THE WORLD’S ELITE GOLFERS TO TAKE PART IN CIMB CLASSICS GOLF TOURNAMENT IN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, 24-28 OCTOBER 2012

The CIMB Classics golf tournament will be held at the Mines Resort & Golf in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 24 to 28 October 2012, attracting 48 of the world’s elite golfers including defending champion of last year, Bo Van Pelt and 2010 champion, Ben Crane. With numerous courses constructed by world-renowned designers and fair weather conditions year round, it is no wonder that Malaysia is fast becoming South-East Asia’s golfing paradise.

The CIMB Classic began two years ago and featured PGA Tour players and Asian Tour players; it will become a fully-fledged PGA Tour event starting in 2013. According to the Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, "since childhood it has been my dream that the PGA championship will be held in Malaysia." The CIMB Group Chief Executive Datuk Seri Nazir Razak stated: "we have signed an agreement for 5 years from 2012 to 2016.”

The competition format will be in accordance with the PGA Tour regulation of 72 holes. 30 of the players will come from the PGA Tour, 10 from the Asian tour and 8 from a sponsor invitation including 2 Malaysian professional players who will all compete to claim the total prize money of USD6.1 million with the champion receiving USD1.3 million. The total prize money will rise in 2013 to a massive USD7 million with 78 golfers competing.

There are now over 200 golf courses in Malaysia, 50 of which are of international standard, and with such diverse and scenic terrain; Malaysia offers a memorable golfing vacation for all. Golfers can tee off in the rolling landscapes next to the jungle, overlooking the South China Sea, or nestled amongst the sky scrapers in 1 of the 26 courses that are less than a 45 minute drive from Kuala Lumpur.  Penang boasts a further 5 luscious golf resorts and the islands of Langkawi have 2 courses renowned for their panoramic views. 

As well as the CIMB Classics, such high standard courses has resulted in events such as the Malaysian Open to be hosted and sanctioned by the Asia PGA Tour as well as the European PGA tour,  The Volvo Masters of Asia and the first ever IAGTO Asia Golf Tourism Convention held in April 2012.

Not only does Malaysia have a plethora of diverse courses and resorts, it is also affordable. One item of golfing equipment with a maximum weight of 15kg will be carried free with Malaysia Airlines and green fees range from £6 to £85, offering something for everyone, compared to an average green fee of £34 in the UK. Malaysia’s golfing resorts have also been developed with a keen eye for world-class amenities and great surrounding holiday attractions for a well-rounded vacation. 

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For more information, please contact:
Representation Plus
Flo Powell
Email: flo@representationplus.co.uk
Tel: 020 8877 4509 | Mob: 077 6624 2138
Visit: www.tourism.gov.my
Support for Press Trips is available for selected publications, please e-mail flo@representationplus.co.uk

Travel Packages
Destination Golf: offer 4 nights B&B at the 5-star Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur Hotel, 1 round of golf at The Mines and 1 round at Glenmarie, private airport and golf transfers. £795 per person based on twin/double share without flights or, based on Economy flights with Malaysia Airlines from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur the package price is £1,745 per person. To book Tel. 01737 771613 or Email: info@destinationgolf.co.uk. www.malaysiagolfholidays.co.uk.

TWITCH & WIN WITH MALAYSIA AT RUTLAND BIRDFAIR, 17-19 AUGUST

Tourism Malaysia will be running a competition on their stand (26-27, Marquee 5) whereby if visitors can name a selection of birds from the pictures presented to them then they will be entered into a prize draw. Spectacular prizes include a six day/five nights ‘Best of Peninsular Malaysia Nature Tour Package’ for two people, as well as a three day/two nights ‘Kinabatangan Wildlife Safari Tour Package’ for two.

Tourism Malaysia will be giving visitors a further insight into bird watching opportunities in Malaysia with three informative lectures taking place over the weekend.  The first on Friday 17 August from 12.30pm to 12.50pm will discuss ‘The Pittas of Danum Valley Sabah’ in Lecture Marquee 1. The second lecture takes place on the following day from 10.20am-10.40am in Lecture Marquee 2, given by Mr. Yeo Siew Teck of Cat City Holidays presenting the ‘Special Species of Birds in Sarawak’. The final of the three lectures is on Sunday 19 August in the Anglian Water Bird Watching Centre from 1.00pm-1.20pm, with Mr. Quentin Philips presenting the ‘Hornbill of Malaysia’.

