Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow

‘Char Kway Teow’ or ‘stir-fried ricecake strips’ is arguably one of the most popular dishes among Malaysians of all races. The name is derived from the Hokkien term for ‘fried’ which is ‘char, while ‘kway teow’ refers to the ‘flat rice noodles’, which is the main ingredient.



The latter is stir-fried over very high heat with light or dark soy sauce, chili, while prawns, deshelled cockles, bean sprouts, chinese chives and eggs.

Among the chinese community, the char kway teow is traditionally stir-fried in pork fat with crisp croutons of pork lard and serve on a piece of banana leaf or plate. In some instances, slices of chinese sausage and fishcake are added to accentuate the taste.

Originally conceived as a poor man’s food, mostly consumed by laborers, farmers, fishermen and cockle-pickers, the dish has today evolved into one of the most-loved dishes among Malaysians – but with certain ingredients omitted to adhere to ‘halal’ guidelines of muslim community.

As the dish became more widespread, many cooks have come up with their own versions of ‘char kway teow’ but with the same essential ingredients ‘Char kway teow’ was said to have its origins in S.E.Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei) but the common consensus is that ‘Penang char kway teow’ tops the list when it comes to taste and originality.

In Kampar, Perak, the dish is cooked with cockles but no prawns, unless on request. In East Malaysia, other ingredients are used in the cooking eg beef, onions, sweet soya sauce etc.

There are also so-called ‘gourmet versions’ of char kway teow, especially in Ipoh, Penang, Taiping and even the Klang Valley, where seafood, crab meat and even duck eggs are added to suit discerning tastes.

~Info courtesy of Tourism Malaysia~

AirAsia kicks off inaugural routes from Macau and Kolkata to JB

AirAsia kicks off inaugural routes from Macau and Kolkata to JB



AirAsia marked the launch of two inaugural flight routes from Kolkata, India and Macau into Johor Baru's Senai International Airport on Wednesday.

There will be seven flights from Macau per week and five direct flights from Kolkata per week, the fourth and fifth routes launched by the airline into its Southern Malaysia hub this year.

The inaugural flight from Macau will be received by Johor Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Committee Chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong; Tourism Johor director Abdul Malik bin Hj Ismail; Senai Airport Terminal Services SB chief executive officer Md Derick Basir; AirAsia Bhd government relations director Zamani Mohd Rafique and AirAsia Bhd commercial head Spencer Lee.

Earlier this year, AirAsia lunched flights connecting Johor Baru with Jakarta, Kuala Terengganu and Langkawi.

The airline also flies from Johor Baru to Bangkok, Thailand; Guangzhou, China; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Jakarta, and Surabaya in Indonesia.

Domestically, AirAsia flies from Johor Baru to Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Terengganu, Penang, Langkawi, Kuching, Miri, Tawau, Sibu, and Kota Kinabalu.

For the latest updates, please follow AirAsia on Twitter (twitter.com/AirAsia) and Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsia).

~News courtesy of The Star~

Cendol Bakar - Permas Jaya

Location: Pasir Gudang Highway towards Taman Perling before Jalan Permas Barat, Permas Jaya

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak



No visitors will leave Malaysia without tasting our very own Nasi Lemak. Hot cooked rice with pandan aroma steamed with coconut cream goes heavenly well with sizzling spicy sauce or “sambal”. 

Generous sprinklings of roasted peanuts and salty dried anchovies with a hard boiled egg perfect this dish. 

A platter of everything good all wrapped up in banana leaves to further enhance its unique taste. Nasi Lemak is truly a national heritage of Malaysia.

~Courtesy of Tourism Malaysia~

Subway Aeon Bandar Dato' Onn - Grand opening sale

Mee Racun Tulang Sri Jaya - Batu Pahat

Mee Racun Tulang Sri Jaya



Deadly name as it may sound but the taste of it would just make you love to call for another bowl. 

A dish that can be found only at Batu Pahat, mee racun (poison noodle) basically a famous noodle in a spicy tomato-based gravy, tofu and it comes with a gear box bones that believed to be mee racun tulang Sri Jaya’s specialty. 

