‘Tourism can uplift orang asli’

PUTRAJAYA: Ecotourism and agro-tourism are the keys to a better economy for the orang asli community, says Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The Prime Minister believes the two areas could help boost their livelihood through job opportunities and entrepreneurship.

He said better income could be generated for the orang asli if they venture into ecotourism and agro­tourism with handicraft and down-stream products and activities as income generator. 

“The government is committed to assisting the community to improve their livelihood and quality of life.

Dr Mahathir said with infrastructure being a catalyst to improve their socio-economy, the government would continue to emphasise physical development for them. 

To date, 84% of orang asli villages have roads, 80% are equipped with power supply and 79% have water running through the pipes. 

“We hope these facilities will be fully enjoyed by all orang asli. 

“They, too, should and must benefit from the perks of development,” he said. 

The Prime Minister said education for the orang asli children was also an important agenda the government was pursuing, through more educational infrastructure and campaigns to create higher awareness. 

However, Dr Mahathir pointed out that changes and encouragement for the younger generation to study must begin at home.

“I am made to understand that there are 1,090 orang asli students in public universities. 

“There are also those who are pursuing their education abroad right up to Master’s and PhD. 

“This is a sign that the community has begun to realise the importance of education,” he said. 

Dr Mahathir also called on the community to engage openly with the government so that good decisions could be made to help them.

-thestar online.

Travel trade relieved as East Coast Rail Link deal back on track

Rail expected to open up new tourism areas such as Kuala Klawang;

Jeram Toi Waterfall in Kuala Klawang, Negeri Sembilan

Malaysia’s travel trade has welcomed the government’s move to resume the stalled East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a multibillion-dollar project expected to boost the country’s economy and tourism sector.

Uzaidi Udanis, president, Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, remarked that improved rail connectivity will make travel within the country’s eastern seaboard more convenient for locals and foreign tourists, while boosting rural and community-based tourism. Small towns are expected to benefit, such as Jelebu, where ecotourism potentials are yet to be tapped, as well as Kuala Klawang, with fruit farms offering agrotourism opportunities.

He said: “Most tourists now go to the islands off Terengganu for snorkelling and water-based activities but Terengganu also offers plenty of land-based attractions which are now known mainly to locals. The ECRL will make it more convenient to travel there and in turn will create more job opportunities and economic benefits for Malaysians.”

Tourism Malaysia’s director-general, Musa Yusof said the revived ECRL project will “renew” interest in the country with several more cities made accessible.

He also told The Malaysian Reserve that state governments will have more reason to upgrade their public facilities, which will benefit both locals and tourists.

Malaysia’s prime minister Mahathir Mohamad recently announced the outcome of renegotiations with China after the project was postponedlast year due to its high cost. After nine months of renegotiations, the government had successfully reduced the cost to RM44 billion (US$10.7 billion) from RM65 billion.

The new rail alignment, shortened by 40km to 648km, will see the number of stations reduced from 26 to 20. The 640km alignment will cut through five states, instead of four states which previously did not include Negri Sembilan. 

The five states are Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.

Arokia Das, director, Luxury Tours Malaysia, expressed relief that the new alignment will spare The Klang Gates Quartz Ridge, which is the longest pure quartz dyke in the world. He shared: “The area is also well for its soft and hard adventure products which includes jungle trekking and rock climbing.”

The ECRL project could resume as early as next month provided approvals from the relevant authorities are obtained. The completion date is December 31, 2026, two years later than the original plan.

-TTG Asia.

Orang Asli reps to be included in Tourism Malaysia, Kraftangan Malaysia BOD

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry will appoint Orang Asli representatives

to be part of the board of directors (BOD) in Tourism Malaysia and Kraftangan Malaysia. (NSTP/LUQMAN HAKIM ZUBIR)

PUTRAJAYA: The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry will appoint Orang Asli representatives to be part of the board of directors (BOD) in Tourism Malaysia and Kraftangan Malaysia.

Its minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi said this was done by taking into account eco-tourism products and quality crafts produced by the Orang Asli community.

He said the move was in line with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's call, wanting more Orang Asli craft products to be promoted and sold at tourist areas.

