Tourism
As neighbouring Malaysia was plagued with dangerous religious extremism, where radical Islamist is known to calling for protest on foreign artists, as well as government officials introducing weird rules at the eleventh hour, Singapore saw a huge potential in concert as magnet to boost tourism. Clearly, event tourism is something which Malaysia doesn’t understand. […]
... written on Mar 02 2024With 35 years experience under his belt in the public service, Dr Ammar Abdul Ghapar was one of Malaysia’s 1.7 million lucky bloated civil servants. Untouchable due to his skin colour, he was promoted as the new director general of Tourism Malaysia on April 12, 2023. But he mistook his promotion as recognition of his […]
... written on Feb 25 2024Langkawi used to be a popular tourist destination not only to foreign tourists, but also among locals. The island, famed for its Mahsuri legend, was being developed and promoted as a premier island resort equipped with modern infrastructure and facilities since 1984. Later, on January 1, 1987, Mahathir administration designated it as a duty-free port […]
... written on Dec 02 2023Everyone knows that Immigration Department of Malaysia is one of the most corrupted institutions in the country. Arguably, the corruption started to spread like wildfire during former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s 22 years iron-fist rule (from 1981 to 2003). Today, every single institution is still infected, even after 20 years since Mahathir’s retirement. But […]
... written on Jul 01 2023For the sixth consecutive year, Japan topped the list of the most powerful passports in the world in 2023. But it’s wrong to think the Japanese passport, which allows its holders to visit 193 of 227 destinations visa-free, is the best boutique. Travellers and entrepreneurs trying to find a “one-stop shop” to become a global […]
... written on Mar 03 2023Beijing has made good on its promise to retaliate against countries that discriminate travellers from China. South Korea and Japan have become the first casualties after the Chinese Embassy in both countries suspended the visa issuance for visits, business, tourism, medical care, transit and personal matters effective Tuesday (Jan 10, 2023). Last week, Seoul […]
... written on Jan 10 2023Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia won’t discriminate against travellers or tourists from any particular country, even though his new unity government is prioritizing health over tourism and economy. He announced the immigration checkpoints will be tightened to screen arrivals from places with a high rate of infections – including China and the United States. […]
... written on Jan 05 2023China’s sudden reversal of its “Zero-Covid” policy has taken the world by storm. After micromanaging the Coronavirus pandemic for nearly 3 years, what actually caused the leadership of Xi Jinping to abandon the policy once hailed as proof of Beijing’s competency in containing the virus? Some said the Chinese president was finally convinced that it’s […]
... written on Dec 29 2022Bon Odori (not to be mistaken with Bon Jovi) is a festival that has been celebrated in Japan for centuries. Obon or just Bon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honour the spirits of one’s ancestors. Odori means lively dance. Hence, Bon Odori is a family reunion where people return to ancestral family places and visit […]
... written on Jun 08 2022Melaka received 18.7 million tourists and attracted RM21.3 billion revenue in 2019. About 67% were domestic tourists while the remaining 37% were foreign visitors. That’s about 6.9 million foreign tourists. It may not sound a lot, but based on total 26.1 million tourist arrivals in Malaysia in the same year, Melaka (Malacca) actually grabbed a […]
... written on Nov 13 2021
