago, a group of rural folks from the minority Kayan ethnic group in Long Bedian in the heart of northern Sarawak ventured into a simple home-stay tourism project in an effort to supplement their daily income. |
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| These villagers, most of them subsistent farmers, embarked on their first ever foray into the tourism industry by turning a few wooden native houses into accommodation for tourists. |
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| They named this simple cluster of home-stay units The Tenyok Rimba Community Re-sort. |
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| Their aim was simple - to earn some extra income to help tide over the days when their harvest was not enough to meet their family's needs. |
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| Little did they know at that time that their simple tourism project would get them into the journals and dairies of tour agencies at state, national and international stages and bring in tourists from all over the world. |
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Despite its remote location - Long Bedian is about 300km inland from Miri City and located in the heart of the dense Telang Usan state constituency - the resort has become a favourite destination for tour-ists from Europe and the Far East. |
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The community resort is also featured prominently in packages offered by renowned tour companies in Sarawak like Seridan Mulu and Tropical Adventure, and promoted by these firms via their overseas links. |
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From just a cluster of simple homes, the resort has expanded in size and has generated a chain of spin-off industries and created hundreds of jobs and turned the simple agro-based Kayans folks into business entrepreneurs. |
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The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development was so impressed that it has nominated this resort to take part in a national level competition to unearth the most innovative community project in the tourism category. |
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Judging for the competition will be held in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow. |
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Telang Usan assemblyman Lihan Jok, who helped to set up the project was extremely proud to see the efforts of the Kayans bearing fruit. |
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“The resort has seen more than a thousand foreign tourists from as far as Germany, England, Japan and also neighbouring countries, plus a lot more of local tourists. Ministers at national and state levels have been there also. |
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“The resort has created a host of spin-off industries such as food and fresh fruit production, supply and retail of essential goods, food catering, transportation, handicraft production and has even taught the people about business management and financial dealings. |
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“This is one huge success story of a simple village project blooming into a thriving business concern,” he said. |
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| Jok said that because of the resort, the Penans have also secured jobs as resort workers and as tour guides. |
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The locals have even learned how to set up a piped water system to
channel clean water from rivers and waterfalls for treatment and use in the resort, he said. |
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| “Very soon, the state government is going to start a macro hydro-electric generation project in Long Bedian to produce electricity for the resort and the other homes.” |
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| Long Bedian Village Devel-opment Committee secretary Jok Eng Jok said the committee had set up a private company Bedian Holiday Sdn Bhd to handle and manage the resort and the various tourism activities. |
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| Little did they know at that time that their simple tourism project would get them into the journals and dairies of tour agencies at state, national and international stages and bring in tourists from all over the world. |
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| Foreign tourists enjoying the waterfall in Long Bedian |
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“We have very nice waterfalls, beautiful crystal clear rivers, wonderful flora and fauna in the jungles and many interesting community activities to thrill visitors. We hope that we will win the national award,” said Eng Jok. |
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Long Bedian is accessible from Miri City via land cruisers and helicopters. It is a six- hoursjourney via timber track and 30 minutes via helicopter. |
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Friday September 1, 2006 |
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Tourists awed by parade |
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KUCHING: Fantastic, fabulous and amazing. These were some of the words tourists used to describe the impressive National Day parade . |
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Briton Michael Casey, 62, said he enjoyed the show tremendously. “It was fantastic, marvellous. The preparation and planning that must have gone into it was really something,” he said. |
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The former Royal Air Force (RAF) official worked in the fire service at Kuching airport during the Confrontation years from 1963 to 1965. Now married to a Malaysian, he returns to Malaysia almost every year to meet old friends. |
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“I usually come back around this time of the year for the Merdeka celebrations,” Casey added. |
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Richard Lawley, also from Britain, said Malaysians showed a lot of patriotism. |
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“Unfortunately we didn’t see all of it but watched the first half on television,” he said. |
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His girlfriend Zarina Malik agreed that the celebration was excellent. |
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“We should have a day like this in Britain, it’s so much fun. We’ll come back next year when it’s the 50th year of Independence,” she added. |
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The couple, who are in Malaysia for a two-week holiday, arrived in Kuching on Wednesday night just in time for the Merdeka celebrations. |
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Italian tourists Franco Giuliani and Monica Pieraccioli consider themselves lucky to be in town as their visit coincided with the Merdeka Day parade. |
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“We are here for three days. We didn’t know about the celebrations until we saw so many people during the (Ambang Merdeka) countdown night (Wednesday). |
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“When we found out, we decided to get up early this morning (Thursday) to watch the parade,” said Giuliani, a dentist. |