"This is what the prime minister raised in his speech during the 2019 Orang Asli National Convention today," said Mohamaddin in a statement.

In this respect, the minister said, the inclusion of Orang Asli representatives in the board of directors would be done as soon as possible.

"Further discussions will be held among relevant agencies to identify the board of director posts that can be filled by the Orang Asli.

"Having them to be part of the promotion drive and in development planning with these agencies will secure the Orang Asli's economy as what the prime minister wanted.

"We need to have Orang Asli representatives with us so that we can exchange ideas and market their craft products in a holistic manner."

Mohammaddin added the ministry focused on eco-tourism and craft products because they were sought after by tourists.

"The tourists are not here to see the `concrete jungle' because they have abundant of such attractions in their own countries especially in Europe.

"They are here to admire and enjoy our tropical forests and the Orang Asli are the experts of such surroundings and their settlements are located at hilly areas, which will make it the best eco-tourism product," he said.

-nst online.

https://www.tourism.gov.my/about-us/board-of-directors

21 Asian Media And Bloggers On Food-Hunting Trip To Promote Malaysia As Gastronomy Haven

photo: Tourism Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, 19 APRIL 2019: A total of 21 media representatives and bloggers from Asia recently had a chance to taste some of Malaysians unique cuisines such as otak-otak, onde-onde and oysters. 

They were invited by Tourism Malaysia under under the Malaysia Mega Familiarisation Programme, themed “Come Hungry Leave Satisfied”, to help promote Malaysia’s gastronomy tourism. The participants from Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam explored Melaka, Johor Bahru and Negeri Sembilan to sample the food and visit places of interest.

On the first day, they were brought to Baba Charlie Nyonya Cake in Melaka to sample many delicious types of nyonya kuih such as onde-onde. This was followed by a visit to Nyonya 63 restaurant, a place that serves various Nyonya cuisine. After having lunch, they took a city tour to Christ Church, Queen Victoria’s Fountain and Stadhuys. 

They proceeded to Muar, Johor, a city popular for its pre-war buildings, food and coffee, to sample “A-Class Otak-otak” followed by a cruise tour to Oyster Bay Muar for oyster tasting. At night, they departed for Homestay Parit Bugis to experience the uniqueness of the local heritage and culture in the form of traditional food and performances. 

The food hunting trip continued on the second day with satay for breakfast at R&H Café, Satay Maharani at Muar. The next stop was Johor Bahru, whereby there was a hunt for mee rebus at Restoran ZZ Sup Tulang. Later at noon, all participants managed to see local craft making exhibition at Johor Craft Complex. At night, they dined at Restaurant Spice Villa, a modernist Indian cuisine restaurant which is famous for fish head curry.

On 18 April morning, they visited the award-winning “Desaru Fruit Farm”. They were served with local and other tropical fruits as well as sample a few dishes cooked with fruits, namely asam pedas with passionfruit and masak lemak nangka. In the afternoon, they took a visit to Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast and had water sports activities at Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark.At night, they checked in to Tunamaya Beach and Spa Resort and dined at Nelayan Seafood by The Coast. 

This morning, they returned to Negeri Sembilan and had lunch at Royale Chulan Seremban. The group ended their five-day, four-night trip with a farewell dinner at Restoran Rebung Dato’ Chef Ismail, which was founded by Malaysia Celebrity Chef Dato’ Chef Haji Ismail Ahmad and his friend, Malaysia’s 1^st cosmonaut, Datuk Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor. The restaurant, located at Taman Botani Perdana, specialises in traditional Malay cuisine. Here, the Mega Fam participants witnessed a cooking demonstration by Dato’ Chef Haji Ismail Ahmad and took part in a cooking competition. 

The Mega Familiarisation Programme is one of Tourism Malaysia’s signature programmes to assist in the promotions and branding of Malaysia as the preferred tourist destination in the world. This Mega Fam programme is partially sponsored by AirAsia Berhad (AirAsia), Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) and Malindo Airways Sdn Bhd (Malindo).

-Tourism Malaysia.

http://www.malaysia.travel

Good move to boost tourism

Muhammad Bakhtiar is delighted to have a butterfly perch on his fingers at Entopia

in Teluk Bahang, Penang. With him are Goh (blue T-shirt) and

state Tourism and Culture Ministry director Jonathan Freddy Bagang.

