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2020年3月4日星期三

Sup Kambing (Mutton Soup)

Sup Kambing or Sop Kambing is a mutton soup from Indonesia, commonly found in Indonesian cuisine and Malaysian cuisine. It is prepared with goat meat, tomato, celery, spring onion, ginger, candlenut and lime leaf, its broth is yellowish in colour.



In Malaysia, sup kambing is associated with Muslim Malaysian Indian community and believed to be of Indian origin. In Singapore, the dish is also associated with the Muslim Indian community of the island.

Ingredients

There are many versions of sup kambing recipes, however there are two main groups of sup kambing traditions; the Indonesian version are derived mainly from Arab, and to some extent, Dutch influences, while Malaysian and Singaporean version is often called as sup kambing Mamak which solely derived from Muslim Indian influences. Other main differences are the Malaysian and Singaporean version consists of the chunks of goat meat in yellowish, rather thick and oily broth with rich spices; while in Indonesian version, the goat meat often also includes its bones (ribs or leg bones), has a lighter broth and balanced spices, and it also contains slices of vegetables including tomato, leek, celery, carrot and sometimes potato.

A simple sup kambing recipe uses goat meat, slices of tomato, leek, celery, and ground spices which includes; ginger, pepper, garlic, shallot and salt. However, another elaborate recipes might add more complex spices, which might includes cardamom, cinnamon, candlenut, nutmeg, clove and star anise to add aroma and taste.

~Wikipedia~

2020年2月24日星期一

Pisang Goreng - Fried Banana

Pisang goreng (fried banana in Indonesian/Malay) is a snack made of banana or plantain, covered in batter or not, being deep fried in hot cooking oil, and is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei.



Pisang goreng is most often associated with Indonesia, and indeed the country has the largest variety of pisang goreng recipes. However, this fried banana snack is also considered native to neighbouring countries; particularly Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore. 

It is consumed as a snack in the morning and afternoon. In Indonesia and Malaysia, pisang goreng is often sold by street vendors, although some sellers have a storefront from which to sell their wares.

~Wikiepdia~

2019年11月11日星期一

Klang Valley Transit Map 轨道交通图


Seamless transfers now possible at Pasar Seni

Seamless transfers now possible at Pasar Seni



Walking between the Pasar Seni LRT/MRT stations and KTM's Kuala Lumpur station (as well as to the National Mosque) is now more straightforward with the new bridge across Klang River.

KUALA LUMPUR: Regular LRT, MRT and KTM Komuter users who need to make transfers at KL Sentral can do so seamlessly now at Pasar Seni.

A new 102m-long pedestrian bridge linking the Pasar Seni LRT station with the KTM Kuala Lumpur station opened on Friday after more than two years of construction.

The fully covered bridge is equipped with a bi-directional travelator which spans 50m.

This link also enables users to reach Masjid Negara and its vicinity such as Taman Tugu easily as it shortens the walking distance.

Work had commenced in April 2016 as part of requirements for the Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) MRT line.

The Pasar Seni MRT station is already seamlessly integrated with the Pasar Seni LRT station.

However, crossing the Klang River to get to the KTM Kuala Lumpur station still proved to be arduous with users having to walk a long route via Menara Dayabumi.

Built by Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) under the SBK line scope of works, the work was undertaken by MRT project delivery partner, MMC-Gamuda KVMRT (PDP) Sdn Bhd, with Trans Resources Corp Sdn Bhd as the main contractor for the bridge.

The scope of work included improvements to the Pasar Seni LRT station concourse, as well as the entrance to Menara Dayabumi nearby.

MRT Corp CEO Abdul Yazid Kassim hoped that the new bridge would encourage more to use public transport.

“Seamless connectivity is an important element in public transportation, and without it, people will lose interest in using the service, ” he said.

“The bridge is also designed in such a way that it will enable ticketing integration between the MRT/LRT systems with the Komuter system in future.

“We hope that this last mile barrier in terms of fare integration will be solved one day, ” he said.

The ownership, operation and maintenance of the bridge will fall under Prasarana Malaysia Bhd.

