AirAsia X chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani told reporters Wednesday that this hub would serve the region and beyond and was part of the airline’s expansion strategy.
He said the hub would be used for flights from Malaysia to Middle Eastern destinations as well as from the Middle East to Europe.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said the rate now was at the commercial rate just like other business premises.
She said the effort was to raise the image of MMSC, especially in terms of brightness of business outlets.
"Shopping complexes will have to be fitted with special meters for the new rates," she said after presenting prizes to winners of the MMSC Awards here yesterday.
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and Sunway Pyramid won awards for being best in the Thematic Decoration category while Mid Valley Megamall and 1 Utama Shopping Centre were best in the Promotions and Events category.
Marina Bay Sands expects MICE business to be in full swing in five years
Marina Bay Sands, the US$5.5bil integrated resort in Singapore, is expected to see its meeting, incentive, convention and exhibitions (MICE) business run at capacity in three to five years after the resort opens its doors early next year.
President and chief operating officer Michael A. Leven said it would take time for Marina Bay Sands to attract the biggest and leading conventions and trade shows but he was confident that Asia’s largest ballroom would see its enormous capacity taken up in a matter of time.
“It is going to take a couple of years. Usually in the hospitality and convention industry, the problem is some of these conventions get booked four to five years in advance, especially the very large ones,” he said in a briefing.
“It’s going to take some time before that frees up.”
Leven was speaking after the topping-up ceremony of Marina Bay Sands earlier this month.
The Marina Bay Sands construction site stands along a major highway in Singapore. The US$5.5bil Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino project is expected to open in January or February. – AP When completed, the resort’s MICE facilities would cater to 45,000 delegates.
There will be 250 meeting rooms at the facility and the building is able to host 2,000 booths.
The ballroom alone can cater up to 11,000 people in a single event.
“I view this particular product as being the dominant Asian MICE building and Singapore has tremendous appeal internationally. I don’t see why this won’t be on the circuit of the major trade shows,” said Leven.
“The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is sold out and it is not very big, We get a shot at that (business).”
On its own, the MICE business will not be a tremendous profit centre for the resort as Leven said it would feed onto what the rest of the integrated resort had to offer.
The resort would be cashflow positive within the first couple of months of operations, said Leven.
Marina Bay Sands is the most expensive “casino” in the Las Vegas Sands group.
The iconic development features three 55-storey hotels that will have a 375m long SkyPark on the top of the hotels. The SkyPark will have 1ha of open space.
Leven said Marina Bay Sands would have greater variety than the group’s business in Macau in its present configuration.
“Macau is heavily gaming-orientated. We are in the process of building our MICE and tourist businesses there but it is a much smaller situation because of the nature of Macau as a destination,” he said.
Leven said Singapore was more couple- and family-friendly than Macau had traditionally been.
“A higher percentage of our business will come from non-gaming operations than Macau today. Over the future we expect Macau to change its percentage as the Cotai Strip gets more built up. Marina Bay Sands will be more typical of Las Vegas than Macau is today,” he said.
Leven was also cordial when discussing the competition between Marina Bay Sands and Genting’s Resorts World at Sentosa saying the two resorts complement instead of compete with each other.
“I think Genting is a significant addition. I like the idea. I know it sounds strange liking Genting there because I think it’s going to help the overall tourist attraction base to Singapore itself,” he said.
Leven said the promotional activity by both integrated resorts would only help and their respective themes and features would be enough to differentiate one from another.
“From a marketing perspective, Sentosa will be more a family-orientated resort than we will. There will be some meeting and small MICE competition.
“From a competition standpoint and from the business travel, there will not be a significant amount of competition.
“There is a very big difference between the two places,” he said, adding that competition would be limited to the VIP and premium players at their respective casinos.
Leven said that once Marina Bay Sands fully opened, the number of people on its premises should average between 50,000 and 75,000 daily.
It would go as high as 100,000 people on certain days. The visitors to the Macau Venetian is roughly 65,000 people a day.
Marina Bay Sands is counting on attracting a large number of visitors from Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Thailand.
Even the vote of no confidence was controversial because it took place during an event to hand over duties last Thursday and those who voted for it were 16 members of the new exco of president Datuk Joshua Peter Tan.