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“It’s very lovely. The people here are so enthusiastic about the whole thing. We have never experienced anything like this and we saw a lot of different cultures and people during the parade. |
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“The cultural dance was enjoyable. It’s like seeing the entire Malaysia on a big screen,” he said. |
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He lamented, however, that he and Pieraccioli could not get near the stage and had to watch the activities on the outdoor screens. |
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“We'd love to come back and be a part of it again. It’s definitely good fun and a wonderful experience. It has made our trip to Kuching more memorable,” he said. |
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Herbert Heigl and Christina Rohrmoser from Austria did not want to miss the chance when they heard that the parade would be in Kuching. |
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“We flew here from Kuala Lumpur two days ago. We read about the celebrations in the newspapers and thought it would be a good idea to be a part of it, and so we came here,” said Heigl. |
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“The atmosphere here is so lively and colourful. It’s really good fun.” |
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Monday September 4, 2006 |
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Exciting events lined up for Visit Malaysia Year 2007 |
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PUTRAJAYA: Get ready to be impressed, Malaysians. Some heady events are coming your way in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2007. |
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Among the events lined up are a six-storey-high space shuttle from Russia, a 100m-high ferris wheel to be located at the KLCC and an international fireworks competition. |
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Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said these were only some of the events lined up to promote Malaysia as a tourist hotspot. |
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“The space shuttle – called Buran – will be flown into the country by a special aircraft and will be exhibited at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang. |
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“We won the right to exhibit the space shuttle after winning a bidding war with China and South Korea. The aerospace exhibition, to take place from June until Aug next year, will also commemorate the send-off of our first astronaut into space, which is scheduled at the same time,'' he told reporters after launching the Kemas kindergarten carnival here yesterday. |
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The 100m ferris wheel in KLCC, known as the “Eyes of Malaysia”, will allow rides for the whole year to the accompaniment of a light show. |
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Other events include the famous Edinburgh military tattoo show, and a floral and horticultural show and parade. |
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Last Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced that the ministry would receive a RM149mil allocation in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2007. Malaysia is hoping to attract some 20 million visitors. Tengku Adnan said the ministry would also continue to give subsidies to inbound tour operators to hold promotions overseas as well as for the printing of pamphlets in various languages like Chinese and Russian. |
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“However, I also hope they will go all out to promote other tourist spots in the country. |
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“For instance, when I went to Semporna in Sabah recently, I found that there were more species of fish in its diving spots than there were at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. |
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“Similarly, there are caves such as the Gua Tempurung in Perak and Gua Ikan in Kelantan that local tour operators have not been promoting,” he added. |
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Tengku Adnan said he also hoped that the income tax deduction given for local leave passage under the Budget would help spur domestic tourism. |
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Kuala Lumpur the cheapest city |
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By Sam Cage |
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Oslo and London are the world's most expensive cities, while Zurich and Geneva residents have the highest buying power, according to a report released on Aug 9. |
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Europe dominates the list of 71 cities compiled by Swiss bank UBS, while Asian cities -- including Kuala Lumpur and Mumbai -- are among the cheapest places to live, based on the cost of a basket of 122 goods and services. |
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Oslo maintained its top position from 2005, while London rose three places to second. |
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Copenhagen, Zurich and Tokyo round out the top five, with New York in seventh place globally. |
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But London and New York are the most expensive cities when housing costs are included, said the 52-page report. |
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"It's no wonder that their residents often tolerate extreme commutes in order to find affordable housing," it said. |
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North American workers earn the highest wages, closely followed by Western Europe. But European net earnings are significantly lower because of higher taxes and social security contributions. |
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Total pay packets were biggest in Copenhagen, Oslo and Zurich -- but residents of the Nordic cities lose out when tax is taken into account. |
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"After statutory deductions, people living in the Swiss cities, Dublin and Los Angeles have the most left over from their wages," said the report. |
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London rose from 15th place to sixth in the gross wages ranking, but was only 20th in domestic purchasing power. |
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Kuala Lumpur was the cheapest city, followed by Mumbai, Buenos Aires and Delhi. Delhi was also among the bottom five cities in both the wages and purchasing power rankings. |
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Cities in eastern Europe and China were among the least expensive, while Asian cities have the longest working hours, with Seoul workers averaging 50.2 hours a week. |
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Workers in Asia also have the fewest vacation days, on average 12 per year, compared to a global 20 days. |
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"Western Europe, by contrast, is very attractive for employees who value their leisure time," the report addded.
