Malacca Tourism Association

Happy New Year 2012 & Happy Chinese New Year

2012-01-10T13:58:00.000+08:00

PROSPERITY REIGNS THIS LUNAR NEW YEAR: 30 Dec 2011 – 5 Feb 2012

Spring into the New Year with enticing performances as we usher in the Year of the Dragon.

Begin a year of good fortune with gifts and win attractive prizes as you shop at Mahkota Parade.

Our Main Highlights:

· 3^rd Annual Lion Dance on Stilts Championship

· Prosperity Grove: Fund raising drive for Seck Kia Eenh Temple Cancer Fund

· Abundant Rewards with HONG BAO redemption & Prosperity Treasures Draw

· CNY Eve & 15 Days of Lion and Dragon Dance Performances to usher you into the New Year

· As well as Chinese New Year Performances, Artists Appearances & Spreading of fortune by the God of Prosperity!

Age-old practices and skills thrive in Malacca. Suzanna Pillay speaks to three individuals who have made commercial ventures out of keeping their heritage alive

2012-01-06T13:43:00.001+08:00

EVERYONE knows Malacca as a state rich in heritage and culture.

It is one of the few places in Malaysia where traditional practices, cookery and skills handed down from one generation to the next are thriving as business enterprises.

Jone Theseira, Grace Tan and Alice Teh are some of the new generation of Malacca natives who not only keep their heritage alive but have also commercialised it.

-Blue dumplings and cendol

At East & West Rendevouz in Jonker Street, Tan’s nyonya dumplings keep the crowds coming back for more.

Tan, who learnt to make these dumplings from her grandmother, makes the delicacy by the hundreds daily.

Her dumplings are delicious mushroom-, meat- and wintermelon filling, encased in a half-white and striking-blue glutinous rice mixture.

The bright blue colouring for the dumpling comes from the bunga telang, or butterfly pea flower, as Tan believes in using only natural ingredients.

“The dumplings are popular with Singaporeans who flock to Malacca during the weekends to buy them,” she adds.

Aside from dumplings, she also sells pineapple tarts and a durian cendol that has become a hit with the crowd.

“Everything has the right balance of gula melaka, coconut milk and cendol, and with a dollop of durian to top it off, who could ask for more?” asks a regular customer.

-A devil of a curry

Most people would balk at the idea of single-handedly preparing Portuguese Curry Dable (Devil Curry) for 1,200 people, but not Theseira.

A dab hand at cooking, Theseira recently had the task of preparing the Portuguese dish for the recent 500th anniversary celebrations at the Portuguese Settlement in Ujong Pasir. The event marked the arrival of the Portuguese at the former Straits Settlement colony.

Theseira, who was born in the Portuguese Settlement, and still calls it home, runs a catering company and a restaurant specialising in Portuguese-style home cooking.

So what makes a good Portuguese curry dable?

“A Portuguese curry dable does not have belacan or jintan manis, and should be red in colour. Today, people put too many ingredients in the curry paste,” she says.

Cooking Portuguese food is close to her heart. Her father used to run a Portuguese restaurant in the settlement and she learnt the art of Portuguese cooking from observing her parents over the years.

Theseira now runs the J&J Corner at Medan Selera Portuguese, a restaurant that has been around for over 30 years.

Jone is working on a cookbook on Portuguese cuisine such as dry curry sekuk, curry semur, Portugese baked fish and ambilek, which have stood the test of time.

The book, she says, will be a balance of savoury, sweet and baked goods.

-Nyonya kebaya

Teh, the owner of Nirvana Collections in busy Jonker Street, keeps her cultural heritage alive not through food, but fashion.

She makes nyonya kebaya at her shop and Singaporeans can’t get enough of her designs.

Her creations range in price with the more complicated custom-made kebaya requiring special lace work fetching higher prices.

She says this is because the custom-made embroidered lacework is done by hand and can take between two and three months to finish.

Teh learnt the skill from her mother when she was just a schoolgirl.

“I remember learning to cut out the embroidered lace panels by hand when I was in Standard Six. My mother taught me all my sewing skills.”

University Tourism Club To Promote Malaysia To Student Visitors

2012-01-06T13:15:00.000+08:00

January 06, 2012 12:38 PM

University Tourism Club To Promote Malaysia To Student Visitors

MELAKA, Jan 6 (Bernama) --

The Tourism Ministry and Multimedia University (MMU) are collaborating to set up the first university tourism club in the country to disseminate information on tourism to student visitors from abroad, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said here.

She said Multimedia University was selected for its strategic location in the Historical City of Melaka, a world heritage site.

"The club will be able to disseminate information on the uniqueness of tourism in Malaysia and Melaka, particularly to student visitors from Russia and the Middle East," she told reporters after launching a Chinese New Year carnival at the MMU Square Thursday night.

Dr Ng said the ministry would provide an initial grant of RM10,000 to the university to disseminate knowledge on tourism through seminars and such.

The ministry would also assist the club to train selected students of the university to become tour guides experienced in the history of Melaka, she said.

"The students can earn an income through this activity while helping to promote tourism in the state," she added.

MMU president Prof Datuk Dr Muhamad Rasat Muhamad said the combination of tourism and creative media involving multimedia is an interesting field to venture into and will provide greater employment opportunities to the students of the university.

He said MMU had initiated a project to document the various historical buildings in the state and country in the multimedia format.

-- BERNAMA

2012-01-04T06:46:00.008+08:00

Happy New Year 2012

They say an optimist stays up to see the New Year in.As a pessimist,I’ll just stay up to make sure the Old Year leaves.

Happy New Year all!

In 2012, how About a little Shame?

2012-01-03T12:48:00.001+08:00

The other day I was asked what one single thing could do the most to save our world and lives we live in nowadays. What one idea or tool might help us create a more just society?

My answer was "shame."

Shame isn't always a wasted or negative emotion. On the contrary, it can perform an important and socially useful function. Shame enforces our moral values even when legal and political institutions are too broken or corrupt to do so. Our society must learn to develop a "moral economics," and morality should often be enforced through shame by society.

We live in a society where it's no longer considered shameful for husbands and wife's to play around.

For sons & daughters to cheat and lie to parents, for corporate and companies to cheat and lie to their workers; for government to enrich only their own.

The world is awash with laundered dirty money through drugs, crime and we the people close our eyes to the negative aspects of our society's members and sometimes we ourselves revel with them, all in the name of instant gratification and enjoyment; of course under cover of anonymity.

Our middle class kind of cynicism is so accepted, so ingrained in fact, that even the more liberal amongst us find it less tolerating more frightening. We live in a society where it's not shameful to let cheats and liars go unpunished while asking everyone else to pay the cost of their illegal enrichment.

Nowadays, we allow ourselves, our politicians, & our esteemed leaders not to be ashamed of themselves when confronted with their faults and crimes! It is always some else's worry.

Incredible.

Perhaps no single change to our culture could do more to improve our lives than the rediscovery of the shame we used to attach to vile, greedy, selfish, and corrupt behavior amongst the men and women of today. This trait starts from us, our families to our immediate surroundings

Consider how far we've fallen:

Not long ago a person would have been ashamed to appear in public if they had shattered the trust and kind intentions of their loved ones, family and friends by either cheating innocent people, doing morally corruptible activities or plain and simple being caught doing wrong in the eyes of society.

Not long ago a politician who accepted and was sucked into the corrupting power of money and control immediately paid a steep price.

Not long ago leaders, men and women of large were ashamed to openly advocate the making of money and power to be supreme to ethics, loyalty and kindness. Not so nowadays, and in fact the opposite holds true to us and our leaders today.

Now it is almost glamorous to be caught with their hands in the pie. Newspaper and magazines pay the shameless millions to be the first to report on their infidelities and crimes!