This prompted Tan to call for a press conference on Wednesday to clear the air and reveal the results of investigations into the alleged phantom voters.
“There will be no cover up. The report will be open to all for scrutiny. We are quite certain that there are no phantom voters in the registry,” he said.
Tan labelled the meeting during which the no-confidence votes was tabled as illegal.
“It was an illegal sitting of past and present exco members which took place after the handover ceremony and before the new exco meeting. It is not provided for in the association’s constitution,” he said.
Tan said according to the constitution, any vote must amount to two-thirds of the 33 members of the exco.
On complaints that he had ignored requests by some current exco members to discuss issues during the hand-over ceremony, Tan said it was to be discussed during the exco meeting scheduled for later that day.
“We could not discuss it in the morning as the outgoing exco members were there and they had no locus standi,” he added.
Immediate past-president Ngiam Foon said the 16 exco members formed a majority out of the 24 current exco members present during the handover ceremony.
When contacted, each of the 16 members said they were from the current exco line up and they had all agreed to support the motion of no-confidence.
Kedah chapter chairman Ahmad Pishol Ishak pointed out that members respected the chair and was ready to work with him.
Federal Territory representative Ramchand D. said Tan ignored the fact that the minutes of the last exco meeting held on May 30 had to be discussed during last week’s handover.
“This is simply to ensure continuity,” he said.
Vice-president for ticketing K. Thangavelu said while he agreed with Tan in certain areas, he regretted the way the new president had conducted last week’s meeting.
“The other exco members just wanted to go through the items they wanted to be included in the agenda,” he said.
Ngiam claimed that Tan could not have legally adjourned the meeting and left the room with seven of his exco members.
Six hotels in the city have been targetted with the latest reported on July 15, though it is still unclear whether this is a single group or several acting with the same mode of operation.
Hoteliers are now deeply concerned with the number of incidents that have occurred since May.
These sets of pictures show foreigners, believed to be Latin Americans, at work. (Click here to see CCTV images)
In one, a woman, elegantly dressed, snatches a purse as she walks past a table at a hotel coffee house at breakfast time. The crime went unnoticed and was only later detected on closed circuit television CCTV cameras. She was not caught.
Malay Mail in the past, has carried several articles on Latin American syndicates targetting hotel guests and making off with their belongings.
Some have been arrested while some are still at large. Those arrested have been prosecuted, jailed and deported.
These are images taken from several hotels in the city which have become the syndicates latest victims.
In the latest case on July 15, the suspects, in a group of three - two males and a female - made off with a luggage belonging to a hotel guest.
Their act was caught on CCTV cameras in which they seemed to have followed the victim into the hotel.
The victim placed his backpack on the floor behind him. A male suspect, wearing a black jacket, pretends to be a tour agent, with a white tag on his jacket.
Meanwhile, the female suspect pretends to be a hotel guest while another male suspect observes the surrounding.
It was so well planned, that the victim did not notice his bag had been stolen at first. The hotel was alerted to the incident later.
The syndicate not only strike at the lobby but also coffee houses and conference rooms, mingling with the crowd before making their move.
They have made off with laptops, digital cameras, purses, handbags and luggage all in broad daylight.
In one case, a suspect was arrested while trying to escape with a luggage.
He was caught by a bell boy who noticed him walking away with a bag belonging to a hotel guest. He was stopped and arrested. His accomplice, a woman, however, managed to escape. This attempted theft occurred on July 2.
July 8, 2008: The “Snake Charmers”, a Middle- Eastern couple, with a child, stole money through hypnotism and sleight of hand. They were spotted near a five-star hotel in Jalan Bukit Bintang approaching its entrance at 11pm. As the child played around the entrance the couple scouted for potential victims. However, they were recognised by hotel security and ran off before they could be caught. The “snake charmers” are believed to have struck more than 10 times in Kuala Lumpur and other States in the last two years.
Sept 20, 2008: A suspect, believed to be Middle Eastern or Latin American caught on CCTV footage, stole a room key card from a guest at the poolside and immediately went up to the room and stole her valuables. The guest went back to her room with a replacement key, to discover her laptop, wireless mouse, Internet cable and plug, computer case and digital camera missing. Earlier that same day at 3pm, the suspect had struck at another hotel and stole a woman’s handbag while she went to the toilet with her children. Though she was with her husband, he was too busy reading the newspapers to realise what had happened.
