Wednesday, April 19, 2017

MELAKA MONORAIL TO OPERATE AGAIN IN APRIL 2017

Melaka Monorail will start operation again at the end of April 2017 after some upgrading works.


This Monorail runs around the Melaka River for about 3.2 km with stops in between.



Hopefully, with the upgrading works done, it can smoothly operate safely and gives reliable service to passengers.

Visitors can view the scenic views of the Melaka River from above.

MALACCA IS MY KIND OF PLACE

My Kind of Place: Malacca, Malaysia

John Brunton Apr 06, 2017
Why Malacca?
Once one of the richest ports on the mythical Spice Route, Malacca boasts a colourful 600- year history spanning Malay sultans, Arab and Indian Muslim traders, Chinese settlers, and periods of Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial rule. After Malaysia’s independence, Malacca became a sleepy backwater, an insider’s address for rare antiques and delicious Nyonya cuisine created by the mixed-marriages of Chinese and Malays known as Peranakans. All of this changed when Unesco recognised this unique destination as a World Heritage Site, and today it’s a must-see trip for visitors to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Avoid the weekends to miss the crowds and enjoy lower hotel rates, but take the time to stay a couple of days to really discover this charming city.

    A comfortable bed
    For the perfect location, book Casa del Rio (www.casadelrio-melaka.com), a plush resort with rooftop infinity pool overlooking the Malacca River. Double rooms cost from 510 Malaysian ringgit (Dh423).
    The Majestic Malacca (www.majesticmalacca.com) offers an irresistible combination of heritage grandeur with its sumptuous restaurant and tea salon in a charming 1920s villa, while luxurious rooms with grand, freestanding baths are housed in a modern wing. Double cost from 626 ringgit (Dh520).

    ItLovers of boutique hotels in restored mansions are spoilt for choice here. 1825 Gallery Hotel (www.1825galleryhotel.com) contrasts hip decor inside a restored flour storehouse. Doubles cost from 136 ringgit (Dh113).

    The traditional, 200 year-old Hotel Puri (www.hotelpuri.com) is a maze of lush plant-filled courtyards and lavish salons. Doubles cost from 188 ringgit (Dh156).

    Find your feet
    Malacca’s centre should be discovered on foot. Hidden away in the narrow back lanes running between Jonker Street and Heeren Street is the sublime Masjid Kampung Kling, a Javanese -style mosque dating from 1748, while almost next door is the even older, incense-filled Cheng Hung Temple, built in 1645.
      If the sweltering tropical heat is too much, jump on breezy boat ride along the winding Malacca River (15 ringgit [Dh12]), or for the brave, take one of the hundreds of incredibly decorated trishaws that crowd the central Red Square, ready to whisk off visitors on a frenetic city tour (25 ringgit [Dh21]), accompanied by blasting Bollywood music. The square is dominated by the brightly painted Stadthuys, the old Dutch town hall, which today houses the fascinating Ethnography Museum, and a tour of its extensive collection is the perfect introduction to Malacca’s complex history.

        Meet the locals
        The banks of the Malacca River are lined with casual cafes and bars, where locals take lazy sunset strolls. In the middle of Jonker Street, the lively Geographer Cafe attracts all ages, from pensioners having "teh tarik" aired tea in the morning, to students hanging out in the afternoon, and a funkier crown at night, when there’s often live music. On a Sunday morning, the side street outside is transformed into a packed flea market.

          Book a table
          For fine dining, reserve at the Majestic hotel’s elegant Melba at the Mansion, where local celebrity chef Melba Nunis cooks delicious Kristang dishes such as kari pimente (aubergine, fish and pepper curry; 75 ringgit [Dh62]), drawing on the unique fusion of Portuguese, Indian, Malay and Chinese influences.
          For a more informal, outdoor feast of this spicy cuisine, get a cab to the heritage Portuguese settlement down by the waterside. Ignore the crowding touts and book first at De Costa, which serves incredibly fresh baked crab and steamed fish (main dish 30 ringgit [Dh25]).
            Wild Coriander (Jalan Kampung Pantai) is a casual new locale specialising in Malacca’s famous Nyonya cooking, perfect to try spicy sambal prawns with pungent petai beans (15 ringgit [Dh12]).
            Seeds Garden (Jalan Tokong) is a funky wellness vegan canteen that wouldn’t look out of place in Barcelona or New York. Tasty street food is also on every street corner, from satay to chicken rice balls.

            Shopper’s paradise
              Malacca is a paradise for antiques, with Aladdin’s cave boutiques such as Abdul Antiques (Jalan Hang Jebat) and Malaqa House (Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock) filled with ornate lacquered furniture, precious Chinese porcelain and rare ivory-topped Malacca canes.
              Fashionistas should track down Wah Aik (Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock), an artisan cobbler making exquisite beaded sandals, while you can’t miss the brightly painted facade of The Orangutan House (Lorong Hang Jebat), a gallery showcasing local artist Charles Cham’s eye-catching paintings.

                Don’t miss
                A glimpse of the opulent lifestyle of Malacca’s Peranakan community, showcased in the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum (www.babanyonyamuseum.com).

