Johor fully recovers from floods

Johor fully recovers from floods



Johor has fully recovered from the floods with the one temporary evacuation centre open in Segamat, being closed at 11 am today.

State Local Government, Urban Wellbeing and Environment Committee chairman Tan Chen Choon said 11 people from three families in the district, housed at Gemereh IV community hall since Dec 15, were allowed to return home today.

All of them are residents of Kampung Seberang Batu Badak.

According to Tan, they were all allowed to return home after the flood waters had receded fully and because of the sunny weather.

However, he said, ongoing monitoring will be carried out by the relevant agencies from time to time.

-- BERNAMA

2020旅游年放眼招亚欧中东客 目标1千亿令吉收入

2020旅游年放眼招亚欧中东客 目标1千亿令吉收入



慕沙尤索：预计能吸引更多来自新加坡、印尼、泰国、汶莱、中国、欧洲和中东的游客。

迎接2020大马旅游年来临之际，大马旅游促进局继续积极在海外展开宣传活动，放眼实现吸引3000万名外国游客，贡献1000亿令吉旅游收入的目标。

该局总监拿督慕沙尤索夫接受马新社专访时说，宣传活动预计能吸引更多来自新加坡、印尼、泰国、汶莱、中国、欧洲和中东的游客。

他说，新一轮宣传活动将于明年1月在印度、汶莱和西班牙开跑;2月是意大利;3月是德国;紧接着是其他目标国家。

他解释，实际上，2020大马旅游年海外宣传活动早在2017年已在伦敦开跑，随后是聚焦2018年1月在泰国举行的东盟旅游论坛。


中东的游客是大马旅游局欲吸引游马的目标之一。

慕沙说，除了通过巡回宣传活动、社交媒体和旅游促进局官网宣传，浮罗交怡旅游配套、郊区民宿和趣味活动配套等也是宣传活动的一部分。

他说，各项本地传统文化体验的旅游活动也能让本地居民参与其中。

慕沙说，相比网络促销配套，多数游客倾向于在门市购买度假促销配套。因此，他促请消费者慎选拥有合法执照的旅行社。

~光华日报~

Flood situation in Johor improves

Flood situation in Johor improves

The total number of flood evacuees in the state has dropped to 1,468 people from 375 families as of 4pm, compared with 2,669 people from 716 families at 8am on Thursday (Dec 19).

State Local Government, Urban Wellbeing and Environment Committee chairman Tan Chen Choon in a statement here said the number of temporary relief centres had dropped from 43 to 25 at all five affected districts.

“The highest number of victims came from Segamat with 543 victims, followed by Kota Tinggi (452) and Kluang (233).

“The other flooded districts are Pontian (146) and Batu Pahat (94), ” he said.

Tan also said that three roads in Mersing and two roads in Segamat had been closed due to the floods.

The affected roads are Jalan Teluk Arong and Jalan Tanah Abang in Mersing and Jalan Paya Balai Badang, Jalan Putting, and Tumang in Segamat.

~The Star~

Rain - Yellow Alert 黄色暴雨警报

恶劣天气预警！彭柔森甲大雨至周二

恶劣天气预警！彭柔森甲大雨至周二



大马气象局今天发出恶劣天气预警，彭亨、柔佛森美兰和马六甲数个地区预计大雨会持续至下周二。

气象局总监再兰西蒙周日发文告说，受影响地区是彭亨云冰，以及柔佛昔加末、居銮、丰盛港、古来和哥打丁宜。

此外，他说，气象局也发出大雨警报，涉及地区有彭亨马兰、关丹、百乐、北根；柔佛东甲、麻坡、峇株巴辖、笨珍和新山。

他说，该局也向森州瓜拉庇劳、林茂、仁保和淡杯，以及整个马六甲发出大雨警报。

~光华日报~

Floods worsen, three more districts affected

Floods worsen, three more districts affected



Incessant heavy rain has resulted in three more districts in Johor being inundated by floods, in addition to two districts in the state which are already affected, thus far.

