Day: May 4, 2022

KANGAR, May 4 (Bernama) — The Malaysia-Thai border checkpoint at Padang Besar will be opened tomorrow, said Perlis Immigration director Khairul Amin Taib.

He said the border gate will be opened according to its operating hours from 6 am until 10 pm.

“Travelers from Thailand have to comply with standard operating procedures (SOP) set by the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MoH),” he said when contacted by Bernama tonight.

Khairul Amin said according to the SOP set by MoH, travellers are required to be fully vaccinated and must provide complete travel documents, among others.

“All travellers can enter and exit through the Padang Besar border gate starting tomorrow according to the SOP that has been set,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

PANGKOR, May 4 (Bernama) — Three out of 10 passengers were slightly injured after the van they were travelling in skidded onto a road shoulder at Jalan Teluk Nipah here this afternoon.

A spokesman for the state Fire and Rescue Department said in a statement that the operations room received an emergency call on the accident at 5.02 pm.

“The vehicle was carrying 10 passengers, out of whom only three suffered light injuries. Members of the public helped the victims out of the van.

“The van is believed to have lost control before skidding onto the shoulder of the road,” he said in a statement.

He said the injured were sent to the Pangkor Island hospital.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 (Bernama) — The Hari Raya Aidilfitri public holiday is the perfect time for members of the public to reunite with their families, but many including foreign tourists also take this opportunity to visit interesting destinations in the country.

This is evident with the increase in bookings for hotels and homestays across the country, thus helping the country’s hotel and tourism sector bounce back after a two-year downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Malaysia Budget & Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) deputy president Dr Sri Ganesh Michiel, the highest number of bookings were recorded in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, and Genting Highlands, Pahang, which saw an increase of up to 100 per cent compared to normal days.

Besides major towns, several small districts like Batu Pahat and Mersing in Johor also recorded a significant increase in hotel room bookings and the trend is expected to continue until the end of May or early June.

“Although some flexibility has been given after the country entered the Transition to Endemic Phase, we (MyBHA) are still advising hotel operators to encourage their clients to follow the standard operating procedure (SOP) as a precaution,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

Kampungstay and Homestay Malaysia Association president Zohaime Muhammad Sori said the overwhelming bookings for homestay destinations was proof that the public still preferred to experience living in a kampung environment even though there was a slight increase in prices for accommodation.

“The price did not go up very much, maybe about RM10 or RM20 due to the higher cost of living but the quality is the same as a hotel, and this makes homestays a popular choice for people to spend their holidays in a village setting,” he said.

The operator of a homestay in Cameron Highlands, Intan Aznita, 49, said she had received an encouraging number of bookings since April 30.

Meanwhile, in KEDAH, the Kuala Kedah Ferry Terminal in Alor Setar was packed today, with many taking advantage of the Aidilfitri holiday to visit Langkawi.

Among them was Nina Shakila Abdullah, 33, who said she will be spending three days on the island resort after celebrating Aidilfitri with her aunt in Jitra.

In NEGERI SEMBILAN, the Teluk Kemang beach in Port Dickson was a hive of activity, with many, including those from outside the state, having a good time with family and friends.

A visitor from Kedah, Nadia Halim, 32, said she arrived in Port Dickson yesterday evening, and couldn’t wait to visit some of the interesting places, as well as try some of the popular traditional food there.

In JOHOR, the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Johor Chapter chairman Ivan Teo said hotel rooms, especially in the Johor Bahru and Desaru, Kota Tinggi were almost fully booked by local visitors and Singaporeans, while the Legoland Malaysia Resort theme park near Iskandar Puteri also received many visitors.

A visitor to the theme park, Alia Natasha Abdul Rahman, 31, said she decided to visit the attraction after celebrating Aidilfitri at her relative’s home, adding that both her children had always wanted to visit the place.

In PENANG, there was heavy traffic heading to Penang Hill and Batu Feringgi.

A Japanese national living in Singapore, Noami Hikaru, 42, said this was the first time she had come to the state, and it was to visit Penang Hill.

“I have read a lot about the history of Penang Hill during the British era in travel magazines, and if I have the opportunity to visit Penang again, I want to climb to the top of the hill,” she said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 (Bernama) — The recovery of air travel continues with total traffic up 76.0 per cent this March compared to March 2021, said the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

In its passenger data for March 2022, IATA said overall impacts from the conflict in Ukraine on air travel demand were limited while Omicron-related effects continued to be confined largely to Asian domestic markets.

“Although traffic in March 2022 was lower than the 115.9 per cent rise in February’s year-over-year (y-o-y) demand, volumes in March were the closest to the 2019 pre-pandemic levels, at 41 per cent below,” it said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, IATA said domestic traffic in March was up 11.7 per cent compared to the year-ago period, far below the 59.4 per cent y-o-y improvement recorded in February.

“This was largely due to the Omicron-related lockdowns in China. March domestic revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) were down 23.2 per cent versus March 2019,” it explained.

IATA also noted that international RPKs rose 285.3 per cent versus March 2021, exceeding the 259.2 per cent gain experienced in February versus the year-earlier period.

“Most regions boosted their performance compared to the prior month, led by carriers in Europe.

“Asia-Pacific airlines had a traffic rise of 197.1 per cent in March compared to March 2021, up over the 146.5 per cent gain registered in February 2022 versus February 2021,” it said.

According to IATA’s director general Willie Walsh, the long-expected surge in pent-up demand is finally being realised with barriers to travel coming down in most places.

“Unfortunately, we are also seeing long delays at many airports with insufficient resources to handle the growing numbers. This must be addressed urgently to avoid frustrating consumer enthusiasm for air travel,” he said.

Walsh said the ongoing recovery in air travel is excellent news for the global economy, friends and families whose forced separations were being ended, and millions of people depending on air transport for their livelihoods.

“Unfortunately, some government actions are emerging as key impediments to recovery. This is demonstrated most dramatically in the Netherlands,” he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency