Malaysia Travel Guide - Hotels in Malaysia

Bungalow House Plans

2010-10-26T07:30:00.001-07:00

What does the word bungalow mean for you? When I hear the word bungalow, it conjures up images of a summer camp I used to live next to while growing up in upstate New York. Pods of quaint single level, wide, simply designed houses that offer easy access to major living areas like the living room and dining area. Everything that was needed for day to day living was compacted into these relatively small style homes. The bungalows that come to mind for me had nice enclosed porches in the front of the house and the most appealing amenities were their perfectly sized yards with surrounding trees. The trees always seemed to offer just the right amount of shade at the right times during the warm seasons.

The term bungalow means slightly different things in other cultures and can offer different styles of luxury home plans as they relate to the bungalow style. In India bungalows of the past were smaller single story thatched roof houses but in modern times they are single story houses that can be very large. In South Africa the term means a small holiday house, a small log house or a wooden beach house. In Singapore and Malaysia bungalow refers to a detached, two to three story single family residential home on its own plot. It is interesting to note the slightly different variations in these different areas. In all of the different bungalow styles around the world, there is a common consistent theme associated to the bungalow. It is the fact that a bungalow is primarily single storied and offers easy access to the living amenities of its inhabitants.

In the United States, potential bungalow home owners have their choice of many styles of bungalow house plans to select from. One of the more popular plans to look at if you are in the market for building a new bungalow would be the craftsman bungalow house plans. These plans typically consisted of low-pitch roof lines with gabled roofs, deeply overhanging eaves, exposed rafters, and a front porch beneath an extension of the main roof. This design is said to be very "Arts and Crafty". This statement is very appropriate as this style bungalow became very popular during the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century from 1880 thru 1910. The time period is sometimes referenced as the American Arts and Craft Movement.

Directors' Duties & Responsibilities in a Sendirian Berhad Entity, Malaysia

2010-10-25T07:15:00.001-07:00

Since a company is a legal entity by itself, its shareholders are required to appoint directors, officers who are entrusted with the power and authority to make decisions for the running of the company and manage the company's affairs.

For many private limited companies, the shareholders of the company are often involved in the daily operations and management of the company, and therefore, usually appoint themselves to be the directors of the company.

In all limited companies, there must be at least 2 directors who each have his/her principal or only place of residence within Malaysia.

To qualify to become a director of a company, he must be:

A natural person
At least 18 years old
Of sound mind
Not disqualified under the Companies Act 1965

For a newly incorporated company, the first directors are named in the Memorandum of Association or Articles of Association and they will hold office until the first annual general meeting where they will retire. All persons who wish to be a director must first lodge with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (or SSM) a document called "Form 48A". This form is a statutory declaration by the director, that he or she is not an undischarged bankrupt and has not been convicted of an offence.

Differences between executive and non-executive director
An executive director is a salaried director who works full-time and is appointed with managerial powers by the board to carry out the company's daily operations.

A non-executive director does not work full time, receives a smaller director's fees and functions as a policy maker for the company.

Duties and Responsibilities of Directors
Directors have fiduciary duties towards the company and their shareholders who appointed them. Fiduciary duties include:-

Act bona fide in the interest for the company. Bona fide means "in good faith";
Avoid a situation where there is a conflict between duty to the company and personal interest; and
Not to make any secret profit out of the position as director.

The statutory duties of the directors include:-

Act honestly at all times and use reasonable diligence when discharging their duties;
Avoid improper use of information obtained by virtue of position to gain personal advantage personally or to cause detriment to the company;
Avoid improper use of sensitive, unpublished information to gain personal benefits;
Before disposing of or executing any transaction for the disposal of a substantial portion of the company's undertaking or property, obtain approval from the members in a general meeting;
Disclose his shareholdings in the company and any changes thereof;
Disclose his interest in any contract or proposed contract made by the company; and
Ensure registers and statutory books are kept updated.

The directors' responsibilities include ensuring the following requirements are complied with:-

Record minutes of all directors' meetings;
Make annual return and lodge with SSM;
Keep proper accounting records;
Table accounts, balance sheet and directors' report at AGM;
Circulation audited accounts to members;
Appoint auditors;
Comply with restriction, limitation or prohibition of a private limited company;
Appoint company secretary;
Make declaration of solvency in the case of voluntary winding up by member;
Ensure that dividend payments are from profits only

Malaysia Foods - Introduction of Malaysia Famous Food

2010-10-24T07:00:00.001-07:00

In the gourmet paradise of Malaysia, you can taste the various kinds of food, especially in Penang and Malacca. The population in Malaysia comprises the majority of Malay, Chinese, Indian and minority of others ethnic communities, where they are integrated together. Malaysia has many kinds of excellent and inexpensive food and restaurants almost everywhere in the towns and cities. There are many Malay, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Korea, Japan restaurants and many more. The food available here ranges from Malay food, Chinese food, Indian food and Straits Chinese food.

Penang was once the world merchant gathering port. Therefore the ingredients can be easily obtained. Malaysian cooking from different parts of the country, have different style and taste. Take for example the Straits Chinese food; those in Malacca prefer a sweeter taste. While in the Northern region, such as Penang, they prefer sour and spicier taste, due to influences by the Thai cooking styles. The spices are used not only as food seasoning, but they also contain some health benefits as well.

Popular Indian foods or dishes such as Flat Bread usually serve together with Pulling Tea. Most of the Indian food is usually hot and spicy. They are eaten with their hands and utensils are kept to a minimum.

Malay famous food is Steamed rice. Steamed rice is where white rice is steamed with coconut milk and serves with curry fishes, chickens, prawns, eggs, onions, cucumbers and spicy chili paste.

Chinese food is not so spicy compare to Malay and Indian foods. But cooking incorporates with different ingredients, seasoning and flavors. Very popular foods is Penang Fried Flat rice noodles which is stir-fried in a wok together with black soy sauce, chili, prawns, eggs, cockles and bean sprouts.

Made in Malaysia

2010-10-23T06:47:00.001-07:00

Some people seem to think that in order for a workshop to be great, it must have a white man on stage - the harder to understand the accent the better, because this must mean that the speaker is more "authentic". This is not about race or gender, but about the misconception that many have about Malaysian trainers and what they're worth. Recently, we ran a Public Speaking Workshop and there was a lady who called to inquire more. When she was given the price of the workshop, she literally did a back flip and became verbally abusive saying unnecessarily unpleasant things about Malaysian trainers.

Then there is the case of a rather well-known publisher specializing in Malay medium magazines who requested to meet our trainers - and we were hounded on a daily basis to send a trainer for a meeting. Our trainers are fully-booked on a monthly basis and so getting a slot in is no mean feat - but we accommodated them anyway - for a FREE consultation. A few weeks passed and there was no reply. We got to know that they had engaged another trainer through one of our other companies - he didn't even have the guts or decency to deliver the message in person. He decided to go with another trainer "an international one" and get this...from Singapore.

Let me just say this to you - for your information, the ATCEN International Group does have international trainers who are internationally certified and who have trained internationally. If we are as second rate as you say we are, why the hell then are you calling us?

Is it because you think we are cheap? If that's the case then you must be a damn cheapskate. Know this - consider yourself fortunate that there are still a few successful Malaysians who've decided to stay behind to help bring you to where you or your company wants to get to.

You think we can't make it abroad? We'll excel in every way if we do leave - but we've stayed behind to bring about a positive change. And if you want to insist on international trainers from across the causeway or don't see the investment that can buy you for life - then you can take your business elsewhere. We only want to serve well deserving clients.

Visit Malaysia - Pahang, a Gift of Nature

2010-10-22T06:32:00.001-07:00

Pahang is the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia. It is endowed with a diverse range of attractions. Nearly two-thirds of the state is enveloped in verdant rainforest, making it a magnificent enclave of lush greenery, exotic wildlife and abundance of natural attractions.

Kuantan, the administrative capital, is an interesting discovery of modern buildings and charming cottage industries. Pahang's majestic nature, beautiful beaches, bustling townships, quaint villages, friendly people, unique craft and delicious food make for mesmerising and unforgettable vacations.

Choose to stay in campsites, hostels and lodges for those who enjoy nature. Well appointed resorts and comfortable chalets are found on the islands. Pahang offers a variety of Malay, Chinese, Indian and international cuisine. There are also many food outlets, street malls, cafes, restaurants and food courts to choose from.

Taman Negara or the National Park which cover an area of 434,350 ha has been a focus of plant and animal evolution longer than any other forest in the world. Experience the canopy walkway high up in the tree tops and the giant buttressed tualang trees as they tower 200 feet above you in the dense forest.

An Elephant Conservation Centre is committed to rescuing and protecting the country's elephants. Visitors can take a close look at these friendly jumbos during their feeding times or watch the fun as they enjoy a muddy splash in the nearby river.

Kenong Rimba Park is sprawled about 120 sq km in the Kenong Valley with its eastern and northern boundaries fringing Taman Negara. Caving is a popular sport here. Take a cruise along the Kenong River and enjoy the beautiful view.

The second largest national park in Peninsular Malaysia is Endau-Rompin in Pahang. It was named after the Endau and Rompin rivers that flow through the park. The untouched wilderness awaits nature lovers with a host of attractions including a variety of splendid rock formations, flora and fauna, lovely waterfalls and rivers.

With a wonderful natural feature, Pahang is one of the most attractive states to visit in Malaysia.

Malaysia Tourism - Great Holiday Experience

2010-10-21T06:03:00.001-07:00

Malaysia is a very fascinating country; modern yet engrossed in old traditions and culture. Malaysia is moving on towards modernization but yet at its own pace keeping the tradition and culture still alive among its people. Malaysia is a country that exhibits great values, culture and tradition just like other Asian countries. It offers great blend of Asia's three oldest civilizations- Malay, Chinese and Indian.

Malaysia is admired by international tourist for its excellent beaches; number of marine parks where dazzling corals and many aquatic species like the moray eels, the clown fish, black-tip sharks etc are in profusion. Malaysia tourism bestows a lot to its travelers.

Taman Negara National Park of Malaysia is one of the world's oldest rain forests and is a World Heritage site. There are numerous other rain forests in various parts of the country that have been declared as National Parks and are worth watching. Bako National Park is relatively than Tama Negara but is popular for its beautiful beaches, waterfalls, park and dense forest areas.

Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia is a cosmopolitan city and the home of world's tallest twin building 'the Petronas Twin Towers'. Another amazing, must see tourist spots in the city are House of Parliament, incredible mosques, Kuala Lumpur Tower, Putra World Trade Centre, Dataran Merdeka, Tugu Negara. For nature lovers and adventurers the states of Sabah and Sarawak is another fabulous destination to visit.

Fabulous beaches along the Malaysia's long coastline and many coral-fringed islands are a great tourist spot. Islands like Langkawi. Tioman and Pangkor are among world-renowned destinations. Penang Island is famous for its history, relaxing beaches and cultural mix. To the south, Malacca is known for its history, museums and the unique Baba-Nyonya community.

Malaysia is also famous for medical tourism and is among top few countries.

Medical tourism refers to the combination of healthcare with international tourism. Malaysia is emerging as forerunner in offering world class medical tourism. High skilled professionals trained in various specialized disciplines offer impeccable services and treatment to patients.

So if you want to take a break from hustle bustle life then, Malaysia is the best destination that you can think off. For a truly Asian experience Malaysia is the right destination which bestows not only culture and tradition, monuments and tourism but also a great night life, mouth watering delicacies and array of shopping delights. It has something for everyone!

Malaysia Arts and Crafts - Wau, a Malay Traditions

2010-10-20T05:30:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wonder what is that symbol emblazoned on the tail of all Malaysian airplanes flown by Malaysia Airlines System (MAS)? Although for most people, it is nothing more than just an emblem, it has a huge significance for each and every Malaysian that makes them proud. Known as 'wau', it is one of the oldest traditional games in the Malay culture. Dancing in the azure sky, a wau or kite is accompanied by a hummer, which produces various buzzing and purring sounds when soaring upon the wind. There are something mystical about the way this kite defies gravity by swaying and climbing slowly up the sky.

Kites are flown after the rice harvesting season is over. People are happy and free to pursue pastimes. A Malay kite combines the best of skilled workmanship, dazzling colours and decoration. It exhibits the creativity of the Malays and their talented craftsmanship in fashioning a unique art form that has the highest possible level of aesthetics. A Malay kite is not a schoolboy's toy as it normally measures 1.5 metres by 1.7 metres. It is called wau because the shape of its wing is similar to an Arabic letter that is pronounced as "wow". It has also been postulated that the word "wau" originated from the Dutch word "wauw" that refers to a large predator bird found in South-east Asia. When Melaka fell to the Dutch in 1641, the word was introduced to the local populace.

Wau can appear in all kind of shapes but the three main one are the famous Wau Bulan or moon kite, named for its crescent like tail shape, the Wau Jala Budi or women kite, which takes on the curves of a women, and the Wau Burung Puyuh, the barred busted quail kite. Despite their different names, these kites all share the same basic, bird-like shape, with slight variations in their wings and tail.

The history and legends associated with the Malay kite are as colourful as its designs. In ancient times, coastal inhabitants of the Malay peninsula used kites fitted with lines and hooks to fish. Kites were also flown to act as flying scarecrows while the farmers were busy in the paddy fields. In an episode of the Makyong dance, a love story culminates in a happy ending when two lovers are re-united by an unusual mean of transport. By clinging to a giant kite rendered sky-borne by monsoon winds, a Malay prince flew to his lover and landed on her enchanted castle amidst the clouds. The wau has had an even more dramatic role in battle against a foreign army. Legend has it that a Malay army was surrounded and about to surrender due to lack of food and water. One blustery night, the head warrior ordered his troops to fly a large number of kites fitted with bows. The loud droning that was created frightened the enemy forces away, which did not want to fight against what they perceived as demonic forces from the sky!

It takes about 2 days to 2 weeks of skill and patience to make a wau. The frame is made from bamboo stems, which are split into thin strips. The best species of bamboo for making kites is the thorn bamboo, which is strong yet flexible. Each frame of a kite must have a ‘head’, a ‘spine’, a ‘waist’, a ‘wing’ and a ‘tail’. After the frame is constructed, designs are traced on a tinted and shiny glazed paper and then carefully cut out and pasted on paper which is glued to the bamboo frame. The humming bow is attached to the head of the kite, which is finally decorated with tassels at the tail to produce the 'song' of the kite.

Each wau is designed according to its own set of elaborate motifs, adhering to the traditional style of artwork expected of each design. All designs must have a central flower called the ibu from which vines, leaves and flowers sprout. The vine symbolises the path of a man's life and the flowers, the women. The more meandering the vines, the more twists and turns in a man's life mean the more interesting is the person's life. In older kites, flowers were depicted from the side and back, analogous to the shy and reserved nature of women in those days, who never looked at you directly in the face. Nowadays, flowers are depicted from the front. The middle sections on the left and right sides of the wings are left devoid of patterns to provide balance with the decorated areas. This empty area is called "golden deer", and prevents the kite from being overwhelmed by a surfeit of patterns.

Apart from the patterns, choice of colours is also important in determining quality. Colours that clash or show strong contrast are frowned upon. Complementing or harmonious colours reflect on the emotional state of the kite-maker. Soft colours such as shades of blues and purples indicate that the kite-maker has a serene nature.

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Borneo Malaysia Vacation - Top 10 Wildlife Destinations

2010-10-19T05:15:00.001-07:00

Are you thinking of going to Borneo?

A Borneo Malaysia vacation offers endless excitement for wildlife adventures and awesome scenery on the world's third largest island. The island is home to exotic and endangered species such as orangutans, pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, tarsiers and other wild animals.

Tropical rainforests are dense entanglements that give cover to wild animals. Unlike an African safari, where the open Savannah easily exposes large groups of wildlife, observing wild creatures in Malaysia takes a bit more effort. But that's also part of the fun.

The states of Sarawak and Sabah make up Malaysian Borneo or East Malaysia. The two key gateway cities are Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Here are some of the parks and sanctuaries to visit for the best chance to see some of Asia's most endangered species and a diversity of wildlife not found elsewhere in the world.

Sabah, Borneo

Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary - Take a ride on the Kinabatangan River for a wildlife outing in one of Malaysia's best nature experiences. If you're lucky you can observe Asian pygmy elephants grazing along the river bank, long-nosed proboscis monkeys sitting in treetops, hornbills and kingfishers flying by and enjoy this easy floating safari.

Tabin Wildlife Reserve - As a primary rainforest, this wildlife reserve protects important habitats for many of Malaysia's large mammals - elephants, rhinos, orangutans.For birdwatchers, hundreds of species are found in the jungle and swamplands, including hornbills, owls and eagles. Take a night safari to enjoy the sights of wild animals on the prowl. And don't forget to visit the mud volcano during the day for a splash in the muddy pools.

Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary - If you want to see orangutans up close, then do not skip a trip to this lowland rainforest reserve famous for rehabilitating former pet animals into wild residents. Walk on the boardwalk through towering tropical trees to observe these wonderful endangered primates that are under threat from deforestation and conflicts due to the expansion of plantation agriculture. Go to Sepilok for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to view one of the planet's most interesting species.

Sipadan Island - For those seeking an underwater adventure, Sipadan is rated as one of the world's best dive spots. An unending parade of marine biodiversity displays everything from schools of barracuda to reef resting green turtles. Nature explodes with diverse coral structures and a technicolor panorama of triggerfish, anemones, sea fans and angelfish... just for starters. As Malaysia's only oceanic island, a vertical cliff descends 600 meters to showcase an encrusted sea wall of plant and animal life.

Turtle Islands Park - Protecting the traditional landing and nesting grounds for Green and Hawksbill turtles, a visit to the park offers a chance to observe these ancient mariners returning to shore to start the next generation. Learn about the plight of sea turtles and local conservation efforts to save them from extinction.

Danum Valley Conservation Area - A research center amid some of the best lowland rainforest in Asia, Danum Valley is a trekker's paradise for birdwatching, wildlife observation and nature photography. If you want to get a real feel for the jungle, head over to Sabah and spend a few days on the forest trails.

Sarawak, Borneo

Bako National Park - If you go to Kuching, this park is just a few hours away for a great day trip to see a spectacular coastal reserve. A mixture of mangrove swamps, sandstone cliffs and seaside forests, wildlife abounds with proboscis monkeys, pit vipers, flying lemurs and other wild creatures. Enter the park from the sea and capture the gorgeous scenery of this pristine habitat.

Gunung Mulu National Park - Rugged limestone formations surrounded by dense tropical rainforest provides for fantastic scenery outside and cave exploration inside. Watch millions of bats emerge at dusk from some of the largest cave chambers in the world or trek through the jungle to mountaintops to explore the unique blade-sharp Pinnacles rising from the forest floor like daggers.

Niah National Park - Gigantic caves are home for millions of bats that exit each night to forage on hoards of insects, while swifltlets make edible nests on cave walls. Jungle trails traverse through lowland and hill rainforest to expose an assortment of wild animals such as monkeys, monitor lizards, flying lizards, hornbills and other rainforest birds.

Batang Ai National Park - Located in pristine interior jungles next to a wildlife sanctuary, the park is an oasis of wildlife set against a lake reservoir formed by a hydroelectric dam. Orangutans, gibbons and hornbills provide good opportunities for wild sightings in excellent rainforest habitats. Visitors can also learn about traditional Iban lifestyles by spending time in a longhouse and going into the jungle with an Iban guide.

Las Vegas Happy Hour Hot Spot - Town Square Las Vegas

2010-10-18T04:16:00.001-07:00

Town Square Las Vegas Shopping Center bills itself as an outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment destination. I'd like to take that one step further; Town Square Las Vegas -- an outdoor shopping, dining, entertainment and Happy Hour destination. Yes... Happy Hour Destination! Whether relaxing after work or grabbing a small bite to eat with family and friends, Town Square has a Happy Hour for all taste. In fact, you can go to a different Happy Hour everyday of the week and still not sample them all. More than 7 different restaurants and bars with Happy Hours all at one convenient Las Vegas location.

Most of the Happy Hours at Town Square Las Vegas run the traditional Monday -- Friday but a couple such as Tommy Bahamas Tropical Cafe are 7 days a week. Some are available only at the bar while others are offered restaurant wide and on their outdoor patios. Most start by 4pm and a few such as Yard House and Brio Tuscan Grill start at 3pm. The Grape Wine Bar & Bistro runs from 4pm -- 7pm and Bar Louie offers half priced appetizers, $3 drafts, $4 wines by the glass and $5 martinis. Most end between 6pm and 7pm but Cadillac Ranch and Blue Martini extend theirs to 8pm. Some also offer late night or reverse Happy Hour in addition to their normal times like Kabuki Japanese Restaurant's Sunday - Thursday, 8:00pm -- close drink specials. Anyone for Happy Hour Hopping? Claim Jumper Restaurant also offers the same weekday Happy Hour Menu during football games all day Sunday starting at 11am in the saloon.

Each place features their own unique Happy Hour Specials and what they all have in common is great deals, great surroundings and all at Town Square Las Vegas. Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza recently opened and two more restaurants and lounges are to make their debuts later this year. They are Cana Tapas Kitchen & Bar and Nu Sanctuary Lounge. I'm sure we'll have even more Happy Hours to partake in.

Las Vegas Happy Hour Menus and times can and do change without notice. Some restaurants change menus by the season and some rarely change at all. Some prefer to offer a changing variety of appetizer and drink specials and others change times and specials based on business. I always suggest calling ahead if you would be disappointed if a restaurant or bar changed their promotions.

Town Square is located on Las Vegas Blvd. near the I-215 junction, about 1 1/2 miles south of Mandalay Bay. On the Las Vegas Strip... but yet so far away... no hotels, no slots... it does have a true neighborhood feel to it (an overused cliche, but it does fit). Town Square is easily accessible by car, cab or bus from most casinos and resorts on the strip.

With the weather cooling off, now is the perfect time to dine or enjoy Happy Hour on one of the many outdoor dining areas at Town Square Las Vegas and with the Holidays not too far off, it is a great place to shop and meet-up with old friends.

Touring Malaysia

2010-10-17T04:00:00.001-07:00

A lot of people would probably never think of this, but Malaysia is a very popular place for people to vacation. It is a very beautiful place to be. They have the crystal blue waters of the ocean, as well as many different types of exotic animals. When you choose to travel to Malaysia, not only will you experience the big city life with beautiful skyscrapers, you will also be able to experience the country life. There are many places in which a woman can do some shopping, and the men can spend their days on the white sands of the beach.

There are a few travel accommodation packages in which one might be interested in if they were to travel to Malaysia. If you simply wanted to go to Malaysia and have transportation from the airport to your hotel, you could do this for a very cheap rate. Normally, less than $100 per person for 3 to 4 days. If you chose to upgrade your travel package to transportation from the airport, your luxury room in the hotel, as well as a daily breakfast, and also a one time day tour of Malacca. This package will run you right around $300. The reason that this package is a little more money is because of the extra benefits, as well as the fact that the airport is so far away. The a taxi ride alone would break your wallet.

The most expensive part of this trip would most likely be your air fare that would get you to Malaysia. If you were to travel to Malaysia for your honeymoon, this would be the perfect place to go as well and it is very affordable. There are many beautiful hotels to choose from as well as many options when it comes to enjoying a fine dining experience. The ocean here is breathtakingly beautiful as well.

There is one tour that many would find very interesting, and that is a day tour of Malaysia which includes your tour guide showing you many old mid-evil time buildings as well as churches and temples. Your tour will also show you some historical tombstones that you may not otherwise find by yourself.

The Fascinating History of Malaysian Food

2010-10-16T03:15:00.001-07:00

Malaysia is the home of multiple ethnicities which found its roots during the colonial times where hundreds and thousands of immigrants arrived here to find an honest living in this prosperous land. The migrants' mostly Chinese working in the tin mines and the Indians placed along the rubber estates brought along with them their cultures not forgetting rich culinary heritages. The cultures go along fine with their cooking where unusual traditional gathering usual accompanied by exotic mouth watering cuisine, that make up the Malaysian food recipes.

As time goes by these cooking somehow assimilated with the Malaysian local customs thus giving birth to a much more diverse and uniquely types of cooking not found anywhere else in the world, such as the famous 'roti canai', a kind of bread unlike any other bread is not made of yeast and has a uniquely oily textures, thanks to the acrobatic ways the dough is being flung around while in the process of making it. Other types of Malaysian foods which have its origin in India are the tasty 'mee Mamak' and 'rojak Mamak'. The word mamak means uncle in Tamil, so the Indian muslim community locally are referred to as mamak. The 'mee Mamak' is different from other noodles it has thick spicy flavour that'll leave you feeling hot in a slurp, while the 'rojak Mamak' a form of salad with the gravy made of finely pounded chilies surely will satisfied most vegetarian. The curries served in 'mamak' restaurants are definitely Indian but yet different then those found in India. To top it all these delectable dishes are eaten with 'the tarik' tea with milk that's hard to make, literally we need to pour the tea between two big glasses or mugs and increasing the heights by pulling the pouring glass or mug higher and higher to achieve that distinctive foamy rich flavour and also to cool it. All these Malaysian Indian cooking are not found in India itself simply because the original recipes have been Malaysianize, improvised using locally available ingredients which is much cheaper and tastier.

The same thing can be said with the Malaysian Chinese cuisine like the 'Yong taufu' and 'Su'un, the Chinese immigrants can't find the ingredients for their original recipes from China so they decided to replace it with cheaper alternative sources commonly found in Malaysia like the 'buah keluak' and 'kayu manis'. Other Malaysian local pride cooking which originated from abroad is the like of the popular 'laksa' which can be found almost everywhere in Malaysia and even has its own sub version in 'laksa Johor', 'laksa Kedah' and 'laksa Penang'. 'Laksa' is thick rice noodles. 'Laksa' is served with tangy fish soup/gravy which is made from mackerel or sardine and lots of herbs and not fish at all because of the aroma of the herbs. It's a favourite with the tourists for it is not too hot and spicy flavour.

Other Malaysian gourmets particularly the rice based which is the Malaysian staple diet can be traced to our neighbouring countries such in Indonesia and Thailand like the 'soto'
and 'nasi kerabu' of Johor and Kelantan respectively. These cooking are being cook up with the influence of border communities centuries ago like in Golok when the people started to interact and barter together especially goods at the border town marketplaces.

The arrival of these Chinese and Indian migrants certainly spice up the Malaysian culinary scenes without them Malaysian cooking and Malaysian food recipes will not be as colourful and wonderful as they're today. Nowadays Malaysian foods are a bigger attraction to the tourists just like the KLCC and the KL Tower. When they say Malaysia boasts of its rich cultural melting pot, the tourists must have meant plenty of Malaysian foods in the pots for the picking. Once the foreigners colonized our country now we managed to get back at them and colonize them at least their taste buds with our hot and spicy Malaysianize cooking which they fall deadly in love.

Buying Exchange Traded Funds in Malaysia

2010-10-15T03:02:00.001-07:00

Now that more and more Malaysians are more aware of REITs in Malaysia, I'm sure that it's just a matter of time that Malaysians will be exposed to investing in Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) in our country.

The question is What are the ETFs that are available in Malaysia?

1) CIMB FTSE ASEAN 40
This fund follows the FTSE/ASEAN 40 Index which consists of the largest 40 companies by full market value listed on the stock exchanges of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand that qualify for inclusion in the FTSE/ASEAN Index.

2) CIMB FTSE Xinhua China 25
This fund follows the FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index which consists of the 25 largest and most liquid Chinese stocks (Red Chip and H shares) listed and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE).

3) MyETF Dow Jones Islamic Market Malaysia Titan 25
MyETF-DJIM25 is the first Shariah ETF introduced in Asia. The benchmark index for MyETF-DJIM25 is the Dow Jones Islamic Market Malaysia Titans 25 Index. It's status as a national ETF derives from the participation of 7 government linked investment companies as its initial seeders. The 7 are Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan), Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja, Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera, Lembaga Tabung Haji, Permodalan Nasional Berhad and Valuecap Sdn. Bhd.

4) ABF Malaysia Bond Index Fund
The Fund is Southeast Asia's first bond exchange traded fund. It is essentially a unit trust, but its units are listed on Bursa Malaysia. The Fund is a portfolio of Malaysian government bonds comprising a basket of Ringgit denominated bonds. The index basket consists of Malaysian government bonds.

5) FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI ETF
This fund follows the performance of FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI*. When you buy the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI ETF, you are effectively buying into the Malaysian market performance by owning top 30 Malaysian companies.

Tongkat Ali - A Testosterone Booster With Many Benefits

2010-10-14T02:45:00.001-07:00

Eurycoma Longifolia, which is also known as Tongkat Ali, is found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. This plant has been used for hundreds of years throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and is believed to have a wide variety of impressive health benefits.

General Health Benefits

Tongkat is believed to strengthen the immune system, and has powerful anti-oxidative properties. It also has anti-viral and even anti-cancer compounds.

Anti cancer Properties

This herb has been shown to have some effects against fighting both breast and lung cancer. Both of these cancers can be very difficult to treat, and as a result a great deal more research is expected to take place in this direction.

