Dr M: No need for high-speed rail in M'sia, yet [NSTTV]
Malaysia does not yet need a high-speed train service, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today.
“At the moment, a high-speed train (service) is not really necessary for Malaysia, especially as it is only within Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
“Later on, we might need a high-speed train from Johor Baru to Penang or even to the Thai border. So, we will not build the high-speed train yet,” he told reporters after launching local rail engineering innovation exhibition and technology showcase, or TECHNOMART.
Instead, Dr Mahathir said, the government was more keen on improving the existing railway services.
“We want to improve the quality of service given by our railway system, and that has been done to some extent, by double tracking and electrification.”
The prime minister, however, said Malaysia would go back to the discussion table with Singapore within two years to discuss the High-Speed Rail project.
“We have spoken to Singapore. For the time being, we are not going to build (the high-speed rail). We (have) asked for two years before we begin talks again.
“(For) the HSR at the moment, we are not giving out any contracts but we have had to compensate to Singapore earlier.”
Dr Mahathir was also asked whether Singapore would be agreeable to the idea of the HSR being connected to the Thai border.
“No, I don’t think they will consider. We only think about Kuala Lumpur.”
On the possibility of having an HSR alignment from Johor Baru to Penang, the prime minister said eventually, Malaysia would need such an alignment.
“When the time comes. We are not yet in need of such an alignment. Eventually, we will need it.”
On Sept 5, 2018, Singapore agreed to suspend the construction of the project until the end of May 2020.
As a result of Malaysia’s request for the deferment, it agreed to pay an abortive cost of S$15 million (RM45.6 million) to Singapore by Jan 31 of this year.
Dr Mahathir also said Malaysians had begun to appreciate using the railway system, which had improved over time.
He said some Malaysians would rather use the existing railway services than driving and facing traffic jams.
~News courtesy of New Straits Times~
2019年4月17日星期三
2019年4月15日星期一
Firefly to resume Singapore flights with twice-daily trips
Malaysian carrier Firefly to resume Singapore flights with twice-daily trips
Malaysian budget carrier Firefly said on Friday (Apr 12) that it will resume flights to Singapore with two trips a day.
The move comes after Malaysia suspended its permanent Restricted Area over Pasir Gudang indefinitely, while Singapore withdrew the Instrument Landing System procedures at Seletar Airport, paving the way for Firefly to resume operations.
Firefly will offer two flights a day between Subang and Seletar Airports from April 22 to 28, followed thereafter by six daily flights, it said.
"The schedule takes into account stringent safety measures that are in compliance with the technical requirements established by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia," it said.
Chief executive officer Philip See said the flights will play a significant role in strengthening economic and social ties between Singapore and Malaysia.
"It's important for business, for connecting family and friends, and for tourism, to have our Singapore flights reinstated," he said.
"The new schedule, along with other service enhancements, will be progressively rolled out over the coming months."
Going forward, the 12-year-old airline aims to resume a full schedule once the necessary technical and regulatory approvals are secured.
Tickets are available for purchase from Friday via website www.fireflyz.com.my, the mobile app or the call centre at 03-7845 4543.
Firefly suspended its flights to Singapore in December last year, after it was unable to obtain approval from Malaysia’s aviation regulator to move its operations from Changi Airport to Seletar Airport.
Before the suspension, Firefly offered 20 daily flights between Singapore and Subang, Ipoh and Kuantan.
Source: Bernama/CNA/aj(mi)
Malaysian budget carrier Firefly said on Friday (Apr 12) that it will resume flights to Singapore with two trips a day.
The move comes after Malaysia suspended its permanent Restricted Area over Pasir Gudang indefinitely, while Singapore withdrew the Instrument Landing System procedures at Seletar Airport, paving the way for Firefly to resume operations.
Firefly will offer two flights a day between Subang and Seletar Airports from April 22 to 28, followed thereafter by six daily flights, it said.
"The schedule takes into account stringent safety measures that are in compliance with the technical requirements established by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia," it said.
Chief executive officer Philip See said the flights will play a significant role in strengthening economic and social ties between Singapore and Malaysia.
"It's important for business, for connecting family and friends, and for tourism, to have our Singapore flights reinstated," he said.
"The new schedule, along with other service enhancements, will be progressively rolled out over the coming months."
Going forward, the 12-year-old airline aims to resume a full schedule once the necessary technical and regulatory approvals are secured.
Tickets are available for purchase from Friday via website www.fireflyz.com.my, the mobile app or the call centre at 03-7845 4543.
