Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA - Fact Sheet

Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA will commence business in the beginning of 2015.

Strategically located within KLIA Aeropolis that is approximately 60 km from Kuala Lumpur city centre and 6 km from KL International Airport. High visibility and it is located near a network of highways that lead to major cities around Klang Valley.

Development Phase 1
~ Commencement - Q1, 2015
~ Site - 115,00 sqm
~ Total Commercial - 25,000 sqm
~ No. of Outlets - 140

Overall concept plan themed Paradise Village, featuring 4 distinctive concepts namely the Sunshine Square, Pier Walk, Tropical Plaza and Beach Walk.
~ Sunshine Square will showcase a luxury street concept sunlit by stylist skylight
~ Pier Walk concept promotes accessibility and connectivity within the dynamic mall space
~ Tropical Plaza promotes a relaxing ambiance enriched with greenery
~ Beach Walk will showcase curvy streets, delighting customers with an ambiance liken to a beach getaway

The architect for the Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA is Nonscale, a Japanese designer well known for its works for Mitsui Outlet Park in Japan, China and Taiwan.

Offerings at Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA
~ Luxury and branded products
~ Fashion Accessories
~ Sport and Outdoor products
~ Japanese Specialty Store - Introduction of Japanese Art, Culture, Music, Culinary Delights
~ Entertainment Centre
~ Sports and Leisure Centre
~ Kids Development Centre and Amusement Park
~ Food Court themed World Food Expo

-MFMA Development.
http://www.mitsuioutletparkklia.com.my/

Simon McGrath takes the helm at DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru

doubletree3.hilton.com

Hilton Worldwide and DoubleTree by Hilton have appointed Simon McGrath general manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru, which is slated to open in July.

McGrath brings over 30 years’ experience in the international hospitality industry to his new position, having held several senior management roles in well-known hospitality brands.

He played a crucial role in the rebranding of DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Phuket - Surin Beach in Thailand.

The hospitality veteran has also worked in Australia, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, and was the vice president of Tourism Accommodation Australia between 2011 and 2012.

-TTG Asia.

Malindo Air Launches Daily Flights From Kochi To Kuala Lumpur With Free Seats

KOCHI, 29 April 2014 – In conjunction with Malindo Air’s inaugural flight to Kochi, Tourism Malaysia have partnered with the hybrid carrier to hold the Malaysia Travel Fair from 28 to 30 April at India’s largest shopping mall – The Lulu Mall in Kochi, India. 

Visitors to the fair will get to enjoy exclusive promotional rates only available at the fair, which will provide great motivation for the people of Kochi to visit Malaysia, especially during Visit Malaysia Year 2014. 

Malindo Air is offering daily services from Kochi to Kuala Lumpur using a brand new Boeing 737-900ER capable of two classes in a 180-seat configuration, with 12 Business Class and 148 Economy Class seats.

Malindo Air CEO Chandran Rama Muthy said, “We are proud to be able to link Malaysians to a world-class international airport in a rapidly growing economy such as India and we are excited to see how the new service will flourish in today’s growing traveller base. We are especially enthusiastic about pulling more tourists into Malaysia because it is a commitment we are making in support of Visit Malaysia Year 2014”.

Kochi is Malindo Air’s fifth destination in India and the tenth international destination for the one-year-old carrier. 

To celebrate the milestone, Malindo Air had also given away free seats to newly-launch Kochi, excluding airport taxes, valid for one-way only. The promotion ended on 27 April 2014 but the travel period is until 25 May 2014.

Stay up-to-date with Malindo Air promotions and happenings via its social media platforms on Facebook (facebook.com/MalindoAirMalaysia) and Twitter (twitter.com/Malindo_Air).

Malindo Air Services for Kochi – Kuala Lumpur (commencing 28 April 2014)

Route       Flight No.    ETA    ETD    Frequency
COK-KUL    OD232    23:35    06:00    Daily
KUL-COK    OD231    21:10    22:35    Daily

-Tourism Malaysia.

Month-Long Kenyir Festival To Attract 150,000 Tourists

photo: www.ketengah.gov.my

HULU TERENGGANU, April 29 (Bernama) -- The month-long 2014 Kenyir Festival at Pangkalan Gawi which kicked off today with 85 events is expected to attract about 150,000 visitors.

State Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jidin Shafee said more visitors would be flocking to the festival this year as there were additional attractive events. The state government and the Terengganu Tengah Development Authority (Ketengah) had been organising the festival over two weeks every year where between 35,000 and 40,000 people attended.