Sept 26, 2008: A hotel burglar, thought to be of Middle Eastern or Latin American origin, was caught on CCTV in five-star hotels in the city. In a late night incident on Sept 18, a hotel guest checking in at the counter, placed his luggage beside him on the floor. While the guest was busy, a man stood behind him, as though he was also queuing behind him but calmly bent down and took the guest’s hand-carry luggage, placed it on his shoulder and stood there for a few seconds before walking off.
Aug 23, 2008: A woman, masquerading as an Arab during the “Arab season”, snuck up to an Arab family having breakfast at a hotel in Batu Ferringhi and grabbed a handbag that was on a chair. However, the theft was noticed and she was held by the father of the family and sent to the Batu Ferringhi police station.
Aug 24, 2008: A female guest from a hotel in Penang was checking out and had placed her handbag next to a sofa in the hotel lobby before going to the reception counter to settle her bill. She returned to the sofa minutes later and found her handbag missing, losing her IC, credit cards, car keys and RM3,000. CCTV recordings showed three South American men sitting down on the sofa next to the woman, eyeing her handbag closely. They had dropped a set of keys on the floor to distract the woman.
April 17, 2009: Korean national Kevin Kee Bung Rhee, 46, lost his laptop, pda, and camera to a wily thief when he was at the check-in counter of the Petaling Jaya Hilton. He had placed his hand luggage beside him and it suddenly went missing. CCTV footage showed a man dressed in a T-shirt, long pants and sneakers, reaching out beside Kee and making off with his luggage.
HOTEL 1
A sequence of A woman and a man believed to be Latin American went in a coffee shop and made off with valuables including a purse which victims left on their tables while they went to get the food from the buffet counter during breakfast time. They were all smartly dressed and walked out of the hotel coolly minutes later.
HOTEL 3 (JULY 3)
Two suspects made off with a bag belonging to
the woman seen in the image. She left her bag
at the table while she joined her husband and
son at the buffet counter.
HOTEL 4 (JULY 11)
Two men believed to be Latin American leaving
a hotel. The guy in front has a camera bag slung
on his shoulder. The camera which was worth
about RM1,300 was stolen from a lounge of a hotel
in the city. They were believed to be the same
suspects that struck a hotel in Ampang last month.
HOTEL 5 (JULY 13)
A suspect carrying a laptop bag which was said
to have been stolen from a function at a hotel.
He easily moved in and mixed with the crowd and
no one noticed anything amiss as no one knew
each other.
HOTEL 6 (JULY 15)
The foreigners said to be a Latin American Gang
that made off with a luggage belonging to a hotel
guest. There are three of them.
In welcoming another theme park to Pahang, the Mentri Besar said he was happy to note that such a big project could still proceed as planned despite the current global economic crisis.
“This shows that with the right approach and good management, any business venture can succeed,” he said after opening the Bukit Gambang Water Park in Gambang near here.
“In this regard, I urge all businessmen particularly bumiputras, to emulate our Chinese counterparts in ensuring the success of their projects,” he said.
Adnan said he was confident that the park would attract more visitors both Malaysians and foreigners to the state, echoing the success of Genting Highlands.
He said visitors could enjoy a smoother and faster journey via the East Coast Expressway.
The theme park is the first in the east coast offering an 8.1ha man-made lake, largest wave pool with eight modes of waves, longest family raft ride and six-lane racer slide complete with timing scoreboard.
It is part of the development of Bukit Gambang Resort City, an integrated resort city, built based on the concept of nature preservation and family-oriented attractions.
The number of Middle Eastern tourists visiting Malaysia this month and next could plunge by half based on initial data obtained from travel agencies.
Traditionally, more Arab tourists reach Malaysia in the third quarter alone than in the first half of the year.
They also spend three times more than the average tourist.
Based on the RM6,070 spending per person, a 50 per cent drop in arrivals could result in potential revenue loss of RM300 million for the country.
While the tourism industry had expected a decline in arrivals given the shorter summer prior to the fasting month of Ramadan, they did not expect the number to be halved.