State Local Government, Urban Well-being and Environment Committee chairman, Tan Chen Choon, in a statement, said the three new areas were Kulai, Kluang and Segamat while the two which had been affected prior to this were Mersing and Kota Tinggi.

The worsening situation had resulted in 1,364 victims from 355 families being evacuated as of 3 pm, compared to only 171 victims from 45 families this morning.

All the victims were housed at 21 temporary flood relief centres (PPS), namely, in Kota Tinggi (nine), Kluang (six), Mersing (four) and one each in Segamat and Kulai.

He said the floods, and also landslides, had also cut off five routes in two districts to all types of vehicles.

Three of the routes were in the Kota Tinggi district, namely, Jalan Batu 18, Jalan Ladang Pasir Logok-Ladang Bukit Berkelompok and Jalan Ladang Bukit Payong, all near Kampung Tunjuk Laut.

Two more routes were in Mersing, namely, Jalan Tenggaroh 3 heading to Mawai/ Kota Tinggi/ Sedili and Jalan Endau Batu 12 to Rompin.

-- BERNAMA

Heavy rains cause flooding, evacuations in Johor

Heavy rains cause flooding, evacuations in Johor

People have been evacuated to temporary flood relief centres due to continuous heavy rainfall in some parts of the state, which has also resulted in some major roads in cities being flooded.

The downpour started at about 6am Monday (Dec 9) morning and has continued since.

One of the affected areas is Jalan Kota Tinggi-Mersing where the water level from the nearby Sungai Ara has risen and flooded the road.

Kota Tinggi OCPD Supt Ahsmon Bajah reminded road users to be vigilant and avoid using slippery roads.

“Follow the road signs and drive carefully. They should also listen or pay attention to any traffic announcement made by the authorities, ” he said when contacted.

Meanwhile, the Johor Disaster Management committee in a statement reported that a total of 19 victims from five families from Kota Tinggi have been evacuated to one PPS at SK Teluk Ramunia here.

The PPS has been operating since Sunday (Dec 8) as three villages have been affected by the floods, namely Kampung Baharu, Kampung Changi, and Kampung Jumis Bukit Raja.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Meteorological Department issued a bad weather announcement, stating that heavy rains will affect Mersing and Kota Tinggi.

Heavy rain is also expected in Segamat, Kluang, Pontian, Kulai and Johor Baru.

The situation is expected to continue until Tuesday (Dec 10).

~The Star~

10 holiday islands off Mersing

1. Pulau Tioman
2. Pulau Aur
3. Pulau Besar
4. Pulau Pemanggil
5. Pulau Rawa
6. Pulau Tinggi
7. Pulau Sibu
8. Pulau Harimau
9. Pulau Dayang
10. Pulau Tengah

~Sgmytaxi~

Air Papan Resort

Accommodation & Facilities
Type Of Chalet	Facilities	ROOM & BED	Normal Rate	Weekend Rate	Public Holiday Rate	Capacity (Person)
Sabah House (1 Unit)	TV, A/Cond, Freezer & Hot Shower	1 ROOM & 2 DOUBLE BED	RM280	RM320	RM270	6-7
Melati Merah (12 Unit)	TV, A/Cond, Freezer & Hot Shower	1 ROOM & 2 DOUBLE 1 SINGLE BED	RM240	RM270	RM250	6-7
Melati Putih (1 Unit)	TV, A/Cond, Freezer & Hot Shower	1 ROOM & 1 DOUBLE 1 SINGLE BED	RM220	RM270	RM250	4-5
Melati Biru (2 Unit)	TV, A/Cond, Freezer & Hot Shower	1 ROOM & 1 DOUBLE 1 SINGLE BED	RM180	RM250	RM230	4-5
Melati Hijau (6 Unit)	TV, A/Cond, Freezer & Hot Shower	1 DOUBLE BED	RM169	RM200	RM180	2-3
Seri Melati (1 Unit)	TV, A/Cond, Freezer & Hot Shower	1 ROOM & 5 SINGLE BED	RM250	RM290	RM310	6-7
Mawar Merah 1 (5 Unit)	TV, A/Cond, Freezer & Hot Shower	2 SINGLE BED	RM160	RM200	RM220	2-3
Mawar Merah 2 (11 Unit)	TV, A/Cond, Freezer & Hot Shower	1 DOUBLE 1 SINGLE BED	RM200	RM220	RM240	4-5

