Monday, 29 January 2018
Monday, 22 January 2018
Tuesday, 16 January 2018
Navy to rescue stranded tourists on Tioman Island
Navy to rescue stranded tourists on Tioman Island
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has been deployed to rescue 93 tourists who have been stranded on Tioman Island for several days following bad weather and rough seas.
A total of 54 foreign tourists and 39 local tourists have been stranded on the island since Jan 11.
Tioman assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohd Johari Hussain said Navy ship KD Terengganu is expected to arrive on the island at 10pm Monday (Jan 15).
"Tomorrow morning (Jan 16) at 7.30am, we can start transferring people from the marina," he told The Star.
Mohd Johari also said seven locals will be allowed to board the ship as they had urgent matters to attend to on the mainland.
The monsoon season in Tioman Island starts from October to March every year.
Mohd Johari also said when the monsoon season starts, the Government constantly reminds people of the situation and the risk that they may face on the island.
"During this period, fewer tourists will visit the island due to the weather but there are those who take the risk to go to Tioman with the hope that they would be able to board the ferry when the weather improves," he said.
He said this time, ferry services remained inoperable for a longer period and as such, tourists and locals were unable to leave the island.
~News courtesy of The Star~
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has been deployed to rescue 93 tourists who have been stranded on Tioman Island for several days following bad weather and rough seas.
A total of 54 foreign tourists and 39 local tourists have been stranded on the island since Jan 11.
Tioman assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohd Johari Hussain said Navy ship KD Terengganu is expected to arrive on the island at 10pm Monday (Jan 15).
"Tomorrow morning (Jan 16) at 7.30am, we can start transferring people from the marina," he told The Star.
Mohd Johari also said seven locals will be allowed to board the ship as they had urgent matters to attend to on the mainland.
The monsoon season in Tioman Island starts from October to March every year.
Mohd Johari also said when the monsoon season starts, the Government constantly reminds people of the situation and the risk that they may face on the island.
"During this period, fewer tourists will visit the island due to the weather but there are those who take the risk to go to Tioman with the hope that they would be able to board the ferry when the weather improves," he said.
He said this time, ferry services remained inoperable for a longer period and as such, tourists and locals were unable to leave the island.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Monday, 15 January 2018
Malaysia and Singapore to sign RTS
Malaysia and Singapore to sign RTS
Malaysia and Singapore will sign an agreement on the Rapid Transit System (RTS) rail track linking Johor Baru and Woodlands in Singapore which is expected to commence in 2024.
The signing of the agreement tomorrow will be witnessed by the two prime ministers – Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Lee Hsien Loong – after their eighth annual retreat here.
The RTS is another notch in connectivity links between Malaysia and its southern neighbour which will also see the High Speed Rail (HSR) between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore starting in 2026.
The RTS, first announced after Najib and Lee’s annual retreat in 2010, will integrate with public transport services in Johor Baru and Singapore. It was originally targeted to be operational by 2018.
Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk Zulkifli Adnan in a media briefing yesterday said while waiting for the rail link to start operations, there must be efforts to reduce the congestion at the Causeway.
“We have seven more years to go, so what are we doing to address the present congestion?
“Transport ministers of the two countries have been discussing the possible solutions, including increasing the Tebrau bus shuttle service from 26 trips to 31 each way and reviving ferry links,” he said.
Najib, who is arriving today, will be accompanied by seven Cabinet ministers including Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Rahman Dahlan.
Zulkifli said a memorandum of understanding on educational cooperation will also be signed.
The Prime Minister will pay a courtesy call on President Halimah Yacob who was sworn in as the eighth president last year.
Lee and Najib will also launch the Marina One and Duo projects jointly developed by Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Temasek.
The two projects are part of a land swap deal for KTMB land in Singapore, with Marina One in the Marina Bay area and Duo in Ophir-Rochor Road boasting of office space, retail shops and luxury apartments.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Malaysia and Singapore will sign an agreement on the Rapid Transit System (RTS) rail track linking Johor Baru and Woodlands in Singapore which is expected to commence in 2024.