He was speaking to reporters after a visit to the festival site and release of a landmark balloon to signify the start of 2014 Kenyir Festival. Also present was Ketengah general manager Wan Mat Amin Wan Daud. Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said is expected to open the festival on Sunday.

Among the highlights of the festival were Kenyir Helicopter Ride, Kenyir Cruise and visit to Kelah Sanctuary.

Mohd Jidin said visitors could also check out the Kenyir Elephant Village, the flying fox, Kenyir Island Hoping, exhibition by government departments and the private sector, promotion by local entrepreneurs, entertainment, direct factory sales and so on. He said in conjunction with the 2014 Visit Malaysia Year, Tasik Kenyir is targeting to attract more than 500,000 visitors while tourists visiting Terengganu this year could reach about five million people.

"We will be improving Tasik Kenyir from time to time especially in preparation for the resort to be declared a tax-free area in September next year. "Other facilities that needed improvement were places of accommodation and a bridge linking the islands in the lake to ease movement of visitors," he said.
-bernama.

Best Western launches luxury, environmentally friendly resort in Ipoh

photo: http://www.bestwesternmalaysia.com/hotels/haven-ipoh

Best Western International has opened Best Western Premier The Haven, Ipoh, one of the first properties in Malaysia that uses 100 per cent sustainable energy. 

The resort offers 100 rooms and suites all equipped with flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi. Guests can also make use of other amenities such as a four-level lagoon-style swimming pool, tropical gardens, a jogging track, barbecue and picnic areas, a gymnasium, badminton and tennis courts, a children’s playground, café and restaurant.

Best Western Premier The Haven, Ipoh boasts environmental credentials such as 100 per cent renewable energy harnessed from the power of the wind and sun, and harvests rainwater for use elsewhere in the property.

“We are delighted to have been entrusted with the running of this stunning, environmentally friendly resort,” said Glenn de Souza, vice president of international operations for Asia & Middle East.

The hotel is Best Western’s fourth hotel in Malaysia, following existing properties in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. 

-TTG Asia.

IATA Urges Malaysia To Implement Balanced Passenger Service Charge At KLIA, KLIA2

www.klia.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Bernama) -- The International Air Transport Association (IATA) hopes the Malaysian government will implement a balanced passenger service charge (PSC) at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and the spanking new KLIA2.

KLIA2, the budget carrier terminal, will start commercial operations on May 2. IATA Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific, Conrad Clifford said the trade association for global airline industry had proposed for the PSC at KLIA and KLIA2 to be balanced at the RM44 and RM45 level.

He said that IATA is in talks with the government on the issue and hoped to receive feedback on the matter.
"The facilities at KLIA2 is at least the same, if not better than the KLIA. It is not fair to have a PSC that is significantly lower at the facility that is significantly better. "The airlines that are operating at the KLIA also have a distinct disadvantge (on PSC)," he said.

Clifford was speaking to reporters at the three-day IATA Ground Handling Council Ground Handling Conference, Monday.

PSC, or commonly known as airport tax, is paid by departing passengers. The PSC is collected by the airlines upon purchase of tickets and is only paid to Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) upon completion of the flight. Passengers who do not travel on the flight for which they have purchased the tickets are eligible for a full refund of the PSC.

The PSC at the current low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) is RM32 for international passengers and RM6 for domestic passengers. It was reported that MAHB has proposed to increase this to RM35 for international passengers and RM7 for domestic passengers.

MAHB has proposed the new PSC at the KLIA at RM71 for international passengers and RM10 for domestic passengers, compared with the current RM65 for international passengers and RM9 for domestic passengers.

-bernama.

Travel trends are changing this year

This year should see more Malaysians travelling and more global travellers heading out for travels which will keep the people in KLIA real busy. - Filepic

Malaysians are raring to travel even more this year! They are amongst the nationalities most likely to increase their travel budget this year according to a recent survey. On average, Malaysians plan to increase their annual travel spend by 17% from US$2,056 (RM6,710) in 2013 to US$2,414 (RM7,878) in 2014, though this still falls behind the average global travel budget.

Overall, travellers are planning to spend more on their holidays in 2014 with the average annual traveller spend rising from US$5,955 (RM19,434) in 2013 to US$6,136 (RM20,025) for this year, an increase of three percent.

