Penang, UNESCO Heritage Site Celebration

Recently, Penang rounded off their month-long Unesco World Heritage Site anniversary celebrations with two landmark competitions - the All-Star National Chingay Championship and the first Penang Dragon Boat Cross Channel Invitation Race.

Chingay is a test of skills and is more an art-form than an act. Among the most memorable stunts were the catching and balancing a pole on the nose as performed by the Seberang Prai Chingay Association, and catching a pole on the forehead while balancing on a tyre which was performed by the Penang Chingay Association.


The first Penang Dragon Boat Cross Channel Invitation Race at the Tanjung City Marina was flagged off by Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng.

Seven teams from all over the state took part in the 7.6km race across the North Channel from the marina to Pantai Bersih in Butterworth and back again.

The Pacific West Dragon Boat Club won the race.


If you were in Penang for the celebration and have taken plenty of shots of the various activities, why not take part in this Canon photo competition? There are great prizes to be won.


Source: The Star

MAS flies twice daily to Tawau and Sandakan, East Malaysia

Here is good news for anyone intending to visit Sipadan island either for a diving vacation or simply taking in the beauty and serenity of this exquisite, unspoilt island resort.

From Sept 16, Malaysia Airlines will increase flights to twice daily from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau as well as the Kuala Lumpur-Sandakan route. To get to Sipadan, Tawau is where you land and from there an hour on the road will take you to Semporna and thence on a boat-ride to Sipadan.

Tawau and Sandakan are popular destinations for business and tourism and the second daily flight will enable more tourists to connect easily to Tawau and Sandakan. Domestic travel has also increased.

MAS offers many other benefits at no extra charge, such as the 20kg baggage allowance, assigned seats and meals.

The inside story of in-flight food

DID you know that in-flight food is considered the safest, compared to food served in any hotel or prepared in any famous kitchen?

This is because in-flight catering has to comply with stringent International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations as well as submit to regular testing and auditing.

KL Airport Services Sdn Bhd (Klas) is one of the few ground handlers that provide a range of services for various commercial airlines operating at Malaysian airports.

Continue reading The inside story of in-flight food - The Star

KTMB offers discounts during Mega Sale

The Star today reported that KTM Bhd will be offering discounts of up to 25% for inter-city tickets bought between July 5 and Aug 20.

The promotion, held in conjunction with the Malaysian Mega Sale which will end on Aug 31, will not be applicable for travel on Fridays and weekends or for KTM Komuter trains.

To qualify for the discount, a single receipt worth at least RM100 from any shopping complex has to accompany an individual ticket purchase.

The discount is valid for one-way or return trips for all sectors and classes. For more details, please contact the KTMB Call Centre at 03-2267 1200 or the nearest inter-city station.

Flight direct from Singapore to Tawau & Miri

AirAsia announced that you can now fly direct from Singapore to two great destinations in East Malaysia - Tawau & Miri! Book now till 19 July.

Breakfast in and around Kuala Lumpur

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You know you would have a great day if you've had a wonderful breakfast.

What is a real breakfast then? Everyone has his or her own ideals and expectations but see if you too agree with this definition from Denny's Restaurant in the US.

Click image to enlarge

Having read that and if you are on a visit to Malaysia, you would no doubt be able to experience all the things stated on Denny's definition of breakfast.

Now, with the many restaurants and cafes in big towns and cities in Malaysia offering affordable breakfast sets in a homey environment, there is no excuse (for visitors and locals alike) to skip that most important meal of the day.

The bigger establishments even offer free wi-fi connection, so on a lazy Sunday morning, you could bring your laptop along and log on while enjoying breakfast, just like you would in the comfort of your own home.

At McDonald’s, for example, they offer free refills of coffee and tea which is included in the breakfast meal set.

For only RM4, enjoy a Sausage McMuffin, which is grilled chicken sausage with cheese in a lightly toasted English muffin and McDonald’s Premium Roast Coffee, made with Arabica beans. How blissful is that?

And if you arrive into KL via KL Sentral, Swiss Oven at KL Sentral serves freshly brewed tea and Arabica bean coffee while the croissants are freshly baked every day. You've got to try their to-die-for scrambled eggs. Set 2 on their breakfast menu is a popular choice among foreign customers. It consists of croissant with scrambled eggs and for only RM4.90.

