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Tourism Malaysia

13 Things You May Or May Not Know About Malaysia’s Independence

Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman in 1957

August 31 is Hari Merdeka or Malaysia’s Independence Day. Here’s a brief look at Merdeka Day celebrations over the last 59 years and other events that have shaped the nation.

1. Malaysia gained her independence from Great Britain in 1957. Over 20,000 people gathered in Merdeka Square to mark the occasion, including the Duke of Gloucester, the King and Queen of Thailand and the Prime Minister of India. The first prime minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, chanted some of the most iconic words in Malaysian history, “Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka”.

2. From 1957 onwards, Merdeka celebrations have been held every year in all its grandeur. Dignitaries wear traditional uniforms and costumes, fighter jets fly overhead in a blaze of smoke and military personnel and Kadazan tribal people march through the streets.

3. Inaugural celebrations featured dancing formations that depicted the emblem of the ruling party, Barisan Nasional — or the National Front Coalition Party. Barisan Nasional has ruled Malaysia since 1957, making it one of the longest ruling, democratically installed governments in the world.

4. Up until September 16, 1963, Malaysia was still known as the Federation of Malaya. Two years after Singapore left the federation in 1961, the Bornean states of Sabah and Sarawak merged with Peninsula Malaya to form the new Malaysia.

5. Merdeka Day celebrations in 1963 were nothing short of extravagant with traditional dancers from East Malaysia appearing for the first time in full ceremonial regalia, armed with spears and other tribal items.

6. Malaysia Day, not to be confused with Merdeka Day, is held every September 16 to mark the formation of Malaysia.

7. In 1967, Merdeka celebrations saw perhaps the biggest crowd in Malaysian history. An estimated 50,000 people attended the ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of Malaysia’s independence. Thousands of law enforcement and military personnel marched through Merdeka Square.

Merdeka 3Military procession passes dignitaries at inaugural Merdeka celebration in 1957

8. Merdeka Football Festival has run concurrently with Merdeka celebrations from 1957. The festival is the oldest football event in Asia and has seen teams from all over the world compete for the prestigious trophy. Hong Kong were the inaugural winners in 1957.

9. Malacca City hosted the first Merdeka celebration outside of Stadium Merdeka and Dataran Merdeka in 1985. The decision was the brainchild of Malaysia’s “Father of Development” Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad. The Malacca Club was turned into a Merdeka memorial called the Merdeka Declaration Memorial to archive all past and future Merdeka celebrations.

10. In the same year, one of Malaysia’s most iconic acts, the Alleycats, released their chart-topping album Suara Kekasih. Founded in 1978, the Alleycats went on to have a profound impact on Malaysian people and the Malaysian music industry.

AlleycatsMusic icons the Alleycats

11. Following 1963, there was a push for Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines to form a confederation called Maphilindo. However, there were too many controversies and disputes over territory with then Indonesian president Sukarno putting an end to discussions.

12. Shortly after, Indonesia provided Malaysia with the greatest threat to her independence. They declared war on the Kalimantan-East Malaysia border, laying claims to territories north of Kalimantan. Indonesia only came to officially acknowledge the formation of Malaysia three years later in 1966.

13. Malaysia and her states have been ruled by many invaders over the years from Srivijayan Buddhists and Majapahit Hindus to Portuguese, Dutch and British settlers as well as the Japanese in World War II. Many of these cultures are still present in current day Merdeka celebrations.

 

Merdeka 150th anniversary Merdeka celebrations in 2007

So, if you are keen to observe a bit of Malaysian history, be sure to join in the fun this August 31. There will be festivities across the nation with performances, parades and fireworks in most cities. Head to Tourism Malaysia Official Site for more information.

 

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Tourism Malaysia

Beachside escapade

Paradise indeed: Aview of Boracay fromthe island’s highestpoint in Mt Luho.Paradise indeed: A
view of Boracay from
the island’s highest
point in Mt Luho.

With its great beaches, Boracay
in the Philippines
is hard to beat, and the Ambassador
In Paradise is the resort of choice.

BORACAY in the Philippines seems perpetually to be in one list or another of the best beaches in the world. Well, the accolades are certainly well-deserved, for its white sandy beaches are exceptional.