~The Star~

2019年8月23日星期五

KLIA systems still down, passengers advised to arrive four hours before flight

KLIA systems still down, passengers advised to arrive four hours before flight



Passengers departing from the KL International Airport (KLIA) are advised to reach the airport four hours before their flight departure time as systems disruption has yet to be resolved.

According to Malaysia Airports, the team is still in the midst of stabilising the system as of 6am Friday (Aug 23).

It urged passengers to arrive at the airport early and check-in via their respective airlines' mobile app or website.

In a statement, Malaysia Airports said they have utilised all 38 remote bays at KLIA Main Terminal to cater to aircraft that are not able to proceed to the scheduled gates as they are still being occupied.

"Following this, we have also provided four additional buses, as well as ground handling services for the airlines in order to facilitate passenger movements to ferry passengers to the remote bays from the terminal and vice versa," it said.

It added that it has extended operating hours at all its other airports nationwide to cater to delayed flights from Kuala Lumpur, and have provided free parking for all passengers at KLIA Main Terminal.

In an unforeseen first-ever disruption of its airport management system, the operations of KLIA came to a halt for hours, with scores of flights delayed and passengers left stranded and frustrated.

The interruption, which hit on Wednesday (Aug 21) night, continued the following day.

As at 10.30am Thursday (Aug 22), there were 20 flights delayed at KLIA main terminal.

The flights were scheduled to take off for destinations in Japan, Australia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Britain and Dubai as well as domestically, Penang, and Kuching and Sibu in Sarawak.

~The Star~

2019年7月28日星期日

东铁周四正式复工 2026年秒竣工启用

东铁周四正式复工 2026年秒竣工启用



陆兆福(左5)主持东海岸铁道计划复工。左起阿末苏海米、尤索夫依斯迈、凯鲁阿迪、阿米努丁、阿末山苏里、诺若拉扎里、阿都拉曼尤诺斯及达维斯。 东海岸铁道计划(ECRL)复工,预料2026年12月启用。

纷纷扰扰的东海岸铁道计划周四正式复工,交通部长陆兆福披露,若工程一切顺利,东海岸铁道将于2026年竣工,并开始投入运作。

他说,经过与中国交通建设股份有限公司(CCCC,简称“中国交建”)的重新谈判后,这项计划从原本的665亿令吉削减至440亿令吉,减少了215亿令吉或33%。

陆兆福是于周四登嘉楼龙运,主持东海岸铁道计划复工仪式上,这么表示。

他也表示,这项计划的贷款也已经敲定,预料会在近期签署附加合约。

“我被告知马来西亚铁道衔接公司(MRL)与中国进出口银行(China EXIM Bank),将针对东海岸铁道计划的贷款已经敲定。因此,有关东海岸铁道计划贷款附加合约预料会在近期签署。”

他说,根据这项附加合约,中国进出口银行将提供85%的贷款,但由于成本价格削减,因此我国需承担的利息并不高。

“这也意味着政府所承担,由中国进出口银行所提供的贷款利息也减少了。”

陆兆福也提及,东海岸铁道计划全长640公里,主要是借以提升东海岸的公共交通设施。

“一旦东海岸铁道计划完成后,将为国人提供更便捷的交通。举例来说,民众若要从丹州的哥打峇鲁到布城,只需要乘搭4小时每小时160公里的列车,就能够抵达。”

他表示,重新规划的东铁计划将分为3段工程,分别是吉兰丹州哥打峇鲁到龙运的A段,登嘉楼州龙运到文德甲的B段,以及彭亨州文德甲到巴生港口的C段。

“在这3段工程当中,223公里的B段工程的路线没有更改,这个工程占了整个东铁计划的34.8%,而A段工程的路线会有少许更改,C段工程的路线则作出最大 的更改,2段工程全长417公里。”

“东海岸铁道计划共计20个站,其中14个站是让乘客能够上下站,另外5个站是供乘客和货柜,至于另一个站只是用作货柜使用。”

他说,整个东海岸铁道计划,登嘉楼州共计6个站,包括甘榜拉惹(Kampung Raja)、瓜拉登嘉楼、柏拉岸(Pengkalan Berangan)、龙运(Dungun)、甘马仕(Kemasik)及朱盖(Chukai),以及2个供乘客和货柜的站。

