Malaysia's 2014 Tourist Arrivals Grow 6.7%

PUTRAJAYA, 31 March 2015: The promotion of the year 2014 as Visit Malaysia Year and the investments made in publicity and promotions had certainly paid off. Despite the series of incidents last year, which had negative impact on travel and tourism, the increase of promotion of Malaysia ensured the continued growth of the country’s tourist arrivals and receipts.

Tourist arrivals to Malaysia for 2014 continued to increase, registering a hike of 6.7%. The country received 27.4 million (27,437,315) tourists from January to December compared to 25.7 million (25,715,460) tourists in 2013. 

Correspondingly, tourist receipts rose by 10.0%, contributing RM72 billion to the country’s revenue against RM65.4 billion in 2013.

The top 10 tourist generating markets to Malaysia in 2014 were Singapore (13,932,967), Indonesia (2,827,533), China (1,613,355), Thailand (1,299,298), Brunei (1,213,110), India (770,108), Australia (571,328), Japan (553,106), the United Kingdom (445,789) and South Korea (385,769).

The ASEAN region continued to be the largest contributor of tourist arrivals with 74.3% share (20.4 million) of the total arrivals.

Vietnam registered the highest growth of 21.2%, followed by Cambodia (+14.2%), Thailand (+12.4%), Indonesia (+11.0%), the Philippines (+11.0%), Singapore (+7.5%) and Myanmar (+5.1%).

Participation in various tourism events in ASEAN countries, such as Vietnam International Travel 2014 and Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2014 contributed to the increase of tourists arrivals from ASEAN. Apart from this, better connectivity and increased flight frequencies among ASEAN countries also contributed to the growth of tourist arrivals from these markets. 

The medium-haul markets contributed 18.7% or 5.1 million tourists to Malaysia's total arrivals.

Markets that registered double-digit growth include South Korea (+40.5%), Oman (+29.8), Saudi Arabia (+19.9) and India (+18.3%). Australia, Japan, and New Zealand rose by 8.5%, 7.8%, and 6.8% respectively. China and Taiwan registered a decline of 9.9% and 4.1% respectively in tourist arrivals for 2014 due to the impact of the MH370 aviation incident. Nevertheless, despite a decline, China is still the largest contributor to Malaysia from the medium-haul markets, with 1,613,355 arrivals.

Tourist arrivals from the long-haul markets reached 1.9 million in 2014, constituting 7% of the total arrivals to Malaysia.

Countries that recorded growth include Spain (+35.3%), Turkey (+29.1%), Egypt (+24.6%), Italy (+22.0%), France (+17.1%), Russia (+16.2%), the Netherlands (+16.7%), Germany (+15.9%), Belgium (15.2%), the United Kingdom (+7.8%), USA (+6.1%) and Canada (+4.3%).

Better accessibility, promotions offered by airlines and the wide coverage on Visit Malaysia Year 2014 contributed to the increase of tourist arrivals from these markets.

Besides that, collaborations with airlines to organise familiarisation trips, effective advertising and promotional campaigns, and trade seminars, also contributed to the increase of tourist arrivals from the long-haul markets in 2014.

-Tourism Malaysia.

Malaysians still depend on travel agencies for bookings: GfK

Travel agencies remain the most popular touchpoint for Malaysian travellers when planning their vacations both online and off, according to GfK's Consumer Travel Tracker research.

The research was conducted online in Malaysia from last December to January 2015 with over 500 respondents who had made a travel booking in the last three months.

About 80 per cent of Malaysian travellers use online channels when planning their trips, with 45 per cent using both online and offline platforms and the remaining using only the Internet. Offline channels continue to play an important role as they are still used by one in five travellers.

Around 40 per cent of those surveyed said they use travel agency websites, making it the most popular of all the online and offline touch points. OTAs and airline websites are the next two most frequently used sources, as indicated by 33 and 30 per cent of respondents respectively.

“Consumers are relying heavily on the Internet, so it is very important that travel agencies establish a strong presence on this platform to reach out to a wider audience,” said managing director of GfK Malaysia, Selinna Chin.

About two-thirds of the respondents prefer bundled packages that include ticket and accommodation.

The study also revealed that Malaysian consumers tend to be mid-term bookers, with 41 per cent preferring to book their trips three to four months in advance.