Firefly suspended its flights to Singapore in December last year, after it was unable to obtain approval from Malaysia’s aviation regulator to move its operations from Changi Airport to Seletar Airport.
Before the suspension, Firefly offered 20 daily flights between Singapore and Subang, Ipoh and Kuantan.
Source: Bernama/CNA/aj(mi)
2019年4月14日星期日
ECRL is up and running again
ECRL is up and running again
It is confirmed – Malaysia has managed to bring down the construction cost of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project by RM21.5bil, which is almost a third of the original cost.
The new price is set at RM44bil now, down 32.8% from the previous RM66bil.
Tun Daim Zainuddin, who led the negotiations with China, said the latest cost estimate was far more manageable for the government.
“It will also require a smaller loan from Exim Bank, which will further reduce the interest to be paid,” he told Malaysian journalists at the Malaysian Embassy here yesterday.
Earlier yesterday, Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd and China Communications Construction Company Ltd signed a supplementary agreement to pave the way for the resumption of the suspended project.
The agreement also saw slight changes to the route from Kota Baru in Kelantan to Port Klang in Selangor, with the length cut by 40km to 648km.
“It will still be double-tracking,” said Daim, who is the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister.
The realigned route will see the rail track diverted to Negri Sembilan from Mentakab in Pahang, bypassing Bentong in Pahang and Gombak in Selangor as planned earlier.
“It will start in Kota Baru, then to Mentakab, Jelebu and Kuala Klawang in Negri Sembilan, continue on to Bangi, Kajang, Putrajaya and end in Port Klang,” he said, without elaborating on the changes.
He said construction would commerce as soon as possible with the new date of completion reset to 2026, a two-year delay from the project planned originally.
Daim, who is also chairman of the Council of Eminent Persons, added that it had been agreed that 40% of the sub-contractors for the project would be Malaysians.
Negotiations on the loan and interest rate were still ongoing, he said.
“Now that the cost is lower, the loan will also be lower,” he said.
Daim declined to reveal more details, saying that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will address a press conference on the ECRL on Monday.
China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said his government was glad to see the issue being settled through friendly negotiation.
He said China and Malaysia were good neighbours and partners, which viewed each other’s friendship with importance.
Lu Kang said China hoped to see the project recommence soon.
In Putrajaya, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) confirmed the latest details involving the ECRL.
“The signing was achieved after months of negotiations between the companies involved as well as the governments of Malaysia and China.
“This reduction (in cost) will surely benefit Malaysia and lighten the burden of the country’s financial position,” it said in a statement yesterday.
The PMO said the supplementary agreement covered the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning aspects of the ECRL.
It confirmed that Dr Mahathir would address the media at 11am on Monday.
The original 688km ECRL proposal comprised Phase 1, stretching from the Klang Valley to Kuantan.
Phase 2 is from Kuantan to Kuala Terengganu and Phase 3 connecting Kuala Terengganu to Kota Baru and Tumpat.
The Pakatan Harapan government suspended the ECRL project after winning the general election last year.
~News courtesy of The Star~
It is confirmed – Malaysia has managed to bring down the construction cost of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project by RM21.5bil, which is almost a third of the original cost.
The new price is set at RM44bil now, down 32.8% from the previous RM66bil.
Tun Daim Zainuddin, who led the negotiations with China, said the latest cost estimate was far more manageable for the government.
“It will also require a smaller loan from Exim Bank, which will further reduce the interest to be paid,” he told Malaysian journalists at the Malaysian Embassy here yesterday.
Earlier yesterday, Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd and China Communications Construction Company Ltd signed a supplementary agreement to pave the way for the resumption of the suspended project.
The agreement also saw slight changes to the route from Kota Baru in Kelantan to Port Klang in Selangor, with the length cut by 40km to 648km.
“It will still be double-tracking,” said Daim, who is the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister.
The realigned route will see the rail track diverted to Negri Sembilan from Mentakab in Pahang, bypassing Bentong in Pahang and Gombak in Selangor as planned earlier.
“It will start in Kota Baru, then to Mentakab, Jelebu and Kuala Klawang in Negri Sembilan, continue on to Bangi, Kajang, Putrajaya and end in Port Klang,” he said, without elaborating on the changes.
He said construction would commerce as soon as possible with the new date of completion reset to 2026, a two-year delay from the project planned originally.
Daim, who is also chairman of the Council of Eminent Persons, added that it had been agreed that 40% of the sub-contractors for the project would be Malaysians.
Negotiations on the loan and interest rate were still ongoing, he said.
“Now that the cost is lower, the loan will also be lower,” he said.