Malaysia has an incredible diversity of birds for visitors to spot owing to its ranking among the world’s 12 mega biodiverse countries. Over 185 migrant birds visit Malaysia each year and there are about 570 bird species residing permanently in the misty forests and swampy mangroves, 52 of which are endemic to Borneo such as the Bornean Wren Babbler and 4 endemic to Peninsular Malaysia. There are also opportunities to spot rare and globally threatened birds, such as the Lesser Adjutant Stork and Nordmann’s Greenshank in Penang, the Blue Banded Kingfisher and Masked Finfoot in Taman Negara.

The following experts will be present at the Tourism Malaysia stand to discuss their tours and the many exciting bird watching adventures possible in Malaysia:

Mr. Adrian Chin – Borneo Eco Tour, Senior Bird Guide (Sabah)

Mr. Baton Bijamin – Borneo Eco Tours, General Manager (Sabah)

Mr. Lawrence Chin, General Manager, Tabin Widlife Resort (Sabah)

Mr. Mano Tharmalingam, Director, Kingfisher Tours (Peninsular Malaysia)

Mr. Yeo Siew Teck, Tour Director, Cat City Holidays (Sarawak)

The Birdfair is undoubtedly the event of the year for those interested in birds and wildlife, with the event encompassing the whole spectrum of the bird watching industry whilst also supporting global bird conservation. As Global Sponsor of the BirdLife International Flyways Programme, Birdfair 2012 is raising funds to support conservation action in the East Asian/Australasian Flyway with Tourism Malaysia exhibiting throughout the event, showcasing the nation’s many bird watching activities.

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For more information, please contact:
Representation Plus
Flo Powell
Email: flo@representationplus.co.uk
Tel: 020 8877 4509
Mob: 077 6624 2138
Visit: www.tourism.gov.my

Travel Packages
Travelbag (0871 703 4040 www.travelbag.co.uk) is offering a 10 day Borneo Experience Escorted Tour from £2,059 per person including flights with Vietnam Airlines from London to Kuala Lumpur and internal flights with Air Asia. Book by 30 September for travel between 1 November and 8 December 2012.

Hayes & Jarvis (0844 415 1918 / www.hayesandjarvis.com) is offering a twin destination trip to Kuala Lumpur and Taman Negara. Take in Kuala Lumpur's iconic skyline before taking a Jungle Safari at Taman Negara - on a one-week twin-centre holiday with prices from £1,299 per person (based on two sharing) - saving 17 per cent (£261pp), the trip combines four nights' room-only at the four-star Istana Hotel in Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle district with three nights at the Mutiara Taman Negara Resort. Departing on 1 February 2013, the package includes return Malaysia Airlines flights from London Heathrow, seven nights accommodation and guided jungle treks where visitors can observe the many different species of birds.

LEGOLAND MALAYSIA TO OPEN 15 SEPTEMBER 2012

Park begins countdown to 15 September official opening date 

First-of-its-kind theme park in Asia begins sale of discounted day tickets 

Over 35,000 annual passes sold to date 

To the delight of families everywhere, LEGOLAND® Malaysia has revealed its official opening date: Saturday, September 15, 2012. This news will bring Merlin Entertainments Group one step closer to opening its first LEGOLAND park in Asia. Inspired by Asia’s growing love affair with all things LEGO®, the new 76-acre theme park will cater to kids from 2 to 12 with more than 40 rides and attractions – from roller coasters to race cars as well as family-focused interactive shows. 

LEGOLAND® Malaysia is based in Kota Iskandar, Johor, in the southern region of Peninsular Malaysia, approximately 350km from Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. UK visitors can fly to the closest airport Johor Bahru via Kuala Lumpur. For more information on how to get to LEGOLAND® Malaysia please visit www.legoland.com.my. Johor is linked to Singapore via the Causeway and is known as the ‘Southern Gateway to Malaysia’.  Apart from LEGOLAND®  Malaysia, Johor also offers visitors the chance to experience ancient rainforests, pristine islands, world-renowned golf courses and shopping malls and the capital, Johor Bahru, is famous for its historical buildings and impressive architecture. For more information on visiting Malaysia please go to www.tourism.gov.my. 

