1 Warisan @ George Town continues - post closing... (26 JUL 2009)

Jadual hari terakhir sambutan 1 Warisan (1 Heritage) di Pulau Pinang, hari ini, Ahad, 26 JULAI 2009:-

8.30am – 11.00am Pertandingan Chingay Chingay Competition - Jalan Padang Kota Lama

10.00am – 5.00pm Pesta Seni, Muzik, Kraf & Makanan Food, Craft, Art & Music Festival - Dewan Sri Pinang, Lebuh Light

10.00am – 10.00pm Pesta Seni Antarabangsa (Pameran lukisan, forum seni dan jamuan) Art International Festival (Art workshop, art forums & art auction dinner) - Town Hall & E & O Hotel

10:00 am – 5:00pm Little Penang Street Market* - Upper Penang Road

3.00pm – 5.00pm Gostan Forward Ceramah Persembahan Tarian oleh Marion D’Cruz Gostan Forward a solo performance lecture by Marion D’Cruz - Panggung Sasaran, USM

* THIS month, the Little Penang Street Market is three years old. And at the same time, the also Market coincides with Penang's month-long celebration of Georgetown's World Heritage Site listing. So there will be lots to celebrate at the Market!

As usual, it will have around seventy wonderful stalls, selling and displaying anything and everything from clothes, jewelry, paper products, a range of organic goods, household goods, knick-knacks, antiques and collectibles, and, of course, food. Creativity and heritage are key words at the Market, and that goes for the stalls. It is a collection of wonderful things that you will find nowhere else in Penang (or indeed Malaysia).

For more information on this month's Market, click here.

Info from:

• George Town Heritage Celebration
• iGeorgeTownPenang.com - Little Penang
  

1 Warisan (1 Heritage) @ George Town (25 JUL 2009)

Penang berpesta hari ini....

9.00am – 2.00pm Menaiki Sampan (Percuma) Free Boat Ride - Lim Jetty, Weld Quay

9.00am – 11.30am Jejak Warisan “Street of Harmony” Heritage Walk “Street of Harmony” - Meet at Town Hall, Jalan Padang Kota Lama

9.00am – 5.00pm Pameran Khazanah Pulau Pinang Penang Heritage Exhibition - INTI International College Penang, 1Z Jalan Bukit Jambul

10.00am – 5.00pm Pesta Seni, Muzik, Kraf & Makanan Food, Craft, Art & Music Festival - Dewan Sri Pinang, Lebuh Light

10.00am – 10.00pm Pesta Seni Antarabangsa (Pameran lukisan, forum seni dan pertunjukan drama) Art International Festival (Art workshop, art forums & drama performance) - Town Hall & Wawasan Open University

11.00am – 7.00pm Pameran Sejarah Perkampungan Masjid Melayu dan Kebudayaan Tradisi Islam Exhibition on the Acheen Street Mosque History and Islamic Traditional Culture - Acheen Street Mosque, Lebuh Acheh

3.00pm – 5.00pm Gostan Forward Ceramah Persembahan Tarian oleh Marion D’Cruz Gostan Forward a solo performance lecture by Marion D’Cruz - Penang Heritage Trust, 26 Lebuh Gereja

5.00pm – 10.00pm Gerai Jualan dan Demonstrasi Kraf Food Stalls and Craft Demonstration - Islamic Museum Park, Lebuh Acheh

5.00pm – 7.00pm Perarakan beca Trishaw Parade – “Street of Harmony-Heritage Zone”

5.00pm – 9.00pm Wayang Boneka Hokkien Hokkien Puppet Theatre - Cheah Kongsi, 8 Lebuh Armenian (Open House, 9.00am)

5.30pm – 9.30pm Opera Teochew Teochew Opera - In front of Goddess of Mercy Temple, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling

5.00pm – 10.00pm Persembahan Muzik Islam Islamic Musical Performance - Acheen Street Mosque & 35 Lebuh Queen

5.00pm – 10.00pm Simpang “Rasa-rasa dan Kraftangan” Little Penang Street Market Craft and Food Corner of Little Penang Street Market - Lebuh Armenian

6.00pm – 10.00pm Rumah Terbuka Open House - Meng Eng Soo Temple, Jalan Pintal Tali

