travel news review

19 April '99
The new viral disease - previously thought to be Japanese encephalitis - has been named 'Nipah' after Sungai Nipah, the village where the disease first claimed lives. It is not necessary to defer travel to Malaysia due to the outbreak of the hendra-like virus, which has primarily affected those in contact with pigs and pig farming. According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, no travel restrictions on foreign tourists are indicated.

31 March '99
An outbreak of Japanese encephalitis in some rural areas around Ipoh, Seremban and Port Dickson has caused concern. The Malaysian cabinet described the epidemic as a 'national emergency' this week as the death toll reached 58 people. The government is expanding its task force, taking further measures to destroy pigs in certain areas and vaccinate those at risk. The illness is said to have primarily affected people who have come into direct contact with pigs, or who live near pig farms.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC), little is known about the clinical syndrome of the virus in Malaysia. The Hendra-like illness is said to begin with fever, followed by drowsiness and coma. The chance of being infected by the virus is thought to be low for those not associated with pig farming. Travellers intending to visit the affected areas are advised to seek medical advice. CDC travel recommendations can be accessed at www.cdc.gov/travel/seasia.htm.

9 March '99
Malaysia The Batu Caves on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur will host monthly cultural shows promoting Hindu art and culture associated with the caves. The caves are in a towering limestone formation and were little known until about a hundred years ago. A small Hindu shrine has been built in the major cave and has become a pilgrimage centre during the annual Hindu festival of Thaipusam. The Caves will be open for free cultural performances on the first Sunday of each month. The caves are 13km (8mi) north of the city, a short distance from the Ipoh road.

16 February '99
Most of Sabah, where it hasn't stopped raining for the past nine days, is fairly wet underfoot at the moment. The rains have been unusually heavy for this time of year in Sabah and there have been reports of dangerous landslides in Sandakan and Kudat. A weather alert has been issued for the remainder of the week, warning of further heavy rains and high seas.

16 February '99
Selangor state in southern Malaysia has extended the hours nightclubs are permitted to operate. It's a 3 am closing now for all clubs and bars in Selangor, as it is for nightclubs in Kuala Lumpur. Previously everything closed at 1am but officials believe the extended opening hours will attract more Malaysians and tourists, and their money, into to the nightclubs.

15 February '99
To celebrate Chinese New Year, this year is the Year of the Rabbit, many restaurants in Kuala Lumpur are offering some excellent dining options. From 16 February until 2 March, the Toh Lee Chinese Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko has one of the most descriptive menus during the New Year period. There's something for everyone's taste and status with such dishes as Global Tranquility of SautΘed Prawn Ball, Auspicious Duet of Braised Whole Dried Scallops, Glorious Future of Braised Vegetables and possibly the most popular, Everlasting Wealth of Braised Sliced Abalone with Vegetable and Oyster Sauce.

25 January '99
Pulau Carey on Malaysia's west coast will be developed this year as Malaysia's newest tourist resort. The island, off the coast from Port Kelang, can be easily reached from Kuala Lumpur and is expected to be a popular excursion with residents of Kuala Lumpur as well as other travellers in Selangor State. The main activities on the island will be beach-related.

11 January '99
The Association of Banks Malaysia has announced that banks in Malaysia will be closed on the first Saturday of each month. In states where banks are usually closed on Friday - the more Islamic-minded states of Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu - banks will close on the first Thursday of each month.

28 December '98
As of March, people visiting 11 of the Terangganu resort islands will be charged US$1.50 per person for every five days they stay. The charge has been initiated by the state Fisheries Department and proceeds will go towards the Marine Park Charity Fund which supports marine development and research and environmental conservation activities. Students and pensioners will be charged US$0. 50.

23 December '98
A new, harder route up Mount Kinabalu, South East Asia's highest mountain, has recently been opened to trekkers. The route, called the Mesilau Summit Trail, starts at the recently opened Mesilau Nature Resort and takes trekkers up the eastern face of the mountain. Mount Kinabalu is the main attraction in Sabah and is also relatively easy to climb, hence the new route.

4 November '98
A recently created anti-homosexual movement in Malaysia, People's Voluntary Anti-Homosexual Movement (PASRAH), has been denounced by the Malaysian AIDS Council and other Malaysian human rights groups. PASRAH was launched on 28 October by supporters of the Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamed. PASRAH's stated intention is to wipe out homosexuality, and the AIDS Council fears this could lead to an increase in violence against homosexuals in Malaysia. Gay issues tend to be swept under the carpet in Malaysia, a strongly Muslim country that has for many years denied the existence of homosexuals. Gay groups and venues are thin on the ground in Malaysia, except in the more liberal-minded capital, Kuala Lumpur.

