Egypt imposes currency limits / Malaysia currency limits

If you are travelling to Egypt, you may want to take note of their new ruling on currency limits.

The Star reported today that:

Egypt has banned travellers from carrying more than US$10,000 in foreign currency in or out of the country, as officials worry over pressure on its pound currency and a rush by Egyptians to withdraw their savings from banks.

Political turmoil over the past month has raised fears among ordinary citizens and investors that the government - which has pushed back talks to seal IMF funding till January - may not be able to get its fragile finances under control.
More..Egypt imposes currency limits

Malaysia also has currency limits. Check out the Royal Malaysian Customs website for guideline on Permitted Currency Limits.

Floods worsen in east coast states

If you plan on visiting the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, best to avoid this time of the year. It is the monsoon season now causing floods to occur with the heavy rainfall.

The east coast states include Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. Popular resort islands of Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Redang are also on the east coast (off Terengganu), so is Club Med which is in Pahang. Club Med is closed from end of September through February due to the monsoon.

The above picture from The Star shows motorists forcing their way through a flooded road in Kuantan on Tuesday. (NIK NAIZI HUSIN/Starpix)

The Star reported that:

The flood situation in Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang has worsened with more than 10,800 people evacuated to flood relief centres as of Tuesday evening from 6,000 in the morning.

In Terengganu, 5,297 victims are now housed in shelters while in the Kelantan, the number rose to 3,218 people, according the the official websites of their respective state governments.
More: The Star..Floods worsen in east coast states, 10,800 evacuated

Big Bad Wolf Book Sale 2012 - Biggest book sale in the world

If you happen to be in Kuala Lumpur shopping for Christmas, books may be what you would want to add to your shopping list especially when there is the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale currently on.

They are having the last 60 hours (until 9pm Dec 23) of non-stop book sale touted as the biggest book sale in the world! All books come with a discount of between 75 - 95%!

Here are details of The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale 2012 - with information on how to get there included. Happy shopping!

Indonesian maid agency fees

Many households in Malaysia have a maid (or two and more) in their home. Indonesians make up a big percentage of foreign workers in this country who are employed as domestic workers.

On Dec 1, 2011, following the Lombok Agreement, a three-year moratorium was lifted allowing employment of Indonesians as house-help in Malaysia to resume. Despite the moratorium, influx of maids from Indonesia has not been significant. This has been due to agents complaining that the fees stipulated under the agreement were too low to make a profit.

Under the agreement, prospective employers need to pay a RM4,511 agent fee, which includes RM2,711 to be paid to the agency and a RM1,800 advance payment which employers can recover in instalments from the maid's salary over six months.

This would mean that in future, the cost of employing a domestic worker from Indonesia would be higher than what it is today.


Source: The Star..Malaysia, Indonesia to renegotiate maid agency fees

Foreign students to pass BM in public and private varsities

The Star reported that

Foreign students in both public and private tertiary institutions will now have to pass a course in Bahasa Melayu Communication with the aim of helping the students assimilate into local culture and prevent misunderstandings.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said

“It covers very basic conversational skills in Malay, similar to how Malaysian students learn German or Russian when they study in those countries.

“We will also introduce compulsory subjects on soft skills (for local and foreign students) that are relevant to their field of study or is required in their professional careers,” he said after launching the 25th Star Education Fair here yesterday.

Multiple-entry visas for Malaysians travelling to India

Great news for Malaysians travelling to India..

The Star reported today that:

Malaysians travelling to India as tourists can now expect to be given multiple-entry visas that provide greater flexibility in their travel plans, according to the Indian High Commission here Tuesday.

Previously, the tourist visas only allowed double entry. Last week, the Indian government lifted the two-month gap requirement between two consecutive visits to India by Malaysian nationals.

Deputy High Commissioner Aseem R. Mahajan said all visas would be ready within three working days and applicants should exercise caution in filling in the forms and selecting the visa category to avoid any inconvenience.

Business and trade travellers to India also enjoy multiple entry visas that are valid up to a year and without any gap between entries. - Bernama

Minimum Retirement Age in private sector in Malaysia

THE long-awaited implementation date of the new retirement age of 60 instead of 55 in the private sector has finally been announced.

The Minimum Retirement Age Act 2012 will come into effect from July 1, 2013. Employers have a six-month moratorium up to Dec 31 next year to fully come on board.

More: The Star..Get maximum advantage from Minimum Retirement Age Act