Air Papan Beach Resort
86800 Mersing,
Johor Darul Takzim

H/P : 012-791 4324
Telephone : +607-799 5566
FAX : +607-799 5566
admin@airpapanbeachresort.com

Website: https://airpapanbeachresort.com.my/

More than 20 million tourists in first 9 months of 2019

Malaysia records more than 20 million tourists in first 9 months of 2019

Malaysia saw positive growth in the tourism sector in the first half of this year, boosted by stronger international tourist arrivals.

International tourist arrivals stood at 20,109,203 tourists between January and September, an increase of 3.7 per cent, compared to 19,386,115 visitors during the same period last year.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi said the top 10 countries with the highest contribution of tourist arrivals was Singapore with 7,868,755 visitors, followed by Indonesia (2,792,776); China (2,413,956); Thailand (1,442,224); Brunei (929,789); India (539,167); South Korea (508,080); Vietnam (323,393); Japan (321,283) and the Philippines (317,294).

“Tourist receipts for the same period in 2019 reached RM66.14 billion compared to RM61.85 billion for the same period in 2018, indicating an increase of 6.9 per cent.

“The main contributors to the tourist expenditure were Singapore (RM16.3 billion), China (RM12.8 billion), Indonesia (RM8.8 billion), Thailand (RM2.8 billion) and India (RM2.5 billion).

“Per capita expenditure for the period of January to September also grew by 3.1 per cent from RM3,190.5 to RM3,289.3,” he said today in announcing the third quarter performance of the tourism sector.



Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi left). - NSTP/LUQMAN HAKIM ZUBIR. The short haul market, Mohamaddin said, had retained its position as the largest contributor of tourists to Malaysia with a share of 68.7 per cent.

The contribution of tourists from the medium haul market was 21.6 per cent, while the share of tourists from the long haul market was 9.7 per cent, he added.

“The highest per capita according to market distance saw Saudi Arabia recording the most for long haul at RM11,394.4; China at RM5,301.5 for medium haul and Vietnam at RM3,356.3 for short haul.”

The minister also said the haze which had shrouded Malaysia and neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Brunei had affected the momentum of tourist arrivals.

“I believe the tourist arrivals could be better without the haze.”

Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Musa Yusof said he believed that Malaysia would be able to achieve this year’s tourist arrival target of 28 million.

He said there would be a significant number of tourist arrivals towards the year end, especially in December from countries experiencing winter.

Malaysia normally records about 2.5 million tourist arrivals in Dec.

On tourist arrivals from China, Musa said Malaysia was still favoured by visitors from the country.

~New Straits Times~

Decision on Airbnb next year, says Tourism D-G

Decision on Airbnb next year, says Tourism D-G



Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Musa Yusof said to address the problem, the committee would continue to discuss the issue to find suitable solution. -BERNAMA

The task force on short-term residential accommodation, Airbnb will announce its decision by early next year, Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Musa Yusof said today.

He said the task force was set up to regulate Airbnb accommodations nationwide and would take note of examples from other countries such as France, Singapore and Japan.

“We will look into the issue. What we have implemented throu\gh the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and the agency under the Housing and Local Government Ministry, is that we already set up a task force to look at what other countries have implemented in terms of Airbnb-type rentals.

“We expect to announce the decision early next year and it needs to be regulated. For example, in some locations, Airbnb accommodations are allowed but not in the big cities where there are hotels available,” he told reporters after launching the Visit Malaysia (VMY) 2020 Kick Off conference here today.

He said this in response to complaints made by hoteliers who claimed of experiencing a decline in occupancy rate despite the high number of tourists arriving in the country as most of them were choosing Airbnb.

Musa said to address the problem, the committee would continue to discuss the issue to find suitable solution.

