Tourists from Sweden
Malaysia has requested tour operators from Sweden to include Penang and Langkawi in their tour packages to Thailand.
This synergy would be possible with Firefly Sdn Bhd, a 100% subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, which will take to the skies from April 2.
The Firefly routes include Penang to Langkawi and also Penang to Koh Samui and Phuket in Thailand.
About 400,000 tourists from Sweden went to Thailand last year and Thai Airways flies from Stockholm to Bangkok daily.
For a start, Firefly will use two 50-seater Fokker planes to fly to Phukiet and Koh Samui seven times a week and 14 times weekly to Kota Baru, Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan and Langkawi.
About 36,280 people from Sweden visited Malaysia last year. MAS has three direct flights from Stockholm to KL International Airport every week.
Entry Date: 28/03/2007 4.33pm Posted by: Roszs
New Squash Centre
There is a new squash centre under the Core Sports Development programme opened at the LADA sports complex in Langkawi! recently.
This brings the total number of squash centres operating in Kedah to four.
The other three are the Muadzam Shah sports complex in Lebuhraya Sultan Abdul Halim, Alor Star, with four coaches and 90 players; Sultan Abdul Hamid sports complex in Sungai Petani with four coaches and 80 players; and the Chinese Recreation Club in Kulim with two coaches and 35 players.
Squash has emerged as a popular sport because of Malaysia world-class players like Nicol David and Ong Beng Hee.
Entry Date: 28/03/2007 4.33pm Posted by: Roszs
Thai AirAsia Stays
Thai AirAsia will be the only low-cost airline operating both domestic and international flights from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport when Bangkok's Don Muang reopens for operation on Sunday.
From Suvarnabhumi, which was opened last September, Thai AirAsia operates about 80 flights daily to nine domestic and 10 international destinations.
Thai AirAsia, a subsidiary of AirAsia Bhd, was the first airline to propose reopening the old airport, citing higher operating costs at Suvarnabhumi which has been plagued by problems since its opening day.
Thai Airways International and the two other Thai low-cost operators, Nok Air and One-To-Go, will operate their non-transit domestic flights at Don Muang which is expected to handle 140 flights per day.
Thai AirAsia's domestic destinations include Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Krabi, Narathiwat, Phuket, Surat Thani, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani while international destinations are Xiamen, Macau, Phnom Penh, Yangon, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, Penang and Singapore.
Entry Date: 18/03/2007 12.36am Posted by: Roszs
Brats Invade Langkawi
Forty eager teenagers arrived here for their first foray in journalism at the BRATs (Young Journalist) workshop.
The four-day workshop kicked off with the BRATs learning what it takes to be a good journalist and learning basic journalistic skills.
They also learnt interviewing skills such as how to approach strangers and formulate questions.
For the next three days, the youngsters will embark on field assignments where they will put their newly-learnt journalistic skills to use.
BRATs is a young journalist programme that started in 1993 to expose teenagers to journalism and to provide them with a platform to express their views.
The BRATs workshop is organised by The Star in cooperation with Maggi.
Entry Date: 18/03/2007 12.36am Posted by: Roszs
LADA Housing Estate
Almost half of the 614 units in the first phase of the housing estate built by the Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) in 1996 are yet to be occupied after 11 years.
Some interested buyers had problems securing bank loans for the houses which cost between RM48,000 and RM80,000.
The CF was issued on Nov 20 last year for the 200 medium-cost terrace units, 134 low medium-cost terrace units and 280 low-cost terrace units. Special consideration was however given to victims of a fire in Bukit Malut two years ago.
Entry Date: 18/03/2007 12.36am Posted by: Roszs
MAS New Carrier Firefly
Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS) will launch a new airline, Firefly, which will begin operation in early April 2007.
For a start, Firefly will operate with two Fokker F50 aircraft and provide twice daily services out of Penang International Airport to Kota Bahru, Langkawi, Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu, plus daily services to Phuket and Koh Samui in southern Thailand with one-way ticket price starting from RM9.
These routes are currently not served by MAS or other airlines. Firefly's routes will complement MAS' network connectivity and broaden its reach.
Firefly will be run by wholly owned subsidiary Flyfirefly Sdn Bhd (formerly known as Kelas Services Sdn Bhd), which has been issued the Air Services Licence and Air Operator's Certificate by the Civil Aviation Department effective this Saturday.
Entry Date: 18/03/2007 12.36am Posted by: Roszs
National Water Fest 2007
National Water Fest 2007 offers you a month-long beach fun fest!
The month-long festival starting April 6 will provide participants a kaleidoscope of exciting beach activities, both traditional and modern.
A grand three-day launch will be graced by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Dataran Lang in Langkawi on April 7.
The festival will also be held in five other venues including Danga Bay (Johor), Reggata Lepa (Semporna, Sabah), Perlis, Labuan and Pantai Puteri (Malacca).