For most people, breakfast is normally a meal to be had at home.

For the rest, especially those rushing to get to work in the morning, it can be eaten on the go (a sandwich while on the way to work, for example) or in coffee shops and other food outlets, and there are many out there here in Malaysia.

Here are some restaurants and cafes in the Klang Valley that offer delicious and affordable breakfast that Sunday Metro has put together


Shiok Kopitiam,
YMCA Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur

Breakfast is from 7am to noon

Available breakfast sets daily at RM5.

·Set 1: Kaya butter toast and Omega soft-boiled eggs and a choice of drink

·Set 2: Jam butter toast, orange juice and one other drink

·Set 3: Western set (baked beans, sunny side up eggs, a sausage and toast) and a choice of drink

The breakfast set menu is different daily and other sets include pancakes, fried noodles and nasi lemak. Drink selections are white coffee, milk tea and orange juice.


McDonald’s
Nationwide

Breakfast is available from 4am to 11am

Breakfast McValue Meal comes with Premium Roast Coffee (M) and hash browns.

·Sausage McMuffin with egg RM8.50

·Filet-O-Fish RM8.60

·Big breakfast RM9.80

·Egg McMuffin RM8

·Hotcakes (two pieces) RM9.10


Beloved: Malaysians’ popular breakfast, kopi, toast and half-boiled eggs.


OldTown White Coffee
Nationwide

Breakfast is served from 8am to 11am

Tel: 03-8061 5411

Breakfast comes with a cup of kopi-o or black tea (hot/cold)

·My toast set RM3.90

Kaya and butter toast (single), Omega soft-bolied eggs

·My Meehoon set RM3.90

Meehoon Siam

·My nasi set RM4.90

Nasi lemak classic

·My noodle set RM4.90

Fried noodle

·My Western set RM5.90


Swiss Oven
KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur


Hearty: Croissant and scrambled eggs from Set 2.

Breakfast is from 7am to 11am

Tel: 03-2260 3711

The breakfast set here is served with freshly brewed coffee or tea (small). The cafe only uses Arabica bean coffee and croissants are freshly baked daily.

·Set 1: Croissant (RM3.90)

·Set 2: Croissant and scrambled eggs (RM4.90)

·Set 3: Muffin (RM4.90)

·Set 4: Baguette with butter and kaya (RM4.90)

·Set 5: French toast (RM5.90)

·Set 6: Sausage and sunny side up egg (RM5.90)

·Set 7: Sausage, egg and beef bacon (RM6.90)

·Set 8: Sausage, sunny side up egg and baked beans (RM6.90)

Free delivery within KL Sentral. Catering services available within KL Sentral area.


Tappers
Jaya One, Petaling Jaya


Wholesome: The American breakfast at Tappers, Jaya 1.

Breakfast is from 8am to 11pm

Tel: 03-7958 3198

The sets are served with a choice of freshly brewed coffee, tea, lemon tea or lime juice.

·English breakfast: Sausage, beef bacon, two eggs, mushrooms, tomato and toast (RM7.80)

·American breakfast: Sausage, beef bacon, two eggs and two pancakes (RM7.80)

·Eggs and toast set: Two half-boiled Omega eggs with kaya and butter toast (RM5.50)

·French toast set: French toast served with honey and sugar (RM4.50)

·Pancake set: Three pieces of pancakes served with maple syrup (RM6)


Little Ben Cafe,
Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam

Breakfast is from 8am to 11am

Tel: 03-5121 0151

All sets are priced at RM2.90 nett and served with a glass of lemon slice water.

·Monday: Bitter gourd rice noodles soup

·Tuesday: Roti jagung

·Wednesday: Chicken floss porridge

·Thursday: Sandwiches (tuna fish or chicken breast meat with mayonnaise)

·Friday: Double match (kuey tiaw and rice noodles)

·Saturday: Honey and darling pancakes

·Sunday: Nasi pandan


Teh Tarik Place
IOI Mall, Puchong

Breakfast is from 8am to 12.30pm

Tel: 03-7726 6380

·Teh Tarik Breakfast: Toast with two half boiled eggs and teh tarik or coffee (RM5)

·Teh Tarik Big Breakfast: Nasi Lemak with whole egg and teh tarik or coffee (RM5.50).


