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Penang airport cancels four more flights

Penang airport cancels four more flights



Motorists on the Penang bridge were seen wearing face masks due to the worsening haze encompassing the state today.

A total of four flights have been cancelled at the Penang International Airport (PIA) today due to the haze.

In a list provided by PIA senior manager Arif Jaafar, China Southern Airline Flights from Guangzhou, China, to Penang, Malaysia and vice versa was cancelled as at 3pm.

The other two flights affected was the 4.05pm Langkawi to Penang flight and the 4.35pm flight from Penang to Langkawi.

No flights were delayed nor diverted according to the list to the media.

Arif said runway visual range (RVR) at that time was 1.2km while visibility was only 800m as the state continued to be blanketed by fine particles caused by fires in Indonesia.

Air quality in two areas in Penang meanwhile recorded very unhealthy levels as at 4pm with Seberang Jaya 2 measuring 245 on the Air Pollutant Index (API).

The other area to record such a level was USM with an API of 210 while Prai recorded an API of 187 which is within the unhealthy range.

Visibility continue to suffer with all areas under monitoring experiencing horizontal visibility of less than a kilometre as at 4pm.

Visibility at Bayan Lepas was only at 600m at that time with Butterworth sharing the same but Perai was marginally better with visibility measuring at 800m.

~News courtesy of The Sun~

Air quality unhealthy in some areas in Penang

Air quality unhealthy in some areas in Penang

Air quality in two areas in Penang reached the unhealthy mark today as haze continued to cocoon the state.

As at 2pm, the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings for Seberang Jaya 2 and USM were 108 and 102 respectively.

Only Perai recorded a moderate air quality level of 91.

Air quality is rated as very unhealthy for API readings over 201 while readings of over 300 are hazardous.

Visibility was also affected by the haze as all three monitoring stations in Bayan Lepas, Butterworth and Perai recorded visibility of only 1km as at 3pm.

Operations at the Penang International Airport nonetheless continued as usual as confirmed by senior manager Arif Jaafar.

"Flight operations are normal," he told the media in a brief text statement.

When contacted, Penang Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh urged the public to cut back on outdoor activities

"Drink more water and stay indoors," he told theSun.

~News courtesy of The Sun~

Haze will not last till March 2016

Haze will not last till March 2016

The haze affecting the country currently will not last till March 2016, as claimed by certain parties.

"The current haze situation is caused by typhoon Champi and Typhoon Koppu, east of the Philippines, and when these typhoons hit landfall, the winds will change and the haze situation will improve after Oct 26," said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Madius Tangau in a statement today.

Madius said the coming northeast monsoon season from November will see a change in wind direction and will no longer carry over haze from Indonesia to Malaysia, despite the Indonesian forest fires expected to last until March.

Meanwhile, rainfall is expected to decrease nationwide due to typhoon Koppu, thus making the haze situation even worse.

According to the Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) weather outlook, typhoon Koppu is currently 1,187km north-east of Kudat, Sabah. It will eventually head north-west towards Taiwan.

In addition, typhoon Champi located 2,942km north-east of Kudat is slowly heading north.

The presence of both typhoons has affected the wind patterns across the country as a result, especially rainfall due to the moderate south-westerly winds.

Separately, the Department of Environment recorded 3,534 cases of open burning detected nationwide, from the start of the year to Oct 19.

As of 6pm today, a total of 27 areas recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings, with Port Klang with the highest at 179, followed by Shah Alam at 164, and Kuala Selangor at 139.

~News courtesy of The Sun~

Little India shrouded by haze

Little India shrouded by haze



Little India, one of the popular tourist attraction area located in the World Unesco Heritage Zone, is seen deserted thick smog blanketed Penang since this morning.

The normally congested Little India was deserted today as thick smog blanketed the Penang skyline since morning.

A check by the Sun at the popular heritage zone saw fewer people thronging the place unlike other weekends.

As the air quality deteriorated, most people preferred to stay indoors due to health concerns.

A check on the Department of Environment (DOE) website showed that all three monitoring stations in the state recorded an unhealthy reading since 11am.

