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Cuisine in Melaka

MELAKA TAMING SARI TOWER LURES 3.3 MILLION VISITORS WITHIN 5 YEARS

Melaka Taming Sari Tower Lures 3.3 Million Visitors Within Five Years

MELAKA, June 15 (Bernama) — The Melaka Taming Sari Tower here has managed to lure 3.3 million visitors with ticket collection totalling RM29.9 million over the first five years of its operation.

Chief Minister Datuk Idris Haron said it was an increase of 0.8 million visitors from the original target set when it was first opened in April 2008.

Over the first five months this year alone, a total of 227,107 visitors with ticket collection of RM2.4 million were recorded, he said.

He said it was an overwhelming achievement, and hence proved the determination of the management of Melaka Taming Sari Berhad (MTSB) in turning the 110m tall tower worth RM24 million into Melaka’s popular tourism product.

“We believe that this tourist product can contribute to the more developed and competitive eco-tourism industry,” he said after opening the 5th anniversary celebration of the tower here today.

Also present were MTSB chairman Datuk Mat Sirat Abu and chief executive officer Mazary Ahmad.

Idris said MTSB would also introduce a new tourism product soon, that is a ‘reverse bungee’, in a bid to diversify the tourism products at the tower.

However, he said the reverse bungee facility, which is expected to be built at the end of this year, must get prior approval from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) as it would be built on one of the world’s heritage site.

“It is still at the discussion stage and we will seek advice and consultancy from the supplier and Unesco about the suitability of the location and height,” he said.

At the event, Idris also launched the book published by MTSB titled ‘Heritage Trail Melaka Mosques’, which showcases the beauty of mosque architecture in Melaka, including at the Selat Mosque, Tengkera Mosque and Al-Azim Mosque.

— BERNAMA

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Cuisine in Melaka

HERITAGE TAX AT RM 2.00 PER ROOM PER NIGHT FROM 1.4.2012

RM2 Heritage Tax from April 1

By JASON GERALD JOHN AND HANIS MEKETAB
news@nst.com.my | 0 comments

Malacca hopes to collect RM7m a year from tourists staying at lodging facilities
MALACCA: Come April 1, all guests at hotels, resorts, chalets, apartments and lodging facilities in Malacca would have to pay a Heritage Tax, which would be used to help preserve heritage sites in the city centre.
However, instead of the five per cent surcharge on the published room rate as announced last year, it has been fixed at a flat rate of RM2.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the state hoped to collect about RM7 million annually once the tax comes into force.

“The RM2 Heritage Tax would be collected from 241 premises such as hotels, resorts, chalets, apartments and lodging facilities which currently provide some 12,857 rooms for both locals and foreigners.

“The five per cent surcharge on the published room rate referred to as Heritage Tax was supposed to come into force last September but hoteliers did not agree to it.

“But this time around, the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), Malaysian Budget Hotels Association (MBHA) and the Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO) proposed to us to set the Heritage Tax at RM2 and we agreed.

“The Heritage Tax is solely for the preservation and conservation of the heritage sites in the city centre which were recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco),” he said after meeting hoteliers at the Seri Negeri Auditorium, here, yesterday.

Ali said that the state was planning to introduce the tax on Feb 1 but had to postpone it to April 1, as local and foreign tour agents have contracts signed with them till March 31.

Ali said visitors staying in the Historical City should consider the surcharge as their contribution towards the conservation of the local heritage sites.

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Cuisine in Melaka

MELAKA CELEBRATED 3rd ANNIVERSARY AS WORLD HERITAGE SITE

MALACCA: Malacca Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob, several other state dignitaries and some 3,000 people attended the third anniversary celebration of the declaration of Melaka City as World Heritage Site, held at the Independence Memorial in Bandar Hilir, here, last night.

The celebration this time took them back to the historic pre-independence days where in Febuary 1956, the people welcomed back the Malayan delegation seeking independence for the country led by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.

“The situation then and now, and the harmony and cooperation among the people of various races is a fine example in creating universal peace,” said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam in his speech at the event.

He said multiracial unity, peace, cooperation and tolerance had brought prosperity to Malaysia compared to the turbulent situation in some countries due to ethnic strife or sectarian violence.

“By preserving peace, prosperity and harmonious living will prevail which will help us create a stronger nation,” he added.

Malacca and George Town, Penang were declared World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) on July 7, 2008.

In conjunction with this year’s celebration, 42 events have been lined up for the whole month of July covering culture, arts and heritage.