“在登州,也需要建造3个地下隧道,这包括龙运隧道、北加隧道(Terowong Paka)及关丹隧道。”

出席这场复工仪式的也包括登嘉楼州务大臣阿末山苏里、森美兰州务大臣拿督斯里阿米努丁、中国驻马大使白天、交通部秘书长拿督莫哈末凯鲁阿迪、马来西亚铁道衔接公司首席执行员那毒死达维斯、董事阿末苏海米及拿督尤索夫依斯迈、中国交建副总裁孙子宇、彭亨州务大臣代表拿督斯里诺若拉扎里、吉兰丹州务大臣代表阿都拉曼尤诺斯等。

陆兆福也表示,东海岸铁道计划启用后,将刺激铁道周边的旅游业,尤其是惠及民宿、酒店及当地的旅游活动业者。

“虽然重启后的东海岸铁道计划将减少站点,但跨越多个州属,因此势必带动东海岸经济走廊的成长,吸引更多外资进驻投资,进而创造更多的就业机会。”

“届时,像是珍拉丁(Cherating)、龙运(Dungun)、瓜拉登嘉楼、督巴里(Tok Bali)及哥打峇鲁。”

陆兆福也宣布,东海岸铁路工业技能培训计划(PLKI-ECRL)将复办,届时将会有约5000名在地学员参与培训。

“在此之前,只有3600名学员参与这项培训计划。”

白天:东铁将改变东海岸经济

中国驻马大使白天认为,东海岸铁路计划(ECRL)项目将改变登嘉楼、吉兰丹和森州等东海岸一带的交通运输与经济发展,并将其称为贸易创造。

“一旦东海岸铁路建竣,将能加强州与州,以及海外市场之间的连接,创造更多的贸易往来。例如,东海岸农民种植1公顷的榴槤,如猫山王。我会想,要如何出售。”

“不过,这些榴槤最终可能会因为运输问题和成本,而被浪费,但如果有铁路,就会不一样。”

因此,他相信,东海岸铁路将能为东海岸社区带来更多的经济活动,包括旅游。

“届时不只会有来自西马的游客,其他国家,包括中国游客都会前来旅游。因此,我相信,东海岸铁路的建成可以让大马中国游客翻倍增长。”

~光华日报~

2019年7月10日星期三

Malindo Air to start Varanasi service on July 18

Malindo Air to start Varanasi service on July 18



Malindo Air will start flying from Kuala Lumpur to Varanasi on July 18 as it looks to capitalise on pilgrimage traffic to the Hindu holy city in northern India. - NSTP/MOHD FADLI HAMZAH

Malindo Air will start flying from Kuala Lumpur to Varanasi on July 18 as it looks to capitalise on pilgrimage traffic to the Hindu holy city in northern India.

There will be three flights per week with a total capacity of 486 seats.

With the launch of its new service, Malindo Air will be operating 63 weekly flights connecting 10 Indian cities to Malaysia.

The direct flight to a major city in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, would help encourage more people from the region to visit Malaysia, said Datuk Hidayat Abdul Hamid, High Commissioner of Malaysia to India.

“We have 224 flights weekly between India and Kuala Lumpur and Indian travelers can travel from 14 cities to Malaysia. We are promoting tourism beyond Kuala Lumpur and focusing on destinations like Ipoh, Johor, Kota Kinabalu, Sarawak and the beautiful unexplored beaches to attract one million Indian tourists by 2020,” he said.

Sulaiman Suip, director of Tourism Malaysia in New Delhi, said tourist arrivals from India in the first three months of this year grew 18.6 per cent due to easy air links and a hassle-free online visa process.

Malindo Air, which began flying to India in December 2013, sees potential to attract both inbound and outbound travellers.

“However, Varanasi may have the added advantage in terms of demand as it is also primarily a sacred pilgrimage destination for Hindus around the world,” the airline’s chief executive officer Chandran Rama Muthy said.

