Firefly starts weekly flights to Haadyai

Firefly starts weekly flights to Haadyai

FIREFLY started its four weekly services between Subang and Haadyai, Thailand, when its inaugural flight FY3614 took off with 96% passenger load yesterday.

Passengers and media delegates, who boarded the 80-minute flight at 9.50am from the airport in Subang were given a warm reception by a Thai cultural group.

They were welcomed with flower garlands and gift bags by Thai authorities as they disembarked at the Haadyai International Airport.

The Firefly aircraft was also given the traditional aviation industry welcome of water-spraying guard of honour.

“We have been anticipating for the launch of this new destination, as this service adds another milestone in Firefly’s regional network and strengthens our Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand growth triangle agenda.

All smiles: Ong (second from right) with Firefly Captain Shahrul Affendi and crew introducing the route to passengers. All smiles: Ong (second from right) with Firefly Captain Shahrul Affendi and crew introducing the route to passengers.

“A new destination certainly is an encouraging indication of an airline’s successful growth and that is exactly the path that we are at and in which we will continue heading towards.

“The celebration of Firefly’s two other new routes between, Kota Baru-Singapore and Penang-Koh Samui just last week, further reiterates the achievement of our expansion plan which was announced earlier this year.

“As we continue to market our new routes and destination, we assure passengers of our commitment to providing top-notch service coupled with our signature warm hospitality.

“A positive customer experience is a part of our brand promise and we intend to keep it,” said Firefly chief executive officer Ignatius Ong .

Firefly’s head of marketing and communications Angelina Fernandez said, “Malaysians are attracted to Haadyai for its extensive shopping options and a vast variety of delicious authentic Thai food.”

“Haadyai is also the gateway to Satun and Trang provinces, which are popular island destinations in the southern coast of Thailand.

“We expect passengers travelling from Subang to Haadyai to comprise Malaysians and members of its expatriate community in search of a quick convenient getaway.

“We also anticipate it to include in-bound tourists who choose to get a taste of Thailand while in Kuala Lumpur,” she said.

“As for passengers from Haadyai, upon arrival in Subang, they will find the city airport to be strategically situated due to its close proximity to international universities, theme parks such as Sunway Lagoon, and the vibrant Kuala Lumpur City Centre, which is just 30 minutes drive away.

“Resorts World Genting is also a popular attraction with this market and it is only about an hour’s drive from Subang,” she added.

In conjunction with yesterday’s inaugural flight celebrations, Firefly will be offering an all-in one way deal that starts from RM99 for this new destination.

Booking period is from now to Aug 26 for travel from Aug 24 to Oct 31.

Ticket purchases can be made from Firefly’s website (www.fireflyz.com.my), mobile application, airport and city ticketing offices, call-centre and through travel agents.

~News courtesy of The Star~

马来西亚烟雾情况恶化

烟雾情况恶化，雪兰莪州蒲种地区昨天被浓浓烟雾笼罩，当地民众都减少户外活动。（图／中国报）

马来西亚半岛烟雾情况恶化，截至昨天傍晚5时，共有七个地区的空气污染指数超过100点，处于不健康水平。

由于印度尼西亚苏门答腊烧芭的关系，西马半岛多个地区昨天被浓浓的烟雾笼罩，尤其是雪兰莪及吉隆坡，空气素质处于不健康水平的地区从前天的三个增至七个。

《联合早报》

吉胆码头泊车费昂贵

吉胆码头泊车费昂贵‧岛民游客吃不消

执法人员发出传票给在码头附近违例泊车的车辆。（图：星洲日报）

（雪兰莪‧巴生25日讯）吉胆岛民和游客目前在巴生港口的吉胆码头，面对泊车费昂贵的问题，希望有关当局关注。

目前，拿督沙阿里码头停车场是最靠近巴生港口往吉胆岛码头的最大停车场。

很多游客和回乡的游子，还有住在岛上的岛民，通常只能选择把车停在那里，不然就是在码头另一端的小型停车场。

一直以来，巴生港口所有的停车场都只是一天或一次收费3令吉。

改成1令吉一个小时

由於没有大道可进入吉胆岛，许多拥有车辆而来回巴生港口的岛民，唯有长期將车辆泊在停车场才回吉胆岛，比起城市的居民泊车在自己家门前，是多了一个“每日收费”。

最近，拿督沙阿里停车场悄悄的在入口处加了一部出入自动开关，而且在毫无通知的情况下，该收费机器的泊车收费，就被改成1令吉一个小时。

这跟过去相比可以差別很大，算起来还比一般在大城市的停车场贵上好几倍！

许多岛民只好共挤一个小型停车场。许多爭不到位子的岛民只好硬著头皮每天泊在收费昂贵的停车场。

昂贵停车费嚇跑游客

一些负担不起的人，就只能把车辆停在路边。尤其是星期六和星期日，回乡的游子更多，往往连游客也被昂贵的停车费嚇跑。

许多岛民都觉得这对他们不公平。

而游客也可能会考虑到高昂的停车费、船费、旅程费等，而打退堂鼓。

岛民认为，这种垄断式的停车场应徵收一个合理的价格。

（星洲日报／大都会）

Entering M'sia? No need for arrival cards

Entering M'sia? No need for arrival cards 

 Starting from June 1, foreigners entering Malaysia need not fill in arrival cards issued by the Immigration Department, the Home Ministry said in a statement yesterday. 

Chief Secretary of the Home Ministry, Mr Mahmood Adam, said the procedure would not be required because the Immigration Department had already introduced a biometric recording system for every foreigner upon arrival, under the National Enforcement Registration System (NERS), the Bernama news agency reported. "

Through the NERS system that was introduced on June 1, 2011, the data of foreigners will be recorded and stored. The procedure will also fulfil the requirement of the Tourism Ministry to record data and number of tourist arrivals," he said in the statement quoted by the agency. 

Mr Mahmood said the decision was made after consultations with the Immigration Department, Home Ministry and Tourism Ministry, and that the NERS system was a much faster way to record the data of foreigners. 

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

下月起入境马来西亚免填白卡

 （布城综合讯）马来西亚将从6月1日起，取消外国游客需填写入境卡（俗称白卡）的措施。 

內政部秘书长马末阿当昨日发表文告做出上述宣布。他说，内政部自去年6月落实生物指纹登记及执法系统（NERS）后，所有入境马来西亚的外国人的资料都被输入系统内，因此，不必再推行填写白卡的措施。 

他指出，NERS让当局可掌握每一名入境马来西亚的外国人资料，而这些登记程序也符合旅游部欲记录游客人数与资料的要求。“有鉴于此，内政部、移民局及旅游部在讨论后决定，从下个月开始，取消外国人填写入境卡的措施。” 

据了解，马来西亚移民局早在今年2月起，就取消填写白卡的措施，入境的外国人只须扫描生物认证护照或指纹即可。不过，当时内政部尚未正式做出宣布。 

～以上新闻转载自OMY～

配合瓜冷观光月举行 逾千脚车越野竞逐

配合瓜冷观光月举行 逾千脚车越野竞逐

逾千名脚车好手向前冲刺。

（万津15日讯）配合“瓜拉冷岳县区观光月”主办的“5·13爬山脚车越野竞赛盛会”，吸引逾1000名来自全国各地的脚车好手前来参与，大大提高瓜拉冷岳县的名声，刺激瓜冷县区的旅游业，尤其再次把摩立海滨景点推向高峰。

 “爬山脚车大集会及团结脚车越野赛”乃由万津脚车俱乐部、双溪哥兰布D’Lereng MTB Club及瓜拉冷岳ABIM（马来西亚伊斯兰青年运动）等非政府组织联合主办，并获得雪州政府及瓜冷县议会的大力支持协助。