The signing of the agreement tomorrow will be witnessed by the two prime ministers – Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Lee Hsien Loong – after their eighth annual retreat here.
The RTS is another notch in connectivity links between Malaysia and its southern neighbour which will also see the High Speed Rail (HSR) between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore starting in 2026.
The RTS, first announced after Najib and Lee’s annual retreat in 2010, will integrate with public transport services in Johor Baru and Singapore. It was originally targeted to be operational by 2018.
Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk Zulkifli Adnan in a media briefing yesterday said while waiting for the rail link to start operations, there must be efforts to reduce the congestion at the Causeway.
“We have seven more years to go, so what are we doing to address the present congestion?
“Transport ministers of the two countries have been discussing the possible solutions, including increasing the Tebrau bus shuttle service from 26 trips to 31 each way and reviving ferry links,” he said.
Najib, who is arriving today, will be accompanied by seven Cabinet ministers including Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Rahman Dahlan.
Zulkifli said a memorandum of understanding on educational cooperation will also be signed.
The Prime Minister will pay a courtesy call on President Halimah Yacob who was sworn in as the eighth president last year.
Lee and Najib will also launch the Marina One and Duo projects jointly developed by Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Temasek.
The two projects are part of a land swap deal for KTMB land in Singapore, with Marina One in the Marina Bay area and Duo in Ophir-Rochor Road boasting of office space, retail shops and luxury apartments.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Saturday, 13 January 2018
Heavy rain expected to hit several states
Heavy rain expected to hit several states
Heavy rain is expected to continue in several areas in Johor, Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Terengganu and Sarawak until today.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a severe weather warning for several areas in Johor and Pahang.
“Heavy rain is expected to continue in Johor (Segamat, Kluang, Mersing, Kota Tinggi, Johor Baru and Kulai) and Pahang (Rompin, Pekan and Kuantan) today,” it said in a statement.
The department has also issued a weather warning alert for Negri Sembilan, Melaka, several areas in Johor including Tangkak, Muar, Batu Pahat and Pontian, and several areas in Pahang including Bentong, Temerloh, Maran, Bera and Jerantut.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Heavy rain is expected to continue in several areas in Johor, Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Terengganu and Sarawak until today.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a severe weather warning for several areas in Johor and Pahang.
“Heavy rain is expected to continue in Johor (Segamat, Kluang, Mersing, Kota Tinggi, Johor Baru and Kulai) and Pahang (Rompin, Pekan and Kuantan) today,” it said in a statement.
The department has also issued a weather warning alert for Negri Sembilan, Melaka, several areas in Johor including Tangkak, Muar, Batu Pahat and Pontian, and several areas in Pahang including Bentong, Temerloh, Maran, Bera and Jerantut.
~News courtesy of The Star~
South East Asia in the grip of chilly weather
South East Asia in the grip of chilly weather
Temperatures across South-east Asia have dipped beyond the norm in recent days, with non-stop rain and strong winds contributing to chillier tropics.
The thermostat has dropped to as low as 22°C in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and 17ºC in Bangkok, cold bouts have been reported in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, and ice slabs have even been found in parts of Myanmar.
The weather has become so chilly that Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tweeted on Friday (Jan 12): "Wow, Malaysia's weather is really cold today, just like in Jeddah!" He had just returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department attributed the chill to the north-east monsoon, but did not expect temperatures to dip further. The agency forecasts all-day rain to last until Sunday in Kuala Lumpur.
Thailand has been experiencing a cold snap since last month, with fog blanketing its northern regions and frost forming on mountains.
In Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, the temperature fell to as low as 8ºC, the lowest this winter for the city.
Though Cambodia was also struck by the cold weather this week, it was not as bad as last month, when the temperature plunge caused a sweater-shopping frenzy, and baby elephants had to wear hand-knitted coats.
The Philippines has been experiencing generally colder weather too, a result of the El Nino-La Nina weather dynamics, and the chilling Arctic air called the polar vortex. "We have seen a cold blast in the Pacific and Atlantic regions," said the local weather bureau's forecaster Nikkos Penaranda. The lowest temperature recorded recently was 12.2ºC in the northern city of Baguio on Jan 1.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said it recorded moderately lower-than-usual temperatures in the Riau Islands, an Indonesian province closest to Singapore, and in Nusa Tenggara Timur, east of the country's main tourist island of Bali. On Friday, the two locations registered temperatures of 23ºC to 25ºC.