We the consumers expect all the titillating stories without any moral guidance to be read with our morning coffee to tsk , tsk, over.

In 2012, it's time for shame to make a comeback.

Jewel in the Park (Indian restaurant)

2011-12-16T11:37:00.004+08:00

G6 & F6, BB Bazaar, Bukit Beruang, Melaka Bukit Beruang, 75450, Melaka
Tel : 032310902
Opening Hours :	Weekdays : 11.30am -11pm Weekend : 8.30am - 10pm Tuesday : Close

“Amazing Experience in New Restaurant”

Food is great .... My personal fav is the cheese naan with butter chicken masala n aloo jeera... Service is good.. good ambience.. Good rates from price,service 'n food.

Corn Flour Chapati with lentil curry

Assorted Vegetables Fried/ Fresh / Flowery

Jewel in The Park is a North & South Indian cuisine restaurant. specializing in Tandoori Chicken, Veg & Non-Veg Briyanis. Located in Bukit Beruang,melaka.

Restoran ole Rasa

2011-12-16T10:36:00.000+08:00

Warisan Resipi Tradisi

JUSTIFIKASI

Restoran Ole Rasa telah beroperasi sejak tahun 1997. Dengan hanya mempunyai sebuah cawangan, Restoran Ole Rasa berjaya meletakkan namanya sebaris dengan restoran-restoran lain yang terkemuka di negeri Melaka. Terletak di pusat bandar Melaka Bandaraya Bersejarah Restoran Ole Rasa sering menjadi tumpuan umum dalam destinasi makan-makan di negeri Melaka.

Pengalaman hampir 10 tahun dalam industri makanan Melayu telah mematangkan sistem pengurusan Restoran Ole Rasa hingga telah dicalonkan untuk kategori Sub-Sektor Pelancongan Makan-makan Restoran Melayu Terbaik Negeri Melaka. Pencalonan ini adalah satu pengiktirafan yang tertinggi yang pernah dicapai oleh Restoran Ole Rasa.

Restoran Ole Rasa dibuka pada setiap Isnin hingga Sabtu dari jam 8.00 pagi hingga 6.00 petang.

SFESIFIKASI

Sememangnya makanan Melayu mempunyai potensi yang tinggi untuk diketengahkan ke peringkat antarabangsa, keaslian resipi tradisi yang di warisi selama beberapa generasi telah melahirkan suatu citarasa yang begitu spektakel.

Teknik, Warna, Rasa, Bau dan Hiasan adalah elemen yang paling penting dalam menentukan nilai kualiti sesuatu makanan dan dengan berbekalkan kesemua elemen ini serta ditambahkan lagi dengan warisan resipi turun temurun telah melahirkan Restoran Ole Rasa. Dengan mengetengahkan lebih dari 100 jenis masakan makanan Melayu termasyur yang pelbagai dari serata negeri di Malaysia telah menjadikan Restoran Ole Rasa antara pelopor makanan Melayu di Negeri Melaka.

Bukan hanya tertumpu kepada masakan lauk-pauk Melayu malahan Restoran Ole Rasa turut menyajikan pelbagai jenis kuih-muih Melayu tradisi dengan keaslian citarasanya yang terjamin, turut dihidangkan juga puluhan jenis pencuci mulut yang semestinya menjanjikan kepuasan dan kenikmatan optima kepada para pelanggan.

Restoran Ole Rasa turut menyediakan perkhidmatan katering untuk pelbagai acara, majlis dan perayaan seperti jamuan korporat, jamuan Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Hari Raya Aidiladha, Tahun Baru Cina, Sambutan Deepavali, majlis pertunangan dan perkahwinan.

Terdapat beberapa pakej yang menarik dengan harga yang berpatutan ditawarkan kepada para pelanggan yang menginginkan keselesaan dan kemudahan dalam sesebuah acara, majlis atau pun perayaan. Tawaran yang hebat dan menarik ini bakal menyediakan pelbagai hidangan mengikut citarasa pelanggan, antaranya menu barat, timur tengah, masakan cina, india dan masakan Melayu khususnya. Restoran Ole Rasa juga memberikan sesi percubaan merasa makanan (food testing) untuk beberapa kumpulan kecil kepada bakal pelanggannya.

Keupayaan dan kebolehan Restoran Ole Rasa dalam menyediakan perkhidmatan katering adalah berdasarkan profesionalisme dan etika kerja yang teratur di bawah sistem pengurusan yang sistematik. Kepuasan dan kepercayaan pelanggan adalah objektif utama yang lahir dalam organisasi Restoran Ole Rasa.

SAJIAN MELAYU
Asam Pedas Ayam/Daging/Ikan
Rendang Ayam/Daging
Kari Ayam/Daging/Ikan
Masak Lemak Ketam/ Siput Sedut/ Pucuk Ubi/Paku Pakis/Nangka
Masak Lemak Cili Padi Ayam/Daging/Ikan
Masak Pindang
Ayam/ Daging Masak Merah
Ayam/ Daging/Ikan Masak Tiga Rasa
Udang Sambal Petai
Sambal Goreng Ikan Bilis/Tempe/Kerang
Kerabu Mangga/Udang/Sotong
Ikan Bakar
Pais Ikan
Kuah Kacang
Sup Ayam/Daging/Ikan
Pelbagai Jenis Ikan Goreng
Telur Masin/Dadar/Mata Kerbau
Pelbagai Jenis Ulam-ulaman
Paceri Nenas/Mangga/Terung
Acar Buah
Kerang Rebus
Sambal Belacan
Cencaluk
Tempoyak
Ikan Masin
Hati/Mempedal Ayam/Daging/Goreng/Sambal
Nasi Lemak
Lontong
Laksa
Nasi /Mee/Bihun Goreng
Nasi Ayam
Roti Canai/ Murtabak/Telur
Bubur Nasi
Mee Kari/Rebus
Mee/Bihun Sup
Mee/Bihun Soto
Rori Jala
Bubur Kacang Hijau/Pulut Hitam/Cha-cha/Trigu/Barli/Som-som
Tapai Pulut
Cendol Pulut
Pengat Pisang/Durian
Pelbagai Jenis Kuih-muih

PAKEJ KATERING MENU BARAT/ TIMUR TENGAH/ MASAKAN CINA DAN INDIA BERGANTUNG KEPADA PERMINTAAN PELANGGAN, BERIKUT ANTARA MENU POPULAR:
Nasi Minyak/ Briyani
Ayam/ Daging Masak Kurma
Ayam Tandori
Dalca Ayam/Daging
Kebab Ayam/Daging
Papadom
Laddu
Acar Buah/Timun
Pelbagai Jenis Sayuran Dengan Biji Sawi
Ikan Masak Stim
Ikan Masak Shezchuan
Ayam Goreng Kong Pow
Ayam/ Daging Black Pepper
Baby Cabbage With Oyster Sauce
Mix Vegetables
Salad Sayur dan Buah
Ikan Masam Manis
Tauhu With Sesame Oil
Yong Tau Foo
Tauchu Masak Udang
Tauhu With Soo Hoon, Ginger & Shrimp Paste
Asparagus With Oyster Sauce
Spaghetti With Meat Ball
Fried Macaroni With Chicken or Meat
French Fries
Sausage & Nuggets
Beef Steak
Chicken Chop
Lamb Steak

KATERING TERDAHULU

Jamuan Korporat Mahkota Medical Centre Melaka
Jamuan Korporat OCBC, Jalan Hang Jebat Melaka
Jamuan Korporat Maybank, Melaka Raya Branch
Jamuan Korporat Bursa Saham Kuala Lumpur (BSKL)
Jamuan Korporat Hospital Ampang Puteri Kuala Lumpur
Jamuan Korporat Syarikat Petronas, Cawangan Jalan Semabok Melaka
Jamuan Korporat Abdul Company, Jonker Street Melaka
Grand Asian Chess Chalangge University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur
Japanese Occupation In East Asia Workshop University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur
Jamuan Hari Raya YB. Datuk Seri Affendy Norwawi
Jamuan Hari Raya YTM Tengku Maimunah Aminah Sultan Ahmad Shah
Jamuan Akhir Tahun Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seri Tanjong Melaka
Jamuan-jamuan Perkahwinan

HUBUNGI KAMI

Restoran Ole Rasa amat mengalu-alukan kedatangan anda dengan tangan yang terbuka. Kepuasan anda adalah komitmen kami.