Their top-three booking purposes are for family travel, rest and relaxation, and packaged holidays.

Asian countries remain the choice destinations for 86 per cent of respondents, with China being the most popular, followed by Hong Kong, South Korea and Thailand.

-TTG Asia.

Tourism Malaysia Chairman Promotes MyFest In Vietnam & Laos

HO CHI MINH CITY, 31 March 2015 – The Chairman of Tourism Malaysia Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen is paying a working visit to Vietnam and Laos from 31 March to 5 April, to publicise the Malaysia Year of Festivals (MyFest) 2015 and promote Malaysia as a top-of-mind travel destination.

 

Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng will be meeting Ho Chi Minh City’s travel agents on 1 April and Danang’s travel agents on 2 April before travelling to Laos to meet the travel agents in Vientiane on 4 April.

The working visit aims to strengthen the presence of Malaysia in Vietnam and Laos, and to keep its counterparts in both countries abreast of its latest tourism developments, including its new tourism marketing direction.

 

Tourism Malaysia also wants to build a stronger relationship with travel agents from Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, and Vientiane, as well as to promote the Malaysia Year of Festivals (MyFest) 2015. Besides that, the visit also aims to encourage local travel agents to work closer with their Malaysian counterparts to develop creative and innovative holiday packages to Malaysia.

 

During the visit, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng will also visit Tourism Malaysia offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Vientiane.

 

Tourism Performance
In 2014, tourist arrivals from Vietnam to Malaysia recorded a growth of 21.2% with 285,716 tourists, generating RM560 million in tourist receipts.

 

Malaysia received a total of 26,627 tourists from Laos in 2014.

-Tourism Malaysia.

Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza Unplugged 2015 ( 7 April 2015 )

Bulan April mempunyai signifikan yang tersendiri kepada penyanyi Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza kerana setiap kali bulan ini menjelma, beliau akan meraikan ulangtahun penglibatannya dalam bidang seni. April 2015 dianggap bulan permulaan kerjaya seninya untuk tahun ke 20.

Sebagaimana janji beliau kepada para peminatnya sebelum ini, Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza bakal mengadakan sebuah konsert akustik istimewa yang dinamakan Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza Unplugged 2015 pada 7 April , Selasa, di Panggung Sari, Istana Budaya, bermula jam 8.30 malam.

Konsert yang berlangsung cuma sehari ini diadakan bersesuaian dengan slot yang diberikan oleh pihak Istana Budaya dan beliau mengambil peluang tersebut sebagai pembukaan kepada persembahan berskala konsert pada tahun 2015. Beliau bagaimanapun akan tampil dengan pementasan Konsert Muzikal Fragmen Siti, selama 8 hari di Istana Budaya pada bulan November depan.

Dato’ Siti memahami bahawa tempoh sehari mungkin tidak cukup untuk jumlah peminatnya tetapi beliau berharap agar mereka memahami tujuan diadakan persembahan tersebut termasuk slot sehari yang ditawarkan oleh Istana Budaya. Bagi beliau, peluang yang ada ini harus diambil dan bertepatan dengan bulan April bagi sambutan ulangtahun beliau dalam bidang seni.

Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza Unplugged 2015 ini bertujuan untuk melengkapkan perjalanan seni beliau selama 20 tahun kerana sepanjang tempoh tersebut , beliau belum pernah muncul dalam persembahan konsert akustik secara keseluruhan. Persembahan ini akan lebih menonjolkan kepada vokal Dato’ Siti dan juga garapan muzik oleh Aubrey Suwito terhadap lagu-lagu yang bakal dipersembahkan nanti.

Persembahan Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza yang bakal langsung selama 2 jam ini dianjurkan oleh Siti Nurhaliza Productions (M) Sdn. Bhd.dan kerjasama Istana Budaya. Dato’ Siti memilih untuk menyampaikan lagu-lagu dari album pop beliau yang telah dipilih serta beberapa lagu lain untuk memberikan warna kepada persembahan. Pada setiap album pop beliau akan ada lagu-lagu yang dipilih mewakili album tersebut untuk dinyanyikan walaupun memberikan fokus kepada album terbaru beliau, Fragmen.

