#Malaysia closed to tourists for the rest of the year

 KUALA LUMPUR, 1 September 2020: Malaysia looks ahead giving travelers warning that the country’s Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) that maintains strict travel restrictions will remain in place until 31 December 2020.

As long as the RMCO is in place foreigners who have a ‘social visit pass’ (tourist visa) that expired after 1 January 2020 will be permitted to leave Malaysia without incurring any fines or penalties. The concession does not apply to social visit passes that expired before 1 January 2020.

Neighboring Thailand gave foreigners a much shorter grace period that ends on 26 September. Foreigners will need to apply for a visa extension or leave Thailand to avoid penalties by the deadline.

Travel to Malaysia will continue to have strict controls with foreigners needing to obtain a Letter of Undertaking and Indemnity’ approved by the nearest Malaysian consulate or embassy in addition to an appropriate visa. However, leisure travelers will not be permitted to visit Malaysia as long as the RMCO is in place. Entry is limited to travelers who have families in Malaysia and for essential travel linked to business and investment activities.

All travelers who are permitted to enter Malaysia must undertake mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Thailand follows similar protocols, strictly applying the 14-quarantine rule but offering travellers arriving in Bangkok what it calls “alternative state quarantine” in certified hotels that are linked to hospitals. They charge around THB70,000 to 50,000 for the 14-day stay, including three meals a day and Covid-19 tests.

Thailand is currently confusing overseas tour operators with contradictory statements by leaders who in the space of a few days suggest they are opening the borders gradually to limited travel and then contradict themselves just days later by suggesting the opposite.

There are various programmes bandied about by the media, but due to the 14-day quarantine rule, they would appeal only to long-stay visitors (six months or more) repeat travelers who are prepared to buy into expensive schemes to return to Thailand.

Soorce  - TTR Weekly

Cross-border trade with Thailand estimated at just $1.5 million for first quarter

#Cambodia’s cross border trade with Thailand fell to $1.5 million in the first quarter as the coronavirus hit the global economy and led to closure of dozens of checkpoints.

The Thai Foreign Trade Department said the country’s overall cross-border trade, including transit trade, totalled 264.97 billion baht in the first three months, with Malaysia still the biggest partner for Thailand’s border trade.

Transit trade involves the passage of goods through more than one country.

Of the total figures, exports from Thailand totalled 187.56 billion baht, down 5.4% from the first three months of last year, with imports also shrinking 12.6% to 77.40 billion baht, resulting in a trade surplus of 110.15 billion baht.

Thailand’s border trade with four neighboring countries amounted to 195.66 billion baht, down 7.4% from the same period last year.

Of the total, two-way trade with Malaysia totalled 56.47 billion baht, followed by trade with Laos (42.68 billion baht), Cambodia (48.33 billion baht) and Myanmar (48.16 billion baht).

Cambodia had the lowest cross border trade with Thailand after Malaysia the biggest partner for border trade, followed by Laos, Myanmar.

Malaysia remained the biggest partner for border trade, with two-way trade reaching 476.15 billion baht, down 8.7%, followed by Laos (181.80 billion baht), Myanmar (180.73 billion baht) and Cambodia (146.41 billion baht) for the first 11 months of 2019.

Transit trade with Singapore, Vietnam and southern China dropped 2.2% in the first quarter, totalling 61.86 billion baht.

Transit trade to southern China recovered to fetch the greatest value after China reopened, with value rising to 28.62 billion baht, up 4.9%, followed by Singapore (19.70 billion baht) and Vietnam (13.53 billion baht).

Keerati Rushchano, director-general of the department, said outstanding performance was seen in exports to Cambodia, which saw continued growth of 14.3% in the first three months despite the deadly virus.

Higher shipments were led by non-alcoholic drinks, automobiles and parts, and livestock.

Shipments to Laos also registered an increase of 2.4% in the period, especially for computers, non-alcoholic drinks and fresh fruits.

