Head To Larkin Sentral

by Chuah Bee Kim and Mary Victoria Dass

JOHOR BARU: THE public can now take a taxi from Johor Baru to Singapore at Larkin Sentral transport hub, which now has a new taxi waiting area.

The terminal, which was recently upgraded, saw the re-location of operators who were formerly at the Kotaraya 2 bus and taxi stands, here.

Damansara Assets Sdn Bhd head of corporate communications Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Hasnan said that the refurbished Larkin Sentral was now a transit point for taxis and buses.

“The bus stop is poised to receive more than 60,000 local and foreign tourists.

“To make it more convenient to the public, a taxi waiting area was incorporated into the plans,” he said, adding that the waiting area had seats and offices for operators, and was built at the cost of RM1 million. It was opened on Nov 1.

Ungku Abdul Aziz said the existing taxi stand in Jalan Garuda 2 was still operating.

“The old taxi stand is part of the car park of the transport building, so taxi drivers can still pick up and drop off passengers in this part of Larkin,” he said.

Ungku Abdul Aziz said the construction of the taxi stand and offices started last June and was completed last month.

This was about the same time the refurbishment works started at the terminal itself.

“The new taxi wing has been well-received by the public.”

“There are about 50 taxis plying the Johor Baru-Singapore route and 80 budget and executive taxis which offer rides around Johor Baru stationed here.

He said the facility houses the offices of Johor Baru-Singapore taxi companies and taxi cooperatives.

“The facilities are convenient for those who want to travel long distance as both long and short-distance taxi operators are stationed under one roof here.”

“We want to make it convenient for the public and reduce traffic congestion.

“These features will improve the image of the terminal.”

Abrizah Abu Bakar, 50, a trader, said she liked the new terminal.

“It is not congested like the old terminal at Kotaraya 2, and it is easy to get taxis as the queue is systematic,” Abrizah said.

Zainureeza Zainudin, 31, who takes taxis frequently said the terminal was impressive.

“I used to wait for taxis at the market. Now they are here, it is more convenient, and there are seats for those waiting their turn,” she said.

Md Azman Yusof, a taxi driver for 13 years, said the terminal made it easier for taxi drivers to pick up passengers.

“Take for example the Komtar Johor Baru City Centre mall in the heart of the city — when we pick up passengers, we have to look out for the traffic police.

“If there is one in sight, we do not dare to stop for passengers as there is no taxi stand at the shopping mall,” he added.

Take The Train

 

State Tourism, Trade and Consumerism committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong 

JOHOR BARU: THE number of commuters taking the train from the Sultan Iskandar Building, here, to Singapore has registered an increase after the toll hike on Aug 1.

State Tourism, Trade and Consumerism committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said that an average of 1,300 people commute by train to and from Johor Baru from Monday to Thursday.

“The numbers are also high on Fridays. However, the figures drop on weekends.

“Those who take the train to Singapore are usually people who work in the republic,” he said.

Tee said the cost of travelling via the train is only RM122 if they use the monthly pass and the journey takes only five minutes.

“There are six trips into the republic daily, from 5.30am to 11pm,” he said.

Tee said this at a press conference after launching the Student Tourism Programme (3P), where he sent off a group of students from Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan, Pasir Gudang, to embark on an expedition to Endau Rompin State Park in Pahang, by train.

Also present were Johor Tourism Department director Dr Badrul Hisham Kassim and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) southern region manager Omar Nazari Othman.

Earlier, Tee had taken the liberty to travel to Woodlands using the train service, a 5km journey which took five minutes.

Meanwhile, Tee also urged those in the travel and hospitality industry to offer attractive packages to tourists who arrive by train.

“There are 11 railway stations state-wide, where tourists arrive and head to their preferred areas.

“Johor has a lot of attractive places and tour operators can come up with a package which includes picking up tourists at train stations and send them to hotels, shopping malls, museums or homestay establishments to create a win-win situation for all,” Tee said.

JOHOR BARU: THE state wants foreign and domestic tourists to start using trains to visit places of interest in Johor.

This is in view of the 11 Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) train stations in the state, with each located either near or a short distance away from numerous tourist attractions.

State Tourism, Trade and Consumerism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said tour operators are encouraged to come up with packages that incorporate train rides.

“Singaporean tourists can, for instance, take the train service from Woodlands to Kluang to enjoy Kluang coffee. From the Kluang train station, they can also visit some of the eco- or agro-tourism destinations in Kahang or Ayer Hitam.

“For those disembarking at JB Sentral, various tourist attractions are within walking distance such as the Heritage Walk near Jalan Tan Hiok Nee.

“They can even take a connecting bus service to Legoland and Sanrio Hello Kitty theme park in Nusajaya.

“At the Kulai train station, it is just a short distance away to the Johor Premium Outlets.

“If one intends to go to the Endau-Rompin National Park, the Bekok station is an ideal stop,” he said.

Tee said taking trains would offer an exciting and unique experience for tourists, as the rail tracks usually cut through rural areas, which offer verdant and rustic scenery along the way.

He noted that most people are not exposed to trains as a mode of travel, although it is a popular mode of transport overseas.