Dato’ Siti berharap agar persembahan beliau kali ini dapat dilihat kelainannya berbanding konsert beliau sebelum ini. Menurut beliau ada di kalangan peminat yang sudah lama bertanyakan penganjuran konsert akustik kerana mereka mahu mendengar lebih kepada persembahan vokal Dato’ Siti sendiri.

Tiket untuk menonton persembahan ini boleh didapati secara online di www.AirAsiaRedtix.com dengan harga RM78, RM108, RM218, RM28, RM258, RM278, RM338 dan RM518. Harga ini tidak termasuk caj tiket dan GST.

Selain itu tiket boleh dibeli di Rock Corner The Gardens, KLCC, Subang Parade dan The Curve. Tiket juga dijual di Victoria Music di Sg.Wang, Amcorp Mall, Tropicana Mall dan Bangsar Shopping Centre serta di Box Office Istana Budaya. Bagi pembelian di Pulau Pinang pula, tiket boleh didapati di di Artist Gallery, Gurney Plaza dan Artist Gallery, Queensbay Mall.

-AirAsia RedTix.

M'sia Confident Of 29.4 Mil Tourist Arrivals This Year - Nazri

PUTRAJAYA, March 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is confident of attracting 29.4 million tourist arrivals this year, in conjunction with the Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015 (MyFEST 2015), says Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

In view of this, he said the target could be achieved with a revenue of RM89 billion if the tourism and culture industry players continued to promote Malaysia's great diversity of food in a holistic and relevant approach.

"The private sector and government must work hand-in-hand to ensure the success of this campaign by the ministry, in order to successfully generate more revenue for the country," he said at the launch of D'Tandoor International Group of Restaurants new menu here today.

His speech was read out by the ministry's deputy secretary-general, Datuk Rashidi Hasbullah.

Being a prime contributor to the nation's socio-economic development, Mohamed Nazri said the tourism receipts had increased significantly to RM72 billion last year as compared to RM65.4 billion in 2013.

Through D'Tandoor's global network, he said strategic partnership would provide limitless opportunities to reach out to an unprecedented audience.

"It is for this reason the ministry has embarked on strategic partnership with D'Tandoor, an initiative under the National Blue Ocean Strategy for the restaurant to showcase the best of what we have to offer during the MyFest 2015."

He noted that D'Tandoor, a 100 per cent Bumiputra-owned company would play a role as an intermediary for the tourism industry through their restaurants to promote 'Food Tourism' in the labeling and marketing of Malaysia through its food.

Overlooking the Putrajaya lake, patrons can not only enjoy delicious North Indian food but also Malaysian and Arab cuisine while taking in the beautiful view of the majestic Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin mosque across the lake.

D'Tandoor Food Industries Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Abdul Malik Abdullah said the Putrajaya outlet was the 17th restaurant opened by the company.

"The restaurant has at least 20 types of naan bread and their speciality dish is the 24-hour roasted whole leg of lamb called Raan Srikandi, which can serve six to eight persons," he said.
-bernama.

Hari Kraf Kebangsaan MALAYSIA National Craft Day 2015 ( 26 Mac - 7 April 2015 )

Menghimpunkan produk kraf seluruh negeri yang berkualiti, berinovasi dengan rekaan motif-motif yang terkini bagi kegunaan masyarakat tempatan dalam gaya hidup masa kini.

Anda dijemput untuk bersama-sama meriahkan acara berprestij kali ke-13 ini. Saksikan hasil seni kraf tempatan dan temuilah usahawan-usahawan kraf dari seluruh Malaysia.

Kraftangan Malaysia akan mengadakan pelbagai aktiviti menarik sepanjang sambutan Hari Kraf Kebangsaan 2015. Semua aktiviti bermula dari jam 10.00 pagi hingga 10.00 malam di Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Conlay. Semua dijemput dan masuk adalah percuma. 

