Thursday 28 June 2018

Lokasi pelancongan terbaharu

PERKAMPUNGAN Hang Tuah di Duyong, Melaka bakal dibangunkan bagi manfaat negeri
dan masyarakat setempat.– UTUSAN /MOHD. AZIM ABD RAHMAN

MELAKA 25 Jun - Perkampungan Hang Tuah di sini wajar untuk dibangunkan kerajaan negeri ke­rana boleh memberi manfaat kepada masyarakat dan negeri ini dari sudut pelancongan, ekonomi mahupun rekreasi.

Ahli Dewan Undangan Ne­geri (ADUN) Duyong, Damian Yeo Shen Li berkata, langkah itu pen­ti­ng untuk dilakukan kerajaan ne­geri kerana lokasi tersebut merupakan kawasan warisan.

Sehubungan itu, katanya cadangan membangunkan Perkampungan Hang Tuah itu akan di-sampaikan kepada Exco kerajaan negeri berkenaan selain Ketua Menteri, Adly Zahari dalam masa terdekat.

“Mereka (Exco dan Ketua Menteri) sudah tahu apa yang saya nak buat, sebab perkara ini ada disebut dalam ceramah-ceramah saya sebelum ini.

“Mereka pun tahu, tempat ini merupakan satu-satunya kawasan yang ‘bernyawa’ dalam Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Duyong,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika ditemui pemberita semasa Program Kacau Dodol Duyong di Rumah Tradisional Perkampungan Hang Tuah di sini.

Yang turut hadir, Yang Dipertua Persatuan Jaringan Adat Budaya Anak Tempatan (JABAT), Datuk Seri Don Hussin.

Tambahnya, semenangnya ada ada kawasan-kawasan pelancongan yang menarik di negeri ini se­perti di Jonker Street, Melaka Raya dan Dataran Pahlawan.

“Bagaimanapun semua (kawa­san berkenaan) lebih menampilkan ciri-ciri moden.
“Itulah sebabnya Perkampungan Hang Tuah ini perlu dibangunkan menjadi sebagai lokasi pelancongan di negeri ini,” kata­nya.

Sementara itu, Shen Li memberitahu, kawasan perkampungan itu bukan sahaja boleh dibangunkan sebagai pusat pelancongan, tetapi pada masa sama turut mampu menjadi tempat rekreasi untuk masyarakat negeri ini.

Menurutnya lagi, sekiranya Per­kampungan Hang Tuah dibangunkan secara terurus, masyarakat setempat boleh mendapat manfaat dari segi ekonomi sekiranya berjaya dinaikkan sebagai pusat pelancongan.

“Sekiranya dipasang lampu, kesemuanya akan menjadi cantik dan satu trek seperti di Stadium Tun Fatimah boleh dibangunkan.


“Sebaliknya jika dibiarkan sahaja, tidak mustahil kawasan ini akan di­salah gunakan oleh pihak tidak bertanggungjawab terma-suk dijadikan sarang penagihan dadah,” katanya.
-utusan online.

Sunday 24 June 2018

Malaysia Airlines Mid-Year Deals Offers Up to 40% Off Airfares


KLIA, 21 June 2018: Grab Malaysia Airlines’ Mid-Year Deals to over 60 destinations kick starting today to experience true Malaysian Hospitality. The Mid-Year Deals will run until 27 June 2018 for the travel period of 23 June 2018 till 31 May 2019 for domestic travels and from 26 June 2018 until 31 May 2019 for international.

Customers will be able to enjoy up to 40% off during this promotion on Business and Economy class. Over one million seats are up for grabs to your favourite destinations including travels from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney, Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, Auckland, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore, Kota Kinabalu, Alor Setar and Penang. Also available on promo are flights from Kota Kinabalu to Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo and Perth.

The Mid-Year Deals can be purchased through Malaysia Airlines’ website at www.malaysiaairlines.com. Other offers include Enrich miles redemption from as low as 3000 miles, 20% off on travel insurance, seat selection, prepaid baggage as well as the standard seat and prepaid baggage bundle.

Meanwhile, special companion fares are also available with the purchase of Business class seats. Book a flight for two and save more with this great promo.