All other provinces are seeing relatively normal temperatures, state weather forecaster Risda Novikarani told The Straits Times.
Over in South Asia, the northern parts of India were also in the midst of a cold spell, but meteorological officials said this was well within the range for winter months. "Temperatures have fallen and the cold wave condition is more severe in January than December," said Mahesh Palawat, director of private weather forecaster Skymet. "It is a normal winter."
According to India's Meteorological Department, minimum temperatures in most parts of northern India this week continued to be between 5ºC and 10ºC, and would remain so until Monday (Jan 15).
~The Straits Times/Asia News Network~
Temperatures across South-east Asia have dipped beyond the norm in recent days, with non-stop rain and strong winds contributing to chillier tropics.
The thermostat has dropped to as low as 22°C in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and 17ºC in Bangkok, cold bouts have been reported in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, and ice slabs have even been found in parts of Myanmar.
The weather has become so chilly that Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tweeted on Friday (Jan 12): "Wow, Malaysia's weather is really cold today, just like in Jeddah!" He had just returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department attributed the chill to the north-east monsoon, but did not expect temperatures to dip further. The agency forecasts all-day rain to last until Sunday in Kuala Lumpur.
Thailand has been experiencing a cold snap since last month, with fog blanketing its northern regions and frost forming on mountains.
In Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, the temperature fell to as low as 8ºC, the lowest this winter for the city.
Though Cambodia was also struck by the cold weather this week, it was not as bad as last month, when the temperature plunge caused a sweater-shopping frenzy, and baby elephants had to wear hand-knitted coats.
The Philippines has been experiencing generally colder weather too, a result of the El Nino-La Nina weather dynamics, and the chilling Arctic air called the polar vortex. "We have seen a cold blast in the Pacific and Atlantic regions," said the local weather bureau's forecaster Nikkos Penaranda. The lowest temperature recorded recently was 12.2ºC in the northern city of Baguio on Jan 1.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said it recorded moderately lower-than-usual temperatures in the Riau Islands, an Indonesian province closest to Singapore, and in Nusa Tenggara Timur, east of the country's main tourist island of Bali. On Friday, the two locations registered temperatures of 23ºC to 25ºC.
All other provinces are seeing relatively normal temperatures, state weather forecaster Risda Novikarani told The Straits Times.
Over in South Asia, the northern parts of India were also in the midst of a cold spell, but meteorological officials said this was well within the range for winter months. "Temperatures have fallen and the cold wave condition is more severe in January than December," said Mahesh Palawat, director of private weather forecaster Skymet. "It is a normal winter."
According to India's Meteorological Department, minimum temperatures in most parts of northern India this week continued to be between 5ºC and 10ºC, and would remain so until Monday (Jan 15).
~The Straits Times/Asia News Network~
Johor now a top tourism destination
Johor now a top tourism destination
Johor is no longer just a transit point for travellers but a top tourism destination, said state Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong.
He added that Johor has seen a steady increase of tourist arrivals since 2013 with the tourism sector now playing a key role in the state's economic development.
"The Department of Statistics listed Johor as Malaysia's top domestic tourism destination in 2016 with 7.4 million domestic tourist arrivals and the Malaysia Tourism Council (MTC) also awarded Tourism Johor with the best domestic tourism promotion award last year.
"Tourism Malaysia statistics also show that Johor is ranked at No.3 in terms of attracting foreign tourists, with 2.6 million international tourists visiting in 2016.
Tee further noted that Senai International Airport had recorded three million passengers last year compared with just 1.99 million passengers in 2013, adding that Johor is now connected by air to 11 domestic cities in Malaysia and eight international cities — Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, Surabaya, Guangzhou, Macao, Kolkata and Seoul.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Johor is no longer just a transit point for travellers but a top tourism destination, said state Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong.
He added that Johor has seen a steady increase of tourist arrivals since 2013 with the tourism sector now playing a key role in the state's economic development.
