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Cuisine in Melaka

RIAU AIR FLIES INTO MELAKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Inaugural Riau Air Flight Set To Give LTAM A Boost

MELAKA, Jan 7 (Bernama) — The inaugural Boeing 737-500 Riau Air flight from Riau to Melaka International Airport (LTAM) in Batu Berendam Friday is expected to give the airport a boost, said Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam.

Mohd Ali, who welcomed the delegation from Indonesia, headed by Riau governor, Datuk H.M. Rusli Zainal, said it was a historical occasion for the airport.

“This represents a new start to Malacca’s relations with Riau and will bring big changes in the use of LTAM for international flights,” he told a media briefing here after the ceremony to welcome Riau Air’s flight.

Mohd Ali said because the country’s main airlines, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Firefly, had yet to use LTAM as a hub the state had given Riau Air the opportunity.

He said Melaka-Pekan Baru relations would be strengthen economic relations, including tourism and medical tourism.

Riau Air, formerly Riau Airlines, is wholly-owned by the provincial government of Riau. It operates over 60 flights daily from Pekan baru to 10 destinations in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Rusli said Riau Air would begin its thrice-weekly Pekan Baru-Melaka flights next Monday.

He said with the introduction of the Boeing flights, the airline would reconsider its use of Fokker planes.

Rusli said other than LTAM, Riau Air was also eyeing air connections between Pekan Baru and Johor Baru via Senai airport.

— BERNAMA

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Cuisine in Melaka

RED HOT FAMILY BUSINESS AT JALAN BUNGA RAYA

MALACCA: The Wong family have turned making Chinese New Year red lanterns into a thriving and lucrative business.

“Practically all the red Chinese lanterns decorating the heart of the historic city are designed and manufactured by my family,” a proud Wong Liang Fatt, 62, said when met at his shop along Jalan Bunga Raya yesterday.

Lantern mania: Wong’s wife Rena Foo showing off the red crystal lantern which is a popular decorative item this coming Chinese New Year.

He said the family, which deals in and imports festive decorations, decided to set up its own factory to produce red plastic Chinese lanterns in 2004.

Decorating one’s home with red lanterns has become a must for Chinese families during Chinese New Year.

“Since almost half of our business involves sales of red lanterns, we decided to produce them ourselves,” he said.

Wong added the family has come up with 10 types of lantern designs, with the red crystal lantern a popular item this year.

“We have manufactured about 200,000 lanterns and sales have been very encouraging so far,” he said adding that orders have come from buyers from around the country as well as Indonesia.

Wong said a talking toy rabbit from China is a popular item this year in light of the coming Year of the Rabbit.

“Children love it as the toy rabbit will say Gong Xi Fa Cai each time a coin is inserted,” he said.

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Cuisine in Melaka

MELAKA TRAM GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY

Tourism Melaka is doing our first survey on the tourism products and services in Melaka.

Please take some time to participate in this survey. You can be rewarded with a Day tour from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka by Tourism Melaka.

Click here to participate in our first Tourism Melaka survey.

VIEW MELAKA AT A GLANCE (2004)

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Cuisine in Melaka

MALAYSIA EYE TO BE READY BY DECEMBER 2011

Malacca to get bigger Ferris wheel

MALACCA: A new Ferris wheel, bigger than the Eyes on Malaysia, will rise again in the historical city here.

The wheel, to be called Malaysia Eye, will stand 88m high and comprise 54 air-conditioned gondolas.

It will be able to ferry six people in a gondola for a 16-minute ride.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said Malaysia Eye would begin operating on Dec 1 with a 324- passenger capacity.

“The the cost of bringing Malaysia Eye from China and the construction of a park along with it is RM30 million.

“It would not be located in Kota Laksamana, but in Pulau Melaka,” he said, adding that locating the new Ferris wheel on the Eyes on Malaysia site would have implications as it was taller and the project would have to be approved by Unesco because of its World Heritage Sites status.

Ali said the Malaysia Eye project would be handled by The Eye Sdn Bhd.

He said the Malaysia Eye would be better and bigger than the Eyes On Malaysia which closed down due to a dispute between its owners, Fitraco NV of Belgium and MST Ad Suria Sdn Bhd and Eye On Malaysia Sdn Bhd, the company leasing the Ferris wheel.

Besides the new Ferris wheel, Ali said the Pulau Melaka area would also see the development of an Arab city, hotels and apartments.

“We will also have a 1,000-room hotel near Pulau Melaka, which will be developed by the Hatten Group.

“The Malaysia Eye and other attractions in this area, especially the soon-to-be opened Sea Lion Park, are set to be the latest tourist attractions,” he added.