No. 264, Jalan Melaka Raya 3,
Taman Melaka Raya,
75000 Melaka.
016-6298340 (En. Ismail Hj. T. Abu Bakar)
013-3057853 (En. Sulaiman Hj. T. Abu Bakar)
Email: olerasa@yahoo.com

New Straits Times OnLine report:

2011-12-15T13:44:00.000+08:00

One million waste bins to be given away

14 December 2011 |MELAKA: One million rubbish bins valued at RM120 million are to be given away free to all residential and business premises in Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Johor to facilitate the handling of solid waste.

Southern Waste Management (SWM) Environment Sdn Bhd general manager Adnan Ibrahim said residential premises would be supplied with a 120-litre capacity wheelie bin and business premises with a 240-litre wheelie bin in stages over three years.

Owners or occupants of the premises have to fill a form which will be distributed a week before they can collect the bins at a location and time to be announced by SWM, he said, adding that they have to bring along their identification card and a utility bill.

"The primary objective for the distribution of the bins is to raise awareness and educate the people on the proper way of disposing waste through the use of suitable, uniform, durable and environment-friendly bins," he told a news conference in Cheng here.

Adnan said all the bins bear a code number according to the location, and the particulars of the owners or occupants of the premises would be recorded in the SWM database to avoid exchange of the bins and to locate them easily should they go missing.

He said SWM would deliver the bins free of charge to owners or occupants of premises who are old or physically challenged. -- BERNAMA

Mahkota Hospital Campaign

2011-12-12T13:39:00.001+08:00

From 12^th December – 16^th December 2011, the Marketing Department of Mahkota Hospital is organising a Information on Haemorrhoid Camp.

For this camp, we will be offering FREE consultation + FREE proctoscopy test to the first 50 who registers with us.

So if you, your family members or friends have problem on piles that require more information, take this opportunity to see our doctor today.

To register or further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Juliana at 016-656 8042 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 016-656 8042 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
or 06-285 2800

MAHKOTA MEDICAL CENTRE Sdn. Bhd. (200619-H)

"Your Health, Our Passion"

TEL +606 285 2999 DID +606 285 2912 HP +6016 665 3323 FAX +606 281 0560

WEB www.mahkotamedical.com

Health Screening Centre www.mahkotahsc.com

Follow us on Facebook & Twitter

2011-12-12T12:19:00.000+08:00

Greetings from Hatten Group!

It’s the time to be merry this Christmas and the Management is proud to present “Tiny Blue Christmas”, bringing in blue cuddles to flood over Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall and Hatten Square! What are those blue cuddles that we are talking about? It’s definitely THE SMURFS!

Among the major highlights for ‘Tiny Blue Christmas’ is the SMURFS mascot appearance, which is happening on 17 & 24 December. To add more joy to this Christmas, shopper can stand a chance to enjoy a 4D3N cruise to Phuket when they participate in the ‘Hunt For Gargamel Contest’ and ‘Count the Tiny Blue Cuddles Contest’ which starts 1 Dec – 25 Dec 2011.

The Management would like to take this opportunity to wish all the MTA members Merry Christmas and a wonder New Year 2012!

Further information on ‘Tiny Blue Christmas’ can be found at Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall and Hatten Square Facebook Fan page or alternatively, to contact the Advertising & Promotions Department at 06-282 1828 .

p/s : enclosed herewith are the event posters for Tiny Blue Christmas

Thank you and hope you have a great time shopping in Dataran Pahlawan!

Hatten Square Epic Smurfs sessions

2011-12-12T12:17:00.002+08:00

Dataran Pahlawan Christmas Promo

2011-12-12T12:16:00.000+08:00

A nice write up from Job Street Malaysia

2011-12-08T17:27:00.000+08:00

Branding plays a huge role in our consumer-based society. The perception you have of companies and the products you purchase tie directly back to how you perceive the brand. Many people only associate branding with large organizations - those that sell goods to consumers or clients.

Branding, however, plays a critical role in how you, as an individual, are perceived, especially at work. Whether you are aware of it or not, you have a personal brand - and like a business, you should continually assess, manage, and fine-tune it.

Branding is important for anyone looking to advance in their career or seeking a job. To this end, defining your brand begins with one core element - how you want to be perceived by the outside world.

Everything from what you wear, how you present yourself, to your knowledge and your network will define you as a brand. And you do have control over your brand image.

You may not be aware of it, but you are in fact defining and selling yourself as a brand on daily basis, especially on the job. Presenting yourself in a positive light with your managers, working towards a promotion, or simply interacting with colleagues, are all ways in which you showcase yourself as a brand. And if you are on an interview, personal branding comes into play here as well.

Personal branding begins with defining your brand. How do you want others to perceive you? Start with"how you present yourself". First impressions count and they are usually made by what you wear. Just like packaging may subconsciously lead you to like one brand over the other, how you dress says a lot about you as a brand. It’s always important to maintain your own style, but you should also dress appropriately for your workplace. And if you want career advancement or are seeking a specific job, dress for that role.

Be mindful of the impression you make. If you aspire to advance in your career, define this as part of your personal branding. Dress accordingly. Maintain a positive attitude. Look to colleagues or other associates who have traits that you would like to align with your own brand, and follow their lead.

Translate your personal brand to your resume, and online profiles from LinkedIn to Facebook. Keep the information consistent throughout all your networks and always up to date. As a general rule, asses continually look at these materials and asses how they are being presented.

Build your network. The old adage, "it’s not what you know but who you know," goes a long way in personal branding. If you are interested in advancing your career, or looking to pursue a job in a new field, connect with influencers in your industry. Attend events and get to know people. If you have an area of expertise, establish yourself as an expert by offering up your insights on blogs, online posts, or if pertinent to your job, articles and published reports. The same holds true for job seekers. Network with prospective employers and promote your brand.

Put your personality in your personal brand.

If you have a sense of humor, showcase it.

Maintain a positive attitude.

And most importantly, be real and always present yourself in the best of light – on and off the job. Remember, you are the brand.

Year End Festive getaway in Melaka

2011-11-30T09:03:00.001+08:00

2011-11-29T14:56:00.004+08:00

RM100 million for Indian small traders next year

Posted on November 29, 2011, Tuesday

MELAKA:

The government has allocated RM100 million for Indian small traders under the Economic Transformation Plan (ETP), beginning next year.

MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam said the allocation was announced under the 2012 Budget to increase the income and improve the economy of the Indian community.

“This involves the Retail Shop Transformation Programme (Tukar) whereby, Indians have a chance to expand their businesses and improve shortcomings through a modernising process.

“Financial aid, support and guidance will also be given so that a more modern business operation can be practised, especially by the Indian community,” he said at a news conference after the launch of Tukar at Taman Sri Duyong 2, here yesterday.

Dr Subramaniam said the government had also provided RM40 million to transform 500 business premises under the same programme this year, of which 47 were pursued by Indians. — Bernama

Melaka WonderLand Theme Park School Holiday 2011 Activities

2011-11-25T09:47:00.004+08:00

The idea of creating a hallmark that would add to the attractions and uniqueness of Melaka was the very reasons why Melaka Wonderland Theme Park & Resort was developed.

