2020旅游年放眼招亚欧中东客 目标1千亿令吉收入

2020旅游年放眼招亚欧中东客 目标1千亿令吉收入



慕沙尤索：预计能吸引更多来自新加坡、印尼、泰国、汶莱、中国、欧洲和中东的游客。

迎接2020大马旅游年来临之际，大马旅游促进局继续积极在海外展开宣传活动，放眼实现吸引3000万名外国游客，贡献1000亿令吉旅游收入的目标。

该局总监拿督慕沙尤索夫接受马新社专访时说，宣传活动预计能吸引更多来自新加坡、印尼、泰国、汶莱、中国、欧洲和中东的游客。

他说，新一轮宣传活动将于明年1月在印度、汶莱和西班牙开跑;2月是意大利;3月是德国;紧接着是其他目标国家。

他解释，实际上，2020大马旅游年海外宣传活动早在2017年已在伦敦开跑，随后是聚焦2018年1月在泰国举行的东盟旅游论坛。


中东的游客是大马旅游局欲吸引游马的目标之一。

慕沙说，除了通过巡回宣传活动、社交媒体和旅游促进局官网宣传，浮罗交怡旅游配套、郊区民宿和趣味活动配套等也是宣传活动的一部分。

他说，各项本地传统文化体验的旅游活动也能让本地居民参与其中。

慕沙说，相比网络促销配套，多数游客倾向于在门市购买度假促销配套。因此，他促请消费者慎选拥有合法执照的旅行社。

~光华日报~

In support of inbound tourism - Visa

In support of inbound tourism



Visa has announced its partnership with Mid Valley Megamall. At the event, (from left) Ng, Tourism Malaysia Package Development Division director Syed Yahya Syed Othman, Tourism Malaysia Package Development Division Secretariat Shopping Malaysia head, Norliza Md Zain and Mid Valley City chief executive officer Daniel Yong.

KUALA LUMPUR: In support of Visit Malaysia 2020, and its target of achieving 30 million international tourist arrivals, Visa has unrolled a series of initiatives to promote inbound tourism.

“We have year-long promotions and offers in various parts of Malaysia including Klang Valley, Johor Baru and Penang. Visa cardholders can enjoy discounts and benefits at family attractions such as Legoland, Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark, and KidZania, other outlets like BH Petrol and Swarovski, as well as hospitals such as ParkCity Medical Centre and Subang Jaya Medical Centre,” says Visa country manager for Malaysia, Ng Kong Boon.

Aside from establishing partnerships with such attractions, hotels and dining outlets, the company has also established tie-ups with major shopping malls to roll out attractive promotions in an effort to play its part in promoting Visit Malaysia 2020.

To this end, Visa has announced its partnership with Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur recently on Dec 12. Being the world’s leader in digital payments, this partnership seeks to encourage tourists to use digital payment for their purchases during the festive season.

With this campaign Visa cardholders can make payment with their contactless card for purchases made at Mid Valley Megamall here and The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey, Johor Baru, to be eligible for redemption gifts. To sweeten the deal, when they shop on Friday, Saturday or Sunday and on the eve of public holidays and on public holidays, they will also receive eco-friendly metal straws and pans as giveaways for transactions about RM200 and RM350 respectively.

For the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration, Visa and Mid Valley will be introducing another campaign from Jan 5, 2020 to Feb 2, 2020 where Visa cardholders will receive Toys “R” Us vouchers when they spend minimum RM350 with their contactless cards.



Ng notes a tremendous growth in adoption of digital payment.

Visa cardholders in Melaka are also in for a treat as Visa has also partnered with Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall, Terminal Pahlawan and Hatten Square. From now till Jan 2, 2020 Visa cardholders will receive a specially designed Barbie canvas shopping bag when they spend minimum RM300 using their contactless cards.

According to Ng, this is part of the effort to propel adoption of digital payment, which has seen a tremendous growth due to the introduction of e-wallets. Furthermore, digital payments are a more convenient and safe way to making payment, as no physical cash is involved and tourists do not need to walk around with a big amount of local currency.

“Many people have the impression that the exchange rate applied when using their cards to make payment in a foreign currency is not as good as what they can get at a money changer. However, this is not necessarily true, as the exchange rate offered by the banks are just as competitive.