AKTIVITI UTAMA

• Jualan Kraf & Perkhidmatan Perkahwinan
  
• Pameran & Jualan Produk Kraf Rekaan Baru
• Pameran Produk Kraf Warisan : Penerokaan Kraf Malaysia
• Padanan Perniagaan (Business Matching)
• Demonstrasi Kraf
• Peragaan Fesyen Tekstil Rekaan Baru
• Program Keusahawanan (Taklimat E-Payment & Goods & Services Tax (GST))

AKTIVITI GALAKAN PENGUNJUNG

• Perkampungan Mini Orang Asli Mah Meri Pulau Carey
• Konsert Masihkah Kau Ingat (MKI) : Yankee-Yankee
• Buskers Challenge
• Pertandingan Dikir Barat
• Pertandingan Ukiran Buah & Sayuran
• Pertandingan Ayam Serama
• Pertandingan Kacau - Kacau Kuali
• Pertandingan Selfie@HKK'15
• Si Comel Meow@HKK'15
• Cultural Fun Challenge
• Kugiran@HKK'15
• Aerobikthon@HKK'15
• Kursus Perkahwinan
• Ceramah Agama dan Malam Nur Kasih Sempena Hari Kraf Kebangsaan 2015

-http://hkk.kraftangan.gov.my/

Malaysia Will Continue To Host F1 GP Until 2018 - Najib

photo: PelanconganKini

SEPANG, March 29 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will continue to host the World Formula One Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit until 2018 said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Najib said Petronas would continue to be the main sponsor for the prestigious event but urged the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) as the organiser to enhance promotional activities for the race to attract more fans.

"We need to develop Formula One here as an event that can receive better response from not only the international motorsport fans but also Malaysians in general.

"We have a few ideas, meaning the SIC has a few proposals. Just that they (SIC) need the support of the various government departments. To achieve the objective, we must move collectively," he said after presenting prizes to winners of the Petronas Malaysian F1 Grand Prix, here Sunday.

The race was won by Scuderia Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany.

Najib said ministries like the Tourism and Culture Ministry and various government departments and agencies must regard the F1 as an important event in their calendar.

While commenting whether an extra allocation would be provided for the race, Najib said the government would try to work it out and it would be more for event organising and promotion.

"We need to promote this event more aggressively," he said.
-bernama.

Vettel wins F1 Malaysian Grand Prix

German driver Sebastian Vettel gave Ferrari their first win wince 2013 at the Sepang International Circuit. - S.S.KANESAN / The Star

SEPANG: Sebastian Vettel put Ferrari back on the winning trail after delivering a surprise triumph at the Petronas Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit.

It was a brilliant strategy by the four-time world champion. He opted to stay on the track when the safety car emerged on lap four. Both Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg – pitted. It proved to be the wrong call for Mercedes as neither Hamilton nor Rosberg had the pace to catch and pass Vettel in the final stint.

The German clocked 1’41:05.793 over the 310.408km race to give Ferrari their first win since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix. Hamilton was 8.569 seconds adrift in second place while Rosberg finished third in 1’41:18.103.

With four wins in Sepang, Vettel is now the most successful driver in Malaysian GP history. He and compatriot Michael Schumacher and Spain’s Fernando Alonso, who retired half-way through the race in his McLaren car, were on three wins each.

Hamilton, however, retained the world championship lead on 43 points. Vettel is three points adrift in second while Rosberg is third with 33 points.

A jubilant Vettel, who pumped his fists in joy as he crossed the finish line, was left speechless for a brief moment as the impact of his 40th victory sank in.

“It has been a while since I’ve been on the top step. My first time with Scuderia Ferrari, I’m speechless.

“Obviously it was a big change over the winter, it’s really a great atmosphere in the team.

“I’m very happy, very proud of today, we beat them fair and square. It is a special day – that is why I am emotional,” said the 27-year-old, who also spoke of his joy of watching boyhood hero Schumacher during his days at Ferrari.

Vettel left Red Bull to join Ferrari after a trying season last year.

“Last year was not a good year for me. It was a great car but I struggled to extract performance from it. This car suits me very well.

“It was a big change last year but the team welcomed me from the very first day. When the gate opened at Maranello, it was like a dream come true.

“The last time I was there I watched Schumacher over the fence and now I’m driving that red car,” said Vettel.

Hamilton was gracious in defeat and admitted Ferrari were too quick.

“Huge congratulations to Ferrari and Sebastian. They had some very good pace today. I gave it everything I could.

“We knew coming into this weekend that Ferrari had made a step but didn’t know how big. They were too quick today,” said the reigning world champion.

The next race is the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on April 12.

-thestar online.

Health inspectors bring conference, health checks to Kuching

 

Kuching. photo: PelanconganKini

The Health Inspector Union of Sarawak Health Department (HIUS) is organising the International Environmental Health Conference in Kuching this October.

