A perfect getaway for holidaymakers
Shah’s Beach Resort Melaka in Tanjung Kling offers a pristine and scenic ambience, facing the Straits of Malacca.
Holidaymakers can enjoy a two-in-one getaway at a three-star resort here, about 10km from the city area.
Shah’s Beach Resort Melaka in Tanjung Kling offers a pristine and scenic ambience, facing the Straits of Malacca.
Resident manager Dennis Samford said there are 50 cosy chalets to offer pleasant memories and a nostalgic feel with rustic ambience, coupled with wood floors and shutters.
Samford said the resort was one of the oldest buildings, having been in existence since 1971.
It was owned by the late Tan Sri H.M. Shah, a successful entrepreneur with businesses here and in Klang Valley.
“What is rather unique is a private museum, complete with antique furniture, collection of keris, porcelain, statues and other artefacts.
“Guests can be taken on a guided tour to view all of these priceless items free of charge,” he said.
Other amenities include an open-air restaurant with carved wood interiors and patio dining, a juice bar, an outdoor pool, tropical gardens, conference hall, meeting room, facial and beauty treatments.
Samford said upgrading and refurbishment were being carried out in stages to provide more comfort to guests.
Melaka is one of the states frequented by tourists due to its historical background and attractions such as Stadhuys, A’ Famosa, Melaka river cruise, Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum, Christ Church, Cheng Hoon Teng temple and Jonker Street.
It was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 2008.
Team-building activities, candlelight dinners, barbecue by the beach and wedding receptions can also be arranged, upon request.
Tonight, for Christmas Eve, the resort will have set dinner at RM85 nett per person, from 7pm to 10pm.
Among the choices for main courses are Grilled Lamb Shoulder topped with Rosemary Sauce and served with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables, Garlic Butter Pasta topped with Garlic Chicken and served with asparagus, Roast Beef topped with Black Pepper or Mushroom Sauce and served with baked potato and baby corn.
On New Year’s Eve, a course dinner is priced at RM85 nett
per person.
The three main courses to choose from are Grilled Half Chicken topped with Lemon Sauce and served on a bed of pasta, Grilled Lamb Chop with Mint Sauce and served with baked potato and broccoli or Pan-Fried Sea Bass Fillet topped with Glazed Shrimp Sauce and served with herb rice and mixed vegetables.
For more information, call 06-315 2120, 06-315 3121 or visit www.shahsresorts.com .
~The Star~
No 16 (Ground Floor), Jalan KSB 1, Taman Kota Shahbandar 75200 Melaka
Facebook: Donald and Lily Restaurant
Portuguese settlement amps up its Yuletide celebration
Finishing touches: Theseira adjusting the decorations at the Portuguese settlement in Melaka.
MELAKA: Come rain or shine, the annual Christmas celebrations at the Portuguese settlement here are set to go on and will be even merrier than previous years.
This is the promise made by the residents there and Kampung Attap Christmas’ celebrations joint committee members.
They said the rings of jingle bells would reverberate greater than before at the settlement in Bandar Hilir here.
Martin Theseira, a committee spokesman, said a host of programmes had been lined up to make this Yuletide a memorable one.
He said Christmas would be a lively affair despite the committee being cash-strapped and residents affected by the economic slowdown.
“The spirit of Yuletide will not be dampened and colourful decorations will adorn the settlement just like in previous years.”
Theseira said the settlement would also be the venue for the state-level Christmas celebrations on Dec 31.
“We were told that the state government is allocating RM80,000 for the event, which will further turn the settlement into a Christmas fairyland, ” he said.
Theseira said due to the lack of corporate sponsors, the celebration could not be organised on a grand scale.
“But we will plan a meaningful celebration accordingly with the available funds and resources.”
He expressed hope that Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong would be able to allocate some funds to light up the settlement.
Khoo, he said, was treated to traditional Portuguese dishes when he paid a visit to the settlement on Friday night.
Theseira also commended state executive councillor Datuk Tey Kok Kiew for providing financial support to organise several events for senior citizens and the disabled among the community.
He said the community would also hold prayer sessions on the eve of New Year.