“We are extremely excited to promote Malaysia as a tourist destination, especially to our neighbours in Asia Pacific. Based on our data, Singaporeans, Indonesians and the Chinese are the top spenders when they travel to Malaysia. During this festive period, we are partnering with malls frequented by tourists to encourage them to use their payment cards, particularly contactless payments, when they make their purchases here. These promotions are designed to help boost tourism spend as part of the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign, “ Ng said.

~The Star~

Heavy Rain Yellow Alert 黄色暴雨警报

Kuantan, Pekan, Rompin, Jerantut, Maran, Bera
关丹，北根，云冰，而连突，马兰，百乐

恶劣天气预警！彭柔森甲大雨至周二

恶劣天气预警！彭柔森甲大雨至周二



大马气象局今天发出恶劣天气预警，彭亨、柔佛森美兰和马六甲数个地区预计大雨会持续至下周二。

气象局总监再兰西蒙周日发文告说，受影响地区是彭亨云冰，以及柔佛昔加末、居銮、丰盛港、古来和哥打丁宜。

此外，他说，气象局也发出大雨警报，涉及地区有彭亨马兰、关丹、百乐、北根；柔佛东甲、麻坡、峇株巴辖、笨珍和新山。

他说，该局也向森州瓜拉庇劳、林茂、仁保和淡杯，以及整个马六甲发出大雨警报。

~光华日报~

East Coast train operation changes

KTMB announces East Coast train operation changes due to monsoon season



Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) has announced some changes involving train services from the Tumpat, Wakaf Bharu, and Pasir Mas stations due to the monsoon season in the East Coast.

KTMB corporate communications chief Ahmad 'Asri Khalbi in a statement today said passengers scheduled to depart from the three stations should instead board the train from the Tanah Merah station.

“Train No. 27 scheduled to depart from Tumpat to JB Sentral at 6.50 pm, will now begin its journey from the Tanah Merah Station at 7.49 pm,” he said, adding that the changes would remain until further notice.

Ahmad ‘Asri said passengers could make changes to the date and time of their respective journeys, or cancel their trip for a full refund.

“KTMB also urges passengers to get the latest updates on train operations in the East Coast by contacting the 24-hour Customer Service Centre at 03-22671200.

"Updates are also available through the official website at www.ktmb.com.my or ‘ktmberhad’ (Facebook), ‘ktmbofficial’ (Instagram), @ktm_berhad (Twitter)," he added.

-- BERNAMA

Taman Negara entrance fee going up

Taman Negara entrance fee going up after 70 years



The Taman Negara entrance fee has not been raised for 70 years, so come Jan 1, 2020, the state government will increase it from RM1 to RM10 for children aged below 12, RM30 for those aged 13 – 60 and RM15 for those above 61.

“The revision is part of initiatives to improve efficiency and reduce revenue leakage, aside from increasing income which will help the state become independent.

“Greater revenue will benefit the rakyat through aid and development projects,” said Pahang Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, at a gathering of civil servants at Dewan Jubli Perak Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah today.

Pahang State Executive Council Members and State Secretary, Datuk Seri Dr Sallehuddin Ishak, were also present.

Wan Rosdy announced he was very pleased with the performance and achievements of Pahang’s civil servants who ultimately hold the success of a government in their hands.

He said that as an opposition state, Pahang must be capable of raising revenue and continuing its success in line with the motto of “Maju Terus Pahang”.

Becoming more attractive to foreign investors and conglomerates, improving arrears collection and introducing taxes that are not burdensome are some of the initiatives being introduced to increase revenue.

-- BERNAMA

Nasi Goreng Pattaya

Nasi Goreng Pattaya, or simply nasi pattaya, is a Southeast Asian fried rice dish made by covering or wrapping chicken fried rice, in thin fried egg or omelette. 

Despite its name, the dish is believed to originate from Malaysia, and today is also commonly found in Indonesia and Singapore. It is often served with chili sauce, tomato ketchup, slices of cucumber, and keropok.

~wikipedia~

More than 20 million tourists in first 9 months of 2019

Malaysia records more than 20 million tourists in first 9 months of 2019

Malaysia saw positive growth in the tourism sector in the first half of this year, boosted by stronger international tourist arrivals.