Melaka Wonderland Theme Park & Resort is the region’s newest water theme park and resort located in Ayer Keroh Melaka, one of Malaysia’s most popular destinations. Melaka Wonderland is the latest tourist attraction for both local and overseas tourist. It is a complete water park experience for everyone - families, kids, teens and thrill seekers alike. From high-speed water slides to tranquil greenery, the Melaka Wonderland Theme Park & Resort would excite any visitor.

This unique water theme park features 16 attractions, namely Tornado Chaser (1st in Malaysia), Lazy cum Crazy river, 1 Big Wave pool, Adventure Island and is surrounded by 360 hectares of natural recreational forest. Melaka Wonderland’s exclusive attractions promise unlimited fun, taking every visitor on a thrilling ride and breathtaking view of a natural forest.

Please Click on Picture to Enlarge

Melaka kad

2011-10-31T09:29:00.005+08:00

Melaka perkenal MelakaKAD di destinasi pelancongan

04/11/2011 5:30pm

MELAKA 4 Nov. –

Melaka hari ini memperkenalkan MelakaKAD yang membolehkan penduduk dan pelancong membuat pembayaran menerusi kad elektronik di lokasi pelancongan sekitar Ayer Keroh dan Bandar Hilir.

Ketua Menteri Melaka Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam berkata, bagi pelancong yang menggunakan kemudahan itu, mereka akan menikmati perkhidmatan kelas pertama.

"MelakaKAD " boleh didapati dengan membayar wang cagaran minimum RM10 dengan menunjukkan MyKad atau pasport di Pusat Penerangan Pelancongan Menara Taming Sari, Taming River Cruise dan Melaka Planetarium.

"Had maksimum ialah RM2,000 dan jika ada baki pengguna boleh memulangkan kad untuk mendapat wang baki tunai,” katanya pada sidang media selepas pelancaran MelakaKAD, di sini.

Katanya kad itu juga boleh ditambah nilai serta diterima untuk pembayaran lebih 130 jenis bil yang menggunakan MEPCASH menerusi laman web PosOnline di www.posonline.com.my.

Katanya, Melaka merupakan negeri pertama memperkenalkan perkhidmatan itu, dan MelakaKAD menggunakan teknologi cip pintar.

Pihaknya mensasarkan sebanyak 3,000 keping MelakaKAD akan dikeluarkan sehingga hujung tahun ini.

"Manakala pada tahun 2012 sebanyak 30,000 keping MelakaKad akan diagihkan dan tahun 2013 sebanyak 100,000 keping,” katanya.

Beliau berkata penggunaan MelakaKAD ini akan dikembangkan ke sektor pengangkutan dan juga pembayaran tempat letak kereta dan serta di pusat membeli-belah seluruh Melaka.

- Bernama

***************************************

Cm appeals to hotel operators to implement heritage charge

The Melaka government is appealing to all hotel operators in the state to comply with the gazetting of the five percent heritage charge imposed on tourists spending the night in the historical state effective last Sept 1.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the charge imposed would be borne by the tourists and not the hotel operators.

"I appeal to them to give an opportunity to the state government by imposing the charge because I know there are some hotels that are not imposing the charge," he said when approached by reporters, here Wednesday.

He said this when asked to comment on the report that three hotel associations in the state would not impose the heritage charge because it gave a negative impact as a whole to the Melaka tourism sector, besides being burdensome.

The three associations, namely the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), Malaysian Budget Hotels Association (MBHA), and the Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO) claimed that the implementation of the charge was unreasonable.

"A charge of RM5 out of RM100 for each room is not a big burden because we know that the tourists spend RM40 each to enjoy barbecued fish and RM10 to climb the Taming Sari Tower...there is no problem for them to pay for this," he said.

Mohd Ali said no action would be taken against hotels which refused to impose the charge at the moment and the local authorities would be asked to hold negotiations with them on the matter.

He said the move by the state government to impose the heritage charge was not to burden the tourists but to meet the cost of infrastructure facilities to provide more comfort to them.

The heritage charge is imposed on tourists staying at hotels and chalets in Melaka which has a total of 11,067 rooms from the 193 premises.

-Bernama

2011-10-29T17:51:00.000+08:00

The New Steel Silk Road

-- Posted Friday, 28 October 2011 | | Source: GoldSeek.com

By Richard (Rick) Mills

Ahead of the Herd

As a general rule the most successful man in life is the man who has the best information

The Silk Routes, collectively known as the "Silk Road", refer to a 7000 mile network of interlinking trade routes that were used for three millennia. They connected China, India, Tibet, the Persian Empire, the Mediterranean countries and parts of North and East Africa.

The Maritime Silk Road was a network of shipping lines from the Red Sea to East Africa, India, China, and Southeast Asia. The network consisted of ship routes in two general directions: the East China Sea routes and the South China Sea routes.

The East China Sea routes connected the Chinese mainland to the Northeast Asian regions of the Liaodong Peninsula, the Korean Peninsula, and the Japanese Isles. The South China Sea route heads down, then up, through the Malacca Straits into the Bay of Bengal, opening up China to the coasts of the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the African continent.

These shipping lanes are still in use.

A Southern Silk Road

Willem Buiter and Ebrahim Rahbari, Citigroup Inc. economists, predict growing trade links between emerging markets will increase worldwide trade in goods and services from $37 trillion in 2010 to $149 trillion in 2030. They also estimate that China will overtake the U.S., within four years, to become the world’s largest trader.

“It is the start of a new cycle. China has companies that are willing to invest, they have products that are good enough, and they are backed by abundant liquidity in the country’s financial system.” Ben Simpfendorfer, author The New Silk Road

Today trade is flowing on a "Southern Silk Road" connecting Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America:

Trade between China and South Asia is still growing
China's trade with Africa is expected to double by 2015
Africa's top trading partners, in terms of bilateral trade volume, are China and India
Over 50 per cent of India's trade is now with other Asian countries while only 32 per cent is with the United States and Europe
China's trade with Arab countries is growing by 30 percent annually and India’s is expected to grow even quicker
China's trade with Latin America is growing twice as fast as U.S. trade with the region and India’s trade within the region has increased 10 fold in a decade

Trade between developing nations is forecast to be larger than trade among developed nations by 2015 - HSBC is calling for a ten-fold increase in developing nations intra-trade over the next four decades.
“Thick borders discourage capital inflows, keep people trapped in rural poverty and leave economies persistently underperforming. Only if they can connect with each will emerging nations be able to turbo-charge their economic futures.” Stephen King, HSBC’s London-based chief economist, author of Losing Control: The Emerging Threats to Western Prosperity
The MSCI Emerging Markets Index has risen 102 percent since January 2009, that’s compared to the 41 percent gain in the MSCI World (MXWO) Index of 24 developed markets.
The New Steel Silk Road
The real point of modernizing railways, and the major reason for China’s global push for High Speed Rail, is the increased movement of cargo - a shift in passenger traffic to the new high speed routes frees up space on the older, now congested legacy lines for increased freight shipping.

Shippers can switch to cheaper rail transport instead of using trucks for long haul of heavy bulky cargos. According to the World Bank, because of this shift and the construction of additional freight lines, the tonnage hauled by China’s rail system increased, in 2010, by an amount equal to the entire freight carried by the combined rail systems of Britain, France, Germany and Poland.

China's total investment in high speed rail was first reported to be about US$300 billion - the Chinese planned a 12,000km high speed passenger network supplemented by 20,000km of mixed traffic lines capable of 200-250kph.