As part of the Christmas celebrations in the settlement, children will also be given toys as Christmas gifts during a special get-together programme.
Portuguese Village Community Management Council head Jacinta Lazaroo said toys worth about RM60 each would be given away.
“We used our own funds to buy these toys. Hopefully, we will be able to organise charity giveaways with the collection through ticket sales during the event.”
~The Star~
In support of inbound tourism
Visa has announced its partnership with Mid Valley Megamall. At the event, (from left) Ng, Tourism Malaysia Package Development Division director Syed Yahya Syed Othman, Tourism Malaysia Package Development Division Secretariat Shopping Malaysia head, Norliza Md Zain and Mid Valley City chief executive officer Daniel Yong.
KUALA LUMPUR: In support of Visit Malaysia 2020, and its target of achieving 30 million international tourist arrivals, Visa has unrolled a series of initiatives to promote inbound tourism.
“We have year-long promotions and offers in various parts of Malaysia including Klang Valley, Johor Baru and Penang. Visa cardholders can enjoy discounts and benefits at family attractions such as Legoland, Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark, and KidZania, other outlets like BH Petrol and Swarovski, as well as hospitals such as ParkCity Medical Centre and Subang Jaya Medical Centre,” says Visa country manager for Malaysia, Ng Kong Boon.
Aside from establishing partnerships with such attractions, hotels and dining outlets, the company has also established tie-ups with major shopping malls to roll out attractive promotions in an effort to play its part in promoting Visit Malaysia 2020.
To this end, Visa has announced its partnership with Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur recently on Dec 12. Being the world’s leader in digital payments, this partnership seeks to encourage tourists to use digital payment for their purchases during the festive season.
With this campaign Visa cardholders can make payment with their contactless card for purchases made at Mid Valley Megamall here and The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey, Johor Baru, to be eligible for redemption gifts. To sweeten the deal, when they shop on Friday, Saturday or Sunday and on the eve of public holidays and on public holidays, they will also receive eco-friendly metal straws and pans as giveaways for transactions about RM200 and RM350 respectively.
For the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration, Visa and Mid Valley will be introducing another campaign from Jan 5, 2020 to Feb 2, 2020 where Visa cardholders will receive Toys “R” Us vouchers when they spend minimum RM350 with their contactless cards.
Ng notes a tremendous growth in adoption of digital payment.
Visa cardholders in Melaka are also in for a treat as Visa has also partnered with Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall, Terminal Pahlawan and Hatten Square. From now till Jan 2, 2020 Visa cardholders will receive a specially designed Barbie canvas shopping bag when they spend minimum RM300 using their contactless cards.
According to Ng, this is part of the effort to propel adoption of digital payment, which has seen a tremendous growth due to the introduction of e-wallets. Furthermore, digital payments are a more convenient and safe way to making payment, as no physical cash is involved and tourists do not need to walk around with a big amount of local currency.
“Many people have the impression that the exchange rate applied when using their cards to make payment in a foreign currency is not as good as what they can get at a money changer. However, this is not necessarily true, as the exchange rate offered by the banks are just as competitive.
“We are extremely excited to promote Malaysia as a tourist destination, especially to our neighbours in Asia Pacific. Based on our data, Singaporeans, Indonesians and the Chinese are the top spenders when they travel to Malaysia. During this festive period, we are partnering with malls frequented by tourists to encourage them to use their payment cards, particularly contactless payments, when they make their purchases here. These promotions are designed to help boost tourism spend as part of the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign, “ Ng said.
~The Star~
River cruise operator confident of meeting Rm20mil target
Tourist favourite: The new Melaka River Cruise route will last for about an hour and 34 minutes. — Bernama
Despite the monsoon, the Melaka River Cruise operator is confident of achieving its RM20mil target in revenue by year-end.
Melaka River and Coastal Development Corp CEO Azlan Abidin said the cruise service had to be stopped for the past few days due to downpours, but things are beginning to look up again.
“The number of passengers was encouraging when services resumed after the weather improved.
“I am confident we will achieve the target within the next few days, ” he said in an interview.
He said the service raked in RM18mil in revenue since January, adding that his team was working very hard to hit the target by Dec 31.