Boracay also has the reputation for being “party central� – everyone here seems to be partying from 6pm to noon. It’s the Ibiza of Asia, so to speak.

I was there during the tail-end
of the crazy summer holidays so there was a swarm of college- and university-going Filipinos about. You could say this vacation was something I had been looking forward to for a long time, it being my first time there.

Unfortunately, the airline I had booked for the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Clark Terminal, and then onwards to Boracay almost soured the experience. To cut a long story short, I ended up spending eight hours at the airport in Clark, one of the worst airports to be stuck in.

If I was lucky enough to get a boat to Boracay from Caticlan after my connecting flight, I might be able to check into my resort hotel, the Ambassador In Paradise, past midnight after my 10am flight from KL!

Thank goodness, the resort (recommended by the trusty Agoda.com) managed to make pickup arrangements for me. From Kalibo airport, the resort driver got me to Caticlan within ONE hour instead of the customary two – all while being a safe driver as he braved terrible road conditions and the dark of night. Impressive!

I managed to catch the last “official� scheduled boat and arrived at the resort at 10.30pm, where I promptly crashed for the night, having been up for close to 21 hours. But before that I was floored by my Premier Ocean View room. It was huge, and had a king-sized bed and two divans.

But it was the bathroom that had me gawping – it was big enough to accomodate a beach party. Later on, I found out that the extra space was utilised in higher-grade rooms for an en-suite Jacuzzi!

Guests at Ambassador In Paradise are greeted by a palm-fringed beach view.Guests at Ambassador In Paradise are greeted by a palm-fringed beach view.

They have four other types of rooms and a presidential suite. Their two-floor family suites can cater to seven.

Next morning, I found the view from my bed to be astonishing. From the balcony windows (I was on the ground floor), I could see the five-star resort’s only restaurant. On the right was the amazing beach with the requisite swaying palm trees and the blue ocean beyond. And on my left was the resort swimming pool.

Paradise indeed!

Breakfast was the first thing on my to-do list. They keep it simple here with a choice of five – American, Continental, Filipino, plus Spanish Omelette and Dutch Omelette.

Paraw boating is one of the water activities available in Boracay.Paraw boating is one of the water activities available in Boracay.

I opted for the last, which was fried eggs with smoked ham, sliced cheese and crispy bacon bits. Nice. If you’re wondering about this option, the owner is Dutch and has two other hotel properties in Haarlem, the Netherlands.

I had the Filipino set the next day, which was basically garlic rice, beef tapa (diced), pickled papaya, pork sausages and superb crunchy anchovies. It’s like the Filipino version of nasi lemak. It was so good that I had it again the next day.

For lunch, I had their set meal, which commenced with a cream of roasted prawn saffron – flavourful but a tad heavy on the saffron. The appetiser of salmon gravlax bruschetta was very good, while the mains of oven-baked tanguigue fish in lemon garlic sauce was not too bad. And to wash it all down was the delicious dalandan (sweet orange drink).

Dinner at the resort did not disappoint either. The cream of pumpkin was divine, the pork adobo was out of this world as the chef had tweaked it to be spicy and even thrown in some eggplant; desserts were limited but tasty (including the local leche flan – creme caramel basically); and the cocktails hit the spot.

The food is good, but the service needs to be improved. Surely one doesn’t need to remind staff about cutlery, condiments and such? But it helps that despite the shortcomings, they do their jobs with a smile.

Now what’s a beach vacation without a massage?

You can opt to have it in your room or by the beachside. I had mine in the room, and it was pure bliss. A combination of shiatsu and Swedish techniques kneaded away my aches and stress.

The resort is at Station 1 of the famous White Beach, with Stations 2 and 3 to the left of the resort. Despite a bum foot and doctor’s orders to rest it and not get the wound wet, I couldn’t resist taking a walk on the beach.

Station 1 is not as crowded as Station 2 where most of the night life is concentrated. AXN was having a party that evening (open to anyone above 21), and it started at 6pm. And there was yet another party the next evening organised by some other group.