Free transportation would also be provided at Pantai Cenang, Jeti Kuah, Air Hangat, Padang Maksirat and Awana Porto Malai on April 6th and 7th, between 7am and 2am.
Local artists will entertain the crowd. Other sports activities slated are parasailing, beach bowling, slippery pole climb, pukul bantal and tarik upih. Competition for the Family's Most Creative Beach Picnic would also be held in Pantai Cenang, Langkawi.
Entry Date: 10/03/2007 12.14pm Posted by: Roszs
A Fishing Skipper Job
A fishing skipper’s job can pay quite well. Being a skipper of a fishing vessel can earn you a lucrative income of up to RM15,000 a month.
Even a novice skipper could bring home a basic salary of RM2,800 a month -- which is often more than a fresh graduate, without counting other incentives.
Some companies in the fishing industry in Langkawi are offering attractive salary packages. The salary depended on the expertise of the skippers in handling modern navigation equipment.
Those interested to build a career in this field can attend courses in deep-sea fishing run by the Malaysian Fishing Institute under its Skipper Development Programme. Trainees would undergo an 18-month course on how to handle navigation equipment and other related modules to be full-fledged skippers.
Some 500 participants, mostly children from fishing villages, had been trained in this field since 2000.
Entry Date: 10/03/2007 12.14pm Posted by: Roszs
Marine Department Boats
Seven more Peninsular Malaysia Marine Department boats will provide services especially mercy travel for islanders in five regions in the country.
Three of the boats, which would be delivered in May, would be stationed in Kuala Terengganu (east coast region) to serve Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Redang while two more would operate in Pulau Tioman and Pulau Langkawi (northern region).
The remaining boats which would be delivered in August were meant for Pulau Pangkor (northern region), Port Klang (central region) and Labuan (East Malaysia).
The boats are meant to ferry patients from the islands to seek treatment on the mainland. The boat is equipped with a treatment room catering for patients including those suffering from contagious diseases such as the Severe Accute Respiratory Syndrome (SARs).
Entry Date: 10/03/2007 12.14pm Posted by: Roszs
Sarex Samudera Trains
The maritime search and rescue operation (Sarex Samudera) team underwent the first part of a rigorous training session to increase its efficiency in view of the increasing popularity in watersports and other activities in Langkawi.
The collision between two passenger ferries in Langkawi waters on Nov 24 instilled the awareness on the need for a thoroughly efficient search and rescue team to operate in waters off the holiday island.
The activities at sea, especially around Langkawi, are expected to increase further during the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 when local and foreign tourists are expected to throng the island for a holiday. About 100 participants from various agencies in Langkawi will be trained in two phases.
The first phase kicks off on March 2007 and will last two days. The second phase will start on March 21 and 22 in waters off Pulau Payar which will involve search and rescue operations for survivors of accidents involving ferries.
The Maritime Agency took over the responsibilities of search and rescue operations from the Marine Department on June 6, 2006.
Entry Date: 10/03/2007 12.14pm Posted by: Roszs
Mas Golden Holidays in Thai
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has launched its Golden Holidays in Thailand with several exclusive packages, including unique cruise holidays in Europe, aimed at promoting Malaysia and its worldwide destinations.
Consortium of an initial nine travel companies has been set up to promote Golden Holidays in Thailand. Golden Holidays made its debut in the Thai market during the five-day TTAA International Travel Fair organised by the Thai Travel Agents Association.
Various destinations in Malaysia have been earmarked for promotion, including Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, with packages starting from 6,920 baht.
For the European destinations served by MAS, two unique products -- Danube and Rhine, encompassing air travel, cruise and tour of cities -- have been established especially for the Thai market.
The Danube package allows you to go to Hungary, Slovak and Austria while the Rhine package will take you to Holland, France and Germany.
Entry Date: 04/03/2007 1.19pm Posted by: Roszs
Al-Waleed buys MAS hotel
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal is acquiring Malaysian Airline System Bhd’s (MAS) hotel, retail business and several parcels of land in Langkawi for RM435 million cash.
MAS was selling its unit MAS Hotels & Boutiques Sdn Bhd (MHB) to Kingdom Langkawi BV as part of its strategic asset rationalisation exercise to dispose of non-core assets. Kingdom Langkawi is linked to Prince Al-Waleed as it is an indirect unit of Kingdom Hotels Investments, which is affiliated to the Saudi prince. The Kingdom group’s core business is investment in hotels and resorts.
MHB provides hotel and lodging facilities and is also involved in emporium and boutique operations. It owns several parcels of land totalling 35.55ha in Langkawi, which includes a hotel and resort, valued at RM385 million. MHB posted a net profit of RM1.23 million on the back of RM31.43 million in revenue for a nine-month period in 2005.