                What to avoid
                The weekend Jonker Walk Night Market gets horrifically crowded, with stalls selling tacky fast food and souvenirs.

                Getting there
                Return flights with Emirates (www.emirates.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur cost from Dh1,890. From there, take a cab (250 ringgit [Dh207]) or Transnasional coach (www.transnasional.com.my; one way 25 ringgit [Dh21]) for the 90-minute journey to Malacca.

                  IMPRESSION CITY FULL STEAM AHEAD

                  Impression City is powering ahead.

                  Just look at the number​ of piling machines at site.


                  Impression Melaka, the Heritage show is expected to start her inaugural show in early 2018

                  Saturday, April 8, 2017

                  IMPRESSION CITY

                  Wednesday, 5 April 2017 | MYT 11:54 PM

                  Yong Tai’s low price “grossly unjustified” - AllianceDBS report


                  The official opening of Impression Melaka (artist’s impression seen above) in February 2018 will be a major catalyst, says the report by AllianceDBS Research.
                  The official opening of Impression Melaka (artist’s impression seen above) in February 2018 will be a major catalyst, says the report by AllianceDBS Research.
                   
                  KUALA LUMPUR: DBS Group Research is making a buy call on Yong Tai Bhd, envisioning long-term earnings visibility as the tourism-related property developer’s Impression City and Impression Melaka projects ride on the booming Chinese tourism.

                  “As the first Impression Series outside China, the Malacca Straits-fronting Impression Melaka is poised to be a resounding success by tapping into the booming Chinese tourism in Malaysia, which has seen an impressive 11% tourist arrivals CAGR (compound annual growth rate) over 2000-2016 (versus 1% for Malaysia’s overall tourist arrivals),” the report said.

                  The stock was trading at an undemanding nine times FY18 price-earnings, it said, calling this “grossly unjustified.”

                  The report, prepared by AllianceDBS Research, gave a 12-month price target of RM2.10. The counter closed unchanged at RM1.48 on Wednesday with 1.4 million shares done.

                  DBS Group Research said Impression Melaka - featuring a live, large-scale, cinematography show using light and sound technology - offered a compelling value proposition given its estimated 20% internal rate of return over the 30-year concession from Impression Wonders Art Development Co Ltd of China.

                  This would transform Yong Tai into an emerging cash cow with strong recurring income, it reckoned.

                  The report said that the Malacca property market was under-appreciated despite its “immense potential” as the target was not just confined to its 900,000 local population but also more than 16 million tourists that visited the World Heritage City annually.

                  “Yong Tai’s impressive unbilled sales of RM990mil – anchored by en-bloc sales of 262 retail lot units in Impression City for RM873mil – will underpin strong earnings visibility strong earnings visibility over the next two years,” said DBS Group Research.

                  The report said Impression City’s attractive investment merit was under-appreciated by investors, and the official opening of Impression Melaka in February 2018 would be a major catalyst.

                  “Given Yong Tai’s unrivalled competitive advantages arising from its unique tourism appeal and synergistic property product offerings, it iss expected to deliver exponential earnings per share CAGR of 57% over FY16-FY19f,” AllianceDBS Research said.

                  Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2017/04/05/yong-tais-low-price-grossly-unjustified-says-dbs-group-research/#bgjfQp4Sszq7Ku1p.99

                  Friday, April 7, 2017

                  Saturday, 8 April 2017

                  Malacca to start direct flight to Guang­zhou

                   
                  MALACCA: There will soon be a direct flight between Malacca and China’s southern province of Guang­zhou.
                  Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron said the scheduled international flight, to be operated by China Southern Airlines, would give the Malacca Interna­tional Airport (LTAM) a new lease of life.
                  “The flight is expected to begin in three months’ time.
                  “We are working on the details and communicating closely with the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to have this Guangzhou-Malacca direct flight,” he told The Star yesterday.
                  With this flight, local passengers can fly to China directly from LTAM at Batu Berendam here without having to travel to KLIA or KLIA2.
                  Idris said the new route would hopefully lead to other airlines using Malacca as their regional aviation service hub.
                  He said it was a fulfilment of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Malacca and Guang­zhou on Sept 21, 2015, in Putrajaya, as witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
                  The effect of this MoU is snowballing into an investment of close to RM100bil in Malacca, which will translate into an influx of Chinese tourists here.
                  “The arrival of airlines from tourist source nations, especially China, will be the cornerstone of the proposed plan to improve the connectivity of the airport,” he added.
                  Meanwhile, state Transport, Project Rehabilitation and Interna­tional Trade Committee chairman Datuk Lim Ban Hong said the runway would be extended to 2.5km and more passenger handling facilities and carparks would be added at the airport.
                  He said talks were in progress to have another direct flight from Hainan province.
                  “We are looking at more destinations from China and Indonesia be­­fore we woo other countries,” he said.
                  Lim added that the LTAM could act as the main entry point for medical tourism.
                  Currently, it is used mainly for training purposes with one leading flying school in the country based there.

                  Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/04/08/malacca-to-start-direct-flight-to-guangzhou/#WSl4KAUYtuAwye08.99