International tourist arrivals stood at 20,109,203 tourists between January and September, an increase of 3.7 per cent, compared to 19,386,115 visitors during the same period last year.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi said the top 10 countries with the highest contribution of tourist arrivals was Singapore with 7,868,755 visitors, followed by Indonesia (2,792,776); China (2,413,956); Thailand (1,442,224); Brunei (929,789); India (539,167); South Korea (508,080); Vietnam (323,393); Japan (321,283) and the Philippines (317,294).

“Tourist receipts for the same period in 2019 reached RM66.14 billion compared to RM61.85 billion for the same period in 2018, indicating an increase of 6.9 per cent.

“The main contributors to the tourist expenditure were Singapore (RM16.3 billion), China (RM12.8 billion), Indonesia (RM8.8 billion), Thailand (RM2.8 billion) and India (RM2.5 billion).

“Per capita expenditure for the period of January to September also grew by 3.1 per cent from RM3,190.5 to RM3,289.3,” he said today in announcing the third quarter performance of the tourism sector.



Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi left). - NSTP/LUQMAN HAKIM ZUBIR. The short haul market, Mohamaddin said, had retained its position as the largest contributor of tourists to Malaysia with a share of 68.7 per cent.

The contribution of tourists from the medium haul market was 21.6 per cent, while the share of tourists from the long haul market was 9.7 per cent, he added.

“The highest per capita according to market distance saw Saudi Arabia recording the most for long haul at RM11,394.4; China at RM5,301.5 for medium haul and Vietnam at RM3,356.3 for short haul.”

The minister also said the haze which had shrouded Malaysia and neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Brunei had affected the momentum of tourist arrivals.

“I believe the tourist arrivals could be better without the haze.”

Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Musa Yusof said he believed that Malaysia would be able to achieve this year’s tourist arrival target of 28 million.

He said there would be a significant number of tourist arrivals towards the year end, especially in December from countries experiencing winter.

Malaysia normally records about 2.5 million tourist arrivals in Dec.

On tourist arrivals from China, Musa said Malaysia was still favoured by visitors from the country.

~New Straits Times~

Kuantan river reaches dangerous level

Kuantan river reaches dangerous level; flooding hits Setiu



As of 11pm, the river is at 36.9m – almost a metre above its dangerous level. NSTP/Courtesy NSTP reader

State Disaster Management Agencies are on high alert after Sungai Lembing breached its ‘dangerous’ level on Thursday night.

As of 11pm, the river is at 36.9m – almost a metre above its dangerous level.

According to Kuantan police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Noor Yusof Ali, who is also disaster operations commander for Kuantan, the river’s water level rose as a result of a continuous downpour since Thursday evening.

"If the thunderstorm in the area continues, the chances of flash floods occurring are very high.

"The (rising water level) could also affect Panching and Kuantan town, as it coincides with the high tide" he said.

Mohamad Noor said all agencies are surveying their respective sectors and making preparations to carry out rescue operations in the event of flooding.

Meanwhile, several areas in Setiu, Terengganu, were inundated by floodwaters at 10pm on Thursday night.

According to the state Disaster Management Agency, floodwaters near Jalan Kampung Bukit/Alur Lik are up to 0.6m deep.

Roads in the area are now closed to all light vehicles and motorists are urged to use alternative routes to travel to and from Kampung Tayor and Kampung Bukit.

~New Straits Times~

Decision on Airbnb next year, says Tourism D-G

Decision on Airbnb next year, says Tourism D-G



Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Musa Yusof said to address the problem, the committee would continue to discuss the issue to find suitable solution. -BERNAMA

The task force on short-term residential accommodation, Airbnb will announce its decision by early next year, Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Musa Yusof said today.

He said the task force was set up to regulate Airbnb accommodations nationwide and would take note of examples from other countries such as France, Singapore and Japan.

“We will look into the issue. What we have implemented throu\gh the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and the agency under the Housing and Local Government Ministry, is that we already set up a task force to look at what other countries have implemented in terms of Airbnb-type rentals.

“We expect to announce the decision early next year and it needs to be regulated. For example, in some locations, Airbnb accommodations are allowed but not in the big cities where there are hotels available,” he told reporters after launching the Visit Malaysia (VMY) 2020 Kick Off conference here today.

He said this in response to complaints made by hoteliers who claimed of experiencing a decline in occupancy rate despite the high number of tourists arriving in the country as most of them were choosing Airbnb.