As of 2pm, the Universiti Sains Malaysia monitoring station recorded 171 while at Seberang Jaya and Prai station recorded 177 and 149 respectively.

An API of 0 to 50 is good, 51 to 100 is moderate while anything over 300 is hazardous.

~News courtesy of The Sun~

Air quality in Peninsular Malaysia remains bad

Air quality in Peninsular Malaysia remains bad

Air quality remained bad today as the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia continued to be blanketed by a heavy shroud of haze, with many coastal cities recording an unhealthy reading on the Air Pollutant Index (API).

According to readings published on the Department of Environment's (DOE) website, six locations including Seremban, Malacca, and Putrajaya were rated as unhealthy (100-200) on the API as at 5pm today.

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said in a statement today that the haze is caused by open burning of forests and land in Sumatera, Indonesia according to satellite images captured by the Singaporean based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The agency detected 132 hot spots in Kalimantan, Indonesia, alone, while only one hot spot was detected in Sumatera due to incomplete satellite coverage as of Sunday.

According to satellite coverage, the ministry said, the haze is expected to spread to Pahang and to east Johor in the next 48 hours while in East Malaysia the haze from Kalimantan is expected to spread to west Sarawak and the waters surrounding both Sabah and Sarawak in the same period of time.

The ministry said the country is still experiencing the southwest monsoon phase that is expected to end by mid-September and noted that the haze will likely dissipate by the monsoon transition phase in October.

Meanwhile, the Environment Department will continue monitoring the status and trend of air quality on an hourly basis due to the uncertain haze situation and increased hot spots in Sumatera and Kalimantan.

All government agencies relevant to haze disaster response have also stepped up efforts in preventing open burning locally that will worsen the already unhealthy air quality.

Local governments and land owners have also been instructed to closely monitor and take preventive actions in places that could easily catch fire such as waste disposal spots, forests, farm land, and industrial complexes.

Meanwhile, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar will also head to Indonesia as soon as possible to meet his counterpart there to discuss solutions and to finalise a memorandum of understanding on cross-border haze prevention.

~News courtesy of The Sun~

Happy Independence Day

Iconic public art pieces vandalised

Penang's iconic public art pieces vandalised



The mural painting in Lebuh Armenia was vandalised with #4.0 sign while local tourists look on.

GEORGE TOWN: Two popular public art pieces in the heart of the city have been vandalised early Wednesday morning.

One in Lebuh Armenian of two children on a bicycle was found painted with the symbols “#4.0” while a wire sculpture of a rickshaw in Lebuh Cannon was vandalised the same way.

The art installations were part of the Mirrors George Town street art project created by international artist Ernest Zacharevic for the George Town Festival in 2012.

Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng said close circuit television camera (CCTV) recordings showed the incident happened about 3am.

He said what happened was uncalled for and the culprit must be brought to justice.

“I understand the Penang Island City Council will be lodging a police report soon,” he said when contacted.

This is not the first time public art works in Penang have been vandalised with the same happening in August 2012.

Then, the same artwork in Lebuh Armenian was splattered with wax while a mural of a boy with his pet dinosaur at Lebuh Ah Quee was marred with black scribbles a few days later.

At time of writing, Northeast district police chief ACP Mior Faridalatrash Wahid said police have yet to receive a report of the incident.



The heritage structure in Lebuh Cannon vandalised with #4.0 sign.

~News courtesy of The Sun~

Trams could be back in as early as 2017

Trams could be back in Penang as early as 2017

The return of trams in Penang could be a reality by 2017.

This is because the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) is set to propose it under the Land Public Transport (PAD) Act 2010 during the Parliament sitting in October.

The amendment would augur well with the state government's plan to revive the tram service of the late 19th century until 1936.

Under Penang's Master Transportation Plan, the state administration applied to the federal government for licences to run the tram services last year, as an alternative to LRT or monorail, that is not in compliance with Unesco's requirement in preserving George Town's historical sites.

However, for the past couple of years the plans for tram services by historical cities Penang and Malacca, have been held up as the federal government needed to put the appropriate legislation in place first.

