Samster Gathering JB

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The New Straits Times (Malaysia) dated 20 February 20014 :-

Senai Airport in Johor users increased eight-fold

NUSAJAYA: The number of people using the Senai International Airport increased almost eight-fold last year compared to the year before.

Johor Tourism and Domestic Trade and Consumerism executive committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said 137,902 people used the airport last year compared to only 17,471 in 2012, an increase of 7.9 time or 689 per cent.

"This showed the state government's initiatives and efforts to improve international aviation services into Johor through the airport is successfull," said Tee.

He said this in his answer to a question by Cheo Yee How (DAP - Pengkalan Rinting) at the Johor State Assembly meeting today.

Tee said the airport's location within Iskandar Malaysia would make it one of the main aviation hub in Malaysia in the future.

"Flyfirefly Sdn Bhd, the operator of Firefly, have already made the airport their hub for the southern region."

He also said the billion ringgit Senai Airport City will be located at a 1,133 hectare land near the airport's main terminal building and would consist of three main component, namely an airport trade centre, an air cargo logistic centre and the Senai High Technology Industrial Park.

"The construction of the RM70 million Aeromall is also part of the state government's effort to improve the services at the airport," said Tee.

He said besides Firefly, AirAsia and Malindo Airlines also have services flying to and from Senai.
----- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Johor 'safe beyond doubt', says its police chief

The police chief of Johor has declared his state to be "safe beyond doubt".

Referring to negative perceptions of the crime situation in Johor and recent crime statistics, Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said that the state's police are in "full control", reports The Straits Times.

Datuk Mohd Mokhtar noted that the number of violent and property crime cases in Johor fell about 36 per cent between 2008 and last year. Overall, there were 17,105 crime cases in the state last year, or about 10 per cent less than in 2012.

The police chief also assured Singaporeans that they are not specifically targeted by criminals: "Crimes are committed when an opportunity arises regardless of (a victim's) race, religion, sex and nationality."

Of the 17 million Singaporean tourists in Johor last year, he noted that only 397 of them were victims of crime.

Besides enforcement by Johor police, Datuk Mohd Mokhtar advised that visitors also have to be responsible for themselves and take their own precautions against crime.

Samsters, do you believe what this police chief said?
----- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[Kalv]

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[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The New Straits Times (Malaysia) dated 7 March 2014 :-

SPAD meets JB-S'pore cabbies

MOVING FORWARD: Commission hopes to adopt a new mechanism for permit renewals

JOHOR BARU: THE Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) recently met cabbies plying the Johor Baru-Singapore route in an effort to improve their service.

The meeting was held at Johor Baru Umno building between commission chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar and taxi drivers.

Syed Hamid said SPAD wanted to gather information on any internal or external issue faced by the drivers so that it could find the best solution for them.

"Most of the taxi permits for the Johor Baru-Singapore route end in May this year.

"SPAD hopes to adopt a new mechanism for permit renewals which involves interviewing companies, taxi owners and drivers," he said during a press conference held after a closed-door meeting on Wednesday.

He said there are at present 200 taxis in the city which have been granted permits to ferry passengers to Singapore.
"We receive many positive responses during the discussion between the commission and taxi drivers.

"Besides the permit issue, SPAD also listened to livelihood-related issues of cabbies such as their rental and purchase of taxis," he said.

Syed Hamid said SPAD would look into the question of executive taxis picking up and dropping off passengers at the Senai International Airport.

He said to prevent monopoly, SPAD was looking into the possibility of allowing all types of taxis to operate at the terminal. The open policy is currently being implemented at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Also present at the closed-door meeting was Johor Baru member of parliament Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad.
----- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[Kalv]

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[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The New Straits Times (Malaysia) dated 2 April 2014 :-

Litter, poor bus service mar image of Johor Bahru

COMPLAINTS: Authorities must improve hygiene, rubbish disposal, bus service and sense of security in the city

JOHOR BARU: THE state capital's city centre, also dubbed as the Southern Gateway, is a major holiday and shopping destination for visitors.