“Overall cross-border trade remains inactive, as the pandemic scatters throughout the world and seriously hits the global economy,” Mr Keerati said. Bangkok Post

Source - Khmer Times

#Malaysian tourism records growth, but hotels are still empty

Fresh off recent announcement of positive international tourist arrival growth, the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has revealed that hotels in the country are registering lower occupancy.

An internal hotel occupancy survey recorded a drop of -4.71% to 60.8% for the first nine months of the year compared to the same period in 2018 at 65.51%.

"The same was seen for the first half of 2019 where earlier in August, according to Tourism Malaysia, there was an increase of +4.9% or 13.4 million in international tourist arrivals but hotel occupancy recorded a drop of -4.75% compared to the same period last year,” MAH said in a statement.

According to MAH, the published results "raised more doubts and concerns than it could draw praises”.

"While (the results) should indicate a healthy and recovering or even growing tourism industry, the same was not felt by industry stakeholders,” MAH said.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi announced earlier this week that international tourist arrivals increased for the first three quarters of 2019.

Between January and September, Malaysia welcomed 20,109,203 tourists, a 3.7% growth compared to the same period last year.

The first nine months of the year also saw tourism receipts increase by 6.9% to reach RM66.14bil compared to RM61.85bil for the same period last year.

MAH chief executive officer Yap Lip Seng attributed the hotel industry’s struggle to the rise of unregulated short-term accommodations (STA) like Airbnb.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) was drafting a regulatory framework for STAs in Malaysia.

MPC, regulatory body under the International Trade and Industry Ministry, has held discussion with key industry stakeholders since July last year.

The regulatory framework’s draft guideline is currently pending public consultation in its final stage.

Yap raised concerns regarding the implementation and enforcement of the regulatory guidelines.

"The guidelines are workable at this point where many of the proposed policies are based on proven initiatives in cities all over the world. However, we are concerned as it would require much enforcement efforts and the authorities need to be committed,” he said.

Last year, Airbnb welcomed more than 3.25 million guests in Malaysia, which translates to a 73% year-on-year jump.

In previous statements, Airbnb said that it will continue to work closely with the authorities with regards to STA regulation.

Malaysia aims to see 30 million international tourist arrivals as part of Visit Malaysia 2020 (VM2020) next year, and bring in total tourist receipts of RM100bil.

Source - The Star

Aircraft manufacturers looks to Southeast Asia

Boeing Co. of the United States and other major international aircraft makers are moving to build manufacturing bases in Southeast Asia. 

Thailand and Malaysia are eager to attract industries from overseas, in the hope of developing their economies. This is presenting opportunities for small and midsized Japanese companies that manufacture airplane parts or provide other services to start operations in the region. 

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On-site inspection

Representatives of 30 small and midsized companies from Japan gathered in Bangkok on Feb. 12 to explore the possibility of starting business there. They listened to Thai government officials discuss investment plans and inspected local companies. 

“There are issues with the infrastructure environment and other things, but we hope to incorporate the vigor of this growth market,” said Tomaru Nakamura, managing director of Kyoto-based Asahi Kinzoku Kogyo Inc., which provides such services as special surface processing for airplane parts.

Thailand is planning to build a base for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of aircraft in a special economic zone. Demand for MRO services is growing due to an increase in the number of airplanes flying in the region.

Europe’s Airbus has already decided to start operations in the zone, with Boeing Co., Rolls-Royce of Britain and other companies also considering investments there. 

The Thai government hopes Japanese companies will help set up a center for the aircraft industry the way they did for the auto industry, a factor contributing to Thailand’s economic development. 

“The Japanese automobile makers who started business in Southeast Asia before others led the growth of auto manufacturing there,” said a vice secretary general in charge of special zone projects. “In aircraft manufacturing as well, we want to learn from Japan’s advanced technological skills, its ability to train personnel who maintain quality levels and other attributes.”

Topping N. America, Europe

The volume of airline passenger transportation in the Asia-Pacific region surpassed that in North America and Europe in 2017, according to the Japan Aircraft Development Corporation. Airbus and others believe about 40,000 airplanes will be needed in the next 20 years, most of which will be supplied to the Asia-Pacific region. 

While this could be a boon for parts makers, airplane parts must comply with strict safety standards. The need to obtain safety certifications for all parts is a major barrier to entry. 