SPAD chief executive officer Mohd Nur Ismal Kamal told theSun there is no provision in the current law on the pedestrian-friendly tram service in the country.

"For trams to be in service, it requires amendment to the relevant laws since trams share the same space on the roads with other vehicles. On our part, we are proposing an amendment to the PAD Act to accommodate the request by the local councils," he said.

Nur Ismal said tram is a unique mode of transportation unlike LRT, monorail and other rail services.

"Unlike monorail, you can just walk in or get on the tram on the street level. It is low-floor, ideal and much easier to take the trams. It can transport many people for short distances such as in the central business district (CBD) or city centre," he said.

Stating that SPAD welcomes local council's effort to initiate tram services, he added: "It must also use technology that is proven to be safe, reliable and efficient."

In 2011, Malacca government had proposed to build 40km tramways that would run on eco-green tram with NGV engine, covering 11 out of 14 tourist spots, from Ayer Keroh toll plaza to the Heritage Town of Malacca and later, to be extended to Alor Gajah, Merlimau, Jasin, Durian Tunggal and Masjid Tanah.

It is learned that Kuala Terengganu City Council has also outlined tram service as part of its local plan to boost tourism.

Earlier this year, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor voiced out the intention to introduce trams in KL's CBD in responsed to theSun's exclusive report on SPAD's proposal to introduce 'tuk-tuk' or motorised tricycle in suburban areas by year-end.

~News courtesy of The Sun~

Life on the track

Life on the track



The new train travels at 160 kilometres per hour, and stops at Arau, Alor Setar and Bukit Mertajam, ending its journey at KL Sentral station.

Kedah, Malaysia's northernmost state, will soon be connected with Kuala Lumpur through a fast electric train service (ETS) that comes into service in September. The journey will take four hours 15 minutes, providing a comfortable choice for travelling from the Northern state to the capital. 

Travellers from Thailand can travel overland through Sadao Checkpoint before jumping into the ETS at Padang Besar. The new train travels at 160 kilometres per hour, and stops at Arau, Alor Setar and Bukit Mertajam, ending its journey at KL Sentral station.

~News courtesy of The Nation~

Selamat hari raya

New system for taxi at Penang Sentral

New system for taxi at Penang Sentral

Taxi drivers can conveniently use the facilities provided at the Penang Sentral temporary taxi terminal for the whole day with only a minimal charge of RM1 per day for multiple entries.

The new coupon system was introduced yesterday by Semasa Sentral (Penang) Sdn Bhd, which was appointed to manage the taxi operation effective from April 1.

Semasa Sentral head of facility management Richard Anthony said the coupon system was introduced for better efficiency.

"The coupons can be bought daily from the guard post at the taxi terminal entrance," he told reporters at a press conference here today.



Semasa Sentral (Penang) Sdn Bhd introduces new coupon system at Penang Sentral temporary taxi terminal where taxi can park for the whole day with only a minimal charge of RM1 per day for multiple entries.

~News courtesy of New Straits Times~

Fares increased for taxi, train and express bus services

Fares increased for taxi, train and express bus services

Be prepared to pay more for your public transport. The increase in taxi fares takes immediate effect while train and express bus charges will be raised on May 1 and May 15 respectively.

Budget taxis in the Klang Valley and Johor Baru will charge 25 sen per 200m and 25 sen per 36 seconds although the flagfall will remain at RM3 for the first kilometre.

This is a sizable increase as each budget taxi will get RM1.25 per km (from RM0.87 per km, up by 44%) and 42.67 sen per minute (from 28 sen per minute, up by 49%).

For example, a budget taxi that is stuck in traffic for an hour will take in RM25 (RM30 for those in Penang) from time-based charges alone, up from RM16.80 previously. This is likely to make taxi drivers more willing to face congestions.

Express buses will charge 2.1 sen more (or 22.5%) per km, setting the new fare at 11.4 sen per km.



Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said taxi and express bus operators were facing rising costs, adding that the last fare review for both was in 2009.

“We took into account the needs of the operators and the public (in coming up with these new fares),” he told reporters at SPAD headquarters here.