Siegfried Boerst, General Manager of LEGOLAND Malaysia, stated: “Our official opening date has been something we’ve had a lot of enquiries from the public on since the park broke ground in December 2009. I’m pleased to announce that due to the hard work of all of our contractors we will now be opening LEGOLAND Malaysia ahead of schedule by a number of months. We hope that with today’s news families and tour operators will begin planning their trips to visit us and we look forward to giving you an experience like no other in Asia. Rather appropriately we will be opening the day before Malaysia Day which happens to be a long weekend!” 

Mr Boerst also announced that the official park single-day tickets are now on sale. These tickets will be priced at a special introductory offer of RM96 (£20) for adults (regular price RM140- £29) and RM70 (£15) for kids/senior citizens (regular price RM110 - £23). The 30% discount will be for a limited period only, so avid LEGOLAND fans are advised to keep a close eye on the LEGOLAND Malaysia website www.LEGOLAND.com.my for announcements. 

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Representation Plus, Flo Powell

Email: flo@representationplus.co.uk

Tel: 020 8877 4509 | Mob: 077 6624 2138

Visit: www.tourism.gov.my

Notes to Editors:

About LEGOLAND Malaysia 

LEGOLAND Malaysia is the sixth LEGOLAND to be built in the world and the very first in Asia. Targeted at families with children between the ages of two to twelve years, LEGOLAND Parks are based on the universally popular LEGO construction toy range. They offer families the opportunity to bond, learn and push the boundaries of their imaginations through LEGO experiences. At LEGOLAND, families can practice their imagination and creativity, have fun while learning, and understand the importance of caring and quality. Families will be immersed in a unique mix of kid-powered rides, building challenges, spectacular LEGO models, interactive attractions, family-friendly coasters and shows that pull the audience into the action. LEGOLAND Malaysia will feature more than 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions when it opens. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and Knob configurations and LEGOLAND are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ®2011 The LEGO Group. LEGOLAND MALAYSIA IS A PART OF THE MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS GROUP 

Other LEGOLAND theme parks across the world are situated in Denmark, United Kingdom, Germany and USA with Florida and California locations. 

LEGOLAND Malaysia will be located in Iskandar Malaysia and is made possible through IDR Resorts and Merlin Entertainment, the world’s second largest visitor attraction operator.  Visit www.LEGOLAND.com.my for more information. 

About Iskandar Investment Bhd (IIB) 

Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB) is a strategic developer of catalytic projects, working closely with the authorities, other developers and investment partners in the region to achieve Iskandar Malaysia’s vision of becoming a sustainable metropolis of international standing. It is the commercial arm of the Government that has been formed to spearhead the development and transformation of Iskandar Malaysia by conceptualising and developing catalytic projects that generate significant multiplier effects. These projects act as accelerators in the development of a new connected urban ecosystem designed for the 21st century. 

IIB aspires to create a world-class connected liveable community in the heart of Southeast Asia that will lead the change for future generations to come. 

IIB oversees the development of approximately 36 sq km (8,889.21 acres), or approximately two per cent, of land in Iskandar Malaysia. These landbanks are strategically located in close proximity to Singapore as well as Johor’s logistics hubs, namely the Senai Airport and the international ports of Tanjung Langsat, Pasir Gudang and Tanjung Pelepas, to ensure accessibility to and from all parts of the world. 

Aligned with Malaysia’s aim to become a high-income nation, IIB drives investments across clusters in high-value service sectors to support the development of Iskandar Malaysia focusing on education, leisure and tourism, healthcare and wellness, and the creative industry. 

For more information on IIB, please visit www.iskandarinvestment.com.  

VISITOR ARRIVALS TO MALAYSIA RISE 1.2% IN FIRST 5 MONTHS OF 2012

Malaysia recorded an overall growth of 1.2% in tourist arrivals with 9,438,592 tourists for the first five months of 2012 as compared to 9,323,827 for the same period last year, confirmed by the Tourism Minister, Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen. The Asean region contributed the largest number of tourists to Malaysia with 73.4% of the total arrivals.

Total receipts by tourists from January to May 2012 rose by +1.9%, generating RM21.8 billion to the country’s revenue compared to RM21.4 billion in 2011. The tourists’ per capita expenditure for that period is estimated at RM 2,309, an increase of 0.7% on 2011.

The minister added that in line with the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan 2020 towards achieving 36 million tourist and 168billion in receipts by 2020, it is important for Malaysia to shift its focus on growing yield per tourist rather than to rely heavily on growth in tourist arrivals. “To attract the higher yield segment, we will need to enhance connectivity to key priority markets.”