Many travellers from India use Malindo’s wide network to travel to destinations within the region. - BERNAMA

2019年7月4日星期四

Air Arabia’s maiden flight arrives at KLIA

Air Arabia’s maiden flight arrives at KLIA



Inaugural flight: The Air Arabia flight landing at the KL International Airport.

SEPANG: The inaugural Air Arabia Flight G9 0921 from Sharjah to Kuala Lumpur has touched down safely at the KL International Air­port.

This marks the first time a low-cost carrier is connecting the country directly to the United Arab Emirates and Gulf Cooperation Council region.

Present to greet the arrival of the passengers yesterday morning was Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi.

“The flight couldn’t have come at a better time as we are promoting the country in the run-up to our Visit Malaysia 2020 (VM2020) campaign.

“This year, our target is to have 337,000 tourists from the West Asia region.

“I believe the launching of Air Arabia’s Sharjah-KL route will help increase tourist arrivals from this region,” he said.

Mohamaddin said the ministry would continue to boost air connectivity as part of VM2020.

Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Musa Yusof said there were plans to attract more airlines to the country.

“We are looking at attracting eight more airlines this year as part of the Joint International Tourism Development Programme,” he said.

Last year, Malaysia recorded RM3.1bil in tourist receipts from West Asia, a growth of 32.9% compared to the previous year.

As of March this year, tourist arrivals from West Asia countries stand at 65,202.

The seven-hour flight between Kuala Lumpur and Sharjah operates daily.

Sharjah is a neighbouring city of Dubai and the third largest emirate of the UAE.

Air Arabia is the first and largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa.

~The Star~

2019年6月27日星期四

Free Tourist Sim Card @ KLIA

Free Tourist Sim Card @ KLIA


Landing in KLIA

Lot No 5, Arrival Hall Level 3
Lot No 1, Main Terminal Building Level 1
Lot No 5, Contact Pier Link Bridge

Landing in KLIA2

Lot PR-04-52, International Arrival before Immigration
Lot L2-74, Level 2 International Arrival before

Details at https://www.u.com.my/extras/promotions/traveller-sim

2019年6月21日星期五

Booking Grab ride in Malaysia? Submit selfie first

Booking Grab ride in Malaysia? Submit selfie first



All Grab users in Malaysia will soon have to do a one-time selfie verification in order to use the app in the country. This is to fulfil regulatory requirements.

It will be similar to what new Grab users in Singapore are already doing, and a company spokesman said yesterday that Singaporeans would also have to comply with the Malaysian rule when using the app across the Causeway.

Grab, through an announcement on its Malaysian app and its website, informed users recently that the compulsory measure will be in place by July 12.

The website message read: "The selfie is for identity verification, safety, and may be used to assist the authorities when required. Grab ensures that your selfie and identity are secure and will not be shared with our driver-partners and merchants."

Grab added that explicit permission would be sought before any access to users' cameras.

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke had last July announced that, as part of new rules, passengers would have to upload valid identification card or passport details when they register for a ride-hailing account. He gave a year's grace to meet the requirements.

Grab adopted facial recognition technology to meet the new rule, with first-time users required to submit a selfie of themselves before booking a ride.

The Star daily reported that the new requirement has already helped solve a robbery-cum-murder case involving a Grab driver. Two suspects were nabbed in connection with the death of Mr Mohd Hanafiee Jaafar, who was robbed and killed on the job last month.

The incident resulted in drivers fearing post-midnight trips and avoiding areas deemed dangerous, The Star said.

Within Singapore, Grab users who signed up before February this year did not have to go through selfie verification, with their identities verified by either their Facebook account or credit card details.

But new users signing up from February have had to submit selfies to successfully open their accounts.

The Grab spokesman said: "These are part of our ongoing efforts to ensure high safety and security standards on our platform for both our customers and driver-partners."

Singaporeans who use Grab during trips to Malaysia told ST that they did not mind submitting a selfie so long as it was used solely for verification purposes.

Ms Wong Shi Hui, 25, who works in events management and visits Malaysia every three months, said: "It is good that measures are in place to protect drivers as well. Selfies seem harmless enough if they can ensure a safe ride for everyone."