With this being Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY2014), the city is poised to receive 60 per cent of the country's annual 22.5 million foreign tourists via its bridges and road links to Singapore.

Over the years, the city has been developing at a fast pace, in tandem with a growing population.

At the same time, it is also the entry point for foreigners, especially Singaporeans, to Johor as well as the country.

Johor Baru is also part of the Iskandar Malaysia economic growth region.

Despite the achievements and promises of a big city, Johor Baru still lacks the hygiene and safety aspects to be on par with a developed city.

Most of the residents and tourists Streets spoke to said the cleanliness level here was much to be desired.

Johorean Fuad Hasbullah, 65, said he is not happy with the environment in the city.

"I grew up in Johor Baru and I know the city very well. The authorities lacked efficiency and are not being pro-active in carrying out their duties.

"They only act on complaints," he said when met at the popular City Square bus stand recently.

Fuad added that Singapore is more systematic and clean compared to Johor Baru.

"Basically, the community observes cleanliness and obeys rules.

"I hope the Johor Baru community will observe the proper waste disposal and not rely solely on the local council," he said.

A taxi driver, who wanted to be known only as Maniam, said he found litter such as empty liquor bottles and cans, plastics, polystyrene containers, boxes and used diapers strewn on the roads and public places in the city centre.

"It is such a disappointment as tourists would usually take pictures of attractions around the city. There are also cases of indiscriminate dumping that contribute to the stench in the high density areas near Jalan Wong Ah Fook," he said.

Maniam claimed that the food stall operators along the roads do not manage their rubbish well and may have also disposed of their waste into the drains.

"It is embarrassing to me as a Johorean if a tourist complains about the litter in the city," he said, adding that such indiscriminate rubbish dumping does not reflect well for the state.

Australian tourist, Sarah Michelle, said she did a survey before travelling to Johor Baru.

"Initially, I had a good impression from what I have read on the Internet.

"However, once I reached Johor Baru, I see rubbish littered along some of the roads in the city centre. There are also some who stared at tourists, causing us to feel uncomfortable," she claimed.

Another Australian tourist, who wanted to be known as Kate, said the security measures needs to be improved further.

"As a tourist, I want to feel safe. I do not want to be disturbed by suspicious characters. I hope there will be no drug addicts or drunkards lurking along the streets," she said.

Meanwhile, a shopkeeper, Abdul Rahman Jais said the public transport in the city is inefficient and should be improved.

"I notice that some bus drivers do not follow their designated routes. At times, passengers need to wait for more than an hour because the bus will not move with only a few passengers," he said.
----- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The New Straits Times dated 16 April 2014 :-

Danga Avenue One food hub launched

LOTS OF CHOICES: There are more than 15 tenants offering local and international food

JOHOR BARU: DANGA Avenue One, at Country Garden Danga Bay (CGDB), was launched last Saturday.

There are more than 15 tenants at the commercial street, including Kenny Steam Disher Restaurant, 'M' Espresso Sporting Club, Food Channel, Tsim Sha Tsui, Restoran Madam Jean Pan Mee, Matterhon @ Danga, I Love Yoo!, Juice Baby, Tea Garden Restaurant, Kani Palace, Taang Shifu, Dining Room and Cheers Up.

Customers have a choice of snacks, Chinese food, Japanese food, steamboat and barbecue-style food, fried rice, nasi ayam penyet and other food.

The tropical concept landscape provides for a lovely setting for alfresco dining.

Country Garden Malaysia senior marketing executive Karen Thay said: "The first phase of construction for CGDB includes the commercial street which was completed in July last year.

"The whole CGDB commercial area will span an area of 6ha."

Thay said two other commercial streets would be launched after Danga Avenue One.

"More tenants will be moving into Danga Avenue One too. It will be a food sanctuary for locals and Singaporeans," she said.

Thay said the tenants, who included local and Singaporean industry players started operating last month.