Teksi 1Malaysia (TEKS1M) cabs – consisting exclusively of the brown Proton Exora – are the only taxis to have the flagfall rate raised from RM3 to RM4.

The hike in taxi fares does not cover airport limos and executive taxis (typically blue in colour), and is limited to Peninsular Malaysia.

According to SPAD, taxi fares would be reviewed each year based on operating cost changes.

Although the increase in fares took immediate effect, taxis could only charge the new rates after the meter had been recalibrated.

SPAD chief executive Mohd Nur Ismal Mohd Kamal said it would take one to two months for all taxis to use this new setting.

“There’s a panel of service providers they can go to. We have asked them to increase (operating) capacitym,” he said.

SPAD said that senior citizens, the disabled and children below 12 years old would continue to enjoy the 25% discount on express bus fares.

On train fares, Syed Hamid said SPAD had given its approval to KTM Bhd and Prasarana Malaysia Bhd to set new rates covering LRT, KTM Komuter, KTM Intercity and KL Monorail.

According to SPAD, the Ampang and Kelana Jaya LRT Line fares have not been reviewed for the past 19 and 17 years respectively. Monorail, KTM Komuter and KTM Intercity fares have remained the same for 12, 12 and 25 years respectively.

Mohd Nur said the fares of stage buses would not be increased now or in the near future.

“This is because low-income earners rely on stage buses for transport, and they cannot afford to pay more,” he said.

He added that the Government would cover stage bus costs.

~News courtesy of New Straits Times~

Hot weather to ease by March end

Hot weather to ease by March end: Met dept

The hot and dry spell in many areas is in the final phase of the monsoon season which is expected to abate by the end of March, said Meteorological Department director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail.

“It is now the tail end of the northeast monsoon which causes many areas to receive less rain over an extended period, leading to the hot and dry weather,” she said when attending the 2015 message by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, here today.

Che Gayah said the current weather condition had not reached the ‘hot wave’ level and was still categorised as normal with 30 per cent rainfall based on the long term average.

Asked if the temperature of the hot and dry weather was different from last year, she said there was not see much difference with the temperature varying over three degrees Celcius.

The temperature in Malaysia is currently between 33 and 35 degrees Celcius.

Che Gayah said the inter-monsoon season would start in April until mid-May, when states in the peninsula would experience wet weather with thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening.

She said heavy rain and thunderstorm were common before the southwest monsoon begins from June to September which is the dry and haze season.

Che Gayah said under its standard operating procedure (SOP), the department would only carry out cloud seeding when haze reached the level hazardous to human health.

“The department is always prepared to conduct cloud seeding with private flight companies to overcome the problem. At times, dam operators will also carry out cloud seeding to raise the level of water. If they seek our help, we will be prepared to assist,” she said.



Meteorological Department director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail says the hot weather is expected to cool down by the end of March.

~News courtesy of New Straits Times~

Happy Chinese New Year 2015

Iconic Penang ferry ride may cost more soon

Iconic Penang ferry ride may cost more soon

Users of the iconic Penang ferry may have to pay more, based on a proposed fare hike circular issued by Penang Port Commission (PPC).

The circular, titled ‘Proposed Ferry Tariff Hikes’ by the regulatory body, have been placed at the Butterworth and George Town ferry terminals, and went viral over social media platforms.

Under the proposed fares, car owners would have to pay RM9 from the present RM7.70 while pedestrians may have to pay RM2, 80 sen more from the present rate.

The fare for motorcycles is slated to rise from RM2 to RM3.50, while the cost of the monthly season ticket for students, will be doubled from RM3 to RM6, and for adults, from RM30 to RM50, if approved.

Lorries with two axles with four wheels may be charged RM20 (previously RM13.20) and lorries with two axles and six wheels (RM40 from RM27.50).

Cyclists are also not spared as they may have to pay 10 sen more from the present RM1.40.

The PPC has also urged users to email their comments or objections to zalina@penangport.gov.my

~News courtesy of New Straits Times~

Air Itam hills shine bright like a diamond

Air Itam hills shine bright like a diamond

Beautiful' and 'glowing like diamonds'.