Japanese companies hope to meet these demands by quickly building a parts supply network that utilizes the area’s cost-competitiveness.

Other nations as well

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Other Southeast Asian nations are also trying to draw aircraft-related businesses from overseas, a move resulting in fierce competition with rivals in the region. 

Singapore has been a leader in attracting foreign capital in the MRO field, with its hub airport that sees more than 65 million users annually.

Malaysia and Indonesia are actively trying to increase investments from overseas by highlighting their advantages, such as preferential treatment for foreign investments and low labor costs. 

Asia’s largest low-cost carrier, AirAsia Group Bhd., is headquartered in Malaysia. 

“MRO businesses have helped to grow related industries such as parts manufacturing and to create jobs,” said an official from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority.

Source - TheJakartaPost 

#Malaysia's free bus service not for foreigners

Foreigners have failed in their attempt to get free rides on the city’s complimentary bus service, which is provided for the locals.

Melaka's Transport, Works and Public Amenities Committee chairman Mohd Sofi Abdul Wahab said the foreigners were sniffed out by staff members of the bus company, Panorama Melaka Sdn Bhd, and were then requested to pay the normal fares.

The complimentary bus service managed by the state-owned concessionaire hit the road on Aug 20.

Mohd Sofi said a total of 450 passengers had taken rides on the bus service plying three routes.
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 “We have collected RM650 from the sale of tickets to non-locals,” he said after checking the operation of the free bus service at Melaka Sentral bus terminal here.

Mohd Sofi said his team would continue promoting the free bus service among locals.
“I guess foreigners grabbed the opportunity to take the free rides when there are not that many locals making use of the service,” he said.

The free bus service launched by Chief Minister Adly Zahari is expected to benefit 290,000 commuters in the state.

The operation of the free bus service costs an estimated RM1.4mil, and is being absorbed by several government agencies and private companies through the newly-established Melaka State Government Public Transport Fund.

The free bus service covers three main routes, namely Melaka Sentral bus terminal to Mydin Hypermart at Ayer Keroh; Melaka Sentral to Mydin via Melaka Hospital and Melaka Sentral to Bachang Transit Wet Market.

The buses run from 6.30am to 8pm on a daily basis.

The service is aimed at rejuvenating the state’s ailing public transport system with a focus on stage bus service.

The state government has reportedly said it would take into consideration the people’s wish and might expand the free bus service to other routes, mainly Alor Gajah and Jasin, if there are sufficient funds.

Source - TheNation

 

#Thailand - Conservation plan for hornbills

THE NATIONAL Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation Department announced yesterday that it would develop a national plan for the management and conservation of hornbills.

 This plan would be in line with an international action plan introduced yesterday for the critically endangered helmeted hornbill.

A working group will be set up to develop the national plan, Pinsak Suraswadi, the department’s deputy director-general, said.

He said Thailand is committed to protecting the majestic bird’s habitat as well as reducing trafficking and trade of the bright-billed bird. The future plan will also focus on reintroduction programmes so hornbill populations can be restored in natural habitats.

 The country also recognises the importance of research and training while engaging all sectors, he said, and thus the Centre for Research and Training of Hornbill Conservation will be created.

Pinsak also praised the international plan and lauded Thailand’s decision to adopt it, which marks a watershed in efforts to preserve the species.

“We are very pleased to support hornbill conservation in the region,” he said at a press conference. “Today will be a great starting point for moving forward together to save our species.”

After the conference, a group of bird experts, including members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, got together to discuss the plan. 

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 Found in regions ranging from Africa to Asia, the birds are facing increasing threats of extinction despite their critical ecological roles.

Helmeted hornbills, with specific home ranges in the forests of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand, are of a critical concern to ecologists as demands for the bright yellow and black casques atop their bills have surged in recent years, particularly in China for carved ornaments.

This is despite the fact that the species has been placed under the protection of the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which has banned all kinds of trade since 1975.

In 2015, global bird experts came together to address the situation at Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), prompting the species to be up-listed from “near threatened” to “critically endangered” by BirdLife International.