Testosterone Booster

The bodybuilding community has taken a very serious intererest in this herb, as it is believed to contribute to the building of muscle mass. In 2003, these claims were put to the test, and a study was published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine. This study indicated that TA did indeed appear to be a strong testosterone booster. Bodybuilders looking for a safe, effective and legal edge for increasing muscle size, muscle strength and performance have been drawn to this powerful enhancing herb.

Increased Sexual Performance

Historically, it has been believed that in addition to it's many other benefits, such as increasing immunity strength and muscle size/strength, that Tongkat has a significant effect on overall sexual performance. The ability of TA to increase sexual performance is directly tied to the herb's stimulation of the production of testosterone. Recent animals studies seem to indicate that (just as was claimed in legend), Tongkat does indeed increase sexual performance. Animals given the compound did have an overall increased sexual response and performance. Since TA is a powerful testosterone booster, sexual performance is boosted in a variety of ways:

-More intense orgasms
-Stronger erections
-Dramatic boost in libido
-Increased semen volume

Safety and Tongkat Ali

In regards to safety, Tongkat has been used in Asia for hundreds of years. In fact, TA is widely used to this day. Animal testing with rats has shown Tongkat to be a safe herb for human consumption. Again, it is this level of safety that has sparked so much interest from the body building community, as they are intrigued by Tongkat Ali's testosterone boosting ability, which leads to greater muscle mass and strength.

A Wide Array of Benefits

Tongkat Ali is a proven testosterone booster that also has immunity boosting and anti-viral, anti-cancer and libido enhancing properties. These wide-array of benefits, when combined with the herb's safety record, make it an excellent choice if you're looking to boost your testosterone levels naturally.

Commonwealth Games Badminton Preview: Malaysia Favourites

2010-10-13T02:30:00.001-07:00

2006 champions Malaysia are overwhelming favourites for the team gold in the badminton event at the Commonwealth Games, in Delhi, while England and hosts India are likely to contend for silver.

Twenty teams in all are set to take part in the badminton events, and they are divided into four round robin groups; seeded teams India, Malaysia, England and Singapore belong to different groups of five teams each.

Malaysia have been placed in Group A, which also has Australia, Nigeria, Seychelles and Isle of Man; Group B comprises Singapore, Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Northern Ireland and New Zealand; Group C will see England, Uganda, Canada, Mauritius and Falkland Islands vying with one another; in Group D, apart from hosts India, Scotland, Kenya, Barbados and Wales are the other four teams. The top two teams from each round robin group will advance to the next round.

In the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Australia, Malaysia won the gold medal, while England won the silver and India finished third and took home the bronze. Playing in front of a huge crowd of cheering home fans, India will at least aspire for silver, at the New Delhi event.

In the men's event, the Malaysian effort will be led by the world's top ranked player Lee Chong Wei. Indian players P Kashyap and Chetan Anand will need to get past the England players before they can match their might against the Malaysian players and aim for gold.

In the women's doubles event, India are represented by Aparna Balan and Jwala Gutta, while their mixed doubles pair are Gutta and V Diju. The latter, who have a world ranking of 12, will have to contend with the top ranked England pair of Jenny Wallwork and Nathan Robinson if they want a shot at gold.

But England can justly consider themselves as favourites to take the gold medal in the women's singles event, represented as they are by the world number two Saina Nehwal. The Hyderabadi girl has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and a Commonwealth Games gold medal appears to be just reward for this immensely talented 20 year old, at this stage of her thriving career.

The Siri Fort Sports Complex has five match courts and three warm up courts, and can hold 4,748 spectators. The badminton event to be held at the complex promises to be a mouth watering affair for Indian badminton aficionados. The event will be played between October 4 and 14.

Malaysia - Visit Rawang Selangor

2010-10-12T02:15:00.001-07:00

If you love traveling and exploring the exotic tourist destinations in the world then don't forget Rawang Selangor. If you are planning a trip to Southeast Asia then Malaysia is one place that you cannot miss because of its lovely beaches, island and lovely towns like Rawang.

The city is visited by thousands of tourist from all over the world every year. They come here attracted by the scenic landscape, exotic locations, and the un-spoilt places. So, if you are planning a trip to a place where you can just relax in the lap of nature, then you can't beat this choice in that.

Things to do:

Rawang is another name for leisure and relaxation. The visitors who go to this tourist destination just love to relax in the lap of nature and fill in the beauty of nature inside their souls.

The tourists who love to explore can go on a sightseeing spree and enjoy the various historical places in the town. This lovely tourist destination has lots more to offer in terms of food and culture.

You will be treated with a scrumptious gourmet that includes mouthwatering traditional delicacies.

Selangor is also famous for its exciting nightlife. Hit the popular spots of recreation and entertainment as the sun goes down and experiences the real colors of exotic Malaysia.

Apart from the food, nightlife, and culture, the enthusiastic tourists can also enjoy the interesting activities and sports such as swimming and bowling.

Cheap accommodation and discounted hotels:

While you are in this exotic tourist destination for your holidays, you can stay at some of the cheap accommodation options and discounted hotels available.

These hotels offer all facilities to make your visit more special and enjoyable. The accommodations also organize special recreation tours and trips for your family, to nearby islands and beaches.

Transforming Malaysia Into High-Income Nation (Must Read For Malaysians)

2010-10-11T02:04:00.001-07:00

On the average, most Malaysians are making around RM23, 700 per year. With the New Economic Model, the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) will focus on transforming Malaysia into a high-income nation by 2020. Basically, the government is focusing on how to help most Malaysians to achieve an average income of RM48, 000.

In my point of view, if this programme is successful, Malaysia's economy will undergo significant changes to resemble other developed nations. This also means that:

1) Service Based Economy
The current list of Fortune 500 companies contains more service companies and lesser manufacturers than in previous decades. If Malaysia move towards a service based economy, we will move towards a more "Knowledge-based" economy like America, Japan or Singapore. Businesses and jobs will be concentrated in financial services (banking and insurance) to health, shipping, tourism, restaurants and education.

In a knowledge based economies like America or Japan, knowledge is power. Knowledge creates more money! As Malaysia move from the industrial age to the information age and soon to the service based economy, the middle class income earners shrink and we see an increase in the lower and upper class income earners.

2) Good Bye Middle Class
In my previous post (What Happen If the Subsidies Were to End?), I shared that if you are earning less than RM7, 000, you are going to be broke soon and AKPK will be your next best friend. Like it or not, the financial turbulence of the new era is coming. While most people are stuck, waiting for the government to do something to help them to move towards the high income earner class, I find that a total waste of time. Rather than waiting for the government to change, I prefer to change myself first and I urge you to do the same thing too! It's either you shape up or be prepared to ship out!

3) Becoming a High Income Earner is Not Good Enough!
Honestly speaking, I believe that the government is not doing enough to help our fellow Malaysians. As the nation propels towards the level of high income earners, we will soon see more and more high income earners getting into high level of debts! If someone can get into debts by earning only RM2, 000 a month, how can you be assured that he or she will not get into deeper debts when he or she is earning RM4, 000 a month? I always believe that money is like fire. It can help us in life or destroy lives.

Think about it.. Most lottery winners are bankrupt or close to bankruptcy within 5 years upon winning the big prize. Why is that so? Because these people lack of money and wealth intelligence!

Always remember, money and wealth intelligence is not only about making money alone, it's really about how well you can protect, save, invest and preserve the wealth that you have created.

Non-Stop Entertainment and Fun at Genting Malaysia

2010-10-10T01:45:00.001-07:00

Genting Malaysia is a self proclaimed entertainment city situated approximately 2000 meters above sea level on a hilltop. Genting is just 50 km from Kuala Lumpur and the tourists will simply be spell bound by the lush green tropical rainforest of the Genting Highland in Malaysia. The travelers can enjoy their visit to this beautiful highland, comfortable with the thought that here they will be greeted with consistent temperatures ranging between 16 and 23 degrees which makes for natural air conditioning. The crispy refreshing air complemented by majestic scenery and what you get is a marvelous spread out before your eyes.

The travelers and visitors will be so enamored by the rich harvest of nature along with international standard facilities during their stay in Genting Highlands Hotels that it will be difficult for them to imagine that they are just minutes from the sweltering heat. The hilltop city has the country's only casino allowing for the travelers and tourists to gamble legally in Malaysia. A theme park and an entertainment center add to the fun and excitement package the hilltop is renowned for. The kids can enjoy non stop fun at the theme park. The theme park located up in the highlands has the benefit of providing a cooler environment than the steamy lowlands.

A stay in Genting is made pleasurable by a stay in wonderful Genting Hotels in the lap of pristine nature amidst comfortable surroundings. The large and spacious areas in the hotel allows for guests to enjoy walking indoors! Amongst the most distinguished of Genting Hotels is the 'Genting Hotel' which can be easily identified from the round observation deck and the red Genting logo on the top. The unique aspect of the highland city worth a look is, when, on most evenings, a strong cloud descends and visibility is transferred to a winter scene quite magically! The cool and hilly environment is one of the most pleasant getaways from the heat and humidity of the city life. The highland offers a promising holiday for everybody and there is no reason why anyone should miss out on a visit to this fabulous resort city. The visitors will like the many attractions the city has to offer. Experience the joys of shopping in the city known for an environment that is contagious in terms of non-stop entertainment amidst fresh and rejuvenating environs. Genting Hotels are perfectly located on the top of the Highlands and offer well-appointed guestrooms.

These guest rooms are all beautifully decorated and equipped with modern comforts. Most of the hotels being located in close proximity to the theme park ensure the kids do not have to exert themselves to enjoy the sights and fun of this exciting park. The décor of the rooms in the hotels will impress the guests, even the most discerning of guests. The international traveler will find services at these hotels up to their standards. The services of the hotel staff in this city are impeccable and superbly personalized. The city's restaurants offer highly tempting cuisine. The cuisine ranges from Asian to Western with of course, local specialties such as Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine as well! Leisure activities in most hotels include swimming pool, gymnasium, spa and sauna to rejuvenate mind, body and spirit.

Retirement in Malaysia

2010-10-09T01:30:00.001-07:00

When anyone heads for retirement, it creates an uncertain financial future. Your income is reduced and you have no clue about your future expenditures. However, you can reduce the stress of retirement by living in a place where your income exceeds expenditure. Fortunately for people, retirement in Malaysia is an option because of low cost of living.

Malaysia has a tax regime that is welcoming to most foreigners. After living in Malaysia for 182 days in the first tax year and 90 days in the each subsequent tax year, a retiree is deemed as a resident for tax purposes. In Malaysia, no taxes are levied on income derived outside Malaysia.

Interest on any number of fixed deposits under RM 100,000 and held in Malaysian registered banks are also interest free. The government considered any bank registered in Malaysia as Malaysian registered bank and this means banks like Citi Bank, HSBC and Chartered Bank are okay to open fixed deposits. Some banks offer interest on fixed deposits on an annual basis while others pay it monthly.

Malaysia does not have Inheritance Tax or Capital Gains Tax on assets other than property. If you own a property for less than 5 years and end up selling it, you will have pay a 30 percent Capital Gains Tax. However, if you sell it after 5 years of ownership, the tax immediately falls to less than 5 percent.

There is no VAT (Value Added Tax) in Malaysia. Instead a Government Sales Tax (GST) of 5 percent is levied on hotel and restaurant bills, and on professional bills. You can become a Malaysian taxpayer by earning money on Malaysian rentals or from royalties of works published in the country. The good part is that there are many allowances that help in reducing the tax liability substantially.

When you retire in Malaysia, personal possessions for personal use are exempt from taxes. If you bring in recorded videos, VCDs and DVDs, they will be immediately checked for content and you will have to pay a checking charge of RM30 for each checked item.

Utility charges in Malaysia are lower than those compared to countries like the UK. The night time temperatures in Malaysia never fall below 22 degrees centigrade so there is no need for central heating. However, having an air-conditioner is the bedroom is a must. There is no piped natural gas available in Malaysia but you can get large cylinders of LP gas for hardly any money. In addition, international calls via call cards are quite economical so you can speak to friends and family back home.

The fact that the cost of living in Malaysia is much lower than that of countries like the UK, many retirees are viewing retirement in Malaysia as the best possible alternative.

Genting Highlands - "City of Entertainment"

2010-10-08T01:15:00.001-07:00

The Genting Highlands is a mini Las Vegas or Disneyland styled themed destination. It is the only place in Malaysia that you can legally gamble and during school holiday periods can become very busy. Genting itself is over 2km above sea level and as such temperatures can sometimes be very cool. There is extensive accommodation available at Genting with 6 huge hotels plus the Awana Golf and Country Resort only a short number of kilometers away.

'The First World Plaza' is the indoor section of the theme park with 6 themed areas which are meant to resemble different parts of the world, from Times Square, London, Venice, Champs Elysees and Universal Walk. In here there are many attractions for children from rides and shops to restaurants and snow world, the only place in Malaysia where you will see snow!

As part of the 'City of Entertainment' there is a large theme park with a wide selection of roller coasters for both the young and the more adventurous among us, go carting, indoor sky diving, a cinema complex with bowling and much much more. As part of its offerings, Genting also offers many live shows from concerts to live action shows which can include everything from motorbikes to quad bikes.

The casino at Genting is open 24 hours to people who are over 21 and a strict dress code is in forced. There is a sign over the entrance that states if you Islamic you are prohibited from entering as under Islam, gambling is not allowed. Among the many games offered here is Baccarat, Mini Baccarat, Pontoon, Blackjack, French Boule, Roulette, Caribbean Stud Poker, Pai Gow, Casino War, Mini Dice, Slots, Tai Sai, Keno and Money Wheel.

Travel to Malaysia

2010-10-07T01:00:00.001-07:00

Malaysia is a country of striking natural beauty situated in Southeast Asia, with some of the most superb beaches, mountains and national parks in the world. It consists of thirteen states that are divided into two geographical regions that are separated by the South China Sea.

Malaysia has a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society and is one of the most pleasant, hassle-free countries to visit in Southeast Asia. Contemporary Malaysian society is mainly dominated by the Malay (local) people, but there is a substantial Chinese, Indian and European minority. The official religion is Islam.

Its year round sunshine ensures Malaysia's growing tourism and it is fast becoming one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. While it does get torrential seasonal rain, this should not turn you off this paradise. Its rainfall is very seasonal and typical of any equatorial climate.

Travelling by air to Malaysia can be very inexpensive with one of the world's leading low cost carrier, Air Asia, based there. Once you arrive in Malaysia your luxury holiday immediately begins. The high-speed express will get you into Kuala Lumpur in less than thirty minutes.

Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, or also known as KL, is an expansive beautiful city with soaring skyscrapers. One hundred years ago Kuala Lumpur was a small mining town attracting workers from China and India. Now it's fast becoming one of the most sought after holiday destinations in the world.

Kuala Lumpur is now well known as a great shopping destination as well as a great night time spot and entertainment hub. Food in Malaysia varies from the different ethnic regions, rice is the most common food source in Malaysia and is often eaten for breakfast.

The landscape of Malaysia ranges from lush rainforests to towering rocky hills. Its rainforests are full of all types of flora and fauna with over 450 species of birds that are native to the islands of Malaysia. There are also over 160 different species of snake. Other wildlife of Malaysia includes bears, crocodiles, elephants, leopards, monkeys, panthers and rhinoceroses. The Orang-utan, which is one of the world's most endangered animals is also unique to this part of the world.

Malaysia has over 200 tropical islands making it a refuge for all sorts of water sports. Its tropical resorts are full of white sandy beaches and provide a vast paradise, while beneath the warm tropical waters, a unique world awaits to be explored.

Well worth a visit, and located just outside of the capital city are the Batu Caves. These are huge cathedral-like caves accessible by steps. The caves have a one hundred meter tall chamber and have been used as a Hindu temple for more than a hundred years.

There are many reasons for travelling to Malaysia but a few things that you can always count on are: the excellent climate that you get all year round, the peaceful surroundings that you get all year round, and the great value that Malaysia has to offer.

One of the greatest aspects of life in Malaysia, and especially Kuala Lumpur, is that so many people with different ethnic backgrounds live together in perfect harmony with no racial problems.

Getting Around Malaysia - Explore the Best Places to See and Visit

2010-10-06T00:46:00.001-07:00

Malaysia is a wonderful country that is full of beauty and elegance in its every aspect. It is one of the most beautiful places in Asia and is known throughout the world. The country has been a very famous and a favorite vacation destination for many people around the world. There are so many interesting places in Malaysia that are truly must-see.

Getting around Malaysia is one of the enjoying and pleasurable things to do for all. The country is packed with many unique and exotic beauties that are truly adored by many foreign lads.

Here is a list of some of the best places to see and visit in Malaysia:

o Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's capital which also called the "Garden City of Lights". This is one of Malaysia's crowning jewels. It is among the most attractive cities of the world that is very well known among tourists from across the globe. This city is known for its very modern city nature having the best and premium shopping malls, buildings, establishments and lots more. There are also beautiful and scenic natural landscapes in the city's vicinity. These areas are often visited by Kuala Lumpur tourists as a place to take a break after a lively trip to the city center.

o Malacca - is a very historical city in Malaysia that is full of interesting and remarkable sites. There are lots of well known historical places here such as museums and churches that are often visited by many.

o Kota Kinabalu - this is the state capital of Sabah in Borneo Island. It is the largest city in Malaysian's eastern regions. Kota Kinabalu is famous for its beautiful resorts and tropical islands. There are also lots of places here where one can enjoy shopping and sight seeing among the attractive parks and buildings in the city.

o Redang - a very well known place for scuba divers. Popular for its clear waters and white sand beaches. This is a perfect place for a tropical beach vacation for everyone.

o Perhentian Islands - is a group of very attractive islands located at the northeastern coast of Malaysia. This group of islands is very well known around the world with their captivating beauty. The Perhentian Islands are a wonderful place to go scuba diving, sunbathing, snorkeling and other sorts of beach activities.

Here are just some of the many interesting and best places to visit in Malaysia. There are lots more to see here, as a country considered as truly Asia.

Malaysia Tip - Clothing for Malaysia

2010-10-05T00:15:00.001-07:00

1. Light cotton shirt

The weather is constantly hot and humid throughout the year. It would be wise to pack light cotton shirts. Even t-shirts can be kind of heavy and unsuitable since you'll most probably sweat alot. Change your light cotton shirt once a day. You can buy cheap shirts here, but size maybe a problem as asians are smaller, plus you wouldn't want to waste too much time shopping would you?

2. Footwear

Bring sandals and slippers. If you're a big walker, trekking sandals is preferable. If you're planning to hike in the jungle, or go clubbing at night, bring good closed shoes.

3. Cap

Sunlight can be strong. A cap might be a good idea. Sunglasses would help alot as well.

4. Handkerchief

As you might be sweating all day long, a handkerchief or tissue may come in handy.

5. Light sweater

Buildings are often airconditioned. If you're travelling by bus or train, the airconditioning can get very cold as well. Make sure to pack a light sweater.

Additional note:

Walking in heat and humidity can drain you out, causing you to be more tired than usual. Always bring a bottle of water. To freshen up, try take showers twice a day.

Enjoy!

Differences of Tour Operators and Travel Agents

2010-10-04T00:01:00.001-07:00

Tour Operators & travel Agents are different in Malaysia! And the public have had the wrong perception for long time. In Malaysia, Tour Operators and Travel Agents are different and play different roles. In a factory scenario, a Tour Operator is like the production department and the Travel Agent is like the Sales Department...

A Tour Operator is the organizer and provider of package holidays. It is often referred as the Ground Handler. The Tour Company will make contracts with hotels and resorts, airlines and ground transport companies like private cars, buses, vans, ferries and trains & etc. With all the necessary pricing and information compiled, the Tour Operator will draft detailed tour packages and distribute to Travel Agents in Travel Agent Directory in Malaysia and even overseas.

The roles & responsibilities of a Tour Operator are booking and arranging:

- Transportation: Chaffered Car, Chartered Bus & Van, Air Ticket, Train Ticket, Ferry Ticket, Cruise Ticket, other transit modes and even special vehicles like trishaw.
- Tour Guide: All Tour Guides must be licensed by the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia after attending and examined in a professional Tourist Guide Courses.
- Sight Seeing: Entrance for tourist destinations, eco-tour, adventures tour, jungle trekking, snorkeling & scuba diving, island hopping and even handicraft or cultural & living experiences.
- Food & Beverage: Breakfast, Tea Time or Tea Break, Lunch & Dinner, whether by set, buffet or packed food.
- Accommodation: Hotels, Resorts, Service Apartments, Camping Sites, Dormitories, Training Camps, Chalets, Tree Houses or traditional houses & habitats that accommodating travelers.
- Activities: Tele-match, treasure hunt, paint ball, team building, outside office meeting...
- Special Events: Company dinner, karaoke contest.

On the other hand, Travel Agents do not operate tours. Travel agencies gives traveling advices to travelers, promote and sell the tour packages that they have from various Tour Operators, then administer the tour bookings. Travel Agents usually are set up in prime locations with heavy traffic such as beside the main roads, inside crowed shopping malls or at the ground floor of a landmark building.

The roles & responsibilities of a Travel Agent are:

- Selling ells travel related products and services, particularly package tours to end-user customers on behalf of third party travel suppliers, such as airlines, hotels, tour operator and tour companies, and cruise lines & etc.
- Most travel agents have a special department devoted to travel arrangements for business travelers, while some agencies specialize in commercial and business travelers.
- Some also serve as general service agents for foreign travel companies in different countries.
- Act as an agent for tour packages:
- Buy tour packages or tour services at discounts & sell with profits.
- Get commissions from suppliers & other tour companies.
- Act as a ticketing agent for transportation (e.g. airlines, ferry, bus, train & etc).
- Other commercial operations are undertaken: insurance, travel guides, car rental, Bureau de change, private tour guide & etc.
- Offer impartial travel advice to the customer.

Next time, if you traveling in small group less than 10 travelers, it is advisable to engage a Travel Agent. Do not try to find the best travel agent in Malaysia. There is no such myth! Just go with the travel agent that suit your traveling needs and budgets or the tour agent that you trusted the most. However, if you are organizing a group tour like company tour, a Tour Operator will be able to provide you a more suitable tailor-made service.

The above information are guidelines and advices that 88Holidays provided to its Corporate Clients in organizing group tour. It is simple but useful information to help organizing a successful company tour with many years experiences.

The 1969 Dodge Charger - The General Lee

2010-10-02T23:45:00.001-07:00

In the early days of 1979 a television show hit the airwaves that has become an American icon. Millions of fans followed the escapades of the Duke boys, their cranky Uncle Jesse and short shorts wearing cousin Daisy every week. While there many characters on the show that were fan favorites (I mentioned Daisy, right?) the General Lee was hands down the star of the show from day one.

The 1969 Charger was already considered a classic muscle car at the time, in spirit if not yet technically, at only 10 years old. This model was pounding the streets at the end of the '60's and the drastic new emission standards that would all but kill the Muscle Car in the next decade had yet to hit Detroit. But no matter how many fans this Dodge had before it was nothing compared to the exposure this model would get from the Dukes of Hazzard.

There is a rich history behind the first ever General Lee that has captivated fans and collectors alike. Sadly many of the details have been lost to time, or in many cases, never considered important enough to keep track of in the first place. I mean, really, who ever would have thought that this show would be as popular as it became?

What we do know is that the television show was based on the movie "Moonrunners." Of course some names were changed and the characters and cars were dressed up quite a bit. The name of the car in the movie as "Traveler," named after the horse General Robert E. Lee rode during the war. In the revision for the TV show the name was obviously changed to the much catchier General Lee.

One of the writers of the show only had one thing in mind for the car he wanted. When he talked to the boys down at the Warner Bros. motor pool he told them he wanted an orange car. That's it. No specific model or size or anything besides orange. At the time the boys in the shop didn't think too much about building this car for some TV pilot. Their prep work was, shall we say, a bit slapdash. One coat of orange paint, a rigged together roll bar and some left over graphics finished out the General Lee. As you can imagine, as the show took off they paid a great deal more attention to their star car! Over 300 1969 Chargers were used in the filming of the hit show duration.

The first ever jump of the General Lee is seen in the opening credits of every Dukes of Hazzard TV show. It's the now famous "dirt pile in the middle of the street" jump over a police car, right in the center of town. It's at the end of the introduction clip and can be found easily on Youtube is you'd like to check it out.

At over ten feet high and almost eight five feet long it was (forgive me here) the Jump Heard 'Round the World.

This show has solidified the 1969 Dodge Charger as "the" car to have for most guys growing up in the Eighties. All it takes is the first few notes of Waylon Jennings guitar to bring all the car chases, big jumps and wrecked police cars come roaring back. Well, that and Daisy's short shorts. Thanks!

A Famosa Melaka

2010-10-01T23:30:00.001-07:00

A Famosa Fortress

The gate "Porta de Santiago" is all what's left of the mighty fortress built by the Portuguese invaders in 1511. As you all know, the Portuguese were looking for new trading routes to India. During their quest they set foot and established outposts on Macao, Goa and Melaka.

To fight off the army of the Sultan of Melaka, the Portuguese built this fortress around a natural hill near the sea.

However one century later in 1641, the Portuguese outpost was conquered by the Dutch East Indian Company (abbreviated in Dutch to VOC: Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie).

The Dutch started fortifying the A Famosa fortress and completed their work in1670. That's the date you will see written on the Porta de Santiago, next to the logo of the East Indian Company.

Unfortunately, in the early 19th century the Dutch handed A Famosa over to the British to keep it out of the hands of French colonizer Napoleon. The British had no intention of maintaining the fortress and ordered its destruction.

Only thanks to the founder of Singapore: Sir Stamford Raffles who happened to visit Melaka, the English stopped demolishing the entire fortress and left the Porta de Santiago untouched.

The fortress is in walking distance of the historical center of Melaka and deserves a visit if you want to know more about the history of Melaka and modern Malaysia.

A Famosa golf resort and A Famosa water world

Although Melaka is a renowned UNESCO world heritage site, the Malaysian Tourism Board does little to uphold the picturesque charm of the city.

In their own words, they 'lure' tourists with high priced attractions like a golf resort and a water world theme park. The only historical value in these attractions is the misleading use of the words "A Famosa".

Having said so, the golf course is set upon scenic waterways and has even a landing strip for light aircrafts and helicopters: for the rich and famous.

A Famosa Water World Theme Park is the only water theme park of its kind in the southern region of Malaysia.

Although it comprises slides and pools of every kind, you wonder why the Malaysian Tourist Board just has to add a theme park to a city that can lure tourists just because of it's old charm and history...

A Famosa Melaka summarized

A Famosa shows you 2 sides of how Malaysia looks at tourism in their country:

A Famosa is the oldest remaining building in Melaka and entire Asia,
A Famosa is also used to brand the latest Malaysian tourist attractions in Melaka: a great golf course for the rich and famous and the only Water World theme park in the south of Malaysia.

Although Melaka is an UNESCO world heritage site, A Famosa illustrates how history is only a signboard to lure tourists to Malaysia's most modern tourist attractions.

Kapas Island - The Snorkeling Paradise of Malaysia

2010-09-30T23:15:00.001-07:00

The location of this island is quite cloistered and far away from the crowds of the main island; this makes Kapas Island as one of the most perfect choices for you who are seeking for a peaceful holiday destination. Even though the location of this island is quite cloistered, you do not have to worry that you will have difficulties on reaching this island. It is because you can reach here easily in around 30 - 45 minutes by ferries leaving from Marang beach.

The abundant sunshine, the crisp of fresh air, the heavenly sceneries of this island and the untouched tropical jungles are really exotic while the numerous colorful tropical marine fish living within the beautiful coral reefs, the turtles swimming gracefully and other amazing sea inhabitants are all interesting especially for people who love doing scuba-diving or even snorkeling.

Known as the most exotic snorkeling paradise of Malaysia, Kapas Island has numerous dive resorts with many attractive offers. These dive resorts usually include services like: food and beverages, scuba-diving session and the other accommodations. You don't need to bring your snorkeling equipments because you can rent them in dive resorts here. You would not be able to imagine the beauty of Kapas Island without visiting it.

If you love doing activities like scuba-diving and snorkeling, Kapas Island is definitely the most perfect holiday destination for you. As being mentioned before, in Kapas Island, you will be able to enjoy the incredible sceneries, the crisp fresh air and the abundant sunshine.

Tips for you: If you want to visit Kapas Island, you would really need to reconsider your schedule because this island is like the other islands of Eastern coast of Malaysia; which is also affected by the northeast monsoon every year between November and February. During that period of time, it is not recommended for you to visit this island since your access to most of the dive resorts and ferry transport services will be restricted.

Malaysia's Traditional Games Are Cultural Attractions

2010-09-29T23:00:00.001-07:00

One of the pleasures of visiting villages in the rural areas of Malaysia is to watch the playing of traditional games. It is even better to participate in one of the games. Some of the simpler games played by children come from nature, such as using red saga seeds as marbles, catching a wild spider to pit it against another spider, walking on "stilts" made of coconut shells, and using rubber seeds as conkers. However, there are many games that are also zealously played by adults that often hold spectators in awe.