Musa said to address the problem, the committee would continue to discuss the issue to find suitable solution.

“The concept of Airbnb in Europe and the US are different than it is in Asia. The Airbnb accommodations that I used to stay at, either in Europe or in the US, the guests stayed with the hosts, and we already have this concept here for the past 30 years and we call it homestay.

Homestay is more for the experiences while Airbnb is more of an accommodation. Only in Malaysia, the visitors are not staying with the owner and this will be regulated,” he said.

He said the matter would be looked at as a whole as there were several joint management bodies had disallowed Airbnb to operate in the condominium building as it was viewed as disruption.

Meanwhile, commenting on the conference, he said it was launched to further promote the promotional activities of the VMY 2020 campaign in the northern states. -- Bernama

Red flag warning at all Pahang beaches, lifeguards on standby

Red flag warning at all Pahang beaches, lifeguards on standby



Red flags have been raised at all popular beaches in the state to warn beach-goers about potential strong waves during the monsoon season. - NSTP/FARIZUL HAFIZ AWANG

Pantai Teluk Chempedak, Sepat, Batu Hitam and Balok are now closed to swimmers and all water activities are prohibited due the possibility of unusual high-tide phenomenon.

State Civil Defence Force (APM) director Zainal Yusoff said the popular beaches here have been declared unsafe for swimming activities and people should stay away from entering the water.

He said lifeguards from APM were stationed during weekends and school holidays at the major beaches here between 9am and 7pm to warn beach-goers and attend to any emergencies at the beach.

“Six lifeguards will be stationed at designated beaches to monitor from the watch towers, and patrol the beach stretch on foot and motorcycles.

“Each team is equipped with jet skis, boats and our lifeguards are skilled in first aid and CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation).

“There is an increase of visitors at the beach due to the school holidays. We advise the public to cooperate and listen to instructions from the lifeguards,” he said today.

Zainal agreed that despite the red flags, people were not paying attention and some continue to enter the water with their children.

“They give various reasons including the weather is hot and there is no signs of rough seas, or insisted they are good swimmers.

“Our lifeguards do their best to remind the public about the danger posed by the waves and try to ensure the public do not take any risks," he said.

Meanwhile, Zainal said heavy rain in Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin over the past two days did not affect water levels at major rivers in Pahang.

On a separate note, State Secretary Datuk Seri Sallehuddin Ishak said all outdoor recreational activities in Pahang have been suspended between Nov 20 and Jan 20 next year, or a date to be announced later.

~New Straits Times~

Yellow weather alert in east coast from tomorrow

Yellow weather alert in east coast from tomorrow



The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a yellow weather alert in almost all areas throughout Kelantan and Terengganu, as well as several districts in Pahang following the east wind surge expected in the region from Nov 25 (tomorrow) which can bring continuous heavy rainfall.

Its director-general Jailan Simon said the areas involved in Pahang were Jerantut, Maran, Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin.

“Strong winds with speeds of 40 to 50 km/h with waves as high as 3.5 metres are expected to occur in waters off the respective states, and the weather warning is effective from Nov 25 to 27 (Wed).

"In addition, the seawater level is also expected to rise due to the high tide during the period.

"The incident could pose a risk of seawater overflowing along the coast and into river mouths in these areas," he said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, he said, as the weather on the east coast was expected to improve, the orange weather alert issued on 2 pm on Nov 22 for Terengganu (Kemaman district) and Pahang (Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin) had been downgraded to a yellow alert, while in Johor the warning had been lifted.

-- BERNAMA

Sungai Lembing Bus Schedule (Rapid Kuantan 500)

Teluk Chempedak Beach Bus Schedule (Rapid Kuantan 200)

Bukit Gambang Resort Bus Schedule (Rapid Kuantan 100)

ECRL Map

Overload caused KTM server crash

Overload caused KTM server crash



KTM Bhd (KTMB) attributed “overwhelming demand” for ETS tickets that caused its ticketing servers to crash on Monday, frustrating tens of thousands of commuters.

The deluge, according to KTMB chief executive officer Datuk Kamarulzaman Zainal, came from the combination of demand associated with year-end school holidays, Christmas, Chinese New Year and Thaipusam, all of which was taking place from December until the end of February.