Recent reports indicate that over US$600 billion will be spent on rail construction during the 2011-2015 Five Year Plan. By 2020 there would be at least 16,000 km of passenger dedicated high speed rail. The total rail network by 2020 would be 120,000 km - 80% of it electrified.

China has plans to construct its high speed rail line through Asia and Eastern Europe in order to connect to the existing infrastructure in the European Union (EU). Additional rail lines are planned into South East Asia as well as Russia – this will likely be the largest infrastructure project in history.

The project will include three major high speed lines:

UK/Europe to Beijing (8,100 km) and then extend south to Singapore
A second line will connect into Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and Malaysia
The third line will connect Germany to Russia, cross Siberia and then back into China

Financing and planning for this monumental project is being provided by China – who is already in negotiations with 17 countries to develop the project. In return the partnering nation will provide natural resources to China.

"We will use government money and bank loans, but the railways may also raise financing from the private sector and also from the host countries. We would actually prefer the other countries to pay in natural resources rather than make their own capital investment." Wang Mengshu, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a senior consultant on China's domestic high-speed rail project

The exact route of the three lines has yet to be decided, but construction for the South East Asian line had already begun in the Chinese southern province of Yunnan and Burma is about to begin building its link. China offered to bankroll the Burmese line in exchange for the country's rich reserves of lithium, a metal widely used in batteries.

Russia

Russian Railways, the state rail monopoly, plans to build a €15bn high speed railway line between Moscow and St Petersburg that will eventually reach at least ten Russian cities in the European part of the country.

China sees Russia as a land bridge to Europe and has urged the country to extend its planned HSR network further east to connect the two countries.

Russia and China have announced plans to build a new trans-Siberian link.

Russia wants to build a $65 billion railway from Siberia to North America. This line would extend the proposed Chinese-Russian rail line across 3/4 of the Northern Hemisphere.

Tibet, Iran, Pakistan and India

China has already built a line linking Tibet to the rest of China - it crosses 550km of continuous permafrost and experiences extreme temperatures swings.

Iran, Pakistan, and India are each negotiating with China to build domestic rail lines that would link into the overall transcontinental system. Iran's Press TV reported that the two countries had signed a $13bn contract for China Railways to build 5,000km of track in Iran.

Vinay Mittal, the Chairman of the Indian Railway Board, told Indian media that high-speed trains were feasible and necessary for India, especially for freight corridors.
Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said if India is looking at a GDP growth rate of 5 per cent, the present rail infrastructure is fine, but if it wants to grow by 9 per cent, it needs the high-speed rail networks.
Turkey

The Turkish State Railways started building high-speed rail lines in 2003 and

are targeting a 1500 km network of high-speed lines by 2013 and a 4000 km network by the year 2023.

The Marmaray project is a rail transport network around Istanbul and the world's deepest immersed railway tunnel under the Bosphorus strait.

Marmaray is an important junction as it will act as the connector between subway and railway lines in the European and Asian parts of Turkey.

South-East Asia

China is laying tracks to mainland South-East Asia. It has recently signed agreements to build new lines in Laos and Thailand, while it extends its network from Kunming to the China-Laos border.

These lines are meant to be ready by 2015.

Laying lines into Myanmar would add an Indian Ocean port - a railway into Myanmar would give China access to the Indian Ocean and allow it to bring oil supplies up into its southwest without going through a vulnerable choke point in the narrow Straits of Malacca.

Greater Mekong Sub-region

Trains already run between China and Vietnam, which has a north-south railway. This existing linkage opens up a circuitous eastern route into South-East Asia, via Cambodia and Thailand.

By 2014, once this route is operating, it would carry almost 7m tonnes of cargo among Greater Mekong countries, rising to 26m tonnes by 2025.

Latin America

China is proposing to build a new, and dry alternative to rival the almost century old Panama canal – a 220km railway.

The rail link would connect the northern Atlantic coast of Colombia with its Pacific coast. The plan also includes a proposal to build a new city south of Cartagena to assemble Chinese exports.

This is just one of several transportation projects the Chinese and Colombians are looking at. The most advanced is a 791 km railway and expansion of the Pacific port of Buenaventura.

If the US ratifies the negotiated free trade agreement with Colombia the country would become an important access point for exports to the U.S. market.

Last year China National Petroleum Corp. struck deals with Venezuela’s national oil company (PDVSA) to develop the Orinoco Belt oil field and to explore for oil in southern Venezuela. The output will need to be transported to Pacific ports for shipment to Asian markets using Colombia’s proposed rail lines.

China has already started building a railway in Venezuela and recently signed a deal with Argentina to construct another.

Africa

“All across Africa, new tracks are being laid, highways built, ports deepened, commercial contracts signed—all on an unprecedented scale, and led by China, whose appetite for commodities seems insatiable. Do China’s grand designs promise the transformation, at last, of a star-crossed continent?” Howard W. French

The National Railways of Zimbabwe has begun replacing 144 km of permanent way with rail secured from China.

Botswana is looking for an infusion of Chinese money for its proposed Trans-Kgalagadi railway linking Botswana with Namibia.

The rail line between Angola’s southern port of Namibe and the frontier provinces of Huila, Namibe and Kuando-Mubango has been almost completely rebuilt with Chinese help.

The Caminhos de Ferro de Benguela (CFB) rail line is also being rebuilt with help from the Chinese. Its over 1300km long and crosses Angola from west to east joining up with the rail network in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is being rebuilt with Chinese help.

The 1900km Tanzania-Zambia Railway, linking half of Africa - from Cape to Cairo - was built and funded by the Chinese. The Chinese government recently cancelled 50 per cent of the unpaid loan and gave a new loan of $39.9 m to the Tanzania and Zambia Railways Authority.

Fixed Asset Investments

China’s economic development to date has been largely driven by fixed asset investments (FAI). Fixed assets include items such as land and buildings, motor vehicles, and plant and machinery - meaning China's annual growth has been fueled by energy-intensive heavy industry and infrastructure construction, not yet by consumer demand.

"Especially in the U.S., consumer spending is essential: It drives about 70 percent of economic activity — more than for most European nations and well above the rates in developing countries such as China." Martin Crutsinger Associated Press

China's fixed-asset investments rose 25 percent year-on-year to hit 18.06 trillion Yuan (2.83 trillion U.S. dollars) during the first eight months of 2011.

China is able to invest so much into FAI because, in addition to the inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI is a measure of foreign ownership of productive assets, such as factories, mines and land) its citizens have a very high savings rate as a percentage of income. Because of controls on how and where they can invest that money, Chinese savers have little choice but to invest at home.

As trade along the Steel Silk Road builds and intensifies Chinese savings will increasingly be used for infrastructure investment in foreign lands, not the buying of US Treasuries. Deep-sea ports, rail lines, airports, roads, bridges and power generation will be the investments of choice.

"Rail lines not only function as the circulatory system for a national and global economy, but are the backbone for internal development. The rail lines proposed are not simple railroad lines, no matter how they might appear on a map, but are designed to be "infrastructure corridors." The New Federalist, Newspaper, 1995

Conclusion

"From a western perspective, it’s tempting to believe that either the eurozone debt crisis or the US slowdown is the greatest show on earth. That temptation should be resisted. The greatest show on earth is happening elsewhere: the creation of a southern Silk Road, a network of new “South-South” trading routes connecting Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America." Stephen King, Time to put the Southern Silk Road on the Map,

ft.com

There’s been a shift in global trade taking place with developing countries increasingly interacting with each other instead of their old trading partners, the developed nations.

Given the fact that Eurasia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa comprise most of the world's population will The New Steel Silk Road be the building block for a truly developed global economy? It’s something that’s definitely on my radar screen. Is it on yours?

If not, maybe it should be.