Passengers looking for an upgrade can do so with Malaysia Airlines’ ‘Last Minute Upgrade’. This service is available within three hours prior to flight departure which allows passengers to upgrade from Economy Class to Business Class or from Business to First Class. Take advantage of this offer and enjoy the added perks of your cabin upgrade including extra checked-in baggage allowance, lounge access and priority boarding. This service is only offered at airport check-in counters.
-Malaysia Airlines.
www.malaysiaairlines.com

Sarawak set to host Asian Tour event

The Arnold Palmer-designed Damai Golf Club is the venue for the SarawakChampionship.

THE Asian Tour will stage the inaugural Sarawak Championship, a new event in Malaysia from July 4 to 7. Supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Art, Culture, Youth and Sports Sarawak, the event will offer a prize purse of US$300,000 and will be staged at Damai Golf & Country Club just outside Kuching.

The Sarawak Championship will welcome the region’s leading stars to Borneo Island where they face stern challenges from a few talented Malaysian golfers.

The state government and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Sarawak, hopes to leverage on the Tour’s global coverage via its online and television platform to promote tourism in Sarawak.

By hosting the event, the government plans to showcase Sarawak as a destination for golfers in Asia and around the world while promoting the beauty of the state through the Tour’s TV highlights.

This is the first time the Asian Tour will host a tournament in Sarawak, after staging Asian Development Tour (ADT) events there from 2012 to 2017.
Asian Tour chief executive officer Josh Burack welcomed the addition of the new event to the Tour’s schedule.

“The Sarawak Championship will be the fourth event sanctioned by the Asian Tour in Malaysia in 2018 along with the EurAsia Cup, Maybank Championship and CIMB Classic,” he said.

“This is excellent news for golf in Asia. Malaysia is a very important market for the Asian Tour and we are delighted to add the Sarawak Championship, which we expect to be a terrific tournament,” said Burack.

“Our Asian Tour players are excited to compete in Sarawak and be able to enjoy the vast culture which the state has to offer.

“Malaysia is a huge melting pot of culture and I’m confident the beauty of Sarawak will be extensively promoted through our TV highlights show and the additional content we produce and distribute on our digital media channels,” he added.


The event will feature 150 players, including 25 or more Malaysians.
-thestar online.

Friday 22 June 2018

GM named ahead of Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast’s launch


Hard Rock International has appointed Yogeswaran Veerasamy as the general manager for Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast.

In his new role, Yogeswaran will oversee the overall administration and develop and execute plans surrounding the 365-room property ahead of its grand opening later this year.

Prior to joining Hard Rock, Yogeswaran was the hotel manager for Grand Copthorne Waterfront Singapore.

He has more than two decades of experience in Asia’s hospitality sector, including W Singapore Sentosa Cove, The Westin Hyderabad, The Raffles Grand D’Angkor, Swissotel Grand Shanghai, Hilton Kuala Lumpur and The Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh.
-TTG Asia.
https://www.hardrockhoteldesaru.com/

SUPERHUMANZ Live Show @ The Gardens Theatre, Kuala Lumpur ( 27 & 28 July 2018 )


Superhumanz Live brings to you 5 World Class Magicians, the finest magicians around the world with the latest transformations in the magic realms, shifting your realities and making what once you thought impossible. Masters in their own realms, Superhumanz Live features an assembly of International award-winning magicians, semi-finalists on Britain's Got Talent, America's Got Talent and Guinness World Record holders, to showcase an action-packed evening of amazing death-defying escapes, hilarious comedy magic and superhuman feats!

Step into the show and let the world's greatest magicians lead you on a spellbinding journey of magical entertainment. Witness incredible illusions and fascinating trickery at every turn as you move from one performance to another - enjoying the excitement of 4 separate magic shows for the price of just one.

Offering thrills that will last a lifetime, this extraordinary arena has announced itself as the new international home of magic.

Thursday 21 June 2018

Promoting Sabah in the UK

Humble spent nine days exploring Sabah.

KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah wildlife adventure package for tourists from the United Kingdom is set to take off later this year.

Sabah Tourism and Malaysia Airlines are jointly-hosting BBC UK wildlife and adventure television presenter Kate Humble to see for herself the wildlife adventure available in Sabah’s east coast regions of Sandakan, Kinabatangan and Deramakot.