Azlan said the service was a favourite among foreign tourists in Melaka.
He said a longer route of the cruise, covering 10km, was also expected to start soon from Pengkalan Rama Jetty to Melaka Sentral, which is part of the second phase of the Melaka River cleaning and beautification project.
Azlan said the cruise on the new route would last for about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
~The Star~
No. 48 & 50 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock
75200 Melaka, Malaysia
Tel: +606-282 1273
Mail: admin@babanyonyamuseum.com
Operating Hours:
10am - 5:00pm
(last tour 4pm, last admission 4:15pm)
Extended Hour on Fri, Sat, Sun :
10am - 6:00pm
(last tour 5pm, last admission 5:15pm)
Webpage http://babanyonyamuseum.com/
Melaka Bird Park targets 100,000 visitors next year
About 100,000 visitors are targeted to visit the Melaka Bird Park next year after it was re-opened last month with new features and attractions, said state Housing, Local Government and Environment Committee chairman Tey Kok Kiew.
He added various improvements that were made in stages to the family recreational park, among others, include the bird cages, increasing the number of bird species, launching the Junior Dinosaur Club (Dino Jr Fan Club) and adding virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) games.
With a total area of 2.02 hectares including car parks, the Melaka Bird Park houses 113 birds from 23 species, including six peacock species.
“Since the opening on Nov 23 until yesterday, a total of 16,568 visitors visited the park and the number is expected to double by the end of the year.
“Melaka Bird Park, prior to this, was among the popular tourist destinations and a must visit by local and foreign tourists. We will try to rebuild it with various other attractions,” he told reporters when met after the launch of the park and the Dinosaur Club here today.
According to Tey, the Melaka Bird Park will be redeveloped with the collaboration of Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council (MPHTJ) and local company, WeGrow Global, incorporating a concept that features recreation, entertainment and education for its visitors regardless of age.
Also present at the event were MPHTJ president Mohd Rafee Ibrahim and WeGrow Global advisor Datuk Mustaffa Shariff.
Tickets for the park are priced at RM6 for adults and RM3 for children.
-- BERNAMA
Melaka bracing for floods, preparations underway
Melaka local councils are preparing for flood contingency plans after unusual volume of rainfall hits sub-urban Ayer Keroh, affecting some 270 households and damaging almost 25 cars.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department database showed that Ayer Keroh recorded a rainfall of 46.4mm within a period of two hours on Sunday (Dec 1), which was equivalent to five days of heavy rainfall.
Some housing estates were flooded, which in the past, were not listed as flood-prone areas.
Based on Travel Online website, Malaysia received 301.66mm of rainfall in December last year that tabulates to an average 10.05mm of rain in a day.
Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council president Mohd Rafee Ibrahim said the volume of rainwater was beyond what was expected.
“We are taking all the necessary measures as we anticipate heavy rain to continue," he said when contacted on Monday (Dec 2).
Rafee said they would also increase the frequency of cleaning drains and repairing malfunction pumps at identified areas.
Melaka Communications, Multimedia, Youth and Sports Development Committee chairman Kerk Chee Yee said residents described Sunday's rainfall as "storm-like".
He said areas badly affected were Taman Muzaffar Shah, Jalan Seri Duta, Pangsapuri Murni Ayer Keroh, Kampung Sungai Putat, Taman Seri Jati, Kampung Tun Razak, Taman Bunga Raya, Taman Sutera Wangi, Taman Kerjasama, Taman Bukit Melaka and Bukit Beruang.
Kerk said dozens of cars were also damaged during the flash floods from 5.30pm to 8.30pm.
“Some residents contacted me to inform that their houses were flooded after 30 years," he said.
Melaka Chief Minister Adly Zahari, who visited affected residents, commended the relevant agencies for prompt action to clear the aftermath of the flash floods.
~The Star~
Nasi Goreng Pattaya, or simply nasi pattaya, is a Southeast Asian fried rice dish made by covering or wrapping chicken fried rice, in thin fried egg or omelette.
Despite its name, the dish is believed to originate from Malaysia, and today is also commonly found in Indonesia and Singapore. It is often served with chili sauce, tomato ketchup, slices of cucumber, and keropok.