Factors cited for the decline, apart from the global economic crisis and influenza A(H1N1), included the lack of advertisements in the Arab world this year.
In July-September last year, Middle East tourist arrivals fell 6.3 per cent to 108,665 from the comparable period in 2007.
Asia Overland Services Tour And Travels group managing director Anthony Wong said its inbound market from the Middle East had dropped 40-50 per cent.
"We used to bring in 18,000 to 22,000 in July and August. Now, we are not busy at all," he told Business Times.
"This time around, we have been told by our agents in the Middle East that there has been a lack of advertisements compared to previous years," Wong said.
World Express Tours group president Tunku Iskandar Tunku Abdullah said that business at his agency had fallen 70 per cent in terms of tourist arrivals as well as value.
"Currently, even forward booking is down due to the lack of advertisements in the Middle East," Tunku Iskandar said.
He said that agents in the Middle East had told him that there had been a significant drop in advertisements on Malaysia compared to previous years.
"They tell me that there is very little promotion that consumers can see compared to previously and to advertisements to other destinations like Thailand, Singapore and Australia."
Asia Experience Tours, touted as the largest agency for inbound travel from the Middle East, is expecting a more than 40 per cent drop in business in terms of tourist numbers and value.
Its chief executive officer Ngiam Foon described this year as a "disaster", citing the economic crisis, H1N1 outbreak and other, better, deals offered by regional competitors.
"This year, they are not coming in big numbers," he said.
Calls to the secretary-general of the Ministry of Tourism went unanswered.
It is understood that the advertisement and promotion budget alone for Middle East countries in 2007 and last year was around RM20 million.
In reality, the amount is far more when the cost of its officers' fees, mega familiarisation programme, agent incentives and contributions from airlines are taken into account.
Last week, the Minister of Tourism revised downwards the projection for tourist arrivals this year to 19 million from 20 million.
As international traveller numbers drop around the globe, Malaysia is bucking the trend reporting an increase of 3.5% in the number of international travellers arriving in the country in the first half of the year.
11.3 million international visitors stepped past the country’s borders this January to June period, a 3.5% increase when compared to the same six months in 2008. ?June alone saw a 7.5% jump in international travellers to 2.1 million travellers.
“The top ten tourist generating markets for June 2009 were Singapore (1,222,096), Indonesia (215,948), Thailand (107,526), Brunei (107,083), China (including Hong Kong & Macau) (58,351), India (57,603), Australia (39,536), the Philippines (37,701), the United Kingdom (32,962) and Japan (25,924),” said Tourism Malaysia in a statement.
Surprisingly Iranian arrivals were the biggest growth market, jumping some 94.2% in June when compared to June 2008.? Iran was followed by and Canada, with massive 65.5% and 51.7% growth rates respectively.
Slightly closer, New Zealand and Australian arrivals also jumped 33.4% and 24.9% reaching 4,105 and 230,117 in total visitor numbers respectively.
Of its top three countries, Singapore performed incredibly well, jumping 25.1%, but this was counterbalanced by a similar drop of 25.4% from the Thailand market, Indonesia edged up slightly by 3.3%.
Tourism Malaysia notes that the big drops from Asian source markets were likely “due to the global economic crisis, as well as the effect of Influenza A(H1N1)”.Resorts World Singapore
Most airlines, in trying to mitigate the impact of fuel price volatility, have resorted to stringent baggage restrictions as part of measures to achieve better fuel efficiency.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), every 1% improvement in fuel efficiency across the aviation industry can lower fuel costs by US$700mil annually. This is unsurprising since fuel cost is the second-largest cost for airlines after labour.
Passengers on AirAsia flights are encouraged to travel light, like using carry-on luggage, to minimise checked-in baggage. They are allowed to have one carry-on luggage of up to 7kg, plus free 15kg allowance for checked-in baggage.
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MAS general manager for corporate safety, security, health and environment, Ooi Teong Siew, said reducing weight was one of the static techniques, which include ensuring aircraft are well trimmed and engines cleaned regularly.
Dynamic techniques, meanwhile, are factors that have an impact on the flight path like direct routings, economical speeds, continuous descents and optimum altitudes.
“These efforts, without compromising on safety and quality, have reduced our fuel burnt rate and enabled us to contribute to cost reduction of RM2.3bil from 2006 to 2008,” Ooi said in an e-mail reply to StarBiz.