"The Department of Statistics listed Johor as Malaysia's top domestic tourism destination in 2016 with 7.4 million domestic tourist arrivals and the Malaysia Tourism Council (MTC) also awarded Tourism Johor with the best domestic tourism promotion award last year.
"Tourism Malaysia statistics also show that Johor is ranked at No.3 in terms of attracting foreign tourists, with 2.6 million international tourists visiting in 2016.
Tee further noted that Senai International Airport had recorded three million passengers last year compared with just 1.99 million passengers in 2013, adding that Johor is now connected by air to 11 domestic cities in Malaysia and eight international cities — Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, Surabaya, Guangzhou, Macao, Kolkata and Seoul.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Wednesday, 10 January 2018
Easier for foreign students to get visas
Easier for foreign students to get visas
The foreign students e-Visa Approval Letters (e-VAL) system is up and running, says Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS), a wholly-owned company of the Higher Education Ministry.
In a statement, EMGS CEO Prof Datuk Dr Rujhan Mustafa said this would allow international students to obtain visas through its STARS’ portal.
“A total of 277,000 complete applications were received between 2013 and 2017,” Prof Rujhan said.
“These were processed and the VALs were issued within seven working days, thanks to the support and teamwork of the Immigration Department.
Yesterday, the company hosted the Education Malaysia Industry Townhall 2018 meeting with 180 international education heads from higher education institutions, skills centres and language schools.
It was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Participants were briefed on operational updates related to the visa application. An open dialogue on issues at hand was held in addition to introducing the line-up of newly appointed Education Malaysia directors for its offices in Chicago, Dubai, Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City.
~News courtesy of Bernama~
The foreign students e-Visa Approval Letters (e-VAL) system is up and running, says Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS), a wholly-owned company of the Higher Education Ministry.
In a statement, EMGS CEO Prof Datuk Dr Rujhan Mustafa said this would allow international students to obtain visas through its STARS’ portal.
“A total of 277,000 complete applications were received between 2013 and 2017,” Prof Rujhan said.
“These were processed and the VALs were issued within seven working days, thanks to the support and teamwork of the Immigration Department.
Yesterday, the company hosted the Education Malaysia Industry Townhall 2018 meeting with 180 international education heads from higher education institutions, skills centres and language schools.
It was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Participants were briefed on operational updates related to the visa application. An open dialogue on issues at hand was held in addition to introducing the line-up of newly appointed Education Malaysia directors for its offices in Chicago, Dubai, Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City.
~News courtesy of Bernama~
Savings en route for Causeway users
Savings en route for Causeway users
Malaysians crossing the Causeway to Singapore cannot wait for February to come.
News of the republic revising and abolishing toll charges at the Woodlands checkpoint beginning next month has already thrilled many daily commuters.
They expect their savings to be substantial, with some estimating them to be as much as RM6,000 to RM8,000 annually after the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) toll was abolished on Jan 1 and Singapore’s toll revision on Feb 1.
For Ariffin Ahmad, the reduction in tolls on both sides was a good New Year bonus for many of those who travel to Singapore daily.
“This works out to about RM52.50 per day which is more than RM1,000 a month,” he said.
Ariffin, who works as an electrician, plans to use the extra savings to offset household expenses.
For 52-year-old businessman P. Viman, he hopes to save the money for his children’s education.
“I hope that the government on both sides will not impose any new road charges, which can be a huge financial burden for the people,” he said.
Viman, who travels to Singapore at least 26 times a month for work, hopes that the Government could also abolish the RM2.90 toll being collected by PLUS Bhd at the Johor side.
Meanwhile, Ephraim Ang, who commutes with his wife daily, said that both sides imposed higher charges more than a year ago and they were a huge burden.
“We had to carpool with three more people daily to subsidise the toll,” he said.
He hopes the Malaysian Government will not raise the road charge on foreign cars from RM20 now to RM40, as this will lead to Singapore following suit.
Ang and his wife usually leave their home at 6am and return home at 8.30pm daily.
“If there are any savings, then it will be for our family,” he said.
The couple have a four-year-old son and are expecting a second child.