The successful Homestay Programme has been identified by the Ministry to develop rural tourism; the programme recorded a significant increase of 38.4% of occupancy rate compared to 24.9% for the same period last year. A total of 133,689 tourists visited a homestay from January to May 2012 of which 110,322 were domestic tourists and the rest 23,367 were foreign visitors. This is a 70.7% increase compared to the same period last year. Tourist receipts from the homestay programme for the first five months of 2012 also generated RM 7,376,446.50 (+53.1%) compared to RM4, 817,158.30 in January to May 2011. Increased spending by these tourists has stimulated the rural economy and the homestay tourism programme has encouraged local communities to be a part of rural based tourism whilst maintaining their traditions and identities.

Recognized as one of the National Key Economic Areas, the tourism industry remains as one of the major contributors to Gross National Income, foreign exchange earnings and employment. In 2011, tourism ranked seventh largest contributor with a GNI total of USD12.3billion and the third largest foreign exchange earner after manufacturing and palm oil. The Malaysian tourism industry in 2010 provided 1.8 million jobs (16% share of employment in tourism to total employment). Amongst the 12 Entry Point Projects are duty free shopping, luxury tourism, designating KLCC–Bukit Bintang area as a vibrant shopping precinct, improving business tourism and increasing the supply of 4 & 5 star hotel rooms.

The percentage of tourist shopping recorded from January to May 2012 shows 32.3% (RM7.04 billion) of the total tourist receipts, an increase of 30% on 2011. The covered walkway connecting Bukit Bintang and KLCC, completed early this year, to facilitate shopping has shown a positive impact.

To attract increased high yield tourists, the Ministry of Tourism has a target to increase the number of quality four & five star hotel rooms from 59,804 to 37,000 by 2020. Currently 71% of the target has been achieved with 2,123 rooms completed.

Malaysia prides itself as a world class destination for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE). The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) successfully secured 33 major events throughout January to May 2012, attracting total delegates of 50,770 and generating an estimated economic impact of RM499.9 mil. The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Rankings 2011 ranked Kuala Lumpur number 21 in the world and number 5 in Asia Pacific. Malaysia ranked number 29 in the world and number 7 in Asia Pacific.

In order to grow the tourism industry, efforts have intensified towards enhancing existing tourism products and developing new, creative and innovative tourism products. This included the “1Malaysia International Shoe Festival 2012”, “1Malaysia International Tourism Exchange 2012”, “1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism 2012” and the most recent “1Malaysia International Tourism Night Floral Parade 2012”.

The Ministry of Tourism’s ‘Malaysia: Truly Asia’ branding is recognised worldwide and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has ranked Malaysia the ninth most travelled to destination in the world.

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For more information, please contact:
Representation Plus, Flo Powell
Email: flo@representationplus.co.uk
Tel: 020 8877 4509 | Mob: 077 6624 2138
Visit: www.tourism.gov.my

KL: ASIA’S NEW SHOPAHOLIC HAVEN

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s Capital City is fast becoming the premier shopping capital of South East Asia. With its multitude of luxury malls and top brands offering a variety of clothes, cosmetics, shoes, handbags and the latest in technological and electrical appliances. The fantastic exchange rates, duty free status on most items plus the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival (15 June – 01 September) and End of Year Sale (10 November – 01 January) result in visitors to KL enjoying great shopping safe in the knowledge that it is money well spent. Plus there are fantastic value for money holiday and stopover packages from just £752 p/p in August and £640 p/p in December 2012.

                                                                               

Shopaholics can make the most of discounted goods during the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival with a string of promotions from 15 June to 02 September 2012. Christmas shopping is also made both simple and affordable with Malaysia’s End of Year Sale from 10 November 2012 to 01 January 2013. During the sales months shoppers are treated to unbelievable discounts, bargains and promotions on everything from top brands to souvenirs. Another event not to be missed is Kuala Lumpur’s Annual 1Malaysia International Shoe Festival at the end of March, showcasing all types of shoes from glamorous stilettos to stylish sandals. The festival takes visitors on a fascinating journey into the world of designer footwear, this year included a presentation by shoe couturier and Tourism Ambassador Professor Dato Jimmy Choo.