“The concept of Airbnb in Europe and the US are different than it is in Asia. The Airbnb accommodations that I used to stay at, either in Europe or in the US, the guests stayed with the hosts, and we already have this concept here for the past 30 years and we call it homestay.

Homestay is more for the experiences while Airbnb is more of an accommodation. Only in Malaysia, the visitors are not staying with the owner and this will be regulated,” he said.

He said the matter would be looked at as a whole as there were several joint management bodies had disallowed Airbnb to operate in the condominium building as it was viewed as disruption.

Meanwhile, commenting on the conference, he said it was launched to further promote the promotional activities of the VMY 2020 campaign in the northern states. -- Bernama

3 killed, five injured in two-vehicle collision

3 killed, five injured in two-vehicle collision in Mersing



Three people were killed and five others injured in a two-car collision--BERNAMA

MERSING: Three people were killed and five others injured in a two-car collision at Km15 of Jalan Mersing-Endau here, on Saturday afternoon.

The deceased were identified as Toyota Vios passengers Nur Ainil Jannah, 22 and her father, Abdul Manan Ahmad, 59; and Honda City passenger Mahmud Md Aksan, 71.

Those injured in the 5.30pm crash were Honda City driver Mohd Ruzaimie Mahmud, 32, his two children, Fatima Az Zahra, 3 and Muhammad Ammar Nafis, 5; and Siti Soraya Sabtu, 32 and Siti Kalsom, 63.



The accident is believed to have occurred when Abdul Manan, who was en route from here to Endau, lost control of his vehicle, which veered into the opposite lane and crashed into the oncoming Honda City.

“The bodies were sent to the Mersing Hospital for post-mortems.

“The injured were rushed to the same hospital for treatment,” Mersing police chief Assistant Superintendent Mohd Nor Mohd Isa said in a statement.

~New Straits Times~

Mersing entrepreneur plans to market pufferfish souvenirs overseas

Mersing entrepreneur plans to market pufferfish souvenirs overseas



MERSING, Oct 10 -- Having produced decorative items based on pufferfish for the past three years, entrepreneur Kassim Hassan has set his eyes on exporting his craft overseas.

Kassim, 57, from Kampung Bahagia here, has produced more than 3,000 decorative items using dried, inflated pufferfish, as well as those made from coconut shells, including pots, stationery and key chains.

The entrepreneur, who received guidance from the Mersing small and medium enterprises (SME) inherited his father’s artistic and creative talents and began selling his products actively for the past three years.

“Most of my customers are from around Mersing as they would come to order or buy directly at home, but I also sell my products at the premises (of other traders) located in the tourist areas of Air Papan near here, as well as in Langkawi, Kedah.

“I wish to expand my business, not only for the domestic market but also to the neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei, as part of adding cheer to the Visit Johor Year 2020 campaign,” he said when met by Bernama at his home here today.

Describing the process of turning the poisonous pufferfish into a decorative item was hard, Kassim said he was also exposed to danger as he had to carefully remove the fish bones and internal organs without using gloves.

“This is because I find it difficult to gut the fish wearing gloves despite possible injuries because the thorns are very sharp.

“After it is gutted, I will place the balloon inside before sewing the stomach again and then blow the balloon to inflate it, before hanging it to dry for a month to make sure the fish is completely drained of any slime and to rid of any fishy smell,” he said.

The father of two also said that the method of producing a pufferfish-based product was complicated as it would take a long time to complete, apart from demanding his full attention.



“It is difficult to produce, but I hope that it can be competitive enough and become a tourist attraction to Mersing, considering that not many places have this product,” he said.

Kassim said decorative items were produced based on customers’ demands including table lamps, lanterns and souvenirs of various sizes and they were priced at RM25 and could fetch up to RM300.

However, Kassim said currently the sales were a bit slow as he was busy with the construction of a workshop and gallery around his house to showcase his work, using his own capital.

“I take this initiative to accommodate the presence of a large number of visitors as the existing space is quite limited, thus providing a more conducive place for them to witness how the craft being produced closely.

“Besides, I have also received requests from teachers and lecturers from institutions of higher learning asking me to share my knowledge and experiences with their students,” he said, adding that he also received visit from Indonesian students.