Humble, who is on a nine-day wildlife adventure tour, was here as part of a special initiative by travel consultants Wildlife Worldwide UK to feature Sabah for UK travellers.

In a statement, the Sabah Tourism Board said the highlight of the expedition will be the presenter’s mission to see and learn more about the elusive clouded leopard, which can only be found deep in the rainforests of Sabah.

“This place (Sepilok) is extraordinarily well set-up for travellers like me.” said Humble, who noted the large number of locals visiting the centre.

“To be able to see six or seven species of mammals within a half-hour night walk in RDC was really special,” she enthused.

Humble will also be writing her experiences for the Daily Telegraph in the UK.
-thestar online.

Wednesday 20 June 2018

Showcasing flavours of Sarawak

Dona Drury Wee (front, orange shirt), flanked by Wee Hong Seng (left) and Abang Abdul Wahapi, poses with other committee members and participants at a press conference of the festival.

KUCHING: Sarawak Heritage Street Food Festival returns for its second edition on July 6 to 8, offering the best of local flavours and cuisine.

The culinary event, to be held at India Street Pedestrian Mall, promotes traditional delicacies of the various ethnicity in the state, as well as “made in Sarawak” food products.

Themed “A Celebration of Food. Craft. Arts”, the event organised by the Sarawak Culinary Heritage and Arts Committee will feature some 50 participants from across the state who also promotes traditional crafts and music.

Open from 6pm till 10.30pm daily, the heritage street food and arts festival will feature different culinary workshops under the Kino Live Heritage Kitchen themed “Snacks Alive”.

This year’s event also debuts food heritage and cuisines from the Indian and Punjabi communities.

“We decided to hold the second edition of this culinary event following the success of our inaugural festival last year, which promotes ethnic culinary experience for visitors and locals alike to sample and enjoy Sarawak’s food,” the committee’s president Dona Drury Wee told a press conference here yesterday.

Sarawak Culinary Heritage and Arts Committee is a non-profit group, which aims to introduce the state’s rich and diverse ethnic cuisines as an avenue and platform to promote tourism, and enhance culinary arts by encouraging and promoting cultural heritage and diversity through local cuisine.

Wee said visitors and tourists could enjoy traditional dance and music performances such as Sape playing, Gendang, Orang Ulu bamboo instruments and Indian Sitar at the side stage of the festival.

There will also be Chinese opera and Iban Ngajat and chanting of the “Bejawang”, Indian dance performance, as well as Melanau bamboo dance among others.

Sarawak Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah is expected to bring a group of single mothers from Dalat to participate in the workshop, preparing traditional Melanau “Linut” dish, she added.

“We have chosen India Street Pedestrian Mall as our venue as we feel the mall has great potential as a night market venue. We want visitors to enjoy the architecture of the old shops that line the mall, which really enhances the atmosphere,” she continued.

Wee expressed content with Kuching North City Hall’s support in maintaining cleanliness throughout the weekend event.

Kuching North mayor Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai and India Street Pedestrian Mall Committee chairman Datuk Wee Hong Seng were also present.


The culinary event is also held in conjunction with the Rainforest Fringe Festival from July 6 to 15 in the city.
-thestar online.

Sheraton Imperial KL intensifies courtship of healthcare travellers

From left: Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel’s Frank Beck and Ticadoc’s Richard Stevens

Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel has become the first hotel in Malaysia to be certified a “Medi-Secure-Safe Hotel” by medical tourism resource Ticadoc, part of efforts by the hotel to attract more wellness and healthcare visitors.

Frank Beck, managing director of Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel, said: “Our participation with Ticadoc is part of a strategy to expand market reach. It is a platform that opens up opportunities, which does not only translate into business but also in hospitality service offerings targeted at wellness and healthcare travellers.”

“Our platform is to provide medical-stay travellers with assurance, using us as a tool to assess (if their) choice of stay is in accordance to strict medical requirements,” Richard Stevens, executive chairman of Ticadoc said.

To get certified, the hotel had to pass a series of internal and external audit, with a comprehensive list of safety and security compliance to fulfil, according to a statement from the hotel.