~wikipedia~
Melaka installs multilingual signboards
Malaysian way: Tey and Melaka Historic City Mayor Datuk Mansor Sudin standing at the side of a multiple language signboard.
MELAKA: Road signboards at the Unesco World Heritage site here are now truly Malaysian.
The state has placed 24 signboards, including at the iconic Jonker Walk, in multiple languages.
Melaka Housing, Local Government and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Tey Kok Kiew said four languages were used on the signboards.
“Bahasa Malaysia is prominently used on the top of the signboards besides English, Chinese and Tamil.
“Jawi script is also used on the signboards which reflects our harmonious population, ” he said.
Tey said Melaka Historic City Council completed installation of the signboards on Nov 14 at a cost of RM6,000.
The signboards are visible, among others, in Jalan Tokong, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Jalan Hang Jebat and Jalan Kampung Kuli.
~The Star~
Tourists in Melaka 'bombarded' with crow droppings
MELAKA: The crow menace in the state has worsened.
The crows are not only snatching undergarments but also driving away tourists with their droppings, says a local councillor.
Melaka Historic City (MBMB) councillor Tan Chin Gwan said tourists visiting popular destinations at Bandar Hilir had to cover their heads to avoid from being smeared.
"Tourists visiting the Dutch-era Stadthuys complained of being 'bombarded' with the droppings, some even had their faces covered in bird-poop," he said when interviewed on Sunday (Dec 1).
Tan said sidewalks at tourist hotspots and cars were also slick with a layer of bird faeces.
Earlier this year, Tan raised the concerns of residents at high-rise apartments in Kota Laksamana that panties placed on clotheslines were stolen by the crows.
He said the crow menace was not only confined to Kota Laksamana but now has turned into a major problem for the coastal tourist spot of Klebang here.
State Housing, Local Government and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Tey Kok Kiew said various measures were being initiated to address the crow menace.
He said the Melaka Historic City Council (MBMB) placed additional workers at Dataran Klebang to clean up the mess caused by the birds as well as clearing food leftovers.
Tey noted that MBMB, together with Rela, had culled 2,290 crows since the beginning of this year.
He said the state government had also opted for an ultrasonic bird-repellent device as a new method to manage the crow population.
"We will put the device on a trial period to gauge its effectiveness before placing more at identified spots.
"One device can produce vibrations to cover a vast area," he said.
Tey said the sound vibrations keep the birds away.
He added that bird droppings created a health hazard and required costly clean-up, hence, the state government wants to address the issue, at once.
~The Star~
Melaka Zoo records 19.41 per cent higher revenue
The Melaka Zoo has recorded higher revenue from ticket sales for the first 10 months of this year at RM6.56 million compared with RM5.46 million collected in the same period last year, an increase of RM1.10 million or 19.41 per cent.
Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council (MPHTJ) president Mohd Rafee Ibrahim said the number of visitors during the same period had also increased by 81,449 or 25.36 per cent to 351,715 people compared with 270,266 recorded last year.
“This increase is in line with the new exhibit at the zoo, namely, a two-year-old white Bengal tigress named Elsa and the improvement of some of the 8.9-hectare zoo’s facilities.
“The zoo is also expected to receive new exhibits next year, including a hippopotamus and a male lion to replace the frail 29-year-old lion,” he told Bernama here.
Meanwhile, he said the zoo had recently submitted a proposal to the Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island Foundation in Perak to carry out a joint conservation programme.
He said based on the recommendation, the Melaka Zoo also intended to obtain another two pairs of orang utan from the Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island on loan between five and six years for breeding purposes as the zoom currently had only one orang utan.
-- BERNAMA
Melaka plans to turn Upin & Ipin into tourism product
The Malacca state government plans to make animated cartoon 'Upin & Ipin’ a tourism product in efforts to attract more visitors to the state.
Chief Minister Adly Zahari said the efforts included building an 'Upin & Ipin' theme park and organising the 'Upin & Ipin’ Carnival as the state's annual event.
He said the state government would provide assistance and support specifically in the area of promotion to implement the initiative through the Tourism Promotion Division, state government agencies and local authorities.
