Old Fares for Langkawi Folk
When the new Langkawi ferry fares take effect next Saturday, Langkawi residents will be spared.
The Kedah Government praised the ferry operators for maintaining the old rates for Langkawi residents who depended on ferries as the only mode of transportation to the mainland.
For Langkawi residents, the Transport Ministry has allowed the operators to increase the return fare to RM40 (for Langkawi-Kuala Kedah route) and RM30 (for Langkawi-Kuala Perlis).
But the operators had decided to maintain the old return fare of RM30 (Langkawi-Kuala Kedah) and RM24 (Langkawi-Kuala Perlis) for Langkawi residents.
For other passengers, the new return fares of RM46 (Langkawi-Kuala Kedah) and RM36 (Langkawi Kuala Perlis) will be imposed effective Dec 1.
Current return fares for non-Langkawi resident are RM36 (Langkawi-Kuala Kedah) and RM30 (Langkawi-Kuala Perlis). Return fare for children is cheaper by RM6.
Those working in Langkawi who wish to enjoy the discounted rate must change the residential address in MyKad.
Entry Date: 27/11/2007 10.55am
Dokdo Ham For Lima 2007
South Korea will send its largest naval ship, "Dokdo Ham", to participate in the five-day Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima 2007) next month.
The visit would mark the first international debut of the 14,000-tonne Dokdo Ham, an amphibious landing and transport vessel which was commissioned in July.
The Dokdo Ham, named after South Korea's easternmost islet in the East Sea, can carry up to 700 troops, seven choppers, six tanks, seven armoured vehicles and two small landing boats.
It is equipped with a Phalanx closed-in weapons system for detecting and destroying incoming anti-ship missiles and a Rolling Airframe Missile guided missile system, the statement says.
The biennial Lima which kick offs on Dec 4 has so far drawn participation from 32 warships from nine nations and more than 120 defence firms from 19 countries.
Entry Date: 27/11/2007 10.55am
Langkawi Geopark
The number of annual visitors to the legendary island of Langkawi is expected to double from the current two million tourists with the rebranding of the island into a geopark or Langkawi Geopark.
LADA which is actively carrying out infrastructure development projects in the island, aimed to double the tourist number in five years time.
Its listing by the UNESCO on the world's list of geoparks this year is expected to further attract more people to the island.
A total of 1.6 million tourists visited the island between January and September this year and the figure is expected to go up 2.3 million people by the end of this year. This will make it the highest number of tourists to the island recorded so far.
Langkawi, the 52nd geopark in the world, became the first in South East Asia to be listed under the UNESCO's list of world geoparks in June this year.
Langkawi Geopark comprises 99 islands and is also the first such island park with a duty-free status.
The concept of a geopark island was not only about its geology but also involved the participation and activities of the people living in the island.
Langkawi, besides its scenic beauty, rich biodiversity of flora and fauna and various types and formation of stones, has three geoforest parks, namely Machincang Geoforest Park, Geoforest Park Kilim and Geoforest Park Dayang Bunting.
Among the works being carried out at the island is the building of access road and a viewing gallery at Gua Wang Buluh, a coastal path and a bridge for motorcyclists, connecting the island with Selat Bagan Nyior on Pulau Dayang Bunting.
Other works under the geopark project include the establishment of trails and access paths along the lake in Tasik Dayang Bunting and forest trails to Tasik Langgun.
Entry Date: 27/11/2007 10.55am
Langkawi Oriental Village
Langkawi's Oriental Village is being upgraded with additional facilities and improved services in line with the island being part of the Global Geopark Network (GGN).
One of additional major attractions would be the Langkawi International Fashion Zone.
The Fashion Zone's soft opening will be held before the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (Lima) Exhibition next month.
Entry Date: 27/11/2007 10.55am
Lima 2007 Show
Visitors to the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (Lima) 2007, from Dec 4 to 8, have been promised a show like never before.
A huge fleet of ships and planes would be on display at the biennial event.
The maritime exhibition areas, for example, have been extended to 10,000 square feet from the previous 7,000-odd square feet. They have also received confirmation that 85 aircraft from 20 countries, including France, Russia and Germany will be involved in the exhibition.
There are many highlights in store at Lima, such as battlefield simulation of an airfield seizure, the Royal Australian Airforce's Red Arrows aerobatic display and the presentation of the recently acquired Sukhoi aircrafts to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
A submarine from India has also been slated as a major attraction.
Entry Date: 27/11/2007 10.55am
Ferry Fare Hikes Postponed
The proposal to raise ferry fares between Langkawi and the mainland has been postponed.
The federal and state governments jointly agreed recently to the defer the fare increases.
Presently, over 40 ferries run by eight companies operate between Langkawi and Kuala Perlis, Kuala Kedah, Penang and Satun. It was proposed that from the middle of November, the fares would be raised by between RM3 and RM5.