TOURISM players have to adhere to strict criteria before they are awarded the Malaysia Tourism Quality Assurance 2019 (MyTQA) certificate which recognises the outstanding services to local and foreign tourists.

Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik said the seven main criteria were information, initial impressions, attraction, facilities, staff, safety and sustainable practices.

“There are multiple steps, there will be a MyTQA team to audit the place and the panel will evaluate if the certificate should be awarded.

“The certificate is valid for three years and during that period, random checks will be conducted.

Muhammad Bakhtiar said the objective of the award was for tourism players to come up with at least some standard for their attraction.

“We have been getting a lot of complaints about our products, the lack of facilities or conditions of our toilets as well as safety problems.

“MyTQA is a form of recognition for tourism industry players who place importance on the quality of their services and put the needs of their visitors first.

“The benefits from the certification is that it will be listed in the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) and Tourism Malaysia website.

“There will also be opportunities to participate in foreign trade missions organised by Tourism Malaysia, to participate in quality services training courses by MOTAC and weightage to the Tourism Fund,” he said.

Entopia chairman and founder David Goh said it was great to win the award as the standards were higher.

“This is a good start to upgrade the minimum quality and see better grades of tourist attractions.

“To us, we put importance towards education, in relation to conservation of nature.

“Our message is not only to the locals but also to visitors from all over the world, which is to care for nature,” he said.

The other four recipients of the certificate were The Top@Komtar, My Crystal Museum, Dark Mansion 3D Glow in the dark Museum and Queensbay Mall.

-thestar online.

http://www.motac.gov.my/perkhidmatan/daftar/mytqa

Tourism Malaysia Travel Mart @ Negeri Sembilan 2019

PORT DICKSON, 18 APRIL 2019 – The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, YB Tuan Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik has officiated the Tourism Malaysia Travel Mart @ Negeri Sembilan 2019 programme organised by Tourism Malaysia at Lexis Hibiscus Hotel here today.

The one-day programme is a platform for tour operators to meet with tourism product owners and hoteliers from Negeri Sembilan under one roof to develop various domestic tourism travel packages especially for Negeri Sembilan.

The Tourism Malaysia Travel Mart @ Negeri Sembilan 2019 programme, a Business-to-Business (B2B) format, involves the 2-way meeting between product owners and hoteliers from Negeri Sembilan and potential buyers who are the tour operators from Klang Valley, Melaka and Johor brought specifically for this event.

From January to November last year, Port Dickson alone recorded 4,498,083 local and international tourist arrivals.

Tuan Muhammad Bakhtiar, in his speech, said that the programme would enhance relations among those involved in the tourism industry and is a commendable business networking platform.

”In addition, the Tourism Malaysia Travel Mart programme will help to drive the growth of the domestic tourism sector, thus, creating revenue for the country’s tourism industry,” he added.

The Deputy Minister added, cooperation from the tourism industry players is much needed especially to develop tourism packages that are exciting and creative as this would help make Visit Malaysia 2020 a success.

A total of 120 buyers and 50 sellers took part in this programme.

-Tourism Malaysia.

Desaru Coast Gourmet Series - 2nd Edition @ The Westin Desaru Coast Resort ( 26 ~ 28 April 2019 )

The Desaru Coast Gourmet Series is back for it’s second installation! Desaru Coast is proud to present its very own signature dining programme – The Desaru Coast Gourmet Series Second Edition.

The new destination resort introduces and exclusively curated 6-series dining programme that offers a unique and holistic culinary experience for its prestige guests. Rediscover iconic flavours of Malaysian cuisines through new interpretations by award-winning chefs from around the world.

This year, the Desaru Coast Gourmet Series Second Edition proudly presents Chef Christopher James Millar – a Finalisft Chef of the Year for the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence. 

Be the first to savour a one-of-a-kind mouth-watering fusion flavours at Desaru Coast!

Admission Rules:

·  No admission for child aged below 12 years old.

Note:

·  Dress code : Smart Casual. 

·  Cooking demonstration is only on 27 Apr – lunch session. 