6.30pm – 10.30pm Pertunjukan Kebudayaan Teochew dan Cina Showcase of Teochew & Chinese Culture (Dragon Dance, 24 Seasonal Drum, Teochew Opera,Traditional Games, Chinese Dance & Teochew Delicacies) - Inside & in front of Teochew Association, 127 Lebuh Chulia

7.00pm – 10.00pm Tarian India dan Muzik Klasikal Indian Dance and Classical Music - Next to Kuil Arulmigu Mahamariamman, Lebuh Queen

8.00pm – 10.00pm Persembahan jalanan pelbagai kaum Multi ethnic street performance - “Street of Harmony – Heritage Zone”

8.00pm – 10.30pm Tayangan filem “Road to Dawn” Film Screening “Road to Dawn” - Penang Chinese Town Hall, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling

9.00pm – 10.30pm Majlis Penutupan Perayaan Sambutan Ulang Tahun Pertama George Town Sebagai Tapak Warisan Dunia UNESCO Closing Ceremony of The 1st Anniversary George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site Celebration - Khoo Kongsi, Lebuh Cannon

Meanwhile, an ICT Week, perhaps in conjunction with the start of PIKOM ICT Month, is also being celebrated at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)'s Minden Campus, at its Eureka Complex and Student Main Hall, beginning 23 JUL 2009 until tomorrow, 26 JUL 2009. Read more about the programmes schedule at Enovate's Website. Other programmes at USM include a movie screening - Afdlin Shauki's Pappadom at Dewan Tunku Syed Putra, today at 8pm and; a Gostan Forward solo performance lecture by Marion D’Cruz at Panggung Sasaran, tomorrow, Sunday at 3pm.

Balik Pulau's local marketing bid!

Residents of Balik Pulau and everyone now have an opportunity to enhance their business and reach more customers in the less tapped consumer region of Penang's southwest district (approximately half in size of the Penang island, and a population well exceeding 50,000) with the upcoming launch of the first marketing platform on an integrated printed and online media, dubbed the InfoBiz, produced by Pusat Komputer Balik Pulau, in collaboration with the Rural Internet Centre (Pusat Internet Desa - PID) of Balik Pulau.

While PID, situated at the annex of the local post office building, has been serving thousands of its neighborhood residents for over six years now since 2003, its current supervisor, Siti Huraizah Abdul Rahman, continues to realize how the local community still very far behind in ICT adoption, particularly in Internet usage, estimated at well under 10% for the large parliamentary area covering Teluk Bahang, Pulau Betong (inclusive of the historic Kongsi Town) and Bayan Lepas (not including Bayan Lepas Industrial Area or Sungai Ara/Relau urban areas).

"In order to connect the community better, and faster, and immerse the residents with up-to-date business and social information, InfoBiz was incepted as an integrated media project combining the power of mass printed distribution, and online social media distribution", said Nasir Sobri who currently serves as Vice Chairman of Balik Pulau Social Entrepreneurs Club.

By advertising in the monthly issued InfoBiz, business owners can reach the largest optimum households in the rarely tapped market of Balik Pulau, and extend their marketing reach beyond Balik Pulau. This is due to collaboration with PID that has a large network of e-community throughout Penang, and its 42 centres around the country including Sabah and Sarawak with a total community of over 100,000.

Read the complete article at Balik Pulau Blog.

Biggest TALK on Blogs & Web 3.0 in Penang!

For more information and registration, register by or before Friday, 20 MAR 2009 at the official website for Social Entrepreneurs' Club of Balik Pulau (KUSBP).

YB Sr. Hj Muhamad Farid bin Hj Saad is scheduled officiate the event, starting at 8:30 am on Sunday, 22 MAR 2009, at Dewan Balora (next to K-Kommunity/JKKK Kongsi Building), Balik Pulau, Penang.

Panels for Forum on "Role of (New) Mass Media for Local Socio-economic Development" include experts from all four sectors of the community - policy makers, academic, industry and social NGO.

Learn how the new media is not just for "goBlogs", but for Trillion Ringgits worth of economy within the next few years - How not be left asleep, passed by the wave of Globalization!