As simple as it is, it’s apparently become a favorite noodle not only for locals, but also a visitor from another town. 

Don’t be fooled by the name though, this is definitely the only poison that your parents never warned you about.



ADDRESS/LOCATION TL1, Jalan Rotan Tungal, Taman Sri Jaya, 83000 Batu Pahat, Johor
CONTACT NO +60 17-674 6066
OPERATION HOURS 6.00pm-12.00am everyday
GPS COORDINATE Latitude : 1.8660159 Longitude :102.9518434
FACEBOOK Mee Racun Taman Sri Jaya Batu Pahat Johor

Tourist interest map

Expect more rain until January, says weatherman

Expect more rain until January, says weatherman

The start of the northeast monsoon today will bring more rain to the east coast of the peninsula and parts of Sabah and Sarawak.

The wet season is expected to last until January.

MetMalaysia director-general Alui Bahari said the northeastern winds from the South China Sea will mark the start of the monsoon season.

“Right now, the winds are still from the southwest, they are variable, but by tomorrow, they will persist from the northeast,” said Alui when contacted yesterday.

He said an episode would range between three and four days of moderate to heavy rain.

This monsoon season is expected to see four to five such episodes.

MetMalaysia has its own colour coding for rainfall, with yellow indicating heavy rain is expected within the next one to three days, and if there is continuous rain, it will not last for more than six hours and the rainfall will be less than 60mm.

Meanwhile, orange indicates continuous heavy rain that will exceed six hours and rainfall collection of at least 60mm while red shows continuous heavy rain exceeding 240mm a day.

Alui said the department would also be monitoring wind speeds and wave heights, as monsoon winds could whip up waves.

For the day’s weather forecast, log on to www.met.gov.my/in/web/metmalaysia/forecasts/general/country.

~News courtesy of The Star~

More security checks at Woodlands Checkpoint on Nov 9

More security checks at Woodlands Checkpoint on Nov 9 as part of ICA exercise



Enhanced security checks at Woodlands Checkpoint will be conducted for selected motorists and travellers using the Causeway in an operational exercise early Thursday (Nov 9) morning, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced in a statement.

ICA’s exercise, which will take place from 1.30am to 3am, is part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to “test and validate its emergency plans and procedures at the checkpoints”, it said on Tuesday.

Travellers at the checkpoint during the stated period are advised not to be alarmed, the statement added.

Signs will be placed at prominent locations to inform travellers of the exercise.

“We seek travellers’ understanding and cooperation,” said ICA.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Kuey Teow Kia 粿条仔 (NON HALAL)

Zoo Johor admission fees

Zoo Johor admission fees

Adult RM2.00

Child (2 to 12 years old) RM1.00

Opening hours: 9am to 6pm everyday

RM1 flight levy starts January 2018

RM1 flight levy starts January 2018

ALL passengers leaving Malaysia by air will have to pay a levy of up to RM1 from January, following changes to the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) Act 2015.

“The Government spent almost RM30mil on Mavcom’s operational costs last year. The levy for air travellers is justified, considering the services Mavcom provides, which range from receiving and processing complaints to conducting educational activities,” he said.

The changes to the law also allows Mavcom to impose penalties for any non-compliance over guidelines on competition, regulatory fees and charges.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Happy Deepavali!

Happy Deepavali!
தீபாவளி நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்!
屠妖节快乐！

Asean to open skies further

Asean to open skies further

Asean countries signed the protocol to put into place a package of commitments to further liberalise air transport services in the region.

At the 23rd Asean Transport Ministers Meeting, the countries also agreed to improve connectivity among member states.

Transport ministers and senior officials from Asean member countries attended the two-day meeting. Also present were dialogue partners from China, Japan and South Korea.

Among the highlights of the meeting was the conclusion of the “tenth package of commitments on air transport services under the Asean Framework of Services”.

Liow said the ministers also signed the protocol of domestic code-share rights, allowing code­-sharing arrangements between the marketing airline and domestic airline in Asean member countries.

“This would increase connectivity between Malaysia and other Asean member states.

“At the same time, it would enable designated airlines of Malaysia to offer their passengers a wide range of travel options which can extend beyond the airlines’ own network and route structure,” he added.