TOP SPINNING
Top spinning draws excited yells and shouts from both spectators and players. Strength, skill and physical dexterity are needed to launch a top, which is as big as a Frisbees and weighing as much as five kilogrames. Tops are normally of two popular designs. The gasing jantung is heart-shaped while the gasing uri is flattened in shape. There are two types of competitions: endurance and knockout. In the endurance competition, the gasing uri is launched and, once spinning, it is scooped up with a small wooden paddle. It is then transferred onto a small post and allowed to spin. The winner is the top which spins the longest - sometimes it can spin for two hours. In a knockout competition, a player tries to knock another player's spinning top outside a circle using his own top. The ropes used for launching a top are different for each of its function. To maximize its spin, the rope is usually long and thin; while a top used for striking is usually spun using a thick and short rope. The execution of a launch by a master top spinner is done in fluid but powerful movements. Tops are usually made of the merbau and afzella trees, and top-making requires great skill. Top-spinning competitions are often organised on a state, national and international level. Brunei, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand and Japan are among the keen participants in top-spinning competitions.

KITE FLYING
Kite flying can be seen throughout the country though it is more popular in the East Coast, where farmers fly them on the levelled paddy fields after a harvest. A kite usually measure 1.7 metres in height and 1.5 metres from tip to tip of its wing. The most popular shape of the kite is the crescent moon (wau bulan) though other shapes are also found, which are abstract versions of animals such as cat, peacock, hawk, fish, eagle and quail. The tail of a kite is decorated with tassels while a bow is often attached across its neck. When the kite is flown, the bow produces a high-pitched humming noise. The bow is simply a strip of ribbon stretched over a strip of bamboo. A kite, is made of bamboo strips and foil paper, and its artwork is usually formalised by tradition. For instance, a required element in traditional design is to have a large central flower or "ibu" in the centre of the kite; furthermore, vines must emanate from the base of the kite and connect logically.

Two types of kite flying competitions are in vogue: cutting and performance. In a cutting competition, the string of a kite is glazed with glass powder so that it can cut the string of an opponenet's kite, causing it to lose flight. In a performance competition, judges select a winner based on the flight characteristics of the kite such as a vertical launch and maximum height achieved.

PLAYING OF REBANA UBI
In the state of Kelantan, after the harvesting of paddy, the playing of rebana ubi by villagers is a popular pastime. A rebana ubi is a giant drum measuring one metre in diametre and weighing 100 kg. It is made from a hollowed-out log and is painted in bright colours. Bamboo sticks decorated with tinsel and flowers fan out from its centre like the spokes of a bicycle. The drum produces a thunderous roll when beaten with a stick. In a competition, players in traditional costumes compete in teams of six who play different sized drums. They are often dressed in traditional tunic and headgear, which enhances the gaiety and excitement of the event. They beat the drums continuously for 30 minutes, producing complex rhythms in harmony. Judging is based on the complexity and consistency of the beat and synchronized movements of the players.

CONGKAK
Played by two persons, congkak has existed since the time of the Melaka Sultanate in the 15th century. The equipment used is a boat-shaped wooden board with two rows of holes (usually 12) and one large hole (rumah) at each end. Each player's rumah is the large hole at the left. The holes are filled with rubber seeds (or marbles). Each player's aim is to move the seeds in a clockwise direction through the holes to his rumah while observing several rules of the game. The player who gets the most of the seeds in the rumah wins.

GALAH PANJANG
This game does not require any equipment. It is played by two teams of not less than 4 players in each team. A playing area consisting of a grid of six rectangles is required. A badminton court is an ideal place as the lines are already drawn. One team is the attacker while the other is the defender. The object of the game is for the attacking team to progressively enter the defending team's area without being tagged by any member of the defending team. The "attack" can be done either individually or in groups.

TARIK UPIH
The flower-sheath of the betel nut or nibong palm is used in this game of speed. A team consists of a person seated on the upih and another person who pulls it. Whichever team that crosses the designated finishing line first is the winner.

SEPAK BULU AYAM
Literally meaning "kicking chicken feather", this game requires only a simple and cost-economical equipment. A nail is inserted through a few circular piece of rubber of 2 inches in diametre. Usually, the rubber pieces are cut from the inner tube of a bicycle tyre. Five of six chicken feathers are tied to the nail with tape or rubber band. The game can now begin! The object of the game is to kick the bulu ayam for as many times as possible using only the instep of the feet. Therefore players can compete individually or as a team.

MAIN LERENG
This game requires only the metal rim of a bicycle wheel and a stick. Individuals or teams use the stick to roll the bicycle rim over a predetermined distance. The winner is the player or team who completes the distance first.

Places to Visit in Malaysia

2010-09-28T22:45:00.001-07:00

Malaysia has many spectacular buildings, magnificent temples and mosques, stunning skyscrapers and uniquely designed structures. It has a wide variety of breath taking attractions and it is a bit difficult to determine where you should go first and which destination should go last. I hope the list of some of Malaysia's most popular destinations below would help you with your itinerary decision.

Petronas Twin Towers

This tourist attraction is probably the most famous among all of Malaysia's landmarks. It is one of the tallest buildings in the whole world. There is no need to be nervous and not try the Sky Bridge because this experience would give you the best ever views you could get while in the city.

The Batu Caves

Every year, thousands and thousands of local and foreign visitors come to the Batu Caves. This attraction is most popular during the time of the Thaipusam festival. Hindus would gather here and make offerings and vows to the gods.

The Taman Negara National Park

This park is believed to contain the world's oldest jungle. It is about 450 square kilometers in area, filled with the lush and green beauty of Malaysia's untouched tropical rainforest. Tourists could go on a trek or stay there for a few nights if they want to.

Malaysian Beaches

Of course, your trip to Malaysia would not be complete without going to beach. Different water sports and beach activities could be enjoyed while some of your friends and family members are busy getting a tan or just enjoying the sight of the sparkling blue waters. Beaches are the perfect place to relax and unwind.

Mount Kinabalu

This majestic mountain is a favorite of many mountain climbers. It is more than 4,000 meters high and it has become a goal of many hikers and climbers to reach this mountain's summit. It would really be a great life achievement to be able to climb up this magnificent mountain.

Spending a few days in Malaysia should not be dull if you just know where to go. Check out all of those tourist attractions and turn your trip into something memorable

3 Best Sites to Meet Malay Women Online

2010-09-27T22:30:00.001-07:00

If you're from Malaysia or Singapore or Brunei and have no idea where to meet Malay women, you should check out these three social networking sites below. Meeting Malay women at these three sites is fast and easy, and you're likely to find those who are not only beautiful but who share your same interests.

1.MelayuNet

MelayuNet is relatively new to the Malay social networking scene, but it boasts about 15,000 active members which comprises of many Malay women from Malaysia. So if you're from Malaysia, you can't go wrong by joining this site as you'll have a high chance of meeting Malay women in your neighborhood.

Also, you don't have to burn a hole in your pocket in your quest to meet women. Membership at MelayuNet is free.

2. AnakMelayu

A veteran in the Malay social networking scene, Anakmelayu is the place to go if you're from Singapore. It boasts thousands of active and approachable members who are mainly Singaporean Malays.

Membership is not free but worth the money.

3. Ekawan

Ekawan is another veteran in the local social networking scene. You'll find many Malaysians here, but it's not uncommon to find Malay women from other regions.

It's free to join but paid membership gives you more frills like viewing unlimited members' profiles.

Unlike other major dating or social networking sites which are saturated with members from around the world, these three sites cater to the Malay community in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. Therefore, by joining any of these three sites, you catapult your chances of meeting the Malay woman [http://gadismelayuboleh.com] of your dreams.

Ipoh - A Graceful City

2010-09-26T22:18:00.001-07:00

Ipoh is a city in Malaysia which has made fortunes of many a miner in the heydays of Tin. The town, once with only some dilapidated buildings has grown into a city that gets attention from the industries, businessmen, and educators.

Ipoh deserves acclamation for maintaining it value even after the demise of Tin industry. It is still the center of investment, education, business and social activities. It closely resembles the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Ipoh Railway Station is the biggest landmark of the city. It is quite impressive. The station features both Gothic and Moorish architecture aided with modern establishment. Some people call "Taj mahal of ipoh." The compound of the Railway Station comprises of Ipoh tree, a poisonous tree whose sap facilitated people to make fatal dart for their blow pipes. Beautiful garden surrounds this place.

So for visitors arriving by rail, it is welcome entry to the city. In the list of other worth visiting destinations are neocolonial style building and Ipoh Clock Tower. Ipoh Tower is the memory of the first British Resident J.W.W. Birch who was assassinated by Malay chieftains.

Food is another specialty for which Ipoh is famous. "Hor Fun" the famous Ipoh noodles is one of the most palatable foods prepared through Chinese cooking style. Fish Balls are very popular amongst the tourists.

Hotels in Ipoh, Malaysia are wonderful and well equipped to render you a complete comfort.

The Budget hotels Ipoh will match up to your taste and requirements. Whatever your needs are as a tourist hotels in Ipoh Malaysia are there for you

12 National Holidays in Malaysia - What Are Malaysia Public Holidays and Special Occasions?

2010-09-25T22:00:00.001-07:00

Malaysia is always being seen as the country that has the most number of public holidays. In fact, there are only total 13 days of national holidays compared to Thailand which has total of 14 days.

Below are the national holidays in Malaysia: -

1 - New Year Day

New Year Day is the first day of the year. It is a public holiday for all states except Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis & Terengganu.

2 - Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is the major and longest celebration of the Chinese, also known as the "spring festival". The celebration normally falls between the month of January and February.

3 - Prophet Muhammad's Birthday

Prophet Muhammad birthday is being celebrated in the month of February. Prophet Muhammad is a respectable icon in the Muslims society. However, some Muslims do not approve of celebrating the birthday, and regard doing so as a religious innovation.

4 - Labor Day

Labor Day also known as Hari Buruh is celebrated every 1st May. This day is celebrated as a day of commemoration and appreciation of labors, workers and the unions.

5 - Wesak Day

Wesak Day or Buddha birthday is normally celebrated in the month of May by the Buddhists. The celebration is meant to bring happiness and joy to the less unfortunate. Also, the devotees are served with vegetarian food in the temple.

6 - Yang di-Pertuan Agong Birthday

Yang di-Pertuan Agong birthday is celebrated on the first Saturday of June. In Malaysia, Yang di-Pertuan Agong refers to King. As part of the celebration, the King honors titles to the outstanding members of the public.

7 - National Day

National Day also known as "Hari Merdeka" or "Independence Day" celebrated annually on August 31st. National Day is the celebration of free from the colonization of the British. As part of the celebration, there will be a parade and performances from various organizations.

8 - Hari Raya Puasa

Hari Raya Puasa is the festival of "Forget and Forgive" celebrated by the Muslims. On the first day, the Muslims will put on new clothes and pray in the mosque as well as visiting the grave of the relatives. Then, there will be "open house" serving all kinds of delicacies to the guests.

9 - Deepavali

Deepavali is the "Festival of Light" celebrated between the month of October and November by the Hindus. As a new start, they perform the oil bathing rituals to wash away sins and bad luck of the past year. This is a National holiday except in Labuan and Sarawak.

10 - Hari Raya Haji

Hari Raya Haji is one of the important celebration of the Muslims as a remembrance of willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as an obedience to God. On this day, domestic animals such as cow or goat will be sacrifice by each family. The meat will divide equally to the family, relatives or friends and the poor.

11 - Awal Muharram

Awal Muharram also known as Ma'al Hijrah marks the beginning of new year in the Islamic calendar. This is the time where Prophet Muhammad and the Muslims migrated to the city, Madina.

12 - Christmas

Christmas is the birth of Christ, celebrated by the Christians annually on December 25th. On the Christmas eve, the Christians dress up in their new clothes for the midnight service. On the Christmas day, is time for the family members to gather around. There would be a feast and also gift exchange from friends.

Holidays in Malaysia can be confusing at times some National holidays only applied in certain states and also, the dates of each holiday is not fixed. It might be vary.

Apidex Diet Pill - Suppressing Appetite With Apidex

2010-09-24T21:17:00.001-07:00

One good way to lose weight is to eat less, however this can be harder than it sounds when we are surrounded by quick and easy to attain food on a regular basis. Hence the reason for appetite suppression.

One pill that can help in appetite suppression is the Apidex Diet Pill. This pill decreases a person's appetite by changing the brain levels of serotonin by releasing a group of neurotransmitters called catecholamines. This causes your body to go into a flight or fight response, which in turn puts a halt on the signal for hunger. This then causes the individual to lose their appetite because the brain is unable to receive the message that the person is hungry.

However, it is important that patients with glaucoma, hyperthyroidism or a history of drug abuse do not take Apidex diet pills. As well, those who use phentermine for blood pressure should be monitored.

As well, insulin and alcohol can change how the drug does its work, and may in fact, cause it to not work at all. Withdrawal symptoms can also be caused by suddenly stopping use of the diet pills as they can be addicting.

The Apidex Diet Pills are also NOT recommended for people with heart problems.

So, if none of these apply to you, you may have found an easy way to get rid of that pesky hunger, by simply blocking the signal to the brain by using the body's own defenses against itself. It is not the best approach when compared with exercise and healthy eating, but for those who want a quick fix with little effort, then Apidex Diet Pills may be the best way to go.

You should always talk to you doctor before taking any kind of diet pill to ensure you will not be at risk for serious side effects.

Economic Balance in Malaysia After Recession

2010-09-23T21:02:00.001-07:00

With Bank Negara Malaysia (herein referred to as "BNM") declaring in the month of September that its Monetary & Financial Developments August 2009, the Malaysian economy faces stable interest rates, demand for financing in the housing industry is sustained and the capital market moderated, it seems positive that Malaysia may be looking at a very positive economic outlook coming 2010.

There were previous speculations about the domino effect this Great Recession has on Malaysia will last about 2-3 years; albeit its heavy political activities and shrewd financial stability mentality that was placed on Malaysians by various mass and alternative media.

Locally speaking, Malaysia is seen to be performing quite well in this recession - BNM's net non-performing loans ratio remains at 2.1% as of August 2009, as many other banks stood at an approximate figure of 3.65%. Deutsche Bank however, was forecasted to a high of 15% non-performing loan ratios (herein referred to as "NPL") for the next 12 months starting October 2009.

The Average Base Lending Rates (BLR) in Malaysia stands at 5.53% on July, decreasing to a low of 5.51% at the end of August.

For more almost a decade now, citizens of the world mainly financiers and political leaders have always craved for economic stability, sustainability and predictability: Even depicted in the G20 summit. But what is the shape of the economy after this recent economic turmoil, and how would we reshape it?

Economy Focus: Malaysia The GDP chart above (by Dept. of Statistics Malaysia) shows a very sharp decline at the expected bottom-out -6.2% in Quarter 1 of 2009. Over the period of time, output for exports have declined, oil price was down to a low of US$48/barrel and the producer price index showed decline compared from January - August 2008 and 2009.

Some of the other exciting figures are also unemployment rates, commodity prices, global stock market prices, foreign currency exchange value and manufacturing output of vital Malaysian exports. Interestingly, the balance of payments figures are depicted as below.

Balance of Payments - Malaysia for 2007 - Q1 2009

According to the Malaysian Department of Statistics,

The current account recorded a surplus of RM28.8 billion (equivalent to 17.8% of GDP) in the second quarter of 2009, down from RM31.4 billion from the preceding quarter (-RM2.7 billion or -8.5%). The decrease was as a result of lower surplus on goods of RM33.1 billion from RM37.0 billion in the earlier quarter (-RM3.8 billion or -10.4%), and services of RM1.0 billion (Q1 2009: RM2.5 billion). Meanwhile, other components in current account showed an improved performance as follows:

a lower net payments on income account of RM1.5 billion (Q1 2009: -RM3.9 billion); and
a lower leakage on current transfers of RM3.9 billion (Q1 2009: -RM4.2 billion)

Malaysia vs. Other economies Household debts are still worryingly high in United States, and healthcare is often a concern. It has been said 'worryingly' for many times that Americans are spending too much, wanting a lot of amenities but are not paying enough for it. Consumer spending has dropped, but cost of capital and consumer prices index has increased. This negatively effects the economy as prices will be higher and consumers do not spend as much - Leaving local monetary circulation volatility at a much lower rate.

In Malaysia, banks were having strong capitalization and stable NPL, sustained fund raising volatility in the capital market, gross financing to the private sector was moderated and M3 (broad money) grew at a faster annual rate at 7.6%.

Afford A Lifestyle Of Luxury Living in Penang, Malaysia

2010-09-22T20:46:00.001-07:00

How do you decide which country is the right one to live in and invest abroad? You might find it an overwhelming decision with so many choices available. The truth is there's plenty to consider before making any final decisions to pursue your overseas dreams. It's not just about picking the best picture postcard of your dream home.

Whether you are looking for a second home...a holiday home...a retirement home...an investment home, Penang, Malaysia has it all! Found off the north coast of Malaysia, this little island doubles as a tourist and expatriate magnet. Malaysia's secret weapon, Penang with its natural beauty and exotic heritage has attracted many curious visitors to its shores.

A place of mysterious temples and tropical beaches lined with palm trees was the backdrop that famous British novelist, Somerset Maugham used as he spun stories about the romance of the colonial white planter in South-East Asia.

But, why Malaysia you may ask? It's all about Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H)! The MM2H program is an attractive package that the Malaysian government has designed to attract in particular retirees to come to Malaysia and set up home here. Malaysia offers a myriad of reasons for an expatriate to settle permanently here. And most of all Malaysians are willing to welcome you into their hearts and homes.

Retirees will find that life is much more fun and relaxed while living in Penang, Malaysia, which is a retiree's haven with ample time on their hands to pursue all those dreams and hobbies which they have never found time for. Cultivating exotic orchids in your garden, taking yoga classes, improving your handicap in golf, having time to try out recipes that you have been saving from magazines, helping out at a charity home are some of the hobbies that may be pursued.

Penang's exceptional low cost of living and tax-friendly system is most attractive to retirees and foreigners looking for a second home. Property and rental costs are low. Shopping for food in the well-stocked supermarkets is cheap. This is achieved through the Government's efficient monitoring of the economy in ensuring that inflation is kept low at all times and thereby also the prices of goods and services. A retiree's pension when transferred to Malaysia will stretch much further than in their home country.

Buying property in Penang is fairly easy. The most popular belt for foreigners to settle along is the exotic northern coastal area, where the most desirable neighborhoods can be found, with its white sandy beaches and sea-facing apartments and condominiums with million-dollar views. Wake up in the morning to a gentle breeze from the sea, a clear blue sky splashed with the vibrant colors of a rising sun and far off fishing boats bringing in the day's catch.

Malaysia's Green Building Index Requirement on Solar Reflectance Index For Paving Materials - Part 2

2010-09-21T20:31:00.001-07:00

In recent decades, environmental issues have been discussed and debated all over the world. There are many factors that contribute towards these environmental problems. One of it is the buildings, which play a very important role in this issue; not only during construction but also throughout its service life cycle.

In Part 1 of my article, I've touched on the Solar Reflectance Index requirement in Malaysia's context Breen Building Index. In this part of the article, we will go into details of what is SRI? Urban development is a very important activity for economy stimulation. However, the same development process has brought in some other effects to the surrounding. The surface and air temperature in urban area are higher compared to suburban area; and the trend is in upwards due to more suburban areas are being converted into urban areas. This condition is known as heat island effect; and though there are many factors contributing towards this, solar absorption has been identified one of the main cause for this.

The buildings and paved surface are always exposed to the solar energy, and thus absorbing more heat directly from the sun; which eventually released to the surrounding. Due to this increased surrounding temperature, the usage of air conditioning has increased tremendously which obviously leads to many other environmental problems.

What is SRI? It is a composite value calculated base on equations provided in ASTM E1980. The field value is measured using portable emissometer (ASTM C1371), which measures the surface solar reflectance and emittance value.

Solar Reflectance - is a value measured on the solid material which is indicated on a scale of 0 to 1. The value 1 means that all the solar directed to the material surface is reflected back, while the value 0 means none is reflected. Based on literature, light colors tend to have much higher reflectance value compared to dark colors.

Emittance - is measurement of how well the surface let go the absorbed heat, and also reported on a scale of 0 to 1. The value 1 indicates 100% emittance. Most of the concrete products has an emittance value of 0.85 to 0.95.

As mentioned in Part 1 of this article series, the Green Building Index of Malaysia's requirement on SRI for concrete pavement is at least 29. Under this guideline, the concrete pavement material to be used not only must achieve the minimum SRI, but also to be used for more 50% of the paving area. Only then the project will qualify for the green points under this criterion.

Look out for my follow-up article on this topic, which will discuss more Green Building Index.

How to Lose Weight During Ramadan

2010-09-20T20:15:00.001-07:00

The fasting month of Ramadan, for many Muslims, is a great opportunity to lose weight. There are just so many resources and exercise recommendations, exercise strategies from many people, fitness enthusiasts and trainers out there - so today, I'm going to give you some very simple guidelines that you can apply to ANY routine.

There's no rocket science here, but in analyzing the recommendations from various people, I've come to a conclusion that it is so easy to overlook the basics when we are trying new things to lose fat during the fasting month.

So, with that in mind, my recommendations for the month of Ramadan are:

1. Eat healthy during the periods you are allowed to

This one's quite obvious right? But surprisingly, it is the most difficult to follow. Why? Because when you are hungry, thirsty, and demotivated in the evenings, moments before you break your fast, it is so easy to make poor food choices and opt for the greasiest and most sugary options you can find. Moreover, it doesn't help at all when the Ramadan bazaars make these foods very accessible and affordable.

2. Eat balanced meals

As always, fast or no fast -- your meals should be balanced. This means complex carbs, protein, and healthy dietary fats in every meal. Ask yourself at every meal -- where is my protein? Where is my complex carbs? And where are my healthy dietary fats? By all means, NEVER have a meal that is predominantly carbohydrates -- a very common mistake we all make. This is also a good time to actually cook your own healthy meals, rather than to rely on buying outside food all the time -- when you cook, you can control exactly what goes into it.

3. Eat multiple smaller meals - spread your meals

Just like how I advise on eating smaller meals throughout the day during non-fasting times, the same applies even during the fasting month. Don't settle for one or two ridiculously large meals because there is only so much your body can absorb at one-go. Instead, have smaller meals -- you can easily have one when you break fast, another a few hours later, and one more before the fast starts again (at 4am) -- so that's 3 well spread out meals, so yes, you need to wake up to eat a meal (or perhaps a meal replacement or protein shake can be convenient).

4. Water, water, water!

Drink more water during the non-fasting period -- less of the sugary drinks (I'd cut them out altogether). Drink even when you aren't feeling thirsty. Your body needs to rehydrate, so give it what it needs - MINUS the excess sugars (which equals to calories) tagging along. That means walking past the cendol, cincau, and multi-colored drink stalls at the Ramadan bazaar. If you are diabetic, all the more you should be avoiding these. Your body will thank you for this.

4. Keep your exercise routine simple, yet effective.

This simply means 'not overdoing it'. Don't spend long hours at the gym. This is not the time for back-to-back group exercise classes, or high intensity exercise (especially if you are working out during the fasting hours of the day, which I don't recommend -- see below). This is also not the time to achieve a new personal best -- save it for next month. So this means that you will be performing sufficiently challenging strength training exercises (working on all muscle groups), and moderately intense cardiovascular exercise.

In fact, I wouldn't recommend working out when you are not able to drink water - so ideally, it would be best to work out during the non-fasting period of the day -- which is anytime after you break fast, which can be around 7.30pm up to before you go to bed.

At the end of the day -- when you understand why weight loss happens, you will see that the fasting month can be a good time to lose weight because 'technically speaking' -- there will be a greater calorie deficit as you will be consuming less food in any given day. Less food equates to less calories.

Couple this with exercise which burns calories and further contributes to the calorie deficit, you'll see that you've got a win-win situation here.

Of course, if you're one of those who can't eat healthy when you fast and eat every imaginable thing in sight during the break of fast, and then continue to sit at the stalls until it is 3am -- you will EASILY end up consuming more calories than you usually do -- and most likely gain more fat during the fasting month, which makes you quite silly.

Kuala Lumpur's Money Museum

2010-09-19T20:04:00.001-07:00

It has been said that the love of money is the root of all evil. Whether you like it or not, money makes the world go round. In Kuala Lumpur's Money Museum, you can take a historical trip to see the evolution of money in the country.

Housed in the premises of the Bank Negara Malaysia (or Central Bank of Malaysia) on Jalan Dato Onn, the museum serves as a repository for the country's numismatic heritage. Though compact in size, the layout of the interior of the museum has been planned meticulously to introduce the history and development of money in the country in a chronological flow.

The entrance of the Primitive Gallery, the first section, is adorned with an intricately carved archway. Arabesque carvings featuring stylized flowers, tendrils, and interlocking vines dominate the pier and frieze of the archway, which are complemented by delicate relief work on panels depicting leaf motifs. This beautiful piece of art dates back to more than a hundred years, and is a testimony to the skill of Muslim carvers. It was acquired by Bank Negara Malaysia at the Islamic Civilization Exhibition held in the Islamic Centre, Kuala Lumpur in 1986

Dignified elegance prevails throughout the interior of the museum through the liberal use of local hardwood such as nytoh and ramin. The rich ruddy hue and powerful luster of nyatoh delicately balances the creamy yellow of ramin to create an opulent ambiance. High on the walls above the display cases are framed bamboo-plaited panels featuring intricate geometric designs. Both fauna-based and plant-based motifs such as fish-scales and ladu flower form the source of inspiration for the designs. These decorative panels were commissioned by the bank to showcase the cultural richness of the Malays.

There are more than 2,000 items on permanent display that traces the evolution of money in the country. Among them are artifacts, coins, currency notes, tokens, coupons and medals. In the early days of trade, people in the Malay Peninsula exchanged goods for goods; later, a medium of exchange developed. During the period of the Han Dynasty (206BC-221AD), merchants from China and India introduced copper coins to the local populace who had hitherto been using cowrie shells imported from the Maldives and North Borneo as money.

In the Primitive Gallery, there are displays of these cowrie shells as well as Han Dynasty copper coins. Other exhibits include early forms of money used in Sarawak and Borneo such as beads made of glass, cornelian and onyx, brass kettle and brass cannon. Tiny tin replicas of animals such as crocodile, fish, grasshopper and elephant which circulated in Selangor, Perak and Negri Sembilan used from the 16th century to the early 18th century are also displayed.

Gallery E houses pre-colonial and colonial money. From Kedah, there is cockerel money made of tin, while Terengganu's legacy is the money tree of the sun-ray shape. Kelantan is famous for its tin coin-tree which was first used during the 16th century. The coins were broken off from their branches to be used as payment. From 1400 to 1780, the coin-tree circulated alongside gold coins called Kupang of which there were three types: Kijang coins, Dinar Matahari (or Sun) coins and coins with Arabic inscriptions on both sides.

Also, remember to check out the Jokoh of Terengganu which were issued in 1877 by Chinese headmen under permission from the Sultan for use in gambling dens. Each Jokoh was valued at 2 1/2 times of the Spanish dollar. In fact, as early as 1760, Siamese and Chinese gambling tokens were already in circulation in the northern States of the Malay peninsula. Who says that life was dull in the olden days? In Johor, during the reign of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah (1597-1615), katun or tin cash was widely used in markets They were minted in various shapes such as round, hexagonal and octagonal.

The kingdom of Malacca saw the introduction of coins during the reign of Sultan Muzaffar Shah. On display in the gallery are the market cash coins which were stamped with the sultan's name on one side and his Islamic title on the other. Relics of the Portuguese era in Malacca have also found their way to the money museum. They include the Bastardo tin coin, Catholico gold coin, and the Soldos and Dinheiros coins which are an alloy of tin and lead. The fall of Malacca to the Dutch in 1641 saw the appearance of 1/2 Stiver coins, 1/4 Stiver coins, Bonks, Ducatoons, Guilders, Java Rupees and Copper Doits.

The Money Museum has also acquired a collection of Straits Settlements coins issued between 1871 and 1935, which spanned the reigns of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and King George V. Straits Settlements currency notes that are much sought after by collectors are also displayed in Gallery E. They were first issued in 1898. According to an officer of the museum, the items on display are badly crumpled as they are bad in size and people had to fold them before putting them in their pockets.

Inside Gallery F are collections of private banknotes and private currency tokens. These banknotes issued by the British and Indian colonial banks played an important to expedite trade and commerce. World War II led to the Japanese's Occupation of Malaya in 1942, and the issuance of Japanese notes in abundance that caused severe inflation. They were called "Banana Money" because the RM10 note depicted a banana tree.

