Wednesday, April 29, 2020

MELAKA RAMADA PLAZA TO CLOSE ON 30.6.20

Melaka's Ramada hotel announces closure

KUALA LUMPUR: A five-star hotel in Melaka has become the latest casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 294-room Ramada Plaza Melaka Hotel or Ramada Plaza by Wyndham (previously known as the Renaissance Melaka) has announced it will cease operating on June 30.
No indication has been given on how many workers will lose their jobs.

The hotel is independently owned by MTB Sdn Bhd and operated under a management agreement with Wyndham Hotel Group Asia Pacific Co Ltd.

MTB Realty Sdn Bhd has notified the National Union of Hotel, Bar and Restaurant Workers of Peninsular Malaysia of its intended closure in a letter dated April 28.

"Due to the Covid-19 pandemic since January 2020 and the Movement Control Order since March 18, the hospitality industry has been extremely impacted and we are no exception," the companies directors Yang Pang Chee and Yeo Pang Kheng said in the letter.
"As a result of the crisis, the continued operation of the hotel is no longer viable. It is with sincere regret that we wish to inform that the owners have now decided to close the business of the hotel indefinitely."
They said the company will serve a two-month termination notice as per the collective agreement of the contracts of employment to the affected employees.

Their last working day will be June 30, and the company has said it will be paying out termination benefits as per the employees' contracts of employment.

The hotel, which is located in the centre of Melaka town along Jalan Bendahara, has been in operation since 1981.

Friday, April 24, 2020

CLEANER MELAKA RIVER SINCE MCO

Cleaner Malacca River, thanks to MCO

24 APR 2020 / 21:18 H.
Cleaner Malacca River, thanks to MCO24 APR 2020 / 21:18 H.Cleaner Malacca River, thanks to MCOThe Sungai Malacca waters are serenity personified as five weeks of movement control order appeared to have brought calm, and restored cleanliness, aided by the absence of boats which ploughs this route with tourists onboard. — BernamaCleaner Malacca River, thanks to MCOThe Sungai Malacca waters are serenity personified as five weeks of movement control order appeared to have brought calm, and restored cleanliness, aided by the absence of boats which ploughs this route with tourists onboard. — BernamaCleaner Malacca River, thanks to MCOThe Sungai Malacca waters are serenity personified as five weeks of movement control order appeared to have brought calm, and restored cleanliness, aided by the absence of boats which ploughs this route with tourists onboard. — BernamaMALACCA: Malacca River has become the talk of the town and even gone viral for its ‘greener’ and cleaner water during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
A check by Bernama at several locations, especially near the Stadthuys building and Jonker Road, showed that the river has not achieved this level of cleanliness for a long time.
Before the MCO to curb the spread of Covid-19 was implemented on March 18, Malacca River’s water was murky and its colour was like ‘teh tarik’.

Trishaw rider Joseph Oliveira, 54, smiled when he was shown pictures of a rejuvenated Malacca River which went viral recently, saying he has not seen the river this clean in his eight years of working in the area.
“Maybe photographic techniques made Malacca River clearer than it really is. The water is cleaner during MCO due to lack of activities in Malacca River. Previously, it was very busy with boats plying the river, causing its water to be murky,“ the Kampung Portugis resident told Bernama.
Oliveira said Malacca River was stinking black in the 80s and 90s, but the state government especially during the time of former chief minister Tan Sri Mohd Ali Rustam had rehabilitated the river in a bid to turn it into the “Venice of the East”.
“A cleaner Malacca River is good for the environment. It can also help people like me to earn some money when it is a tourist attraction. For me, let the river rest for a while and it will help us back after this,“ he said.
Echoing his sentiment was cleaner Salim Bachek, 48, saying there had been a noticeable drop in activities in the river and the surrounding areas.
“Other workers and I used to remove a lot of garbage from Malacca River but during the MCO there is not so much rubbish. However, the public should not bathe or wash their feet with the river water because it is not as clean as swimming pool water,” said Salim, who hails from Bachang.
Mohd Ali, the person responsible for giving a new lease of life to Malacca River, was also excited with the development and urged the people to keep the river clean for future generations.
“It (Malacca River) is cleaner now, especially in town areas where we can see fish swimming in it. But if we do not maintain it, the river will become dirty. We must keep Malacca River clean,“ he said.
Meanwhile, on Facebook, many netizens gave feedback on the state of Malacca River, with some proposing measures to keep it clean.
Muhammad Arif Hishammudin said those who dumped garbage in the river should be fined while Ricky Ricardo Marcello noted that the current hot weather had led to no fresh water entering the river.
Many also shared their good experiences of seeing various animals such as monitor lizards in the river, a fact corroborated by Bernama’s checks.
A check with the Malacca River and Coastal Development Corporation showed that the Malacca River Cruises have been halted during the MCO. — BernaMALACCA: Malacca River has become the talk of the town and even gone viral for its ‘greener’ and cleaner water during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
A check by Bernama at several locations, especially near the Stadthuys building and Jonker Road, showed that the river has not achieved this level of cleanliness for a long time.
Before the MCO to curb the spread of Covid-19 was implemented on March 18, Malacca River’s water was murky and its colour was like ‘teh tarik’.


“Maybe photographic techniques made MalaccaRiver clearer than it really is. The water is cleaner during MCO due to lack of activities in Malacca River. Previously, it was very busy with boats plying the river, causing its water to be murky,“ the Kampung Portugis resident told Bernama.
Oliveira said Malacca River was stinking black in the 80s and 90s, but the state government especially during the time of former chief minister Tan Sri Mohd Ali Rustam had rehabilitated the river in a bid to turn it into the “Venice of the East”.
“A cleaner Malacca River is good for the environment. It can also help people like me to earn some money when it is a tourist attraction. For me, let the river rest for a while and it will help us back after this,“ he said.
Echoing his sentiment was cleaner Salim Bachek, 48, saying there had been a noticeable drop in activities in the river and the surrounding areas.
“Other workers and I used to remove a lot of garbage from Malacca River but during the MCO there is not so much rubbish. However, the public should not bathe or wash their feet with the river water because it is not as clean as swimming pool water,” said Salim, who hails from Bachang.
Mohd Ali, the person responsible for giving a new lease of life to Malacca River, was also excited with the development and urged the people to keep the river clean for future generations.
“It (Malacca River) is cleaner now, especially in town areas where we can see fish swimming in it. But if we do not maintain it, the river will become dirty. We must keep Malacca River clean,“ he said.
Meanwhile, on Facebook, many netizens gave feedback on the state of Malacca River, with some proposing measures to keep it clean.
Muhammad Arif Hishammudin said those who dumped garbage in the river should be fined while Ricky Ricardo Marcello noted that the current hot weather had led to no fresh water entering the river.
Many also shared their good experiences of seeing various animals such as monitor lizards in the river, a fact corroborated by Bernama’s checks.
A check with the Malacca River and Coastal Development Corporation showed that the Malacca River Cruises have been halted during the MCO. — Bernama

Sunday, April 12, 2020