"Upin & Ipin is not only a local brand but internationally renowned while Malacca is a popular tourist destination among locals and foreign tourists, receiving a large number of visitors each year.
"We are confident that Les' Copaque Production Sdn Bhd will be able to evaluate the proposal based on the presence of tourists in Melaka and we can always work together to promote Upin & Ipin as a tourist attraction," he told reporters after opening the 2019 Upin & Ipin Carnival at the Melaka International Trade Centre, here, today.
Also present were Les' Copaque Production Sdn Bhd managing director, Burhanuddin Md Radzi and Melaka Tourism Promotion Division general manager, Zairi Suboh.
The three-day carnival from today is targeting 100,000 visitors and one of its main attractions is Inderaloka Hall which has been turned into a fantasy government inspired by the movie 'Upin & Ipin: Keris Siamang Tunggal'.
Burhanuddin, meanwhile, said construction of the Upin & Ipin theme park which would involve a huge budget was still under consideration in terms of its location as he had received similar offers from several state governments.
"It needs to be carefully considered as the investment is not small, around RM700 million, and it involves building a closed theme park," he said.
He also noted that two new Upin & Ipin animation flicks are expected to be produced in the next two to three years.
Visitor to the carnival today, Atiyya Ismam, 40, from Klang said she travelled to Melaka along with her four children, aged between three months and 10 years, to meet with the Upin & Ipin mascots up close.
"This carnival is suitable not only for children but also adults as all activities can be participated by all," said the civil servant.
-- BERNAMA
Malaysia records more than 20 million tourists in first 9 months of 2019
Malaysia saw positive growth in the tourism sector in the first half of this year, boosted by stronger international tourist arrivals.
International tourist arrivals stood at 20,109,203 tourists between January and September, an increase of 3.7 per cent, compared to 19,386,115 visitors during the same period last year.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi said the top 10 countries with the highest contribution of tourist arrivals was Singapore with 7,868,755 visitors, followed by Indonesia (2,792,776); China (2,413,956); Thailand (1,442,224); Brunei (929,789); India (539,167); South Korea (508,080); Vietnam (323,393); Japan (321,283) and the Philippines (317,294).
“Tourist receipts for the same period in 2019 reached RM66.14 billion compared to RM61.85 billion for the same period in 2018, indicating an increase of 6.9 per cent.
“The main contributors to the tourist expenditure were Singapore (RM16.3 billion), China (RM12.8 billion), Indonesia (RM8.8 billion), Thailand (RM2.8 billion) and India (RM2.5 billion).
“Per capita expenditure for the period of January to September also grew by 3.1 per cent from RM3,190.5 to RM3,289.3,” he said today in announcing the third quarter performance of the tourism sector.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi left). - NSTP/LUQMAN HAKIM ZUBIR. The short haul market, Mohamaddin said, had retained its position as the largest contributor of tourists to Malaysia with a share of 68.7 per cent.
The contribution of tourists from the medium haul market was 21.6 per cent, while the share of tourists from the long haul market was 9.7 per cent, he added.
“The highest per capita according to market distance saw Saudi Arabia recording the most for long haul at RM11,394.4; China at RM5,301.5 for medium haul and Vietnam at RM3,356.3 for short haul.”
The minister also said the haze which had shrouded Malaysia and neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Brunei had affected the momentum of tourist arrivals.
“I believe the tourist arrivals could be better without the haze.”
Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Musa Yusof said he believed that Malaysia would be able to achieve this year’s tourist arrival target of 28 million.
He said there would be a significant number of tourist arrivals towards the year end, especially in December from countries experiencing winter.
Malaysia normally records about 2.5 million tourist arrivals in Dec.
On tourist arrivals from China, Musa said Malaysia was still favoured by visitors from the country.
~New Straits Times~
NETS payment now available in KL, Melaka and Penang
Singaporean shoppers headed to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Melaka will now be able to make purchases with their NETS ATM card.
The number of NETS acceptance points across Malaysia have increased from 4,500 to 7,400 points, and they can now be found in the three major cities in addition to Johor Bahru, said NETS and its Malaysian counterpart Payment Network Malaysia (PayNet) on Friday (Nov 29).
