More trains and buses for Raya

More trains and buses for Raya

The Transport Ministry hopes to add more trains and express buses to serve the balik kampung crowds during the coming festive season.

Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he had already directed KTM Berhad to increase its services for the period.

“Most of the demand is from Kuala Lumpur to the northern states. So, they will be providing 27 trips daily to the northern states, some up to Padang Besar.

“There is a limit to how much we can increase for the time being, however, because we do not have enough train coaches,” he told reporters after launching the Hari Raya integrated operations and road safety campaign here yesterday.

The ministry, said Liow, was also working with express bus operators to try and increase the number of buses during the Hari Raya period.

However, he said there was a lack of bus drivers due to more stringent selection criteria.

Promoting safe trips: Liow talking to a passenger after launching the Hari Raya integrated operations and road safety campaign.

“(For some routes) we will need two drivers to take turns because of the long distance.

“These are among the shortcomings we have during the Raya season but we will work towards overcoming them,” he said.

On the road accident statistics for last year, Liow said the numbers had increased, especially for fatalities.

“Last year, we had 521,466 road accidents compared to 489,606 previously.

“The number of fatalities from road accidents showed a sudden increase – going up to 7,152 deaths last year compared to 6,706 in 2015.

“During the two-week road safety campaign last year, police recorded 20,982 accidents, with 299 deaths,” he said.

As over 60% of the fatalities involved motorcyclists, Liow said this year’s campaign would focus on raising awareness among this group of road users.

“None of these statistics mean that the previous campaign have failed. If you look at the ratio of accidents to registered vehicles, that has actually gone down.

“We went from four deaths for every 10,000 vehicles in 2010 to 2.59 deaths for every 10,000 vehicles last year.

“In developed countries, the ratio is two deaths for every 10,000 vehicles and we aim to reach this by 2020,” he said.

This year's road safety campaign, with the theme “Pandu Cermat Sampai Selamat” will run for two weeks and includes advocacy as well as enforcement of road safety rules and regulations.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Matta supports tourism tax

Matta supports tourism tax, but ...



The Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (Matta) is urging the Government to delay the rollout of the impending Tourism Tax (TTx), or at least parts of it.

While saying the association is behind the tax, its president Datuk Hamzah Rahmat said the Aug 1 implementation date may not be an ideal time.

The TTx will not only affect domestic tourists, but also Malaysians who have to travel for other purposes such as studies, medical treatments or family obligations.

"Those people who have to travel will have to travel, and they will be forced to pay for it. It doesn’t just affect tourists," he said on Wednesday.

Hamzah suggests the TTx be imposed on 4-star and 5-star hotels first, but be deferred on lower-rated hotels, hostels and accommodation premises to a later date.

“I’m not saying that this tax shouldn't be imposed at all, but now is not the time for it,” he said.

Hamzah added that domestic travel is currently picking up due to the high cost of overseas travel, and he was concerned that an additional tax would deter Malaysians from travelling domestically.

The Penang, Langkawi and Malacca state governments are already charging RM2 to RM9 depending on the type of hotel the guest is staying in.

Passed as part of the Tourism Tax Bill 2017, TTx will see local and international tourists paying a levy to the operators of accommodation premises.

The tax rate is fixed and charged on a per-room, per-night basis.

The rates are RM20 for five-star accommodations, RM10 for four-star accommodations, RM5 for one- to three-star accommodations, and RM2.50 for non-rated accommodations, including budget hotels.

Engineer Lim Chze Hong, 33, who travels twice a month for work, said the TTx would be an unnecessary burden for Malaysians and should only be imposed on foreign tourists.

"It is an extra burden on top of the funds we need to spend to travel outstation for work, regardless if the rooms are paid for by the company or not.

“If this is a ‘tourism tax’, then they should not impose the tax on anyone who books a room using their MyKad,” he said.

Meanwhile, 41-year-old writer Vivan Chong said that she wouldn't mind paying the tax if the revenue was used to develop the local tourism industry.

She however asked if there are solid plans in place regarding the funding.

"The rates are not a burden money-wise, but I think the real question is, who is this supposed to benefit in the first place and why are we being taxed for already contributing to the economy by travelling locally," she added.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz had said that the tax revenue would be spent mainly on tourism and infrastructure development throughout the country.

He said the tax was necessary because the Government needed to mitigate uncertainties in the oil-and-gas industry, adding that the Government was expected to collect about RM800mil annually through the new tax.

~News courtesy of The Star~

所有酒店8月起 向房客征旅游税

所有酒店8月起 向房客征旅游税

马来西亚政府宣布，从8月1日起，所有酒店将向房客征收每晚介于2.5令吉至20令吉的旅游税。

征税介于2.5至20令吉 视酒店级别而定

据关税局发表的公告，业者可从7月1日起向关税局登记。该局也列出不同酒店应征收的旅游税：五星级酒店20令吉；四星级酒店10令吉；一、二及三星级酒店5令吉；一、二及三胡姬花级酒店2.5令吉；无级别住宿2.5令吉。

无论如何，五种酒店及民宿可豁免登记及征收旅游税，分别为向旅游部民宿（Homestay）计划、甘榜住宿（Kampungstay）计划民宿、宗教团体所创办及注册的非商业用途住宿、少过10间客房的住宿及国州政府机构所经营的非商业用途住宿。

关税局说，业者必须在30天内向关税局注册，违例者可被判罚款不超过三万令吉或坐牢不超过一年，或两者兼施。

去年，旅游部长纳兹里坦承，由于国库收入减少，必须征收旅游税，作为推广马来西亚旅游业的经费。他预计这将为国家带来高达8.7亿令吉的税收。

由于马国目前落实消费税，加上马六甲、槟城及浮罗交怡的酒店早已征收文化遗产保护费、地方政府管理费及旅游推广费，因此酒店业者称这将进一步剥弱马来西亚旅游业的竞争力，因为一旦落实新的旅游税，国內酒店就会被征收双重或三重税务。

尽管旅游业者反对，但国会在4月通过了2017年旅游税法案。根据该法令，酒店业者必须向游客征收旅游税，游客若没有缴税，可被禁离境，直到还清旅游税为止，或给予一些能让关税局总监满意的抵押或保障。

~联合早报~

壁画花树拍拍拍！．美丽文冬游客爱

壁画花树拍拍拍！．美丽文冬游客爱

文冬市区的壁画至今绘了已1年多依然吸引游客竞相拍照，附近商家灵机一动美化店铺后巷，种植艳丽的花朵，形成一道美丽又浪漫的市景。



游客到文冬游玩，不忘在壁画前拍照留念。（图：星洲日报）

文冬市区的壁画至今绘了已1年多依然吸引游客竞相拍照，附近商家灵机一动美化店铺后巷，种植艳丽的花朵，形成一道美丽又浪漫的市景。

许多人经过该后巷，都会被美丽的景像吸引，甚至停下脚步拍照留念。

吴国华：老店重建改民宿引客

商家吴国华说，文冬旅游业正在起飞，尤其是周六和周日有许多游客到文冬游玩，除了品尝美食，购买土产，也喜欢在壁画前拍照。

该店距离壁画不远，于是他与家人决定把老店重建后，楼上改为民宿，楼下单位出租，并在后巷种植了一些花树，增添美感，没想到取得很好的效果，日前更有一对新人到来拍照。

他也说，文冬的民宿需求量大增，他的民宿就在文化街一带，附近有壁画和食档，为游客带来便利。

周广财：盼未来增更多壁画

另外，小食档东主周广财表示，许多游客到文冬一日游都会在壁画前拍照，可见壁画深受欢迎，希望在未来，文冬能增加更多有素质的壁画。

“游客的到来，使到我们经营熟食的生意量也增加不少，文冬也更热闹。”

薛翰才：商店美化带动经济民众薛翰才也说，实在没想到老店后巷经过美化后，把整条街道点缀得让人耳目一新，充满朝气。

他说，如果商家们配合旅游，主动和努力美化商店，肯定将为文冬市容带来不同的风貌，也带动经济繁荣。



果实累累的榴梿树壁画，最受游客欢迎。（图：星洲日报）



老店经过重建翻新，让人耳目一新，也增添市景的美感。（图：星洲日报）



一对甜蜜新人在后巷拍摄的效果别具一格，也让人感染喜悦。（图：星洲日报）

文章来源：
星洲日报‧东海岸‧2017.05.15

Hot, dry days until September

Hot, dry days until September

The southwest monsoon has brought with it hotter and drier weather to peninsular Ma­­laysia and Sarawak.

Malaysian Meteorological Depart­ment (MetMalaysia) director-general Alui Bahari said the monsoon season started yesterday.

He said the southwest monsoon came after the end of the inter-monsoon period which brought heavy rains to the peninsula last month.