These were some of the findings of TripAdvisor’s, (the world’s largest travel site), today of the third instalment of TripBarometer, the world’s largest accommodation and traveller survey. This biannual study, conducted on behalf of TripAdvisor by independent research firm Ipsos, highlights country, regional and global travel trends, according to more than 61,000 travellers and hoteliers around the world, with 547 respondents from Malaysia.

Additionally, the proportion of travellers planning to travel more has increased across almost all markets. This year, 90% of global travellers are planning to travel domestically (up from 87% in 2013) and 77% plan to travel internationally, up 12% compared to 2013 (65%). In Malaysia, 91% of travellers are planning to travel domestically (up from 89 % last year) while 78% are planning to travel abroad, up by 12% compared to 2013 (66%).

Budgets increasing but travellers still on the hunt for a bargain

South African travellers are planning the biggest increase in their travel budgets this year, up 30% from 2013, followed by Indonesians, Australians and Malaysians. Despite relatively low optimism in the economy (only 11% of respondents and 15% of Malaysians are spending more on travel because they feel more confident about the economy), travellers are not willing to give up their holidays, with many opting to hunt for bargains and make sacrifices in other areas of their lives in order to protect their travel spend.

The tendency to do more research in order to find the best bargain is strong amongst travellers. The majority of travellers (Global: 54%; Malaysia: 75%) say their choice of holiday is often determined by the availability of a good deal or special offer. In fact, TripBarometer respondents both globally and in Malaysia say that ‘price’ (95%) and ‘special offers’ (Global: 44%; Malaysia: 63%) are important decision-making factors when booking their accommodation, with ‘special offers’ having a greater influence on the booking decisions of Malaysians than the average global traveller.

The study reveals that currency fluctuations are more likely to affect travel plans of Malaysian travellers, with 76% indicating that it would impact their holiday plans, compared to 44% globally. Despite this, those affected are still planning to travel; of those travellers that say currency fluctuation will impact them, 53%of global respondents and 54% of Malaysian respondents will research more to find the best price.

However, global hoteliers place higher importance on online reviews than price in terms of influencing travellers’ booking decisions. Similarly, hoteliers in Asia perceive online reviews (61%) to have the biggest impact when travellers book accommodation, followed by price (55%) and recommendations from friends and family (39%). The results suggest that although hoteliers know price is an important factor, they believe that the room rate combined with a good online reputation will ultimately influence travellers’ booking decisions.

Looking ahead at the next 12 to 24 months, Europe tops the list of places global travellers plan to visit (46%), followed by Asia (39%) and North America (32%). Australia and Italy top the list of destinations travellers would choose to visit if money were no object.

Japan (37%) is the ‘dream’ destination for Malaysians to visit in the next 12 to 24 months, followed by Britain (34%) and France (32%).

The increase in travel budgets and travel plans is mirrored in business confidence with 70% of global hoteliers saying they are optimistic about their profitability in the next year (up from 67% in 2013). In comparison to the global average, Asian hoteliers seem slightly less positive, with 63% claiming they are optimistic about their profitability in the next year (down from 86% in 2013). Over half (55%) of Asian hoteliers are also planning to increase room rates with 47% saying this is due to increased overheads.

Online and offline co-exist for travel planning, but user-generated content reigns

Most global travellers (65%) start planning their trip at least three to four months before they intend to go, with just under a third (32%) expecting to book one month ahead of their trip. In contrast, the majority of global hoteliers (65%) estimate that most of their bookings take place within four weeks of the guest’s date of arrival, with the length of time increasing slightly for resorts.

Travellers from Asia are the most likely to book their accommodation relatively last minute, with 23% booking up to two weeks before their trip which is higher than the global average of 16%. Malaysians are more likely to pre-plan their holiday, with almost three quarters (72%) booking their accommodation at least one month ahead of their trip.

When it comes to travel planning, online dominates, with 98% of travellers globally using online resources – 74% of global respondents cite ‘TripAdvisor’ as the most commonly used online source for inspiration when researching and planning holidays, followed by ‘content generated by travellers on travel websites’ (53%). Yet online and offline co-exist. Travellers globally report that they like to use both online and offline resources to plan their trips, with 87% also using offline means, including word of mouth (55%) and travel guide books (45%).

Mobile booking on the up in Asia, but global uptake still slow

Globally, travellers are attached to their mobiles, with a majority saying they use their smartphones on holiday (Global: 91%; Malaysia: 94%). One in three travellers use their smartphone to find things to do (Global: 37%; Malaysia: 40%), and just over a quarter are searching for hotels (Global: 27%; Malaysia: 32%). Despite the increasing number of travellers using their mobile to plan and research, the trend has not yet crossed over to the booking stage.