Those are some of the words used to describe Penang's 112-year-old Kek Lok Si Buddhist temple in Air Itam.

Earlier, the temple's lighting ceremony began about 8pm, with hordes of people gathering to pray and also witness the annual spectacle.

Thousands of LED lights were lit up, accompanied by thundering firecrackers filled the skies with a majestic backdrop of the Air Itam hills.

The lights adorning the temple will be switched on daily until Mar 15 to commemorate the celebration of Chinese New Year that will be celebrated on Feb 19 and 20.


Fireworks colouring the sky adds to the excitement of lighting ceremony at the Kek Lok Si Buddhist temple in Jalan Air Hitam, George Town. It is an annual ceremony to commemorate the celebration of Chinese New Year that will be celebrated on Feb 19 and 20.

~News courtesy of New Straits Times~

Strings of lanterns

Strings of lanterns



More than 10,000 lanterns cover the Kek Lok Si Temple on Jalan Air Itam, Penang. Kek Lok Si Temple is the biggest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia and the most famous temple in Penang since it was established in 1893.

~News courtesy of New Straits Times~

“It’s all good” at Line Clear Nasi Kandar

“It’s all good” at Line Clear Nasi Kandar

Business is as usual for the famous Penang Line Clear Nasi Kandar restaurant, despite rumours that local authorities would 'clear' them out today.

Checks by New Straits Times at the famous eatery at an alley off Jalan Penang showed all was well, with few tables filled with patrons as early as 7am.

However, operators of the eatery were seen anxiously walking back and forth at the entrance, in anticipation of a possible appearance of local council enforcement workers.

When contacted, Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) licencing department director Asman Sirun said the clear-out was "on hold pending discussion with legal advisers".

The eatery, a staple for tourists and locals alike, had been mired in an apparent ownership tussle, which led the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) with no choice but to intervene.

Yesterday, the eatery obtained a stay of execution to prevent MPPP from a possible tear down of its premises.

The popular Nasi Kandar outlet was recently in the spotlight yet again, when the council's enforcement team cleared out the tables and chairs, loaded them onto a lorry and took them away in the wee hours of Monday last week.

The outlet, which has been in existence since 1949, is operated on a rotational basis among four cousins -Abdul Hamid, T. Abdul Latiff Sahubarali China Mohd Hanibal, and Pathumah Iskandar.


Shamsudin Seeni Pakir, 58, of Line Clear Nasi Kandar restaurant serves a customer.

~News courtesy of New Straits Times~

Female backpacker injured in attempted snatch theft

Female backpacker injured in attempted snatch theft

A 57-year-old female foreign backpacker sustained hand injuries from a knife cut in an attempted snatch theft late yesterday.

The tourist was walking in Jalan Chulia when a lone motorist rode up to her and whipped up the knife to cut the strap of her handbag.

The motorist however ended up cutting the victim’s finger.

Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mior Farid Alatrash Wahid confirmed the 11.30pm incident.

He said no arrest had been made in connection with the incident.

~News courtesy of New Straits Times~

Penang “Kancil car park” opens

Penang “Kancil car park” opens

The Penang Hill multi-storey car park, is finally open to the public after a long delay and its share of controversy.

The RM11.49 million facility, which was opened by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, has a total of 305 parking lots available for vehicles while 182 lots are reserved for motorcycles.

Among the features of the car park is the commercial area on the ground floor, including 11 stalls, a food court and an alfresco dining area.

The car park is also built with disabled-friendly ramps with direct access to a passenger lift.

The parking rate for vehicles has been set at RM2 for the first hour and RM1 for each subsequent hour. Motorcyclists get to park for free.

The facility was earlier dubbed the "Kancil car park", due to its poor design, which included steep ramps and parking bays said to be only suitable for Perodua Kancil cars.

Following an outcry, the state government demolished the building and rebuilt the car park.



The Penang Hill car park is finally opened to public.

~News courtesy of New Straits Times~

Airport

Happy new year 2015