This event is brought to you in collaboration with the Council for Entrepreneur Development - Southwest District of Penang (MPUD-DBD), Technopreneur Development Division of the Malaysian Multimedia Development Corporation (TeDD-MDeC) and Penang Association of ICT Entrepreneurs (ICT Penang).

This event is a Prelude to MSC Malaysia/NEF Netbash & Innotech 2009, scheduled for 25 MAR 2009 @ PDC Bayan Baru.

Use your Barcode Reader (also available on selected mobile phones) to transfer the event details to your mobile devices. Learn more about above QR code at WikiPedia.

WORKSHOP IS LIMITED TO ONLY 50 FIRST REGISTRANTS! Just RM10/participant. REGISTER TODAY!

Penang still leads in Internet Speed!

A not-yet-city of Penang leads in so many ways, despite heavy competitions from other cities and federal territories all these years.

With so much money poured by the federal government on Cyberjaya, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur, the local industries and residents of Penang continue to push Penang to leap ahead, to be among others, as the only place in Malaysia that made it to New York Times' 44 Places to Go in 2009, and as a Top-10 place for expatriates in Asia (just behind Kuala Lumpur at #9, joining Singapore, Kobe, Yokohama, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Macau, Seoul and Taipei)

For many years too, by having among the highest number of industrial entities in Malaysia, Penang gets to be also a leader in terms of average internet broadband speed, at 2.6-Mbps, far ahead of the second 'fastest' state, Melaka at slightly under 2-Mbps, followed by Selangor, Perlis and Wilayah Persekutuan (including Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan) with speeds of 1.8-Mbps, 1.7-Mbps and 1.5-Mbps respectively.


The gaps have however closing in compared to observation made in 2007 at WoNoJo.com when Penang was more than twice as fast compared to the closest competitors, Selangor, Wilayah Persekutuan and Negeri Sembilan - Clearly there have major upgrades in the smaller states of Melaka and Perlis since then.

For the cities rank, Penang-based 'cities' maintains three of the top-10 fastest cities, led by George Town at 13-Mbps. This was a clear slagging for Penang, considering that it has six cities in the the top-10 list back in 2007, specifically being Ayer Itam, Tanjung Tokong and Kepala Batas. Today, Selangor leads with six 'cities' including Bangi, Bedong, Semenyih, Seri Kembangan, Kajang and the rest of Selangor towns. Penang-based towns of Bayan Lepas and Prai however made it to the top-10 for upload speed.

This significant leads by Penang is remarkable considering that Penang is normally just number 2, compared to Klang Valley cities of Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya for various internet access service roll-out, including for high-speed DSL, mobile GPRS/EDGE & 3G, and most recently WiMaX.

PenangFon and MetroFon are no longer in the top-10 fastest ISP list, which has since been overtaken largely by Telekom Malaysia (TM) Berhad's subsidiary, TM Net Sdn Bhd, followed by UTM, Setia Haruman Technology, NTT MSC Arcnet, TIME Telecommunications, Piradius Net and JARI Communications.

At just 22-Mbps average speed however, Malaysia's TM is lagging behind companies in Korea, Japan, and other Central and Western Europe countries, with the average fastest speed offered by TOV Sun-like at over 65-Mbps.


At just about 1.5-Mbps average for Malaysia, we're still far behind other Asian countries including the closest neighbor Singapore with average internet speed of nearly 7-Mbps, about twice the average speed in Asia (boosted by Japan & Korea) of 3.6-Mbps.

Still, various services offered in Penang by 3G mobile providers of Maxis and TM Celcom is subpar and require significant improvements before average home and non-business users can really enjoy the high-speed internet experience. And other broadband players (all 16 or more of them) should continue to boost service reliability and customer service quality in order to help Malaysia become a developed nation and a knowledge-driven society by the year 2020, as visioned by former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohammad.

BTW, can't wait for DiGi's 3G to arrive in Penang! Because....

This is how a broadband 'fair usage quota' should be: 50 GB!

Unlike the two greedy, incompetence Maxis & Celcom which only offers a 'ciput' 3-GB and 5-GB per month broadband experience respectively, after which they will blast you to dinasour's age at well below 100-Kbps -- after some extensive 'congak' a heavy internet user can easily exhaust 5GB of transfer limitation in just ONE DAY, or about 7 days of normal web-surfing (at just eight hours per day).