“We used to sell our tickets on a month-to-month basis but as we managed to secure a confirmed schedule from the contractor of the Klang Valley Double Track (KVDT) rehabilitation, we decided to open up the sale for the three-month block,” he told a press conference.

The KVDT rehabilitation is a massive project that had caused severe disruption to KTMB’s services running within the Klang Valley over the past few years as cargo, intercity, Komuter and ETS trains share either a pair of tracks and at work bottlenecks, only a single track.

Kamarulzaman said KTMB did its calculations before opening for the three-month block for sale on Monday.

“By our estimation, the ticketing system is supposed to be able to deal with the load,” he said adding that KTMB was also saddled with a “legacy” IT infrastructure that was purchased in 2000.

“It took up to 30 minutes to sell one ticket on Monday, and yesterday the time dropped to two minutes.

“We are truly sorry our customers had such an unpleasant experience,” he said, adding that the improvement was the result of several quick measures that were immediately implemented to address the situation.

Firstly, KTMB increased the bandwidth to its servers from 100Mbps to 200Mbps and secondly, it increased the number of central processing units used in its servers from 10 to 15.

For a longer-term solution, KTMB is embarking on a drive to embrace full digitisation of its infrastructure and services with substantial progress to be seen by the third quarter of next year.

“We already have a consultant studying our system so that it could be revamped.

“We expect to use ticketing systems that are on par with those used in aviation ticketing, as far as stability and reliability are concerned,” he said, adding that KTMB’s servers recorded nearly 400,000 users when sales opened, causing severe congestion.

Despite the chaos, KTMB still managed to sell up to 57,000 tickets by 10pm on Monday, with popular destinations being mostly north-bound, to places like Butterworth and Padang Besar.

A survey by The Star at KL Sentral yesterday found that a sense of calm had returned to the ticketing counters, with customers queuing calmly and orderly.

In Putrajaya, Transport Minister Anthony Loke expressed regret over Monday’s incident and said a substantial revamp of the ticketing system, which has weaknesses, was required.

“To this end, the ministry has directed KTMB to take remedial measures,” he said after attending a conference on bus rapid transit organised by Volvo Buses, Technology Depository Agency and Prasarana Malaysia Bhd.

~The Star~

彭州大臣宣布刁曼岛获准建新机场

彭州大臣宣布刁曼岛获准建新机场



马来西亚彭亨州务大臣旺罗斯迪宣布，中央政府已批准在著名海岛刁曼岛建设新机场的计划。

他昨天在彭州政府官方面簿发表声明指出，中央政府与彭州政府经过数年讨论，终于达成协议，决定落实有关计划。

他说：“根据公共工程部的建议，刁曼岛机场将建在甘榜巴耶（Kampung Paya），因为该区域对环境和人们的生活影响最小，是最适合的地点。”

他指出，新机场拥有一条长2.5公里的跑道，可让载送180人至200人的波音737型号飞机，以及A320空中客车起降。

至于费用方面，他说，将由政府及承包的私人公司分担，但细节仍在洽谈，尚未有最终定案。

旺罗斯迪也说，彭州政府相信新机场落成后，不仅能解决国内外访客登岛度假的交通问题，还能提高访岛人次，促进地方经济发展和增加就业机会。

他指出，刁曼岛每年接待约15万名游客，新机场落成后，相信游客人数会增长。“刁曼岛曾被美国《时代》杂志评为世界上最美丽的岛屿之一，我期待新机场带动游客人数增加后，岛上经济能更蓬勃发展，为当地人带来正面效应。”

刁曼岛目前有一个小型机场，只供小型飞机及包机起降，因此游客大多数是坐车或巴士前往柔佛州丰盛港码头，再坐船到刁曼岛。

去年中，马来西亚成功集团有限公司宣布，该公司计划耗资12亿令吉（约3.9亿新元）在刁曼岛建机场，并且已把相关建议书提交给政府。

马来西亚政府过去一直计划要在刁曼岛建新机场，以促进当地旅游业。其中，政府在2003年提出耗资1.2亿令吉（约3900万新元）在刁曼岛建机场的计划，但时任交通部长翁诗杰在2009年以环境问题为由，取消了计划。