Recently, Kassim also received a RM20,000 grant from the Perbadanan Usahawan Johor and expressed his hope that more relevant parties would be able to provide him with financial assistance and equipment including machinery to further expand the business.

-- BERNAMA

彭州大臣宣布刁曼岛获准建新机场

彭州大臣宣布刁曼岛获准建新机场



马来西亚彭亨州务大臣旺罗斯迪宣布，中央政府已批准在著名海岛刁曼岛建设新机场的计划。

他昨天在彭州政府官方面簿发表声明指出，中央政府与彭州政府经过数年讨论，终于达成协议，决定落实有关计划。

他说：“根据公共工程部的建议，刁曼岛机场将建在甘榜巴耶（Kampung Paya），因为该区域对环境和人们的生活影响最小，是最适合的地点。”

他指出，新机场拥有一条长2.5公里的跑道，可让载送180人至200人的波音737型号飞机，以及A320空中客车起降。

至于费用方面，他说，将由政府及承包的私人公司分担，但细节仍在洽谈，尚未有最终定案。

旺罗斯迪也说，彭州政府相信新机场落成后，不仅能解决国内外访客登岛度假的交通问题，还能提高访岛人次，促进地方经济发展和增加就业机会。

他指出，刁曼岛每年接待约15万名游客，新机场落成后，相信游客人数会增长。“刁曼岛曾被美国《时代》杂志评为世界上最美丽的岛屿之一，我期待新机场带动游客人数增加后，岛上经济能更蓬勃发展，为当地人带来正面效应。”

刁曼岛目前有一个小型机场，只供小型飞机及包机起降，因此游客大多数是坐车或巴士前往柔佛州丰盛港码头，再坐船到刁曼岛。

去年中，马来西亚成功集团有限公司宣布，该公司计划耗资12亿令吉（约3.9亿新元）在刁曼岛建机场，并且已把相关建议书提交给政府。

马来西亚政府过去一直计划要在刁曼岛建新机场，以促进当地旅游业。其中，政府在2003年提出耗资1.2亿令吉（约3900万新元）在刁曼岛建机场的计划，但时任交通部长翁诗杰在2009年以环境问题为由，取消了计划。

~早报网~

大马上半年旅游收入410亿令吉·增长6.8%

大马上半年旅游收入410亿令吉·增长6.8%



旅游、艺术及文化部长拿督莫哈末丁可达比宣布，马来西亚今年首6个月的国际游客人数达1335万4575人次，较去年同期增长了4.9%；而旅游收入为410亿令吉，与去年同期的390亿令吉相比增长了6.8%。

莫哈末丁可达比今日在2019年上半年旅游业对国家经济贡献的新闻发布会上表示，我国今年上半年的旅游业绩呈现正面增长，也希望这趋势能持续发展至2020大马旅游年。

另外，被询及内阁改组的传闻，他表示，“这只是2至3名部长职务的变动。我也不知道是谁。其实这不是改组，只是部长间的小变动。”

至于民政党主席拿督刘华才点名旅游部长是表现不达标的部长，莫哈末丁可达比表示，“我不介意他们说想要替换我，他们要怎么说就怎么说，最终还是以首相的言论为主。”

被问到是否已对任何可能性做好准备，他直言，“我们不受影响（tak takluk)，不被任何可能性影响。部长不能说部门是属于他的吧？”

他也说，他不会为自己的表现评分，而是交由人民来评分，并指该部的成长都是政府官员和公务员共同合作的成果。



文章来源 ： 星洲日报 2019-08-23

Tourism Malaysia ties up with Expedia

Tourism Malaysia ties up with Expedia



PUTRAJAYA: Tourism Malaysia has inked a deal with American travel company Expedia Group which will see both sides collaborate to boost tourism promotion to Malaysia.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi said the partnership with Expedia will help support Malaysia’s target of achieving 30 million tourist arrivals and RM100bil tourist spending by 2020.