This inaugural conference, themed Threats To Health: Uncovering Issues, Challenges and Prevention for a Healthier Environment, Safer World, is expected to attract more than 1,000 delegates, both local and international, said Sabri Sahari, president of HIUS.

The two-day conference starts on October 27 and will be held at Pullman Kuching. It will include plenary sessions and symposiums only for delegates, as well as exhibitions and CSR activities that will be open to the public.

Plenary and symposium sessions will include topics on environmental health management and enforcement, critical issues pertaining to global health, pollution, climate change, trans-boundary and non-communicable diseases, genetically modified food and organisms, world environmental problems as well as best practices in occupational safety and health, among others.

Meanwhile, exhibitions will be held at both Pullman Kuching Hotel and the adjoining Hills Shopping Mall. CSR activities will include free health checks and screenings.

-TTG Asia.

Hari Berkelah di Padang Ekuestrian, Taman Ekuestrian Putrajaya ( 28-29 Mac 2015 )

-Perbadanan Putrajaya.

Festival Desa Balqis @ Desa Balqis Beach Resort, Kuala Linggi, Melaka ( 27 - 29 Mac 2015 )

http://www.desabalqis.com/

Traditional Arts Showcase 2015 @ Auditorium Kompleks JKKN Wilayah Persekutuan

DONDANG SAYANG

Dondang Sayang is a traditional Malay performing art that involves music and singing. It is well known in the state of Malacca. “Dondang”, or “Dendang”, means songs to entertain one’s heart, while “Sayang” means love. Therefore, “Dondang Sayang” is Love Songs. It is believed to be in existence earlier than the reign of the Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century. In its early stage, Dondang Sayang was performed without a fixed musical arrangement. It was only accompanied by musical instruments such as gendang and tambur. The coming of the Portuguese in the 16th century later introduced violin into Dondang Sayang.

DRAMATARI KLASIK INDIA

Idian traditional performing arts and classical dance have been in existence for a long time, and is regarded as one of the oldest of its kind in the world. It is performed as a dance with its own storyline, accompanied by singing and music. The dancers play different characters out of legends, myth and folktales from the ancient Sanskrit Natyashastra writings. Performances can take place in temples and serve as a Hindu religious ritual. Classical Indian dance can be found in various drama versions throughout India. The most well known ones are Kathakali and Mohiniattam from Kerala, Southern India; Bharata Natyam from Tamil Nadu, also in Southern India; Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh, Northern India; Manipuri from Manipur, East Coast of India; Odissi from Orissa and Khatak from Northern India and Pakistan. These seven dances are also well known in Malaysia.

TEATER TRADISIONAL MAKYONG

Makyong (or Mak Yong/Makyung) is a traditional Malay play-dance. It is a play and dance performance that consists of cultural rituals, acting, dancing, singing, musical, stories and textual speech. Makyong is predominantly performed in Terengganu, Pattani, Kelantan, Kedah, Perlis and Riau, Indonesia. Makyong is performed to entertain the crowd and also as a medicinal ritual. It is believed to be in existence since before the coming of Islam in the Malay world. Makyong was performed under the patronage of the Kelantan Sultanate until the 1920’s. As a result, the tradition is intact, even though the costumes worn by the actors have seen some changes due to the influence from the palace’s custom.

GHAZAL PARTI

Ghazal Party is a performing art that combines music, singing, dance and comedy. It has a heavy Middle Eastern influence, which is reflected in the melody of the songs and its Arabic and Malay lyrics. “Ghazal” is an Arabic word that means singing dedicated to women. In the figurative sense, it means love poems. The word party refers to the jubilant mood invoked during a ghazal performance.

MAIN PUTERI

Main Puteri is one of the authentic performing arts of Kelantan. It is also pronounced as Main Teghi in the Kelantanese dialect. Main Puteri is a traditional medicinal ritual that is very popular among the Malays in Kelantan and Pattani for a long, long time. Therefore, it is difficult to separate its function between performing art and medicinal ritual as the relations between both are very close. There are many versions on the origin of Main Puteri, however, due to the absence of authoritative records, various oral sources have been widely cited instead.