~早报网~

Common signs 常见标语

Common signs 常见标语

BUKA
Open 开

TUTUP
Closed 关

MASUK
Entrance 入口

KELUAR
Exit 出口

TOLAK
Push推

TARIK
Pull 拉

TANDAS
Toilet 厕所

LELAKI
Men 男

WANITA / PEREMPUAN
Women 女

DILARANG MASUK
No Entry 不能进入

DILARANG MEROKOK
No Smoking 不能抽烟

JALAN SEHALA
One way traffic 单行道

云顶高原路段土崩 料今晚完成清理工作

云顶高原路段土崩 料今晚完成清理工作



搜救队伍周三在土崩地点，展开勘查行动。

著名度假胜地云顶高原的彩云阁受土崩影响的路段，预料于周三晚完成清理工作。 云顶消防及拯救局局长尤斯里指出，惟清理工作是否能如预期般完成，也需视天气而定，如果持续下雨，为了工作人员的安全，清理工作会暂停。

云顶通往彩云阁的路段，于周二傍晚5时40分发生山泥倾泻事故，往来云顶与彩云阁的路段被泥石覆盖，但没有影响前往云顶旅游景点的主要道路。

尤斯里说，至今仍持续发生小土崩，如果天气转晴，清理工作将在预定时间内完成。

根据无人机拍摄画面显示，土崩地区的道路料周三晚能完成清理工作。

他说，当局已开通另一条紧急道路，以供轻型车辆通行。

此外，针对逾200名游客受困于案发地点附近的酒店，他说，有关游客已于周三凌晨4时开始步行、再乘巴士往安全处。

~光华日报~

大马上半年旅游收入410亿令吉·增长6.8%

大马上半年旅游收入410亿令吉·增长6.8%



旅游、艺术及文化部长拿督莫哈末丁可达比宣布，马来西亚今年首6个月的国际游客人数达1335万4575人次，较去年同期增长了4.9%；而旅游收入为410亿令吉，与去年同期的390亿令吉相比增长了6.8%。

莫哈末丁可达比今日在2019年上半年旅游业对国家经济贡献的新闻发布会上表示，我国今年上半年的旅游业绩呈现正面增长，也希望这趋势能持续发展至2020大马旅游年。

另外，被询及内阁改组的传闻，他表示，“这只是2至3名部长职务的变动。我也不知道是谁。其实这不是改组，只是部长间的小变动。”

至于民政党主席拿督刘华才点名旅游部长是表现不达标的部长，莫哈末丁可达比表示，“我不介意他们说想要替换我，他们要怎么说就怎么说，最终还是以首相的言论为主。”

被问到是否已对任何可能性做好准备，他直言，“我们不受影响（tak takluk)，不被任何可能性影响。部长不能说部门是属于他的吧？”

他也说，他不会为自己的表现评分，而是交由人民来评分，并指该部的成长都是政府官员和公务员共同合作的成果。



文章来源 ： 星洲日报 2019-08-23

Tourism Malaysia ties up with Expedia

Tourism Malaysia ties up with Expedia



PUTRAJAYA: Tourism Malaysia has inked a deal with American travel company Expedia Group which will see both sides collaborate to boost tourism promotion to Malaysia.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi said the partnership with Expedia will help support Malaysia’s target of achieving 30 million tourist arrivals and RM100bil tourist spending by 2020.

“Malaysia has just launched its fifth instalment of the Visit Malaysia series, Visit Malaysia 2020, and this is a timely strategic partnership which will benefit all parties.

“Expedia Group, as many of you would know, has over 200 travel booking websites in more than 70 countries around the world and work with thousands of lodging and flight partners to cater to the differing needs of modern travellers today.

“This partnership will collectively promote travel to Malaysia hence helping us grow our tourism arrival and income, empower our hospitality industry to be equipped with the right tools and services to help them grow their business locally, and be seen as a beacon in the sustainable tourism space, ” said Mohamaddin in his speech at the signing ceremony of the new collaboration, held at his ministry yesterday.

Mohamaddin said one of the agreements between Tourism Malaysia and Expedia Group will be focused on several global campaigns to promote inbound travel from the United States, Australia and Japan to Malaysia.

The three countries are among the biggest points of sale for Expedia Group.

“This partnership will see a joint execution of destination marketing campaigns to spotlight Malaysia’s hidden and unique tourist attractions as well as promote the variety of accommodation to Expedia Group’s 750 million plus monthly visitors globally, ” said Mohamaddin.