Liow said the ministers signed the Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Flight Crew Licensing, which would facilitate air services to complement liberalisation efforts in Asean, and ensure the highest degree of security in international air transport.

They also reached an agreement on the Facilitation of Cross Border Transport of Passengers by Road Vehicles.

“This is to promote seamless cross-border mobility of passengers between Asean member states,” said Liow.

He added that the ministers had concluded the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the authorities in charge of aircraft accident investigation under the Asean-China partnership.

“This agreement would further strengthen Malaysia’s cooperation with China in relation to aircraft accident and incident investigations, sharing experiences and expertise in various specialist fields, equipment and research,” he said.

~News courtesy of The Star~

New theme park for ‘kids to be adults’ in Johor

New theme park for ‘kids to be adults’ in Johor



Hands-on experience: Tee (third from right) and Greenland Malaysia Real Estate Operator Sdn Bhd general manager Du Fugen (second from right) visiting an art corner during the sneak preview of the G-Kids theme park.

Johor has welcomed its 12th theme park with the introduction of the G-Kids theme park, which lets children experience being adults, in Permas Jaya here.

The 28,000 sq ft park is expected to start operating in November and children will have the opportunity to enjoy all kinds of “careers” through role-playing.

The park includes 29 experiment rooms for activities such as performing magic tricks, cooking and baking, and for sports and games. There is also a candy shop in there.

The theme park allows children to learn about life skills, cultivating their future career direction by giving them a chance to determine the path they want to choose through these experiences.

State Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said the new park by Greenland Helios Cove was in line with the Johor Tourism Master Plan (2014-2023), which emphasised family-themed tourism products in the city.

He said the state government would continue to promote the theme parks and stay committed in making Johor Baru a family-friendly travel destination.

Since the opening of Legoland Malaysia in 2012, many family-oriented theme parks had opened to attract not only domestic travellers but also international tourists, he said after a sneak preview of the G-Kids theme park yesterday.

Tee said Johor would have a few more water theme parks, including the one at Desaru Coast that will be the biggest in South-East Asia and expected to begin operations in mid-2018.

Besides that, the Merlin Entertainment Group and Theme Attraction was also planned to introduce a maritime-themed park located at the Iskandar Puteri area, he added.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Tourism Tax

Happy Independence Day

Japan courts Singapore in bid for High-Speed Rail project to KL

Japan courts Singapore in bid for High-Speed Rail project to KL

Japan is pulling out the stops in making a pitch to Singapore for the proposed High-Speed Rail (HSR) project to Kuala Lumpur.

The country’s Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Mr Keiichi Ishii, hosted a symposium in the Republic on Monday (Aug 28) to tout its wares for the project, with Singapore’s Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan in attendance.

Japanese public sector officials and companies cited the safety, reliability and sustainability of its Shinkansen High Speed Rail system as selling points for the Singapore-Malaysia joint project.

Since the Shinkansen opened in 1964, the system has experienced zero fatalities in its decades of operations and the average annual delay per train is under a minute, they said.

Potential ideas for collaboration between the two countries were thrown up, including for the Shinkansen system to be manufactured in Singapore and for the two countries to develop design and implementation policies for the HSR together. The latter includes working out how space in the project’s Singapore terminus is utilised and enhancing transportation links around the station.

Japanese representatives said its Shinkansen system will be able to complement the network of trains, buses, taxis and even shared bicycles currently in the Republic.

At the symposium, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority said it will hold a second industry briefing on the HSR in London in September.

It also said plans to call a tender for the building and maintenance of the project’s rolling stock and rail assets by the end of this year are on track.

A similar symposium was held by Japan in Kuala Lumpur in May this year.

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~

Travellers departing airports to pay RM1 levy from 2018

Travellers departing Malaysian airports to pay RM1 levy from 2018

Air travellers will be subjected to a RM1 (US$0.23) levy when departing Malaysian airports as early as 2018, the country's aviation regulator said on Tuesday (Aug 15).

The new levy to be imposed by the Malaysia Aviation Commission, MAVCOM will be tabled in parliament in October. It will apply to all departing passengers for both domestic and overseas destinations except for rural air services in interior Sabah and Sarawak.