~The Straits Times~

2019年4月17日星期三

Dr M: No need for high-speed rail in M'sia, yet

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2月5日星期二

Travellers against departure levy

Travellers against departure levy

AS the feud intensifies between Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) and AirAsia, so too the voices from air travellers against the imposition of a departure levy, as well as increase in passenger service charge (PSC).

Malaysians, however, said they were determined to continue travelling.

The New Straits Times’ travel pullout, JOM!, inasurvey conducted on its Facebook page to identify the travel trends of Malaysians, found the majority objecting to both charges.

Of the 663 respondents, 73.2 per cent did not agree that klia2 and other Malaysian international airports should charge the same PSC as the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

The survey, which comprises eight questions, ran for 11 days.

Effective Jan 1 last year, PSC for those travelling beyond Asean was increased from RM50 to RM73.

It has more than doubled since 2017 for passengers using klia2.

Passengers were charged RM32 before 2017 for travelling beyond Asean via klia2, and it increased to RM50 in 2017.

Since the increase, AirAsia Group Bhd and AirAsia X Bhd have refused to collect the additional RM23, with the justification that the facilities in klia2 were inferior compared with a full-service carrier terminal.

On Dec 11 last year, Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of MAHB, served a writ of summons on AirAsia Group’s unit, AirAsia Bhd (AAB), for RM9.4 million in PSC that AAB had not and refused to collect from travelling passengers.

Malaysians said the departure levy would not encourage domestic tourism as envisaged. Travellers said they would continue to travel, with 4.3 per cent of respondents saying they would travel within the country, 71.6 per cent within Asean and 24.1 per cent beyond that.

The departure levy proposed in the 2019 Budget for air travellers leaving the country is set to roll out in full force in June.

It is set at RM20 to Asean countries and RM40 for non-Asean countries.

The levy was to raise revenue allowing the government to collect a few hundred million ringgit annually, Transport Minister Anthony Loke had said.

DEPARTURE LEVY FRUSTRATION

Shamala Raj, 27, a frequent traveller, said the departure levy would not stop her excursions.

“I understand that the government wants to encourage domestic tourism, but if I have visited all the places that I want to visit in Malaysia, I will still travel abroad for my holidays.

“I believe the idea of introducing a departure levy to encourage people to travel within Malaysia is not effective as some may prefer to travel out of the country, despite the charges.”

She said the government should relook the departure levy as it would deter foreign tourists since the charges were more compared with other Asean countries.

“There are many other ways to collect the revenue, but the government should study this well before implementing it as it may have an adverse effect on Malaysia.”

Mohd Syukri Salleh, 34, who travels to London at least three or four times a year on business, said the extra RM40 would make him look for other options.

“Yes, the RM40 may not sound a lot, however, for a frequent traveller like me, it is an extra cost.

“I will fly as usual, but will look for a cheaper option when the departure levy comes into effect in June.”

Besides travelling on business, Syukri travels regularly for holidays and he did not agree with the increase in the passenger service charge, mainly for klia2.

“I understand the frustration that is brought up by the management of AirAsia. klia2 is a low-cost carrier terminal and it does not have the same facilities as KLIA. So, how can they expect the passengers to pay the same amount?”

The effectiveness of the departure levy, introduced to improve domestic tourism, was debatable, said Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) economist Adli Amirullah.

“Some might say they prefer to travel domestically using land transport, hence a higher departure levy will not affect such consumers.”

He said the departure levy might affect international tourists and deter them from choosing Malaysia as their Southeast Asian destination, compared with neighbouring countries such as Thailand and Indonesia.

“IDEAS’ study has shown that Malaysians are already paying one to three per cent more tax on full-service flight tickets to nearby destinations, compared with other Asean nations.

“This pressures the Malaysian aviation market and possibly limits the growth of tourism, as other nearby countries are cheaper to visit.”

He said although Malaysian tourism growth looked prosperous with the travel sector contributing 13.4 per cent to total gross domestic product and 11.8 per cent to the total employment in 2017, statistics had stated that there had been a three per cent reduction in tourism arrivals in Malaysia.