The collaboration will also see Expedia Group and Tourism Malaysia exchanging traveller insights, to help better understand tourist behaviours and home tourism strategies in line with the implementation of Visit Malaysia.

Expedia Group senior vice-president of commercial strategy and services Greg Schulze said the company found Malaysia to be a “progressively thinking destination” and was committed to help expose the country to travellers around the world.

“Tourism is an important contributor to Malaysia’s economy, accounting for almost 14.9% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and 3.4 million jobs.

“As a world travel platform, Expedia Group is proud to be an online travel tourism partner to Tourism Malaysia, connecting Malaysia’s tourism industry to millions of travellers in our worldwide network, ” he said.

Among the travel websites under Expedia Group include Expedia.com, Trivago and Hotels.com.

~The Star~

2020 年公共假期

新增6景点·彭盼游客突破1500万人次

新增6景点·彭盼游客突破1500万人次



彭亨州希望通过大自然美景，吸引1500万人次到访。

（关丹15日讯）彭亨州期待今年到访游客人数突破1500万人次！

大马旅游局东海岸区总监哈菲芝说，彭亨州去年到访的游客人数为1400万人次，希望随着彭亨州增加了6个新景点后，游客的人数也有所增加。

他说，这6个新景点包括吉挠老虎谷、云顶20世纪福斯主题乐园、默拉坡洞穴天堂、北根黑河之旅，以及而连突铁索攀岩活动。

“在2017年，到访彭亨州的游客人数为1482万7961人次，2018年的游客人数则减少至1343万1842人次。

“其中，北根于2018年写下5万2404旅客人数，而连突为13万9729人次，云顶则维持最多游客人数，达795万1907人次。”

关丹士拔海滩18日办钓鱼赛

另一方面，大马旅游局将于本月18日，在关丹士拔海滩举办总奖金值高达130万令吉的激浪抛钓线钓鱼活动。

这项计有1辆迈微国产车、60寸电视等丰富奖金奖品的活动预计可吸引1800人参与。

文章来源 ： 星洲日报 2019-08-16

Air quality worsens slightly in the country

Air quality worsens slightly in the country

The air quality in Peninsular Malaysia has worsened slightly with Rompin in Pahang Air Pollutant Index (API) readings jumping from “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” zone.

According to Department of Environment (DOE) data, the API recorded in Rompin was at 223 as at 4pm, yesterday.

On Saturday, Rompin’s API was “unhealthy” at 125.

Conditions in Kuala Lumpur remained at moderate levels during the weekend, with the API at between 65 and 67.

In Selangor, Johan Setia saw a slight increase in the API readings.

The reading recorded was at 95 compared to 92 on Saturday.

Other areas in Selangor such as in Banting (82), Petaling Jaya (81), and Shah Alam (83) maintained its “moderate” readings.

The API readings in Kedah and Perlis also worsened from “good” to “moderate”, while Sabah maintained its “good” API readings.

Other places nationwide such as in Negri Sembilan, Johor, Perak, Penang, Kelantan and Terengganu recorded “moderate” API levels.

Meanwhile, in Sarawak, Sri Aman posted an API reading of 252 and generally the haze situation here and in Miri is still bad.

The API reading worsened compared to Saturday which was at 247.

The air quality in SK Kuala Baram 2 station and the Miri Industrial Training Institute station both improved.

SK Kuala Baram 2 station recorded an API reading of 80 from 119, while the Miri Industrial Training Institute station recorded a reading of 161 from 222.

As of yesterday morning, the DOE recorded one “hot spot” (forest fire) in Sarawak

An API reading of between 0 and 50 is good, while 51 to 100 is moderate, 01 to 200 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and 301 and above is deemed hazardous.

The public can also refer to the Department of Environment (DoE) website at or by downloading the MyIPU smartphone app on ‘Google Play’ to get hourly API readings

According to the Asean Specialised Meterological Centre (ASMC) weather and haze outlook posted on Saturday at 6.25pm, it noted that hotspot activities in Sumatra and Kalimantan are likely to persist in the country.