The service has expanded since it was first introduced in November 2018, when NETS said that Singapore consumers could use their NETS ATM cards in Johor Bahru malls like JB City Square, Sutera Mall and KSL City Mall.
Now, Singapore bank card holders who shop at KLIA 2 and Sunway Pyramid in Kuala Lumpur, Queensbay Mall in Penang as well as Makhota Parade and Dataran Pahlawan in Melaka will be able to pay with NETS.
The services will be available at multiple outlets, including retailers that are popular among Singaporeans such as Giant Hypermarket, pharmacy Guardian, medicinal store Eu Yan Sang and bak kwa chain Bee Cheng Hiang.
Malaysian travellers to Singapore may now also make purchases using MyDebit ATM cards, Malaysia’s national debit card scheme through 500 acceptance points.
MyDebit may be used through NETS' network of merchants at Bugis Village, as well as outlets like Apple retailer iStudio, Pandora, Awfully Chocolate and Salad Stop!.
The initiative was first announced in a joint statement in April by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.
EXCHANGE RATE "ALMOST THE SAME AS" MONEY CHANGERS
In an interview with CNA, Group CEO of NETS Jeffrey Goh highlighted that exchange rates will be competitive for Singaporean visitors who can now use NETS ATM cards instead of bringing wads of cash when they shop in Malaysia.
“So for example, when Singaporeans go to the grocer, and you don’t have enough cash, (this NETS service) gives them an option. It also gives them peace of mind knowing that we don’t charge them high forex rates,” said Mr Goh.
While the exchange rate could vary with every purchase, Mr Goh said that it was "almost the same as the money changers".
“For merchants, NETS service will bring customers to them. And customers (might) make bigger orders too as it's convenient for them,” he said.
When CNA visited an optician retailer at JB City Square, a Singaporean shopper who bought contact lenses with his NETS ATM card was charged with a conversion rate of S$1 to RM3.0248.
The rate was similar to the selling rate of S$1 to RM3.03 offered at a money changer at the same mall.
Singaporean Muhd Ismail Hassan, who visited JB City Square for a day trip, told CNA that expanding the use of NETS ATM card services to Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Penang was a good idea.
“When we travel up, we don’t have to carry S$1,000 to S$2,000 of cash anymore. It’s more convenient for us when we shop at the malls in these places,” he said.
Mr Goh said that NETS is looking to increase the number of acceptance points to restaurants and shopping outlets in Malaysia that are popular among Singaporeans. He added that NETS is working with PayNet to offer QR code payments “within the next six months” for customers.
This means that Singaporean visitors to Malaysia, or Malaysian visitors to Singapore, will be able to make purchases via cashless payments services such as DBS PayLah via QR code transactions through their smartphones.
NETS was also working with partners in Indonesia and Thailand to enable cross-border instant fund transfers and QR payments in the future, he said.
Source: CNA/am(hm)
Decision on Airbnb next year, says Tourism D-G
Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Musa Yusof said to address the problem, the committee would continue to discuss the issue to find suitable solution. -BERNAMA
The task force on short-term residential accommodation, Airbnb will announce its decision by early next year, Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Musa Yusof said today.
He said the task force was set up to regulate Airbnb accommodations nationwide and would take note of examples from other countries such as France, Singapore and Japan.
“We will look into the issue. What we have implemented throu\gh the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and the agency under the Housing and Local Government Ministry, is that we already set up a task force to look at what other countries have implemented in terms of Airbnb-type rentals.
“We expect to announce the decision early next year and it needs to be regulated. For example, in some locations, Airbnb accommodations are allowed but not in the big cities where there are hotels available,” he told reporters after launching the Visit Malaysia (VMY) 2020 Kick Off conference here today.
He said this in response to complaints made by hoteliers who claimed of experiencing a decline in occupancy rate despite the high number of tourists arriving in the country as most of them were choosing Airbnb.
Musa said to address the problem, the committee would continue to discuss the issue to find suitable solution.
“The concept of Airbnb in Europe and the US are different than it is in Asia. The Airbnb accommodations that I used to stay at, either in Europe or in the US, the guests stayed with the hosts, and we already have this concept here for the past 30 years and we call it homestay.