Proceeds from the proposed disposal would be used for its working capital and restructuring, and also to defray expenses of about RM7.9 million for the disposal.
The proposed disposal is to be completed by the third quarter of the year, would enable MAS to record a gain of RM62 million, translating into an improved earnings per share (EPS) of five sen.
The EPS figure was based on the RM435 million cash, net assets of RM365.08 million based on MAS’ audited accounts as at Dec 31, 2005, and the estimated incidental expenses of RM7.9 million.
Entry Date: 04/03/2007 1.19pm Posted by: Roszs
KLM And MAS Code-share
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Malaysia Airlines (MAS) are intensifying their code-share cooperation.
From March 1, KLM passengers on flights between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur would be able to book under KLM flight numbers connecting domestic services operated by MAS between the KL International Airport (KLIA) and Penang, Langkawi, and Kota Kinabalu.
This new arrangement will cover six flights each between KLIA - Penang and KLIA - Kota Kinabalu as well as five flights between KLIA to Langkawi. Currently MAS operates daily direct services between KLIA and Amsterdam / Schiphol using Boeing B747-400s whilst KLM operates six weekly non-stop services between the Dutch city and KLIA.
KLM and MAS have worked together successfully since 1998 through a strong commercial cooperation for flights between the two convenient hubs at Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur. In addition, KLM passengers are also able to codeshare on MAS flights to and from Australia and New Zealand. In its turn, MAS' codeshares with KLM on European flights to and from Schiphol.
You can also benefit from the cooperation between the two airlines in terms of frequentflyer programs - as a KLM passenger, you are able to accrue and redeem Flying Blue miles on selected MAS operated codeshare flights.
Entry Date: 04/03/2007 1.19pm Posted by: Roszs
MAS Hub in Penang
Malaysia Airlines has confirmed planning to set up a new domestic and regional operation in Penang to service the premium travel market.
MAS will be using Penang's Bayan Lepas International Airport as its base to service holiday destinations such as Langkawi, Phuket in Thailand and Medan in Indonesia, as well as domestic destinations namely Kota Baru and Kuala Terengganu.
Entry Date: 04/03/2007 1.19pm Posted by: Roszs
LIMA '07 News
The Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) '07 exhibition, one of the region's prestigious aerospace and maritime defence expositions, will also be drawing participation from the civil aviation industry this year.
LIMA event is held biennially on Langkawi island, with this year's being the ninth edition since it was introduced in 1991. In addition to the usual display of aerospace and maritime technology, this year's show would also feature light aircraft and local companies which handle aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) as well as unique side attractions such as exhibitions on gadgets and Malaysian batik.
The target for this year's LIMA Langkawi is more than 300 exhibitors and about 70 per cent of the floor space at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre (MIEC) in Langkawi had so far been booked and sold. The newly-renovated MIEC features a bigger space at 16,152 sq metres to accommodate new pavilions for unmanned aerial vehicles, MRO technology and space technology.
LIMA Langkawi is set to be staged on 4-8th December 2007 at the MIEC and this year's showcase will include more than 120 aircraft including jet fighters, helicopters and transport planes. Besides the latest military and civilian aircraft, the newest attraction of this year's LIMA will be airport and airfield equipment.
To date, the list of participants in Lima '07 includes SAAB from Sweden, Sukhoi (Russia), Thales (France) and MIG (Russia). The crowd favourite in the airshow, the aerobatic Red Arrows from the USA, is also expected to make a grand return.
Entry Date: 04/03/2007 1.19pm Posted by: Roszs
Shelter for Fire Victims
The army’s help is being sought to build a temporary shelter for the Bukit Malut fire victims in Langkawi.
The 1,331 victims have been sleeping in tents since fire ravaged their homes on 21st February 2007.
Langkawi Fire and Rescue Services assistant superintendent Rosdi Ismail said a short circuit could have sparked the fire. During the fire, fire engines could not penetrate the village because the houses were built haphazardly and the firemen had to fight the fire from sea using war jet pumps.
Almost half of the village was wiped out during the blaze.
Entry Date: 04/03/2007 1.19pm Posted by: Roszs
Paperless Passport
Passport applicants nationwide will soon no longer have to fill out forms and wait for more than two hours to receive the document.
You just need to bring your latest photos and MyKads. The passport will be ready between 40 minutes and two hours!
The paperless application procedure would be implemented nationwide from the middle of this year. Presently, the fast service was only available at the Langkawi and Melaka immigration offices.
Entry Date: 04/03/2007 1.19pm Posted by: Roszs
Langkawi Ironman Results
Frenchman Xavier Le Floch and Germany's Nicole Leder managed to outlast their competition at the 2007 Langkawi Ironman, which ended just after midnight Saturday, 24th February 2007.
Le Floch ended the gruelling course in eight hours, 43 minutes and 52 seconds, 7:21s ahead of Britain’s Andrew Johns while Australian Mitch Dean was third in 8:51:43s.