And perhaps, if DiGi's lucky, and can really be good at what it does (innovate and lead, unlike other Malaysian telcos), it can even perhaps trounce the big brother government-linked TM's offering of Streamyx DSL - notice the turtle?

BTW, it's also worth to note that P1's WiMaX offerings will also bring fresh air (and hope) for average broadband users offering speed of up to 2.4Mbps downlink and 500Kbps uplink, with varied 'fair' usage threshold between 5GB, 20GB or 40GB for Home packages (RM49-199/month) and unlimited usage for Office packages (RM159-339/month).

Rock Tune for 2009

Now that Penang is in the top lists for tourist stops in 2009 (following the top rank in New York Times 44 Places to Go in 2009, and the UNESCO's Heritage Site inclusion in 2008) , it's only natural that there will be more hotels opening very soon in Penang's hotspots. And while Penang is a definite next target for the Tony Fernandes & co for new airport and hotel off his Air Asia & Tune ventures, with the already completed Tune Hotel at Jalan Burmah to open as early as 1st of April 2009, the first Malaysia's Hard Rock Hotel (HRH, minus the casino) on the island will surely resonate a deep vibe for Penang's locals and visitors.

When this Hard Rock Penang (Hard Rock's 10th hotel worldwide) opens in Batu Feringhi by mid 2009, Penang will join only two hosts in Asia - Bali (Indonesia) and Pattaya (Thailand), to host these Seminole Tribe of Florida-owned (the 1971-established Hard Rock brand, since March 2007) popular hotels, first popularized in the United States destinations of Las Vegas (first to open, in 1995), Biloxi, Kansas City (pending), Tampa and Hollywood (Florida).

Besides Penang, another HRH is planned to open in Macau this year, with Palm Springs, Atlanta and Panama to follow, scheduled for 2010; Dubai, scheduled to open in 2011; and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2012.

Read on the press releases on Hard Rock Penang (since 2007):-

HPL HOTELS & RESORTS
50 Cuscaden Road
#05-02 HPL House
Singapore 249724
Tel: (65) 6735 2811
Fax: (65) 6235 3216
Email: corporate@hplhotels.com
Website: www.hplhotels.com
Member of the HPL Group
CO. REG. NO. 199704528Z

Hard Rock International and HPL Hotels & Resorts Announce Development of Hard Rock Hotel Penang

Innovators In Hotel Property Development To Deliver Unprecedented Four-Star, Luxury To Exotic Malaysian Resort Setting

Orlando, FL – October 27, 2007 – Hard Rock International and Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) announced
today their plans to develop a Hard Rock Hotel in Penang, Malaysia. Hard Rock Hotel Penang will be a luxury
resort situated along the famous beaches of Batu Ferringhi, hailed as the Pearl of the Orient. The property,
which aims to infuse new excitement and energy into the market, underscores resurgence in tourism and
reflects Hard Rock’s strategy to accelerate expansion of the brand worldwide.

The resort is situated on nearly five acres of land with approximately two miles of magnificent beachfront on
one of Asia’s most popular island destinations. Coupled with Hard Rock’s tradition of providing luxury,
quality service and amenities with a unique rock ‘n’ roll edge, this destination resort will bring a unique
entertainment element the island has yet to offer.

“We plan to continue our Asian expansion of the Hard Rock brand with unique, new properties – including
urban hotel and destination resorts and cafes,” commented Hamish Dodds, President and CEO, Hard Rock
International. “We have a long standing and successful partnership with HPL Hotels & Resorts through the
Hard Rock Hotel properties in Bali and Pattaya.”

Through a major renovation of the existing property, HPL Hotels & Resorts will completely revamp the
existing five-story main building, add additional rooms and maintain one of the two current beachfront
bungalows, converting it into a full service luxury spa. The renovation and expansion will increase
guestroom keys from 180 to 255, configured as mostly deluxe rooms with hill, sea, garden or lagoon views.
There will also be nine studio suites and one Kings’ suite. Four food and beverage outlets are planned for the
resort, which will include a Hard Rock Cafe, an all-day dining restaurant and a bar/lounge. The resort’s main
ballroom and three function rooms offer a total of 5,700 square feet for private events and the meetings,
incentives, corporate and exhibitions clientele. Additionally, there will be a fully equipped gym and a
specialized kids' club.