Daim declined to reveal more details, saying that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will address a press conference on the ECRL on Monday.
China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said his government was glad to see the issue being settled through friendly negotiation.
He said China and Malaysia were good neighbours and partners, which viewed each other’s friendship with importance.
Lu Kang said China hoped to see the project recommence soon.
In Putrajaya, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) confirmed the latest details involving the ECRL.
“The signing was achieved after months of negotiations between the companies involved as well as the governments of Malaysia and China.
“This reduction (in cost) will surely benefit Malaysia and lighten the burden of the country’s financial position,” it said in a statement yesterday.
The PMO said the supplementary agreement covered the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning aspects of the ECRL.
It confirmed that Dr Mahathir would address the media at 11am on Monday.
The original 688km ECRL proposal comprised Phase 1, stretching from the Klang Valley to Kuantan.
Phase 2 is from Kuantan to Kuala Terengganu and Phase 3 connecting Kuala Terengganu to Kota Baru and Tumpat.
The Pakatan Harapan government suspended the ECRL project after winning the general election last year.
~News courtesy of The Star~
2019年4月10日星期三
Malaysia, Indonesia tie for top spot among Muslim-friendly travel destinations
Malaysia, Indonesia tie for top spot among Muslim-friendly travel destinations
Malaysia has taken the top spot in the MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) for the ninth year in a row, but for the first time it is sharing that position with Indonesia.
The GMTI 2019 report, which includes 130 destinations globally, gave both countries a score of 78.
In a joint statement today, MasterCard and CrescentRating said Indonesia had climbed from second place to the top spot through sustained efforts by the country’s Tourism Ministry to invest in its tourism and travel industry, and develop Muslim-tourist friendly infrastructure.
The rest of the top 10 countries are Turkey (score of 75), Saudi Arabia (72), United Arab Emirates (71), Qatar (68), Morocco (67), Bahrain (66), Oman (66) and Brunei (65).
In a joint statement today, MasterCard and CrescentRating said Indonesia had climbed from second place to the top spot through sustained efforts by the country’s Tourism Ministry to invest in its tourism and travel industry, and develop Muslim-tourist friendly infrastructure.
Last year, Malaysia received a score of 80.6 while Indonesia tied with the United Arab Emirates with a score of 72.8.
Singapore remains the premier Muslim-friendly travel destination among non-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) destinations this year, followed by Thailand, the United Kingdom, Japan and Taiwan.
The index tracks the health and growth of Muslim-friendly travel destinations in four strategic areas – access, communications, environment and services. — BERNAMA
Malaysia has taken the top spot in the MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) for the ninth year in a row, but for the first time it is sharing that position with Indonesia.
The GMTI 2019 report, which includes 130 destinations globally, gave both countries a score of 78.
In a joint statement today, MasterCard and CrescentRating said Indonesia had climbed from second place to the top spot through sustained efforts by the country’s Tourism Ministry to invest in its tourism and travel industry, and develop Muslim-tourist friendly infrastructure.
The rest of the top 10 countries are Turkey (score of 75), Saudi Arabia (72), United Arab Emirates (71), Qatar (68), Morocco (67), Bahrain (66), Oman (66) and Brunei (65).
In a joint statement today, MasterCard and CrescentRating said Indonesia had climbed from second place to the top spot through sustained efforts by the country’s Tourism Ministry to invest in its tourism and travel industry, and develop Muslim-tourist friendly infrastructure.
Last year, Malaysia received a score of 80.6 while Indonesia tied with the United Arab Emirates with a score of 72.8.
Singapore remains the premier Muslim-friendly travel destination among non-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) destinations this year, followed by Thailand, the United Kingdom, Japan and Taiwan.
The index tracks the health and growth of Muslim-friendly travel destinations in four strategic areas – access, communications, environment and services. — BERNAMA
2019年4月9日星期二
Be prepared to pay a departure levy
Flying out of the country? Be prepared to pay a departure levy
Anyone flying out the country will have to pay a fee when the Departure Levy Bill 2019 is passed in Parliament.
The Bill tabled by Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah (pic) for its first reading on Monday (April 8) seeks the implementation of a new levy on any person leaving Malaysia.
However, the amount of the proposed levy was not mentioned in the Bill.
In Budget 2019, the government had proposed a departure levy of RM20 for Asean countries and RM40 for non-Asean countries.
The Bill also proposes hefty punishments for those who avoid paying the levy.
Any registered person who makes an incorrect return or information can face a fine not exceeding RM500,000, a three-year jail term or both, upon sentencing.
