Malaysia 01 (May 08 - Mar 11)

[helios]

Ecotourism

Kuala Lumpur, 14 May 2008 - The Ministry of Tourism had a dialogue session with 24 non-governmental organisation bodies to receive their views on ecotourism plans for the country. It was to ensure the steps taken by the Ministry in the development of tourism products are actually "eco-friendly" and not destroy the surroundings.

Ecotourism has been a major draw for tourists from the long-haul markets, coming to Malaysia to experience nature at its source.

Tourists in this niche market with a specific purpose to appreciate the environment tend to be repeat visitors and bigger spenders hence, ecotourism as a product must be developed in the right context to draw in more of these tourists.

The respective NGOs such as MNS, WWF, Wild Asia amongst others have given their opinions and views towards the promotion plans suggested for ecotourism activities according to each state.

>>> there is an Official Grand Launch of "Colours of Malaysia" in Persiaran Perdana, Putrajaya on 24-May upcoming ...

[helios]

This year marks the 10th year of “Citrawarna,” better known as the Colours of Malaysia celebrations, to showcase the country's multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-traditional society. In past years, the promotion of Malaysia's best loved food and fruits was also incorporated into the celebrations via Citrarasa Malaysia (Flavours of Malaysia).

This year, in a rebranding exercise to better promote the two events, the celebration has been renamed “Colours and Flavours of Malaysia” with the theme “Celebrating 50 years of nationhood – one golden celebration.”

The celebrations will kick off with a national-level parade on 24 May, 2008 at Dataran Perdana in Putrajaya. It will be officiated by their Majesties, the King and Queen of Malaysia. More than 50,000 spectators and 1,600 performers are expected to witness the event.

This year’s parade will feature a dramatic shift from its previous years' format and combine both theatrical and street performance into one night’s activities. While the main event of laser shows, fireworks, live celebrity performers, cultural dancers and musicians take to the centrestage beginning 8.30pm, the “real-party” or the Post Show begins after 10.30pm where the audience will be able to take to the large boulevard to join in the dancing and merry-making.
Needless to say, this year's celebration marks a paradigm shift towards the Ministry's new vision to better promote a fair distribution of benefits and wealth from the tourism industry towards grassroots, especially for SMIs and SMEs.

Along with this, greater emphasis will thus be placed on "home-grown" assets ranging from homestays to eco-tourism.

>>> sounds familiar? iskandar iskandar ... & has singapore embarked on promoting eco-tourism??? interest'g?

[winston]

Vincent Tan among richest in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Berjaya Corp Bhd chairman and chief executive officer Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun has joined Malaysia’s billionaires’ club with a net worth of US$1.3bil, up nearly US$1bil from last year, according to the latest ranking by Forbes Asia.

Tan is ranked ninth this year compared with 14th last year.

“Berjaya Corp has bucked the trend, with its stock price up nearly three-fold over the past 12 months,” Forbes Asia said in a statement yesterday.

Tan reigns over a US$4bil combined sales network of enterprises spanning industries from gaming to media, telecommunications, consumer products and retail, to real estate.

Sugar king Tan Sri Robert Kuok topped Malaysia’s rich list again as his net worth increased by US$2.4bil over last year to US$10bil.

Kuok, 84, is involved in many businesses, including Hong Kong property and media, and Singapore's palm oil giant Wilmar.

Maxis Communcations Bhd chief Ananda Krishnan came second with a wealth of US$7.2bil, down by US$200mil.

IOI Corp Bhd group executive chairman Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng was in third place, with his wealth increasing US$1.6bil to US$5.5bil.

“A net worth of only US$100mil was needed to make the list this year, down from US$127mil, despite the fact that the ringgit has gained 7% against the US dollar,” Forbes Asia said.

The KL Composite Index was off 5% in the past year, but has fallen 15% since mid-January.

Forbes Asia said the collective wealth of the top 40 was US$46bil, up US$3bil from last year.