The food and beverage outlets are opened daily between 10am and 10pm. Outlets that provided alcoholic drinks operate between 10am and midnight. CGDB is in Jalan Skudai.

For details, visit: www.countrygardendangabay.com.my.

------ KatoeyNewsNetwork

Read more: Danga Avenue One food hub launched - Johor - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/streets/johor/...#ixzz2z0lbsXmi

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Jakarta Post dated 16 April 2014 :-

AirAsia connects Johor Bahru with Yogyakarta and Lombok

Malaysia based low cost carrier AirAsia launched new flight services connecting Johor Bahru and Indonesia's two popular destinations Yogyakarta and Lombok in a bid to capture the growing travel demand between the two countries.

The airline would fly four times a week in its Johor Bahru-Yogyakarta route while it would fly three times a week in the Johor Bahru-Lombok route.

"Johor Bahru is one of the most important hubs of AirAsia in Malaysia.

We see potential of this city especially in developing the international routes.

The launch of the new routes from Johor Bahru is our commitment to continue develop connectivity from and to southern part of Malaysia," AirAsia Malaysia head of commercial Spencer Lee said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

The airline also offered promotion rate Rp 0 for booking period between April 15 and 20 for travel period between July 11, 2014 and April 30, 2015.

Apart from Yogyakarta and Lombok, AirAsia currently flies 15 times a week to Indonesia.

It provides four times a week flight service for its Johor Bahru-Jakarta and Johor Bahru-Bandung routes.

For Johor Bahru-Surabaya, it flies seven times a week.

"We are hoping to continue launch new routes in the future as we receive a lot of support from [Johor Bahru]'s Senai International Airport," he added.
------ KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bernama dated 16 April 2014 :-

Mahathir wants Causeway replaced with ‘Friendship Bridge’ to Singapore

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pic) today suggested the removal of the Johor Causeway in order to build the Friendship Bridge proposed by the government.

He said the Johor Causeway causes various problems, mainly involving environmental issues and traffic congestion, in Johor Baru.

"If it is a bridge, then what need is there for a causeway? The causeway prevents water from flowing across and also it is very dirty.

"It causes the sea to be very dirty, and there is a very big traffic jam in Johor Baru because the bridge has not been built," he told reporters after giving a public lecture on Leaders in Today’s Society: Issues, Challenges and the Way Forward at the Universiti Teknologi Petronas in Seri Iskandar, Perak.

Dr Mahathir said he hoped that the government would not build a bridge elsewhere and then leave the present bridge in place because that would not solve the problem of traffic congestion in Johor.

"It (the Johor Causeway) should be removed, otherwise there is no friendship,” he said.

Dr Mahathir also expressed his disappointment over the cancellation of the project to build a "Crooked Bridge" on the Malaysian side of the Johor Strait linking to the Causeway on the Singapore side.

He said the crooked bridge should have been built because the Johor Causeway prohibited the east-west flow of water which could be utilised for communication.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak proposed the "Friendship Bridge" at a joint press conference with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong after they had wrapped up their two-day annual Malaysia-Singapore Leaders' Retreat in Putrajaya on April 7.
------ KatoeyNewsNetwork

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[KatoeyLover69]

JB-S’pore water taxis?

Posted on 17 April 2014 - 08:04pm

Roy K. Nandi

HOW'S that an idea? We keep talking about grandiose cross-border projects like a new (third) friendship bridge, high-speed train and even an MRT, but the obvious seems rather oblivious to our leaders.

What is so unique about Johor and Singapore is that we are only separated by a thin strip of water. At some points, this distance between us is hardly 50m, which perhaps explains why Singapore's infamous fugitive Mat Selamat Kastari managed to literally swim across the straits for a brief refuge in Johor Baru back in May 2009.

We now have three crossings into Singapore – the Causeway built in 1924, the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link which opened in May 1998, and the Railway Crossing, which now ends in Woodlands, instead of Tanjung Pagar previously.