Singapore revised the toll charges at the Woodlands checkpoint to match Malaysia’s removal of toll charges at the EDL.
The Land Transport Authority of Singapore said this was in line with Singapore’s long-standing policy of matching Malaysian toll rates.
Singapore toll charges for all vehicles (except motorcycles) leaving Singapore via Woodlands will be reduced, and toll charges for all vehicles (except motorcycles) entering the republic via Woodlands will be removed.
Currently, car owners pay S$3.80 (RM11.40) and S$2.70 (RM8.10) for leaving and entering Singapore.
Effective Feb 1, they will only pay S$1 (RM3) to leave the republic.
For now, vans and light goods vehicles pay S$5.80 (RM17.40) to leave and S$4 (RM12) to enter but from Feb 1, it costs S$1.50 (RM4.50).
Heavy goods vehicles currently pay S$7.70 (RM23.10) to enter and S$5.30 (RM15.90) to leave and from Feb 1, S$2 (RM6).
Taxis now pay S$1.90 (RM5.70) to leave and S$1.40 (RM4.20) to enter and from Feb 1, 50 cents (RM1.50).
Buses pay S$3.10 (RM9.30) to leave and S$2.20 (RM6.60) to enter and from Feb 1, 80 cents (RM2.40).
~News courtesy of The Star~
Malaysians crossing the Causeway to Singapore cannot wait for February to come.
News of the republic revising and abolishing toll charges at the Woodlands checkpoint beginning next month has already thrilled many daily commuters.
They expect their savings to be substantial, with some estimating them to be as much as RM6,000 to RM8,000 annually after the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) toll was abolished on Jan 1 and Singapore’s toll revision on Feb 1.
For Ariffin Ahmad, the reduction in tolls on both sides was a good New Year bonus for many of those who travel to Singapore daily.
“This works out to about RM52.50 per day which is more than RM1,000 a month,” he said.
Ariffin, who works as an electrician, plans to use the extra savings to offset household expenses.
For 52-year-old businessman P. Viman, he hopes to save the money for his children’s education.
“I hope that the government on both sides will not impose any new road charges, which can be a huge financial burden for the people,” he said.
Viman, who travels to Singapore at least 26 times a month for work, hopes that the Government could also abolish the RM2.90 toll being collected by PLUS Bhd at the Johor side.
Meanwhile, Ephraim Ang, who commutes with his wife daily, said that both sides imposed higher charges more than a year ago and they were a huge burden.
“We had to carpool with three more people daily to subsidise the toll,” he said.
He hopes the Malaysian Government will not raise the road charge on foreign cars from RM20 now to RM40, as this will lead to Singapore following suit.
Ang and his wife usually leave their home at 6am and return home at 8.30pm daily.
“If there are any savings, then it will be for our family,” he said.
The couple have a four-year-old son and are expecting a second child.
Singapore revised the toll charges at the Woodlands checkpoint to match Malaysia’s removal of toll charges at the EDL.
The Land Transport Authority of Singapore said this was in line with Singapore’s long-standing policy of matching Malaysian toll rates.
Singapore toll charges for all vehicles (except motorcycles) leaving Singapore via Woodlands will be reduced, and toll charges for all vehicles (except motorcycles) entering the republic via Woodlands will be removed.
Currently, car owners pay S$3.80 (RM11.40) and S$2.70 (RM8.10) for leaving and entering Singapore.
Effective Feb 1, they will only pay S$1 (RM3) to leave the republic.
For now, vans and light goods vehicles pay S$5.80 (RM17.40) to leave and S$4 (RM12) to enter but from Feb 1, it costs S$1.50 (RM4.50).
Heavy goods vehicles currently pay S$7.70 (RM23.10) to enter and S$5.30 (RM15.90) to leave and from Feb 1, S$2 (RM6).
Taxis now pay S$1.90 (RM5.70) to leave and S$1.40 (RM4.20) to enter and from Feb 1, 50 cents (RM1.50).
Buses pay S$3.10 (RM9.30) to leave and S$2.20 (RM6.60) to enter and from Feb 1, 80 cents (RM2.40).
~News courtesy of The Star~
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