Puan Sri Lee Kim Hua, widow of gaming tycoon Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, was one of three women who made the top 40. She and her family are worth US$3.4bil, ranking fifth.

The other two women are Chong Chook Yew, who runs Selangor Properties Bhd, at number 24 with US$245mil, and Datuk Seri Eleena Raja Azlan Shah at 35th place with US$150mil.

[helios]

Sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge
(Malaysia/Singapore)

The Court finds that Singapore has sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh; that Malaysia has sovereignty over Middle Rocks; and that sovereignty over South Ledge belongs to the State in the territorial waters of which it is located.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), principal judicial organ of the United Nations, today rendered its Judgment in the case concerning Sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge (Malaysia/Singapore).

Sovereignty over Middle Rocks and South Ledge
Malaysia claims that the two maritime features have always been under Johor/Malaysian sovereignty while Singapore’s position is that sovereignty over the features goes together with sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh.

With respect to Middle Rocks, the Court observes that the particular circumstances which led it to find that sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh rests with Singapore clearly do not apply to Middle Rocks. It therefore finds that original title to Middle Rocks should remain with Malaysia as the successor to the Sultanate of Johor.

Reviewed @: http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/130 ... 9f19200f45

[winston]

Claims that secret 'snoop squad' spied on politicians shake Malaysia's Chinese party
The Associated Press; Published: May 23, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysia's main ethnic Chinese political party has been jolted by claims that its leader set up a "snoop squad" to pry into the private affairs of his rivals within the party, including a former health minister who was caught in a video sex scandal.

The Malaysian Chinese Association party is the No. 2 group in Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's National Front governing coalition and represents the ethnic Chinese, who comprise a quarter of this predominantly ethnic Malay Muslim nation's 27 million people.

The party recently formed a panel to investigate allegations that its leader, Ong Ka Ting, employed spies to gather damaging personal evidence about party officials who might challenge his position.

Ong has denied the allegation, and several officials who testified before the party's investigation panel supported him. At least one official told the panel that such a "snoop squad" did exist, however.

Speculation has risen in recent weeks that the alleged snoop squad orchestrated a DVD scandal involving Chua Soi Lek, the party's former vice president. Chua stepped down as health minister in January after DVDs mysteriously surfaced and showed him having extramarital sex with a woman in a hotel room.

Chua has acknowledged appearing in the video and has said he believes it was politically motivated, but has not elaborated. He said, however, that the claims of a spy squad have hurt the party's efforts to win back the support of the substantial ethnic Chinese minority, after the party suffered staggering losses in March general elections.

"The Chinese keep losing confidence in the party," Chua told The Associated Press on Friday. "With such internal problems, there is a perception that the party is in a mess."

Chua said talk of the snoop squad has gained credence among many members, but he declined to divulge his own opinion on whether it existed until investigations are completed.

Ong said the spying claims were "baseless" lies intended to smear his reputation before party elections in October.

"I do not need to resort to unethical tactics to get rid of anybody," he said in a statement after the investigating panel interviewed him last week.

Ong has been under mounting pressure to defend his leadership after the party won only 15 parliamentary seats — barely half of its previous 31 seats — in recent national elections.

The losses were fueled by disillusionment among the party's supporters about its perceived failure to fight for the Chinese community's economic and religious rights amid growing concerns about government policies that some say are racially discriminatory in favor of the majority Malays.

In the elections the National Front suffered its worst performance in 51 years of rule, retaining power with only a simple majority in Parliament.

Source: The Associated Press

[helios]

Monday May 26, 2008
Keep off Middle Rocks BY MAZWIN NIK ANIS and FARIK ZOLKEPLI

PUTRAJAYA: Fishermen should stay away from Middle Rocks for the next few weeks while “technical matters” are sorted out, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said that despite the International Court of Justice ruling on Friday, there were still issues to be ironed before Malaysians were free to go to the rock outcrop located near Pulau Batu Puteh.