Unknown to many, there is also a sea crossing between Tanjung Belungkor near Desaru and Changi Point near Changi Village in the northeast of Singapore.

This facility, when introduced in 1993, came with a RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) ferry service, which enabled Singaporeans to bring their cars into Johor. However, this was terminated in 2002.

But strangely, despite the abundance of water there has been no concerted plan of action by either the government of the day or the private sector to launch a water taxi service between the two neighbours.

With more than 100,000 cars, motorcycles, buses and lorries plying the Causeway daily, and the multitude of people who make the crossing every day for work, leisure or pleasure, there is certainly a compelling reason to find alternative modes of transport to ease the congestion.

And water taxis would be ideal ... they are cheap to operate, do not require sophisticated infrastructure, tariffs are low and most importantly, able to move great numbers of people with relative ease between two points.

The public can also choose various landing points according to their convenience ... Stulang Laut to Sembawang, Danga Bay to Keranji, Puteri Harbour to Raffles Marina or even between Pengerang and Changi Point.

Depending on where you take the water taxi, the journey should not take more than 30 minutes at most to make the crossing. For the average motorist who agonises for hours daily on the causeway due to horrendous traffic jams, this would truly be a godsend.

With the massive waterfront developments planned for the entire 8km stretch of Danga Bay, it would indeed be a marvellous idea to introduce water taxi services ... not just as an alternative mode of transport for commuters, but also to spur tourism through scenic river cruises.

Indeed, Danga Bay built a landing point complete with customs and immigration checkpoint facilities in the hope of launching this service in big way. But the plans were scuttled by the hawks in Iskandar Malaysia, who wanted it moved to Puteri Harbour.

A grand and expensive ferry terminal has since opened there, but it has become a virtual white elephant with hardly enough patronage to justify its continued existence.

JB residents may also be familiar with the Danga Cruise Ship, which plys the Johor Straits every night. This is hugely popular with families, for it offers a unique dining and cruise experience.

Indeed, water taxis are common in most Asian countries. Nearer home, almost everyone would have heard of the enormously popular Singapore River Cruise which covers some 16 landing points along the Singapore River and eight in Marina Bay, for a flat rate of S$3 for a one-way trip.

To cater to those working in the Singapore Central Business District, water taxi services there operate at 20-minute intervals every day from 7am to 10pm, and at 10-minute intervals during peak hours.

In Bangkok, everybody knows the city is impossible to navigate. People who travel by road find bottlenecks everywhere. Hence, the penchant to switch to water taxis, which provide a taste of the canals and the wide Chao Phraya River that punctuates the city's geography.

This service has become so popular that many Thai operators have now opted for more expensive tourist boats or long-tail charters.

In Jakarta, the administrators not too long ago also introduced water taxis as part of an environmental campaign to raise awareness about the need to keep the river systems clean. It has now become a creative and entertaining way of educating the public on the importance of keeping the rivers clean. How clever!

Indonesia's rivers, like ours at home, are heavily polluted because locals prefer to build their houses along riverbanks and dump rubbish into the water.

We really need to change our mindset and find new ways of turning our waterways into a modern and convenient mode of transport.

The question is why are we not doing it when it is so practical as well as fun.

Roy is a keen watcher of trends on both sides of the Johor Straits. Comments: [email protected]

------ KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Expand sea links to ease Causeway woes

From :
Ee Teck Siew
The New Paper (Singapore)
April 22, 4:12 AM

Both the Causeway and the Second Link are congested with vehicles on weekends, eve of public holidays and public holidays. Many Singaporeans like to drive into Malaysia for short getaways, and the number seems to be growing, given the strong bilateral ties. The trend may escalate when Iskandar Malaysia is fully developed in a few years’ time.

I was happy that a third road link, to enhance connectivity and create stronger links, was mooted during the recent Malaysia-Singapore leaders’ retreat. More importantly, I expect it to further spur Iskandar’s economic growth. The long hours spent waiting to clear the checkpoints speak volumes about the current bottleneck, which causes inconvenience and economic losses. A third road link and the high-speed-rail link should go a long way to ameliorate this.