·  Should you or your guest(s) not take red meat or have any dietary restrictions, please email the Organiser at nadhirah.razali@desarucoast.com.

Lunch and dinner session:

·  Restaurant : Prego, The Westin Desaru Coast Resort

·  Registration : Kindly present your tickets and NRIC/Passport at restaurant. 

·  Registration time :
Lunch : 11AM
Dinner : 7PM

Dining time :
Lunch starts at : 12PM
Dinner starts at : 8PM

Stay and dine packages/ Stay, play and dine packages:  
·  Check in hotel : 3PM 

·  Check out hotel : 12PM

-TicketCharge.

https://premier.ticketcharge.com.my/shows/show.aspx?sh=DCGS219

Firefly back in business with Singapore

image: Firefly

IT’S good news, not just for Malaysia Airlines Berhad, but for many Malaysians who prefer to use the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang to fly to Singapore. 

The route via the airport to the republic, which was suspended in December 2018, has incurred a loss of up to RM20mil for its subsidiary, FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd, said Malaysia Airlines Group chief executive Captain Izham Ismail.

Izham said the suspension had caused a “huge dent” in MAB, saying that “the exposure, revenue loss (from the suspension) is RM15mil, so we’re looking at RM15mil to RM20mil revenue loss on a monthly basis.”

The point is – the airline business is hugely different from other trades because it’s a highly regulated one and a decision from a foreign or national government can severely impact an airliner financially in situations well beyond the company’s control.

Firefly suspended its operations to Singapore following Malaysia’s protest of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedures for Seletar Airport.

Firefly had to cancel flights and reimburse its passengers because of Singapore’s decision and for many Malaysians, that came at a cost of great inconvenience.

But the Malaysian premium short-haul airline will resume its flights to Singapore from this Sunday, April 21. The airline will shuttle between the Subang and Seletar airports twice daily from April 22 to 28, followed thereafter by six daily flights.

Despite the switch from Changi airport to Seletar, which may seem further away from the city centre, the truth is, the island republic is just a tiny place.

Seletar is in the northeast but its location makes very little difference. It was originally set up in 1982 as a Royal Air Force station and later evolved into Singapore’s first international airport.

But fast forward to 2019, and Seletar is set to become a hub for turboprop operators, private jets and chartered flights.

The new Seletar airport terminal has been upgraded at a cost of S$80mil (RM243mil), is six times larger than the original terminal and capable of handling up to 700,000 commercial and business aviation passengers annually, according to Inflight Global.

According to Channel News Asia, the two-storey, 10,000sq m terminal can handle about 26 times more passengers than the numbers it saw in 2016.

Another reason to rejoice is that the departure area will house four check-in counters, six immigration lanes, two security screening stations and a gate hold room that can accommodate 200 passengers.

It has been a long grievance of Malaysian passengers that they are made to wait for hours at the Changi terminal after landing.

This writer has even complained about the long queue there to the Singapore High Commission and it certainly doesn’t help that the immigration officers – like many around the world – make visitors feel as if they are doing us a favour.

I haven’t been to the new terminal but I’ve learnt that it’s good.

However, I hope it offers good food options and bookshops, although Changi’s main terminal standards shouldn’t be expected.

On safety, it has been reported that the construction of the new Seletar airport terminal included the lengthening of the runway and erecting a new control tower.

Three additional aircraft parking stands will also be installed next to the terminal to increase turnaround efficiency and boarding convenience.

The new Seletar air terminal will complement Changi by offering services with more affordable flight options from Singapore to several destinations – including Peninsular Malaysia and neighbouring Sumatra – through the establishment of more turboprop airlines.

From Firefly’s perspective, there is certainly great hope that its flights from Subang can increase up to 10 times a day and hit a target of 7,500 passengers per week.

Firefly’s appeal has also been its location in Subang and the codeshare of MH and FY, with access to two airports both in Klang Valley and in Singapore.

Equally attractive is how it takes no more than 12 minutes from the car drop-off bay to stepping through the aircraft door at both terminals.

Then, there is the Enrich points for FY passengers to redeem when they travel, which can also be used to earn flights on MH.

On the Singapore side, Firefly is now able to target the North Singapore catchment area, just like it has managed to attract the affluent population of Petaling Jaya, Subang, Shah Alam and Klang.