AirAsia Bhd group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes noted that for every flight hour, an additional 1,000kg of take-off weight would burn up 90kg fuel.
AirAsia also achieved greater fuel efficiency with its new fleet of A320 planes, as they offered higher unit fuel consumption per flight while high dispatch ability and operational efficiency contributed to lower maintenance expenses, Fernandes said.
“We adhere to a quick turnaround of 25 minutes, which leads to high aircraft utilisation, lower costs as well as greater airline and staff productivity. Fuel consumption-
Such practices kept costs down and ensured minimum aircraft weight, Fernandes said, adding that savings and benefits would translate into low fares for passengers.
Ooi said MAS also minimised the use of auxiliary power unit on ground, ensured faster connection of ground power, chose the best flight profile as well as adopted a continuous descent approach at applicable airports, and regular airframe and engine maintenance.
“Other examples include replacing the heavy unit loading devices with those which are 40kg lighter and using nearer alternate airports.”
MAS is anticipated to achieve greater fuel efficiency when it takes delivery of 35 B738 late next year and the A380 in 2011.
Meanwhile, FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd managing director Eddy Leong said the airline did not practise overzealous efforts in enforcing one hand luggage and checked baggage limits.
“Firefly’s business model was designed to be light from the beginning because we chose a very fuel efficient and modern ATR72-500 aircraft,” he said.
The focus then is on eliminating hassles, enriching the travel experience and optimising costs.
“For example, our full complimentary food and beverage on board includes serving muffins on paper cups and ensuring that we cater exactly to the passenger count. Any extras would be given to passengers. In the end, there is no waste to offload, no wastage to worry about. Our ultimate gain is in the revenue side and loyalty from passengers,” Leong added.
Emirates Airlines, in contrast, increased the free baggage allowance across its network effective May 4, with the exception of countries that apply one-piece concept for checked-in luggage. Economy class travellers are now given 30kg from 20kg previously.
An analyst with a local brokerage said the impact of strict baggage terms was unlikely to have a huge impact on bottomline.
Airlines also tried to carry the correct amount of jetfuel and to power planes by ground power units during waiting periods instead of jetfuel to achieve better fuel efficiency, he said.
IATA, on its website, indicated efforts being taken with air navigation service providers, air traffic controllers, airlines and other key stakeholders to save one minute per flight via better airspace design, procedures and management.
“If successful, this initiative could reduce total industry operating costs by over US$1bil a year and significantly reduce environmental emissions,” the association said, noting that on average, airlines spent US$100 per minute per flight in total operating costs.
THE Malaysian tourism industry has developed and become the second highest contributor for the Malaysian economy.
"Despite the current global recession, last year, Malaysia recorded an increase of 5.1 per cent in tourist arrivals, from 20.97 million tourists in 2007 to 22.05 million in 2008," said Datuk Dr Ong Hong Peng, secretary-general of the Ministry of Tourism at Institut Karisma's convocation yesterday.
"There is an urgent need for more qualified and registered tourist guides. Currently we have a total of 4,837 active tourist guides in Malaysia and only 10.3 per cent are skilled in foreign languages," Ond said.
"The Ministry is strongly encouraging existing tourist guides to enrich themselves through greater command of foreign languages such as Dutch, German, Russian, French and Arabic. We are embarking on providing foreign language courses to address this need and encouraging more people to take up this career, including school-leavers and those unemployed."
MALAYSIA Airlines has been identified as among the top three mainline carriers for 2009 after Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa by Aviation Week's Top-Performing Companies (TPC) study of the global airline industry.
Air Arabia tops the low-cost/niche carrier category while FedEx is the highest-ranked freight carrier and Australia's Regional Express is the top regional carrier, it said.
Aviation Week's TPC study of the global airline industry is the industry's leading annual rankings and competitive analysis.
It said, a follow-up to last month's TPC Aerospace and Defense rankings, this year's airline analysis shows the effects of the recession on the industry -- few airline business models are immune.
City deputy police chief Datuk Abdul Samah Mat, however, said that Kuala Lumpur was safe. He said uniformed policemen as well as undercover personnel were monitoring the situation.
“Several district police chiefs where prestigious hotels are located have met the hotel representatives to advise on additional security measures. We have also increased our patrols at clubbing areas in the city, such as Jalan P. Ramlee, as well as other tourist haunts."
Meanwhile, the New Sunday Times learnt that several major hotels in the Golden Triangle area of the city have taken additional security measures.
“Since the Jakarta bombing incident on July 17, we have taken extra steps to ensure security,” said an industry source. Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur general manager Stephen Cokkinias said there was no cause for concern as Malaysia was a safe country to visit. “The hotel has always taken measures to ensure the safety of their guests and staff .”
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Police stand guard in front of the damaged Ritz-Carlton hotel after an explosion in Jakarta July 17, 2009. (REUTERS/Dadang Tri) |
A car bomb also blew up along a toll road in North Jakarta, police said without giving further details. Indonesia's Metro TV said two people had been killed. An unexploded bomb was also later found at the Marriott, police said.
The apparently coordinated bombings are the first in several years and follow a period in which the government had made progress in tackling security threats from militant Islamic groups, bringing a sense of political stability to Southeast Asia's biggest economy.
Some analysts have already cast suspicion on remnants of the Jemaah Islamiah group, blamed for previous attacks including a car bombing outside the Marriott in 2003 as well as bombings on the resort island of Bali the previous year that killed 202 people.
Here are some questions and answers on security in Indonesia:
IS THIS UNEXPECTED?
Yes. Indonesia had made enormous progress in containing the threat from militant group JI which security officials and analysts said was behind several fatal bomb attacks on Western targets including hotels and bars in Jakarta and the resort island of Bali.
The Indonesian authorities, with help and training from their Australian and U.S. counterparts, have increased security and surveillance in recent years.
Indonesia's security forces have detained hundreds of militants and killed several during shoot-outs, carrying out numerous sweeps, even in recent weeks.
HOW COULD THESE NEW ATTACKS HAPPEN, HAS SECURITY BEEN RELAXED?
There are no outward signs security measures have been relaxed in Jakarta. The security presence was stepped up around the time of the presidential elections on July 8, which passed peacefully.
All the major hotels in Jakarta have security checks outside to reduce the risk of car bombs, although checks in many are not particularly thorough, with a security guard just poking his head in the window to look at who is inside the car.
Although the Marriott and Ritz were known for exceptionally tight security barriers and checks, including for those entering the hotel on foot, from the damage at the scene of the blasts it appears the bombs exploded inside the hotels, and were either brought in by suicide bombers or planted inside and set off by timers.
IS JEMAAH ISLAMIAH BEHIND THIS?
Several analysts are already saying these attacks have some of the hallmarks of JI, which in the past has chosen high-profile targets such as Western hotels and bars frequented by foreigners.
JI has used car bombs in the past, but barricades and layout changes as well as other measures at the best-protected luxury and Western hotels in Jakarta and Bali have made it harder for that kind of attack.
DOES THIS MEAN JI HAS RECOVERED AND IS A THREAT AGAIN?
If it is indeed JI, this suggests they still have bomb-making capability and operatives, despite having lost many of their trained and skilled members.
IF IT ISN'T JI, WHO ELSE COULD IT BE?
In 1998, when former autocratic President Suharto was desperately trying to retain power, some elements within the military were accused of stirring up social unrest and riots in an attempt to cause widespread panic and destabilise Indonesia.
There have been other instances in Indonesia's history when military elements were suspected of being behind unrest in order to have an excuse to clamp down on civilians.
The country has also sporadically seen violence including bombings attributed to various separatist groups, political organisations, and criminal gangs.
WHAT LONG-TERM IMPACT COULD THIS HAVE ON INDONESIA?
It's certainly a blow for Indonesia's security forces and the country's risk profile, particularly coming so close on the heels of peaceful elections in the world's third-largest democracy.
Indonesia had begun to stand out among its Southeast Asian peers as a stable democracy that was making real progress in tackling corruption in order to attract foreign investment.
These attacks could make some investors think twice before committing to any new, long-term, strategic investments in areas such as natural resources or infrastructure.
That said, however, the market reaction has been relatively muted.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said there was a need to be realistic, given the current tough times.
“The World Tourism Organisation has recently announced a reduction of 8% in tourist arrivals globally from January to April this year,” she said at a press conference after launching the KL International Airport Mega Sale Carnival 2009 here yesterday.
Dr Ng launching the Mega Sale Carnival at KLIA Dr Ng said the influenza A (H1N1) had not even come into the picture during that period.
“In Asia and the South Pacific region, the decrease is 6% and this is a major reduction,” she said.
The reduced number of projected tourists was part of the ministry’s plan to achieve the targets it has set out to accomplish, she said.
Dr Ng added that the ministry has also decided to develop the rural tourism economy by promoting home-stay programmes and increasing the number of foreign language-speaking tour guides as part of its key results areas.
People run following a blast at the Marriot Hotel in central Jakarta
olice stand guard in front of the damaged exterior of the Ritz-Carlton hotel after an explosion
Windows at the Ritz-Carlton are blown out after Friday's blast.
Damage to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel can be seen following the blast.
At least six people, including several foreigners, have been killed and 10 injured when explosions ripped through two luxury hotels in downtown Jakarta on Friday, police say.
South Jakarta police Colonel Firman Bundi said some of the bodies had been taken to a hospital.
The facade of the Ritz-Carlton was blown off in one blast and another explosion hit the Marriott, police said. The explosions rocked the area about 8am local time (11am AEST).
The head of the Health Ministry crisis centre, Rustam Pakaya, said at least two people were seriously injured, including one New Zealander.
One hospital emergency room said it was already treating 15 people.
Debris and shattered glass littered the street outside the neighbouring hotels, which are in an upscale Jakarta neighbourhood, and ambulances raced to the scene
Herald on the scene
The Sydney Morning Herald's Indonesia correspondent Tom Allard said one bomb was reportedly detonated inside the Ritz-Carlton.
"I'm looking at it now, you can see all the windows punched out on one side,'' Allard told 2UE radio from outside the back of the hotel.
"[I've been told] the bomb actually went off inside the restaurant at the time people were actually sitting there to have their breakfasts.
He said he could see what appeared to be dead bodies being pulled out of the building and badly injured people being helped out as well.
An Australian man called Jim told 2UE his son was injured in the explosion at the Marriott.
The man said his son phoned him from Jakarta, where he was working, and told him he was on his way to hospital.
His left leg was bleeding and he'd lost hearing in one ear but he told his father he was OK, the man said.
Witness reports
A man jogging by the hotels said he first heard a loud explosion at the Marriott. Five minutes later, a bomb followed at the Ritz.
Alex Asmasubrata said he saw four bodies inside the Marriott. An Associated Press reporter saw three injured people taken away from the Ritz.
Security guard Eko Susanto told AFP: "I heard two sounds like 'boom, boom' coming from the Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton. Then I saw people running out."
Witness Intan told TV One one of the explosions wrecked the lobby of the Plaza Mutiara building.
"I was having breakfast on level 16, I heard an explosion and went down to the first floor and it was a mess. I saw foreigners all bloody, about three to five of them, badly wounded," she said
A witness, who gave her name as Mery, told ElShinta: "I saw some people being carried into a Mercedes. There was a lot of them in there, they were having trouble closing the doors."
Dow Jones Newswires reported witnesses who heard three explosions in the Mega Kuningan business precinct.
"I heard at least three explosions and now white smoke is billowing," a fund manager at a foreign securities company told Dow Jones Newswires on the phone.
JI warning
The bombings come a day after an analyst warned that Indonesian terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, dormant following an effective police crackdown resulting in the arrest and execution of some members, was on the rise again and set to strike.
The Marriott hotel was attacked in 2003, when 12 died. Jemaah Islamiah was blamed for that blast.
The Department of Foreign Affairs was aware of reports of an explosion and was in contact with the Australian embassy in Jakarta to investigate what happened, a spokeswoman said
Embassy staff were urgenty seeking to identify whether any Australians were injured, the spokeswoman said
Anyone who has concerns for the welfare of family and friends overseas should try to contact them directly first. DFAT's 24-hour consular emergency centre is also available on 02 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135.
It is five years since the Australian embassy in Jakarta was bombed, killing 10 people and wounding 161 in September 2004.
Source : SMH CNN Reuters
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