The decision was taken after considering Langkawi residents who often commute to the mainland to sort out things with government departments and agencies.
The proposal, if implemented, would also adversely affect tourist arrival in Langkawi which in the end would put the ferry operators at a loss.
Entry Date: 27/11/2007 10.55am
Feared Russian Submarine
For the first time in 10 years, visitors to the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition (Lima '07) will be able to view a Russian Kilo class submarine.
Touted as the quietest diesel submarine in the world, the submarine is one of Russia's most feared vessels.
In Lima '97, Russia sent one of its Kilos and it was one of the highlights of the maritime segment of the exhibition at Tanjung Malai.
This time around, it will be the Indian Navy which will be showcasing the submarine. The Sindhurakshak is one of 10 Kilo class submarines acquired by the Indian navy.
Those who who watched the hit film The Hunt for Red October will remember that a Kilo class submarine was dispatched to hunt down a Russian submarine whose captain, played by Sean Connery, wanted to defect to the United States.
The Sindhurakshak, which means Defender of Sindhu, or defender of the sea, was bought by India from Russia in 1997 and delivered the following year. The submarine is capable of 10 knots on the surface and 17 when submerged. It has a length of 72.6 metres and a displacement of 2,325 tonnes on the surface, 3,076 tonnes when submerged.
The Indian navy has also confirmed the attendance of the missile corvette Kulish at Lima '07.
Built in India by the Garden Reach Ship Builders, the 1,500-tonne vessel is an upgraded Kora class corvette with modern weapons and sensors, including sea-skimming surface-to-surface missiles with ranges of 100km each.
The Kulish is also equipped with anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapon systems, among other missiles.
Other ships which are confirmed for Lima '07 are the Royal Australian Navy oiler Sirius, the Philippine Navy corvette Artemio Ricarte and logistics ship Bacolod City, and the US Navy's Mustin, an Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer.
The Sirius is an integral part of Australia's afloat support capability, providing fuel, water and stores to deployed fleet units, thus extending operational reach and endu-rance at sea.
It was originally built as a double-hulled commercial product tanker, the Delos.
The Artemio Ricarte is one of three Tatlong Bayani class corvettes operated by the Philippine navy. The three have a storied past, having been part of the Hong Kong Squadron of the Royal Navy. The Artemio Ricarte was originally the Starling.
Commissioned in San Diego, California, in 2003, the Mustin is now part of the US Navy's Seventh Fleet based in Yokohama, Japan.
Lima '07, a premier defence exhibition in the world, will be held in Langkawi from Dec 4-8.
Entry Date: 27/11/2007 10.55am
Visit Kedah Year 2008
Kedah is targeting four million tourist arrivals next year in conjunction with "Visit Kedah Year 2008".
From the figure, three million tourists were expected to visit the resort island of Langkawi and the rest, the mainland.
About 60 events, including competitions and cultural performances, had been drawn up for Visit Kedah Year 2008 (VKY 2008).
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid would launch the VKY 2008 in Langkawi in December.
Entry Date: 27/11/2007 10.55am
Firefly To Langkawi
Firefly Sdn bhd, a wholly- owned subsidiary of Malaysian Airline System Berhad, announced that it will be flying to Kota Baharu and Langkawi from the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang from Nov 17.
The airport was conveniently located for Klang Valley residents.
The Firefly flight from Kota Baharu will depart at 8am and arrive in Subang at 9am. And the one-hour flight to Kota Bharu departs at 9.20am.
As for the Langkawi route, the flight departs from Langkawi at 3pm and leaves Subang at 4.35pm.
The airline will also be adding a third daily flight from Subang to Penang at 12.50pm and from Penang at 11.30am.
Currently, its flights from Penang to Subang depart at 7am and 7pm while return flights to Penang are at 8.20am and 8.50pm.
Leong said the introductory airfare for the two new routes will start at RM9.99 and the bookings are now open for travel period from Nov 17 to March 29 2008.
Firefly, the first community airline launched in April, started operating from the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport on Oct 29 2007.
It has been flying from Penang International Airport to Subang, Kuantan, Kota Baharu, Kuala Terengganu and Langkawi in Peninsular Malaysia and to Phuket and Koh Samui in Thailand.
Entry Date: 27/11/2007 10.55am
Festive Bazaar
Due to the success of the Deepavali Bazaar in Langkawi that was a big hit among locals and tourists, the organisers are planning to make it an annual event.
The bazaar was recently held at Persiaran Bunga Raya from Oct 15 to 31. Indian traditional products including snacks and cookies were sold at the bazaar.
The bazaar provided an avenue for locals to source for festive items and a place for tourists to buy exotic souvenirs.
Of the 250 people who attended the opening ceremony, about 35% were foreign tourists.
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