All kinds of water activities were on offer (the resort can arrange them for you, too). These included banana boating, paraw boating and parasailing. What I found unique here was the way the locals use surfing boards for paddling on – with an oar in hand while standing on the board!

Besides White Beach, there are other beaches like the relatively uncrowded Puka Beach. For a scenic view of the island, you’ll want to head on up to Mt Luho, the island’s highest point.

Off the beach, one can opt for ATV rides, buggy rides and bicycling.

The best way to get around Bora (as the locals call the place) is via the many electric tricycles that run till late. Hop on and off one for 20 to 60 pesos (RM1.50 to RM4.50).

If you’re into shopping, then the place to go is DMall – it’s a one-stop centre for souvenirs, fresh produce and restaurants. There are loads of boutiques and shops to browse to your heart’s content. And while Filipino food is no great shakes, there are many other options on offer.

If there’s one thing I couldn’t understand about the resort, it was the imposition of corkage on guests. If guests wanted to bring outside food, liquor or soft drinks into the hotel, a fee was imposed. They made an exception for water and snacks.

Never in all my years of staying in hotels and resorts have I seen corkage being imposed. Perhaps they should reconsider this, as it’s not very endearing to guests.

But one thing’s for sure, I will go back to beautiful Bora.

AMBASSADOR IN PARADISE

Station 1, Sitio Pinaongon,

Barangay Balabag,

Boracay Island Malay Aklan

Philippines

Tel: +63 36 288-1541

Email: info@ambassadorinparadise.com

www.ambassadorinparadise.com

Categories
Wonderful Malaysia

Overall growth of tourist arrivals Malaysia

Malaysia recorded an overall growth of +1.2% tourist arrivals with 9,438,592 tourists for the first five months of 2012 as compared to 9,323,827 for the same period last year, according to the Tourism Minister, Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen. ASEAN region still contributed the largest number of tourists to Malaysia with 73.4% of the total arrivals. The positive growth come from Indonesia (+19.3%), Philippines (+41.7%), Vietnam (+35.2%), Myanmar (+6.9%) and Laos (+19.9%). Other notable progressive medium and long haul markets include Saudi Arabia (+50.7%), China (+34.1%), Japan (30.6%), Russia (25.8%), Kazakhstan (25.2%), Denmark (14.4%) and India (+7.8%).

Total receipts by tourists from January to May 2012 rose by +1.9%, generating RM21.8 billion to the country’s revenue as compared to RM21.4 billion in 2011. The tourists’ per capita expenditure for that period is estimated at RM 2,309 an increase of 0.7% as compared to RM 2,294 in 2011.

The minister added that in line with the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan 2020 towards achieving 36 million tourist and 168billion in receipts by 2020, it is important for Malaysia to shift its focus on growing yield per tourist rather than to rely heavily on growth in tourist arrivals. “To attract the higher yield segment, we will need to enhance connectivity to key priority markets.” For a start, Tourism Malaysia works to increase flight frequencies to 6 priority countries namely China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Taiwan besides developing an air-rights allocation framework to facilitate efficient development of these key routes and others.

One of the most successful programs that have been identified by the Ministry to develop rural based tourism is the Homestay Program. The tourism program recorded a significant increase with 38.4% of occupancy rate compared to 24.9% for the same period last year. A total of 133,689 tourists visited our homestay from January to May 2012 of which 110,322 were domestic tourists and the rest 23,367 were foreigners. This is a 70.7% increase compared to the same period last year where we only received 78,333 tourists. Tourist receipts from homestay program for the first five months of 2012 also proliferated to RM 7,376,446.50 (+53.1%) compared to RM4, 817,158.30 in January to May 2011. Increased spending by these tourists has stimulated the rural economy. The homestay tourism program has encouraged local communities to be a part of rural based tourism whilst maintaining their traditions and identities.

Recognized as one of the National Key Economic Areas, the tourism industry remains as one of the major contributor to Gross National Income, foreign exchange earnings and employment. In 2011, tourism ranked seventh (7th) largest contributor with a GNI total of USD12.3billion and the third (3rd) largest foreign exchange earner after manufacturing and palm oil. The Malaysian tourism industry in 2010 provided 1.8 million jobs (15.9%, share of employment in tourism to total employment). Amongst the 12 Entry Point Projects are duty free shopping, luxury tourism, designating KLCC–Bukit Bintang area as a vibrant shopping precinct, improving business tourism and increasing the supply of 4 5 star hotel rooms, etc.

