RM10 tourism tax to be maintained

RM10 tourism tax to be maintained

THE flat rate of RM10 per room per night on foreign tourists will be maintained, says Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Mohamaddin Ketapi.

“Under the new government, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has reviewed implementation of the tourism tax.

“From the review, the implementation of the tax by countries such as the United States, the Netherlands, Italy, Singapore and Thailand, proved that the tax has brought positive growth to the tourism sector in the long term,” he said in a written reply to Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah (PH-Port Dickson).

Mohamaddin noted that Japan and Saudi Arabia had recently implemented the tourism tax.

He said the tax is expected to bring positive impact to the tourism industry through the financing of infrastructure, arts and culture. It is only applicable to foreign tourists.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Hiking trail in Balik Pulau in a sad state

Hiking trail in Balik Pulau in a sad state



Dangerous condition: A man walking on the broken planks at the Penang National Park in Teluk Bahang.

Old habits die hard in new Malaysia as seen in the garbage strewn along a hiking trail leading to the popular Teluk Kampi beach here.

Broken benches and damaged items could also be seen there.

This, plus the unkempt facilities, mar the beauty of the Penang National Park in Teluk Bahang.

Nature lovers are upset with the deplorable condition, especially those along the popular hiking trails that draw thousands of people each year.

“The resting area has also been infested with termites,” said hiker Eddie Lim yesterday.

“This is dangerous as it could collapse anytime.”

He said that it was unacceptable for the authorities not to take any action.

Teluk Bahang assemblyman Zol­kifly Md Lazim said he would visit the trail today to find out more about the conditions there.

“I am not aware of it. I will seek financial assistance from the state for immediate repairs on the facilities.

“I am sure we have the manpo­wer to do small upgrading works,” he said.

“The park comes under the Federal Government and I will also write to them for allocations.”

Gazetted on April 10, 2003, the 1.213ha national park was given a major upgrading work under the Eighth and Ninth Malaysia Plans.

The makeover transformed the Teluk Bahang entrance to the park into an impressive administration area with a modern facade comprising an office, information and registration counter as well as an interactive Interpretation Centre and Exhibition Gallery.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Roti canai

Roti canai (pronunciation: tʃanai), also known as roti cane (tʃane) or roti prata, is an Indian-influenced flatbread dish found in several countries in Asia, including Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore.

It is usually served with dal or other types of curry, but can also be cooked in a range of sweet or savoury variations made with a variety of ingredients such as sardines, meat, egg, or cheese.

Roti canai is a popular breakfast and snack dish in Malaysia, and one of the most famous examples of Malaysian Indian cuisine.

It is said that the dish was brought over from India by Indian Muslims, also known as "Mamaks" in Malaysia, and is served in mamak stalls located in both rural and urban Malaysia.

~Wikipedia~

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Johor Bahru – Seremban – Shah Alam – Klang

Visit http://cityexpress.com.my/

U Mobile and WeChat Introduces Unlimited Data For Chinese Tourists

U Mobile and WeChat Introduces Unlimited Data For Chinese Tourists

U Mobile today announced a partnership with WeChat to launch the U Mobile WeChat Go SIM. This new prepaid SIM will offer Chinese tourists unlimited data to enjoy social messaging on the WeChat app and free Lingcod TV subscription whilst having unlimited data to stream over 100,000 hours of high-definition movies, documentaries, and educational content out of China.

The new U Mobile WeChat Go SIM will be the only WeChat Go cobranded prepaid SIM in the country and it is packed with other value-added services including 1GB of free roaming data for Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia and 60 minutes’ worth of IDD calls to China or calls made in Malaysia.

The launch of U Mobile WeChat Go SIM is very timely as the Malaysian Tourism and Culture Ministry is targeting to attract eight million Chinese tourists by 2020. With more and more tourists from China visiting Malaysia, the U Mobile prepaid WeChat Go SIM is well positioned to meet all their connectivity demands.

“With the new U Mobile WeChat Go SIM, the whole WeChat ecosystem goes beyond just social messaging. Together with WeChat, we will work on packing even more benefits like mobile commerce into the WeChat Go SIM not just for Chinese tourists but for anyone who is a user of WeChat,” said Jasmine Lee, Chief Marketing Officer, U Mobile.

U Mobile WeChat Go SIM will be available from 6 December 2017, and Chinese tourists may opt to purchase the prepaid SIM pack from Sunway Media retailers in China prior to travelling. The SIM card will also be available at 138 U Mobile outlets in Malaysia as well as the various international airports in the country such as KLIA and KLIA 2.

Resourced from Tech ARP | 6 December 2017

Get weather updates through RakanMET

Get weather updates through RakanMET



Whichever part of Malaysia you are in, the RakanMET app allows you to share information and updates on the weather.

RakanMET aims to provide fast and accurate information to the public to ensure that they are better prepared to face extreme weather conditions.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau said the app was developed by his ministry (Mosti) through the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).

“Users can report weather-related incidents in their areas by uploading information onto the app.

“This is done to prevent irresponsible parties from uploading fake information on the app,” he said.

RakanMET is the second app to be developed by Mosti after myCuaca, which was launched in 2015 to provide the public with the latest weather information.

RakanMET was officially launched at the Sabah Weather and Earthquake Operations Centre on Friday, in conjunction with World Meteorological Day.

MetMalaysia director-general Alui Bahari was also present at the event to sign a memorandum of understanding with Universiti Putra Malaysia to mark their collaboration in the field of meteorological science.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Penang International Food Festival

SAVE THE DATE! Indulge your way through Penang this 14-29 April at the Penang International Food Festival.





Three main events:

Street Food Festival - 14 & 15 April at Lebuh Pantai
Taste of Penang - 21 & 22 April at Jalan Kelawai
Food Truck Invasion - 28 & 29 April at Design Village Penang
More info and updates: www.piff.com.my