“It shows that Malaysia tourism is growing but at a much slower rate.

“With the number of arrivals turning negative and expected to be adjusted downwards, the losses of the tourism industry may be magnified by the departure levy.”

~New Straits Times~

2019年1月29日星期二

‘Wait for ECRL announcement’

‘Wait for ECRL announcement’

The ball is now in Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s (pic) court to state Malaysia’s official stance on the future of the controversial East Coast Rail Link (ECRL).

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has called for patience in the matter, and said the government’s decision on the project would be announced by Lim.

“Has Lim Guan Eng made a astatement on this? No? So we wait for him lah. Be patient,” said Dr Mahathir to reporters when asked to clear the confusion on the status of ECRL.

Dr Mahathir acknowledged that there had been contradictory statements coming from members of his Cabinet, but he said mistakes are to be expected from a new government.

“The number of mistakes we make are little, but people notice it more.

“Just wait for Guan Eng to make the announcement, be patient lah,” Dr Mahathir said at a press conference after a meeting with top executives of statutory bodies here.

On a letter bearing Lim’s signature being widely circulated – indicating the cancellation of the ECRL – Dr Mahathir refuted its authenticity.

“It has a government letterhead? Anyone could draft a letter and cut out a government letterhead to make it look real. That is not official,” he said.

On Sunday, Lim said the official announcement on ECRL would be made in a written statement and issued this week.

It has been reported that the government is looking for a new contractor after terminating the contract awarded to China Communi­cations Construction Company Ltd to build the RM81bil mega rail project.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir said Malaysia will stick to its decision on banning Israeli athletes, despite the stripping of Malaysia’s right to host the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships.

“We stand by our principles that Israel is a criminal nation.

“It has been breaking international laws without people saying anything about it.

“We have a right to voice our own feelings and to have our own policies,” he said.

When asked if the stripping of the rights to host the event would affect Malaysia’s future in hosting other games, Dr Mahathir was unperturbed.

“They want to cancel it, then cancel it. I do not understand why the world must follow Israel. The world has the power, but they choose to obey Israel. We do not obey.

“If we cannot organise this sporting event, we can organise other ones,” said Dr Mahathir.

On Pakatan Harapan’s defeat in the Cameron Highlands by-election, Dr Mahathir said he accepted it as the will of the people, and added that the government must address the cost of living issue affecting the rural folk.

“We must find ways to reduce cost of living as well as help them earn better income,” he said.

~News courtesy of The Star~

2019年1月22日星期二

KL - Malacca Bus 吉隆坡-马六甲巴士



We are now at Melaka Sentral (Counter 23).

Melaka Sentral - KL Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS)

Depart 5.30am from Melaka Sentral.
Depart 6.30pm from KL Terminal Bersepadu Selatan.
MONDAY - FRIDAY.

Starts from 2nd January 2017.

For more info, kindly contact:

1-300-888-121

www.odysseynow.com

2019年1月16日星期三

Kopitiam



A kopitiam or kopi tiam is a traditional coffee shop patronised for meals and beverages, predominantly operated by Chinese proprietors and especially members of the Hainanese community. The word kopi is a Malay/Hokkien term for coffee and tiam is the Hokkien and Hakka term for shop (Chinese : 店). 

A common sight in Malaysia and neighbouring Singapore, menus often feature offerings like nasi lemak, boiled eggs, roti bakar, noodle dishes, bread and kuih. The owners of some kopitiam establishments may lease premise space to independent stallholders, who sometimes offer more specialised dishes beyond standard Chinese kopitiam fare. 

Typical beverages include Milo, a malted chocolate drink considered iconic to Malaysians of all ages, as well as coffee (kopi) and tea (teh). Diners would use slang terms specific to kopitiam culture to order and customise drinks to their taste.

~wikipedia~

2019年1月10日星期四

Visa exemption for China tourists extended to Dec 2019

Visa exemption for China tourists extended to Dec 2019

The 15-day visa exemption for tourists from China has been extended from Jan 1 to Dec 31 this year, a piece of good news for local tourism industry players.