Nicole, who came in 22nd overall in a time of 9:22:33s, benefited from the withdrawal of race leaders Nina Kraft from Germany and Britain’s Bella Comerford during the marathon to register the third Ironman win of her career.
Wong Ah Thiam and Dr Fiona Lim will lead the 97-strong Malaysian challenge and both should clinch a slot to the World Ironman Championships in Kona, Hawaii as the best placed Malaysian man and woman respectively.
as they booked their slots to Kona.
Langkawi Ironman is considered as one of the toughest Ironman events. The new cycling route over a hilly terrain, the temperature which hovered around 30 degree Celcius and the accompanying humidity made some of the professional triathletes unable to cope with the situation.
Pre-competition favourite, New Zealand's Bryan Rhodes, a two-time Langkawi Ironman champion, pulled out half-way through the marathon despite taking a handy lead after the first two disciplines -- swimming and cycling.
Nina Kraft, the 2004 World Triathlon Championship runner-up in Kona, Hawaii, suffered a similar fate in the women's professional category. She was leading all the way before pulling out from the marathon race after just 11km, citing exhaustion as the reason.
A total of 688 triathletes from 38 countries participated in the 2007 Langkawi Ironman, which offered a total prize money of US$50,000 (RM175,000).
Entry Date: 04/03/2007 1.19pm Posted by: Roszs
Charter Flight Deal
Taiwanese? You will have more options to travel to Malaysia now with the signing of a charter flight programme between a Taiwanese airline company and two local subsidiaries of an investment holding company.
Far Eastern Air Transport (FAT) in Taipei sealed an agreement with Sanbumi Holiday (SH) Sdn Bhd and Sanbumi Air Transport (SAT), which are subsidiaries of Sanbumi Holdings Bhd, to allow tourists to fly into Malaysia through FAT’s charter flights.
166,700 tourists from Taiwan came to Malaysia between January and November last year, an increase of six per cent compared with the same period in 2005. The introduction of the charter flights was expected to boost arrivals as the ministry targeted 400,000 visitors from Taiwan this year.
Chartered flights are popular among tourists for its unique characteristics such as flexibility and privacy, unlike commercial flights. The maiden charter flight into Malaysia will arrive in Kuala Lumpur in the first week of April and would operate five times a week.
There are also plans to fly direct into Penang, Kuantan, Langkawi, Terengganu and Kota Kinabalu.
Entry Date: 04/03/2007 1.19pm Posted by: Roszs
World's Best Destination
Malaysia was voted the world’s best destination for 2006 in a survey conducted by US-based business travel publication, Global Traveler. The survey, carried out between February and August last year, collected the opinions of 13,653 of the magazine’s readers who are regarded as an elite group of international travelers. The survey respondents answered a questionnaire covering 42 travel categories.
The travel magazine published the results of the poll in its January 2007 issue. In the Best Tourism Destination category, Malaysia was selected over other renowned destinations such as Hawaii, Bali, Singapore, Hong Kong, Italy, Phuket, South Africa, Fiji and Australia.
Other categories rated by the readers ranged from best international hotel chain, best airline to best airport in the world.
Global Traveler is a business travel publication that caters mainly to executive travelers in North America who appreciate business and luxury travel. It has a circulation of 60,055 subscribers.
On the same note, global financial services company, UBS, reported that Malaysia was the “best bargain” for business travelers. This was confirmed through its cost evaluation report covering various cities which revealed the cost of business travel in Kuala Lumpur (including hotel room, meals, transportation and entertainment) as US$260 (RM910). In comparison, a similar trip to Tokyo would cost US$1,090, making it the most expensive city for business.
Entry Date: 04/03/2007 1.19pm Posted by: Roszs
Hotel Booking With Agoda
Agoda, an independent online travel company specializing in securing the lowest hotel prices in Asia and around the world, continues its support for tourism in Malaysia by offering great deals on almost 200 properties throughout the country including the largest property in the world. Malaysia was recently voted "Best Value for Money Destination" by readers of Global Traveler magazine.
Agoda maintains a strong presence throughout Malaysia's 11 peninsular states as well as the 2 states located in Malaysian Borneo, with properties ranging from 4-star urban hotels like Kuala Lumpur's Lanson Place and Swiss Garden Hotel to eco-friendly wilderness resorts like Frangipani Langkawi Resort and Spa.
In celebration of Visit Malaysia Year 2007, Agoda is offering the following promotion through March 31 at the Swiss Garden Hotel. Guests booking this special promotion will receive complimentary shuttle service to KLCC (Petronas Twin Towers), Chinatown, and Bintang Walk, as well as 20% discounts on treatments at the Samsara Spa, laundry services, and food and beverage purchases at the Garden Terrace Coffee House.
For more information regarding Agoda,
please click here.
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