-- Reuters |
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The Kajang Slender Little Frog which is a rare find |
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16 Jul 2006 |
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By Nisha Sabanayagam |
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Tioman proving to be a biological goldmine |
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KUALA LUMPUR: Tioman Island is the home to 14 new species, including 10 types of lizards, three varieties of snakes and a frog. |
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Following the discovery of the reptiles and amphibians there since 2000, a scientist with 40 years’ experience researching them said there may be more new species on the island which was proving to be a biological goldmine. |
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In 2003, the only gecko in the world known to live in an inter-tidal zone (close proximity to beaches) was found there. |
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Named the Seribuat Archipelago Bent-toed Gecko (Cyrtodactylus seribuatensis) is endemic to Seribuat or Tioman Archi-pelago. |
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Visiting research professor at University Kebangsaan Malaysia Dr Lee Grismer said five more species discovered there were in the process of being officially recognised. |
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Dr Grismer said that Tioman and its islands have a rich bio-diversity which was reflective of its rich evolutionary history. |
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"On that basis, many countries such as those in Central America and China cannot hold a candle to Tioman. |
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"Tioman just blows them away. The diversity here is far greater than any of the other places that I have worked," said Dr Grismer adding that this had been attributed to Tioman having two separate origins for its animals — the island of Borneo as well as the Malay peninsula. |
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These animals have since adapted themselves over the years to the conditions of the islands and eventually evolved into new species. |
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The environmental diversity of Tioman with its various vegetation zones and waterways also allow it to support all kinds of habitats. |
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Dr Grismer said the Kajang Slender Litter Frog (Leptolalax kajangensis) was found in a underground cave situated on Kajang mountain on Tioman. |
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The amphibian breeds in an underground stream that is not exposed to outside light and so the tadpoles lack skin pigments and are pinkish. |
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Other interesting finds include the Tioman Pit Viper (Popeia buniana), the only blue pit viper found in Southeast Asia and is named in deference to the status of the orang bunian or forest spirits of Tioman. |
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These discoveries provide amazing fodder for scientific research, said Dr Grismer. |
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He pointed out that the Bent-toed gecko lives in one of the most harshest environments in the world. |
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"It eats super salty food ," said Dr Grismer. |
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Grismer will be giving a talk on his research work on the Tioman archipelago at the Malaysian Nature Society auditorium tomorrow at 8pm. |
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13 Aug 2006 |
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Better water supply for Redang |
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KUALA TERENGGANU: After more than a decade, tourists on Redang Island can look forward to better water supply. |
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The Energy, Water and Communications Ministry is spending RM10.5 million to build and improve the water infrastructure, including upgrading the Bukit Gemuruh reservoir, setting up water tanks and laying a 9km pipe- line from the Teluk Kalong water tank to Pasir Panjang. |
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Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said discussions would be held with the Finance Ministry over the selection of a project consultant. |
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"We want to develop the island further to attract more tourists," he said after a dialogue with the Redang Island Chalet Operators Association here yesterday. |
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Currently, water is supplied via an underwater pipe from a reservoir in Setiu to Kampung Pulau Redang and the Berjaya Redang Beach Resort. |
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Dr Lim said there were also plans to supply electricity to chalets, which are now dependent on generators, upgrade the sewerage system and introduce broadband services. |
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Association president Marvin Chiah said the announcement would be welcomed by operators and tourists. |
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07 Aug 2006 |
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June Ramli |
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VMY 2007 to bring a lot more fun |
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Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor has had to weather a storm over a proposal to extend opening hours of entertainment outlets, a vital part of making Visit Malaysia Year 2007 a success. He is still pressing ahead, because billions of ringgit and half a million jobs hang in the balance, he tells JUNE RAMLI. |
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Q: In a nutshell, what can the world expect for Visit Malaysia Year 2007? |
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A: Malaysia is actually a showcase and we can expect that more of our cultural ethnicity will be on display to the world next year. There will be a lot of activities for people from all walks of life to do once they are in Malaysia. |
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For instance, there will be a floral parade in Putrajaya in January, an aerospace exhibition brought in specially from Russia and a laser show entitled "Eyes of Malaysia". For me, I think it will be a waste for a foreigner not to come and sample Malaysia during VMY 2007. |
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Q: So will Malaysia be a year-round playground? |
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A: Yes. Normally, we only have 194 celebrations a year on our tourism calendar, but since VMY is coinciding with the country’s 50th year of independence, we have decided to add another 50 events. We are also trying to persuade retailers to have four Mega Sales instead of the present three a year. |
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Q: Why is VMY 2007 important? Does it mean tourism doesn’t matter so much in other years? |
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A: Visit Malaysia Year is a special promotion and this is the third one. The first in 1990 was to boost tourist arrivals and there was an increase of about 50 per cent. There was another 50 per cent increase in arrivals in 1994 for the second VMY. |