A main trademark of the Hard Rock Hotel experience, Hard Rock Hotel Penang will feature an incredible
oversized free-form pool, totaling 25,833 square feet, replete with sand islands and luxurious poolside
cabanas.

“Penang has eagerly anticipated the entry of an energetic and adventurous hotel brand such as Hard Rock,”
says Stephen Lau, Chairman of HPL Hotels & Resorts. “Our company’s projected growth strategy is to
continue to open more resorts and hotels in key Asia-Pacific cities that, in partnership with like-minded
associates, will assure our guests a satisfying level of comfort backed by personalized service. Hard Rock
Hotel Penang could not be more perfect.”

“The Seminole Tribe of Florida is thrilled about further Hard Rock development in Southeast Asia,” notes Max
Osceola Jr., Member of the Seminole Tribal Council, “It’s a testament to the brand that we have such
incredible strategic partners and ample opportunity for global growth in such interesting locations. We are
looking forward to this groundbreaking new property.”
Declared as “Visit Malaysia Year” by the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Malaysia is
expecting an increase in the number of tourist arrivals to reach approximately 20 million in 2007; up from
17.5 million in 2006. With the “Visit Malaysia Year” 2007 campaign and the State’s efforts to bring back the
glory days of tourism to Penang, the island is expected to see a major resurgence in leisure, transient and
business travel with robust gains in overall occupancy and average rates.

~ The End ~

About Hard Rock International
With 122 high-energy Hard Rock Cafes and eight Hotels/Casinos in 47 countries, Hard Rock International is
one of the world’s most globally recognized brands. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns
the world’s greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe.
Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live
performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock
Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi,
Orlando, Chicago, Pattaya and Bali, with San Diego scheduled to open later in 2007. Additional hotel and
casino projects have been announced in Macau, scheduled to open in 2009, and Palm Springs, scheduled to
open in 2010. Hard Rock International, Inc. is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For more
information on Hard Rock, visit www.hardrock.com.

About HPL Hotels & Resorts
Headquartered in Singapore, HPL Hotels & Resorts currently manages the activities of eight hotels and
resorts in the Asia-Pacific region. These include Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Concorde Hotel Shah Alam,
Concorde Inn Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Hard Rock Hotels in Bali – Indonesia and Pattaya –
Thailand, Casa del Mar in Langkawi – Malaysia, The Lakehouse in Cameron Highlands – Malaysia and Rihiveli
Beach Resort in Maldives.

Contacts:

Dan Klores Communications

Marissa Mastellone
212-981-5210 (office)
Marissa_mastellone@dkcnews.com
HPL Hotels & Resorts

Karen Chan
(65) 6731 4902
karen.chan@hplhotels.com


Penang Gets Ready to Rock with the Opening of Malaysia’s 1st Hard Rock Hotel

22nd January 2008, Singapore – Come 2009, the tropical island of Penang will be rocking and rolling
with vibes when Malaysia’s first Hard Rock Hotel throws opens its doors. The property, which is
currently undergoing construction, will deliver a unique product which aims to infuse new excitement and
energy into the popular holiday destination.

HPL Hotels & Resorts currently manages eight properties in Asia Pacific and the Indian Ocean. These
include Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Concorde Hotel Shah Alam, Concorde Inn Kuala Lumpur
International Airport, Hard Rock Hotel Bali, Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya, Casa del Mar – Langkawi, The
Lakehouse – Cameron Highlands and Rihiveli Beach Resort – Maldives and Kandooma – Maldives,
which is due to open in mid 2008. Hard Rock Hotel Penang is the third Hard Rock Hotel in Asia and also
the third to be managed by HPL Hotels & Resorts, with the other two being Bali, Indonesia and Pattaya,
Thailand.

Fronting the beautiful beaches of Batu Ferringhi, Hard Rock Hotel Penang will offer 252 musically-
themed guestrooms, with most configured as deluxe rooms with sea, hill, and garden views; the lagoon
view rooms come with direct pool access. There will also be nine studio suites and one Kings’ suite.