The monsoon is expected to last until September.

“Generally, during the southwest monsoon, the country will experience lower rainfall in the peninsula and Sarawak,” Alui said in an email.

He said there would be more dry days ahead than wet ones in these two areas during this period.

“But Sabah will receive more rain than other states” he added.

According to the MetMalaysia website, there are four seasons in Malaysia - the southwest monsoon (May to September), northeast monsoon (early November to March), and two inter-monsoon seasons in between.

Rain is only expected to return in October during the next inter-monsoon period.

The northeast monsoon will bring heavy rain to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, west Sarawak and the northeast of Sabah.

Meanwhile, to escape the hot weather, more people have been seeking shelter in shopping malls

Malaysia Shopping Malls Asso­ciation adviser HC Chan said families would spend more time in malls when the weather got hotter.

“They will have many options in­­clu­­ding going to the restaurants and shops to escape the heat,” he said.

Chan said since the hot spell began recently, there has been a 10% increase in the number of visitors to shopping malls in the Klang Valley.

~News courtesy of The Star~

了解文冬开埠历史．民众抢先参观文化馆

了解文冬开埠历史．民众抢先参观文化馆

位于文冬陆佑街的文化馆尚未开幕和开放，已吸引不少民众前往参观，充满期待。



陆佑街17与18号店屋打造成文冬文化馆。（图：星洲日报）

位于文冬陆佑街的文化馆尚未开幕和开放，已吸引不少民众前往参观，充满期待。

文化馆两间店屋是文冬华人大会堂主席拿督斯里罗龙年家族的产业，配合文冬旅游火热，捉紧机会大力推动历史文化之旅，不但让本地人更加了解文冬的开埠历史，也加深游客对文冬的认识，深具意义。

罗龙年：将邀廖中莱开幕

罗龙年受询表示，该馆的最后装修工程尚未完成，届时将会邀请文冬区国会议员拿督斯里廖中莱开幕和正式开放。

他也说，配合文化馆刚设立，暂时免费开放让民众参观。

他表示，该馆的宗旨为发扬先贤开拓文冬，成就大业的精神，促进人文旅游活动。说到文冬历史，就得从开埠功臣陆佑说起，欢迎到来参观文冬文化馆，亲自寻找答案。

他也说，其中一间店面作为展览馆，展示文冬开埠历史与相片，另一间楼下作为餐厅，提供蛋糕、甜品与果汁等，方便人们休憩小吃，已在日前投入营业。

文冬市议员兼华堂妇女组主席王润清与理事陈金娇率先到文化馆参观和品尝下午茶，感觉环境舒适。

王润清说，文冬拥有许多美食，包括驰名中外的猫山王榴梿、文冬姜、各类蔬菜与水果，每逢星期六晚上举办的文化街，还有其他旅游景点，如情人瀑布及热水湖，欢迎远方的朋友来作客，亲自来寻幽探秘。

文章来源：
星洲日报‧东海岸

保障生态旅游 文冬发展蓝图须重划

廖中莱：保障生态旅游 文冬发展蓝图须重划

交通部长拿督斯里廖中莱强调，配合东海岸铁道计划及中枢大道的推展，文冬发展大蓝图急须重新规划及拟定，确保生态旅游的既定目标不受影响。

他预测，上述两项交通枢纽的宏计完成后，将为受惠范围的文冬县带来重大发展，把东西海岸及大吉隆坡、森美兰和南马等地距离拉近，达到无隔阂衔接。

“正是发展所带来的地貌及生态改变，我已指示文冬市议会及县署进行汇报会，着手探讨保护绿色环境的工作，善用有限的绿色资源，持续通过生态旅游的形式来发展文冬。”

廖中莱也是文冬国会议员，他今早为启文上午校运动会主持开幕仪式后，向记者发表谈话。他也宣布拨款1万令吉予该校，作为活动经费。

早前，他也通过文冬区国会议员服务中心，组成一支19人的文冬生态旅游发展工作考察团向台湾取经，学习该国生态旅游的管理经验。

他说，继大马旅游及文化部认可文冬的生态旅游发展，文冬当地政府机关有必要及早规划好未来的发展，避免周边森林出现过度砍伐及开发的现象。

他说，中国湖南卫视不久后将到文冬拍摄记录片，把文冬的人文风景及故事剪接成短片，向大陆游客介绍及吸引他们前来体验文冬的生态旅游。

~中国报~