“Malaysia has just launched its fifth instalment of the Visit Malaysia series, Visit Malaysia 2020, and this is a timely strategic partnership which will benefit all parties.

“Expedia Group, as many of you would know, has over 200 travel booking websites in more than 70 countries around the world and work with thousands of lodging and flight partners to cater to the differing needs of modern travellers today.

“This partnership will collectively promote travel to Malaysia hence helping us grow our tourism arrival and income, empower our hospitality industry to be equipped with the right tools and services to help them grow their business locally, and be seen as a beacon in the sustainable tourism space, ” said Mohamaddin in his speech at the signing ceremony of the new collaboration, held at his ministry yesterday.

Mohamaddin said one of the agreements between Tourism Malaysia and Expedia Group will be focused on several global campaigns to promote inbound travel from the United States, Australia and Japan to Malaysia.

The three countries are among the biggest points of sale for Expedia Group.

“This partnership will see a joint execution of destination marketing campaigns to spotlight Malaysia’s hidden and unique tourist attractions as well as promote the variety of accommodation to Expedia Group’s 750 million plus monthly visitors globally, ” said Mohamaddin.

The collaboration will also see Expedia Group and Tourism Malaysia exchanging traveller insights, to help better understand tourist behaviours and home tourism strategies in line with the implementation of Visit Malaysia.

Expedia Group senior vice-president of commercial strategy and services Greg Schulze said the company found Malaysia to be a “progressively thinking destination” and was committed to help expose the country to travellers around the world.

“Tourism is an important contributor to Malaysia’s economy, accounting for almost 14.9% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and 3.4 million jobs.

“As a world travel platform, Expedia Group is proud to be an online travel tourism partner to Tourism Malaysia, connecting Malaysia’s tourism industry to millions of travellers in our worldwide network, ” he said.

Among the travel websites under Expedia Group include Expedia.com, Trivago and Hotels.com.

~The Star~

2020 年公共假期

丰盛港划艇失踪 联合搜寻行动停止

丰盛港划艇失踪 联合搜寻行动停止



陈永顺（右）日前在海上遇风浪，至今下落不明。（受访者提供）

在马来西亚丰盛港划艇失踪的退休律师陈永顺仍未被寻获，至今已有11天。马来西亚当局今天宣布停止联合搜寻行动，但个别部门还是会继续展开搜寻。

马来西亚海事机构甘马挽区指挥官拉希迪，今早向《联合早报》证实，今天的联合搜寻行动将会停止。不过，他表示，若有男失踪者的最新线索，联合行动将再度展开。

虽然停止联合行动，但他说个别部门执行例常任务时，仍将继续寻找男失踪者陈永顺。

退休律师陈永顺（62岁）本月8日与另外14名新加坡人同到马来西亚丰盛港划独木舟，谁知一行人遇上风浪，陈永顺与同船女商人潘玉珍（57岁）与团队在茫茫大海中失散。六天后，潘玉珍的遗体在彭亨州关丹被渔民发现，陈永顺则仍生死不明。

~早报网~

Air quality worsens slightly in the country

Air quality worsens slightly in the country

The air quality in Peninsular Malaysia has worsened slightly with Rompin in Pahang Air Pollutant Index (API) readings jumping from “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” zone.

According to Department of Environment (DOE) data, the API recorded in Rompin was at 223 as at 4pm, yesterday.

On Saturday, Rompin’s API was “unhealthy” at 125.

Conditions in Kuala Lumpur remained at moderate levels during the weekend, with the API at between 65 and 67.

In Selangor, Johan Setia saw a slight increase in the API readings.

The reading recorded was at 95 compared to 92 on Saturday.

Other areas in Selangor such as in Banting (82), Petaling Jaya (81), and Shah Alam (83) maintained its “moderate” readings.

The API readings in Kedah and Perlis also worsened from “good” to “moderate”, while Sabah maintained its “good” API readings.

Other places nationwide such as in Negri Sembilan, Johor, Perak, Penang, Kelantan and Terengganu recorded “moderate” API levels.

Meanwhile, in Sarawak, Sri Aman posted an API reading of 252 and generally the haze situation here and in Miri is still bad.