20 October '98
The heavy storms that affected north-west Malaysia are over, but rain is expected to peak over the next two months. Last week heavy rains and strong winds hit the north-western states in Peninsular Malaysia, causing high tides and floods in coastal areas. Malaysian meteorologists insist the storms were caused by strong north-westerly winds converging in the Straits of Malacca, and were not related to La Nina (El Nino's wicked step-sister). The government urged people not to be unduly alarmed and to take basic precautions for the coming rainy season.

28 September '98
KL International Airport, Malaysia's new international airport, recently opened its second runaway. The airport now deals with up to 70 arrivals and departures per hour, with one runway used for departures and the other for arrivals. The new international airport opened on 27 June this year. The airport is located at Sepang, 70km (43mi) south of Kuala Lumpur city, and replaces the existing Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah airport at Subang.

23 September '98
Both the US Embassy and the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur have issued warnings for people intending to travel to the city. While at this stage political demonstrations in the capital pose no real threat to travellers, travellers are urged to exercise high levels of personal security and to avoid dangerous situations.

12 August '98
Malaysia Airlines will continue to operate domestic services from the old Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Subang as well as from the new international airport at Sepang. Malaysia Airlines has not announced yet which domestic services will operate from the old international airport. As the new international airport is located 70km (43mi) from Kuala Lumpur city, for some domestic passengers it has become more convenient to drive rather than catch a domestic flight.

1 July '98
MalaysiaÆs new international airport, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, was officially opened on 27 June. The airport is located at Sepang, 70km (43mi) south of Kuala Lumpur city, and replaces the existing Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah airport at Subang. The airport can deal with 25 million passengers per year and is the largest in the world. It is also one of the worldÆs least conveniently sited - there is no rail link to the airport and the trip by road, on a good day with no traffic jams, will take 90 minutes from the city centre.

10 June '98
New standard bus and taxi fares for the new Kuala Lumpur- KL International Airport route have recently been approved. Taxi fares will range from RM55 (US$13) to RM85 (US$21), while bus fares will range from RM7.70 (US$1.90) to RM33.25 (US$8.20). Travellers can also take the train to Nilai, on the suburban Kuala Lumpur rail network, and take a taxi from there to the new airport. Many taxis are willing to offer return fare tickets, with budget taxis charging RM98 (US$24.00) for the return fare, which is valid for six months.

6 May '98
Two of BritainÆs newspapers, the Independent and the Sunday Observer, have been banned in Malaysia indefinitely. The ban, ordered by the Prime Minister Dr Mahathir, comes after the newspapers carried reports on alleged incidents of brutality by Malaysian police against illegal Indonesian immigrants. Issues of the newspapers which carried the stories have been impounded and it is not known when further issues of the newspapers will be available in Malaysia.

22 April '98
All petrol stations in major Malaysian cities and towns will be self-service by March next year. The introduction of self-service will reduce the number of workers at petrol stations from 6000 to 1500.

11 March '98
The British department store, Harrods, will open its first store in Malaysia at the new Kuala Lumpur Airport, scheduled to open next month. According to Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed the Malaysian Harrods will stock both British and Malaysian products.

4 March '98
The operating hours of nightclubs, discos, pubs and karaoke bars in Kuala Lumpur has been extended to 2am on weekends and the eve of public holidays. Last year, local authorities curbed the operating hours of entertainment outlets in an effort to curb a rise in perceived social ills.

Malaysia Airlines recently introduced the world’s first in-flight flower delivery service using a unique air-to-ground retail transaction facility. Passengers on MAS’s super range Boeing 777 and B747-400 aircraft can select a floral arrangement from the Interflora Flower Delivery Service using an interactive touch screen. They simply input all their details (including name, delivery address and credit card number) and their purchases can be delivered before they even touch down - with the help of a satellite link to Interflora ground staff in Britain.

18 February '98
Forest fires have hit Miri, Sarawak. The fires, near forest reserves and jungles, are bringing ash and smoke into villages already suffering from drought and haze. Serious water shortages are hampering efforts to put out the fires, while residents queue at the drought operation centre to try to get free water for themselves from the tankers.
Throughout the country, Malaysians are being warned to conserve water as experts warn that the dry period, intensified by the El Niño effect, is expected to last until June. Sabah, Sarawak and the northern peninsula are currently experiencing water shortages.

28 Janruary '98
Hotels in Malaysia will continue to charge in ringgit, despite other Asian countries quoting room rates in US dollars. A number of hotels in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines recently introduced the US dollar prices but Malaysia believes that by continuing to quote room rates in ringgit more tourists will be attracted to visit Malaysia because of its cheaper prices.