Kuala Lumpur is home to 23 world class shopping malls such as The Sunway Pyramid (pictured) and Mid Valley Megamall, both fully equipped with the latest designer stores. The bustling retail district of Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur houses its own popular shopping malls such as Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and Starhill Gallery, both offering luxurious brands including Montblanc, Burberry, Prada and Versace. Starhill Gallery is also known as the Fine Watch Retail Centre as it houses the single largest concentration of the world’s leading watch brands.

Alongside this plethora of shopping malls, Kuala Lumpur also houses premium and designer stand-alone boutiques, such as Louis Vuitton, and the Suria KLCC shopping mall, located at the base of the famous Petronas Twin Towers. Visit the shops Dewi Moon, Arzu and Sibel to pick up something exclusively Asian or travel to 2201 Fashion Avenue in The Gardens Mid Valley City shopping centre to witness the fashion works of local designers aspiring to become household names, such as Khoon Hooi, Von Jolly and Nazleen Noor.

Serious bargain hunters should head to the many street markets, where they can pick up a huge variety of local goods and products including handicrafts such as batik, pewter plates & vases, silverware and woodcarvings. Petaling Street, in Kuala Lumpur’s China Town hosts the Pasar Malam (night market). After 6pm, the market takes over the road and the street comes alive with stalls, restaurants and crowds. Here you can buy anything from handbags to souvenirs, watches, clothes, herbal remedies, local trinkets and spices. The ideal place to test your bargaining skills.

Malaysia also has domestic designated duty free islands, Langkawi, Labuan, and Tioman, offering an extensive range of items to be purchased at special tax exempt prices. In Kuah Town, the central district of

Langkawi, rows of stores can be found selling electronic gadgets, household goods, branded products, cosmetics and fragrances, and the island also has its own megamalls to enjoy: Langkawi Mall, Langkawi Fair Complex and Jetty Point Duty Free Complex.  

-ENDS- 

For more information, please contact:

Representation Plus

Flo Powell

Email: flo@representationplus.co.uk

Tel: 020 8877 4509 | Mob: 077 6624 2138

Visit: www.tourism.gov.my

Travel Packages

STA Travel (0800 9880390 or visit  www.statravel.co.uk) offer a 6 night stay at 4 star Citrus Hotel, Kuala Lumpur for £752 per person flying on Sri Lankan airways departing on the 23 August and £640 per per person flying on Etihad Airlines on 3 December.

Trailfinders (0207 368 1200 or www.trailfinders.com) offer a 5 night holiday staying at 4 star Park Royal Kuala Lumpur with FREE breakfast from £679 per person. Price includes flights from London Gatwick on Vietnam Airlines & 20% off selected spa treatments. Valid for selected December departures.

Hayes & Jarvis (0844 415 1918 www.hayesandjarvis.com) offer a package departing on 1 October: a one-week twin-centre holiday to Malaysia from £995 per person (based on two sharing). The package includes two nights’ room-only at the Hotel Capitol in Kuala Lumpur, five nights’ B&B at Mutiara Burau Bay Beach Resort, Langkawi, return Malaysia Airlines flights from London Heathrow and transfers.

Kuoni (01306 747008 or www.kuoni.co.uk) offer three nights room only at the Dorsett Regency, Kuala Lumpur in a deluxe room, including flights with Etihad Airways from Heathrow (via Abu Dhabi) with private transfers in resort. Prices for July/August from £1,113 per person and December £962 per person, based on two sharing.

MALAYSIA: ARGUABLY SOUTH EAST ASIA’S PREMIUM SAILING DESTINATION

There are a growing number of marinas and yacht clubs throughout Malaysia and the country’s unique natural environment provides a colourful backdrop for exciting sailing holidays. Boaters and yachters can explore the islands, coastal estuaries and seas and when taking a break from sailing, can enjoy snorkelling and diving or relaxing on the long stretches of sandy beaches or even get a taste of Malaysia’s diverse cultural heritage. Malaysia is home to Asia’s premier annual sailing event, The Royal Langkawi International Regatta in January 2013 with 7 night packages from £899. See below for more details. 

 

Langkawi is a great place for sailing holidays as the waters of the Adaman Sea are ideal, the sailing infrastructure is excellent, it is a resort island with an abundance of attractions and is home to Asia’s premier sailing event, The Royal Langkawi International Regatta hosted by Royal Langkawi Yacht Club in January 2013. The Royal Langkawi International Regatta hosts many different classes of competition, including Racing Class, IRC Class, Sports Boat, Multihull, Club Cruising and Ocean Rover. Yacht owners can be part of the 11th International Regatta in January 2013 for as little as £111 (www.langkawiregatta.com).