The API reading worsened compared to Saturday which was at 247.

The air quality in SK Kuala Baram 2 station and the Miri Industrial Training Institute station both improved.

SK Kuala Baram 2 station recorded an API reading of 80 from 119, while the Miri Industrial Training Institute station recorded a reading of 161 from 222.

As of yesterday morning, the DOE recorded one “hot spot” (forest fire) in Sarawak

An API reading of between 0 and 50 is good, while 51 to 100 is moderate, 01 to 200 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and 301 and above is deemed hazardous.

The public can also refer to the Department of Environment (DoE) website at or by downloading the MyIPU smartphone app on ‘Google Play’ to get hourly API readings

According to the Asean Specialised Meterological Centre (ASMC) weather and haze outlook posted on Saturday at 6.25pm, it noted that hotspot activities in Sumatra and Kalimantan are likely to persist in the country.

ASMC’s satellite monitoring system has also indicated in recent times that open burning is also coming from that direction.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Sungai Endau 兴楼河

Courtesy:MY Mersing FB

'Joh' the tiger mascot for Visit Johor Year 2020

'Joh' the tiger mascot for Visit Johor Year 2020



JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 17 (Bernama) -- The Malayan tiger has been selected as the mascot for Visit Johor Year (VJY) 2020 and will be called ‘Joh’, a short form for Johor.

“Joh symbolises the courage and spirit of freedom possessed by the people of Johor who will not easily give up,” said state Tourism, Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Liow Cai Tung.

She added it was an apt name for the mascot as the tiger was magnificent and powerful.

Meanwhile, the VJY 2020 logo also features the gambus, a traditional musical instrument where the letter ’J’ is visualised from part of its (gambus) image to form the word Johor, she said after the official launching of the VJY 2020 logo and mascot by Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal here today.

The logo also includes an illustration of the crown arch of Istana Bukit Serene, one of the main landmarks in the state, symbolising the Johor’s preparedness in welcoming and inviting tourists from within and outside the state.

Speaking at the event, Dr Sahruddin said the last time Johor organised the VJY was 17 years ago in 2003, and hoped there would be more tourist arrivals to the state next year.

He said 20 destinations including the Sultan Abu Bakar Heritage Complex, Gunung Ledang, Sawah Ring, Desaru Coast and Pulau Kukup National Park would be promoted during the VJY 2020 campaign.

Twenty events would also be promoted during the period, including the Chingay Festival, Johor Orchid Festival, Festival of Lights in Little India, Jambatan Sultan Ismail Carnival 2020, Bendang Festival and the Pantai Mersing Festival, he said.

Dr Sahruddin said that the state was expecting an influx of 17.4 million tourists next year, which would certainly provide an economic boost to its people, especially operators and those involved in the tourism industry.

“I urge all Johor people to make a success of the VJY 2020 and the Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2020, also to be held in the state.

"In preparing for it, I encourage the community to practice a tourist-friendly culture and maintain cleanliness (in the surroundings)," he said.

-- BERNAMA

Body of woman believed to be missing Singaporean kayaker found

Body of woman believed to be missing Singaporean kayaker found

The body of a woman believed to be that of a Singaporean kayaker reported missing in Endau waters on Aug 8 was found in Kemaman waters today.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Mersing Zone chief Maritime Commander Haris Fadzillah Abdullah said the fully-clothed body with a life jacket on was found floating at sea about five nautical miles east of Kuala Kemaman by local fishermen at 12.50 pm.

"The body arrived at the Kemaman Zone MMEA at 4.30 pm and was sent to Hospital Kemaman for post-mortem and identification by the family,” he told reporters at the forward base set up at the Penyabong jetty, Endau here today.

Last Thursday, Singaporeans Tan Eng Soon (male), 62, and Puah Geok Tin (female), 57, went missing at about 5.40 pm after they got separated from a group of 13 friends while kayaking between Pulau Sri Buat, Pahang and Pulau Mertang, Mersing.

Haris Fadzillah said the spot where the body was found was about 18 nautical miles from where their kayak was discovered yesterday and 100 nautical miles from where they were last seen in their kayak on Thursday.

