VISA FREE TRAVEL FROM CHINA INTO MALAYSIA IN 2016

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FilePic: Sinar HarianPUTRAJAYA: The move to offer visa-free entry to tourists from China will help Malaysia tap the potential of the republic's outbound tourism market which is growing significantly every year.

MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai noted that it would generate more tourism receipts from China for the country.

In his recalibrated 2016 Budget unveiled here today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that tourists from China would not require a visa to visit Malaysia between March 1 and Dec 31 this year.

However, he said the visa-free offer for Chinese tourists was subject to specific conditions for a period of stay not exceeding 15 days.

Najib also said more focus would be given to the tourism sector as the increase in tourist arrivals would stimulate domestic economic growth, particularly in the current economic scenario.

KANCIL, OUR MASCOT ARRIVES BY SEA OFF MELAKA

Our mascot, Kancil has just arrived in Melaka. The Costa Victoria, the cruise ship came in from Singapore.

The same coast that Zheng he and Alfonzo view of Melaka they saw by sea.

HANG TUAH TRADE CENTRE AT JALAN HANG TUAH IN 2018

Melaka To Set Up Trade Centre

Details Published on Monday, 11 January 2016

Datuk Seri Idris HaronMELAKA: The Melaka State Government and its agencies will upgrade and build several new buildings in the town centre to set up the Hang Tuah Trade Centre in bid to boost economic activities in the area.

Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Idris Haron, said the 30- 40-hectare project will be in the vicinity of Jalan Hang Tuah, Jalan Tun Ali, Pengkalan Rama and Kampung Morten.

"The development is expected to take about five years and the re-development of the Hang Tuah area with various socio-economic activities will contribute to the local community and the state.

"The institution of higher learning that has been be built in the area will be maintained because we also wanted to set up an university town with many institutions of higher learning," he told reporters here today.

He said this after the ground-breaking ceremony for the Yayasan Melaka building at Jalan Tun Ali here today.

Also present was General Manager of Yayasan Melaka.

Idris said all buildings owned by Chief Minister Department, especially in Jalan Hang Tuah, would be upgraded to meet the standards of developed nations.

He said in line with this, the state government urged developers keen to develop the Hang Tuah Trade Centre to send their proposals to the state government for considerations.

Meanwhile, he said, the development of Yayasan Melaka's RM120 million 25-storey, which would take two-and-a-half years, woud serve as a catalyst in the development of the Hang Tuah Trade Centre.

"The building, with ginger flower concept, will have four levels as offices and the rest will be a hotel with 252 rooms," he said.

He said the hotel would provide the Melaka Foundnation and opportunity to generate income during school holidays.







-- BERNAMA

KEEPING MELAKA CLEAN

Monday, 4 January 2016
Beauties do their part to help keep Malacca clean

BY R.S.N. MURALI


Porta de Santiago or A Famosa fort is the landmark to visit when in Malacca.
 
MALACCA: If you are at the tourist spots here next week, expect to see a beauty pageant contestant handing you a pamphlet on keeping the Unesco Heritage City clean at all times.

Beauties from 52 countries are now in the state to vie for the Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International 2016 title.

The finals will be held at The Shore shopping complex here on Jan 16.

Pageant sponsor Kerjaya Prospek (M) Sdn Bhd will work with the Malacca Historic City Council (MBMB) to organise a roadshow at all tourists hotspots to distribute pamphlets on the “Don’t Mess With Melaka” campaign to traders and tourists.

“The girls will be at the hotspots to heat up the campaign,” the company’s CEO Datuk Tee Eng Ho said in an interview yesterday.

Tee said details of the campaign will be announced by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron on Jan 6.

He said Tourism World Organisation president David Singh has agreed to the contestants’ participation in the campaign as a precursor to the finals here.

“We will probably have models wearing the placards ‘Don’t Mess With Melaka’ to highlight the state’s seriousness to keep our city clean,” he added.

In a front page exclusive in The Star on Nov 29 last year, it was reported that the MBMB wants to introduce a new by-law to make litterbugs walk around with placards reading “Don’t Mess With Melaka”, and increase fines for offenders.

First-time offenders must sign an “oath of pledge” not to mess up the city at the MBMB magistrate’s court in Jalan Tun Sri Lanang here.

Tee said the contestants will also help the Malacca Tourism Department to introduce Malacca’s attractions to the world.

The pageant finals was supposed to be held in Bangkok, but due to eleventh hour glitches, the organisers decided to switch the venue to Kuala Lumpur. However, Tee managed to convince them to have it in his hometown.

The prestigious event, now in its 10th year, will see contestants from 52 countries vying for the crown.

15.7 MILLION VISITORS TO MELAKA IN 2015

Bernama |  January 06, 2016 08:12 MYT

Melaka would continue to focus on tourism projects to increase the number of tourist arrivals this year.

MELAKA: About 15.7 million tourists visited Melaka last year, the highest ever recorded by the state, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron.

He said even though the target of 16 million tourists was not achieved, the state would continue to focus on tourism projects to increase the number of tourist arrivals this year.

"Among the projects are the development of the second phase of the Melaka River project and the continuation of the monorail project," he told reporters after delivering the new year's message to all heads of state government departments and agencies, Tuesday.

In another development, Idris said the state government would continue with the 'No Plastic Bag Day' on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, which took effect on Jan 1, despite the negative reaction from some quarters.

"Even though some people are opposing the programme, I believe that it will be implemented successfully.

"It must be done in a sustainable manner with the help of all departments and agencies in the state," he said, adding that the initiative would bring about positive impact to the people of Melaka.

MELAKA ZOO

By Sean Whyte

Following years of complaining we have at last found something good to say about a zoo in Malaysia.

We never pretend to know what goes on behind the scenes at most zoos, because we do not have access to those areas or the zoo’s record keeping.

The best we can do, good or bad, is to ‘call it as we see it’, which is exactly what we have done at Melaka Zoo over the years.

During the time when it was managed by Perhilitan, Melaka zoo was a sad and sorry looking dump. Under its present management things are looking up and on a check-visit last month by Malaysian Friends of the Animals a lot of improvements were seen.

One very notable element at Melaka Zoo and nowhere else in Malaysia or, for that matter Indonesia, is the provision of browse for the orangutans to play with and make beds from, much as they do in the wild.

It would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of fresh leaves and small branches to orangutans in captivity, both in their outdoor enclosure and especially in their night quarters. Would you want to sleep every night on a concrete floor or iron bars?

Finally, Malaysia has a zoo it doesn’t have to be ashamed of. It’s not perfect and there is still much to be done, but it is clearly much improved under private management.

We hope Melaka Zoo will keep on improving and maintaing a strong bias towards conserving Malaysia’s wildlife, education and conservation. There is no need to bring in animals from other countries at a time when people need to learn more about and respect Malaysia’s own wildlife.

Melaka Zoo now has the opportunity to stand out from the crowd in a big way and do things right by international zoo standards. We look forward to seeing further progress.

Sean Whyte is with Nature Alert.

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