Ticadoc.com is a resource that wellness and medical travellers use to research and access information, feedback and ratings. Its Medi-Secure-Safe certification allows potential guests to understand the medical, security and safety capabilities of hotels in which they are considering for accommodation.

In a bid to reach out to medical tourists, a new target segment, Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel also recently partnered Prince Court Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur to launch its ‘Healthcation’ package.



The package includes a one night’s stay at the hotel’s deluxe room with breakfast for two plus health screening, cardiological examination and laboratory test for one person at Prince Court Medical Centre.
-TTG Asia.
http://www.sheratonimperialkualalumpur.com/

Tuesday 19 June 2018

The Magic Library – The New Chapter @ MyTown Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur ( 19 July ~ 26 August 2018 )

- www.ticketpro.com.my
https://www.ticketpro.com.my/others/2318679-The-Magic-Library-The-New-Chapter.html

Time to protect biodiversity

The DaMaI Rainforest Complex, which comprises the Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon (pic), has been nominated as Sabah’s second Unesco World Heritage Site.

KOTA KINABALU: The new state government must take on reforms in managing natural resources and strengthening biodiversity conservation.

Towards this end, Sabah Environmental Trust chief executive officer and founder Dr Rahimatsah Amat spelt out five initiatives that it could take.

This includes having more Unesco World Heritage Site national parks, looking into state marine resources and biodiversity, as well as protecting coastal and marine areas, water catchment areas and wildlife.

“The main aim is to have at least two more of our country’s national parks recognised as Unesco World Heritage Sites.

Secondly, with the success of the Heart of Borneo (HoB) Initiative for terrestrial conservation efforts in Sabah, the state government needs to start looking at its marine resources and biodiversity.

“The Sabah Blue Ocean Initiative (SBOI) is the next big thing for biodiversity conservation in pursuant to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he said.

The initiative is chaired by Datuk Pang Yuk Ming, the former assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment minister, and a report has been completed and is pending submission to the state Cabinet for endorsement, Dr Rahimatsah said.

On the protection of coastal and marine areas, he said that by 2020, at least 10% of such areas are targeted for conservation.

“Currently, Sabah has about 1.02 million hectares of marine protected areas (MPAs) or about 7.36% of its sovereign waters.

“A total area of 7.44% (1.03 million hectares) has been identified to be considered for protection, thus achieving MPAs exceeding the 10% requirement as specified under Target 11 of the Aichi Targets under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diverstiy,” he said.

He also said that up to 2014, 20 water catchment areas have been identified and mapped, amounting to 2.9 million hectares, but to date, these areas have yet to be approved as part of the catchment management plan.

“Subsequently, it is to be followed by declaring the said areas as water protection areas, water conservation areas, floodplain management areas, or river and shore reserves.

“Without a full-fledged Water Resources Director appointed under Section 12(1) of the Sabah Water Resources Enactment 1998, it will be impossible to administer Section 12(2) and the rest of the legislation.

“The Enactment provides the opportunity to collect charges and royalties (as Payment for Ecosystem Services) and rules can be created for the purpose of collecting these charges or royalties under Section 67(2)(a).

“Such charges and royalties will contribute to the state’s coffers,” Dr Rahimatsah highlighted.

Lastly, globally threatened species from poaching and wildlife trade need urgent attention.

“Over the years, incidents of wildlife poaching in protected areas, forest reserves and marine waters have been on the rise, with several major reports of the killing of elephants, tembadau and other mammals.

“These activities must be stopped immediately, and the need to address wildlife habitats and corridors has to be considered,” he said.

Dr Rahimatsah suggested that agencies such as the Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Parks, Sabah Wildlife Department, and the Land and Survey Department, among others, could be placed directly under the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry at the state level.


“All these five initiatives need serious commitment from the state to ensure that appropriate attention is given to having the right resources in manpower and finance to manage our natural resources and biodiversity,” he said.
-thestar online.

Shila Amzah “Loving You” World Tour – Genting @ Arena of Stars, Resorts World Genting ( 29 September 2018 )


Singing sensation Shila Amzah is coming back to Arena of Stars this September after having a sold out concert “My Journey World Tour" at the same venue last year.