来自全国各地的爬山脚车精英，包括来自东马砂拉越及西马多个州属的著名脚车俱乐部代表都前来参加，甚至我国脚车运动国手级的安华马南也在盛会中亮相，并轻易夺得公开组冠军荣衔。 73岁老翁获“精神奖” 首位骑脚车环游世界的现任加影市议会主席拿督哈山纳瓦威也到来捧场。

 一名来自吉隆坡73岁高龄的华裔老翁林世桐，老当益壮，与朋友一起来参赛，结果获得主办当局颁予特别“精神奖”，以资表扬。 以李志光律师为首的万津脚车俱乐部当天也派出60名男女代表出席参与，并与其他脚车好手交流，获益不浅。

主办单位主要负责人马斯鲁京指出，参赛者人数约达1100人，出乎主办当局意料之外，顿时成为最受人瞩目的爬山脚车大集会，也是瓜拉冷岳县有史以来最大规模的爬山脚车盛会。

在场的行政议员阿末尤努斯、直落拿督区州议员陈春水、民联摩立区协调员哈斯奴及瓜冷县议会代主席哈菲斯等均受邀主持颁奖及主持幸运抽奖等。

骑脚车助青少年远离歪风 雪州行政议员兼昔江港区州议员阿末尤努斯受邀主持闭幕时指出，骑踏脚车已经成为促进身体健康的良好运动，同时也很受青少年的欢迎，因此参与骑脚车运动也可以协助青少年远离社会不良风气。

他说，骑踏脚车运动也是协助减肥的良药，因此值得加以推广。 瓜冷县议会代主席哈菲斯表示高兴看到这项骑踏爬山脚车运动盛会虽然首次在瓜冷县举行，却成功吸引超过千名本区及外地人到来欢聚，也成功促销瓜冷县的旅游业，为“瓜拉冷岳观光月”打响名堂。

～南洋商报～

即起至7月31日 恐龙展体验古生物生态

即起至7月31日 恐龙展体验古生物生态 

配合假期，许多家长扶老携幼的出席恐龙展。 

 （吉隆坡6日讯）恐龙在吉隆坡复活了! 史前曾有巨大生物在地球表面走动的迷思至今仍引起人们的好奇心，如今透过顶尖的电子科技，让这些认为在6500万年至2亿5000万年前，曾经统治地球的巨大生物已在吉隆坡现实生活中，揭破大马民众对恐龙的迷思。 

 由国家科学馆主办长达三个月的电子恐龙展览，即日起至7月31日期间，多达30只与真实恐龙相同体形的电子恐龙将把国家科学馆当成家。 

这次的展览将重新塑造恐龙的动作，声音和栖息地，使整个体验更有生气，完整地呈现史前的恐龙时代。

同时，公众可观赏电子恐龙如何移动身体和五官，就如几百万年前般活生生呈现在眼前。 这由活动策划公司Cityneon控股及EMS控股及国家科学馆联办的展览会。 

了解恐龙习性 这次并非只专注在娱乐性质的恐龙展览，也包含了深入研究的教育资料，让公众能正确地了解恐龙的发源地，存在的时间、解剖特征、饮食习惯和一连串的科学发现，还包括每种恐龙的进化及栖息地。 

此展览将依据不同种类的恐龙的史前生存时代而布置，主要目的是分享有趣的古生物学。 值得一提的是，现场活动包括教育活动小册子、团体参观，教育讲座和节目等。 

【互动性展览包括】 

•跑得比恐龙快－具备速度测量仪表的跑道，让参观者与恐龙赛跑 

 •恐龙角落－填色与蚀刻图画 

•专人带领参观及探险护照 

•与恐龙照相－小孩可骑在恐龙身上拍照 【电子恐龙展览】 

日期：5月1日至7月31日 

地点：国家科学馆 

入门票：成人15令吉（7至12岁的学生（需展示学生证）12令吉）；6岁以下儿童免费入园 

 查询： www.dinosaurslive.com.my 或Dinosaurs Live! 的面子书 www.facebook.com/dinosaurslive.my 。

～南洋商报～