The percentage on tourist shopping recorded from January to May 2012 shows 32.3% (RM7.04 billion) of the total tourist receipts. This is an increase compared to 30% last year. The covered walkway connecting Bukit Bintang and KLCC completed early this year to facilitate shopping has shown a positive impact.

To attract high yield tourists, we need quality four five star hotel rooms. Currently there are 59,804 four five star hotel rooms available in Malaysia. By 2020, 37,000 additional four five star hotel rooms are required. The Ministry of Tourism targets to increase 3000 four five star hotel rooms in Malaysia as at end 2012. Currently 71% of the target is achieved with 2,123 rooms completed. The government’s liberalization policies and lucrative tax incentives have resulted in domestic and foreign investments on hospitality assets across Malaysia.

Malaysia has premised itself as a world class destination for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE). The Malaysia Convention Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) successfully secured 33 major events throughout January to May 2012, attracting total delegates of 50,770 and generating an estimated economic impact of RM499.9 mil. The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Rankings 2011 ranked Kuala Lumpur number 21 in the world and number 5 in Asia Pacific. Malaysia ranked number 29 in the world and number 7 in Asia Pacific.

Domestic tourism is also another important part of Malaysia’s tourism industry. The number of domestic tourists in 2011 increased 15.7% (45,731,000 as compared with 39,539,000 in 2010). In 2011, the spending by domestic tourists was RM27.0 billion, registering a 13.9% increase as against RM23.7 billion spent in 2010. This is the success of the “Cuti Cuti 1Malaysia” Campaign.

In order to grow the tourism industry, efforts have been intensified towards enhancing existing tourism products and developing new, creative and innovative tourism products. This included the “1Malaysia International Shoe Festival 2012?, “1Malaysia International Tourism Exchange 2012?, “1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism 2012? and the recently concluded “1Malaysia International Tourism Night Floral Parade 2012?.

The Ministry of Tourism’s ‘Malaysia: Truly Asia’ branding is recognized worldwide and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has ranked Malaysia the ninth most traveled to destination in the world.

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Joe Flizzow @ Mystical Eve – ENCORP Strand

December 16, 2011 at 2:59 pm

Joe Flizzow is an award-winning Malaysian hip hop artist and businessman. He is one half of the internationally renowned Malaysian hip hop duo, Too Phat – the most successful hip hop act to ever emerge from Malaysia. He is also founder and CEO of Kartel Records.

President Joe Flizzow will be performing at ENCORP Strand this 31st December!

Joe Flizzow started his career as one half of the groundbreaking duo Too Phat. With sales of over half a million records sold to date, the group’s multi-platinum albums have won numerous awards locally as well as achieving recognition from MTV Asia and Channel V. International collaborations with artists from Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Sweden, Canada and United States have allowed for an all access pass on the global stage.

As an individual Joe Flizzow arguably the nicest Malaysian MC to ever grip a mic, is a talented writer, lyricist and producer. Forever pushing his boundaries and artistry into new areas of development; a pattern familiar since the late 90?s, where he revolutionized the Malaysian underground Hip-Hip scene and forced the music industry to recognize it as a serious music genre. After 10 years as a member of Too Phat, Joe Flizzow set out to begin carving a career as a solo artist in 2008 with the release of his debut solo album called President.

Joe Flizzow, Malaysian Rap Star, formerly of Too Phat

Rap along with Joe as he performs an all new song at Mystical Eve 2012 @ ENCORP Strand’s New Year’s Countdown party this 31st December 2011. The party will begin at 6 pm and only end at 2 am as we usher in 2012. So put on your party hats and make your way to ENCORP Strand for Mystical Eve 2012!

Don’t know how to get there? Check the map out!

