Monday 29 January 2018

Visit Malaysia 2020


Devotees throng temple’s grand arch opening

Devotees throng temple’s grand arch opening



Sacred gateway: Crowds attending the grand opening of the 45ft-high Vasal Gopuram Samprochanam arch at Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Hilltop Temple in Penang. - CHAN BOON KAI/The Star.

Hundreds of devotees witnessed the unveiling of a grand new arch at the famous Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Hilltop Temple in Jalan Kebun Bunga.

Standing majestically at 13.71m (45ft), the colourful Vasal Gopuram Samprochanam (temple entrance arch) has a feature of Lord Muruga in his six abodes (Aarupadai Veedu) in Tamil Nadu, India.

In a simple ceremony yesterday, temple chairman Datuk R. Subramaniam together with the chief priest were hoisted by a crane to do some prayers in front of the structure.

Subramaniam said the arch was completed last year, but the painting works could not be done on time.



Devotees seeking blessing during a special prayers for the newly painted entrance arch. Picby:CHAN BOON KAI/The Star/ 28 January 2018. Devotees offering prayers during the ceremony.

“This year, the artisans took about three months to finish it and the arch is set to be another new attraction here,” he said.

He added that the top part of the old arch, which was erected in 1973, was placed at the side of the new entrance.

Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy, Penang Hindu Endowment Board executive director M. Ramachandran and Bagan Dalam assemblyman A. Tanasekharan.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Wednesday 10 January 2018

Easier for foreign students to get visas

Easier for foreign students to get visas

The foreign students e-Visa Approval Letters (e-VAL) system is up and running, says Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS), a wholly-owned company of the Higher Education Ministry.

In a statement, EMGS CEO Prof Datuk Dr Rujhan Mustafa said this would allow international students to obtain visas through its STARS’ portal.

“A total of 277,000 complete applications were received between 2013 and 2017,” Prof Rujhan said.

“These were processed and the VALs were issued within seven working days, thanks to the support and teamwork of the Immigration Department.

Yesterday, the company hosted the Education Malaysia Industry Townhall 2018 meeting with 180 international education heads from higher education institutions, skills centres and language schools.

It was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Participants were briefed on operational updates related to the visa application. An open dialogue on issues at hand was held in addition to introducing the line-up of newly appointed Education Malaysia directors for its offices in Chicago, Dubai, Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City.

~News courtesy of Bernama~