According to the Bill, a registered person means any operator or agent of foreign operators.
The Bill also states that anyone with the intent to evade or assist another to avoid the departure levy will also be liable to a fine not exceeding RM1mil, a five-year jail sentence or both upon sentencing.
The proposed Act also states that any person who in any way assaults, obstructs, hinders, threatens or molests a Customs officer in the discharge of his function or fails to give reasonable assistance to any Customs offer will also be liable to a maximum three-year jail term, a fine not exceeding RM500,000 or both if found guilty.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Anyone flying out the country will have to pay a fee when the Departure Levy Bill 2019 is passed in Parliament.
The Bill tabled by Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah (pic) for its first reading on Monday (April 8) seeks the implementation of a new levy on any person leaving Malaysia.
However, the amount of the proposed levy was not mentioned in the Bill.
In Budget 2019, the government had proposed a departure levy of RM20 for Asean countries and RM40 for non-Asean countries.
The Bill also proposes hefty punishments for those who avoid paying the levy.
Any registered person who makes an incorrect return or information can face a fine not exceeding RM500,000, a three-year jail term or both, upon sentencing.
According to the Bill, a registered person means any operator or agent of foreign operators.
The Bill also states that anyone with the intent to evade or assist another to avoid the departure levy will also be liable to a fine not exceeding RM1mil, a five-year jail sentence or both upon sentencing.
The proposed Act also states that any person who in any way assaults, obstructs, hinders, threatens or molests a Customs officer in the discharge of his function or fails to give reasonable assistance to any Customs offer will also be liable to a maximum three-year jail term, a fine not exceeding RM500,000 or both if found guilty.
~News courtesy of The Star~
2019年4月8日星期一
TripAdvisor to aid tourism
TripAdvisor to aid tourism
The Tourism Ministry will be working with all the industry players and international travel website TripAdvisor to improve the review ratings for the country.
Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik said they would visit every state, starting with Penang after Hari Raya in June.
“In tourism, it is all about the reviews. We want to bring all the industry players and stakeholders together and share the knowledge on how to obtain a higher rating.
“If you are lowly rated, tourists will not visit.
“If people leave bad reviews about the food or the hotel being noisy, the ratings will be low.
“There are many unknown attractions and service providers that are highly-rated although we may not know about them,” he said after handing over certificates to five Malaysia Tourism Quality Assurance 2019 (MyTQA) recipients at Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm in Teluk Bahang on Saturday.
Muhammad Bakhtiar said Gurney Drive last year received low ratings probably due to land reclamation.
“It is rated by the people who went there and for obvious reasons, perhaps after the reclamation, sometimes people were disappointed as they wanted to see the sea.
“TripAdvisor is providing us with big data on why people visit Malaysia so we can figure out a strategy.
“There will be representatives from TripAdvisor joining us to advise the industry players.
Taiping was listed by Green Destinations (GD) as one of its 100 sustainable cities in the world last year.
“This shows that Malaysia has the potential.
“We, however, need to improve our service culture and Malaysian front-liners have to learn how to greet people and give it a personal touch.
“Other countries where English is not their first language have found a way to greet people in a welcoming way,” he said.
~News courtesy of The Star~
The Tourism Ministry will be working with all the industry players and international travel website TripAdvisor to improve the review ratings for the country.
Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik said they would visit every state, starting with Penang after Hari Raya in June.
“In tourism, it is all about the reviews. We want to bring all the industry players and stakeholders together and share the knowledge on how to obtain a higher rating.
“If you are lowly rated, tourists will not visit.
“If people leave bad reviews about the food or the hotel being noisy, the ratings will be low.
“There are many unknown attractions and service providers that are highly-rated although we may not know about them,” he said after handing over certificates to five Malaysia Tourism Quality Assurance 2019 (MyTQA) recipients at Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm in Teluk Bahang on Saturday.
Muhammad Bakhtiar said Gurney Drive last year received low ratings probably due to land reclamation.
“It is rated by the people who went there and for obvious reasons, perhaps after the reclamation, sometimes people were disappointed as they wanted to see the sea.
“TripAdvisor is providing us with big data on why people visit Malaysia so we can figure out a strategy.
“There will be representatives from TripAdvisor joining us to advise the industry players.
Taiping was listed by Green Destinations (GD) as one of its 100 sustainable cities in the world last year.
“This shows that Malaysia has the potential.
“We, however, need to improve our service culture and Malaysian front-liners have to learn how to greet people and give it a personal touch.
“Other countries where English is not their first language have found a way to greet people in a welcoming way,” he said.
~News courtesy of The Star~
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