Four food and beverage outlets are planned for the resort, which will include a Hard Rock Cafe, an all-
day dining restaurant and a bar/lounge. Facilities include a full service luxury spa, a fully equipped gym, a
specialized Lil’ Rock Kids Club, and a Hard Rock merchandise store. Hard Rock Hotel Penang will also
offer guests a main trademark of the Hard Rock Hotel experience, that is, an incredible oversized free-
form pool totaling 2,400 square metres, complete with sand islands, water slides and poolside cabanas.

According to Ms Karen Chan, Marketing Communications Manager for HPL Hotels & Resorts, Hard
Rock Hotel Penang will add a new entertainment dimension to the holiday destination. She said: “The
Hard Rock culture is about being irreverent and living for the moment, so you can expect Hard Rock
Hotel Penang to offer an experience that abounds with limitless energy, unparalleled creativity and
quality service … very different from the typical sun, sand and sea vacation.”

The resort will not only to appeal to both leisure and family travel, but also to corporate meetings. With a
variety of indoor and outdoor function spaces housed in a marquee garden ballroom, pre-function garden
area, and three meeting rooms, this rock ’n’ roll sanctuary will no doubt be popular with many corporate
planners.

Penang is served by many international airlines and is easily accessible from major cities in the world.
Situated about 45 minutes away by road from the Penang International Airport, Hard Rock Hotel Penang
is also just 30 minutes from Georgetown, the capital city of Penang. The island can also be reached by
road via the Penang Bridge which links it to the mainland of Peninsular Malaysia.

~ End ~

About HPL Hotels & Resorts

Headquartered in Singapore, HPL Hotels & Resorts is a hospitality management company, operated and
wholly owned by a Singapore main-board listed, Hotel Properties Limited (HPL). HPL Hotels & Resorts
currently manages eight properties in Asia Pacific and the Indian Ocean, with another two new properties
scheduled to open in the next two years. With more than 2,127 rooms, the brands include city hotels,
beach resorts, boutique properties and hillside retreat, each with its own unique style and character,
offering distinct experiences ranging from lifestyle and themed concepts to adventure and eco-tourism.
For more information, visit www.hplhotels.com.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Karen Chan – Marketing Communications Manager
T: (65) 6731 4902


HPL Hotels & Resorts appoints General Manager to open Hard Rock Hotel Penang

12 January 2009, Singapore – HPL Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce the
appointment of John Primmer as General Manager for Hard Rock Hotel Penang.
A New Zealand national, Primmer has 27 years of hospitality experience, having held senior
management positions in Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia and United Kingdom for the past
17 years. He was previously the General Manager of James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor
Wellington New Zealand.

Mr Greg Lee, Vice President – Operations of HPL Hotels & Resorts notes, “Primmer has a
wealth of experience in managing hotels. His experience and strong track record will be vital
in delivering the Hard Rock brand in Malaysia.”
Scheduled to open in mid-2009, Hard Rock Penang will be the first musically themed resort
in Malaysia, which aims to infuse new excitement and energy into the popular holiday
destination. Most of the 249 guestrooms are configured as deluxe rooms with sea views;
while the lagoon deluxe rooms come with direct pool access off the guest balconies.

Five food and beverage establishments are planned for the resort, which will include a Hard
Rock Café, an all-day dining restaurant, pizzeria, poolside bar and lounge. Facilities include
a full service luxury spa, a fully equipped gym, a specialised Lil’ Rock Kids Club, Teens club,
Hard Rock merchandise stores, and a 26,000 sq ft free-form swimming pool – the largest
pool in Penang.

The resort will appeal to both leisure / family travel, as well as to corporate meetings. With a
variety of indoor and outdoor function facilities including a marquee garden ballroom, pre-
function garden area, and three meeting rooms, this rock n’ roll sanctuary will be a popular
preference among many corporate meeting planners.