The passenger service charge at all Malaysian airports may also be raised from the current RM50 to RM73 for all international flights beyond Asean beginning January 2018 to standardise the system.
v Currently a different rate applies to KLIA1 and KLIA2 international airports.

The passenger service charge is fixed at RM35 for all destinations in Asean.

MAVCOM, which was set up last year to regulate the civil aviation industry, is expected to collect RM30 million in the first year from the RM1 levy, according to its chief operating officer Azmir Zain.

"I can confirm there is a definite plan by Mavcom to charge RM1 levy to all departing passengers with exception of those flying the rural air services in Sabah and Sarawak. The purpose of the RM1 levy is to ensure financial sustenance and more importantly the independence of the commission. In the last 12 months we have shown results. Example, by lowering the passenger service charge from RM65 to RM35 flat for all ASEAN destinations. That's a saving of RM30 for customers."

MAVCOM, in tabling its first industry report on Tuesday, said it expects the air passenger traffic to grow between 7.8 and 8.6 per cent in 2017 with the number of air travellers expected to hit 99.6 million.

But amid decreasing air fare and competitive operating environment, revenues are expected to remain flat for most airlines. 

Source: Channel News Asia

JB - Singapore train schedule

S'pore-JB MRT to begin passenger service by 2024

Singapore-JB Rapid Transit System to begin passenger service by 2024

A cross-border MRT system which will connect Singapore and Johor Baru in Malaysia will begin passenger service by the end of December 2024, ministers from the two countries announced on Monday (Jul 31).

A bilateral agreement on the Singapore-Johor Baru Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link will be signed by December this year, the ministers said in a joint statement after the 13th meeting of the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia.

The meeting was co-chaired by Singapore's Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan and Malaysia's Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

The RTS Link was first announced in 2010. Singapore has confirmed that its RTS terminus will be located at Woodlands North station, along the Thomson-East Coast MRT line, while Malaysia has chosen Bukit Chagar as its main terminal for the RTS.

The link will be connected via a high bridge.

The RTS Link will be able to carry up to 10,000 passengers in each direction every hour, said the statement. Once it begins passenger service, the existing KTMB Tebrau shuttle will cease operations.

At the meeting, both governments also agreed on the key commercial agreements for the RTS Link. Each will appoint an infrastructure company to fund, build, own, maintain and upgrade the civil infrastructure and stations within their own countries.

SMRT, PRASARANA EXPLORING JOINT VENTURE TO OPERATE RTS

Both governments will also jointly appoint an operating company to design, build, finance, operate, maintain and renew the RTS Link operating assets like trains, tracks and systems, said the statement.

The operating company will be directly appointed for the first concession period, and joint ventures between Singapore and Malaysian entities are preferred to encourage bilateral cooperation, it added.

Metro operators Prasarana and SMRT are currently exploring the formation of a joint venture company to be the RTS Link operating company.

Mr Khaw told reporters that Singapore's preference had been to call an international tender to operate the RTS Link and award it to the best bid, but Malaysia had different views on the matter.

“After discussing with our Malaysian counterparts, they felt the project is a little too small, and may not attract competitive bids,” he said. “So the decision was, maybe we will forget about tendering this particular tender, and work towards negotiating a contract – at least for the first concession – with an experienced operator.”  

Mr Khaw added that both operators will need to settle the commercial terms in the joint venture early, especially if the bilateral agreement between both countries is to be signed by the end of the year.

“So they can agree – yes, we’re going to get married and form the joint venture – and we can interact with them to negotiate,” he said. “That in itself should take several months.”

“So we are anxious and eager to make sure they settle this joint venture understanding as early as possible.”

EASING THE CAUSEWAY JAM

In the meantime, both governments noted that more can be done to manage congestion at the Causeway, the statement said. To that end, the KTMB Tebrau shuttle has increased its initial 14 daily trips in 2016 to 26 daily trips as of June to cope with the demand.

“We know residents are concerned about the Causeway jam,” said Mr Khaw. “In a way, that reflects the very strong activities of trade, of people between the two countries.”