 A Helmeted Hornbill Working Group (HHWG) was also created under the IUCN Species Survival Commission.

A year later, a resolution calling for an action plan for helmeted hornbill conservation was issued at the IUCN World Conservation Congress and the CITES CoP17, backed by members of the HHWG, while urging all CITES parties to take necessary steps to develop and implement the action plan.

This 10-year, wide-ranging conservation strategy calls for international collaboration and an increase in financial resources to scale up conservation attention aimed at targeted population recovery across the species’ range.

A key priority is the need to eliminate trafficking and trade in helmeted hornbills and derivatives by ensuring that the CITES Appendix I listing for the species is effectively implemented.

 Anuj Jain from BirdLife International (Asia) and a coordinator of the HHWG, said: “Unless we protect key population strongholds and reduce international demand, we stand little chance to save the helmeted hornbill.”

Thailand is an important country for the species, with high levels of protection. Most long-term research on the species has been by the Hornbill Research Foundation.

Source - TheNation

Businessman and wife admit to threesome with dead Dutch model

Ivana Esther Robert Smit

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Petaling Jaya - The American Businessman and his Kazakh wife who were last seen with Ivana Esther Robert Smit, admitted to having a threesome with the Dutch model who was found dead on Dec 7 last year.

Alex Johnson, 44, and his wife Luna, 31, admitted that they had sex with Smit three weeks earlier and on the day she was found dead. Smit had fallen to her death from the balcony of an apartment in Jalan Dang Wangi.

The Johnsons also admitted in an interview with British tabloid Daily Mail that all three of them had been drinking heavily and that Ivana had been taking drugs.

The couple had met Smit at a nightclub in Kuala Lumpur in October last year, where they were introduced by a mutual acquaintance.   

“She asked me to stand up and dance with her. We weren’t kissing, but we were doing sexy moves,” said Luna.

“She was beautiful, charming, confident. I was already melting,” added Luna.

The three of them even set up a WhatsApp group among themselves, which contained explicit flirting. 

They had a threesome in a five-star hotel in November. On the day Smit was found dead, the three had been out all night partying before coming back in the wee hours of the morning.

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 The Johnsons’ daughter got up and Luna says she and Smit had breakfast with her. 

“Ivana was hammered. I kept talking to her as I got my daughter ready for school. Ivana lay down while I took her there,” said Luna who went out for about 30 minutes.

Luna said she returned, her husband and Smit were on their bed, although Johnson was asleep.

After that, both Luna and Smit got intimate, before Luna went back to her bedroom where she lay down with her husband. When she came out of the room at about 10am, she found Smit  ‘wandering around, talking to herself and giggling.

“I was so tired after all this partying. At 10.15 I went back to the bedroom. When my head hit the pillow, I passed out,” said Luna.

Luna said she then woke at 1.25pm and saw that Ivana’s clothes, shoes, bag and phones were in the lounge/kitchen, but thought she had vanished for a photoshoot. The Johnsons were then woken up by the police at 5pm.

The Johnsons have maintained innocence in the matter, saying that there were footprints on the balcony and on to the top of the air-conditioning units.

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Johnson said he has received numerous death threats since the murder claim was publicised, and claimed there was even an attempt to kidnap his five-year-old daughter:

“A man phoned our nanny, Maha, saying he was Luna’s father and would be picking her up from school. Luna’s father died before she was born.”

“We never intended to make the details of our marriage public. Now we fear our own lives are in danger, and we have no choice,” he said.

On Sunday, Smit’s family lawyer also told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that the teen had sex in the hours prior to the discovery of her body. 

According to an online portal, he said this was based on “new information” that was corroborated by the findings from the second post-mortem conducted on Smit in the Netherlands. 

Lawyer Sébas Diekstra added that pathologist Dr Frank van de Goot, who carried out the second autopsy, had previously detailed finding “male DNA” in Smit’s body and held the opinion that it likely occurred in the last hours of her life. 

“In the Netherlands, you can be prosecuted if you commit sexual acts on someone who is unconscious or under reduced consciousness,” Diekstra told the daily.