“Travelling by trains will become a trend in future. I hope KTM Bhd will increase its frequency to cater to the needs of the people,” he added.

“This is also a viable option for those coming from districts outside Johor Baru but want to travel to Singapore,” Tee said, adding that the train service provides a cheaper alternative, as it is the only mode of transport not subject to toll charges and vehicle entry permit fee at the Causeway.

“Train service and facilities have improved over the years. More importantly, there will be no traffic congestion which means travellers will arrive at their destinations on time,” he said.

by Sim Bak Heng, Chuah Bee Kim and Mary Victoria Dass

source NST online

Back-up Plan

Stumped

Forestry Department Called To Clear Things Up

Plot thickens: Non-government environmental organisation wants clarification on extent of illegal logging in Seluyut Forest Reserve

by Chuah Bee Kim

in the Johor Streets today

KOTA TINGGI: The land surrounding a dam should not be denuded as it serves as the water catchment area.

Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Johor issued the statement in light of the discovery of illegal logging at the Seluyut Forest Reserve, recently.

ITs chairman Vincent Chow said the clearing of vegetation around a dam would not only cause the reservoir to dry up, it would also result in soil erosion.

"Clearing needs to be done before the facility is built, yes, but the surrounding area should not be touched once it is built," he said.

Chow is urging the Johor Forestry Department to clarify where the illegal logging was being carried out in the Seluyut Forest Reserve.

He also called on Syarikat Air Johor Holdings Sdn Bhd  (SAJ) to check the water catchment area of Sungai Lebam reservoir.

"It can be seen very clearly from the road that some clearing work is being done near the reservoir's catchment area. It would defeat the purpose of building a dam if no efforts are made to protect the catchment area and prevent soil erosion."

SAJ corporate communications head Jamaluddin Jamal could not be reached for comment.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Water Research Alliance (Office) dean Prof De Zulkifli Yusop concurs that the clearing of vegetation should only be done prior to the building of a dam.

"To construct the dam, the builder needs to get rid of the biomass at the site. Clearing is therefore necessary, but only that one time, to build the dam," he said.

The Johor Forestry Department could not be reached for a response to the New Straits Times report that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) enforcers had raided the shared quarters if 20 foreigners involved in illegal logging at the Seluyut Forest Reserve.

MACC had also hauled up several state Forestry officers for suspected involvement in the scheme.

It was revealed that the company had been given the green light to clear the 39.94ha Forest reserve to make way for the construction of a dam.

"Touch a Dog" Organiser Says Sorry To JAKIM

NST online

PUTRAJAYA: The organiser of the “I Want to Touch a Dog” programme, which created a furore among the Muslim community, has apologised to the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) for holding the event.

Jakim director-general Othman Mustapha said Syed Azmi Alhabshi had expressed remorse over the incident and pledged to be more cautious when organising social events.

Othman said the apology was made at a meeting held at the Mines Hotel in Seri Kembangan yesterday, involving five organisers and five others from the Syariah Specialist Panel (PPS) of the department.

“PPS had given a warning and advised them against organising similar events that involved the sensitivities of Muslims in Malaysia,” he said in a statement yesterday.

“Jakim hopes the matter would will not be sensationalised by any party.”

Johor Upbeat On Higher Investments

(From left) Puma Energy general manager Low Huat Chye, State Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong, Puma Energy general manager and head of global supply bitumen Jonathan Ellisor, Trafigura Pte Ltd director Dominic Watters, and Sonangol Asia president Luis Manuel after the launch of Langsat Bitumen Terminal in Tanjung Langsat yesterday. Pic by Roslan Khamis

by Chuah Bee Kim

NST online

PASIR GUDANG: The Johor government is confident of achieving its investment target of RM20 billion for the year, up from RM14.4 billion achieved last year.

State Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said the optimism is based on the steady increase of foreign investments flowing into the state.

He said Johor has received investments totalling RM18.7 billion in the first seven months of the year.

Tee also revealed that a foreign multinational company is keen on investing in the state.

“Talks with the international company is now in its final phase, and the state government is confident the investment worth some RM6 billion will be poured into the Sedenak Industrial Park in Kulai.

“Based on the new development, the state government is confident the total investments this year will reach more than RM20 billion, and this will propel Johor as the state with the highest investments in the country.

“We found that the manufacturing sector is a strong contributor to the economic development of Johor, contributing nearly 35 per cent to the gross domestic product of the state,” he said after opening the Langsat Bitumen Terminal in Tanjung Langsat, here, yesterday.

The terminal, built by Puma Energy (M) Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the Switzerland-based commodity trading multinational Trafigura Beheer BV, is part of its expansion move to serve the Asian market.

Puma Energy general manager and head of global supply bitumen Jonathan Ellisor said the company’s investment in Malaysia is a 
significant step forward as it focuses on the growth of global bitumen capability.

“The modern storage facility can accommodate several grades of bitumen in bulk, with a capacity of 74,000 tonnes,” he said, adding that it is the largest new private terminal in Southeast Asia and is able to handle ships of 1,000 to 45,000 deadweight tonnes.

Puma Energy operates a bitumen distribution network, including a dedicated fleet of bitumen vessels and terminals, across Africa, Asia Pacific and Central America.