Richard (Rick) Mills
rick@aheadoftheherd.com
www.aheadoftheherd.com

If you're interested in learning more about the junior resource sector, bio-tech and technology sectors please come and visit us at www.aheadoftheherd.com

Site membership and our AOTH newsletter are free. No credit card or personal information is asked for.

***

Richard is host of Aheadoftheherd.com and invests in the junior resource sector. His articles have been published on over 300 websites, including: Wall Street Journal, SafeHaven, Market Oracle, USAToday, National Post, Stockhouse, Lewrockwell, Uranium Miner, Casey Research, 24hgold, Vancouver Sun, SilverBearCafe, Infomine, Huffington Post, Mineweb, 321Gold, Kitco, Gold-Eagle, The Gold/Energy Reports, Calgary Herald, Resource Investor, Mining.com, Forbes, FNArena, Uraniumseek, and Financial Sense.

***

Legal Notice / Disclaimer

This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. Richard Mills has based this document on information obtained from sources he believes to be reliable but which has not been independently verified; Richard Mills makes no guarantee, representation or warranty and accepts no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness. Expressions of opinion are those of Richard Mills only and are subject to change without notice. Richard Mills assumes no warranty, liability or guarantee for the current relevance, correctness or completeness of any information provided within this Report and will not be held liable for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained herein or any omission. Furthermore, I, Richard Mills, assume no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage or, in particular, for lost profit, which you may incur as a result of the use and existence of the information provided within this Report.

-- Posted Friday, 28 October 2011

2011-10-21T11:15:00.000+08:00

Ng Yin Shin

Message flagged

Friday, 21 October 2011, 11:00

Message Body

Dear all,

We would appreciate if you would kindly help spread the word around

Pantai Hospital Ayer Keroh will be organising a health talk on cancer entitled “All You Ever Wanted to Know About the Big C but was Afraid to Ask!” on 22 October 2011 (Saturday) from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

The talk will be conducted by Dr. Daniel Wong Wai Yan, Consultant Oncologist & Radiotherapist at Conference Room (PHAK's Office), Level 3 Melaka Mall.

All registered nurses will be entitled to claim 1 CPD point for this forum.

Admission is free and light refreshments will be served. For enquiries, please contact PHAK Information Counter at 06-231 9999 ext. 2415.

Thank you and best regards.

Pantai Hospital Ayer Keroh

Ng Yin Shin

Marketing Officer

Tel No: 606-232 1782 / 232 0072

Fax No: 606-231 9155

To: Malacca TA Members

2011-10-21T10:56:00.000+08:00

To: Malacca TA Members

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re : KURSUS CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR FRONTILINERS

At Auditorium Pejabat Kementerian Pelancongan Negeri Melaka

on 1November 2011 (Tuesday) (8.00am – 4.00 pm)

Please be informed that Malacca Tourism Association with the co-operation of Pejabat Kementerian Pelancongan Malaysia Negeri Melaka is organising the seminar as follows :-

Programme : CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR FRONTILINERS

Date : 1 November 2011 (Tuesday)

Time : 8.00 am - 4.00pm

Venue : Auditorium Pejabat Kementerian Pelancongan

Negeri Melaka

Charges : FOC

Details as per attached Registration Form for your attention and further action.

As seats are limited, those are interested kindly please fax/email the duly completed Registration Form to Secretariat office: Fax : 06-2833315/ 2818408 email :mtamkz@hotmail.com latest by 27 October 2011 as this is a first come first serve basis.Please do not hesitate to contact Miss Cheong at 017-6813901 if you have any enquiry.

We hope that members will give your utmost support and co-operation.

Thank you

Warmest Regards,

Madelina Kuah, BCM,BKT,PJK

President

Persatuan Pelancongan Negeri Melaka

(Malacca Tourism Association)

199A, Taman Melaka Raya

75000 Melaka

Tel:06-2848234

Fax:06-2833315/ 2818408

Email: mtamkz@hotmail.com

Melaka Art Festival 2011

2011-10-14T17:31:00.002+08:00

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

26 january 2010

MALACCA:

The overwhelming response to the state’s pilot Art and Performance Festival (MAP Fest) has the organisers already planning one for this year.

The three-day festival organised by E-plus Entertainment Productions was one of the major events to round out 2009.

Many of the festival-goers made the trip from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and various other states in Malaysia to catch the site-specific performances, art installations and 15/15 film festival featuring short films from international directors.

STREET ART: Brendan O’Connor performing to an audience.

The programmes, all of which were free, were listed in huge prints at strategic spots.

The site-specific performances that took place at seven locations around the historical hill of St Paul were the highlight.

Site-specific performance is a repertoire inspired by the site where the artist performs.

MESMERISING: Indonesian performer Agung Gunawan inspiring the audience.

Colourful banners decorating the old city square and hillside helped create a more festive atmosphere.

Crowds cheered, danced along to music and watched the artistic performances with rapt attention and often left hungry for more.

A downpour on one of the evenings failed to stop the dance artists who assimilated the weather into their performance.

One of the most interesting art installations was a tree covered with the thoughts, wishes, fears and deepest secrets of hundreds of people written on coconut leaves.

The writings, in a multitude of languages, have been archived to be used for a future sound installation.

ENTHRALLING: A view of the St Paul’s Church ruins during the event at night.

The key events, Budak Melaka and Eulogy For the Living, transformed the ruins St Paul’s Church into a magical experience with integrated dance, music, performance art and video images like a living fresco on the walls and ceiling. Even nature provided a full moon as the celestial lantern.

Meanwhile, the 15/15 film festival was screened at an open space. It provided filmmakers, including budding talents, a chance to tell their stories.

For the festival-goers, history was living through the arts in poetic languages that moved them.

The organisers are now in search of sponsorships for a fuller version of the MAP Fest this year, at which they plan to also hold a workshop on making short films.

FESTIVAL THEME FRONT PAGE
From the 15th to the 21st Century, we find an ongoing quest for meaning. In the passing of cultures and waves of history, the passage of commerce and art… What is unique to our time, what is contemporary, and how do all these things go hand in hand, clasped in the fold of time?
Old ruins and heritage sites are a part of our own lived history. They give us a sense of continuity with the old ways of trade and commerce, while giving us pause to reflect on modern times. Through performance, artists respond to these sites in ways that directly affect the audience – memories drawn out of the walls, and out of the body.
An overall theme for the Festival is the notion of a living eulogy, inspired by the little wooden tablets in the Cheng Hoon Teng temple, attached with photos commemorating loved ones who have passed on. The finale performance, Eulogy for the Living is a kind of devotional work for making our way in the world, an internal journey into the memory of body and soul. Here we transform and reconnect a deeper part of ourselves, within the fleeting transience of contemporary life. We the living both preserve the past and allow things to pass – we eulogise ourselves in each moment. Life goes on…
TEAM:
Festival Producer : Andrew Ching
Creative Director: Tony Yap
Co-Creative Director: Michael Hornblow
Artist Liaison: Janette Hoe

OVERVIEW MAP CONCEPT:

A Place of Cultural fusion – Past, Present and Future – Mapping the City… with its stories, through selected sites for audiences all over Melaka. A place for artists to experiment and present short Innovative Performances in all Artistic mediums, to encourage the life of the arts in Malaysia, Asia and Internationally.

The Arts are necessary to propel the new. MAP seeks to promote Melaka to the world as a Creative Hub for innovative arts – where heritage is respected and artistic and cultural fusion is encouraged. Not just as entertainment but through a vibrant development of community involvement that integrates – and maps – the arts within the life of Melaka.

MELAKA is fast developing commercially and there is a need to combine this with cultural and creative paths through a balance of spiritual and artistic maturity. Innovative focus and international collaborations will expose the community to a potentially vibrant new direction in the development of Melaka’s future within the Global MAP. Traditional Arts will be showcased alongside contemporary expressions with innovative uses of new technology.