De Telegraaf also reported that Smit family spokesman Fred Agenjo believed his niece was not in control of herself nor her actions in the hours before her death. 

“There were huge amounts of drugs found in Ivana’s body. She was no longer competent.

“If anyone still had sex with an 18-year-old girl who was in that condition, that’s not good. They should stay away from someone under such circumstances,” he was quoted as saying.

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Source - The Nation

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Malaysia - High Court reverses decision on ‘Datin’, to serve 8 years in jail starting today

SHAH ALAM: The High Court here reversed the punishment meted out by the Sessions Court to a woman, described as a “Datin”, who had physically abused her maid.

Rozita Mohamad Ali, 44, will now have to serve an eight-year jail sentence for causing grievous hurt to her domestic helper Suyanti Sutrinso, 21, at a house in Mutiara Damansara on June 21, 2016.

Judge Datuk Seri Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah also rejected the defence counsel's plea for a stay of execution and ordered Rozita to serve her sentence beginning Thursday (March 29).

Rozita's defence counsel Haniff Khatri Abdulla said his client was willing to have her passport impounded and to adhere to any other additional conditions imposed.

Dressed in black from head to toe, Rozita appeared calm and had an in-depth discussion with her platoon of lawyers led by Haniff Khatri.

Before she was handcuffed and led out of the court, she pinned part of her headscarf to cover the lower part of her face.

Rozita was initially charged under Section 307 of the Penal Code with attempted murder, which was later amended to Section 326 of the Penal Code for causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means.

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Dead penalty was better for this bastard

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She had pleaded guilty to the charge.

She had used a kitchen knife, a steel mop and an umbrella to attack her maid Suyanti at a house in Mutiara Damansara on June 21, 2016.

She was bound over for five years on a good behaviour bond of RM20,000 on March 15 by Sessions Court judge Mohammed Mokhzani Mokhtar.

However, the lenient sentence was criticised by members of the public who demanded she be duly dealt with for abusing Suyanti.

Source - TheNation

#Malaysia - Penang reports rising number of flood victims

The number of flood victims in Penang continues to rise with 5,845 recorded on Monday morning.

They are currently being sheltered at 62 evacuation centres.

The number of evacuees on Sunday night was 3,779.

Seberang Perai Utara district recorded the highest number of flood victims with 3,371, who are being housed at 30 centres, followed by Seberang Perai Tengah district with 2,119 staying at 27 centres.

The affected areas in Seberang Perai Utara are Sungai Dua, Nyior Sebatang, Lahar Yooi and Desa Murni while those in Seberang Perai Tengah are Kampung Tanjung Putus and Permatang Tinggi.

Thirty-three people are being sheltered at one centre in Seberang Perai Selatan district; 130 victims at two centres in Barat Daya district; and 192 people at two centres in Timur Laut district.

Meanwhile, Royal Malaysian Police, Civil Defence Force and Fire and Rescue Department personnel have been up and about from 6am to assist Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) students get to their schools for the respective examinations.

Almost the whole of Penang is flooded, with several areas inundated by 0.2m to 1m of floodwaters as a result of heavy rain and strong winds since Thursday.

The flood, reported to be the worst the state has ever experienced, has claimed seven lives.

Source - TheNation

 

#Cambodia - As region cracks down on migrants, agencies provide costly, illegal passport service.

Amid crackdowns on undocumented migrants in Malaysia and Thailand, demand for passports among Cambodian migrants has seen large spikes in recent weeks, with many making the costly journey to Phnom Penh to get their paperwork in order. 

However, several Cambodia-based travel agencies told The Post that they could, defying official policies, make passports for Cambodian citizens abroad – if the citizens had the wherewithal to pay around $600, or six times the official amount.

 BR

Though the agents stopped short of using the word “bribe” to describe their payments to Passport Department officials, by taking advantage of the “unofficial process”, the agencies fill in for a service that advocates say should be readily available at Cambodian embassies overseas – with one official insisting that it technically is, for workers and students.