ASMC’s satellite monitoring system has also indicated in recent times that open burning is also coming from that direction.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Man drowns at Pelangi Waterfalls in Sungai Lembing

Man drowns at Pelangi Waterfalls in Sungai Lembing

A man drowned while on an outing at the popular Pelangi Waterfalls in Sungai Lembing this morning.

Kuantan District Police Chief ACP Mohamad Noor Yusof Ali said Joshua Sia Hanyang, 31, from Kuala Lumpur, arrived at the waterfall with his friend at 6.45 am and while swimming two hours later, went into difficulties and disappeared under water, forcing his friend and other visitors to frantically search for him.

“The victim’s friend claimed that they managed to pull out the victim, who was unconscious before calling the Fire and Rescue Department for help.

“Firemen reached the waterfall area about 12.30 noon as they needed to first make the climb to the waterfalls before they brought the victim down to Lubuk Beruk, ” he told reporters here today.

The victim was pronounced dead by medical officers who were waiting in Sungai Lembing, before the body was brought to the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital here for a post mortem.

The case has been classified as sudden death.

-- BERNAMA

Hot and dry weather in M'sia until October

Hot and dry weather in M'sia until October, says the weatherman

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Malaysia is expected to experience hot and dry weather with less rainfall until October, says Deputy Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis.

She said apart from Malaysia, neighbouring countries Singapore and Sumatra in Indonesia are expected to experience the same weather pattern.

"We expect to experience a shortage of rainfall with warmer and drier weather this year without the El Nino and La Nina phenomena until October, " she said when asked about the essence of the 21st Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting and the Ministerial Steering Committee Sub-Region on Cross-border Haze Pollution in Brunei.

She said this when contacted on the Bernama News Channel (BNC) talk showroom programme here Wednesday (Aug 7) night.

Commenting on the meeting, Isnaraissah said the five countries involved had presented measures taken to address fires and haze in their respective countries.

"Among the information shared was to carry out continuous monitoring of weather and hotspots, enforce the law and have the equipment prepared, mobilise human resources and co-ordinate fire-fighting, " she said.

The annual meeting involving four other Asean countries, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, was held to monitor and detail the steps taken in addressing cross-border haze.

The initiative to address the Asean haze problem began following a serious episode of pollution in 1997 that led to the Asean Convention on cross-border haze signed by 10 countries in Kuala Lumpur on June 10, 2002. - Bernama

Janda Baik villagers say ecotourism project will harm their way of life

Janda Baik villagers say ecotourism project will harm their way of life



Villagers are protesting against future development in the area as it will erode cultural and traditional values as well as disrupt the people’s way of life.

For Laila Husin, 64, who has been living in Janda Baik since she was 5, any development in her village would be detrimental to the villagers’ quality of life.

“My house is located at the roadside and if the road-widening project continues, I’m afraid I will lose my house.

“Where are my future generation going to stay when they return to their kampung?

“I will never support the project,” she said at her home in Ja-lan Sungai Cemperoh here.

She said no amount of compensation would make her part with her land. “This land is worth my life,” she said, holding back her tears.

Laila said she would agree only if the project was to improve the village infrastructure and the villagers’ lives.

It was understood that the project under the Janda Baik Special Area Plan draft would consist of several plans, such as widening of road, expansion of four Janda Baik rivers, including Sungai Sum Sum, establishing e-hailing stations and recreational park, as well as building river dams and a low-rise housing development.

Villager Rosmina Kamarul Ariffin, 46, said no further development was necessary in the area as visitors wanted to experience an authentic village.

“They come here to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and experience real kampung living.

“What’s more important is for the authorities to fix the road and maintain the cleanliness of the rivers.”

Earlier, 35 Janda Baik villagers gathered at the Bentong Municipal Council where 1,544 Public Proposal and Objection forms were submitted to protest against the project.

There are 2,820 villagers in Janda Baik.

Hanifah Mohd Rabin, a representative of the protest, said the villagers were not consulted about the project.

“The authorities did not inform us about the matter and we only heard it from a few of the villagers here.

“We learnt that a meeting with the project consultant was held in October with representatives from the municipal council.”

He said the proposed international ecotourism attraction required approvals from the villagers and other parties before any work started.

“We urge the authorities to stop work on the project. We gave suggestions on ways to develop the village’s infrastructure but were ignored.

“We have no option but to fight the new development till the end.”

~New Straits Times~