As visitors complete a loop back to the entrance, a minting machine greets them. For one ringgit (for adults) and fifty sen (students), visitors can have a hands-on experience in mint coin blanks from aluminum to commemorate their visit to the museum. There is also a sales counter where visitors can buy minted tokens, publications, badges and souvenirs.

On the mezzanine floor, among the attention grabbers are the commemorative coins issued by Bank Negara for the World Wildlife Conservation, Pacific Area Travel Association, Ninth South East Asian Games and other. Also displayed are banknotes of various countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas and Middle East. There are new additions when new notes are issued.

Complete your tour by popping over to the Art Gallery, housed in The Annexe. More than 1,400 pieces of art works, ranging from paintings, prints, sketches, sculptures and sketches are on display.

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 9am-4:30pm
Saturday: 9am-12 noon
Sundays & Public Holidays: Closed

How To Open A Mail And Parcel Shipping Store

2010-09-18T19:45:00.001-07:00

How Much Will It Cost? After our personal experience, the bare minimum I would even consider opening a mail and parcel center with is $25,000. You have to have a finish-out on the building. You need to purchase POS equipment and software. You have to buy supplies and retail displays. The list goes on and on, and I'll discuss some of the stuff you will need later in this guide.

Choosing a Location:

Choosing a location is THE most important factor when opening a mail and parcel store. If you have a poor location your clients will not notice you, it may be too far out of their way, or inconvenient to get to you.

If you choose to get placed in a shopping center, make sure parking will not be an issue. If you get into a suite next to HEB, Best Buy or some other big chain parking will be limited. Your customers would rather drive down the road then get out of the car and and walk all the way across the parking lot. Also stay away from the strip malls that no-one frequents. Getting the proper exposure is the key to your business.

How To Apply For Shipping Accounts

Setting up your shipping accounts is not overly difficult if you know how to get started. Be forewarned that you can not apply for your accounts until you are within 30 days of your opening date. Details are as follows:

·Fedex - Fedex does not allow you to mix your business with anything else. For example, you can not run an office supply store, that also ships packages via Fedex. Also make sure when you fill out this application that you put the full business name as found on your tax ID. You can fill out your application here: http://www.fascnet.com

·DHL - DHL shipping accounts can be obtained through the AMPC here - [http://www.ampc.org/assets/join.htm] or through RSA here - http://www.rscentral.org

·USPS - The USPS approved shipper program does not give you any discounts, but it does provide you with a free pick up from the post office. Even though this will not be a huge money maker for you, you need to be able to service all your customers needs. The USPS approved shipper program application can be downloaded directly from the AMPC here - [http://www.ampc.org/assets/join.htm] or through RSA here -http://www.rscentral.org

·UPS - UPS is not currently taking any applications for new ASO's. There is a big debate about this subject and if you want more info just google on it. Basically the only way to get ASO status with UPS is to buy an existing store. We do not have ASO status with UPS and it does not hinder us at all. A little finesse can easily direct a customer towards Fedex or DHL.

What Equipment Will I Need?

To set everything up properly you could easily spend $10,000 to $15,000 on equipment for your store. You will need a POS system on your front counter. A POS system typically includes a computer, cash drawer, receipt printer, label printer, two monitors, a barcode scanner and a credit card machine. Your needs and preferences determine exactly which type of setup to buy. The friendly people over at POS savings will be happy to answer questions and get you setup with your POS System.

What Software Should I Use?

There are several choices for your shipping software, but there are really only three that stand out of the crowd in my opinion. Postalmate, ReSource, and Shiprite. For our business we chose Postalmate. It has a great interface, built-in cash register software, and mailbox management. The other companies offer similar services, and everyone I speak with likes them just as well. It's a matter of preference, and you will need to do some of your own research on this topic to see which one you prefer. Here are a few links on this subject.

Postalmate

ReSource

Shiprite

What Retail Displays Should I Have?

Again, this is a topic mostly based on preference. There are many different types of displays you can purchase with prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. The most common types of displays are Gridwall, Slatwall, and Gondola Isles.

What Supplies Should I buy?

Boxes: The most common supply you will use, and also the one you need to have the most of. We carry more than twenty different types of boxes, and I strongly encourage you to get a good inventory going when you open your shipping center. Here is a list of some good sizes to purchase when starting up your business. You can adjust the list as you see fit:

24x24x24

16x16x16

22x18x16

28x24x6

24x18x8

24x12x12

20x14x6

16x12x4

9x6x6

12x10x8

12x12x12

15x12x10

15x15x10

16x16x8

16x16x4

Small Mailers

Large Mailers

Laptop Shipping Kits

Corrugated Sheets

Multi-Size Boxes

1.5" x 15"

4" x 48"

6" x 48"

4" x 72"

Tape & Dispensers: It's always a great idea to have several tape dispensers. They break or get misplaced quite often, and you don't want to be searching for your tools with a customer standing at the counter. Also make sure to get the good tape. Some companies sell the 1.5 mil and the 1.7 mil. These break easily and are not very reliable. Try to get 2 mil or thicker tape.

Fillers: To pack items correctly you need several types of fillers. Bubble Wrap, Kraft paper, Peanuts, and Foam. Here are some tips when purchasing your filler supplies:

·Get the anti-static peanuts. They usually do not cost any extra.

·Get a peanut dispenser that hangs from the ceiling. This will save a lot of time.

·Get a big roll of bubble wrap, and a pull dispenser to hold it.

·Get a dispenser and some big paper rolls.

Secondary Money Makers:

One of the most important parts of opening a mail and parcel center is your secondary money makers. The more services you offer, the more customers you will attract. People just love to get everything done in one convenient place.

Notary - A very good business to get into. You can make a good profit on each transaction with very little work. Become a Notary Here

eBay Consignments - Our eBay consignment business has blown up. We have actually had to hire a new employee that does nothing but write ads for the amount of consignments we take in. All we do is run an ad in the classifieds section of the local paper every day, and we generate $2,000 to $4,000 in commissions each month.

Passports - Another way to bring in extra money. A setup for taking passport pictures usually does not cost more than a couple hundred dollars, and you can charge up to $15.00 for each customer you get.

Copies & Faxes - Customers have come to expect these kinds of services from a shipping center. Make sure you have a reliable way to make copies and send faxes. This is a decent way to make extra money, and get your customers to keep coming back into the store. Make sure to include legal paper in your supplies list for copies.

Read the whole article here.

Oil Subsidy Or No Subsidy? - Malaysia

2010-09-17T19:31:00.001-07:00

In the mid of euphoria about price hike, countries are scurrying to adopt some very unpopular moves, such as abandoning oil subsidies which have been the live blood of many middle and poor groups of population. To make the matter worse, as opposition parties start to exploit and harp on the issue, the livelihood is complicated by the uncertainties imposed by the sub prime, slow export-import and domestic demand. Political parties, especially the oppositions, have been arguing themselves to political center stage and have been garnering supports during this period. This is because the welfare of the people is diminished due to the cut as many starts to cut down other consumptions to compensate the increasing portion on total income spent on oil and gas.

The two sides of the argument dwelt on current welfare and future development. On one side, the argument is that the current welfare of the people is adversely affected by the sudden and drastic cut, and on the other side is the increasing subsidies could burden future plans on development and economic growth. Both sides also supported their argument with facts and figures. I would like to take a country, which recently just cut the subsidies and results in its backlash.

The people of Malaysia is recently confronted with cut of subsidy from the price of RM1,92 to RM2,70 per liter at petrol kiosk. As public transportation has not been efficient enough to cater to everyday's needs of the people, the rise has been major concerns to the people, and the sentiment has been exploited to a very adverse effect on the current government. Many popular and pro-people arguments have been put forward and have helped to garner large followings never seen in Malaysian history since 50 years independence from British.

At the recent debate between, Mr Anwar Ibrahim and Malaysia Information Minister, Mr Shambery, Mr Anwar elaborated in length the need to reduce, gradually, the price of gas and petrol. The first stage of reduction should be in the range of 50 Malaysian cents, in other words, the price can be reduced to RM2,20 if he helms the government. Although the subsidies, can cost up to 50 billions every year ( if at the current price of RM1,92), Mr Anwar argued the reduction of 50 cents required just another 5 billion RM. The additional cost, he argued could be sourced from the many economic leakages which have been rampant in the UMNO led government.

When we dissect and analyze the argument, one can see there are two elements, the price hike and the leakages. Before we deal with each one of them, let us imagine the rarity of water in drought prone areas. "Economically, the shortage of water is not an issue in these areas!", as the shortages occurred in luxury goods such as Mercedez Benz, BMW and also diamonds. We do not face shortages of these luxury goods as high price will help allocate the goods in the market. Similarly, the price of water and oil and gas could help to allocate the limited resources to the people who need them most if the price is freed to adjust itself. After all, the across the board subsidies help more rich people than poor people as the consumption is skewed in favor of the riches.

Oil and gas cannot be treated as assets to a government as they are used to fuel the consumptions. If more oil and gas are extracted, these assets are dwindling fast, and therefore the country is becoming poorer. Too much dependence on oil to fuel the consumptions will endanger the development when the wells start to dry. Although the life cannot be ascertained for sure, the current boom greased by oil subsidies will cause economic bust or economic restructuring in the future. Many industries, Plastic, Electronic, and etc, depend very much on the oil and gas subsidies to remain competitive. The exports have helped the country to earn much of the foreign currencies. This has made the exports competitive in the international market, and made other products not competitive. Although the resource curse is not apparent in the country, the money could be used with much more benefits to the people and at the same time do not sacrifice the developments.

Besides the welfare is affected by the fuel rise, the manufacturing and construction sectors face an increasing pressure to remain competitive in the market. Many contractors who have secured a construction project, due to increasing costs, have abandoned or delayed the completion. Debts increased, production and sales slowed, and unemployment increased. Many start to blame the recent hike which they have been enjoying for these many years. In a recent released decision, government has agreed to help the small and medium industries, in other words, the oil and gas subsidies will increase. This step further aggravates the situation as inefficiencies are promoted and subsidized at the expense of consumers. These aggravations come in two ways; 1) the decision to maintain and increase the subsidies mean that inefficient and uncompetitive industries will still remain, paid by taxpayers money and 2) the price hike is not accompanied by the drop in price of other goods as the inefficient producers and manufacturers remained and subsidized.

Although effort to channel the economic leakages to subsidize oil and gas is praise worthy, the money could be better used in other areas to ensure the long term development. As Malaysia is going down hill in its competitiveness and attractiveness in doing business, the need for other more productive investments such as infrastructure, programs to improve the competitiveness of local industries, education and etc are more beneficial than maintaining the subsidies which could encourage more leakages (reselling of subsidized oil and gas , smuggling and etc) and promote incompetency in the economy.

There are many sweeteners can be offered to mass population especially when the economy and people are in dire straits. Careful investigation and analysis is vital before adopting the proposals and promises are required.

Malaysia Tourism Offering Your Memorable Holidays in Malaysia

2010-09-16T19:16:00.001-07:00

Are you planning for vacation in South East Asia? If your answer is yes, visit to Malaysia the most beautiful and demanding tourism destinations in South East Asia. Bedecked with fascinating beaches, alluring wildlife parks and sanctuaries, flittering sky-scrappers, bustling shopping malls, exotic and well maintained gardens, man- made attractions, theme parks, water fun parks, mesmerizing Islands, the enchanting charm and beauty of Malaysia Tourism attracts tourists from all the entire corner of the globe. Every year thousands of travelers, honeymooners, vacationers and holiday makers visit this exotic destination of Asia to enjoy holiday with family, friends and beloved in a delightful and memorable way.

Come to Malaysia for a vacation and you have wonderful opportunity to explore, see and visit some of the fantastic destination of the country. Below mentioned are some of the few most and must visit on Malaysia Trips.

Geogetown
Located in the Panang Island in Southwest Coast of Malaysia Peninsula's, Georgetown is one of the oldest British Settlement in the country. Having overvalued by the rich culture and tradtion as well as the vibrancy and aura of Chinese culture your visit to Georgetown will take you back to the era somewhat 50 years back. There are many enchanting attractions in the town among which vegetable markets, Chinese Houses, temple ceremonies, trishaws, mahjong games and various other attracts will never fail to impress you heart.

Cameron Highlands
One of the most favored among the tourism destination in Malaysia is Cameron Highlands. Located amidst the Peninsular Malaysia, Cameron Highlands has a series of exotic hill stations and is one of the major centers of Malaysia's Tea Industry. The natural expressions found here in the form of waterfalls, well organized tea bushes, green meadows with blossoming wildflowers, beautiful gardens, etc festooned Malaysia giving it a heavenly look. Surely tourists will get spell bind with the astounding beauty of the place.

Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur the vibrating and fascinating city is the capital city of Malaysia. Famously known as the Asian Tiger City, with the change of time and technology, it has changed itself to keep with the changing pace of the time. Today it is the main center of the country and holds most attractions that attract thousands and hundreds of tourists from all the nook and corner of the world. Among the many attractions the historical twin Petronas Towers- the tallest building in the world holds the attentions of tourists the most in Kuala Lumpur.

Beside these there are many other exotic destinations to see and explore. So plan your holiday in the beautiful country of South East Asia to treasure cherish experience of lifetime. These days several Malaysia Holiday Packages are made available by the tour operators. Book one of your choices and enjoy holiday in Asia and experience the real charm and beauty of Truly Asia. Surely you will cherish each and every moment treasured here for lifetime time. Take if for Granted...No other destination in Asia can match the beauty of Malaysia.

How Much Will it Cost to Start a Restaurant?

2010-09-15T19:00:00.001-07:00

This is one of the most frequently asked questions in starting a restaurant, and one that people often get wrong by seriously underestimating the actual answer.

That may not be a problem, if there is plenty of cash in reserve and sales pick up quickly, or it may be a devastating problem if there was very little reserve, the estimate was way off, or sales are much slower than expected in taking off.

Because many restaurant entrepreneurs have no real experience in these matters, it may seem like a difficult job to accurately estimate the cost to start a restaurant. It doesn't have to be. Using good financial projection software, designed specifically for a restaurant can give you the exact cost answers you are looking for when presenting your plan to a bank or investors.

Here are the main cost considerations for startup costs when starting a new restaurant:

Lease

This includes not only the monthly payments, from the time of taking the keys, but also a deposit that may be required, which could run anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several months worth of payments.

Leasehold Improvement

Once you have the space, you may need to make changes to the interior, including adding or removing walls, rewiring, replumbing, adding finishes, lighting, shelving, fixtures, etc. to make the space into your actual business.

Beginning Inventory

This is includes all the food, beverages and liquor you will have on hand to be ready on your opening day. Depending on the terms you can get with yourvendors, you may be able to finance some or all of this cost. Being a new restaurant, however, getting good terms right from the start will be more difficult and depend on your good credit and business experience and to some extent your industry knowledge and contacts.

Printing

Virtually every restaurant requires some printing. This may be as little as business cards and menus, or it may be much more.

Restaurant Equipment

You will need to buy or lease the necessary equipment to operate it. Don't forget the small things, like fax machines, phone systems, computers, desk chairs, filing cabinets, etc. which every restaurant needs, and although no one thing costs a lot, the collection will add up.

Utilities and Deposits

You will need to turn on the electricity, phone and any other services you need to operate. Some of these will require a deposit or hook up fee, or both, that will make the first payments double or more of the typical payment you can expect.

Permits/Licenses/Taxes

While not usually an excessive amount, you will need to budget some money to cover your business license, health permit and any other permits or taxes you will be required to pay. Some states require a deposit for your sales taxes. If you incorporate or form an LLC, there will likely be fees and taxes associated with the registration.

Professional Services

If you use a lawyer, accountant or other professional services in starting up, there will be expenses associated with these services. Most restaurants can avoid these, unless there is a complicated investor relationship or partnership agreement needed.

Your Staff

You may start your business alone or with only partners, but if you need more help then you will have the cost of employees. You will also have the added expense of payroll taxes, social security, etc. which adds an additional $.20 or more cents to every dollar of payroll cost.

Marketing/Advertising

You will be spending money on whatever kind of advertising you do for your new restaurant. You might buy yellow pages ads, do a mailing, put up a website, buy a sign for the front of your building, or even do radio spots, trade journal ads or any of a variety of other options. Most of these expenses will come up before the advertising actually takes place, which means they can't be funded from the revenue they produce.

Insurance

There are several types you will need, depending on the size of your business. Generally you can pay in installments, which helps lower the cost.

Other Costs

All restaurants have extra costs that come up. By planning your restaurant carefully you will be able to accurately estimate how much they will cost when you get started.

The only mistake you can make is not planning at all, because then you will certainly get it wrong and that almost always means coming up short on cash and having to close the doors on what might have otherwise been a very successful restaurant.

10 Things to Do in Malacca, Malaysia - Malacca City Guides and Attractions

2010-09-14T18:45:00.001-07:00

One of the famous destinations on list for locals and tourist for a short vacation is Malacca - the historical town. The place might be small but the attractions are endless!

1 - Explore Malaysia at Taman Mini Malaysia & Mini ASEAN
Explore the different types of traditional Malaysia houses representing 13 states from Sarawak's Iban Long House to Negeri Sembilan's Long Roofed House the only house in Malaysia to have a curved roof reminiscent of the Minangkabau roof of Sumatra. Also, you will be able to find other houses from other ASEAN countries.

2 - Take a River Cruise along Malacca River
Malacca River has the boat tour that probably take about 45 minutes or an hour to complete the sight-seeing. A tour guide will highlight the interesting places! Interested tourists have to check on the operating hours as the cruise only available during high tide.

3 - Explore Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum
Baby Nyonya Heritage Museum is a museum located behind Jonker Street that displays the history of the ethnic. Baba Nyonya are Chinese who adapt much of the Malay cultures since the time Admiral Cheng Ho settled down in Malacca.

4 - Shop for Local Products
Don't forget to shop for local products at Sam Suk Gong or Tam Kim Hock. These are the two famous shops that tourists would love to go and carry home the MUST BUY local products like "shrimp paste" or "pineapples cookies" or "gula Melaka" or even the "durian candy".

5 - Get a Bird-eye View on Malacca from Eye on Malaysia
Eye on Malaysia which has shifted from Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur is now located in Kota Laksamana, the mouth of Malacca river. It could be a pleasant experience being able to view Bandar Hilir Malacca from the top of the world!

6- Have Wild Wild West Fun at A'Famosa Resorts
Not to be mistaken with the historical monument, A Famosa, A'Famosa Resort is a place worth visiting for the whole family. The offers include an international 27-hole golf course, Cowboy Town, Animal World Safari, Water World Theme Park, Equestrian Club, Resort Hotel and much more.

7 - Find Shopping Galore at Jonker Street
Jonker Street is the chest with the hidden gems. It is the most happening and busiest street at night with bars and hawkers stalls-mouth-watering local delicacies could be easily found here. Also, performances can be seen on every Saturday.

8 - Experience Authentic Portuguese Food at San Pedro
Find the oldest Portuguese restaurant in Malaysia that offers home-style Portuguese fare at San Pedro Restaurant at Portuguese Settlement Village. Try the Devil Curry and Portuguese-style Baked Fish in spice paste and squid fritters. If you enjoy spicy seafood by the beach, this is your spot!

9 - Check Out The Stadhuys
The Stadhuys, also known as the Red Square is a historical structure built by the Dutch occupants in 1650. Situated beside the Christ Church, supposed the oldest remaining Dutch historical building in the Orient, is now the home of a Museum of History and Ethnography

10 - Visit the Famous Portuguese Monument, A Famosa
A Famosa is a fortress built by the Portuguese in the 16th century which also meant"The Famous'" in the language. The only standing part of the fortress now is the small gate house, Porta De Santiago. Here, you can also find many stalls selling souvenirs for you to bring home.

Also worth checking out:

Shop at Dataran Pahlawan Megamall
Dataran Pahlawan Megamall, a newly opened shopping mall in town, is usually packed during the weekends. The locals as well as the tourists enjoy going to the Dataran Pahlawan's field for photo session or just merely sit down and enjoy the view there.

Visit the Malacca Sultanate Palace
Malacca Sultanate Palace is the place that cannot be missed upon visiting Malacca. It is located at the foot and St. Paul Hill. The building was constructed using only wooden pegs and with no nails.

Drop by Sam Po Kong Temple
Sam Po Kong Temple was built in the year 1975, on the foot of Bukit China. It was named after a lengendary fish, Sam Po Kong which stopped one of the admiral's ship from sinking.

Check Out Taming Sari Tower
Taming Sari Tower is the signature tower in town with 110 meters tall. Passengers are able to view Bandar Hilir Malacca within radius of 5 kilometers away!

Visit Hang Li Po Well
Hang Li Po Well was named after the Chinese princess, Hang Li Po who married to the Sultan Mansur Syah, the Malacca king at that time. The locals believed that wishing upon the well will grants good fortune and luck.

Top 10 Scuba Diving Destinations in Malaysia

2010-09-13T18:32:00.001-07:00

The abundance of marine life in the waters of Malaysia has made it one of the prime diving destinations in the world. With the vast exhibition of a wide range of species and an ever-increasing number of phenomenal dive spots and scuba destinations, Malaysia has become a hot spot for divers.

The following are the most significant diving sites in Malaysia:

o Tioman Island, located in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia has become a very popular dive site because of the existence of the very fascinating and colorful marine creatures. It is open for both expert divers who have travelled to Malaysia to experience the richness of its aquatic population and also for those who wish to learn how to dive. Offering more than twenty dive spots for you to explore, Tioman Island is the destination for water sports enthusiasts.

o Sabah, an island located in the northern part of Borneo has become another popular diving spot. Divers from around the world travel thousands of miles for the opportunity to experience the beauty of this place.

o Palau Lang Tengah, off the coast of Tererngganu, is one of the best kept secrets of Malaysia. It has become another popular diving destination because of the very unusual collection of underwater creatures that can be found there. The crystal clear waters and the lovely underwater display of colorful reefs, whale sharks and manta rays, have made it a very important destination for many divers.

o Palau Tengol, a rocky island off the coast of Terengganu, is one of the most beautiful islands off Peninsular Malaysia. It is home to a very colorful array of underwater creatures and immaculate coral formations. It offers a magnificent diving experience ranging from deep diving, wreck diving and drift diving.

o Palau Perhentian Besar is a vast island located at the north-eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It has become very popular due to the rare collection of marine creatures that can be found underwater.

o Palau Kapas is an island located in the mainland of Marang, it is known for the very crystal clear water and pristine white sand.

o Redang Kalong Resort is a marine park that is consisting of nine different islands located at the north eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. This resort is an ideal location for experienced divers, as well as for those who want to learn, because the resort offers scuba lessons.

o Lankayan Island, harboring a total of forty dive spots, is located in the Sulu Sea, in the northeastern portion of Sabah. It is a tropical paradise untouched by human occupation until recently. A Macroworld paradise of hard and soft corals and colorful species of marine creatures, it has become on of the most important dive spots in Malaysia.

o Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia. It is at the northeastern part of Borneo and is known for the very wide collection of sea turtles.

o Mabul, located at the north of Sipadan, it exhibits a very vast collection of marine life. It has become one of the world's most famous macro diving sites where you can find rare macro-world sea creatures you cannot find anywhere else.

Major Causes of Road Accidents

2010-09-12T18:15:00.001-07:00

There is nothing new about road accidents. During the recent festive holidays in Malaysia, the 3 main causes of road accidents have been pin-pointed. The 3 causes will be discussed in detail below.

The first major cause is sleepy drivers. Drivers who are driving on a long distance trip tend to fall asleep when driving. The long driving hours would most certainly take a toll on the driver's concentration while on the road.

To avoid accidents due to this cause, drivers should plan several short stops during the long trip. Make regular stops for either a caffeine boost or short naps to keep concentration at a high.

During this time of the year, heavy downpours are to be expected. During a heavy rain, a driver's range of visibility is greatly reduced. Whenever the vehicle in front makes an emergency brake, drivers should be able to react in time.

Due to the rain, the driver behind might not be able to notice and react accordingly. Therefore, rivers should reduce speed and take caution to avoid such accidents especially when driving in a heavy rain.

No matter often we've been told to drive safely, there are errant drivers out there who seem to always be in a rush. Though the speed limit is set at 110km/h, these drivers could be seen speeding at speeds higher than permitted. No amount of summonses could keep these drivers at bay, endangering other drivers on the road.

Drivers should avoid these major causes of road accident and learn to appreciate life.

BMW Malaysian Sales Expected To Rise

2010-09-11T18:02:00.001-07:00

The German car brand BMW is known the world over for its high performance vehicles and this fact has led to an increasing global market for the company. While the company is doing well in the European car market, its United States sales are questionable as of late. Increasing housing problems has led to the reduced sales for car companies in the United States last month.

In other parts of the world though, BMW is enjoying success in the auto market. In Malaysia, BMW expects that they will be posting an increase in sale for this year as compared to last year. The company is hopeful that their good start for the year will continue through the rest of the fiscal year.

BMW Malaysia Sdn Bhd Managing Director Wolfgang Schlimme said that: "We have started well in 2007, with sales growing 37% quarter on quarter to hit 535 units in the first quarter." The Malaysian auto market is increasing in its size as the country's economy experiences a boost. Schlimme pointed out that that the company has been doing well in the Asian country for the past few years. "We have been growing for the last four years. Overall sales growth since 2003, when we sold 2,176 vehicles, was about 60," says Schlimme.

The company posted their best ever sales in the country by selling 3,472 vehicles in the mentioned auto market. Of that number 3,302 vehicles are of the BMW brand while the remaining 170 units are MINIs units.

With last year setting a benchmark in terms of annual sales for the German-based car manufacturer and a good start to this year, Schlimme stated that the company is once again on the right track. He also pointed out the reasons for their continuing success in the country. "We are going in the right direction and setting our priorities in terms of model line-up, availability and pricing," says Schlimme. "These are the reasons we are different from others. This has led us to continue growing in the past few years against the trend in the auto industry," he added further.

Another reason for BMW's success not only in Malaysia but around the world is their development of advanced features for their vehicles. BMW models are known to be loaded with technologically advanced features such as the night vision system and an advanced navigational system. In Malaysia, Schlimme credited their dealer network for the company's success in promoting these technologically advanced BMW vehicles. "A key decisive factor for our success here is our dealer network. At the end of the day, it is not our team in Cyberjaya but our service advisers, sales representatives and management of BMW dealers that provide first impressions and create long-lasting customer relationships for us. The biggest sales success for BMW is contributed by our dealers," says the general manager.

To date, BMW Malaysia has already a dealer network consisting of 13 dealerships. This number is set to increase as BMW is already on the latter stages of opening a new dealership located in Damansara in the country's Klang Valley. Schlimme pointed out why their dealerships are amassing great success in the country. "Our dealer network is one of our priorities in the day-to-day business. Our dealers are consistently upgrading their existing facilities, capacities and competence for customer convenience," he said. He also explained the company's involvement in the development of their dealerships. "We are in the background, supporting and making the dealers' sales and after sales capabilities as strong, competent and credible as possible. This is how it should be," he further states.

Aside from empowering dealerships across Malaysia, BMW is also exerting effort on supporting their parts distribution centers in the country. "We are enlarging our training offerings at the centre, which services 14 markets," says Schlimme. "Our group data centre provides information technology structure support to BMW organizations globally. It also serves the group's worldwide network for specific competences, for example, in the global plant logistics system," he added.

To increase their sales for the year, BMW Malaysia has added new BMW models to their lineup. New additions are the 325i Sports, 3 Series Coupe, Z4 M Coupe, X3 and the new MINI. In other BMW news, their plant producing the Z4 M Coupe will be canceling tours as vehicle production is set to go underway. The plant is located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Robert Hitt, the Department Manager for Public Affairs, has this to say about the closing of the plant to tours: "This is standard operating procedure, and is the same action we took when we began working on the Z4 Roadster and the X5 Sports Activity Vehicle."

What Monavie Malaysia Team Should I Join in Monavie Malaysia?

2010-09-10T17:47:00.001-07:00

Monavie Malaysia has launched, many people in Malaysia are looking at this fantastic opportunity, hoping and wanting to build an extra income. Nine years experience in network marketing, I understand the importance to look for the right team to join. Here are a few points to note when choosing your Monavie team.

First, always look for a good mentor or leader to join in your business. The reason is simple as when you choose the correct leader or mentor, you will be motivated and guild properly in moving the business faster and more effectively. Choosing the right mentor will accelerate your business!

Second, look for a team that can support you internationally. This particular reason is because you wish to build your team internationally through internet marketing. Imagine you have friends outside your country that wish to build Monavie business and you lack of oversea members to help! The person will be so de-motivated and most likely he will quit half way due to lack of support or even join someone else in this business.

Third, team who respect the system. You want to find a team with a good system to duplicate! If you understand this industry, it is about duplicating. If you notice, some network marketing team solely only depend on one speaker to do the business, that's not right as the person is not your business! You must be able to build the business with the system that the team is using, this way your business will be able to run efficiently!

Choose wisely on the team to join and you can have a higher percentage of success in your monavie business. Of course it is not only choosing the right leader, team and system that will bring you success in your Monavie business, you will be the main key to your success. You must learn to focus on your business, consistent on your actions and persistent on achieving your dream. I wish all of you to prosperous in your Monavie Malaysia business.