But convenience apart, the resumption of flights will lead to stronger economic trade and tourism for the country, especially with Visit Malaysia Year targeted for next year.

The number of Singaporean arrivals was 10.62 million in 2018 and we certainly want these figures to reflect more than just Johor as an entry point.

But we would also want to see Chinese tourists coming to Malaysia from Singapore, to be in the Klang Valley.

Almost three million tourists from China visited Malaysia last year, making them the largest group after Singapore and Indonesia (3,3 million) to enter the country, followed by those from Thailand (1.9 million) and Brunei (1.38 million)

Visitors from the three countries formed the bulk of tourist arrivals into the country in 2018.

Chinese tourist arrivals to Malaysia recorded an overwhelming increase from 2.2 million visitors in 2017 to almost three million last year.

The number of Indian tourists grew from 552,000 in 2017 to 600,000 last year, while the number of South Korean tourists increased by 30% from 484,528 in 2017 to 600,016 in 2018.

Besides Subang, the 12-year-old Firefly has the potential to eventually grow to other locations in Peninsular Malaysia and over time, will introduce a connection service that will provide better access across Malaysia.

-thestar online.

https://www.fireflyz.com.my

Ringgit intervention to bring welcome stability: M’sian tourism stakeholders

Ringgit stability good for business, tourism players say

The Malaysian government is considering imposing measures to protect the ringgit, which has been sliding against the dollar, a move seen as beneficial for both inbound and outbound tourism business.

Speaking to University Malaya students recently at a Youths Ask, Tun Answers session, The Star reported the prime minister as having said that “Malaysia cannot allow the market and the ringgit to decline and depreciate further due to attacks by currency speculators”.

During the Asian Economic Crisis in 1998, Mahathir, who was then the fourth prime minister of Malaysia, had pegged the ringgit at RM3.8 to the US dollar.

Manfred Kurz, managing director at Diethelm Travel Malaysia, said that pegging the ringgit again would benefit his longhaul inbound business from Europe where forward bookings are at an average of six months, though the company has also received bookings for summer 2020.

He shared: “We quote in US dollars because the ringgit is not tradable outside of Malaysia. We have to estimate and give a buffer on how the ringgit will develop. 

Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. We are tour operators, not bankers.”

“Pegging the ringgit for a period of time will stabilise the currency from fluctuations and it will be easier to work with,” he opined.

Outbound agent, Stephen Thomas, managing director, Topaz Travel & Tours, agreed: “Pegging the ringgit will be good for us outbound players as we don’t have to speculate whether the ringgit will go up or down in six to 12 months time. Medium-haul holidaymakers usually book their tickets six months in advance, and those planning their trips to longhaul destinations, book 12 months or even longer.”

Uzaidi Udanis, president of the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, shared that a weaker ringgit has not resulted in a significant improvement of tourist arrivals over the last few years. He expects that fixing the ringgit would help to stabilise the economy.

He said: “If the ringgit weakens further, it can result in higher cost of hotel and tour operator services, which depend on imported food and equipment to run recreational activities and transportation.”

Yesterday, Bernama reported that the ringgit was trading higher against the US dollar in early trading on better demand as market sentiment towards the ringgit was lifted by news on the revival of the East Coast Rail Link project.

The ringgit traded at 4.10 against the US dollar, down from 4.11 against the US dollar on Friday.

-TTG Asia.

Tourism Malaysia Surfcasting Tour 2019 - A Journey To VISIT MALAYSIA 2020 @ Pantai Remis, Kuala Selangor ( 28 April 2019 )

-Tourism Malaysia.

Bigger airport needed for Lahad Datu to promote tourism

Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi said he would push to promote Darvel Bay, where Sabah’s very own Blue Ring is located, as Lahad Datu tourism product and called for the area to be protected. (NSTP/EDMUND SAMUNTING)

KOTA KINABALU: Lahad Datu needs a bigger airport if it hopes to see more tourists coming into this part of eastern Sabah, said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi.

Noting not many tourists were visiting the district, Mohamaddin said there were a lot of things needed to be done, including the possibility of upgrading its existing airport to allow bigger aircraft to land.