OPERA CINA

Chinese Opera is also known as Beijing Opera or Peking Opera. It is a traditional Chinese performing art that combines music, dancing, singing and acrobatic skills. It is believed to be in existence since the end of the 18th century and has spread widely in the middle of the 19th century. Chinese Opera is one of the valuable heritages of the Chinese. Its origin is closely linked to the traditions and customs of the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279). Chinese Opera has widely influenced the local cultures in China throughout the years.

KOLEKSI TARI KLASIK MALAYSIA

Malaysia is a country rich of unique heritage and traditions, cultures and customs passed down from previous generations. The Malay, Chinese and Indian made up the three major ethnic groups in Malaysia, with a few significant ethnic groups in Sabah and Sarawak. In general, the variety of Malaysian cultural traditions is apparent from its unique dances that include Joget Gamelan, Layang Mas, Asyik, Terinai, Tarinai, Tarian Kuda Kepang, Tarian Dabus, Tarian Ceracap Inai, Mengadap Rebab and Gerak Timpuh. These Malay dances are usualy associated with the royal palace, the spirit, ritual and mystical elements. The dances of other ethnic groups such as the Chinese and the Indian originate from their former homelands. Since then, the aesthetically valuable dances have become an indispensable part of the Malaysian culture. They are usually performed widely in the country, to the delights of the multi-cultural audiences.

Get your tickets from:

1. Online at www.AirAsiaRedtix.com
2. Rock Corner outlets:	The Gardens, Mid Valley (TEL: 03 - 2201 4893)
	KLCC (TEL: 03 - 2181 5560)
	Subang Parade (TEL: 03 - 5613 1139)
	The Curve (TEL: 03 - 7733 1139)
3. Victoria Music outlets:	Sg Wang(TEL: 03 - 2148 7208)
	Amcorp (TEL: 03 - 7956 0592)
	Tropicana (TEL: 03 - 7722 2955)
	BSC (TEL: 03 - 2093 1093)
4. Penang outlets:	Artist Gallery, Gurney Plaza
	Artist Gallery, Queensbay Mall
5. Istana Budaya Jalan Tun Razak	03 40265520

-AirAsia RedTix.

iLuminate: Artist of Light

Date: 3 April - 28 June 2015

Time: 8.30 pm (75 minutes)

Venue: Genting International Showroom, Resorts World Genting, Malaysia

You will never have this much fun in the dark again. Be dazzled by these dancers who are all dressed in black as they fuse music, dance and technology using synchronized light displays for various effects. Be prepared to be taken into a fantastic world of rhythmic Electroluminescent Wire and LED's in a live performance of a lifetime 

Find out more at http://iluminate.com/ 

Saturday Matinee Show, 4pm

11, 18, 25 April

2, 9, 16, 23, 30 May

6, 13, 20, 27 June

-www.rwgenting.com

Positive end to final preseason test for the DRIVE M7 SIC Racing Team

21 March 2015
Circuit: Circuito de Jerez
Circuit Length: 4.4 km
 
Bike #63 Zulfahmi Khairuddin - Best time: 2’01.019 (WET)
Bike #84 Jakub Kornfeil - Best time: 1’59.870 (WET)
 
Today the DRIVE M7 SIC Racing Team concluded the third and final day of the official IRTA test in high spirits, pleased with their progress made and ready to race at Qatar.
 
With rain once again forecast for the day, riders Jakub Kornfeil and Zulfahmi Khairuddin utilised the conditions to further improve their wet set up.
 
Making a solid start, Kornfeil quickly set the pace in the first of the day’s sessions. Dicing for the top spot throughout the 1 hour 10 minute practice, the Czech rider looked in good form on his 2015 Factory KTM Moto3 machine. As the chequered flag closed in, a confident Kornfeil launched himself back to the top of the leader board, where he remained until the end of the session as the only rider to break into the 1m59s lap times. As the second session came to a close the 21 year old again took the lead, concluding his testing in Jerez.
 
Teammate Zulfahmi Khairuddin completed the final day with renewed confidence, having made significant progress with his wet set up. Feeling more comfortable on his #63 bike, the determined Malaysian picked up the pace, finishing the first practice in P9. As the Moto3 field took to the track for the second session of the day, Khairuddin continued to show his strength, temporarily topping the timesheets and concluding his testing at the Spanish Circuit in P3.  
 