Source: The Star

Tell Penang’s story in pictures and Win a Prize

If you are living in Penang, or a visitor to this Pearl of the Orient and have taken pictures of the lovely island, why not put your skill and pictures to good use and win yourself a prize in this photography contest. "My Heritage City Canonfoto Contest"?

Prizes worth RM20,000 are up for grabs. Prizes include SLR cameras, printers and cash vouchers.

To enter, participants will have to submit a 40-page Canonfoto album with captioned photos of the state that capture her beauty and living heritage. Pictures could be on food, people, culture or heritage. It is hoped that the entries would “bring Penang’s heritage to life”.

The contest is organised by Canon Marketing in collaboration with the state government. It is held in conjunction with George Town’s first anniversary celebration as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Canonfoto is an easy-to-use programme that allows users to create a photobook of their pictures.

Entries will be judged based on participants’ fulfilment of requirements, photography skills, literary skills of telling a story with the pictures, novelty as well as layout and design.

Contest period is from July 21 to September 30.

For details, log on to www.canonfoto.canon.com.my.

Shop till you drop at The Pavilion KL

What do you think these Australian tourists are doing? You've guessed it. They are throwing coins into a fountain.

If you have been to the Pavilion KL shopping mall, you would have noticed this crystal fountain right in front of the mall.

It is a massive three-tier crystal fountain. Located in front of its main entrance, the fountain was created by Pavilion KL in collaboration with Liuligongfang, an expert in ancient Chinese glassware.

It is said to be the first ever Liuli crystal fountain, weighs a total of 3.5tonnes, costs RM8mil to make, and is the tallest crystal fountain in Malaysia.

The fountain, which has made its way into the Malaysia Book of Records for its size, is composed of three hemispherical bowls embellished with the hibiscus motif.

It is meant to represent Malaysia’s multiracial society, its flow of water symbolising an endless blessing and prosperity for the nation.

For the second year running, Pavilion KL is hosting the launch of the Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival under the patronage of the Tourism Ministry.

This time around, Pavilion KL is bringing home the message with its tagline – Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Your Oasis of Rewards. However, shopping at Pavilion KL may be just a little different this year.


Related article:
Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival

Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival

The Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival is back!

The Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival (MMSC), the country’s biggest shopping event, is back again this year offering more exciting bargains, discounts, promotions and activities. This much anticipated annual event promises a grand shopping fiesta for eight weeks from 4 July to 31 August 2009.

During the MMSC, shoppers can look forward to getting a wide variety of products at attractive prices, ranging from haute couture, fashion accessories, jewellery and cosmetics to the latest gadgets, handicrafts and unique curios. All the bargains, promotions, fun activities and contests that will take place throughout the MMSC 2009 offer Malaysians and foreign tourists an exciting shopping experience that will satisfy even the most seasoned shoppers.

Related article:
Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival is Back!

With AirAsia - Anyone Can Fly!

Anyone who thinks travelling by air for the entire family would have to cost an arm and a leg, may have a different perspective now after reading about Annabel.


AirAsia has indeed changed the meaning of air travel with its cheap fares to many places around the world.

30% Bumiputra Equity No Longer Required

The Star reported today that Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, said 30% bumiputra equity required for local companies seeking public listing is repealed, Tuesday. However, these companies need to offer 50% of the public shareholding spread to bumiputra investors.

Other details as follows:

The other announcements, which are to take effect immediately, were:

* All property transactions, except for those involving a dilution of government or bumiputra interests for property valued at RM20mil and above, would no longer require FIC approval;

* All Malaysian companies seeking listing would have to offer 50% of their public offering to bumiputra investors, which would work out to 12.5% of the total stake;

* A 100% ownership would be allowed for qualified and leading fund management companies to set up operations in Malaysia;

* Foreign equity in existing stockbroking companies would be increased to 70% from 49%;

* All transactions on mergers and takeovers by local or foreign companies will no longer need FIC approval; and

* All listed companies need not maintain 30% bumiputra equity as required previously.





Source: The Star