"Our (Lahad Datu) airport for example can only accommodate Fokker and smaller aircraft and not Boeing. For Boeing to land, we need to construct bigger airport.

"I am thinking of a new airport so that bigger aircraft can come here and bring more tourists to Lahad Datu," he told reporters at a press conference here today.

The Silam MP was responding to a question on plans to boost visitors arrival to Lahad Datu. He, however, said the construction of bigger airport was just a plan but noted if approval was obtained, there should be no problem to get it off the ground.

Speaking further on tourism, Mohamaddin said he would push to promote Darvel Bay, where Sabah’s very own Blue Ring is located, as Lahad Datu tourism product and called for the area to be protected.

"The Blue Ring has been there for quite a long time and we only came to know about it now. It’s going to be a new attraction for tourists. I will be visiting the area and to promote it, the media have to come with me.

"In fact, we have quite a lot of tourism products such as Danum Valley and Tabin Wildlife Reserve, among others. So we will continuously promote Lahad Datu, Tungku, and Kunak," he said.

In 2017, local dive operator Pirate Divers discovered two large slope holes (Blue Ring) after taking an aerial photography with a drone of the Tingakyu Reef.

Sabah Parks, last month, credited Pirate Diver owner Glen Hapirulla for the discovery and called for proper planning as well as sustainable management on Darvel Bay, including gazetting it as protected marine park.

Glen, who mapped over 60 dive sites in Lahad Datu, has described the Blue Ring as diving into a ‘pail’ with its sloping surrounding decorated with patches of coral reefs and sandy bottom reaching down to 17-metre during low tide and 20-metre during high tide from the surface areas.

The area, he said, is rich in macro, particularly the nudibranchs, and suitable for novice divers as well as snorkelers.

-nst online.

Firefly's Back to Singapore!

Hello, Singaporeans! WE’RE BACK! Get ready as we are now heading to Seletar Airport! Book your seats now at www.fireflyz.com.my and save more with Promo Code ‘FYIS12’.
.
Booking period: NOW - 14 April 2019.
Travel period:-
From 22 April to 30 June 2019 - 22% OFF.
From 1 July to 26 October 2019 - 32% OFF.

-Firefly Airlines facebook.

Pertandingan Mereka Batik Malaysia Sempena APEC 2020

Pertandingan Mereka Batik Malaysia sempena Persidangan APEC 2020 merupakan satu pengiktirafan dan keterbukaan kerajaan kepada rakyat untuk bergiat aktif dalam menjenamakan produk kraf Batik Malaysia hasilan tempatan ke mata dunia. Peluang ini menjadikan rakyat Malaysia dari pelbagai lapisan dan peringkat umur berupaya menyatakan jati diri mereka dengan menyertai Pertandingan Mereka Batik Malaysia yang bakal digunakan oleh Ketua-ketua Negara, Menteri-menteri Sektoral, Pegawai-pegawai Kanan serta sekreteriat sempena persidangan APEC 2020.  -Perbadanan Kemajuan Kraftangan Malaysia. http://www.kraftangan.gov.my/batikmalaysia

Warga emas menang RM70,000

RM70,000 milik Mat Dahab Ismail yang tampil juara Pertandingan Memancing Tourism Malaysia di Pantai Bisikan Bayu Semerak, Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, hari ini. - UTUSAN ONLINE/Torek Sulong

PASIR PUTEH 13 April - Warga emas dari Kota Bharu, Mat Dahab Ismail, 64, menjadi juara Pertandingan Memancing Tourism Malaysia Surfacasting Tour: A Jurney To Visit Malaysia 2020 bagi pusingan kedua di Pantai Bisikan Bayu Semerak, dekat sini, hari ini.

Ikan pari seberat 8.27 kilogram (kg) dinaikkannya membolehkan Mat Dahab membawa pulang wang tunai RM70,000 yang disampaikan Timbalan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Perpaduan Masyarakat, Kebudayaaan, Warisan dan Pelancongan Negeri, Datuk Hassan Mahmood.

Mat Dahab berjaya mendaratkan ikan dari spesies Whiptail Stingray pada pukul 9.12 pagi yang merupakan rezeki paling bernilai sepanjang lebih 30 tahun dia memancing ikan.