World-class festival with International performances and arts practices that focus on Experimentation & Innovation.
Music, Dance, Visual Arts, Performance Art and Multimedia
Celebrating the wealth of Multiculturalism (Melaka’s Heritage)
Inclusive of the present & future, not just the past
Community focused
Preservation of Ruins (Photographic documentation)

2011-10-07T20:22:00.000+08:00

Re : KURSUS POWERFUL FIRST IMPRESSION &

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION at

Auditorium Pejabat Kementerian

Pelancongan Negeri Melaka on 11October 2011

Warmest greeting from MBHA - Melaka Chapter.

Please be informed that MBHA Melaka Chapter with the co-operation of Pejabat Kementerian Pelancongan Malaysia Negeri Melaka is organising a seminar as follows :-

Programme : KURSUS POWERFUL FIRST IMPRESSION &

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Date : 11 October 2011 (Tuesday)

Time : 8.00 am - 6.0pm

Venue : Auditorium Pejabat Kementerian Pelancongan

Negeri Melaka

Charges : FOC

Please find enclosed is the Registration Form for your further action.

As seats are limited, those whom are interested kindly please fax/email the duly completed Registration Form to Secretariat, Fax : 06-2821333/email :mbhamelaka@gmail.com latest by 9 October 2011 as this is a first come first serve basis.

We hope that members will give your utmost support.

Thanks and Warmest Regards,

Hjh Hendon Hj Puteh

Chairwoman MBHA Melaka Chapter

2011-10-04T16:51:00.000+08:00

To all involved:

Bravo !

Our annual MTA / Corporate companies walkathonTreasure Hunt has been a resounding success!.

The many past and future events such as these treasure hunt above, done by MTA in collaborative effort with our corporate supporters, every time concludes with happy faces and satisfied participants all around.

Congratulations on creating a wonderful time for all participants to the steering committee co- headed by Pn Madelina Kuah,Mr.Simon Buanaventura and Menara Taming Sari CEO -E.Nazary.

With 29 teams confirmed and an excess of prizes and gift hampers available, the Treasure Hunt proved to be very promising and exciting venture for all the participants involved.

2011-10-02T10:23:00.011+08:00

Saturday, October 1, 2011

A repost from my February 2011 updates

Give your thoughts below,dear readers, if you agree / disagree that the Financial Collapse
contagion happening in the WEST is beginning to be felt here in Melaka through imported Inflation
(higher consumer prices) and irrational business fears ( harder to get bank loans,lower investments
and opportunities).

Malacca teens dropping out of school to help their families

The Star/Asia News Network
Sunday, Oct 02, 2011

MALACCA - A number of teenagers in Alor Gajah and Jasin have dropped out of school to take up
menial jobs in poultry farms to support their families which have fallen on hard times.

Some of them are as young as 14 years old and they work from morning to late evening.

State Education, Youth and Sports Committee chairman Datuk Gan Tian Loo said preliminary
findings of a task force, established by the Malacca Government to investigate the employment
of underage people, revealed that family financial constraints was the main factor that forced
these teenagers to work.

"They were forced to work to help ease their families' money problems. But this is considered
child labour, so we have to quickly embark on steps to tackle the problem," he said yesterday.

Gan said vulnerable families in rural areas were unaware of legislation that prohibited children
from being employed.

The authorities, he said, were concerned about the welfare of such children.

He said the task force had made several recommendations such as discouraging them from
working and luring them back to school, besides providing aid to the families to ease their financial
burden.

Skills training would also be provided to these teenagers, he said, adding that their families would
also be exposed to micro-financing programmes.

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The Big Questions in 2011?

The Biggest Threats In 2011

It will soon be the shortest, darkest day of the year, and the economic mood
is also pretty black.Everybody is fretting about the eurozone, inflation, sovereign debt,
bond bubbles, trade war tensions, a China slowdown and whether their Amazon wishlist
orders will make it through the snow for Christmas.

There is a world of worry out there, which are the biggest threats to your portfolio?

Inflation

The Bank of England abandoned its 2% inflation target yonks ago, and the consumer price
index (CPI (Berlin: CEJ.BE - news) ) has now hit 3.3%. Even this is a fiddle, because inflation is
actually 4.7%, according to the old retail price index (RPI). VAT rises in January, while food and
energy are getting pricier by the day.

The Bank of England is in a bind. If it doesn't raise base rates soon, it will lose all credibility. If it does raise
rates, companies and consumers will crash and burn.

Inflation is an even bigger problem in China, Brazil and other emerging markets, and reckless money
printing in the US won't help.

Risk level: 7/10.

How to play it: Abandon bonds, embrace commodities, food producers, oil companies and anybody
with pricing power.

The eurozone

As I wrote recently, This Sucker This Going Down. Fellow Fool Owain Bennallack is more confident,
claiming Death Will Not Part The Eurozone. But even if the single currency lives on, or rather limps on,
2011 will be a traumatic year.Italy and Spain have to roll over debt worth hundreds of millions of euros
while juggling with credit warnings in front of a sceptical German audience. Expect markets to panic
every time the eurozone circus rattles into town.

Risk level: 8/10.

How to play it: Gold. Emerging market companies and currencies. Buying good-quality European companies
on the dips.

Sovereign debt

Briton's net debt is 56.3% of GDP, but coalition government attempts to cut spending have already sparked
riots in the streets.The US has ignored its $13 trillion debts and dished out tax cuts to the wealthy,
while those countries that have embraced austerity, such as Ireland (Berlin: IIK.BE - news) ,
find it only makes things worse.

Debt servicing costs are rising, populations are ageing, the bond markets are running scared and
the only question is which country will be first to default, ahem, restructure. Hang onto your AAA ratings,
it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Risk level: 9/10.

How to play it: Gold. Youthful, debt-free emerging markets. Norwegian krone.

Emerging markets

The recovery has been built slowly, BRIC (news) by BRIC, but what if one of them comes tumbling down?

Chinese inflation is at a 25-month high at 4.4%, while an apartment in Beijing now costs 22 times average
earnings. QE2 is sailing full steam ahead into BRIC stock markets, ramping up asset bubbles and forcing
central bankers to raise rates.

Here's the most worrying signal of all: as we speak, every single IFA in the country is putting their clients
into emerging markets funds.

Risk level: 6/10.

How to play it: Gold (again). Commodities (COMMODITIES.SN - news) -- if you can buy on the dips,
and lock in for the long term.

Dollar debauchment

The world is having reservations about the global reserve currency, as the US Federal Reserve prints
the dollar into debauchery.

Stoking inflation to monetise the deficit may be the only way the US can ever tackle its debts, but it's a
dangerous game. Especially since everybody is trying to debauch their own currencies at exactly the
same time.

Risk level: 7/10.

How to play it: Gold. Commodities. Emerging markets and currencies.

Bond bubble

Bonds were supposed to represent a flight to safety, not route one to risk. As the US displays all the
fiscal restraint of Elton John at a flowery headwear auction, yields on 10-year US Treasuries have
rocketed from 2.4% to 3.2%.
If inflation takes off as well, bonds will look even less appealing. And none of this will help corporate bonds.

Risk level: 7/10.

How to play it: Diversification. Equities.

Consumer meltdown

Unemployment has hit 2.5 million and rising. Despite almost two years of rock bottom base rates,
consumers have scarcely made a dent in their £1.45 trillion of personal debt. House prices are set to fall,
and repossessions rise. VAT is going up, so is energy. And that's just in the UK.

The unemployment rate in the US is up to 17%, according to some measures, and house prices continue
to fall. You don't want to be young and looking for work in Spain, or other afflicted Eurozone countries.