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Tourism Malaysia

Hope Comes A-Floating

October 19, 2011 at 4:30 pm

It is not everyday that a person can boast of living on board and being a part of a majestic ship for week or a month, what more two years. Unless that individual plans to serve in the Navy or has an endless supply of funds which enables them to travel on a cruise endlessly, it is a rare opportunity for the people to live a life on a ship. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is what makes serving on-board the Logos Hope so memorable for volunteers who have chosen this rather unique path of life.

Logos Hope

The ship, Logos Hope docked at Port Klang

The story of a ship named Logos Hope…

The Logos Hope was first built in 1973 and was originally built for the purpose of a passenger car ferry. Before it was known as Logos Hope, it was called Gustav Vasa and it sailed along the North Atlantic routes. A decade after it was built, the ship changed hands to Smyril Line and was renamed Norröna. The vessel then plied the route between the Faroe Islands and Denmark. It came into the hands of GBA Ships in the year 2004 and underwent major renovations to fulfill her upcoming role. She obtained her current name, Logos Hope, in 2005 and after outfitting in Kiel, Germany; Køge, Denmark and final dry dock in Sweden, Logos Hope finally became an active ship in February 2009.

The ship is manned by a crew of 400 volunteers from 45 different nations. The community is diverse, from retirees to children of families serving on board and has an average age of 25 to 30 years old. Most of the volunteers serve for two years, which is the longest period of time available for service. Volunteers not only get a chance to give back to the people around the world, they are also given training programmes, which when combined with the work experience and the cross-cultural encounters, provides them with an opportunity to learn new skills and develop their characters.

Visitors browsing through the many titles that is available onboard the Logos Hope

“Mommy, look… it’s a floating library!”

The company that is behind this vision is GBA Ships e.V, a non-profit organisation that is based in Germany. GBA Ships operates ships that sail around the world with the purpose of bringing knowledge, help and hope to those who are in dire need of it. Their vision is to provide access to high-quality literature to those who need it, providing practical love and promoting peace by embracing diversity, as evident in the ships’ crews. Since 1970, the fleet of ships owned by GBA Ships have established a name for themselves as floating book fairs. These ships have made over 1,400 port calls in over 160 countries and territories and have welcomed over 42 million visitors on board their ships.

The floating book fair offers a selection of over 5,000 titles for visitors who come to the book fair. The wide selection of books on display are suitable for every member of the family as it covers a good range of categories such as cookery, sports, hobbies, science, medicine, dictionaries, languages and philosophy. The books are donated by publishers whose books have been removed from circulation in first-world countries after the latest editions have been released. This gives Logos Hope the chance to offer these books at a fraction of their costs to people in developing countries.

Visitors can see pictures of the ship’s history on the walls as they head to the book display area

A ship full of angels in disguise…

One of the many things that volunteers of the Logos Hope find meaningful is the initiatives and projects that they do for the communities in need. GBA Ships believe in quality life for all, regardless of personal background and circumstances. As the ship sail from port to port, the crew contributes to the society’s needs in every way possible – be it a simple task of sharing and exchanging experiences with locals to donating supplies or even building schools or houses. Some of the projects that have been undertaken by the Logos Hope’s communities include hosting over 80 tribal chiefs on board in Ghana, building orphanages and donating over 50,000 books to community groups and colleges in Liberia, running HIV / AIDS Awareness projects in West Africa and offering free eye examinations for the people in Malaysia.

Some of the book titles that are available for sale at the floating book fair

Where will they go next?

The Logos Hope is currently docked at Port Klang until 24th October 2011. The ship will then be heading to Kuching, Sarawak where it is expected to arrive on 27th October and will be there till 15th November before it moves on to Kota Kinabalu. The Logos Hope will then continue to make its way to Singapore and Philippines. The fair is open to the public from 10 am to 10 pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays, and 3 pm to 10 pm on Sundays. It is closed on Mondays. Entrance fees are priced at RM1 per person and admission is free for children under 12 who are accompanied by an adult.

Though it was almost 5pm when this picture was taken, there were still many people queueing up to board the floating book fair

For more information on the Logos Hope and its future port of calls, log on to their website here.

Logos Hope is currently looking for donations for its generators. Interested parties may refer to the above website or speak to any of the staff on-board Logos Hope for more information.

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