Pelepasan acara memancing pada pukul 8.30 pagi disempurnakan Ketua Jajahan Pasir Puteh, Abd. Pattah Hasbullah.

Yang turut hadir, Timbalan Pengarah Bahagian Domestik dan Acara Tourism Malaysia, Zurina Abd. Samad dan Pengarah Tourism Kelantan, Hafiz Hazim.

Pemenang kedua ialah Rohaizat Ridwan, 47, dari Bukit Rambai, Melaka yang menerima wang tunai RM12, 000 dan tempat ketiga dimenangi Muhammad Ridwan Abd. Aziz, 26, dari Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, dengan membawa pulang wang tunai berjumlah RM5,000.

Seramai 1,570 kaki pancing seluruh negara menyertai pertandingan memancing yang menyediakan sejumlah RM132,750 hadiah berbentuk barangan dan wang tunai.

Zurina ketika ditemui berkata, program berkenaan bertujuan memperkenalkan lokasi pantai menarik seluruh negara untuk dikunjungi pelancong dalam dan luar negara.

Menurutnya, siri jelajah pantai turut memberi impak ekonomi kepada pengusaha chalet dan peniaga tempatan.

“Kita menyasarkan sejumlah 30 juta pelancong yang akan memberi hasil pendapatan berjumlah RM100 bilion pada 2020.

“Pada tahun ini kita menyasarkan kehadiran pelancong dari Asia Tenggara seramai 28.1 juta dengan hasil pendapatan berjumlah RM90.2 bilion,” katanya.

-utusan online.

Malaysia eyes 60,000 New Zealand visitors in 2020

KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysia aims to welcome 60,000 New Zealanders next year as the country prepares for Visit Malaysia 2020 (VM 2020), a campaign targeting to bring in 30 million international tourists.

Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Musa Yusof was in Auckland yesterday leading a travel trade mission to reinforce the message that Malaysia presented an attractive holiday proposition to New Zealand travellers.

He said Malaysia’s blend of 'culture, cuisine and nature' should appeal strongly to New Zealanders’ innate sense of adventure which was made accessible by language, customs and some familiar aspects of Malay culture.

“New Zealand, like Malaysia, is a multi-ethnic and diverse population living in relative peace and harmony. We hope that this mutual connection will serve as a basis to strengthen tourism relations with each other,” he said in a statement issued by Tourism Malaysia.

Musa pointed out that Malaysia presented an exceptional value-for-money proposition where the Kiwi dollar would go a long way in value, hence offering the opportunity to elevate both the standard and length of stay of the Malaysian holiday.

In 2018, a total of 50,698 New Zealanders visited Malaysia of the overall 25.8 million international tourists arrivals to the Southeast Asian country.

There are currently seven flights per week offering 2,009 seats from New Zealand to Malaysia, the statement said.

-bernama.

World’s tallest tropical tree found in Sabah

Unding Jami on his way up to measure the tallest tree. - Photo from Unding Jami

PETALING JAYA: The world’s tallest tropical tree, and possibly the tallest flowering plant, measuring over 100m high, has been found in Sabah. That would make it longer than a football field if it was laid down.

It is estimated to weigh 81,500kg, or more than the maximum take-off weight of a Boeing 737-800, excluding roots.

Local climber Unding Jami, was the first man to scale the tree in January 2019. He said it was a “scary and windy” ascent.

“The view from the top was incredible. I don’t know what to say other than it was very, very, very amazing,“ said Unding, who scaled the tree to measure it with a measuring tape.

The tree was first spotted by researchers from the University of Nottingham led by Dr Doreen Boyd in early 2018, using an airborne Light Detection and Ranging Survey (LiDAR) where lasers pulses are reflected off the canopy and ground surface.

Researchers from the University of Oxford and SEARRP partners then trekked out to the tree, named Menara, in August 2018 to conduct high-resolution 3D scans and drone flights, which have produced remarkable 3D visualisations of this amazing tree.

The tree is a Shorea faguetiana (common name Yellow Meranti), of the Dipterocarpacae family that dominates the humid lowland rainforests of Southeast Asia.

-thesundaily.