Shila is one of the most popular contemporary female recording artists in Asia and she is the first Malay artist to break through the Chinese music market. Her Sina Weibo account has more than 2.5 million followers. She is the only Malay artist with the highest Mandarin single sales in Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan and her single achieved 1 million downloads in just two days on Weibo Music.



She has entered numerous singing competitions and was the first runner-up of Bintang Kecil RTM in 2000, first runner-up of One in a Million (season 2), winner of Asia New Singer Competition in 2008 and first runner-up of Anugerah Juara Lagu in 2011 and 2015. Her breakthrough came when she moved to Shanghai, China and won the Asian Wave in 2012 and then second runner-up of I Am a Singer (season 2) in 2014.
- ticketcharge.com.my
http://premier.ticketcharge.com.my/shows/show.aspx?sh=SHILAAM18

Alibaba's Malaysia Week targets China's consumers

Alibaba co-founder and executive chairman Jack Ma.

KUALA LUMPUR: Alibaba Group has launched its "Malaysia Week" online promotion as the company aims to raise the profiles of Malaysia's tourism attractions and its products to Chinese consumers.

The initiative, which will take place from July 6 to 12, will showcase over 50 Malaysian brands across a wide range of product categories.

"The "Malaysia Week" campaign will showcase an array of "must-see", "must-eat" and "must-experience" Malaysian products and tourism across Alibaba's platforms", Alibaba said on Monday.

The promotion is the result of the collaboration between the Malaysian government and Alibaba.


In November last year, Alibaba launched its international eHub in Malaysia under the electronic world trade platform initiative, which the first outside China.

Alibaba has also launched its national office in Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur on Monday, which was officiated by Alibaba co-founder and executive chairman Jack Ma.
-thestar online.

Monday 18 June 2018

Direct flights from Hanoi to Penang from July 1


AIRASIA will be launching direct flights from Hanoi to Penang with four flights weekly starting July 1.

State Tourism Development, Heritage, Culture and Arts Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said currently, there were seven direct flights weekly from Ho Chi Minh City to Penang, with an average passenger load of 80%.

“Now that we have an additional route for direct flights from Vietnam, we are confident that we will be getting a significant increase of tourists from Vietnam,” he said.


Yeoh had earlier led a Penang delegation to meet 88 Vietnamese travel agents and tour operators during a familiarisation programme in Hanoi last month.
-thestar online.

Perak to reopen Pulau Sembilan by year end after massive clean-up

Tan Kar Hing said the state government is working towards sustainable tourism.
— Picture by Marcus Pheong

IPOH, June 13 — The cluster of islands known as Pulau Sembilan off the coast of Bagan Datuk, Perak is expected to be open to visitors again by end of this year.

The islands have been closed to the public for restoration works since April 2017 due to man-made structures that threatened to wipe out its rich plethora of marine wildlife, including rare plankton that emits a blue glow in the dark along its shorelines.

“The clean up on the islands have been completed. New trees have been replanted. We just need to put up basic infrastructure such as a small jetty,” state Tourism, Culture and Arts committee chairman Tan Kar Hing told Malay Mail during a recent interview.

But he indicated that the state government has learnt its lesson and will be strict in implementing protective measures to prevent further damages to the islands and its rich but fragile marine ecosystem.

“There are seahorses, sharks, turtles, eagles and phytoplankton,” Tan said.

He said the state government is working towards sustainable tourism by limiting the number of visitors to Pulau Sembilan this time and banning the construction of permanent structures such as holiday chalets.

“Visitors wanting to overnight on the islands can only put up tents,” he said.

He also said the state may be adopting the internship programme at Pulau Redang, off the east coast, where undergraduates who visit the island have been helping with maintenance.

Tan said he would be meeting state Ruler Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah to update him on the islands’ progress.

Malay Mail had previously reported that the former state government closed the islands to safeguard it from degradation.

The islands had been advertised as a “must visit” destination during the Visit Perak Year 2017.


The authorities had then said continuous tourism activities would harm the islands’ main attraction — the rare species of plankton that glow in blue after sunset along the coastlines.
-malay mail.