Homestay is more for the experiences while Airbnb is more of an accommodation. Only in Malaysia, the visitors are not staying with the owner and this will be regulated,” he said.
He said the matter would be looked at as a whole as there were several joint management bodies had disallowed Airbnb to operate in the condominium building as it was viewed as disruption.
Meanwhile, commenting on the conference, he said it was launched to further promote the promotional activities of the VMY 2020 campaign in the northern states. -- Bernama
Sungai Melaka, a clean river that gets a little dirtier downstream
The Melaka River cruise is a popular attraction for tourists to the historic city. – Bernama
MELAKA: Sungai Melaka – dubbed as "Venice of the East" – is a clean river that is pristine at its source but picks up pollutants as it flows towards the sea.
State Public Works, Transportation and Public Utilities Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Sofi Abdul Wahab said Sungai Melaka is certified as a clean river by the Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry.
He said the river quality level stood at Class Two upstream, which dropped to Class Three and Four downstream.
"The monitoring of the water quality is done fortnightly and there are 21 evaluation stations from Tampin in Negri Sembilan up to the historic city," he said in his written reply to Datuk Sulaiman Ali (BN-Lendu) at the state assembly here on Monday (Nov 25).
He said factors contributing to the contamination of the river, among others, were caused by agricultural activities, industrial and discharging of effluents into the river.
Mohd Sofi said the state government needs cooperation from various agencies including the local population to ensure the river is free from pollution.
He added that the state Water Regulatory Body is also keeping watch to ensure the river is not polluted.
~The Star~
Overload caused KTM server crash
KTM Bhd (KTMB) attributed “overwhelming demand” for ETS tickets that caused its ticketing servers to crash on Monday, frustrating tens of thousands of commuters.
The deluge, according to KTMB chief executive officer Datuk Kamarulzaman Zainal, came from the combination of demand associated with year-end school holidays, Christmas, Chinese New Year and Thaipusam, all of which was taking place from December until the end of February.
“We used to sell our tickets on a month-to-month basis but as we managed to secure a confirmed schedule from the contractor of the Klang Valley Double Track (KVDT) rehabilitation, we decided to open up the sale for the three-month block,” he told a press conference.
The KVDT rehabilitation is a massive project that had caused severe disruption to KTMB’s services running within the Klang Valley over the past few years as cargo, intercity, Komuter and ETS trains share either a pair of tracks and at work bottlenecks, only a single track.
Kamarulzaman said KTMB did its calculations before opening for the three-month block for sale on Monday.
“By our estimation, the ticketing system is supposed to be able to deal with the load,” he said adding that KTMB was also saddled with a “legacy” IT infrastructure that was purchased in 2000.
“It took up to 30 minutes to sell one ticket on Monday, and yesterday the time dropped to two minutes.
“We are truly sorry our customers had such an unpleasant experience,” he said, adding that the improvement was the result of several quick measures that were immediately implemented to address the situation.
Firstly, KTMB increased the bandwidth to its servers from 100Mbps to 200Mbps and secondly, it increased the number of central processing units used in its servers from 10 to 15.
For a longer-term solution, KTMB is embarking on a drive to embrace full digitisation of its infrastructure and services with substantial progress to be seen by the third quarter of next year.
“We already have a consultant studying our system so that it could be revamped.
“We expect to use ticketing systems that are on par with those used in aviation ticketing, as far as stability and reliability are concerned,” he said, adding that KTMB’s servers recorded nearly 400,000 users when sales opened, causing severe congestion.
Despite the chaos, KTMB still managed to sell up to 57,000 tickets by 10pm on Monday, with popular destinations being mostly north-bound, to places like Butterworth and Padang Besar.
A survey by The Star at KL Sentral yesterday found that a sense of calm had returned to the ticketing counters, with customers queuing calmly and orderly.
In Putrajaya, Transport Minister Anthony Loke expressed regret over Monday’s incident and said a substantial revamp of the ticketing system, which has weaknesses, was required.
“To this end, the ministry has directed KTMB to take remedial measures,” he said after attending a conference on bus rapid transit organised by Volvo Buses, Technology Depository Agency and Prasarana Malaysia Bhd.
~The Star~