While waiting for the two proposals to materialise, though, why not expand sea links and ferries as a mode of transport to ease the land traffic woes?

There are now ferries and bumboats that take passengers from Changi, Tanah Merah and HarbourFront to Johor. We should have more departure points by opening jetties and checkpoints at Raffles Marina, Sarimbun, Woodlands Waterfront, Seletar and Punggol-Serangoon.

Such terminals could attract bumboat and ferry operators to ply between Singapore and Johor as well as further north to Malacca and Klang. This could ease the burden on coaches and public buses competing for limited space with lorries and private cars on the two border crossings, and also entice those who drive to Malaysia (and vice versa) to switch to ferries.

We should be like Hong Kong; it is well linked to Macau and many cities in the Pearl River Delta region via high-speed ferries.
------ KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The New Straits Times dated 28 April 2014 :-

Free Johor Cab app launched

JOHOR BARU: Malaysian Association of Taxi/Limousine Drivers and Operators and Car Rental Operators (Petekma) Johor branch launched a new smartphone application called Johor Cab on Saturday in a bid to offer better service to the public.

The smartphone application, developed in collaboration with Taxi Monger Sdn Bhd, is the first product offered by Petekma Johor for users in the state.

Johor Petekma chairman Jefry Jaafar said with Johor Cab, users only need to download the application into their smartphones to enjoy the free service.

"With Johor Cab, users can hail a taxi or rental car quickly. When the caller books a taxi, the taxi driver's personal details will be displayed on the smartphone," he said.

Jefrey was speaking after launching the smartphone application held in conjunction with the association's annual general meeting.

Jefrey said he hoped the application could bring a positive impact and transform the public transport in Johor.

Taxi Monger business development officer Zairolhamisam Mohamed Rani said similar applications have already been introduced in several locations including Kuala Lumpur, Klang Valley, Seremban and Penang.

"The applications can be used by Android and iPhone users. The response is favourable.

"For instance, in the Klang Valley alone, 40,000 users have already subscribed for the service.

"In Johor, Taxi Monger will work with the Senai International Airport as it is one of the popular destinations," he said.

Also present were Mohammad Khairi A. Malik, the political secretary to the Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Petekma president Mohd Syahrir Abdul Aziz .
------ KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The New Straits Times dated 19 May 2014 :-

Direct Flight From JB to Indonesia with Xpress Air

JOHOR BARU: Indonesian airline Xpress Air, will commence flight services from the Senai International Airport here to two Indonesian cities beginning June 14.

Xpress Air director Henny Kurniawan said the airline will provide direct flight service from the airport to Pontianak in Western Kalimantan and Jogjakarta in Jawa three times a week.

"There are many similarities between Johor Baru and Pontianak in terms of culture, food as well as way of life.

"This explains why we choose Johor Baru as our second city in Malaysia after Kuching in Sarawak where we commenced flights last year.

"There is a big demand for the Pontianak-Johor Baru sector as Johor Baru has several unique attractions for tourists," he said after announcing the new routes here recently.

Present was state Tourism, Trade and Consumerism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Keong.

In conjunction with the new flight service to Johor Baru, the airline is offering a promotional fare of RM265 for the Johor Baru-Pontianak sector within the first month of its service.------ KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Stomp (Singapore) dated 8 June 2014 :-

Leave your car unlocked in JB - even for seconds - and lose it !

You should never leave your car unlocked across the Causeway - even for a second. This video clip of a case of car theft at the Shell Station at Taman Impian Emas, in Skudai, Johor Bahru, shows you why. In the video, the driver can be seen walking away from his vehicle at the petrol kiosk, leaving his doors unlocked. A man riding pillion on a motorbike moves up swiftly and gets into the driver's seat, quickly driving off and leaving the car's owner stranded.
------ KatoeyNewsNetwork

See video at :-

http://transport.asiaone.com/news/ge...nd-and-lose-it