Thursday 14 June 2018

Tourists interest on Langkawi SkyCab still popular despite February setback


LANGKAWI, June 12 (Bernama) -- More tourists are expected to ride on the Langkawi SkyCab, a cable car system operated by Panorama Langkawi Sdn Bhd here this year, despite an incident when the system stalled last February.

Panorama Langkawi director, Datuk Azizan Noordin said the cable car ride which has become a tourist attraction in the island over the last 15 years, is targeted to receive 1.5 million riders, against 1.2 million recorded last year.

"Based on the number of tourists who came after the incident last February, it appears that there have not been any negative impact and tourists have not been deterred from taking the ride," he said when met after a breaking-of-fast ceremony organised by Panorama Langkawi last night.

In the incident on Feb 18, a total of 1,048 tourists and 78 staff were stranded at the top of the mountain as well as inside the cable cars, after a faulty bearing caused the system to break down. However, all the victims were brought to safely after about seven hours.

He said since the incident, in addition to replacing the faulty parts and cables, thorough maintenance was carried out by the system supplier, Doppelmayr Garaventa Group from Austria.

According to Azizan, who is also the chief executive officer of Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), the parent body to Panorama Langkawi, additional safety features such as telecommunication facilities and safety signage in various languages have also been included.

He said even a day after the incident, about 6,000 people were registered to ride on the cable cars and the figures had continued to be within the same range over the next few months.

"We are also planning to bring in an amusement system as additional attraction to the cable car ride and we will continue to upgrade it to meet the highest safety standards," he said.

Being a product that had attracted the largest bulk of tourists to Langkawi over the last couple of years, he said the Langkawi SkyCab would continue to become the yardstick to gauge tourists interest and to spearhead the promotion of other products in the island.

"Last year, foreign tourists from China, India and the Middle-Eastern countries contributed to 60 per cent of the ridership. We aim to increase this to 70 per cent this year through our continuous promotions," he said.
-Bernama.

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Tech3 proudly announces contract extension with Hafizh Syahrin for one more year


The French squad is delighted to declare that Hafizh Syahrin will open a new chapter together with Tech3 in 2019. Following his late call to MotoGP this year, the Malaysian youngster delivered an outstanding rookie performance, collecting points from his first ever race in the premier class and showing an extraordinary learning curve. Yet, the 24-year old very talented rider and Tech3 are happy to continue their collaboration with high motivation and ambitious objectives.

Hafizh SYAHRIN
“It’s hard for me to say and to believe. First of all, I have to say thank you very much to Hervé for trusting in me and giving me this opportunity to stay with the Tech3 family and at the same time to join the KTM family. I also have to express a huge thank you to my manager Dato' Razlan, who helped me to achieve this dream arriving in the MotoGP class, plus thank you to KTM for believing in Hervé and in me. I will work hard for 2019 and I’ll be better prepared, as this is not as surprising as this season. I’m incredibly happy to get this chance, I even feel close to cry for joy. Thanks to everybody and especially to Hervé and Dato' Razlan for always believing in me.”

Dato’ Razlan RAZALI
SIC Chief Executive Officer
“I’m extremely excited for Hafizh to get this opportunity to ride in MotoGP category for a second year. I must really thank Hervé for the faith that he has in this boy. Hafizh Syahrin’s journey to MotoGP is a fairytale story, it’s something that should be idolized by young Malaysians. When you work hard, when you are patient and focused, you can achieve your dream and that’s exactly what Hafizh is doing. He has attracted a lot of attention, especially from Hervé for this year and his continued faith in him together with KTM, so we appreciate this support from the team very much. As a Malaysian, as a fan, we are incredibly excited, finally, Hafizh will get to ride a factory bike, he’s a factory rider and how often can we say that we have a Malaysian who has a factory ride in MotoGP, so we are very happy and of course we look forward for him to come to Sepang and wearing the new Tech3 KTM colours in 2019.”