He said the next-of-kin at the forward base would be coming to Kemaman to identify the body.

Following the discovery of the body, the sector for search by air assets has been widened to 600 square nautical miles stretching from the waters off Kuantan in Pahang to Kerteh, Terengganu.

"With this development, the search around islands in Endau waters has been temporarily called off because we had covered those areas,” he said.

-- BERNAMA

Son of missing kayaker grateful to SAR personnel

Son of missing kayaker grateful to SAR personnel

The son of Puah Geok Tin, a woman who went missing while kayaking in Endau waters on Aug 8, has thanked the search and rescue team for their hard work and dedication.

Louis Pang, 24, said the rescue agencies had always provided support to his family and continued the search even while welcoming Aidiladha.

"Definitely, I really thank MMEA (Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency), Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysia Police and Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) for the help.

"My family and I are really thankful for the effort in searching for my mother," he told reporters at the Penyabong Jetty here today.

Pang said he is keeping up his hope that his mother is alive although the body of a woman was found in Kemaman waters this afternoon and has not been identified yet.

"So, my family and I, we are hoping for the best," he said.

Pang described his mother as a caring person who loves outdoor activities.

Last Thursday, Puah, 57, and a man, Tan Eng Soon, 62, both Singaporeans, were reported missing at about 5.40 pm while kayaking after they were separated from a group of 13 friends at an area between Pulau Sri Buat, Pahang and Pulau Mertang, Mersing.

-- BERNAMA

Hot and dry weather in M'sia until October

Hot and dry weather in M'sia until October, says the weatherman

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Malaysia is expected to experience hot and dry weather with less rainfall until October, says Deputy Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis.

She said apart from Malaysia, neighbouring countries Singapore and Sumatra in Indonesia are expected to experience the same weather pattern.

"We expect to experience a shortage of rainfall with warmer and drier weather this year without the El Nino and La Nina phenomena until October, " she said when asked about the essence of the 21st Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting and the Ministerial Steering Committee Sub-Region on Cross-border Haze Pollution in Brunei.

She said this when contacted on the Bernama News Channel (BNC) talk showroom programme here Wednesday (Aug 7) night.

Commenting on the meeting, Isnaraissah said the five countries involved had presented measures taken to address fires and haze in their respective countries.

"Among the information shared was to carry out continuous monitoring of weather and hotspots, enforce the law and have the equipment prepared, mobilise human resources and co-ordinate fire-fighting, " she said.

The annual meeting involving four other Asean countries, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, was held to monitor and detail the steps taken in addressing cross-border haze.

The initiative to address the Asean haze problem began following a serious episode of pollution in 1997 that led to the Asean Convention on cross-border haze signed by 10 countries in Kuala Lumpur on June 10, 2002. - Bernama

Haze situation under control despite dry spell

Haze situation under control despite dry spell

The haze situation appears to be under control despite the dry spell as the Air Pollutant Index (API) has not reached unhealthy levels in any parts of Malaysia.

In fact, good air quality was recorded in Kota Tinggi, Johor (API reading 50), Tawau, Sabah (46) and Limbang, Sarawak (47) at 6pm yesterday.

Air quality in other parts of Malaysia was at a moderate level. 

An API reading of between 0 and 50 is good while 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 200 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and 301 and above deemed hazardous.

National Weather and Geophysics Operations Centre director Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said the air quality would return to normal soon as Indonesia had succeeded in its aggressive initiative to douse the raging forest fires.

He also noted that the two low-pressure cyclones in the West Pacific and the northern part of South China Sea would further suck the atmospheric moisture.

Several west coast states in the peninsula and Sarawak are also facing the haze following forest fires at six districts in Indonesia over the last four days.

The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) warned that more hotspots could be expected in the first two weeks of August, particularly in the fire-prone provinces in Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia, following warmer and drier than average conditions forecast over the southern Asean region.

In the northern Asean region, hotspot activities are expected to remain subdued due to prevailing rainy conditions, according to ASMC.

~News courtesy of The Star~