Three in five travellers booked their last trip online (Global: 66%; Malaysia: 64%), while a quarter of them booked offline (Global: 24%; Malaysia: 25%). For those who booked their last holiday online, three out of ten state ‘better price’ as the reason for choosing this booking method (Global: 31%; Malaysia: 33%).

Whilst online bookings are commonplace, mobile bookings are emerging slowly. Just four percent of travellers globally booked the accommodation for their last trip via mobile; however, China is leading the pack with 10% of Chinese booking via mobile, followed closely by Thailand (9%), and Malaysia (7%) and Indonesia (7%). This behaviour implies a ‘leapfrogging’ from offline to mobile channels in Asian markets.

Three in four (76%) of global hoteliers and eight in ten (82%) Asian hoteliers already have a mobile offering for travellers in place, and of those who don’t, 50% of global hoteliers and 60% of Asian hoteliers plan to introduce a mobile offering in 2014. Almost half (47%) of Asian hoteliers currently allow guests to book rooms via their website on a mobile device, and 31% have a mobile friendly website. While it seems as though the hospitality industry is prepared for a shift towards mobile booking for travellers, there is still a disconnect.

-thestar online.

I Am Ziana Zain @ MITC Ayer Keroh Melaka ( 27 September 2014 )

Date: 27 September 2014 (Saturday)

Time: 8.00 pm (MST)

Venue: MITC Ayer Keroh, Melaka

-www.ticketpro.com.my

Tour operators endangering visitors

Dicing with danger: Tourists being dropped off along the Tomanggong Besar River to take an up close glimpse of wildlife. The practise is not encouraged by the department as it puts people’s lives at risk and stresses animals.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s eco-tourism players are taking great risks when allowing tourists to get as close as possible to look at the endangered Borneo pygmy eleph­ants in the wild.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu said it was a dangerous practice, besides putting tourists at the risk of being attacked by wild animals including the elephants.

“I am really disappointed and shocked over the reports I have received from our wardens from Hutan-Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project (KOCP),” he said.

Wildlife wardens have found that tour operators, guides and boatmen are making stops along river tributaries in the Kinabatangan area to allow tourists into the jungle and try to get a glimpse of the elephants.

Dr Ambu said yesterday that photographs were taken this month, which showed tourist boats from the lodges and villages stopping by the banks of Tomanggong Besar River (tributary of the Kinabatangan River) and tourists getting out to have a better glimpse of elephants in the jungle.

“This issue has been brought up time and time again in the media and at various meetings and discussions. There is no excuse for getting out of the boats and risking everyone’s life, including children, as seen in the photographs. “This kind of behaviour is dangerous for the people and stressful to the elephants,” he said.

He reminded tourism players of an incident in December 2011 when an elephant in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve killed an Australian tourist after she left the trail to take pictures of the animal. It was believed that the tourist had not heeded the advice of her guide to stay on the trail, he said.

“Everyone in Sabah, particularly those in the tourist industry, is well aware of that case. “Yet, we have tour guides and boatmen taking such risks by snapping photographs of elephants in the jungle in Lower Kinabatangan. “If one of the elephants is startled by the camera flash or the presence of human beings, the herd could panic and charge at the tourists,” he warned.

Nurzhafarina Othman, a Mal­aysian doctoral student registered at Cardiff University who has been studying the wild elephants of the Kinab­atangan since 2008, said that a close human proximity to the elephants was unhealthy in the long term.

Borneo’s pygmy elephants.

She explained that it could alter the behaviour of these elephants and jeopardise their movements. “People need to show respect and keep a distance. We need to keep at least 30m away from the elephants. Tourists must not leave the boat during their river cruise. But yet they continue to get close to the elephants,” said Nurzhafarina, who is also attached to the Danau Girang Field Centre.

-thestar online.

Travel Malaysia 2014 Kicks Off To Attract More Singaporeans To Malaysia

Tourism Malaysia Singapore facebook

SINGAPORE, April 25 (Bernama) -- Travel Malaysia 2014 officially kicked off Friday at the Singapore Expo Convention & Exhibition Centre with a hive of activities to attract more Singaporean travellers to Malaysia.

The fair is organised by IBT Investment Ltd and is supported by the Express & Excursion Bus Association (EEBA) in cooperation with Tourism Malaysia as its title sponsor.