Hervé PONCHARAL
Team Manager

“Today is a very special day for me and for the whole Tech3 team! Since Hafizh jumped on our MotoGP bike, it’s been like a dream, every single day, because he’s been very fast and a lot faster than some people were thinking and we’ve been very proud of what he did. I know it was a great achievement for a Malaysian rider to be the first one of his country arriving in the MotoGP class, for his first ever MotoGP race, he scored points and since that day he has been consistently battling for the top rookie spot and apart from that, Hafizh is a very special character. He is a very nice young man, very well educated, very humble, very respectful of everything, hard-working, wanting and wishing to learn a lot, which is what he is doing and a very funny guy, too, a fact I like a lot. Everybody who knows Tech3 a little bit, is aware that I always consider my team my family, I always try to have this family atmosphere in the garage. Hafizh fits in very well and he makes everybody laugh. From almost day one we started to work with him, I wanted to give Hafizh a second year, because year one is important to learn, but the second year is maybe even more important to prove yourself. Clearly, for us all to move to our new project with KTM, where we have the insurance that the four KTM on the grid in 2019 will be the same evolution, it’s going to be a massive boost for Hafizh. He will be on the same machine like Miguel Oliveira, Johann Zarco and Pol Espargaro and this is a great challenge. I’m very proud to take this challenge together with Hafizh, always with the support of Razlan. I think we got the best rider, we could have picked for our 2019 line-up and I’m quite sure that Miguel Oliveira and Hafizh Syahrin will be a strong package of new talented and ambitious riders. Tonight, we are a happy team, because everything is clear and decided, so welcome for another year, Hafizh!”
-Monster Yamaha Tech3.

Baik Punya Concert 4D @ Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur ( 26 ~ 28 Julai 2018 )


Baik Punya Concert 4D menampilkan empat sahabat berbakat iaitu Dato’ Awie, Dato’ Afdlin Shauki, Dato’ AC Mizal dan Dato’ Hans Isaac. Ya, 4Dato’ di dalam 4Dimensi! Tiada kena-mengena dengan nombor ekor, harap maklum.

Chemistry di antara 4 orang seniman ini amat kuat dan sentiasa berjaya menghiburkan penonton. Kejayaan filem Baik Punya Cilok, Cuci, Buli, serta pertunjukan teater Cuci The Musical, dan Teater Baik Punya Cilok adalah bukti bahawa persahabatan mereka bukan saja menjadi di dunia luar malah di layar filem dan juga di atas pentas.

Baik Punya Concert 4D bukan sahaja akan menonjolkan nyanyian, malah Baik Punya Concert 4D mempunyai naratifnya yang tersendiri tentang perjalanan hidup empat sahabat ini yang akan dipersembahkan dalam sketsa-sketsa pendek.

Nyanyian Dato’ Awie, Dato’ Afdlin Shauki, Dato’ AC Mizal dan Dato’ Hans Isaac akan diiringi oleh sebuah kumpulan muzik yang diterajui pengarah muzikal terkemuka, Datuk Acis.

Penceritaan Baik Punya Concert 4D pula akan dibantu oleh seorang pelipur lara etnik yang tidak asing lagi iaitu
Encik Kamrul Hussin (dari kumpulan muzik tradisional Geng Wak Long).

Senarai lagu yang akan dipersembahkan pasti akan membuat penonton turut menyanyi, menari dan bersama menggegarkan panggung Istana Budaya. Dari lagu original muzikal Cuci dan filem Baik Punya Cilok ke lagu-lagu evergreen sehinggalah ke lagu-lagu popular terkini. Baik Punya Concert 4D pasti akan membawa anda melangkaui jalan kenangan zaman-berzaman.



Baik Punya Concert 4D akan menemui penonton pada 26 Julai sehingga 28 Julai 2018 pada jam 8.30 malam di Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur. Harga tiket bermula dari RM98! Untuk sebarang pertanyaan tentang pakej korporat atau pembelian secara pukal, sila hubungi Tall Order Sdn. Bhd. di talian 03-4253 2241
-AirAsia RedTix.
https://airasiaredtix.com/baikpunyaconcert  

Tuesday 12 June 2018

Increased Connectivity Set To Bring In More Tourists From Australia To Malaysia


BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA, 7 JUNE 2018: Malaysia is eyeing more tourists from Australia, with the increased airline connectivity between the two destinations by Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air recently.

The reinstatement of Malaysia Airlines’ direct flight between Brisbane and Kuala Lumpur which commenced on 6 June sees the airline fly four times per week, with a total of 1,160 seat capacity weekly.