“There is no doubt that Middle Rocks belongs to us now but my advice is for the people to wait for the time being, while the technical committee looks into this,” he told reporters after launching the Unity month at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre yesterday.

On Friday, the ICJ decided that Singapore had ownership of Pulau Batu Puteh, called Pedra Branca by Singapore, while Malaysia had sovereignty over Middle Rocks which lies to the south. The ICJ left the question of sovereignty over South Ledge, another rock outcrop south of Pulau Batu Puteh, to be determined by the two countries later.

Prof Nik Anuar Nik Mahmud of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said the navy and marine police could now patrol the area without hindrance and the air force would also have access in the airspace.

"It is clear that Middle Rocks is ours and we have an interest to protect."

“However, both countries must work out the best way possible to create an understanding,” he told pressmen after launching the Kota Tinggi parliamentary constituency Gerak Gempur Dadah programme yesterday.

[kennynah]

is it oil, or fishing waters or some valuable natural resources that we are all contending here...

for the very young folks, you might not know that singapore gave away an entire christmas island...what's the fuss about piece of rock in the middle of an ocean?

[helios]

>>> if not wrong, e draft KL City Plan timeline is same w our singapore masterplan?

Wednesday May 28, 2008 Stories by YIP YOKE TENG

The skyline of Kuala Lumpur is to set change dramatically and significantly in the near future. Several superstructures of over 50-storeys high will soon join the Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower to dwarf other high-rise buildings in the city centre.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) town planning director Mahadi Che Ngah has confirmed that the DBKL had approved several superstructures comprising office blocks, hotels and serviced apartments. According to Mahadi, a skyscraper soaring to about 60 storeys has been approved as an extension to the Petronas Twin Towers. It will be located next to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

The pricey plot near Suria KLCC will also be the site for the Four Seasons Centre Kuala Lumpur, with its tallest building standing at 70 storeys.

It is touted to be a mixed development comprising a Four Seasons hotel, serviced apartments, luxury condominiums and retail outlets.

KL Sentral is also expected to have a structure towering at about 60 storeys.

Another skyscraper to loom over Stadium Merdeka at about 40-storeys tall has also been approved in principle. It is learnt that this will be part of a privatisation project by the government.

Mahadi said two other projects with 30-storey structures were waiting for their development orders.

On talks that a 100-storey skyscraper would be erected near the Matrade centre, bordering Jalan Kuching and Jalan Duta, Mahadi said it was merely an enquiry.

He said no plan or application had been submitted on the so-called project and it was too early to say that Kuala Lumpur would have another building taller than the Twin Towers.

According to Mahadi, commercial zones are categorised as city centre, district centre and neighbourhood centre, to control development intensity. The city centre commercial zone has the highest range of permissible plot ratio of up to 1:10. Plot ratio refers to the ratio of land area and floor area.

Superstructures can only be allowed in the city centre commercial zone, which is largely around the KLCC area, as well as other areas designated for the purpose such as KL Sentral and Mid Valley.

“This means that if a developer wants to erect a very tall building in an area outside the city centre commercial zone, it has to make sure there is a large span of green in the surroundings,” Mahadi said.

He advised the public to study the draft KL City Plan 2020 carefully to check on the development intensity proposed for the different areas.

“Some plans have been committed decades ago and the DBKL will have to follow up on these commitments.

“If land owners and residents think that these plans are no longer feasible, or they will suffer losses if the plans proceed, now is the time for them to register their objections,” he said.

The plan states that “to achieve the vision for a world-class city by 2020, Kuala Lumpur needs an optimum population that supports the city’s role as a leading centre of the new economy”.
Kuala Lumpur is positioned to have a population of 2.2 million, up from the 1.5 million now by 2020, with a population density of 13,805 people per sq km in the city centre, similar to the population density of the busiest areas in Tokyo.

[kennynah]

anther reaason for me to visit KairL

[winston]

I heard that 30% of the Petronas Tower was empty at one time. Not sure about the situation now.