Malaysia Info Guide
for Locals & Visitors

KUALA LUMPUR -- The police have given an assurance that security patrols in the coastal areas and islands of Sabah will be intensified as a precautionary measure following a "warden notice" issued by the United States' embassy here that foreign tourists might come under attack by irresponsible elements n the area.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said tight security would always be maintained to ensure that the country was free of all types of threats that could jeopardise national security.

"I have directed the state police chief to intensify patrols along the coast and islands around Sabah especially Semporna, Mabul and Sipadan.

"We will always monitor the situation and take appropriate action, thus the people and tourists are asked to be calm and not to be worried because we are always on alert," he told Bernama when contacted.

LANGKAWI - A new air route from Phuket-Hadyai-Langkawi which started operations today, is expected to propel duty-free Langkawi as a major tourism destination and reduce the travel time from seven hours to one hour.

Honorary Consul of Thailand in Langkawi Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah said through the service, travel time would be reduced from seven hours by road to one hour by air.

He added that previously, tourists from Thailand who wished to come to Langkawi, especially from Phuket, would take a flight to Hadyai and then take a bus from Satun to the jetty to catch a ferry to Langkawi.

It was very time consuming and hectic, so the service provided by Happy Air Tarvelling Phuket-Hadyai-Langkawi, would eliminate the hassle and also cut the travel time so that they can spend more time on the Island, said Shazryl after receiving passengers of the maiden flight which arrived at the Langkawi International Airport with 33 passengers at 11.20am on Saturday, 19 December 2009.

The passengers on the maiden flight included journalists from Thailand headed by Phanga province deputy Governor, Woraproj Rotthasima.

Shazryl said the service would further enhance the cordial relationship between Malaysia and Thailand, especially after the visit by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to Thailand and Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's visit to Malaysia.

He added that 200,000 tourists from Thailand are expected to use the service every year and enjoy the unique attractions in Langkawi like the Langkawi Geopark, Cable car and duty free shopping.

Happy Air Travelling runs three flights a week, namely Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

OPEN SINCE 26 NOVEMBER 2009

The Eagle Rock Cafe Langkawi resides at the ground floor of Awana Porto Malai Resort at Tanjung Mali.

Live bands and D.J.'s present rock musik from 3.00 PM until the wee hours for unlimited dance.

Tel.604 9552181

KUALA LUMPUR -- The wheels of his bicycle races on the busy streets of Kuala Lumpur as cars honk along the congested lanes during peak hour madness.

He navigates through the rough terrains of the city landscape - avoiding the potholes, slowing down for pedestrians and careful to distance himself away from the oncoming traffic.

He takes this route everyday to work, cycling by houses, apartments and skyscrapers, noticeably the iconic Petronas Twin Towers located just a few blocks away from his workplace.

Taking only 10 minutes to reach his building, it was another triumphant morning as he managed to escape the traffic nightmare experienced by others on the road. Wiping off the beads of sweat on his forehead, he locks his bicycle then fixes his tie and suit. Upon entering the office a staff greets, "Good Morning Your Excellency!".

Don’t take your shoes off if your feet smell – that’s one of the suggestions Flight Centre has included in its list of 10 commonly aired in-flight grievances.

Drawing on its 28 years’ of experience, the company has taken up the initiative to create a guide for the unwritten rules of plane etiquette and suggested a few tips for the not-so-well-travelled passenger.

Here are the following unwritten rules compiled by Flight Centre:

1)      Boarding and disembarking by row
Boarding your flight is straight forward – simply join the queue when invited.

Once aboard, carry your luggage directly in front or directly behind, as luggage carried to the side will leave a path of destruction (and more than a few headaches) among the aisle-seat dwellers who have already occupied their positions.

When it’s time to disembark, don’t try to beat passenger 1A to the door if you’re seated in row 50. The passengers in rows 2 to 49 just won’t let it happen.

2)      The overhead locker
This humble storage unit is now prime real estate, as travellers cram more into their hand luggage to avoid checked baggage charges, to reduce the risk of lost luggage and to pave the way for a fast airport getaway.

Ensure your bag is within the required dimensions, only bring one and, wherever possible, stow it in the locker directly above you. Don’t deposit your bag above seat 1A and then proceed to your seat at the back of the plane. Trust us – there will be flow-on effects.

Low-cost carrier AirAsia will begin its daily direct flights to Kolkata, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) in India next month.

The airline is offering from as low as RM129 all-in fares one way for the booking period from Oct 15 to 20, 2009.

This is for the travel period from Nov 12, 2009, to July 31, 2010, for Kochi, from Nov 16, 2009, to July 31, 2010, for Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and from Nov 19, 2009, to July 31, 2010, for Kolkata.

"While most airlines are cutting back during these tough economic times, AirAsia is aggressively expanding its India route network as we believe there is robust demand in low fare travel," said its regional head of commercial, Kathleen Tan, in a statement on Thursday.