Australians will also have the choice of flying Malindo Air’s newly launched daily flights from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur via Denpasar, Indonesia, beginning 7 June 2018. It offers 1,125 weekly seats.

With the increased flight capacity, there are now a total of 123 weekly flights offered by three Malaysian airlines (Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air and AirAsia X) with 37,065 weekly seats. Malaysia is now easily accessible via major Australian cities, namely, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Gold Coast.

Tourism Malaysia’s Director General, Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab said, “It is no secret that the Australian market has always been an important market for Malaysia. The addition of these flights by Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air will certainly help boost our efforts to attract more Australians to Malaysia.”

He added, “I look forward to see greater collaboration by the tour and travel industry operators in Australia and Malaysia and I hope they will take this opportunity to develop attractive packages and promote the flow of tourists between the two countries.”

Last year, Malaysia welcomed 351,232 Australian tourists to Malaysia. This year, the target is to welcome 695,500 Australian tourists.

Malaysia Airlines is celebrating the reinstatement of its Brisbane-Kuala Lumpur flight today in Brisbane with some 60 guests consisting of Malaysia Airlines management team, the Australian tourism industry players and media representatives. The Australian Assistant Minister for Tourism Industry Development, Ms. Meaghan Scanlon, and Director of Tourism Malaysia Sydney office, Mr. Ahmad Esa were also present.

Meanwhile, on 8 June, Tourism Malaysia, represented by Mr. Zulkafli Yahya, Senior Director of International Promotions (Americas, Europe and Oceania), and Malindo Air are hosting a cocktail event in Melbourne for a total of 120 Australian agents, media representatives and corporate guests to celebrate the launch of its new flight.


To promote the new route, Malindo Air is offering passengers who have purchased tickets the opportunity to fly Malindo domestic flights to Langkawi or Penang for free. The sale period is from 4 to 17 June 2018, while the travel period will begin from June 2018 till February 2019.
-Tourism Malaysia.

Friday 8 June 2018

Malaysia’s zero GST spurs domestic travel this Hari Raya season

Melaka (pictured), Langkawi and Taman Negara popular domestic choices this Hari Raya Aidilfitri

The current tax holiday that Malaysians are enjoying is spurring domestic travel, with inbound agents and hoteliers seeing an uptick in domestic tour package and room bookings for the coming Hari Raya Aidilfitri (June 14-15) holiday.

Demand for travel is partly spurred by cheaper costs of holidaying since the zero-rated goods and services tax(GST), down from six per cent previously, began on June 1 while the sales and services tax has yet to kick in.

Kingston Khoo, director of sales and marketing at Mutiara Taman Negara, said: “We’re seeing a slight pick up on domestic bookings for Hari Raya. Bookings are mainly for FITs and young families. We see more eco-adventure packages being purchased by millennials such as via ferrata adventure near Taman Negara and trekking to the waterfalls.”

Similarly, Eric R Sinnaya, managing director of Langkawi-based Morahols Travel, has recorded a 10 per cent increase in forward bookings from the domestic market. Clients are mainly from the northern region, Kuala Lumpur and the east coast.

S Jayakumar, director, Dayangti Transport & Tours, anticipates a 20 per cent boost in domestic travel. He shared that apartment stays are popular especially with extended families of five to seven people travelling together. Melaka, Johor and Langkawi are among the destinations favoured by his clients.

Iskandar Zulkarnain, director of sales and marketing at The Andaman, A Luxury Collection Resort, Langkawi, is also optimistic about seeing an increase in domestic family stays. The resort has an ongoing local resident package up to December 22 for the Malaysian and Singapore markets, providing a daily F&B credit of RM100 (US$25).
-TTG Asia.

Tuesday 5 June 2018

Top 10 Tourist Arrivals To Malaysia - January~December 2017 (By Nationality)

1. Singapore 12,441,713

2. Indonesia 2,796,570

3. China 2,281,666

4. Thailand 1,836,522

5. Brunei 1,660,506

6. India 552,739

7. South Korea 484,528

8. Japan 392,777

9. 
Philippines 370,559

10. United Kingdom 358,818

Total worldwide arrivals 25,948,459 (-3.0%)

-Tourism Malaysia.