The Best Place For Shopping In Kuala Lumpur

2010-09-09T17:31:00.001-07:00

Home to the world's two tallest buildings, Kuala Lumpur City Centre(KLCC) contains 750,000 m² of office space, 140,000 m² of retail and entertainment facilities, parking for 4,500 cars, a conference center, a petroleum museum, a hotel, and a concert hall.

KLCC is the commercial centre located in the heart of the city that includes the Petronas Twin Towers, the Suria KLCC Shopping Mall, a park, a 5-star hotel and prime office blocks. KLCC is located within the Ampang district, it has a rich history; Ampang was the home of the tin barons that earned a fortune from Kuala Lumpur's mining trade. Even today, Ampang is regarded as a place for up market people in terms of living and spending.

The KLCC Mall offers an international mix of eclectic cuisine and up market dining opportunities. This is the place to go for restaurants with ambience, class and enticing dishes, food inspired by different countries as far as the Middle East, America and India to the culinary delights of neighbouring Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and Japan.

The Suria KLCC Shopping Mall lies between the Petronas Twin Towers, Malaysia's highest man-made structures. Its location in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and accessibility by subway trains from locations around Kuala Lumpur make this a popular destination for both locals and tourists. The area around KLCC is Kuala Lumpur's hotbed of night-time entertainment and excitement. Clubs, bars, pubs and lounges are scattered around with some prominent names like Hard Rock Café and Zouk. During the day, they assume a low profile but at night, partygoers gather at their favourite watering holes to party and dance the night away, especially on weekends!

A number of hotels can be found dotted around the KLCC area. A budget hotel that provides good service and easy access to the shopping district of KLCC is the Citrus Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Beaches in Malaysia's Perak State

2010-09-08T17:16:00.001-07:00

Mention beaches in Malaysia, and thought automatically goes to the East Coast of the peninsula. However, if you only have a short weekend for a break, the only snag to visiting the East Coast is the long travelling distance by road.

Despair not! The beaches in the southern coastline of Perak around Lumut, and the offshore island of Pangkor offers several unspoiled beaches that are more easily accessible. Furthermore, they can be visited all-year round, and accommodation caters to both the budget conscious and the well-heeled.

Lumut lies 78 km southwest of Ipoh; though it is a holiday destination by itself, it is also the jumping off point to Pangkor Island and its sister Pangkor Laut Island. Travelling to Lumut from Ipoh, the State capital, takes slightly more than two hours, with scenic view of road meandering through coconut plantations in the Pusing district, where many of the palms are tapped to make toddy -- an alcoholic beverage with a strong kick. As one approaches Lumut, which lies on the estuary of the Dindings River, mangrove swamps with long-tailed macaques whiz past on both sides of the road.

Upon entering Lumut, an archway greets you. During the 8th and 9th centuries A.D., when the Buddhist-Hindu kingdom of Gangga Negara was at its zenith, Lumut was an important fishing village. After the collapse of Gangga Negara, Lumut declined into a hideout for pirates. In the late 1970's, Lumut grew in importance again when the Royal Malaysian Navy established its base here. A must-visit is the Naval Museum which is filled with ancient weapons and maritime equipment.

A spin around Lumut takes only minutes, which is tucked between Ungku Busu Hill and the Manjung Straits. The hill was named after a local warrior who led a ferocious battle against Lumut's pirates in the 1800's. Along Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, banks, money-changers and a tourist information centre hums with life. At the northern end of Jalan Titi Panjang, yachts bob about in the marina of the Perak Yacht Club. A handful of budget hotels, two first-class resorts, stores selling coral and shell handicrafts, seafood restaurants and a seemingly incongruous eight-metre tall windmill complete the charming picture of the town. Why a windmill in Lumut? Well, in 1641, after the Dutch had conquered Malacca from the Portuguese, they made ineffectual attempts to control Perak's tin trade by establishing a fort in Pangkor Island. At the jetty, ferries depart to Pangkor Island and Pangkor Laut Island. There are also connections to Belawan, Medan's port, in Sumatra.

Seven kilometres from Lumut lies Teluk Batik Beach, a crescent-shaped sandy stretch. There are chalets, food stalls, public changing rooms, a children's playground and speed-boat operators. Situated six kilometres from the main road leading to Lumut, Teluk Rubiah Beach has great appeal for golfers. The Royal Teluk Rubiah Country Club offers an 18-hole course tucked between the emerald sea and verdant hills. Another interesting mainland beach is Pasir Panjang Beach which stretches 6 km from the northern banks of the Dindings River to Pantai Remis. From January to July, the Green Turtle and Olive Ridley Turtle make this beach their breeding ground. The Segari Turtle Hatchery (opens from 10am - 5pm) is one place to be guaranteed of seeing these creatures.

Pangkor Island has great historical significance in Perak's history as a treaty was signed in 1874 aboard a British gunboat on the waters of this island, which allowed the British to appoint a British Resident to rule the State. The island's terrain consists of rocky promontories that form placid bays fringed by glassy sands while its forest-carpeted summit offers a panoramic view of the Straits of Dindings. There is an airstrip north of the island which serves chartered flights.

Visitors usually stop at Pangkor Town, a settlement filled with budget inns, coffee shops and operators of van taxis. A round-the-island trip can be booked with these van taxis. South of the town stand the ruins of a Dutch fort, which was built in 1670 as a garrison for soldiers. Destroyed by in 1690 by Panglima Kulub, a local warrior, it was rebuilt in 1743, but 5 years later, it was abandoned after Dutch influence in the area declined. Nearby, there is a boulder with the year 1743 inscribed on it as well as a drawing of a tiger attacking a boy -- a sad memorial to the young Dutch victim who was the son of Dutch dignitary.

Most of Pangkor's beaches are at its western coastline. The crescent-shaped Pasir Bogak is extremely popular, and has a wide range of accommodation to suit all budgets. More isolated and less crowded beaches are found at Teluk Ketapang, Teluk Nipah, Coral Bay, Tortoise Bay, Pantai Puteri Dewi and Belanga Bay.

Fringed by palms, Teluk Ketapang offers a chance to see leatherback turtles during the months of May, June and July. Pantai Puteri Dewi is associated with the legend of a Sumatran princess who leapt to her death from a cliff as a result of a failed love affair. Formerly called Golden Sands Beach, it is now a private beach owned by a five-star hotel. Non-hotel guests can also use the beach but have to pay a charge. Coral Bay is excellent for snorkelling -- it is blessed with crystal clear waters and lots of marine life -- but one has clamber over rocks at the northern end of Teluk Nipah to reach it.

When one is satiated with the sun, sea and sand, there are other diversions such as enjoying seafood or taking in the sights of fishing villages on the east coast where boat-building thrives.

For exclusivity, hop over to Pangkor Laut Island, just two kilometres away. In 1999, Condo Naste, an international travel magazine, voted Pangkor Laut Island as one of the most beautiful islands in the world. World famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti who performed at the opening of the island's sole resort - and it's extremely up-market -- remarked: "It's so beautiful that I almost cried." - enough said about this island! There are three excellent beaches. Emerald Bay is ideal of swimming; Coral beach is a haven for snorkellers; Royal Bay is suitable for windsurfing.

About 10 nautical miles south of Pangkor Island, an archipelago of islands known as the Pulau Sembilan offers the thrill of deep-sea fishing. You can land a marlin, sting-ray or even a swordfish in the waters of these islands. Dive spots bursting with corals include the channel between Rumbia island and Lalang island; and that between Buluh Island and Saga island.

A Review of the Malaysia Naturally Plus Network Marketing Program

2010-09-07T17:00:00.001-07:00

When I do any review, the first thing I like to do is visit the company website and give out the date they registered their domain. In this case there is no company website as of yet. So doing a review of this company at this point will be somewhat challenging but I'll give it my best shot. The name of this Network Marketing Program is called Malaysia Naturally Plus and it appears that this opportunity is open to people worldwide.

The MLM Distributor Lead Capture Page that I found for Malaysia Naturally Plus stated that the company backing this program is 10 years old. They are ISO 9001 as well as ISO 9002 certified. ISO is a term that means that the company is recognized for high quality control standards. This company is a Japanese Network Marketing Company. They are looking for global partners before their official launch. The MLM Distributor promoting this company says with some effort you can get free products and earn over $25,000 per month without having to risk the shirt off your back to do it.

After digging a little deeper, I was able to find out 10 dynamics of this Japanese Network Marketing Company running Malaysia Naturally Plus. First their products are Patented and unique so supposedly there is no competition here. One thing that surprised me was when I read they've already done one billion dollars in sales and are already a major success story.
The company supposedly has an arsenal of high quality products with some great testimonials backing them up, although I wasn't able to find any of these testimonials yet.

Ah now I got some better information to share. The MLM Compensation plan for Malaysia Naturally Plus is a Binary, Infinity Depth Pay Plan. They also offer 6 various bonuses within this plan. The products are all auto shipped and home delivered which is normal. This program is supposed to be affordable for anyone. Another interesting thing I read about this MLM Pay Plan is that the company pays you on just one leg of your downline, you don't have to build the other leg to get paid.

Malaysia Naturally Plus when it launches will supposedly be available in 195 different countries. This seems to be a lot of countries to start a launch in. I know approval procedures for each country can be daunting, even for established MLM Companies that have been operating for years in the United States and Canada. Another website I looked at said that starting November 6th 2009 they will start accepting payments by NETS which stands for Network for Electronic Transfers. I'm not familiar with this Payment Service but a glance at their website tells me it's a Payment Processor based out of Asia that works with Singapore's leading banks. NETS apparently adopted the concept of cashless payments in Singapore.

The two products I saw being offered by Malaysia Naturally Plus were Izumio and Super Lutein. Izumio looks like some sort of mineral water with a specially designed Aluminum Foil Pack. Super Lutein is comprised of A-Carotene and B-Carotene and is supposed to give you more energy, like an energy boosting pill. Super Lutein comes in pill form.

Jonker Street - The Street With Many Names

2010-09-06T16:30:00.001-07:00

Jonker Street, Jonker Walk or Jalan Hang Jebat, you can pick your own choice of name to call this famous street in the heart of Melaka, Malaysia. Fondly called as Jonker Street, this narrow alley was once a wealthy street where rich colonial families lived while today, it evolved into antique collectors and bargain hunters' paradise. It features unique antique pieces dating back to 17th century, handmade Chinese porcelain, decorative brass ware, cast iron beds, lamps, age old coins and genuine paper money that were used in early Melakan trade. You can also find priceless Buddha statues and one of its kind pieces made by locals from different Melakan eras.

Shopkeepers offer great deals to buyers. Indeed, Jonker Street is the best place to hunt for unusual finds and center pieces. Among the noted antique dealers are Abdul Company which sells antique furniture, Chinese porcelain, brass ware, cast-iron beds, and lamps from all over Malaysia; pioneers T.K. Kutty and Hj Abu Bakar while second hand shops are found at Nos 25, 26 and 55. Within these shops, you can find antiques dating back as far as 300 years and some Victorian memorabilia.

Jonker Street is part of the old Chinatown of Melaka. This, aside from the fact that most of Jonker Street's occupants are Chinese, appears to be the reason why this street is closely identified to Chinatown, some even mistakenly referred to this street with the latter. On the other hand, Jonker Walk is part of Jonker Street. This is the exact location of the Jonker Walk night market, a must-do when visiting Melaka.

While Jonker Street is known worldwide for its rare and priceless finds, by weekends around 6pm, the street is transformed into a busy, carnival like affair which tourists visiting Melaka eagerly looks forward to. The Jonker Walk night market is a weekly affair for locals where they assemble stalls and display products to sell. The usual wares you can find in this side of the street reflect their cultural heritage such as local and ethnic Melakan fare, indigenous handicrafts and souvenirs you can take home, ornamental jewelry and wooden clogs. Prices tend go higher for nonlocals but some stalls encourage bargaining. For bazaar type shopping spree, don't miss Jonker Walk night market while in Melaka.

Another thing that made Jonker Street in Melaka famous is its food choices. This street is considered as the most popular food and entertainment district in Melaka, Malaysia. Here you can find extensive food options from different cultures. One must try Baba Nyonya delicacies to complete his journey through Melaka. Jonker Street is full of shops and cafes in daytime while food hawkers come at night. You can just imagine how busy Jonker Street is, anytime of the day. Wide variety of food and beverages are offered in Jonker Street. Ice cold desserts are among the famous ones which are highly recommended for hungry travelers.

Other must try food trips are Melaka's signature food, the Chicken Rice Balls, Dim Sum, seaweeds, candied fruits, Put Chai Ko, Hongkong's Curry fish balls, Nyonya's pineapple tarts, fried radish cake, Popiah, bbq squid, fried carrot cake, Vadai and herbal eggs. This is only a portion of the food list which you should try while passing Jonker Street. Basically, Chicken Rice Balls are balled rice, served with sweet chili sauce and steamed chicken meat. One picky palate could never go wrong here.

If you crave for some nightlife, Jonker Street offers karaoke nights where entrance is free and you can sing your heart's out in whatever dialect you like best. Available dialects are English, Mandarin, Hokkien and Hakka.

Although Jonker Street made some improvements in their way of life and adapted to some modern methods, it never lost its cultural charm and tradition. This, in fact, is very visible with their buildings, houses and shops that were constructed with elaborate carvings and pillars reflecting culture and heritage of Melaka, Malaysia.

Discover the 7 Best Historic Places in Malaysia

2010-09-05T16:15:00.001-07:00

Malaysia has many interesting and historical places that are well known in throughout the world. These places have always been visited by many tourists and travelers and are really amazed by their wonderful features.

Here are seven of the many historical places in Malaysia, a country that is truly Asia.

1. The Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum - located in Malacca, Malaysia is a reconstructed palace of the Malacca's sultans. It symbolizes the history of the whole Malaccan region. The museum displays the region's collection of artifacts, prints, photographs, and different art works made by the residents of the community during the Melaka period. The palace museum is a three storey building with three galleries and a total of eight chambers presenting the royal weaponries, bands, halls and the royal gifts. The museum was opened to public in July 1986 and has been a very famous Malaysian destination ever since. An ideal place for students having their educational field trips.

2. The Saint Paul Church in Malacca - built by the Portuguese in 1521, and is one of the five Portuguese made churches in the hill. It is located on the top of the Saint Paul's hill. Its ruins still remained to be a beautiful church and if visited by many tourists regularly.

3. The A Formosa Fortress - meaning "the famous" in Portuguese. This is built by the Portuguese during the 1500's and is the one of the best historical site in Malaysia. the fortress has been a big part of the Malaysian history and culture for it witnessed a lot of changes and came to the hand of many foreign evaders during the early eras. One can enjoy here the view of the magnificent ruins of the ancient structures and have a glimpse of a true Malaysian history.

4. The Stadthuys - built in the year 1650 and was the official residence of the Dutch governors and other officers. The whole structure is of Dutch architecture designs and is a different look among the other Malaysian buildings. The place has mow become an Ethnography Museum and is open for public viewings. The museum displays the traditional bridal outfits, the remains of the ancient Malaccan items and artifacts, and other historical materials. There are also houses around Stadthuys where locals live and stay.

5. The Bukit China - located in the northeast part of Malacca, is the oldest and largest Chinese cemetery outside China. There is a vast number of graves in Bukit, in roughly 12500, some even dates back in the 17th century. Many historian teams have been fascinated by the place and are one of the well known subjects in the history of Malaysia.

6. Kampung Kling Mosque - an old mosque in Malacca, Malaysia built in 18th century by the Indian Muslims. It has a Sumatran design with a wooden roof that is three-tiered. It is one of the well known historical sites in Malaysia and is a famous destination for many tourists.

7. The Cheng Hoon Teng - is a Buddhist temple located in Jalan, Tokong Malacca and is the oldest operating temple in Malaysia. The mosque is pretty spacious with an area of 4,600 square meters. It has numerous prayer halls and later added with small prayer quarters. It also has a seven meter long flag pole that is the most remarkable feature of the place. Many tourists and travelers have visited the place and were very mush astound with its remarkable and delightful features.

Sabah Tea, Sarawak Pepper and Bario Rice - What Do They Share in Common?

2010-09-04T16:00:00.001-07:00

Sabah Tea, Sarawak Pepper and Bario Rice, together with Borneo Virgin Coconut Oil, Sabah Seaweed, and Tenom Coffee, stand as the sole six registered Geographical Indications in Malaysia.

Geographical Indications (GI's) are one of the least known Intellectual Property Rights in Malaysia. Perhaps that is the reason behind the small number of protected GI's.

In Malaysia, GI's are governed by the Geographical Indications Act 2000. According to the Act, GI means an "indication which identifies any goods as originating in a country or territory, or a region or locality in that country or territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the goods is essentially attributable to their geographical origin". The Act allows the producer(s) of the products from the geographical area, a competent authority or a trade organization/association to apply for a GI registration.

Examples of famous GI's from Europe are Champagne for sparkling wine, Mozzarella cheese, Feta cheese, Tuscan olive oil, and Parma ham. GI's that Malaysians may be more familiar with could be Basmati rice, Ceylon tea, Assam tea, Darjeeling tea, Persian carpets, Thai silk and Kanjeepuram sarees.

There are a few difficulties that may arise from registering and developing a GI. For instance, reaching a consensus on the relevant region/area and the quality requirements of the products does not come easily (One might refer to the recent issue over the highly prized Puer tea between the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Guangdong) unlike trademarks which are usually held by one individual or entity. A GI is usually owned by a number of people. Fortunately, these difficulties can be resolved with a round of meetings between the producers of the product or by creating a board which will decide matters pertaining to the GI. In Malaysia, an example of a board that registered and monitors a GI would be the Pepper Marketing Board, a federal statutory body, which registered the GI "Sarawak Pepper" for pepper and pepper products originating from Sarawak (a state in East Malaysia).

GI's should be identified and protected because not only do they provide the ability for producers to market their products better and thereby increase their income, but GI's also encourage a high standard of quality of production and promote tourism in the relevant region.

Consumers these days are becoming more and more discerning of the products they buy and are willing to pay more for quality. GI's offer that guarantee of quality. In that sense, GI's are similar to well-known trademarks as they denote good quality of the products on which the GI or trademark is applied.

Unfortunately, the assurance of quality given by a GI encourages third parties who are not producers from the region to ride on the goodwill of the GI and to label their products as originating from the same region as the GI. Consequently the GI's value will be diluted and consumers will be deceived. Efforts should therefore be made by producers to protect their registered GI's. Strict legal action should be taken against third parties who have no right to use the GI's. It has to be noted nonetheless, that while registered GI's inherently offer a certain protection to the producers, GI is similar to intellectual properties such as trademarks and patents in that the protection is national or regional, not global. GI has to be sought in other countries (where there is a registration system) if one wants strong legal protection there for their GI. Otherwise, action against wrong users will be by way of the tort of passing off (if available in a particular country).

Marine Epoxy - Maintaining Your Boat

2010-09-03T15:45:00.001-07:00

Epoxy is a very useful substance that is a liquid or paste until mixed with a hardener. Once the liquid is mixed with hardener it will start to harden and go off. Epoxy has a number of uses, including on circuit boards, repairs around the home, and on boats. Epoxy is a very important material for use around water because of its waterproof properties. Many projects require epoxy to waterproof and strengthen. Marine Epoxy is ideal for boat repairing procedures.

West System manufacturers a wide range of different epoxy substances for different purposes, including marine epoxy resin and boat epoxy. While they are separate they are liquids, when a certain proportion of epoxy resin and hardener are mixed together this cures to form a very hard substance at room temperature. The resulting material is water resistant and will stick to virtually anything.

This makes epoxy the material of choice for applications requiring waterproof and resistance to chemicals. The strong bond is also beneficial for boats because it will withstand all the elements of nature. West System produces a number of different hardeners which will make it possible to create the perfect mixture for your requirements. Their epoxy resin can bond very well with wood, fiberglass and many other composite materials.

Although there are plenty of other epoxy products available on the market the ones offered by West System are seen as being superior for marine uses. They have been created specifically for use in the marine industry, and have been sold all over the world for longer than 33 years now. Thousands of boats have benefited from products made by them, and will last much longer as a result of this.

Project Costing

2010-09-02T15:32:00.001-07:00

When it comes to price comparison on various vendors' quotation it's good to collate all returned quotations into a single spreadsheet and put the respective items side by side.

Once the alignment is done, you are able to compare the final price no matter what discount rate the vendor provides. Do an apple to apple comparison.

Compare the quotation item by item with same exchange rate, category, discount structure, logistics charges, professional services etc.

In Asia, pricing is an unique item. There are many different countries in this region. Countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea, Japan and so forth. Thus there are many taxation, currencies exchange rate issues that not many locations have. Thus in a quotation, a proper cost comparison is required.

Ultimately, how much the project needs to pay is crucial. Which vendor is offering the best deal and can offer furthest cost reduction is important. However, low price quotations may or will come in with low quality. Thus project manager got to balance the constraints.

There is certain amount of margins that the vendor has to make. However, the margin should be justifiable and should not be letting the vendor had the lion's share.

Once the project kick-starts, project managers needs to track the project expenditure. Ensure there is no over spent on the project budget.

There will be many explanations if the spending is higher than the budget. Project Manager will have to answer to the Business Sponsor for the additional investment.

Discussion and effective negotiations are VERY important to get the deal win with low cost at the very initial stage.

Business Sponsor is easier to invest after you had made the necessary price comparison and valid justification.

Malaysia Cheap Flights

2010-09-01T15:15:00.001-07:00

If there is one thing that a Malaysian can be proud of (among the many things of course - before my fellow Malaysians bash me) is the success of AirAsia for being the no. 1 budget airlines in Asia.

From a humble beginning slightly over a decade ago until now AirAsia has come a long way and now it can aptly be called the no. 1 budget airlines in Asia. AirAsia wings have spread as far as the UK and Australia. For a Malaysian to achieve such a success almost single-handedly, without much interference from the government, it is a pure genius for the man behind the company - Tony Fernandez who comes from an entertainment business background started it all.

The success of AirAsia probably comes from a combination of its unique ticketing system and its in-flight management system. AirAsia was the first company in Malaysia to introduce an on-line ticketing system. That alone is a killer strategy that has seen its rival MAS (Malaysia Airline System) sales gone spiralling down from year to year while AirAsia has consistently increase its sales altitude.

Another strategy implemented by AirAsia is a no-frill travel approach which simply means no free in-flight meal served, no fixed seating, no refund for cancellation etc. This approach has somehow works well for AirAsia, promotional tickets are snapped off almost immediately after they are released as there is almost no risk even in the event of no show as the money involved is too small.

With a strong marketing team, AirAsia will continue to dominate and lead the budget airlines in Asia which means there will always be cheap flights for Malaysians such as me.

Visit Melaka Means Visit Malaysia

2010-08-31T15:02:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Melaka!

Founded by Parameswara in 1396 who named his sultanate after the "Melaka" tree, Melaka has provided the stage on which the Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and English played their roles in shaping history.

Melaka's appeal lies in its rich and colourful past. Its 600 years of history is reflected in its ancient buildings, streets, cuisine and unique cultural heritage.

In the 16th century, Melaka enjoyed a reputation as the foremost maritime trading center. Merchants came from Arabia, China, India and Europe to conduct trade in silk, spices, gold and porcelain. So coveted was Melaka by the European powers that is was ruled successively by the Portuguese, Dutch and British until the Federation of Malaya was formed on the 31st August 1957.

Where is Melaka?

Malaysia is situated one to seven degrees north of the equator. The State of Melaka, one of the fourteen states within Malaysia, is situated on the South-Western Coast of Peninsular Malaysia facing the Straits of Melaka and between the states of Negeri Sembilan and Johor. Modern Melaka set on a course of industrial development about 2 decades after independence and its vision to be fully industrialized state by the year 2010.

What can we do in Melaka?

There are many historical sites for us to explore, to list a few, you can visit Porta de Santiago (A'Famosa), The Stadthuys, Christ Church..etc. Also don't miss out Melaka's delicious food like nyonya cendol, chicken rice ball, satay celup and shop for antique items and handicraft at the famous Jonker Street.

Picking Fun Games For Boys

2010-08-30T14:30:00.001-07:00

There are some things that are just classic and should always be remembered. Games like Monopoly, twister, trouble, scrabble, connect four, and battleship are some of these classics. There are so many different board games out there, but who takes the time to play them anymore? Well it's not so much that they aren't played, but more along the lines of where they're played; Online or in some kind of hand held contraption; not that those aren't insanely fun, it just seems like the older toys and games have just fallen of the wagon. Especially when it comes to fun games for boys.

It's so easy to remember the days when fun games for boys were out and about in abundance. There were things like slime, build your own bug gummy treat makers, and even things like Nerf dart shooters. Those were the type of things that included every child, but let them have fun in their own right. Being the winner at the end of an all out water gun game was truly a special thing for a lot of little boys. Even little footballs and other outdoor toys were more in abundance or promoted for their use. But now, it is very hard to find fun games for boys no matter what the age.

In today's society, fun is the equivalent of electronic. Anyone born in the 90's was an avid technology user by the time they reached middle school. Anyone born in 2000 was a genius technology user by the time they became ten. With PlayStations, X box's, and other Computer Games on the market; it's hard to choose which ones would be appropriate for a young lad. While it's great that all games on the market are required to have some form of rating, it doesn't make the quest to find fun games for boys easier. Finding out what he likes to do in real life is a great way to get started in figuring out what games they'd like technology wise.

Many electronic fun games for boys are in the action, role playing, fighting, and racing sections. With technology the way it is now, the graphics alone would keep them entertained for a long time to come. Just be sure to ask them what types of games that they'd like before purchase, because games in these times are very expensive. Having them watch walk through of different video games would help them choose what they'd like.

Top 5 Treasure Islands of Malaysia You Must See Before You Die

2010-08-29T14:15:00.001-07:00

The sea, sun, and sand are the magic ingredients to make Malaysia's islands inimitable. Each islands has a particular character of its own, offering beach lovers everlasting option year after year.

1. Pulau Lang Tengah

A Favorite Eagle Stopover.Pulau Lang Tengah by the coast of Terengganu is another island established as a marine park. This little treasure is a well kept secret in the South China Sea. The name signifies the island as a nesting place for eagles. Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian is situated roughly halfway. This 181 hectare island is connected by the mainland ferries to Marang.Pulau Lang Tengah is nearly uninhabited and its coral reef is still pristine.

2. Pulau Harimau

The Perfect Cavern Obscure.This island is situated off Pulau Rawa, near Johor. The treasure factor is there's a cavern which can easily reached if you snorkel a short distance from the beach at the drop-off point.The cavern's ceiling has fallen through and has a nice small private pool where you can enjoy the sun tanning your back and the cool water splashes off your feet.

3. Pulau Pemanggil

It a two to four hour boat ride from Mersing (depending on the sea condition and the month of the visit) Green virgin forest still occupy 65% of the islands. Fishing is one of the best experience you can get from along the journey before reaching this secluded island.You will never be disappointed with the catch! As you arrive, fishing is prohibited as the island is gazetted as a marine park.

4. Pulau Besar (Johor)

Pulau Besar is alien to many despite its turquoise clear sea-water, pristine beaches and virgin tropical jungles. Not ot be confused with Pulau Besar of Melaka. Its former name is Pulau Babi Besar (Big Boars Island) given the numerous wild boars roaming that island before the first human inhabited the island. Fortunately, not a single boar roaming the island at present and thus, transform the name to Besar Island. the sea-water is so clear that you can see through the reef from the surface.

5. Pulau Tinggi

Pulau Tinggi translated as "Tall Island". 37 kilometer southeast of Mersing. It takes 40 minutes to travel by sea. Among Johor islands, the island have the most residents with 448 people. Most of them from these villages: Kampung Tanjung Balang, Kampung Pasir panjang, and Kampung Sebirah Besar. Pasir Panjang is among the most pristine and secluded region in the island, with its wide distance of golden sands.

How to Seek Jobs in Malaysia?

2010-08-28T14:00:00.001-07:00

It is never an easy task to find jobs. It is a competitive world and you just have to outclass the rest. Having being a job seeker myself, I find that it's important to compile a to-do list when you are on a mission to find a job. Although it's written based on Malaysia, the same concept applies to any part of the world.

Here are a few simple items you should take note when seeking for jobs:

Search in Jobs directory. It is the place where career and human resources links are provided to you for your convenience. You could either apply directly via the sites or you could contact the HR departments of the hiring companies. There are a few famous Malaysia job directories which you could count on such as Jobstreet, JobsDB Malaysia, Jen Jobs and Malaysia Central. You can search more in Google for terms such as Malaysia jobs directories, Job websites in Malaysia.

On the other hand, if you are interested to work with the Malaysian Government, they too have a portal specially for vacancies in the government sector. It is actually very simple to search for a job in the Government sector. Just google for "vacancies in Malaysia government".