Rising unemployment is generally bad news for shares, the only consolation is that it keeps a lid on
inflationary wage pressures.

Risk level: 5/10.

How to play it: Shun consumer discretionary spending, just look how nightclub operator Luminar has
been hit by rising unemployment rates. But people still have to eat.And that's not all.................

Rising oil prices, Korean dictators, over-priced equities... what else is out there?

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

From: http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/The-Biggest-Threats-In-2011-foolcouk-1953727361.html

Food 2 Buzz: Malacca Food Review

2011-10-01T22:21:00.003+08:00

Dear Readers,

One of our affiliate food blogging site has this to say and offer MTA 's web log readers:

We would like to share the small achievement together as we have
successfully completed our 2 months Malacca Food Marathon displaying 30 over
reviews each every 2 days.

2011-09-28T12:10:00.004+08:00

Hash House Hotel Melaka

SPECIAL PROMOTION RATE
FOR WEEKDAY (SUN-THUR)ONLY UNTIL 15 OCTOBER 2011

TYPE OF ROOMS	WEEKDAY (SUN-THUR)
Standard	RM69.00
Deluxe	RM83.00
Family 1	RM97.00
Family 2	RM111.00

Please call Hash House Hotel at 06-2922299 or call Ms Charlotte 012-3676276 or

email charlotte@hashhousehotel.com

Rare crab re-appears in Malacca

2011-09-27T14:17:00.000+08:00

Tuesday September 27, 2011

By R.S.N. MURALI

murali@thestar.com.my

MALACCA: The re-appearance of a rare species of crab along the shores here has caused a stir among the people, especially Christians, due to a cross-like mark on its shell.

The crustacean, with the scientific name Charybdisferiatus, is a species of Malacostraca and is mainly found in Malaysian and Indonesian waters.

It was reportedly last seen in the Straits of Malacca in the 1960s.

Sparking frenzy: A fisherman holding the rare crab (left) next to a normal crab. The rare crab was reportedly last seen in the Straits of Malacca in the 1960s.

The species is different from another commonly found species in the state and which also has a cross on its shell.

A fisherman from Tengkera here hauled a dozen of these crabs on Sunday, sparking a frenzy among locals who rushed to buy the crabs.

The fisherman, who only wanted to be known as Man, 65, said the crabs were considered scarce.

He claimed that the crab was last caught in small numbers in the late 1960s.

“Only minimal quantities of the crabs were caught. Many locals don't buy them to eat, but to preserve the shell as it's considered sacred,” Man said.

State Rural Development and Agriculture Committee chairman Datuk R. Perumal said the state would ask the Fisheries Department to record and monitor the landings of the rare crab.

“We may conserve the crab by breeding it,” he added.

A marine biologist, who declined to be named, said the crabs became rare after rapid development along the state coastline led to the deterioration of the mangrove swamps where the crabs thrived.

Legend has it that Saint Francis Xavier was sailing to Malacca from an Indonesian island sometime in the 16th Century when he was caught in a storm in the Straits of Malacca.

He then dipped his crucifix into the sea and prayed to God to calm the raging storm.

However, the crucifix slipped from his grip and fell into the sea. He prayed that he could get it back.

When he reached the shores of Malacca safely, St Francis saw a crab crawling on the beach and clutching the same crucifix between its claws.

Surprised, St Francis knelt down and recovered his crucifix.

He blessed the crab and the sign of a cross then appeared on its back

2011-09-27T10:22:00.006+08:00

The Executive Council members of the Malacca Tourism Association were recently invited to attend to her duties as members of the National Tourism Council Malaysia (NTCM) during their Annual General Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on 30th. June 2011.

The National Tourism Council Malaysia (NTCM) whose membership comprises of the various tourism associations in Malaysia, is a Tourism council body that works closely with the government on matters relating to tourism development and promotion.

Acting as a national body and representing the key industry stakeholders from the private sector, the Council plays a significant and meaningful role in supporting Malaysia's tourism objectives.

NTCM acting as an enabler, often does its part also by organizing projects and events including seminars and conferences to enhance the growth of the industry and in particular to promote domestic tourism.

NTCM currently headed by the affable Y.Bhg Dato’ Shamsul Falak b Tan Sri Kadir
( also President of KLTA), greeted warmly the Melaka delegation headed by
Pn. Madelina Kuah, Datuk Seet Tiang Chye (PP) & and Mr. Simon Bonaventura .

2011-09-20T17:09:00.009+08:00

"Good News, everyone!

Latest update from this morning MTA/Menara/SFA

first collaborative Treasure Hunt Meeting,

it is confirmed 27 teams are participating in this event.

Expect last minute registration to surpass 30 teams."

Below is a newspaper clipping from Melaka Hari Ini:

The steering committee of this Treasure Hunt was hard at work these past few weeks soliciting advertising and sponsorship assistance from the corporations and companies involved. Due to their consistent hard work and persistent, this Hunt is all set to vow the participants with enough goodies and give away for the amount charged per person.

Congratulations to the steering committee co- headed by Pn Madelina Kuah. With 27 teams confirmed and an excess of prizes and gift hampers available, it looks very promising and exciting venture for all the people involved. En. Nazry, the Menara CEO even threw in a full buffet lunch for all the participating teams and officials with give away Tee's and goody bags supported by MTA; so that everyone goes back happy !

As this will be the first SFA / Corporate companies Treasure Hunt many in the Alumni's are still unsure on how to support the process but with the professional assistance of the others I am very sure this form of joint cooperation and venture will bring more benefit to the S.F.Alumni in the future.

May these colloborative efforts be more and our success grander in the future,ya !

Hari Raya Open House Invite

2011-09-20T16:56:00.000+08:00

All Malacca TA Members

Re: Majlis Rumah Terbuka “1 Malaysia Aidilfitri Merdeka 2011” On 23-9-2011

(Friday) from 2.30pm- 6.00 pm At Jalan Kota, (Beside Memorial Kemerdekaan),

Banda Hilir, Melaka

We refer to the letter from Tourism Malaysia Melaka on the above subject and they would like to extend invitation to all members to the Open House

“1 Malaysia Aidilfitri Merdeka 2011”

on 23-9-2011

from 2.30pm -6.00 pm

At Jalan Kota, Banda Hilir, Melaka.

(Beside Memorial Kemerdekaan). A copy of their letter is enclosed for your information.

Those interested, kindly revert your attendance directly to them by 22 Sept 2011.

Thank you .

Regards,

Madelina Kuah, BCM,BKT,PJK
President
Persatuan Pelancongan Negeri Melaka

c.c. En. Jeffri Munir, Director

Tourism Malaysia Melaka

2011-09-20T13:51:00.000+08:00

Bernama Southern Region News

September 16, 2011 20:38 PM

Hong Kong Investors Looking At Tourism Prospects In Melaka

MELAKA, Sept 16 (Bernama) -- Investors in Hong Kong are considering a joint endeavour in tourism with the Melaka government under the 'Malaysia My Second Home' programme.

A Hong Kong-based property development company, Far East Consortium International Ltd, has already expressed interest in such a venture.

Its chief executive officer, Tan Sri David Chiu, said today that the state had the potential to be a leading tourism centre.
"Melaka has a balanced and excellent social life with its public and tourism facilities," he told reporters after calling on Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam at Seri Bendahara in Ayer Keroh here.

Also present was Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

Chui said that Melaka boasted distinctive cultural features and a heritage attractive to tourists.

Dr Ng said that her ministry had set aside RM103 million under the 10th Malaysia Plan to help Melaka develop its tourism sector.

She noted that Melaka drew more than 11 million visitors yearly, and was sure the number would increase with a joint venture with Hong Kong investors.