“So both sides are working very hard to try to relieve the problem.”

Within the next few years, the shuttle frequency should be raised to 36, “if we press on with some solutions,” he added.

But Mr Khaw stressed that once the RTS Link begins operations, the shuttle will cease within six months in order to “give greater certainty to the commercial players” who are thinking about operating the RTS Link.

“Potentially, one can cannibalise the other,” he said.

“Once the KTM service ends, then we can look into a much more comprehensive development of the (Woodlands) checkpoint,” he added. “The land of course will be returned to Singapore, and then we can start planning how we can achieve a more decisive redevelopment of the checkpoint.”

“Then hopefully this problem of the Causeway jam can be significantly mitigated or even eliminated.”

Mr Khaw added that fares for the RTS Link will not be regulated, and will be “purely market-driven”.

“We will leave it to the operators ... but they have to compete with so many people ... buses, motorists and motorbikes,” he said. “So even though the KTM shuttle will stop, it’s not as if we’re giving them a monopoly, because it will never be a monopoly.”

“They will have to be realistic," he added.

"EXCITING PLANS" FOR WOODLANDS AND JURONG: LAWRENCE WONG

Also present at the meeting was Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong, who said his ministry is preparing “detailed masterplans” in both Woodlands and Jurong, where the Singapore-KL High-Speed Rail terminus will be located.

He said there are “exciting plans ahead” that will create good jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans.

“Both these two centres will become commercial centres for business, because they have good connectivity,” he said. “So I think they will be ideal for businesses with Asia, ASEAN and Malaysian linkages.”

He said the site around the High-Speed Rail terminus in Jurong will be a “mixed-use precinct” with offices, housing, hotels, and other commercial and recreational uses. It will also be integrated with the nearby Jurong Lake Gardens. 

“We want this to be a car-lite precinct that is sustainable, pushing the boundaries of energy and water efficiency,” he said. “And we will try to push all the district utilities and infrastructure underground so we can free up surface land for more valuable use.”

He added that a detailed masterplan will be showcased at an exhibition later this year.

As for Woodlands, Mr Wong said it could be the “next regional centre” after Tampines and Jurong, pointing out that the redeveloped checkpoint and RTS Link will give Singapore “very good connectivity with Malaysia”.

“Domestically we are also enhancing connectivity with the new Thomson-East Coast Line as well as the North-South corridor, and just a few months ago we also announced the upgrading plan for Woodlands, which includes new amenities, a new town plaza, and upgrading of the parks and gardens,” he said.

“So with all these put together I think we will also see a transformed Woodlands in the next five to 10 years.”

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~

113 Triathlon Series

Good news for the cyclist, 113 Triathlon Series is back! The race will be held on 30 September 2017 at Desaru to Sedili. 

There's two option for distances, 113KM and 70KM. What are you waiting for? Register now at http://eventureglobal.com/events-2/registration-113-cycle/ or you may contact Theeba at +6018 667 4321.







~Info courtesy of Tourism Johor~

Tourism Malaysia - Johor Bahru Branch

No 50C, 1st & 2nd Floor,
Bangunan KPMNJ,
Jalan Segget,
80000 Johor,
Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Tel: +607-222 3590 / 3591
Fax: +607-223 5502

LEGOLAND and Hello Kitty Town

LEGOLAND and Hello Kitty Town



If you are looking for fun and adventure for the whole family, Johor's cutting-edge theme parks offer you just that. The first of its kind in Asia and the first international park in Malaysia, LEGOLAND offers a first-class park experience with thrilling rides, interactive displays and themed areas.

The park's main attraction is MINILAND, where miniature replicas of Asia's popular landmarks made with more than 30 million LEGO bricks can be seen. Hello Kitty Town, the first Hello Kitty theme park outside Japan, is a must for fans of this popular Sanrio character. The park's highlights include Black Wonder, a state-of-the-art interactive experience, and Kitty House, an iconic house filled with everything Hello Kitty from top to bottom.