Next on the list will be recruitment agencies. Some job seekers do not really favour recruitment agencies because they need to pay a fee to the agents. Sometimes it is a one-time flat fee and there are times where it is based on a sliding scale on the length of time the employee is attached to the hiring company. However, out out desperation, job seekers still end up opting to this choice. Some of the well-known recruitment agencies in Malaysia are Adecco Asia, ManPower Staffing, Kelly Services, JAC recruitment and PM Resources.

If you are an independent person and you believe that you would want to try all this yourself, then the best solution is to manually find the job yourself. How? Well, you could physically go to the companies and submit your applications to the Human Resources Department (but it is not very practical nowadays as you are rarely allowed to simply enter a company without any appointments).

Hence, electronic mail (e-mail) is your best chance. Just visit the company websites and go to "contact us" section. Usually they have career or hr emails listed on their websites. Remember to produce a presentable resume and email it to them. Wait for the good news! The rule of thumb is send A LOT of applications daily. Send at least 50-70 applications daily.

Last but not least, a conventional way of searching for jobs is still worth the try. A lot of companies STILL advertise job vacancies on the newspaper. If you are actively in need of jobs, purchase newspapers every day and dive into the jobs or classified sections.

Corporate Debt Restructuring by Malaysia's Central Bank

2010-08-27T13:45:00.001-07:00

On the 23rd of July 2009, Bank Negara Malaysia announced the operations commencement of the Corporate Debt Restructuring Committee (CDRC) in Malaysia, allowing corporate borrowers and creditors to work out debt resolutions without having the need to officiate legal proceedings. According to CDRC, this voluntary forum for large corporations who want to negotiate obligations their distressed debts can do so in the forum - And they've succeeded in assisting 57 companies and RM45.8 billion in total outstanding debts.

Corporate debt structuring literally means a company, facing financial burdens and is having difficulty in meeting financial obligations.

The debt restructuring process will consist of reorganizing the financially distressed company's outstanding obligations to reduce financial burden (by debts). This could mean decreasing rates paid and giving more time for the company to pay back. At times, some of these debts may be revoked by its creditors in exchange for an equity position in the company.

Usually, when this financially distressed company poses a high risk of going into bankruptcy, it can negotiate with its creditors to reduce these burdens and avoid going bankrupt. Legally, it's possible for such a company to acquire protection from creditors, with hopes of renegotiating the terms on the debt agreement - Which is also termed as an Amended PN17 company in Malaysia.

The PN17 company

In Malaysia, an Amended PN17 company means a publicly listed company has negative net tangible asset due to falling profits, or companies without a core business. These companies, who were once classified as a PN17 company, has submitted a plan to regularize its condition pursuant to Section 212 of the Capital Market and Services Act 2007, and they are bound to undertake a corporate regularization plan to significantly change its business direction or policy and submit it to the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) for approval.

BNM (Bank Negara Malaysia) also announced its appointment of members in the CDRC:

1. Yang Berbahagia Dato' Sri Abdul Hamidy Abdul Hafiz (Chairman)
2. Yang Berbahagia Dato' Mohammed Hussein
3. Yang Berbahagia Dato' Muhammad bin Ibrahim
4. Yang Berbahagia Datuk Ranjit Ajit Singh
5. Mr. Abdul Kadir Kassim
6. Mr. Ahmad Badri bin Mohd Zahir
7. Mr. Nik Mohd Hasyudeen Yusoff
8. Mr. Philip Tan Puay Koon

And list of criteria for companies seeking to resolve their debt through CDRC are:

* Debt obligations of at least RM100 million,
* At least 3 financial creditors (banks or Private Debt Securities),
* Not already in receivership or liquidation.

Malaysia Tours, Beaches and Shopping to Enjoy

2010-08-26T13:34:00.001-07:00

When you think of holidays, you think of long sandy beaches and sunshine to soothe the inner tensions. What you may not think of, and probably should, is a holiday in Malaysia. With it's long coastline in the west and the China Sea to the west, the availability of hotels, resorts and Malaysia Tours is wonderful. Now is the time to plan your various adventures and accommodations.

If you've never heard of Pulau Langkawi, it's time that you did. It's got everything for the beach loving traveler. On the west coast of the main island you will find the China Sea. Pulau Langkawi is also known as the Jewel of Kedah and consists of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea. One of the most popular beaches is Pantai Cenang. It is a beautiful beach with long stretches of sparkling white sand. The beach is decorated by tall coconuts and casuarinas.

While traveling, you may want to take one of the many Malaysia tours available to you. Make sure you take one that will allow you to visit the Langkawi Sky Bridge while on holiday. Located about 700m above sea level, this bridge is located at the summit of Gunong Mat Chinchang. Everyone will enjoy the cable car trek up to this picturesque peak

Another fantastic feature about Pulau Langkawi that you should be sure to explore is the duty free shopping. The entire island is a duty free area where you can buy goods without the duty tax imposed by the government. Take advantage of great buys on liquor, cigarettes, perfumes and cosmetics, leather wear and delicious candies and edibles. Jetty Point Duty Free Complex, Langkawi Mall and Langkawi Fair Shopping Complex are some of the shopping complexes you want to make sure your day tours lead you to.

Whatever your form or shape your relaxation may take, from shopping to swimming or just laying on the beach, Malyasia and Pulau Langkawi has to offer. So book your airline today and pick out one of the luxurious hotels or cottages to stay in with your family this holiday season. You'll be more than glad you did.

Describing Travel to Kuala Lumpur

2010-08-25T13:15:00.001-07:00

Kuala Lumpur is the under-appreciated, gorgeous capital of Malaysia, an ethnically diverse nation sandwiched in between Thailand and Singapore. Kuala Lumpur, like most of Malaysia, is a teeming mix of cultures and religions, with a substantial population of neighborhood Malay people, as properly as Chinese, Thai, Indian and other Southeast Asians. A Muslim nation, Malaysians adhere to strict laws but are, at the same time, a warm and welcoming individuals with an eclectic and diverse culture. Kuala Lumpur is a extremely developed, gleaming modern town with a unique mix of ancient religion and contemporary economy.

Petronas Towers

Standing at a lofty 1483 ft (452 meters), the gleaming Petronas Towers were after the world's highest buildings and still hold the record as the tallest twin towers on earth. The two are connected at their 41st floors by the Skybridge, which allows passage involving the two and a chance for website visitors to stand over empty space above Kuala Lumpur and admire the metropolis. Tickets can be purchased for access to the Skybridge, or alternately, visitors can just enjoy the massive shopping galleria located on the lower floors of the towers.

Merdeka Square

As soon as part of the nearby cricket club, the sprawling greens of Kuala Lumpur's Independence Square butt correct up to the iconic Sultan Abdul Samad building, a historic structure built in Moorish style that reflecs the time period of its construction. It was in Merdeka Square in 1957 that Britain's Union Jack was lowered from the flag pole and the Malaysian flag has flown right here ever since.

Lake Gardens

Situated just to the west of Merdeka Square, Lake Gardens is a sprawling, leafy complex of lawns and gardens that orbit around an artificial lake. Kuala Lumpur's most common area park, it is both central and stunning. Within the confines of Lake Gardens, there is plenty to be discovered, including the lawns themselves, as nicely as a Hibiscus Garden and an Orchid Garden, as properly as the Malaysian National Monument, and three wildlife parks dedicated to birds, butterflies and deer respectively.

Chinatown

Malaysia has an very higher population of ethnic Chinese inhabitants, so it's no surprise that its capital metropolis should have a bustling Chinatown. Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown sits just east of the Klang River in the town center and was the city's conventional commercial district. These narrow streets and alleys are now stacked large with busy Chinese shops and restaurants, producing a excellent place for exploration of the markets and food stalls here. If you're hankering for some fried noodles, cheap beer or trinkets, this is the place to go in KL.

Batu Caves

One of the most celebrated Hindu internet sites outside of India, Batu Caves are a limestone cave complex about 13 miles north of Kuala Lumpur metropolis center. Upon arrival at the internet site, site visitors are greeted by a massive, 140-foot (42.7-meter) tall golden statue of the Hindu god Murugan, and need to bypass him and ascend a steep series of 272 steps to enter the caves. There are 3 caves, the largest of which is known as Cathedral Cave - a gaping 328-foot (100-meter) high cavern filled with lavish Hindu shrines. Two smaller caves are located near the base of the hill and also contain temples and artifacts. Batu Caves is also a main base for Malaysian rock climbing. To reach the caves, take a taxi from KL city center.

The Malaysia My Second Home Programme

2010-08-24T13:02:00.001-07:00

Do you want to set up your own business in Kuala Lumpur or do you have any plans to live permanently in Malaysia?

Then the "Malaysia My Second Home Programme (MM2H)" can help you settle down in this beautiful country. This program is supported by the Malaysian Government as an international residency scheme and allows foreigners and expatriates to live in Malaysia on a long-stay visa of up to 10 years. It is a great chance for people who wish to spend a long time in this country, let it either be for business reasons or for a retirement.

Malaysia is appreciated for its beautiful countryside and developed infrastructure, the low cost of living, friendly Malaysians and its overall quality of life.

Furthermore the country has a very good healthcare system with qualified doctors and nurses as well as modern hospitals. Besides that high education standards are available with international universities and schools spread across the country. No matter if you want to settle down on your own or bring the whole family, Malaysia offers you everything that you need concerning healthcare, education, infrastructure, leisure and travel.

In order to be eligible for a long-term visa, applicants must fulfill certain financial and medical criteria. If you are successful you have the chance to enter and leave the country on a largely unrestricted basis while benefiting from other incentives to make you feel home as soon as possible. Whether you want to bring your own car or you want to buy your own property the program helps you to apply for the different processes giving you the highest level of comfort.

Is the Economy Resisting Malaysia or is Malaysia Resisting the Economy?

2010-08-23T12:15:00.001-07:00

Speak, blog, testify, judge and publish all you want about corporate finance and setting up competitive sectors to improve an economy. Let an economy be resilient, low-income or highly dependable - If financiers or politicians can walk their logic talk in a timely fashion, padded with some ingenious combination of ideas and concepts, we wouldn't be in so much trouble. Malaysia probably wouldn't be in this state of economy.

It could be better; it could be worse. That all depends on how you look at things, how you balance a huge variety of factors involved and use them for forecasting. In many poorer countries, some would say "Leaders should look into dominating small manufacturing, production (farming) or private/public services in their region,"; while some would argue, "Leaders should use available resources to develop their stock markets, get into the international finance arena and start playing the game."

Have we not learned our lesson? Take Seoul and Tokyo for example. Both have placed a lot of emphasis on developing "LOCAL" banking focus - Simple administration and banking systems should provide financial services to the local market - forthrightly supporting those greatly in demand and with great potential. Provide local 'dominance' to small to big enterprises. Let banking and financial institutions have financial sustainability, and be less dependent towards international banks and equity markets.

These are the economies that sustain hits and survived whatever waves that come along their way. Like China, local dominance towards natural resources and potential paved way for its citizens to spruce up the economy; to circulate funds in a fashion where international dependence is minimal. For low-income countries, they should focus on what internal resources they can leverage and spruce things up locally before joining dances of gigantic banks - In which most of the time serve relatively wealthy communities, groups or individuals only.

If Central Asia, for example, were to juggle stock markets in the international arena, knowing that they're only at the early stages of development, what ball would they bring to the game?

Three Tier Review Systems at SaleHoo

2010-08-22T11:15:00.001-07:00

One of the biggest concerns that you can have once selecting a new supplier is whether they can be trusted or not. What is their service like and if the wholesale goods they are dealing are okay and most importantly you have to make sure they are doing great in packaging especially if you are dealing with individuals internationally. In addition, you have to make it a point that the website or the wholesale supplier you are dealing with is not a scam otherwise you will find yourself lost in the online niche where you choose to be into.

On the other hand, to avoid such circumstances, you have to make use of one great online wholesale directory that can provide you with great suppliers and drop shippers. Hence if you are in seek for one, you can always try SaleHoo which is known to be the leading online wholesale directory/ It can offer a three tier review system that can let you read other individuals experiences with a certain supplier before you invest a certain amount. This wholesale directory review suppliers in three various ways that includes:

1. Member reviews - as a member of this directory, you can write reviews and provide ratings to suppliers that you had previously dealt with. These will also be visible in the suppliers info page therefore you can be of help to other members of choosing the suppliers that they are certainly looking for to supply wholesale products to them.
2. Reviews from SaleHoo - this directory sometimes purchase to some suppliers anonymously and leave their conclusions on the info page of the suppliers. This is also their one great tactic in ranking a certain supplier that can be included in their list.
3. Reviews from successful wholesalers - once you prefer to have wholesale business, of course you are longing to gain success though it and you can imagine hypocrite you are if you will answer no to this. These reviews from successful wholesalers is somehow a great contribution for your own success since through these reviews, you can have hints of the things to be done to gain success in the business where you choose to be into.

Through these reviews, you as a member can easily choose for a supplier that can best suit your needs as a wholesaler or a retailer.

The "Great Lakes" of Malaysia's Pahang State

2010-08-21T11:00:00.001-07:00

The State of Pahang n Malaysia can truly be dubbed as the "State of Great Lakes" as it is home to Tasik Bera (Bera Lake) and Tasik Cini (Cini Lake) which are consecutively the country's largest and second largest natural lakes. Taking a trip to these havens of biodiversity promises adventure galore for anglers and naturalists.

Sprawling over 6,150 hectares, Tasik Bera measures approximately 35km long and 20km wide. Its water landscape consists of interlocking lakes, fresh water swamps, pandanus (screwpine) swamps and peat swamps, which drain into the Pahang River, the longest river in the country.

From Kuala Lumpur, the easiest route to the lake is to travel to Temerloh, then southward towards Triang. Before reaching Triang, a signboard at Kerayong leads you to the northside Sudin and Dara Jetties. The Tasik Bera Museum at Kg Kuin has brochures and maps, and Tasik Bera Resort offers chalets and dormitories. For most visitors, a must-do is to cruise the myriad of river channels and bays on flat-bottom boats to explore the flora and search for wildlife. As the boat navigates through the narrow waterways, overhanging pandanus leaves brush against the faces of its passengers, while epiphytes, ferns, orchids and pitchers plants add color to the swamp landscape.

More than 200 species of birds have recorded at Tasik Bera. The White-Throated Kingfisher can often be seen diving into the water for fish. Feared raptors such as the Grey-Head Fish Eagle and Brahminy Kite help maintain the ecological balance of the lake. More beautiful avian creatures include the Malayan Peacock Pheasant and Uncommon Wrinkled Hornbill but sightings are rare. Commonly seen frolicking among the pandanus are Bulbuls, Spiderhunters and Pacific Swallows.

To spot wildlife, ask the boatman to anchor at a secluded bay or shallow channel and switch off the engine. There is the possibility of seeing the Malayan False Gharial, a fish-eating crocodile and the Striped Giant Soft-Shelled Turtle. Across the water's surface, water snakes and vipers can occasionally seen swimming from one reed bed to another. A feared resident of the lake is the reticulated python, which grows to a length of five meters. Its favorite food is monitor lizards and the Malayan Giant Frog - the latter tips the scale at one kilogram.

The lowland dipterocarps around Tasik Bera support medium-sized game such as tapirs, clouded leopards, wild boars, monkeys, mousedeer, flying lemurs and flying squirrels. Along nature trails, there are sights of their existence such as paw prints on mud flats, fresh dung, and claw marks on tree trunks. Angling is allowed at the lake, and more than 100 species of fish are found here. The adventurous angler will try to reel in the ferocious Toman (or Giant Snakehead) and Haruan (or Common Snakehead).

A visit to a Semelai village should also be part of one's itinerary. For more than 600 years, they have lived in Tasik Bera by fishing and hunting. Today, they rely on revenue from farming. They also collect sandalwood, resin from the Keruing tree and trap reticulated pythons for their skin.

Tasik Cini is located 100 km south-west of Kuantan, and consists of 12 interlocking lakes. Romanticized as the "Loch Ness of Malaysia", Tasik Cini's fame is attributed to a Jakun legend that a naga laut (water serpent) lurks in its underwater caves. The lake is also believed to be the site of an ancient Khmer city as artifacts have been discovered in the area though scientific expeditions to discover it have been unsuccessful. According to one story, when the city was threatened by attack, the populace submerged it using a system of aqua-ducts, intending to drain it later.

Traveling to Tasik Cini involves driving to the village of Cini from Kuantan. From Cini, the next leg of the journey is through the oil palm plantation of Felda Cini to the shores of the lake, where Lake Cini Resort is located. A more exciting option is to travel from Kuantan to Kampung Belimbing; take a boat ride across the Sungei Pahang, followed by an upriver trip along Sungei Cini -- where a canopy of lianas hangs overhead -- to the lake,

What greets the visitor is indeed a magnificent sight. The surface of the lake is black and spiky pentenas grass protrude from the water in many places. Wreathed in clouds, Gunung Cini rises 825 meters high, forming a beautiful backdrop. Near the edges of lake stand massive trees with their buttress roots half-submerged in water.

A highly recommended boat ride is to Laut Babi, the biggest lake in the system where turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. Another must-visit lake is Laut Melai. From June to September, large parts of its water surface are swathed with thousands of pink water lilies and white lotus blooms on velvety carpets of green leaves. Last but not least, one must also venture to Laut Gumum, where most of the purported sightings of the serpent by locals have taken place. During colonial times, British engineers who have glimpsed it have described the elusive monster as moving with forward lunges, while Jakun elders have claimed that it has a head resembling a tiger's.

At Kampung Gumun, which has a Jakun settlement, visitors can hire a guide to escort them along the nature trails. A popular trek is from Lake Cini Resort to Kampong Gumum, two kilometers away. Another longer trek leads from the resort to a campsite at Lake Terembau. The trail weaves through swamps, oil palm plantations and lowland forests. Along the way, there are frequent encounters with the Grey-Breasted Babbler, Crimson-Winged Woodpecker, Orange-Bellied Flowerpeckers and Lesser-Tailed Drongo. Traditional Jakun villages can also be visited, and one can try to use a blowpipe.

Tasik Cini is a sanctuary for more than 150 species of fish. The best fishing months are from November to January, with Gouramy, Giant Freshwater Puffer, Carp and various species of Catfish being the popular catches. From October to March, migratory birds make a stopover at the lake, enhancing one's birding experiences. Tasik Cini, an undisturbed paradise for centuries is truly spectacular.

Choosing a Web Hosting Provider

2010-08-20T10:45:00.001-07:00

Getting a good web hosting provider is vital for a successful internet business no matter you are having a blog or a website. The web host plays a crucial role in the overall user experience in your site and if the hosting provider is not up to par, you will end up having various of troubles in handling your site. Understand clearly the criteria for a good web hosting company:

Reliability-This would be one of the main criteria. A site that is frequently down tends to lose a lot of visitors. Worse, visitors will go to your competitor sites when your site is down. Having slow access will also make a bad user experience. Therefore, you should always get a website with at least 99% uptime. The web hosting company should also offer a refund if the site is unable to reach at least 99% uptime.
Disk Space and Bandwidth-As most websites require only around 10MB, there is no need to get excited for web hosting companies that offer an enormous amount of disk space as you are unlikely to use up that much space. For bandwidth, it's important to get a package with higher bandwidth as it may take a lot of it if your site is well-known.
Technical Support-Get a hosting company that offers 24/7 technical support. It's not acceptable to have no staff during holidays or worse, weekends. Check how fast do they response and see whether they are technically competent.
SSL-If you are planning to do a business which will requires a credit card transaction, make sure that your hosting company provides this service.
Resellers-Check whether your hosting company is a reseller or they own their own web server. Get to know the resellers and see which hosting companies that they are using so you can know how established it really is.
Multiple Domain And Sub-Domain Hosting-Know whether your web hosting company offers multiple domain hosting and also sub-domains. If they don't, check out the charges for add-on.
Don't Be Cheap-If you are serious about having an online business, don't save on a hosting plan. You only get what you have paid for. Don't have to start with a dedicated server but do keep upgrading your plan as your site grows. Starting with a good hosting provider will only cost you around $10 monthly.

Coach Bus From Singapore to KL, Malaysia

2010-08-19T10:32:00.001-07:00

Travel by bus now is so convenient nowadays. Although there are so many budget airlines to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore, why are there so many people that still prefer to take a bus back?

The reasons are

1. Taking a bus is more comfortable. There are so many super VIP buses 27 seaters with spacious seats and large seating space between the front rows and your seats. You can incline your eats to almost 70deg. While taking plane, unless you are taking 1st class seats, the economy seats are normally small.

2. Bus tickets are cheap compared to plane tickets. There is no airport tax, you do not need to pay any of this charges. Imagine taking a bus from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur; it only costs you $30.

3. Total traveling times are almost comparable. You do not need to check in 2hours earlier prior to departure. And also, the travelling time from airport to your house is normally much further than the local bus station to your house.

4. You can use your mobile phone in the bus, but not in the plane. You can always chat with your love ones while you are traveling by bus back.

5. There are many buses travelling back to KL, it has been almost an hour a bus traveling back from Singapore.

Recently, there are so many bus companies offering in bus entertainment, meaning you can always watch movie in the bus while traveling to KL. And also, they serve food in the bus. Their service provided are almost comparable to 1st class seats in an air plane.

Why Fax Over the Internet When We Can Use Emails?

2010-08-18T10:21:00.001-07:00

I was having coffee with some friends yesterday and we talked about IT stuff and Blackberry. Then one of them suddenly asked: "Why do we have to fax over the internet when we can email?" That question got me thinking and after doing some research, here are the answers to the question why we still fax over the internet when we can just email.

(a) Imagine sitting in your luxurious office in New York. You happened to have a contact in rural China which is presently producing some stuff for you. That dude in China only has an old fax machine but no access to the internet. Ask yourself, will an email work in this situation?

(b) You are a fresh graduate and are now firing on all cylinders to nail your first job. Days before the interview, your prospective employer asked you to fax your resume to them. Remember, they specifically state "fax your resume to us". Would you email your resume to them or fax over the internet?

(c) Emails, especially those free ones, are not totally secure. There have been numerous reports of emails going haywire and not to the intended recipients. In the case of paid internet fax service providers, most of them have very secure services. They also use top-notch fax encryption technologies which only recipients with the relevant public key could open. Now, you have an important document to send to your client. Would you risk emailing it to him/her or would you fax it over the internet?

(d) Let us stop talking about web fax for the moment. Let's talk about faxing using a regular fax machine. Do you realize that faxing using this museum piece is not `hackable'. Email, on the other hand, can be hacked. So, which do you prefer - email or fax?

(e) In some countries, faxes are considered legally binding documents. If you are dealing with an important matter, it's best to be on the safe side and fax. It is very frustrating to walk into an office and the officer there tells you that they need the faxed document not emails.

(f) While email technologies have skyrocketed of sorts, there are still many problems associated with outages (if you don't know what an email outage is, think of it as a `blackout'). Outages can be caused by several technological failures, such as connectivity loss, hardware malfunctioned or the server decided to take a 5-minute break. Then there's the possibility of natural disaster.

(g) The last reason why we fax rather than using emails is because the thick document we have in hand is a hard copy copy. To email (it also applies to fax over the internet, in this case), we have to convert them to the digital format. Are you prepared to scan the hardcopy page by page?

Financing A Property Investment In Malaysia

2010-08-17T10:05:00.001-07:00

Not many of us have spare funds that we can use to pay for the purchase of a property in one lump sum. Moreover, even if we did have those funds, we may want to put it into other uses such as playing the stock market or expanding our businesses in order to gain other financial benefits. Hence to purchase a property, we have to depend on loans or overdrafts. This fact is well recognised as you will see temporary offices of banks and finance companies set up in property developers' sale offices to facilitate such services.

What are the sources to finance a property investment in Malaysia? This article will seeks to provide you with the answers. However, what is stated in this article should be taken as a guide only. It is advisable for you to check with your financial institution for the specific terms and conditions prevailing at the time of taking the loan.

The sources of financing of property purchase in Malaysia are:

1) Commercial banks and licenced finance companies. One of the most common source of mortgage finance is from either local or foreign banks in Malaysia. However, there has been a growing trend of other financial institution such as insurance companies jumping into the mortgage bandwagon.

2) Bank Simpanan Nasional (National Savings Bank). This bank provides housing loans but it is selective as to whom it gives those loans to. It provides loans for property costing RM100,000 or less. The applicant should be a Malaysian citizen, aged between 18 years and not more than 55 years upon date of the loan maturity.

3) Malaysian Building Society Bhd (MBSB). This is the only building society in Peninsular Malaysia which gives out housing loans. It has been doing so for many years. Only Malaysian above age of 18 years are eligible for the loans but the loan must be for houses in Peninsular Malaysia only.

The following are only a few sources to finance a property investment in Malaysia. Different sources will have their own terms and conditions. Check with the respective institution for detail before signing the agreement.

Business and Market Overview on Malaysia

2010-08-16T09:32:00.001-07:00

ECONOMY. Malaysia is a middle-income economy and has the third highest GDP per capita (US$4,625) among the Southeast Asian countries after Singapore and Brunei. The country was primarily a producer of raw materials but transformed its economy from the 1970s to the 1990s into a multi-sector economy. Malaysia's economic growth is export driven mainly from exports of electrical and electronic products.

Malaysia's economy is relatively stable with healthy foreign exchange reserves and a GDP of US$118.3 billion in 2004. From 2000 to 2004, Malaysia's real GDP grew by an annual average of 5.7% while inflation remained below 2.0% and unemployment below 4.0%. The Asian economic crisis of 1997 adversely affected Malaysia's economy during the period. It is unlikely that the country will experience an economic crisis similar to 1997 with current healthy foreign exchange reserves, low inflation and small foreign debt.

The manufacturing sector accounted for 48.5% of Malaysia's GDP in 2004, services accounted for 42.4% and the agriculture sector accounted for 9.1%. Major industries include electronic & electrical products, textiles, clothing & footwear, chemicals, petroleum, wood and metal products. Major agriculture industries include palm oil, rubber, cocoa, rice, poultry and timber.

DEMOGRAPHY. Malaysia comprises of Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia (located on the northern half of the island of Borneo) with a population of 26 million. Malaysia is a multi-ethnic society comprising of the predominant indigenous Malays (50%) followed by the Chinese (24%) and Indians (7%). Other indigenous groups (11%) include the Ibans, Kadazans, Melanaus and Kelabits. Major religion practiced is Islam followed by Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism and Christianity. Major languages used are Malay (national language), English (commonly used in business), Chinese (mainly Mandarin, Hokkien and Cantonese) and Tamil.

Malaysia's population is becoming increasingly urban. The country's urban population increased from 54.7% to 62.8% of Malaysia's total population from 1995 to 2004. Main reason is increasing employment opportunities in the major urban areas. Major urban areas include the nation's capital Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding areas (known as the Klang Valley), Penang, Johor Bahru, Ipoh, Kuantan, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

Households in the urban areas have an average income that is twice than those in the rural areas. An estimated 5% of Malaysian households live below the poverty level while 50% are low-income households. The proportion of medium income households is 33% while high-income households are 10%.

INFRASTRUCTURE. Malaysia has a well-served international and domestic telecommunication system. Cities and towns are well connected by roads including highways and public transport. Internet broadband services are available in the cities and major towns. Malaysia has an international airport situated near Kuala Lumpur and airports across the country serving mainly domestic travel.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE. Malaysia's major trading partners include the United States, Japan, China, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and South Korea. Major exports from the country include electrical and electronic products, machineries, petroleum and liquefied natural gas (LNG), textiles, clothing & footwear, palm oil, furniture and sawn timber. High technology exports (mainly electrical and electronic products) account for more than 50% of Malaysia's exports. Major imports include electrical and electronics, machineries and equipments, petroleum products, plastics, iron and steel products, chemicals and foods.

CONSUMER USAGE OF TECHNOLOGY. Nearly 75% of all homes have fixed line telephones and there are 15 million mobile phone subscribers for a population of nearly 26 million in 2004. Penetration of personal computers in homes was nearly 30% during the period with 3.5 million internet subscribers and 10 million internet users. More than 90% of all Malaysian homes have refrigerators and televisions. Nearly all middle and high-income homes have cars and most have more than one. The estimated penetration of cars in homes is between 75% and 80%. Thus, many low-income homes have cars but tend to be lower-end models or cheaper second hand cars. Furthermore, nearly all lower income homes have motorcycles for their travelling needs.

RETAIL MARKET. Retail sales in Malaysia reached an estimated US$14 billion in 2004 and forecast to grow further to US$20 billion by 2010. The Klang Valley (Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding areas) contributes nearly 30% of the country's total retail trade. The traditional "mom and pop" establishments dominate Malaysia's retail industry while shopping at the modern retail establishments such as hypermarkets, supermarkets, departments, mini-markets and convenience stores is gaining popularity. These modern establishments account for nearly 25% of the total retail sales. Shopping at the traditional open-air markets remains popular among Malaysia's low, medium and even high-income consumers because of their festivity atmosphere.