 Langkawi also plays host to the last leg of the The Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta on 16 – 24 November 2012. This annual International Regatta, organised by the Royal Selangor Yacht Club, consists of three overnight passage races covering 240 miles, plus three days of harbour racing in Penang and Langkawi. The Regatta is a great social event with regatta dinners almost every night resulting in the onshore activities being just as exciting as the sailing.

Malaysia’s sailing industry has gone from strength to strength ever since Datuk Azhar Mansor, a Malaysian sailor, captured the world’s attention and put Malaysia on the marine map with his successful solo circumnavigation of the globe in 1999. East Malaysia offers adventurous sailing with excellent marina facilities at Kota Kinabalu’s Sutera Harbour whilst famous West Coast ports frequently visited by sailors include Port Dickson, Port Klang, Lumut, Penang, and Malaysia’s largest marina the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club.

For those holidaymakers who love the water but may not have their own yacht or sail boat, the sport of Dragon Boat Racing provides a whole new experience to a water race. Dragon Boat Racing is popular all over Malaysia, in particular in Penang, where the annual Penang International Dragon Boat Racing Festival is held. The festival takes place at the end of June each year at the Teluk Bahang Dam and attracts teams who are members of the International Dragon Boat Federation from all over the world and each race has a maximum of twenty two participants, all of whom need to have strength, endurance and synchronized movements to win. The paddlers face the drummer who stands at the front of the boat, signalling their team to paddle on every beat of the drum. The beating drums, teeming crowds and colourful dragon boats provide an electric atmosphere. 

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Representation Plus

Flo Powell

Email: flo@representationplus.co.uk

Tel: 020 8877 4509

Mob: 077 6624 2138

Visit: www.tourism.gov.my

Travel Packages

STA Travel (0800 9880390 or visit  www.statravel.co.uk) offer a 7 night package to Langkawi in early January for £899 staying at 3*Citin Hotel or £1,134 staying at 3* Holiday Villa Beach Resort & Spa.

 You could add an additional 3 night stay in KL to any of the Langkawi packages for an extra £100pp.

Hayes & Jarvis (0844 415 1918 www.hayesandjarvis.com) can offer a package departing on 05 January: a one-week twin-centre holiday to Malaysia costs from £1,195 per person (based on two sharing). The package includes two nights’ room-only at the Hotel Capitol in Kuala Lumpur, five nights’ B&B at Mutiara Burau Bay Beach Resort, Langkawi, return Malaysia Airlines flights from London Heathrow and transfers.

Trailfinders (0207 368 1200 or www.trailfinders.com) offer a 7 night holiday staying at 3+ star Berjaya Langkawi Resort with breakfast & transfers from £1,279 per person. Price includes flights from London Heathrow on Malaysian Airlines & is valid for selected January departures.

Kuoni (01306 747008 or www.kuoni.co.uk) offer seven nights on room only at the Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa, Langkawi in a garden terrace room, including flights with Malaysia Airlines from Heathrow with private transfers in resort.  Prices for January 2013 are from £1,425 per person, based on two sharing.

Well-trained cabbies will improve tourists’ perception of Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA: A well-trained stable of taxi drivers will help shape and improve tourists' perception of the country, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said thousands of taxi drivers nationwide interacted with tourists every day, making them an important first point of contact with foreign visitors.

“If taxi drivers are polite, courteous and customer-friendly, speak good things about the country and show a positive attitude, tourists will feel welcomed.

“Tourists meet thousands of taxi drivers and through their interactions, tourists' perception of Malaysia is formed,” he said yesterday at the launch of the Taxi Tourism Ambassadors programme at Dataran Putra here.

VIP passenger: An elated Najib boarding a taxi for a tour around Putrajaya during the launch of the Taxi Tourism Ambassadors programme at Dataran Putra.

Over 500 taxi drivers turned up for the launch, which was also attended by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen and Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar.

The Government aims to train some 4,000 taxi drivers, who will be selected to attend a one-day course at the Malaysian Tourism Centre to learn how to become effective tourism ambassadors.

Najib noted that the Government had also not forgotten about the welfare of taxi drivers, repeating his pledge to come up with a new model that would give taxi drivers better earnings and more independence in their work.

For the full article please visit http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/7/5/nation/11608674&sec=nation.