Visit all seven attractions within LEGOLAND – each offering different thrills and experiences

Watch a live performance by Hello Kitty and friends at Hello Kitty Town's Purrfect stage

Who To Contact

Phone: +607-597 8888 (LEGOLAND) ,
+603-2203 9668 (Hello Kitty Town)

~Info courtesy of Tourism Malaysia~

Selamat hari raya

Clear skies expected over Raya

Clear skies expected over Raya

It will likely be a sunny Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year in most parts of Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.

The date for sighting the Syawal new moon to determine when Aidilfitri falls has been set for June 24, and many expect Hari Raya to start the next day.

Malaysian Meteorological De­­part­­ment director-general Alui Bahari said a detailed forecast for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri period will only be released today but added that the weather is generally expected to be dry due to the current south-west monsoon.

The south-west monsoon started on May 17, and will continue until September, typically associated with lower rainfall in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.

“There is always heavy traffic on the highways during the Raya pe­­riod, but good weather conditions will hopefully help to make journeys safer as the roads are dry and visibility is better,” said Alui.

The volume of vehicles that will hit the roads starting this week as families make their way back to their hometowns is expected to grow.

PLUS Malaysia Bhd said traffic plying the North-South Expressway during peak days starting Wednes­day to July 3 is set to hit 1.7 million vehicles per day.

The figure is an increase of 30% from the reported 1.2 million vehicles during the Raya peak period two years ago.

Another highway concessionaire, Lingkaran Trans Kota Sdn Bhd (Litrak), expects a 10% increase in the number of vehicles on the Sprint and Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) highways in Selangor as the Hari Raya celebration draws closer.

The LDP, which is normally used by more than 470,000 vehicles each week, may see an increase of about 10,000 vehicles this week.

Association of Highway Con­cessionaires Malaysia said in a statement that the volume of traffic is expected to increase by between 30% and 40% during the coming Raya period compared to normal times.

“The Kuala Lumpur-Karak Express­­way, East Coast Expressway (LPT1) and East Coast Highway 2 (LPT2) is expected to see an increase of 50% in traffic volume,” the statement said.

To cope with the traffic volume, PLUS has issued a travel time advisory to help the public plan their journey and to distribute traffic between June 21 and July 3.

Those planning to travel from the Klang Valley to their hometowns in Perlis, Kedah, Penang, northern Perak and Johor are advised to enter the highway before 10am.

Those heading towards nearer destinations such as in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, southern Perak and central Perak, are advised to start their journey and enter the North-South Expressway after 10am on designated days.

Meanwhile, Penang is expecting an influx of visitors who are set to take advantage of the four-day Aidilfitri holiday.

“Last year, the traffic was not so bad, but it is too early to predict the congestion this year,” said state traffic police enforcement chief Supt Roslan Ali.

He added that traffic police would be out daily under Ops Selamat from now until July 2.

Malaysian Hoteliers Association Penang Chapter chairman Khoo Boo Lim said most hotels in the state were almost full.

“Penang is a top choice for local tourists and many are definitely coming here during the break,” he added.

~News courtesy of The Star~

DPM: Tourism tax will be imposed

DPM: Tourism tax will be imposed

The Government is going ahead with its tourism tax to be imposed from July 1.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who disclosed this yesterday, said more funds were needed to support tourism promotion activities.

“At present, some states receive little (funds), some get more,” he said. Under the new tax, hotel guests will be charged between RM2.50 and RM20 for every night’s stay, depending on the classification of the hotel.

Dr Ahmad Zahid disclosed that the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday directed that the tourism tax spat involving Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz and the Sarawak and Sabah governments be put to an end.

“The Prime Minister chaired the Cabinet meeting and I have personally met with the Chief Ministers of Sarawak and Sabah.

“So the chapter is closed,’’ he told reporters after closing an Islamic education workshop here yesterday.

Sarawak Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah had called on the Government to defer the implementation of the tourism tax in Sarawak and Sabah. This invited criticism from Nazri.

Dr Ahmad Zahid also said RM10mil will be given to the Advisory Board for the Coordination of Islamic Education for the enhancement of Islamic educational institutions.

The workshop approved several resolutions, including one on a special mechanism to strengthen Federal-state cooperation in Islamic educational development.

~News courtesy of The Star~

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~