FOOD CULTURE. Malaysia has three major ethnic food cultures i.e. Malay, Chinese and Indian foods. Rice is the staple food followed by various types of noodles and Indian bread. Malay dishes tend to be hot and spicy, Indian foods are usually curry dishes while Chinese foods are salty. However, the various ethnic communities have adapted foods from other communities. Western baked bread and bakeries and fast foods are popular and affordable even among many in the lower income group.

Holiday Packages in Asia - Explore the Beautiful Langkawi

2010-08-15T09:19:00.001-07:00

Langkawi in Malaysia is a breathtaking archipelago that constitutes of 99 beautiful islands in the Andaman Sea. Every year thousands of the tourist flock to explore the beautiful Langkawi, to enjoy the superb resorts, delightful beaches, and the refreshing nature based activities.

The city is also a haven for the beach lovers as the region boasts of several breathtaking beaches, which include Burau Bay, Pantai Cenang, Pantai Kok and Pantai Datai. Visitors can enjoy strolling around in the beaches and watching the sunset; or enjoy the more interesting activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, and several other types of beach sports.

Things to do:

While you explore the beautiful Langkawi, you will have never short fall of things to do. This exotic place has lots to offer to people of all ages, children, adults and elderly too.

Some of the most exciting things to do that you can try out while you visit this exotic place are islands hopping; bird watching; cable car ride; countryside biking; sailing; mangrove cruise; jungle trekking; mangrove kayaking; nature walk; feed the sharks; air trekking flying through the rainforest; play smart- free play land for kids at harbor park; scuba diving and snorkeling.

Shopping and Dining:

If you love shopping then the city is your paradise. You will find everything from expensive items to cheap artifacts out here.

Buy some for yourself or for those who are back at home. Visitors can also enjoy shopping some exotic traditional Malaysian artic rafts and other items at Kuah Town night market, and KV Tobacco Enterprise.

The city is dotted with a wide range of expensive and cheap dining outlets. Explore the beautiful city and its delicious treats.

Discount Hotels:

There are many cheap and affordable accommodation options available in the city. You can check out the Perdana Beach Resort which offers superbly convenient facilities and amenities without breaking your bank.

4 Tips of How to Buy Fashion Wholesale in Malaysia!

2010-08-14T09:02:00.001-07:00

Are you looking for fashion wholesale in Malaysia?

Fashion is one of the favorite trend especially for youngsters. Many business owners from Malaysia are looking for the fashion wholesale in order to get the latest fashion stuffs or products for their current fashion business. But fashion trend business changes very quickly daily like the weather, and how many of them choose the right wholesaler?

Most of the fashion wholesale in Malaysia import the fashion products from Hong Kong, some of them from Taiwan and Japan. Below are some tips of how to buy fashion wholesale in Malaysia:-

1) Choose wholesale distributor carefully by doing some research thoroughly before trusting them with future of your business.

2)Decide on what merchandise you want to buy from the retailer and what are you plan to sell in your store. If you are new, start from basic fashion pieces with well known brand manufactures.

3)Do not fall into the trap of only offering the trends seen in the fashion magazines, understand your market needs first.

4)If you have no idea where to start or how to do market survey in Malaysia, refer to these 2 ways which always being used by a small group of business owners in Malaysia:-

i) Search in Google for the fashion wholesalers, contact them and get the quotation from them.
ii)Get the contact from Yellow Pages, do the same thing by getting the quotation from them.

After doing these, compare the quotations which you get from different fashion wholesalers and decide who you want to deal with.

If you know the Malaysia market well and get the right fashion wholesale, you will make lots of money. Do some research before making any decision!

How to Find a Lawyer Who is a Perfect Fit

2010-08-13T08:49:00.001-07:00

If an organisation is in a situation where it needs to deal with legal knowledge, sound analysis and proper business sense, it is important to engage the services of an attorney who can play the role of "business advisor". In fact, most experts agree that fostering relationships with specialized legal eagles is the key to successfully navigating issues which can hamper the economic growth of any organisations.

The question that needs to be asked now is "How do we go about finding this so-called specialized attorney?" It would be a folly to just flip the telephone directory and appoint the first lawyer that comes into view.

A good management practice is still by word-of-mouth recommendations - that's getting referrals from friends and colleagues. When requesting for their referrals, make very sure you tell them very clearly what you need solved and the kind of attorney you need.

Another way is to do an advanced search on the Internet. The websites that pops up every time you do a search, no matter what keywords or phrase you had typed into Google or Yahoo! do not mean that they are top class. It is possible that they are top class in terms of advertising only!

If your firm is in the healthcare business, it is wise to focus on getting a lawyer whose niche is healthcare law, meaning a healthcare attorney. Don't go for those "Jack of all trades, master of none" lawyers.

After some soul searching, if, for instance, you fancy law firms A, B and C, the next logical thing to do would be to go to review sites, forums and blogs to see what people have to say about A, B and C. Read testimonials too, but be careful because some testimonials are fakes.

If you can get hold of Speakers' Lists at academy meetings etc, it would come in very handy in your search for an attorney who is a perfect fit for your organization.

Do knock on the doors of the state attorney's office, relevant societies and Bar associations in your area and ask them whether they can give you referrals for the kind of lawyers you are looking for.

Yes, getting a good lawyer requires a lot of leg work but it will be worth it. If you simple grab any Tom, Dick and Harry that come along, you may live to regret it.

Top 3 Luxury Cars and Sporting Events Across Malaysia

2010-08-12T08:31:00.001-07:00

One of the country's top luxury carmakers -- Mercedes-Benz Malaysia - supports important sporting events around Malaysia including golf tournaments and sports car races.

The world class MercedesTrophy was held for the 19th straight year beginning in April, 2009 at the Nexus Gold Resort Karambunai in Sabah, and ending at the Saujana Golf Country Club in Selangor on June 18. In between, the event stopped at the Bukit Jambul Country Club in Penang and the Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club in Johor. The tournament is open only to owners of Mercedes -Benz cars from authorized Mercedes dealers across Malaysia.

Winners in the Men's and Women's categories go on to represent Malaysia in the Asian final in Melbourne, Australia courtesy of Mercedes-Benz. Winners in each handicap category then qualify for the World Final in Stuttgart, Germany. Players that hit a hole-in-one can win a free Mercedes-Benz car.

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia also supports the Formula One World Championship. In 2009, this event began in March, 2009 in Melbourne, Australia. The Kuala Lumpur leg was held in April, and the season finale takes place in November at the Yas Island Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. The race also travels to Istanbul, Budapest, Valencia and Sau Paulo. Singapore hosts the only night race of the competition.

The eleventh Formula One PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix, held in April 2009, was organised by Malaysian Formula One promoter, Sepang International Circuit. In 2008, a Mercedes Benz SL 63 AMG was chosen as the official safety car of the Formula One World Championships.

In March, 2009, Cycle & Carriage Bintang Mercedes-Benz held their members exclusive Saujana Golf Club Carnival as part of its 110th Anniversary celebration, where they offered members four special discount packages to purchase a new Mercedes-Benz E 200K vehicle. The event also featured two sets of prizes - two free Mercedes-Benz B170 cars, and a free year-long subscription to the Saujana Golf & Country Club.

CCB Mercedes-Benz dealers offer a range of Mercedes-Benz models across Malaysia, including the S-Class Saloon known for its special safety technology. The S-Class features the Electronic Stability Program ESP® and PRE-SAFE® positioning function. For off-road adventures, there is the GL-Class with powerful V6 or V8 engines and AirMATIC air suspension to help make rough terrain travel more comfortable. This cross-country vehicle can accommodate up to seven passengers. Sports car lovers might want to inspect the SLK-Class Roadster and its 224 kW (305 hp) SLK 350 engine. This sleek convertible revs up to 7200 rpm and is aerodynamically designed for speed and handling. The SLK is the world's most popular roadster in its class.

The luxury car manufacturer also participates in other events throughout the year. For example, to help celebrate its 110th Anniversary, a Mini Sales Carnival was held at Lot 19, PJ Autohaus. Past events include the Merdeka Carnival to help commemorate Malaysia's 50th Anniversary, in which participants were allowed to test-drive Mercedes-Benz models. In 2008, they featured a series of road shows with promotional deals and new vehicle displays.

We're yet to see what next in store with Mercedes-Benz Malaysia...

How Can Honey Lemon Benefit Us?

2010-08-11T08:19:00.001-07:00

Honey and lemon can be found everywhere. Both usually used in culinary and non culinary recipes. Honey is sweet food made from nectars from flowers and produced by honey bees. Lemon or Citrus Limon is grown from a tree.

Honey and lemon don't cost you much and you can take them any time, not necessary only during sickness. Simply mix the honey and lemon into a drink, you can either drink it hot or cold. You can also use them as marinates, make into jelly, additional ingredients in cake, bread and biscuits.

So how does honey lemon combination benefit us?

Lose weight.
Honey helps to lower cholesterol levels. So if you're high cholesterol and not a diabetic, why not try this method? When you consume honey lemon juice, which is an alkaline food, you will not lose energy and appetite while losing weight. You can either take honey lemon juice in the morning or after a heavy and oily meal. It also acts as tonic drink for digestion.

All you need to do is:
(1) Put 1 teaspoon of honey into a glass of lukewarm water.
(2) Add 2 teaspoon of lemon juice, mix and drink.

Cure sore throat.
This would be cheaper than buying lozenges and you can drink this even when you are not having sore throat. Usually sore throat will lead to itchy throat and cough. Sometimes sore throat is the starting point of getting sick. We get this problem because of too much fried food, chocolate, and drink not enough of water.

What you need to do is:
(1) Combine 1 teaspoon of honey and some squeezed lemon juice.
(2) Heat until the liquid starts to bubble.
(3) Remove from heat and let it cool, then drink it.

Cure cough.
Do not cut the lemon and squeeze the juice out. You should:
(1) Boil a whole lemon in water for about 10-15 minutes.
(2) Then squeeze out all the juice and filter.
(3) Add about 60 ml of honey and mix well.
(4) Take 1 tablespoon for 3 times a day.

You can always make some and store in cool and dry place. This cough mixture is suitable for all ages. Isn't that simple?

Waxes and Their Role in Candle Making

2010-08-10T08:00:00.001-07:00

There are a couple of choices available in choosing wax for making candles. One is paraffin wax, a byproduct of petroleum; the other being the natural bee wax. Normally, their availability is in block forms. Paraffin wax can be obtained in cylindrical shapes or as flakes. Bee wax can be procured as thin sheets. Candle making is a popular small-scale industry. It allows you to innovate the art of candle making and run a result-oriented and purposeful set up. With candle-making achieving an almost one-hundred percent upsurge in its sales, its main ingredient, that is, candle-making wax has seen its sales roar. The wax is available in different varieties. The primary constituent needed for candle-making is wax and candle manufacturers are always scouting for new and varied qualities of this material, which not only enhances the efficiency of the candle per se, but are also available at cost-effective and competitive prices.

Paraffin wax is cheap and is easily available. Vegetative ingredients are also normally utilized in candle making. Some of these are palm, bayberry and soya. Soya wax is increasingly being used as it is environment friendly and free from dirt, pollution or any kind of contamination. Soya wax is got from hydrogenated soya beans. Here, in the United States of America, the states of Illinois, Iowa are the major growers of soya. Soya is commonly available and its potential use in candle-making is on the rise. Another ecofriendly wax is obtained from the Palm tree. However, its use in Malaysia and Indonesia has drastically diminished due to the large-scale destruction of life-giving rain forests. Vast acres of animal habitats and ecosystems hosting these animal habitats have been totally destroyed. In the process the rare Sumatran Tiger, the rhinoceros and the Orangutan, all of which were home to the aforementioned rain forests were deprived of their natural habitat and are almost being wiped out. However, with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature's (WWF) prompt assistance a Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) comprising of member countries, conservationists and the stake-holders was set-up to oversee and ensure that palm trees are well-taken care off. Palm is a fantastic environment friendly source from which candles can be made.

Candle wax is also obtained from animal byproducts. Bee wax is most common. Our forefathers made candles from bayberry, bee wax and palm. This very ecofriendly interest has been renewed again and more and more candle makers are using these products in candle making. Although pretty costly, bee wax, today, is playing a major role in candle making. It can be purchased in hues of white and yellow and emits a pleasing scent. Bee wax is the best of the animal products available. It has stood the test of time and is rated an excellent candle burner.

A very recent ingredient available in today's candle wax markets is Gel. It's clarity and a rubber-like consistency is becoming popular with candle makers. Gel candles are the newest kind of materials for wax. Based on its physical properties such as unit per volume vis-à-vis its mass the necessary gel candle can be made. While doing so the requisite aromatic compounds can be added. A wax having low physical properties needs around zero-to-three percent aromas. This low-density gel can be molded at quite low temperatures as well. Medium and high-density gels need anywhere between three-to-five percent aroma and higher percentages.

A number of options in choosing the right wax are available at the candle manufacturers' disposal. The wax that is most suitable for the purpose is selected. A wise decision to be taken here would be to ascertain if the wax you are purchasing has originated from an environment-friendly source and whether it can be recycled. The hallmark of a perfect candle manufacturer lies not only in the presentation and longevity of the candle but also in the selection of the various items that have been used in making them. In a nutshell, the candle-maker should have the requisite skills necessary in good candle making. These skills, in the long run, celebrate you as an expert in candle-making and propel your image to dizzy heights vis-à-vis obtaining maximum leverage from the hard-earned money that you have put in.

Tips for Foreigners Buying Properties in Malaysia

2010-08-09T07:45:00.001-07:00

Tips on Investing Properties In Malaysia

If you are foreigner and plan to invest in a property in Malaysia, here are some tips that you will find useful.

Financing your property

As a foreigner, you are allowed to borrow up to 70%. In most case, the banks are more than willing to finance your purchase of 50% of your property price.

Restriction in Disposing of your property

You are not allowed to sell your property less than 3 years from the date of your purchase.

Number of units you can own in Malaysia

As a foreigner, you are only allowed to own not more than 2 properties. Should you intend to purchase a third property, you will have to appeal to the Foreign Investment Committee and provide a valid reason for the third purchase. There is no guarantee that your appeal will be granted.

Remitting money into Malaysia

If you intend to purchase or have purchased a property in Malaysia, you are allowed to open a bank account to remit your funds from your domicile country for purpose of paying for the property.

Taxation of your property

Should you intend to dispose your property within the 5 years after the date of your acquisition, you will be taxed 30% of the gains only. If you dispose your property after the 6th year of your purchase, you will be taxed on 5%of your gains.

Minimum purchase price allowed to purchase

As a foreigner, you are allowed to purchase a property costing more than Ringgit 150,000. In some states such as Johor, Melaka and Penang, the purchase price of the property must be more than Ringgit 250,000.

Types of properties you are allowed to purchase

You are allowed to purchase residential apartments, condominiums, service apartments and landed properties such as terrace, semi-detached and bungalows.

Fees involved in purchasing a property

You are required to pay legal fees and disbursements for the preparation of the sale and purchase agreement whichis a percentage of the value of the property. Should you plan to take up financing from a bank, you will have to pay legal fees and disbursements for the preparation of the loan documents.

These are just some of the helpful information that

If you are seiously planning to invest in properties in Malaysia, check out this unique e-book by Malaysian property expert Juanita Chin on "How to Own Properties in Malaysia without Being Ripped Off" at
http://www.MalaysiaPropertyGuide.com/

Islamic Banking in Malaysia - Presentation of Financial Statements

2010-08-08T07:17:00.001-07:00

Since accounting is very much to do with providing information to assist users of financial information to make sound decisions, financial reporting needs to be different in order to serve the different users.

Major groups of financial report users for a financial institution are:-

Shareholders
Account holders and depositors (Clients of the bank)
Borrowers and others who transact with the bank
Regulatory bodies.

Now that Islamic banking uses a different set of accounting principles, mainly due to their different product characteristics and participation levels, it is just natural to expect different disclosure requirements within the financial statements for Islamic banks. This does not mean a reject of conventional accounting and reporting standards but rather requiring disclosure of additional information for the different sets of users.

In addition to the many user groups mentioned above, there are 2 additional distinct groups of users who are specific to Islamic banking, namely (i) Holders of investment accounts and (ii) Zakat agencies.

Given the many user groups, reports within the financial statement of an Islamic bank need to be broad enough to address the different requirements of these groups. They can be summarized to 7 sets of reports:-

Income Statement
Statement of Financial Position (Balance Sheet)
Statement of Changes in Shareholders' Equity
Cash Flow Statement
Statement in Changes in Restricted Investments and their Equivalent
Statement of Sources and Uses of Zakat and Charity Fund
Statement of Sources and Uses of Qard Fund

While the first 4 reports seemed the same as conventional banking, presentations are rather different mainly because of certain distinct definitions of items within Islamic banking environment. The last 3 reports are unique to Islamic banking.

Landbanking In Malaysia

2010-08-07T06:45:00.001-07:00

Land banking is defined as the practice of acquiring large parcels of undeveloped land and holding it until the time is right for future development. Traditional land banking involves holding a parcel of raw land as close as possible to the path of development and wait for a few years. When there is demand for your land due to the approaching development, your parcel of land will increase in value ten-fold or even more. However, land banking requires much patience and investors can go on waiting indefinitely. The cost of holding the raw land can also be crippling.

Nevertheless, land banking investments can be an excellent investment given the right location, proper expertise and holding power. Many have built their wealth on land banking investments ranging from the likes of Donald Trump in the US to Li Ka-shing of Hong Kong. To the average investors however, 3 major constraints prevents us from participating in this lucrative part of real estates investments. They are the lack of capital to purchase large parcels of land, lack of holding power and the lack of expertise to gain the proper planning approvals.

In Malaysia, an article on land banking investments appeared in the financial magazine "Personal Money" published by The Edge on April 2004 and this signifies the growing awareness of a new breed of professional land banking companies. These companies purchase huge parcels of land in the path of development and syndicates it to investors that will then own an undivided interest in the land. A 100 acres of land for example, could be divided into smaller units of 1/2 acre each, making it affordable for investors to purchase a single unit of investment. They also act as your asset management company managing your land investments. Their services includes submitting concepts plans to the authorities to get the proper planning permission and presenting offers from developers that are interested to acquire your parcel of land to all the joint investors.

Investors make their profit by selling their lands to the developer at an appreciated price. Lands that have gained planning approvals will fetch a premium price from developers. The decision to accept any offers from the developer will be done via a voting process that involves all the joint investors. Many Malaysian investors have made lucrative profit from these investment programs and the number of investors are steadily rising.

Brains of Children With ADHD Mature Later

2010-08-06T06:31:00.001-07:00

Generally, one out of every two children with ADHD - short for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - do grow out of this disorder when they are in their 20s.

Scientists believed it happened because the brains of children with ADHD mature later than those of normal kids.

They came to this conclusion after doing brain scans of ADHD on regular intervals over a period of years. By going through all the images, they could see clearly how the brains of those youngsters with ADHD matured.

In one particular study, the researchers noted that those parts of the brain which are believed to control action and attention matured last. Their focus was on the thickness of the brain's cortex, and observed how it changed over a period of time.

One of the findings was that in normal kids, peak cortical thickness was achieved when they were seven or eight years old. But for children with ADHD, it was roughly three years later. As mentioned earlier, this phenomenon was most prominent in those areas of the brain which control attention and action.

But one fortunate finding was that the brains of some 50 per cent of children with ADHD did catch up in the end, albeit three years late.

One possible reason why other individuals continued to have this disorder in their adulthood is because their brains failed to mature. But as yet, nobody knows why.

But there is general consensus among medical experts that ADHD should be treated at the earliest possible age even though at this moment in time, no one can tell which children with ADHD will be able to outgrow this disorder. Brain scans done on an ad hoc basis won't do any good either.

One of the things some researchers would like to find out in the future is what actually happened during the brain maturation process that contributed to the disorder or made the disorder `disappear'. Such studies may not be easy for it require prying into the background of parents of children with ADHD.

What to See and Do in Perak, Malaysia

2010-08-05T06:15:00.001-07:00

A quiet, unassuming state Perak rarely makes the big headlines as far as Malaysian tourism is concerned. Having said this, there are some neat places to explore, most notably the Cameron Highlands and some of the exquisite beaches along Pulau Pangkor.

Places To See & Do In Perak

Pulau Pangkor - Promoted as one of Malaysia's finest beaches, the tiny island of Panglor (it's total area is under 10 sq km) boasts some spectacular beaches - for example, it's in Pangkor that you will find the beaches of Coral Bay, Pasir Bogak and Teluk Ketapang.

If you can afford it, the exclusive Pangkor Laut resort owns the fabulous Emerald Bay beach, attracting five star travellers who can laze in the stunning sands and crystal clear waters that the bay offers.

Pangkor Town is a small, and largely smutty place, and even though it's not one to spend any great length of time, it's worth stopping by just for a look around. Because it's a tiny island, it's possible to explore Pangkor within a day (it barely takes a couple of hours if you have transportation) and aside from the awesome beaches there is not a great deal to do or see. Notable points of interest on the island include a Hindu temple and the Kota Belanda fort.

Because of the outstanding beaches, Pangkor is a good place to enjoy a spot of snorkelling or water-sports. You can snorkel at Pangkor Laut Resort if you're staying there as it offers very good snorkelling facilities for guests. Alternatively, head to Pasir Bogak beach where you can hire some snorkelling equipment and do it yourself.

Hotels, Restaurants & Places To Relax In Pangkor

There's only one place to stay in Pangkor if your budget allows, and that's the exquisite Pangkor Laut resort. Yes, this will practically break the bank but the stunning rooms (often accompanied by equally splendid views) as well as the right to use the guests-only beach (one of the best in Malaysia) makes it worthwhile.

There's nothing else to compare with Pangkor Laut on the island, but there are other places for travellers with a budget:

In Teluk Nipah (one of the main beach areas with a splurge of fair, budget accommodation) there are the following hotels and chalets:

Nipah Bay Villa
Sunset View Chalet
Suria Beach Resort
Indah Beach
Havana Beach Resort

The other popular beach area that also has a decent sprinkling of places to stay is Pasir Bogak. Here you'll find more budget places such as:

Coral Bay Resort
Vikri Beach Resort
Sea View Hotel

Most of these places offer very modest accommodation but are clean and good value - often, travellers to Malaysia don't care about the type of accommodation thanks to the many awesome sights and sounds that the country offers outside of the hotel room.

MLM in Malaysia

2010-08-04T06:00:00.001-07:00

Multi-level marketing is not only successful in the United States but in other parts of the world as well. This is because customers in these countries see the potential of the products being offered and the amount of wealth that can be made in having other people promote it.

One good example is Malaysia and here is a list of some MLM companies currently operating in this nation.

The first is Amway that has been operating here since 1999. It also has offices in neighboring countries such as Singapore, Philippines and Brunei selling a variety of products for home and personal care, artistry and living. The person has to be sponsored by a current member and after training; a startup kit worth RM85, which is the local currency, has to be paid.

Another company that has found its way to Malaysian shores is Nu Skin. This company specializes in beauty products that are designed to whiten the skin or prevent anti-aging. Members do not have to go to the store to purchase goods because this can be ordered online and then delivered to one's home. It gives shopping convenience so people can be concerned with selling and getting new recruits to join.

Those who are more concerned about healthy living will be happy to know that Herbalife is currently operating in Malaysia. It has products that help customers gain or lose weight. The nice thing about this MLM Company is that anyone can sign up and there is no need to have someone sponsor the newbie. It also has a starter kit worth RM88 with an instruction manual that will be delivered to one's doorstep.

Although Avon no longer has an official website, it still has operations in Malaysia. People can get perfumes, cosmetics, toiletries and a lot more by visiting its corporate office. Those who love to cook and have to preserve leftovers will be happy to know that Tupperware is there. People should recall this company was the first to create microwaveable plastic ware.

There are two kiosks with one in the capital so it won't be that hard for anyone who wants to invest in this exciting opportunity. The MLM companies mentioned are just a few from the hundreds currently available. Some individuals who started part time have decided to full time because of the flexible hours which is good for those who also want to spend time with the family.

The start up kit being offered is also very affordable. In fact, discounts of up to 25% are given to members so it is possible to make a few bucks as well as earn commissions from the efforts of those down the line. Constant refresher courses on product training and how to sell to customers are done regularly so all the agent has to do is follow the tried and tested formula.

So for those thinking about going into business, multi-level marketing is one option that people can consider. It is better than franchising because of the low cost and the person is able to utilize it, which is the best way of trying to sell this to others.

There are no quotas in place when working for an MLM company. This is because what is being offered is a working partnership where everyone is able to get something out of it.

Malaysia Travel - Rich Experience

2010-08-03T05:49:00.001-07:00

This beautiful Southeast Asian country welcomes you with a lovely traditional and touching statement "Selmat Datang." Malaysia is a vibrant and exotic country which has abundance of cultural and technological prosperity. The diverse cultural heritage is complemented by the lush landscape, delicious foods and variety of modern and ancient festivals. Several Indian, Chinese and Malay festivals share the list of holidays in the country.

Traveling Malaysia will give an altogether different experience. The two distinct parts of Malaysia can be explored separately. The Peninsular part constitutes the land that touches the border of Thailand and Singapore in Asian continent. The least populated East Malaysian province Sabah and Sarawak are separated from the mainland by the South China Sea. You will encounter the dense jungles of Sabah and Sarawak with plethora of plants and Wildlife. Do visit the Mt. Kinabalu that stakes its claim as the highest peak in South East Asia.

The Peninsula Malaysia attracts most of the visitors in Malaysia. And it is all because of the diversity in terms of people, culture and activities. Visitors like to travel Malaysia because it offers a comprehensive platform of modernity and history to be explored. If you wish to spend your days in cooler climate, you can head towards the Highland regions. For beach and sand freaks, Langkawi is the popular choice. Eastern coast feature many places like Kelantan province that offers you a nice opportunity for exploring the Malay life. Kota Bahru comprises of best of artistic values. For quenching the historical interest, one can turn towards the western coast which features the capital city Kuala Lumpur.

For more information on Malaysia visit: http://www.stayresmalaysia.com

Ten Most Sought After Tourist Destinations in Malaysia

2010-08-02T05:33:00.001-07:00

Malaysia is a booming tourist destination in Asia attracting tourists from across the world for its international standards of amenities and grandeur. Malaysia tourist attractions offer a great diversity of tourist destinations. The top ten Malaysia Tourist attractions comprise of the high profile city of Kuala Lumpur, Lankawi, Malacca, Penang, several beaches, national parks and many more. In Malaysia a tourist will surely be bestowed with great hospitality of the friendly natives. While touring Malaysia one should not miss out the great experience of visiting Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia and other tourist destinations like Melacca, Georgetown etc. The ten most sought after tourist destinations in Malaysia has the name of Kuala Lumpur that tops the list.

Kuala Lumpur:

Gifted with rich heritage coupled with modernism, Kuala Lumpur is the only global city of Malaysia. This colorful city is located at the confluence of rivers Sungai Klang and Sungai Gombak and that is how it is supposed to have got its name.

Malacca:

Situated at the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Malacca is rich in culture and heritage. A tourist will find an unique mix of the Malay culture with the Chinese culture here at Malacca. This is because of the huge infestation of the Chinese businessmen in this region of Malaysia.

Penang:

Penang is another popular Malaysia tourist attraction which presents an unique blend of eastern and western culture. The tourists like it because of the culinary delights that Penang offers which varies from Indian to Malay cuisines. One can see ancient Chinese architecture standing beside British style edifices portraying the blend of Asian as well as British culture in Penang.

Sabah:

Sabah is another top attraction in Malaysia that amazes the tourists with the presence of both island and beach. Nature lover's paradise Sabah will excite them with the picturesque beaches of Sipadan Island and the awe inspiring beauty of the peak of Mount Kinabalu.. A tourist can trek to the peak of the Mount Kinabalu and enjoy the breathtaking view from the peak. Sabah is also home to Kinabalu Park which is one of the United Nation's World Heritage Sites.

Langkawi:

One of the major attractions in Malaysia is Langkawi. The tropical rain forest of Langkawi is one of the major attractions for the foreign tourists. The natural reserves of the rain forests with its variety of flora and fauna continue to attract tourists from across the world.

Perlis:

Famous for its serene beauty, Perlis is the smallest state of Malaysia. Paddy fields, rural beauty make the place look even more picturesque.

Sarawak:

Sarawak is popularly known as the land of White Rajahs and is the largest state of Malaysia. Tourists who have a inclination towards adventure, cultural diversity and nature should must visit Sarawak.

Terengganu:

Terrengganu is the center of Malaysian cultural heritage. The place attracts the tourists for the famous "Ulek Mayang" dance that it boasts. Small villages, beaches and islands add to the beauty of Terrengganu.

Nageri Sembilian:

Nageri Sembilian is a federation of nine states and is located on the Southwest corner of Malaysian Penninsula. It continues to be one of the major Malaysian attractions because of the natural beauty that it boasts.

Kelantan:

Rustic fishing villages and serene beaches add to the attractions of Kelantan which attracts tourists from everywhere.