Feeling happy with their preparations for the season ahead, the team now head to Qatar where they will make their debut into the Moto3 World Championship, under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit.
 

#84 Jakub Kornfeil 
“Today we continued to work on our wet set up and improving the electronics. Sometimes the results were positive and sometimes negative, so we still have some work to do, but overall I have to be very happy; I finished the first practice first and the second practice also first. This is the best way to end the test for me and I’m so happy for this because it’s also very good for me mentally to finish so high. When I wanted to try and push today I could, which we could also see from the lap times, so this is very good. I’m feeling positive and I know that when we improve the electronics more, we will be fully prepared for the race at Qatar. It’s been a difficult three day test here at Jerez because of the weather conditions, so we could not test everything that we would have liked, but we have still achieved a lot and I must thank my team for their hard work.”
 


#63 Zulfahmi Khairuddin
“I felt really good with the bike today. We’ve been working on a lot of things in the wet conditions and from the start I felt more comfortable with the set up. It was again difficult with the varying track conditions but still we made progress and I am very happy about this. The changes we made worked very well and my team did a great job. I’m feeling a lot more comfortable on the bike now, so I’m ready to go racing in Qatar.”  
 
Johan Stigefelt – Team Manager
“We have finished the final three day test here in Jerez. The weather has not been good but we have managed to work through a few of the things we wanted to try. We have done also some good work together with KTM, who have been very helpful to us here. We have also learned from them a couple of things in regards to electronics, so this is good. With these conditions it’s been very difficult to find any kind of setting for the dry; we have just had to work in the wet and make the most of the sessions to try and provide the best bike that we could for the riders and to help them to be comfortable on track.
Today we did two full sessions in the wet and we saw straight away that Jakub was really fast, he was first in both sessions which is very positive. Fahmi also improved the bike a lot and especially towards the end of the second session. In the full wet he was feeling more and more confident and was not that far off Jakub. We are leaving from here with maybe not perfect information, but we feel confident for Qatar because we tested already seven days in Sepang and now from here we have had wet sessions where we learned a lot more about the bike. I’m happy with the test here and I believe we are ready for Qatar in a weeks’ time.”
-www.sepangcircuit.com

The PETRONAS Malaysia Grand Prix Gala 2015 featuring The Jacksons

Synopsis 

Blast from the past as Malaysia welcomes the return of The Jacksons! The 70’s family group, who consist of Jackie Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson and Tito Jackson will be joining us here at the Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on the 26^th of March 2015.

The Jacksons will be joining us in creating a more spectacular Formula 1 week experience. They will be performing their hit singles ‘I Want You Back’, ‘ABC’,  ‘I’ll be There’, ‘Dancing Machine’ and many more alongside their full band all the way from the United States.

Live@Work proudly brings the Jacksons to you

Price Details

-www.ticketpro.com.my

Kuala Rompin Pahang Billfish Packages

-Tourism Malaysia Pahang office.

M’sia now Asia’s cheapest shopping destination

1Malaysia GP Sale campaign by Tourism Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is now Asia’s cheapest shopping destination due to the weaker ringgit to the dollar, according to Nomura Research.

Nomura Asean property analyst Sai Min Chow said he expected the weak ringgit and relatively attractive pricing of goods and services in Malaysia to attract more visitors, especially for shopping in the next 12 months.

Sai, who authored the report, said prices in Kuala Lumpur were between 10% and 20% cheaper compared to other Asian cities.

He said they had surveyed 10 items ranging from accommodation to entertainment in Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur.

“Even if we were to take into account the impending Goods and Services Tax in Malaysia, prices still look relatively cheap. The outlook for Malaysia’s retail market therefore remains positive,” he said.

Malaysia Shopping Malls Association adviser H.C. Chan said Nomura’s findings did not come as a surprise.

He pointed out that Malaysia had been ranked fourth as a shopping destination by CNN for two consecutive years behind New York, London and Tokyo.

“The weaker ringgit only makes Malaysia more cost competitive,” he said.

He said the ringgit, currently trading at about 3.7 to the dollar, has lost about 20% of its value.

“For tourists that amounts to an additional 20% discount for goods,” he said.

Chan, who is also the CEO of Sunway Shopping Malls, said besides shopping, Malaysia offered affordable accommodation, food and travel.

-thestar online.