Speaking at the launch of the fair, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Deputy Director-General (Promotions) Datuk Azizan Noordin said that the three-day event features more than 100 booths and close to 40 exhibitors, which include express bus ticketing agents, travel agents, resort operators, homestay and property owner and other major players in the tourism industry.

"This event creates opportunities to meet with members of the Malaysian tourism industry to explore new business opportunities, expand existing ones, formulate joint packages, plan event-related activities to further help develop the industry for mutual benefit," he said.

"Travel Malaysia" is a consumer-driven initiative by EEBA since 2005 that is focused on promoting Malaysia as a unique tourist destination and to increase tourist arrivals to Malaysia during the mid-year school holidays.

It is part of EEBA's on-going effort in developing market growth in interstate travel via express buses and coaches to Malaysia. EEBA whose members are mainly express bus operators providing interstate land travel to Malaysia.

Of the 25.72 million visitors to Malaysia from January to December 2013, 51 per cent, or 13.18 million are from Singapore, which is an increase of 1.3 per cent over the same period for 2012. An estimated one third of this number, or about 4.34 million, are visitors who travel via land transport to Malaysia annually.
-bernama.

Nazri: China promo activities to resume when MH370 case reaches closure

photo: MOTAC facebook

KUALA LUMPUR: The Tourism Ministry will only resume promotional activities in China when there is closure to the MH370 tragedy, says Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.

“We have to wait for the right time. For the moment, I am not even thinking or wanting to talk about tourists from China,” he said. The Government, he added, recognised the sensitivities felt by China over the missing plane, which had since adversely affected tourism to Malaysia.

Nazri was speaking after witnessing Malaysian bhangra artistes Manjit and Sukhjit Singh Gill’s third entry into the Malaysia Book of Records for being the first Malaysians to perform in Wembley stadium.

Nazri pointed out there were about 30,000 cancellations from China tourists this year. “There are no bookings for 2015,” he added. More than 1.6 million Chinese tourists visited Malaysia in 2013, making them the third largest group to do so after Singapore and Indonesia.

“They have to express their anger somewhere but that’s okay,” said Nazri. “Malaysia and Malaysians are big enough to accept this during this difficult time”.

Nazri pointed out that tourist arrivals in the first two months of the year was good. “There were 2.4 million tourist arrivals in Malaysia in January, which is an increase of 18% from the same time last year,” he said. “There was also a 6% to 8% increase in February.”

The ministry had postponed all promotions for the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 campaign as a mark of respect after MH370 disappeared from the radar on March 8. Malaysia had earlier targeted 28.8 million tourist arrivals this year.

At the Malaysian Book of Records ceremony, Manjit and Sukhjit, who make up the group Goldkartz, were honoured for performing at Wembley before a 30,000-strong crowd during the UK Asian Music Awards.

Nazri also proposed that there be a Sikh festival to showcase the community’s culture, dance and songs included in the Tourism Ministry’s annual calendar. Malaysia National Sikhs Move­ment has been tasked with organising and holding the festival this year ahead of the 2015 Malaysia Year of Festival.

-thestar online.

KLIA2 Control Tower Is Tallest In The World

www.klia.com.my

SEPANG, April 24 (Bernama) -- The KL International Airport 2 (KLIA2) air traffic control tower has been recognised as the tallest in the world by the Guinness World Record.

Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) director-general Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said the 141.3 metres tower is higher than the control tower of Suvarnabhune International Airport in Thailand (132.2 metres).

"Built on May 1, 2012, the tower was completed in 10 months, on March 1, 2013 and was first used on April 4, one month earlier to enable air traffic controllers to familiarise with the operation of KLIA2."

He said this at the handing over of the control tower from Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) to the DCA by the Acting Minister Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein in the main control room on level 33 of the tower, here today.

Hishammuddin also received a certificate of recognition from a representative of Guinness World Record and the Malaysia Book of Record and also witness the first touchdown to KLIA2 by Malaysia Airlines flight MH604 and flight MH402.

Azharuddin said the training of air traffic controllers for KLIA2 started as early as January, including theory and simulator training and 120 controllers were ready to operate at KLIA2 and KLIA.

"The 24-hour operation involves eight air traffic controllers on duty at any one time in the main control room. "A total of 58 new posts have also been created to accommodate the additional work in the control tower," he added.
-bernama.

AirAsia & AirAsia X To Begin Operations At KLIA2 On May 9

KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 (Bernama) -- The AirAsia Group will move all of its operations to the highly-anticipated KLIA2 on Friday, May 9.