With many Chinese nationals going on holiday during the Chinese New Year next month and China’s National Day Golden Week break in October, Malaysia’s tourism association is hopeful that the exemption will boost arrivals.

Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Jan 2 made three separate orders to grant visa exemptions for Chinese and Indian tourists.

The orders granting the exemption under the Passports Act 1966 were published on Jan 3 in the Federal Government Gazette.

The three are: Passports (Exemption of Visa to Tourist Who is Citizen of The People’s Republic Of China) Order 2019; Passports (Exemption of Visa to Tourist Who is Citizen of India) Order 2019; and Passports (Exemption of Visa to Expatriate Who is Citizen of India) Order 2019.

Chinese tourists were first granted the 15-day visa exemptions on Oct 1, 2015, while Indian citizens including expatriates who visit Malaysia as tourists were first given exemptions on April 1, 2017.

The exemptions for both countries were extended every year since.

The exemption for tourists who are citizens of China comes with a number of conditions.

According to the orders, applicants must register with an electronic travel registration and information system provided by the Immigration Department.

They must have a return ticket and must produce on arrival, proof of sufficient pocket money, credit card or bank card with the UnionPay, AliPay or eWallet logo.

They must also produce their itinerary in Malaysia upon arrival.

The orders stated that the 15-day exemption could not be extended, and upon leaving Malaysia, the tourist was only allowed to re-register for exemption again after three months. 

The exemption for tourists who are citizens of India has almost similar conditions while the exemption of Indian expatriates applies to all citizens of India working as expatriates outside India in all countries except Singapore.

They are granted the exemption when travelling to Malaysia as tourists.

~News courtesy of The Star~

2018年12月22日星期六

KLIA exceeds quality of service

KLIA exceeds quality of service

KL International Airport (KLIA) exceeded the service quality targets in October set under the Malaysian Aviation Commission’s Airport Quality of Service (QoS) framework.

Malaysia Airports acting group chief executive officer, Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin said meeting the QoS targets was a fraction of the many initiatives undertaken to improve guests’ experience.

“At the core, we want to transform the mindset of our people and imbue them with a first-world service culture,” he said in a statement.

Initiated in September 2018, QoS is a service performance measure meant to ensure consistent passenger comfort at the airport and improve airport user experience for stakeholders.

~News courtesy of The Star~

2018年11月14日星期三

离境税征收机制未决 陆兆福:稍后公布

离境税征收机制未决 陆兆福:稍后公布

交通部长陆兆福表示,政府尚未决定征收离境税的机制。

“究竟会加入乘客服务费或者由关税局征收?我们将会稍后公布。”

他今天在亚航总部的数码机场控制中心主持推介礼后,受询及离境税的课题时,如是表示。

他说明,2令吉乘客服务费与20令吉或40令吉的离境税不同,前者由马来西亚机场控股有限公司征收作为营运用途,非政府征收;后者是由政府征收,以提高政府的收入,政府预计每年可征收数亿令吉。

他说,离境税并非首创税务,实际上在泰国与印尼等国家早已经征收离境税。

陆兆福也希望我国机场与航空公司可以合作,缩短飞机抵达与起飞的周转时间(turnaround time)。

他透露,昨日甫从曼谷公干返国的他在4时25分抵达吉隆坡机场,但在5时10分才领取行李,令他认为有改善的空间。

“我希望在我们从抵达到行李运输带时,就可以领取行李。这需要航空公司、机场公司及相关单位的配合。”

针对政府希望出售30%机场房地产投资信托基金股权筹资40亿令吉资金,陆兆福表示,政府尚未鉴定涉及的机场(参与该机制),政府会稍后宣布。

另一方面,亚航创办人丹斯里东尼费南德斯则表示无意参与收购30%机场房地产投资信托基金股权的计划。

他说,亚航作为航空公司将会聚焦在航空事业,兴建机场并非他们的工作。

不过,他表明愿意与机场公司合作降低成本,从而调低机票价格。

询及政府落实的离境税会否导致亚航调高机票价格或者会否吸纳部分的离境税,东尼费南道斯说,由于整个机制尚未明朗,且让他们了解整个税务架构后才发言,目前,一切言之过早。

~光华日报~