Visit Malaysia, the gastronomical paradise that attracts tourists from across the world for it natural beauty, colorful festivals, happening nightlife, international shopping experience, skyscrapers and first world infrastructure.

Postgraduate Studies in Malaysia

2010-08-01T05:00:00.001-07:00

Malaysia is one of the most popular destination countries for graduate students who aim to pursue studies and earn master and doctoral degrees. International students who choose to study in Malaysia attest that pursuing postgraduate degrees at universities in this country is a wise decision because there are many perks and advantages on offer.

As of the latest count, it is estimated that there are about 50,000 foreign students in Malaysia. Most of these students are taking post-graduate studies. There are a great percentage of postgraduate students coming from Middle Eastern countries. Experts believe that such students decide to study in Malaysia because of the similarity of cultures. As an Islamic country, many laws and policies in the country are almost the same as those implemented in other Muslim countries, particularly those from the Middle East.

At the same time, public universities are offering more postgraduate courses that are highly attractive and sufficiently appealing to students. Public universities are government-funded research universities. The inventions, study findings and researches made at such universities are supported and utilized by the government. Thus, it is expected that there are enough resources that these universities can use to improve and maintain their operations.

Being responsible adults, it is assumed that postgraduate students are mature individuals and are not troublemakers. That is why the country is very fond of inviting and convincing international students to get by and enjoy studying at its local universities. Postgraduate students are also highly productive and are contributing to the overall improvement of the country's education system.

Malaysia believes that as the number of postgraduate students in the country increases, the credibility and reputation of Malaysian universities is being bolstered and boosted. There certainly are many reasons why post grad students are advised to study in the country. Malaysia is a good tourist destination and now, it is also a good venue for pursuing post graduate studies.

Explore the Batu Caves of Malaysia

2010-07-31T04:45:00.001-07:00

The Batu Caves of Malaysia are located in the Gombak district, roughly 13 kilometers north of Kuala Lumpur. The cave is one of the most well known pilgrimage place for Hindus outside India. The cave was a symbolism of honor to the lord Murugan, who is the Hindu's god of war and victory.

The cave is mostly of limestone and is believed to be about 400 million years old. Some said that the cave was once used as refuge for the indigenous Temuan people, a Malay tribe. The cave attracts lots of people for its limestone hills and became even more famous when K. Thamboosamy Pillai who was a very prominent Malaysian and an Indian trader.

The place is now a well known religious site and is 100 meter above the ground. The whole Batu temple is composed of three main caves and some few smaller caves. The biggest of these was made to a cathedral cave with a 100 meter high ceiling. Visitors can reach the cave by climbing the 272 steps.

There is also a museum and art gallery cave located at the foot of the hill and displaying primarily the statues and paintings by the Hindus. This cave villa was opened to the public in 2008 and has been mostly visited by many tourists ever since.

The place is not only a religious place but also an ideal place for rock climbing. For more than ten years, the Batu caves have been the center of rock climbing development and have attracted many visitors from around the world. The attractive limestone hills are a favorite climbing place for many. Mountain climbing aficionados will truly love the place with its amazing features. One can always have a great time in Batu caves and will always be delighted with the vast beauty of the place.

Malaysia visitors are always welcome to the Batu Caves to take a glimpse of one of the country's most well preserved precious jewels especially for the Hindus. Thousands of Hindus gather here during their religious festivities turning the area into a very lively and vigorous place.

There is so much to see and explore in the Batu caves and one must visit here to see more of what the Batu caves has. A Batu cave experience will certainly be one of the most remembered trips for everyone who visits Malaysia.

Modern Malaysia

2010-07-30T04:30:00.001-07:00

The first glimpse of Malaysia's modern architecture begins at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). With rambling ceilings that resemble white Bedouin tents, the state-of-the-art KLIA boasts the world tallest air traffic control tower at 120 meters, the biggest columnless hanger and the biggest passanger lounge among many other destinctions.

Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa design KLIA as an ' Airport in the Forest, Forest in the Airport '. Lush rainforest trees in the boundries between the physical strucrures of the building with its natural green surroundings induce passenger comfort and relaxition.

Just 3.5 km away from KLIA is the Sepang F1 Cuircuit which designed by Herman Tilke. This Sepang F1's white awnings are reminiscent of overturned seashells. This eye-catching design and functional element deflect sunlight. In terms of design, facilities and technology, Sepang F1 is one of the most outstanding racing cuircuit in the world.

Located right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the steel and glass Petronas Twin Towers soar 451 metres skywards. Cesar Pelli, the American architect, design the world's tallest twin towers by overlapping two squares - interlocking heaven and earth - to create an eight-pointed star. The design is further refined with half circles between the the star points, creating a geometry that reflects the Islamic spirit of Malaysia.

But even before the Petronas Twin Towers took shape, Malaysia's skyline was dominated by Kuala Lumpur Tower. Completed in 1996 as a telecummunications antenna, KL Tower doubles as a major tourist destination. Visitors are often mesmerised by its dome shape arches, covered by a mosaic of mirrors that glitter like diamonds again light. Seven Iranian-inspired brusque patterns form the base of the viewing deck to represent the seven layers of the sky. There is also a revolving restaurant that serves meals and drinks as guests soak in panoramic vistas of Kuala Lumpur.

For its new administrative city, the Malaysian government has spared no expense making Putrajaya a feast for the eyes. Perdana Putra Building, at the center of the Putrajaya, is a six storey granite building with green glass windows and surrounded by artificial mangrove lakes. The natural stone clad building is capped by an onion shaped main dome, resembling the Zahir mosque in Alor Setar, Kedah. Four smaller domes surround the main dome and its collective form makes up its distinctive look.

The Putra Bridge, which spans 435 metres, and lies opposite the Perdana Putra Building, is inspired by the design of the famous Khaju Bridge in isfahan, Iran. Its three deck bridge provides vehicle, monorail and pedestrian access and its piers are the setting for fine dining restaurants.

The credit for Malaysia's new skyline of modern architecture goes to the government during Tun Mahathir Mohammad premiership. More than mere buildings, Malaysia's modern architecture is also a metaphor for the spirit of the country's aspirations. Malaysia aspires to be a progressive nation that looks to the future. Yet its architectural heritage is rooted in the past. Evidently, the country's modern buildings delicately balance between Malaysia's past, present and future.

Hotels in Cherating Kunatan Malaysia: Aided with Rustic Charm

2010-07-29T04:03:00.001-07:00

Located 75 kilometers from Northern Kuantan, Cherating city is one the finest destinations in Malaysia which is occupied by the tourists in all seasons. This city features Asia's first club Med that hosts many excellent leisure activities. Snorkeling, windsurfing, parasailing, swimming and many others constitute the bunch of interesting activities at this club. You can enjoy several beach attractions over here too.

The Rustic atmosphere in Kampungs is an interesting feature among the beach's attractions--the inhabitants of this place render a warm welcome to you in very traditional manner. Cherating is also visited by many backpackers. Hotels in Cherating Kunatan Malaysia serves very nicely. Most of the guesthouses serve dinner at a fixed time.

However, beach is the quite uneventful place in the city. It is a famous rendezvous for also sorts of visitors. Sea turtles also make it a famous area in the region. Characterized with shallowness and murk it does not let you do most of the interesting sea activities. And moreover, the seawater at the eastern coast of Malaysia is not considered to be crystal clear as rivers into the sea silted up by mangrove forests and logging in main range.

Cherating city proves to be a good point for exploring surrounding areas. You have a good opportunity for shopping the nice handicrafts materials and observing cultural festivals. Mats, hats, bags weaved by village maidens are quite beautiful items to buy a piece or two. . Cultural shows include wayang kulit and silat.

Usage of CPF Medisave in Malaysia Hospitals and Medical Centers

2010-07-28T03:47:00.001-07:00

Less than 1 year since our initial posting, the Singapore Government acted fast and in Feb 2010, the Ministry of Health (MOH) declared officially that Singaporeans will be able to use CPF Medisave for payment in 12 hospitals/medical centers in Malaysia starting 1st March 2010. The nearest of these 12 hospitals/medical centers to Singapore is the Regency Specialist Hospital located in Johor Bahru (Regency is just an hour's drive from Singapore or just 25 minutes away from the Johor Bahru CIQ).

With the medical bills in Malaysian hospitals expected to be some 20%-35% cheaper compared to Singapore hospitals, this is good news for Singapore citizens who now have an alternative in managing escalating health care costs. To top it up, these 12 hospitals and medical centers in Malaysia are actually owned by 2 health care group in Singapore: Health Management International (HMI) and Parkway Holdings. Expect a certain standard of medical health-care and facilities to be provided.

For example, Regency's patient care facilities and medical equipment are comparable to Singapore hospitals. It has the latest state of the art medical and diagnostic equipment including a 64 multi-slice Computerized Tomographic ("CT") Scanner and 1.5 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imager ("MRI") from General Electric ("GE"). In addition, its new Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory ("Cath Lab") adds to the comprehensive range of cardiac care treatments for those experiencing acute coronary symptoms in need of cardiac catheterization, angioplasty, stent, balloon or pacemaker implantation.

The listing below shows the 12 medical centers and hospitals currently approved by the Ministry of Health for usage of CPF Medisave.

HEALTH MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL (HMI)

Referral centre: Balestier Clinic and Health Screening Centre (221 Balestier Road, #03-04 ROCCA Balestier)
Referred to:
1. Regency Specialist Hospital (Johor Baru)
2. Mahkota Medical Centre (Malacca)
PARKWAY HOLDINGS

Referral centre: East Shore Hospital (321 Joo Chiat Place)
Referred to:
1. Gleneagles Intan Medical Centre (Kuala Lumpur)
2. Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur
3. Pantai Hospital Cheras
4. Pantai Hospital Ampang
5. Pantai Hospital Klang
6. Pantai Hospital Ipoh
7. Pantai Hospital Ayer Keroh
8. Pantai-Hospital Penang
9. Pantai-Hospital Batu Pahat
10. Pantai-Hospital Sungai Petani

Malaysia - An Open Destination For Foreign Students

2010-07-26T14:30:00.001-07:00

There are many countries that are offering academic programs to international students. Countries like the United States, Australia, France, Spain and many other developed nations are not exerting much effort to lure foreign students to study in their universities, but apparently, more foreign students decide to enrol in them.

Some other countries are even making initiatives to lure and convince foreign students into enrolling in their universities. These countries hope to make the activity a form of indirect boost to tourism figures and revenues. Thinking about this, foreign students are still tourists in their own way. They still have allowances to spend and they relay the beauty they observe in their host country to friends and families they have in their homelands.

Malaysia is one of the countries that aim to convince more foreign students to enrol in their universities. The country promotes the advantage of getting college and masters degrees at its academic institutions. Malaysia openly invites foreign students to try out enrolling and studying locally.

There are many reasons why studying in Malaysia is attractive to foreign students. The government of Malaysia claims that most universities are public, meaning the institutions can be considered as research universities. There are also private universities, but Malaysia ensures that the quality of education offered in public institutions is as good.

Many foreign students enrolling in Malaysia come from the Middle East. As such, it is said that these foreign students do not see significant differences in the culture because being a Muslim country Malaysia is similar in most respects. A third reason is that the country is considered as a safe nation to be in because there is not much of a terrorist threat.

Ultimately, studying in Malaysia is affordable. Tuition fees are cheaper and practical compared to matriculation fees charged by universities in other countries.

Malaysia Internet Usage Statistic

2010-07-25T13:45:00.001-07:00

We are unquestionably dependent on computers and the communications devices and services that connect them. The number of computers and terminals at work in the world today is over 100 millions. The overwhelming need of organizations and their workers now is for connectivity, for integration, for ease of access information. On the other hand, as businesses are challenged by such forces as global competition, mergers. and acquisitions, information becoming the main sources to stay them "alive". Thus, Internet become the main channel for the entire informations flow.

"Doing Business on the NET." - On very rare occasions, technology dramatically transforms the way we live ourt lives; examples include the printing press, the automobile, and the fiber optic communications. The Internet, and more specifically its World Wide Web (WWW or the Web) Services, may be such a transforming technology. The Web has made an already expontentially growing phenomenon, the Internet, into an even faster growing one, causing the transformation and evolution.

Why does this Internet is potentially affect the entire industry? Is there any different modes of commerce on the Internet? Some research on the growing rate statistics on the Internet Users Growing Rate increased since year 2000. The statistics were updated 30th November,2007. It showed a user growth rate of 303.9%(2000-2007) in Malaysia itself.

However, there are still small percentage of Businesses does not go for Online Presence mainly because they have no idea how it works and lacking of confidence.

Following are some tips for small and large businesses to go Online:-

1) Be creative, but never cloud the purpose of your business with cleverness for its own sake.

2) Identity: be clear from the customer's viewpoint about who you are and what you offer.

3) Take a pride in your expertise, but don't try to push what customers don't want.

4) Constantly look at what works for others, adapt and adopt the best that your creativity and budget can manage.

5) Build customer loyalty and you will build employee loyalty without effort
Deliver more than you promise.

6) Remember customer online are short on time and attention, not money. Do not generate "rubbish" on the Website.

7) Make it easy for people to search and buy online.

8) Be consistent. Ensure that your messages always reflect the image you want. Ensure that customer is never confused by conflicting messages.

3 Quart Slow Cooker - Waste of Money? Or Good Investment?

2010-07-24T13:30:00.001-07:00

Are you thinking about buying a slow cooker, also known as a crock pot? If so, you may want to look into a 3 quart slow cooker. This size is perfect for small families-anywhere from one to three people. If you have a larger family, a larger size will do better for main meals, but a 3 quart can help very much for side dishes.

A slow cooker can make a side dish which feeds between four and six people. It is also great for portable meals. If you are asked to bring something to a pot luck for example, you can make it beforehand in the pot and then take it with you. This is feasible because the pot only weighs around ten pounds empty and you can sometimes purchase a carrying tote for it.

The 3 quart slow cookers actually usually will hold about 3-1/2 quarts, or, to give you a better visual example, it will hold a four pound chicken with a little room to spare. It will hold enough stew, chicken, beef, etc for one to three people.

Crock pots have amazing functionality. You can find thousands of recipes on the internet for them. Usually they will come with several recipes included as well. You can make a variety of meals including cooked fruit jams, oatmeal, soups, chicken, beef, stews, pork, etc.

One great and popular use of the 3 quart slow cooker is to throw together a meal before work in the morning. This way when you come home form work you have a fresh, hot meal waiting for you. This is great for singles.

Holidays in Malaysia and the Best Places to Go in Malaysia

2010-07-23T04:30:00.001-07:00

Holidays in Malaysia offer a myriad or things to do and see; strange creatures dwell amongst the exotic plants of the jungles of Malaysia, and off the idyllic coastline there's another kind of exotic garden to explore: long, colourful ribbons of coral reef are amongst the best places to go in Malaysia. There are fantastic bays like Emerald Bay; more than just a tropical island, this region has impressive mountains and remote communities living unique cultural lives. But it's also a tropical island holiday, and so holidays in Malaysia allow for both exploration and languor.

Malaysia's humming and buzzing capital, Kuala Lumpur, and the jungles and reef ringed islands of Malaysian Borneo are so vastly different that holidays in Malaysia are guaranteed contrast. Most international flights arrive in Kuala Lumpur, so even if you're steering clear of the city life and heading into nature you still get to be surprised by the comparison. The main airport of the Sabah and Sarawak regions is at Kota Kinabalu, so most visitors start their exploration Malaysian holiday there.

Day One: Assuming some of the first day of your holiday in Malaysia will be taken up with setting in and poking around your hotel, take an afternoon/ evening stroll into Kota Kinabalu and look around the markets and restaurants and wander along to the ferry port. This is a port town rather than a beach town so leave your beach towel at the hotel.

Day Two: Bring your towel on the second day of your holiday in Malaysia and retrace your steps into town and the ferry port where you can get a ferry out to the islands of the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park. Visitors can stay overnight on the larger islands but Pulau Sapi, or Cow Island, one of the smallest of the five, is the quietest, and ideal for a day trip to swim, snorkel, hike though the rainforest, have your toes nibbled by tiny fish and your lunch stolen by an exotic monkey or giant monitor lizard.

Day Three: Trekkers who don't mind a bit of uphill work can conquer Mt. Kinabalu in two days -- it's the 20th tallest in the world and worth factoring into your holiday in Malaysia - but one day is enough to sample the pleasures of the Mt. Kinabalu National Park at its base, including the orchid gardens, Poring Hot Springs, and hopefully one of the park's biological pleasures -- a fleshy, flash smelling rafflesia plant, on which grow the world's largest flowers. Some resorts will be able to help you arrange transport up to the mountain and the jungles that spread all over it, and the easiest way to go is as part of a group.

Day Three: Fly to Sandakan. While Kota Kinabalu has the scenery, Sandakan has the wildlife, most fascinatingly the Orang utans at Sepilok and the turtles of Turtle Island Park, and one of the main reasons people want to take their holidays in Malaysia.

Day Four: The marine sanctuary of Turtle Island is an overnight stay. They can only accommodate very small groups, but in the evening you're there to welcome the mother turtles on to the beach as they lay their eggs, then able to release some of the babies from a clutch laid 60 days earlier. The accommodation is pretty basic, the food isn't breathtaking, but getting a kiss a baby turtle on its shell just after it's dug its way out of its nest before it scuttles down the beach to the sea is something indescribable and well worth planning a holiday in Malaysia around.

Day Five: The amazing and ancient turtles aren't the most famous local inhabitants of this region: the Old Men of Borneo, as the locals call them, are. Living under difficult conditions, the orang utan's habitat is shrinking, and as man encroaches we need to give them a little help. They get that at Sepilok, a conservation centre where orang utans are brought to be rehabilitated before being released into the wild. Visitors to the park get as close to them as they're able to anywhere, when these furry jungle men come in for a feed and put on impromptu shows on the ropes and platforms around the feeding platforms. Animal lovers take note -- it's possible to volunteer at Sepilok, but you need to commit quite a bit of time and organise it well in advance.

Day Six & Seven: Divers won't want to travel to this region without diving off Sipidan Island, which has some of the world's best dive sites, but explorers may be more interested in visiting the Mulu, Gomantong or Niah Caves, renowned karst structures, Kuching for a bit of the lively culture of the place and the orchid garden, or for a unique cultural experience, a traditional longhouse community, so these last days of your holiday in Malaysia should be used up according to personal interest.

Get to Know Baby-Bottle Tooth Decay in Toddlers

2010-07-21T18:00:00.001-07:00

There are several types of tooth decays involving toddlers, but this article will only touch on one which is commonly known as "baby bottle tooth decay."

This problem is very common and quite severe in both toddlers and infants. Cavities developed when bacteria and carbohydrates interact in the mouth. This interaction results in sugar being fermented and turned into acids, which are enemies of the teeth enamel. Baby bottle tooth decay often happens to the upper four front teeth.

What if it is not treated? Answer: the teeth will be destroyed.

The most common cause of this type of tooth decay in toddlers is frequent exposure to liquids with high sugar content. If toddlers are often put to sleep with a bottle of milk or juice stuck in their mouth, you can be sure baby bottle tooth decay would be too far away.

As they say 'prevention is better than cure,' one of the best ways to keep baby bottle tooth decay at bay is to make sure that the toddler or infant go to sleep with a bottle of plain water. If you notice that they have stopped sucking on the bottle, take it away.

Remember: Plain water in the bottle, not sugar-coated liquids.

Another good motherhood skill to hone is teach your kid to drink from 'sippy cup' when they are only a couple of months old. Make the bottle disappear when they are one year old.

Also make sure that your kid does not hang around a bottle of milk or juice all day long. If they somehow cannot part company with the bottle, make sure it is filled with water only.

Of course your infant or toddler do not have any teeth. So, after each feeding, use a piece of cloth to wipe their gum. If they already have teeth, then buy a soft toothbrush which is meant for kids their age.

When teeth start appearing, it is a good practice to visit the dentist regularly.

Take baby bottle tooth decay seriously, because if you don't cavities and toothache may occur and the teeth may have to be extracted. When that happens, more headaches will come your way in terms of problematic eating habits, speech difficulties, slanted teeth, and discoloured teeth when they grow up.

Education In Malaysia

2010-07-20T10:45:00.001-07:00

In Malaysia our education systems is base on English education systems. The education started from kindergarten until high level education. The first education level is kindergarten to enter children must be on the age 4 to 6 years old. After attending kindergarten this children will be going to primary school. They will attend primary school until they reach 12 years old.

Primary school started from year 1 to year 6. Year 1 is when they reach 7 years old and year 6 is when they reach 12 years old. When they in year 6 they will be going through a civil exam call "UPSR". Ujian Penilaian sekolah rendah(UPSR) or in English we could say primary school assessment test. After sitting this test then they will advance to Middle school.

This middle school can separate into two part which is the first part is lover middle school age 13 to 15 (form 1 to form 3) and the other part is upper middle school age 16 to 17 (form 4 to form 5). In the end off form 3 they will sit on exam call PMR (Penilaian Menengah Rendah) or in English we call lover middle school assessment before they can further their study to upper middle school. In the end of middle school they will sit on the most crucial exam before they can further their study to University or College. This Exam call SPM (Sijil Peperiksan Malaysia) or in english we call it Malaysian Exam Certificate. if they do well in this exam they will advance to high level education such as university or college. If they don't do well on the exam there is still a chance to further their study. They can enter Lover 6 and after that Upper 6. In the end of upper six they will sit on a exam once again call STPM(Sijil Tinggi Peperiksaan Malaysia) or in english we call Malaysia High Certificate Exam. This STPM is almost the same standard as Diploma. If they have a good result they can further their studies to take bachelor from University.

From "SPM" if they want to take bachelor from University the have two different ways. One is to take the diploma from any college or the second ways is to study in matriculation first. Matriculation is la pre-university. they have to be and attend course for two year but not like go to college because college have to finish 3 years of study before can enter bachelor course. But there is Pro an Con when u take matriculation if u fail u cannot retake the matriculation u have to go to college if u want to futher your study. Although College is longer from matriculation but it is safer than matriculation. Matriculation doesn't have any certificate if u pass the exam they just receive a slip that show that they pass matriculation and can further their study. This slip cannot be use to find a job it is useless if they don't finish their bachelor. But if they go to college they will receive a Diploma then can be use to find job if they don't want to further their study. That is a little bit of information about education in Malaysia.

Malaysia Casinos

2010-07-19T07:15:00.001-07:00

When you think of Malaysia the first thing that comes to mind is vibrant colors, spices and the tropical weather of a never-ending summer. Malaysia is a very popular destination for tourists around the world and for a good reason, it offers just about everything you can wish and hope to do on a vacation in order to have fun, relaxation, excitement as well as trying your hand at becoming rich over night in the famous Malaysia casinos at the Genting Group.

The Genting Group is situated about an hour drive from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia on the top of one of the mountain peaks of the Titiwangsa Mountains at 2000 meters above sea level. Genting Group is one of the most famous resorts in Malaysia; it has the largest hotel in the world boasting 6,118 rooms, which beats the MGM Grand of Las Vegas, which has 5,690 rooms and is the second largest hotel in the world.

Genting Group also shelters the only legal Malaysia casinos and where you will be delighted to find every game you can think of and more. There are 426 game tables and 3,140 slot machines open 24 hours a day for the entertainment of the guests.

The best way to enjoy all the luxurious facilities the Genting Group resort has to offer is to stay in their hotel for the duration of your vacation; you can have access to the casino 24 hours a day and when you decide to explore Malaysia you can jump in a car and head to Kuala Lumpur as it is a short drive away.

Besides the beautiful casino, the Genting Group resort offers everything a five star hotel promises, swimming pools, shopping arcade, a variety of restaurants and even a theme park that is similar to the Disney World, which your children will simply adore irrelevant of the age group.

In Malaysia casinos you have to be 18 years of age to gamble or enjoy any alcoholic beverage. Do not venture in other casinos besides the one available in the Genting Group, as they are not government approved and therefore not legal. However, once you visit the Genting Group resort and its casino it is unlikely that you will wish to spend your time and changes of winning anywhere else in the country. Malaysia's only casino is build to provide all the entertainment you can hope for and who knows this may be the right place where lady luck may smile down on you too.

Banana Nutrition Facts - What Makes Them So Nutritious?

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Bananas were first found in Southeast Asia, initially in the tropical forest of Malaysia. The first Europeans who discovered bananas were Alexander the Great along with his army during their campaign in India in 327 BC. It was also exposed to Arabians who brought them to Africa. Spaniards and Portuguese explorers brought bananas with them during their sails. For that reason, bananas spread to the European and American countries. Eventually, the progress of railroads and technological advancement of refrigerated maritime transport permitted bananas to become the most central fruit traded all over the world.

Nutrients in Bananas

Bananas are great source of essential nutrients such as:

Potassium - a mineral that assists in the protein synthesis and building of muscles. This happens when potassium stirs up nerve impulses for muscle retrenchment. A diet loaded in potassium is thought to trim down the threat of stroke and hypertension. Since bananas are very rich in potassium and free from sodium, they may be included in the diet to decrease the risk of high blood pressure.
Vitamins B6 - aids in the production of antibodies in the immune system separately from red blood creation, protein metabolism and functioning of the central nervous system.
Vitamins C - helps to protect the body against infections and cure them as well. This vitamin also provides evidence important in the synthesis of the connective tissue, assimilation of iron and the formation of the blood.
Carbohydrate - No other fruit contains more digestible carbohydrates than bananas. This is beneficial for the reason that the body burns off calories from carbohydrate more effortlessly and rapidly than calories from fat or protein.
Fiber - Banana is a food fiber that avoids the absorption of fat assisting in the lowering of cholesterol. Fiber is best for digestion. Counting bananas in a diet can assist in bringing back regular bowel action without opting to use laxatives.
Magnesium - helps in recovering from fatigue. Along with B12 and potassium, they help the body to improve from the symptoms related to the taking out of nicotine.
Fructoogliosaccharides (FOS) - act as food for the "good bacteria" or a prebiotic in the digestive system.
Calcium - a good means of helping support vigorous bone development for children as well as adults.

Studies show that due to the impressive potassium content, bananas are highly suggested by doctors for patients whose potassium is low. Putting all of the nutritional facts together without a doubt confirms that the banana is one of the healthiest of fruits. There is no wonder why banana was well thought to be a significant food to boost the health of malnourished children. Banana is not only the cheapest but also the most plentiful and nourishing of all fruits.

Hotels in Malaysia: Beautiful and Affordable

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Malaysia has been a favorite destination in the world right from the beginning. People for all purposes visit this wonderful country. Be it shopping, adventure or nature loving, Malaysia fist very fine in every case. It is a place which makes you aware of the unique combination of tradition and modernity. The more you get into this country, the more you would like to explore. Filled with fabulous destinations, Malaysia gets the favor from people from all across the globe.

It has all beautiful destinations which contribute hugely to its popularity. Right from its capital city Kuala Lumpur to a small Island like Penang Island, it shows great promises of entertaining the visitors. Whereas Kuala Lumpur is a city with most modern establishments and entertainment centers, The Palau Tioman Island is full of natural wonders. Whatever kind of destination you look for, you get here in Malaysia. Mountainous, waterfront, forest or a city with bustling streets, all are part of this beautiful country.

Besides wonderful destinations, the role of fabulous Malaysian hotels cannot be ignored at all in making this region of the world a traveler's favorite. Wherever you go in the country, you will never feel any disappointment whatsoever in terms of accommodation. Each part of Malaysia features magnificent hotels equipped with all standard and modern facilities. Hotels in Malaysia match the standard of any other hotel in the world.

Introduction to Malaysia

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Malaysia is a tropical country located in the heart of Southeast Asia. Its capital is Kuala Lumpur, also served as the most important city. Putrajaya is the seat of government, where most of the administration buildings locate at. It have a total landmass of 329,845 square kilometres (127,354 sq mi) and population 28,310,000.

Malaysia is consisted of 13 states and 3 federal territories. The states are Perlis, Kedah, Perak, Pulau Pinang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak. The federal territories are capital city Kuala Lumpur, seat of government Putrajaya, and Labuan.

Economy of Malaysia is chiefly on manufacturing and trading. However, the important exports are palm oil, petroleum, industrial products, agricultural products and others. Banking and tourism are also important source of income.

For people who seeks place to have relaxation and leisure, Malaysia is definitely a great place to go. There are lots of tourist attractions depending which you interested of. If you are interested with history, Malacca and Georgetown had declared as World Heritage Site by UNSECO. There are old shops, temples, mosques, and even a colonial fort built by nations who once rule the city.

Langkawi is an island located on northern parts of Peninsular. Langkawi has lots of classy hotels as well as hosting many international events such as Langkawi International Maritime and Airshow. Langkawi has a numbers of marinas, and traditional Malay villages. It also a shopping haven as the whole island is tax-free zone.

Most Malaysian speak and understand Bahasa Melayu, an official language of Malaysia. However, other languages are tolerated and freely used in everyday life. English is widely spoken, especially in large cities.