All scheduled departures from the LCC Terminal (LCCT) on May 8 will operate as normal, AirAsia said in a statement. Guests with bookings departing Kuala Lumpur on that day are advised to still go to the LCCT to board their flights.

All AirAsia X (D7) flights will still be departing from and arriving at LCCT on May 8, including flights departing on May 9 to Perth, Osaka, Busan and Jeddah at 12.05 am, 1.00 am, 1.15 am and 2.35 am respectively.

However, a number of AirAsia (AK) flights will be arriving at the new klia2 directly on May 8, instead of the LCCT. Domestic flights arriving at klia2 on May 8 include those departing from Kuala Terengganu, Kota Baharu, Tawau, Bintulu, Alor Setar, Johor Baharu, Sibu, Miri, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Penang.

International flights arriving at klia2 on May 8 include those departing from Macau, Nanning, Kunming, Lombok, Ho Chi Minh City, Phuket, Bali, Shenzhen, Yangon, Guangzhou, Medan, Trichy, Kochi, Kolkata and Chennai.

With a larger built-up area and a brand new experience, AirAsia baggage-drop counters will be open three hours before scheduled departure time, and will close an hour before scheduled departure time for both international and domestic flights to ensure that all guests have ample time to familiarise themselves with the new environment and get to their departure gates on time.

AirAsia strongly encourages all guests to conduct self check-in via web or mobile before arriving at the airport. As all immigration and security counters will still be operational at the current LCCT on May 2-8, travellers need not worry about any inconvenience while going through the LCCT during the transition period.
-bernama.

A Reshuffle In Tourism Malaysia Top Management

PUTRAJAYA, 24 APRIL 2014 –Tourism Malaysia is pleased to announce a change in the top management involving the positions of Deputy Director General (Planning) and Deputy Director General (Promotion) that took effect on 1 April.

Dato’ Haji Azizan Noordin, who has served as Tourism Malaysia’s Deputy Director General (Planning) for the past six years now heads the divisions under the ‘Promotion’ portfolio consisting of Advertising; South East Asia; North and East Asia; America/ Europe/ Oceania; South Asia/West Africa/Africa; and Communication and Publicity.

Meanwhile, Madam Chong Yoke Har who was previously the Deputy Director General (Promotion) since 2012 now handles the ‘Planning’ portfolio whose purview include Domestic Promotions, Research, Information Technology, Finance, Industry Development, and Promotion Support divisions.

Both Dato’ Haji Azizan Noordin and Madam Chong Yoke Har are no strangers to the tourism industry as they joined the Tourist Development Corporation Malaysia (TDC) in 1978 and 1983 respectively.

Before being appointed as the Deputy Director General (Planning) of Tourism Malaysia in October 2008, Dato’ Haji Azizan Noordin served in various positions. He was the Director for Advertising and Publicity Division from 2006 to 2007 and South Asia/West Africa/Africa and Oceania Division in 2008.
 
While attached to Tourism Malaysia’s International Marketing Division from 1996 to 2003, Dato’ Haji Azizan Noordin successfully completed two overseas assignments. He headed Tourism Malaysia’s office in Seoul from 1991 to 1996 and the office in Jeddah from 2001 to 2003.

Madam Chong Yoke Har was the Director of Research Division from 2006 to 2008 and Director of International Marketing (North and East Asia) from 2008 to 2011 before serving as the Deputy Director General (Promotion) of Tourism Malaysia since April 2012.

With their vast experiences in the tourism industry, they are now in the best positions to steer the tourism industry effectively and efficiently towards the realisation of the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan’s goals.
-Tourism Malaysia.

Melaka River International Marathon 2014 ( 8 June 2014 )

The “Malacca River International Marathon 2014” is 1 out of the 80 events held throughout the month in conjunction with the “Melaka International River Fest 2014” state event held from the 24th May 2014 till 22nd June 2014. The “Malacca River International Marathon 2014” is organised by Majlis Bandaraya Melaka Bersejarah & newly appointed event company Heritage In Run [UT0002687-M].

This marathon run will cover a distance from 5 km up to 42km with 13th category listed for marathon runners to participate from. The route encompasses heritage and historical places known in Malacca and the start & finish line will be at Dataran Pahlawan. We hope that this event will further lift the image of Malacca as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and continue to bring a big impact in efforts to restore Malacca River image once known to all in history as "Venice Of The East".
Total Prize Winnings: RM 120,000 cash to be won.

More details log on to http://www.evetickets.com/heritageinrun
-AirAsia RedTix.