MELAKA NEW CIQ BUILDING AT MELAKA RIVER MOUTH

Melaka new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Centre located at the Melaka River mouth is completed recently. It should be operational soon.

Looks modern and the new CIQ will be able to cater to tourists from cruise ships, Dumai ferries from Indonesia and visiting yatches from overseas.

MELAKA AIMS FOR 12.5 MILLION TOURISTS IN 2012

Malacca sees 13.3pc rise in tourist arrivals

By Syawal Syahrin | news@nst.com.my 0 comments

4 MILLION IN FOUR MONTHS: Chinese, Singaporeans and Indonesians among top arrivals

MALACCA: More than four million tourists visited the state in the first four months of this year, an increase of 13.3 per cent compared with the same period in 2011. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said of the 4.11 million tourists, 2.92 million were domestic tourists while the rest were foreigners.

“From January to April last year, Malacca saw some 3.62 million tourists visiting the state.

“But this year, for the same corresponding period, we saw an increase of 481,217 visitors.

“Foreign tourists saw a sharp increase of 37.3 per cent or 321,441, while domestic visitors grew by 5.8 per cent or 159,776 people,” he said.

Based on a report by the State Tourism Department, Ali said the top five foreign country tourist arrivals were China with 222,999 tourists, Singapore (185,277), Indonesia (168,190), Taiwan (108,128) and Hong Kong (57,241).

“As for the domestic tourists, the bulk of them were from Selangor, which recorded 773,271 tourists, followed by Kuala Lumpur with 666,520 tourists and Johor stands at the third place with 484,748 tourists.”

In the area of health tourism, Ali said some 141,602 people had sought treatment from three major private hospitals in the state — Mahkota Medical Centre, Putra Specialist Hospital and the Pantai Hospital Ayer Keroh.

“This figures comprises 81.6 per cent of the total number of tourists who came to Malacca to seek medical attention, with a majority of them coming from Indonesia with 29,789 people.

“Other foreigners who come here for medical tourism are from Singapore, China, Middle East and also Bangladesh.”

Ali also said museums in the state were the most popular attraction among tourists as they attracted 312,058 people, followed by the Malacca River Cruise (279,338 visitors), Malacca Zoo (176,943) and Menara Taming Sari (169,340).

Ali said the state government’s initiative in developing a variety of attractions had resulted in the drastic rise of tourists in this state, thus making Malacca a must-visit state in Malaysia.

“Besides this, several tourism aspects such as hygiene, tourists’ safety and communication facilities were crucial factors in attracting tourists to the state.

“Our ‘Think Tourism and Act Tourism’ initiative also managed to get the people to realise the importance of tourism to the state’s economy and this, too, is vital in ensuring we remain on top in the country’s tourism scene.”

This year, he said the state aims to attract 12.5 million tourists.

DRAGON BOAT RACE AT MELAKA RIVER MOUTH

The annual Melaka River Dragon Boat Race will be held at the Melaka River mouth. The event will be held on Sunday, 17th. June 2012.

Visitors to Melaka are invited to witness this annual event where different teams from overseas and locally will take part.

Since 3rd. June 2012, Melaka is holding the Annual Melaka River Festival. Different activities will be held during this time including this Dragon Boat Race.

As the annual Dumpling Festival is held on 23rd. June, this Dragon Boat Race is significant to all.

Come and join in the fun at the Melaka River Festival. Enjoy.

HONEST CABBIE RETURNS WOMAN'S PURSE

Saturday June 9, 2012

Cabbie returns woman’s purse By R.S.N. MURALI murali@thestar.com.my

MALACCA: When Camela Tan left her purse containing about RM2,500 and valuables in a taxi after being dropped off at St Francis Church here, the Singaporean thought she would never see them again.

But thanks to the honest driver, she was reunited with her belongings.

K. Nathan, 35, found the purse while he was cleaning his taxi before ferrying his next passenger.

Model citizens : Nathan (left) and Roslan congratulating each other after receiving their certificates at the hotel Friday. Nathan went to Equatorial Melaka Hotel which was his pick-up point and handed over the purse to tour desk assistant Roslan Abdul Ghani.

Nathan said it was wrong to keep someone else's property.

“It doesn't belong to me and should be returned to its rightful owner,” he said.

The father of three, who lives in Taman Desa Duyung here, said it was against his Hindu faith to keep the purse.

“I believe taking someone else's property is like eating someone else's flesh. I can't do it,” he said.

Roslan, 48, then contacted Tan who was a hotel guest and returned her belongings on May 27, the day of the incident.

Nathan and Roslan were awarded by the hotel with a certificate for their honesty on Wednesday.

Roslan said he appreciated his employer's gesture.

“I never expected to be rewarded by my bosses. I was just doing my duty to take care of the hotel guests.

“When the purse was handed to me, I promptly contacted Tan to relay the good news as I knew she must be anxious,” he said, adding that he would frame the certificate and hang it in his home.

“The award would inspire me to serve the hotel guests with full integrity,” he said.

Tan, 60, made a special trip back to Malacca to be present at the ceremony.

“It was indeed a memorable holiday in Malacca. I was touched by the courtesy and honesty of the taxi driver and the hotel staff.

“I will return to Malacca soon to meet Nathan and Roslan as an encouragement for others to emulate their honesty,” she wrote in her e-mail upon returning to Singapore after the incident.

She said having her purse returned was like a “mystical” experience.