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For VMY 2007, we hope to achieve our target of 20.1 million visitors, (then aim) to hit the 24 million target set for 2010, before the end of the Ninth Malaysia Plan. |
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Because the Government has targeted RM55 billion (in tourist takings) for 2010, VMY 2007 is basically to see if we can cross that 20 million visitor mark. |
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At this moment, the tourism industry directly employs about 500,000 people, and two million Malaysians benefit indirectly. It is an important industry for the country. So I hope the people of Malaysia would think tourism and understand the importance of tourism. We must ensure that this industry becomes a successful industry. |
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Q: Have problems such as rude taxi drivers who overcharge and prey on foreigners been solved? |
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A: Yes. The Cabinet has decided to approve 300 licences for tourist cabs for Kuala Lumpur early next year. These cabs would be jointly run by the Tourism Ministry under Pempena and also the Entrepreneur and Co-operatives Development Ministry. |
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The cabs would be painted in tourism colours of red, green, blue and yellow and also display the VMY 2007 logo. |
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It would be slightly more expensive than normal cabs. But tourists and Malaysians alike can rest assured of service and also not be afraid of being cheated or overcharged. |
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The cabs will also be comfortable to ride in as they are brand-new 2000cc Mercedes Benz and Naza Ria multi-purpose vehicles. |
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Q: What about the proposal to extend opening hours at pubs, discos and restaurants in tourist belts to 5am? |
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A: The Tourism Ministry has proposed to extend the operating hours of pubs and restaurants in the city’s Golden Triangle area until 5am to provide tourists with an outlet to hang out during their stay in Malaysia. |
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We are planning to do this in Kuala Lumpur in the Golden Triangle first before moving on to Malacca, Johor, Penang Road and Langkawi. We are also planning to have a bazaar which operates along these areas in Malacca to be opened by the year-end. |
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Q: Where did the idea come from? |
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A: It was not my idea, it is what tourists want. It was based on feedback received by Tourism Malaysia offices abroad from foreigners who visited Malaysia. |
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The ministry has submitted the proposal and now it is entirely up to city halls and local councils (to decide). |
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Q: Many people are betting that locals, and not foreigners, will patronise these outlets. |
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A: That would not be the case. We will wait and see what happens when the proposal goes through. |
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I don’t want Malaysia to become like Bangkok, Las Vegas or Singapore. That is not the idea for this proposal, but more of giving tourists an outlet for them to hang out in when they are on holiday here. |
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Thursday August 10, 2006 |
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Tourists can soon apply for visa on arrival |
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By V.P. SUJATA |
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PUTRAJAYA: From Sept 1, tourists from countries that require visas to enter Malaysia will be able to get visas on arrival at the international airports in the country. |
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These tourists will have to pay RM100 each at the Immigration counter for the visas, which are valid for one month |
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Among the 23 countries whose nationals require visas to enter Malaysia are China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. |
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Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said the move was in preparation for Visit Malaysia Year 2007 that the Government hoped would attract 21 million tourists. |
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“If these tourists come in without visas, they will be allowed in provided they pay RM100 for a visa on arrival. |
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“After one month, they should leave the country. If they want to visit Malaysia again, they will need to re-apply for another one-month visa,” he said, adding that the RM100 is cheaper than the amount they have to pay for visas in their country of origin. |
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Radzi said the visa-on-arrival would be issued as long as there were no problems, and he did not believe tourists would misuse the visas to run businesses or endanger the security of the country. |
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Speaking to reporters after a post-Cabinet meeting at his ministry yesterday, Radzi added that the visa-on-arrival was only offered to those flying into the country as the Government wanted tourists to come directly to Malaysia before visiting neighbouring countries like Thailand and Singapore by car or train. |
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“We want the tourists to spend their money in Malaysia first before going to the other countries, so this (visa) is only offered to those who come by air,” he said. |
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On the implementation of the fine on employers or agents who fail to pick up their foreign workers upon arrival at the airport, Radzi said it had been put on hold for about two weeks. |
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Sunday August 13, 2006 |
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Top US judge impressed by KL visit |
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BY SOO EWE JIN |
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KUALA LUMPUR: It is not every day that a judge of the US Supreme Court and his wife take a walk in the park in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. |
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But that was what Justice Anthony M. Kennedy and Mary did on Friday evening, and they came away impressed. |
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“We walked around the park and we saw so many people with their families, enjoying the beauty of the Twin Towers,” he tells Sunday Star |
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“The people were immensely gracious and very polite with their smiles. The little children were everywhere, enjoying themselves. We will remember that about Malaysia, although this has been such a short visit.” |
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This is his first visit to the country and Kennedy remarked that although we live in a world that is supposedly |