But apparent confusion over that policy, along with what some have characterised as a lack of political will, leaves often low-paid migrant workers in the unenviable position of having to choose between paying to return home, or paying exorbitant fees from abroad to obtain the essential documents.

One travel agency employee, speaking on conditions of anonymity, said that while her agency took $115 to $235 to facilitate normal and express passports, respectively, for customers inside Cambodia. Her agency asks $590 from customers abroad, with $570 going to the Passport Department directly. 

Officially, passports cannot be made from abroad, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The documents cost $100 for a normal passport and $200 for a one-day expedited passport at the department’s offices in Phnom Penh.

However, the travel agency employee said migrants could send a photo of themselves, their old passport, a copy of an ID card, their family book and a copy of the passport of another Cambodian guarantor who confirms the person is abroad.

“The Messenger brings all of those documents to the Passport Department, then leaves the documents with the police there. The police process everything,” she said. 

And if, for example, the person did not have the family book, “we can still do it”, she said.

As those applying from abroad cannot give their thumbprints, the department “may reload it from the previous thumbprint of the passport owner when they made the old passport”, the employee added.

Thus, the new passport would have the same information as the old one, except for the updated photo.

She gave the example of a student in Canada who was unable to return. “His old passport nearly expired. He had an exam and couldn’t come home – so we did it for him,” she said.

The deputy director of the Passport Department, Sok Sophorn, denied the claims. “I don’t know about this service … I don’t know how they do it,” he said. 

Sophorn maintained that there was one possibility of getting a new passport when abroad, namely going to the embassy, which would send a diplomatic note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which in turn would submit a request to the Interior Ministry to issue a new passport.

This was only applicable, he said, for “migrant workers or students if they are busy and cannot go back”, and only the older five-year version of the passport could be issued. “For the new [10-year] one, we need the person to come back, as we need their finger prints.” 

Foreign Ministry spokesman Chum Sounry said he had never heard of this procedure. “For the moment, Cambodians have to go back [to Cambodia to get a passport],” he said. 

Despite the denials from the Passport Department and Foreign Ministry, Cambodian migrants in Malaysia told The Post earlier this month that they had to pay agencies fees of more than $800 to obtain new passports abroad, with multiple Cambodian agencies giving similar accounts.

Oeung Hong, the general manager of the RTR agency in Phnom Penh, also said migrants could get passports made from abroad through his company. “For $600, we can do it,” he said.

Of this, about $590 went to the passport department. “This is an unofficial process,” he said.

He said the Interior Ministry checked “the background of the passport owner” to confirm that the person was unable to travel back.

Another agency also confirmed that they offered the service – again for $600. An employee said it would take three weeks to process the passports, and that they would bring all documents – copy of ID card, photo and old passport – to the Interior Ministry. 

It remains unclear whether passports can be bought without an old passport.Preap Kol, Transparency International executive director, said the Interior Ministry “should promptly conduct an investigation to find out if there is any misconduct or corruption as being alleged”.

“If any misconduct or corruption is found, the punishment shall be made according to the laws,” he said.

Moeun Tola, of labour rights group Central, said that such high passport fees forced migrants into illegality. “If true, that is the main root cause that puts migrants into the undocumented status. If you can’t afford $600, you have to stay illegally,” he said. 

In the first two weeks of July, 79 Cambodian undocumented migrants were arrested in Malaysia in a crackdown by the Malaysian government, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. 

Officials at the Cambodian Embassy there said yesterday that they did not have updated figures, but noted that about 30 Cambodians were seeking shelter at the embassy. The officials directed all other questions to the Foreign Ministry before hanging up. 

Tola said the embassy indicated it didn’t have the resources to repatriate arrested undocumented workers because the Cambodian government allocated no resources.

“It’s not even about mass repatriation – also for individual cases they always approach the [International Organisation for Migration]. But IOM doesn’t fund unless they’re victims of human trafficking.”

The IOM could not be reached for comment yesterday. If passport and recruitment fees weren’t reduced, he said, migrants would continue to be pushed into undocumented status.

“That’s a big failure of the Cambodian government.” 

Additional reporting by Touch Sokha

Source - PhnomPenhPost