~ End ~

John Primmer, the newly appointed general manager at Hard Rock Hotel Penang.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Angeline Loh | Marketing Communications Manager | HPL Hotels & Resorts
Email: angeline.loh@hplhotels.com | Tel: (65) 6731 4902 | Fax: (65) 6235 3216

OR

Betty Lim | Director of Sales & Marketing | Hard Rock Hotel Penang
Email: betty.lim@hardrockhotels.net | Tel: 6 (04) 881 1711 | Fax: 6 (04) 881 2155

ABOUT HPL HOTELS & RESORTS
Headquartered in Singapore, HPL Hotels & Resorts is a hospitality management company,
operated and wholly-owned by a Singapore main-board listed, Hotel Properties Limited (HPL).
HPL Hotels & Resorts currently manages the activities of 11 hotels and resorts in Asia Pacific
and the Indian Ocean. These include Concorde Hotel Singapore, Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur,
Concorde Hotel Shah Alam, Concorde Inn Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Hard Rock Hotel
Bali, Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya, Hard Rock Hotel Penang, Casa del Mar, Langkawi, The
Lakehouse, Cameron Highlands, Rihiveli Beach Resort, Maldives and Kandooma~Maldives.
For more information, please visit www.hplhotels.com.

Another airport terminal soon...

PENANG: Low-cost carrier AirAsia Bhd is looking at Penang as a potential hub for a low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT). It is learnt that group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes made a case to the Penang government to build the terminal and the authorities are keen on his proposal.

Sources said the proposed LCCT in Penang would be independent from the budget air terminal that AirAsia wants to build in Labu, Negri Sembilan.

The proposed Penang terminal has been priced at RM120 million, excluding the cost of land, said sources.

At a presentation made on Tuesday to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, elected representatives, industrialists along with selected government and quasi-government agencies in Penang, Fernandes did not indicate how much land was needed for the LCCT.
However, he proposed two sites which are aligned with the Penang International Airport at Bayan Lepas. The land, however, does not belong to the state government.

During the briefing at Lim's office at Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak in George Town, Fernandes stressed the need for AirAsia to find sufficient parking bays at night for his aircraft and the fact that there would be a problem soon when the airline took delivery of additional planes.

"By offering point-to-point flights from various hubs, AirAsia will be able to solve its parking issue while Penang will benefit via the coverage of direct flights serviced by AirAsia," said a source.

Apart from Malaysia Airlines, which offers direct international flights from Penang to selected destinations, other carriers using the airport include AirAsia, Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways International, Lion Air, Singapore Airlines, China Southern Airlines, China Airlines, Firefly, Kartika Airlines and Sriwijaya Air.

AirAsia began flying into Penang in 2002 and offers direct flights to cities in Thailand and Indonesia.

Fernandes declined to comment on the matter, while Lim could not be reached.

In 2007, the Penang government gave conditional approval to LC Airfields Sdn Bhd to set up a low-cost carrier terminal on the island.

Business Times had reported that the proposed LCCT would likely be sited north of the passenger terminal building in Bayan Lepas, and that AirAsia had asked for rights to be the licensed operator of the new terminal in order to keep costs low.

The Penang International Airport was expanded in 2001 to accommodate an annual capacity of five million passengers.

In reality, the airport can accommodate only slightly more than three million passengers a year because space meant for transit passengers has been leased to duty-free shops.

SOURCE: NST Online - AirAsia lobbies Penang for LCCT

What's hot in Penang this Week (14-20 DEC 2008)

aa2 act ahead aim ajil al-bai arise bernama bridge businesses chingay committee dec develop federal food fund george government govt halal help hillslope hopeful hub i-dance logistics loom malaysia pas poor projects protest quick ram ratings reaffirms says set state still street take technology town uncertainties wants will working youth

Useful Phone Numbers in Penang

EMERGENCY

Police	999
Fire Department	994
Civil Defence	991

TOURIST/TRAVEL INFORMATION

Tourist Information Centre	04-2620066
Penang Airport	04-6434411
Penang Railway Station	04-2610290
Immigration Department	04-2615122

LIBRARIES

Alliance Francaise French Library	04-2276008
Malaysian German Society	04-2296853
Penang Chinese Town Hall Library	04-2628939
Penang Public Library	04-2622255

FOREIGN MISSIONS

Bangladesh	04-2611196
Britian	04-2625333
Denmark	04-2624886
Finland	04-2294100
France	04-2629707
Germany	04-6415707
Hungary	04-6433901
Indonesia	04-2824686
Japan	04-2268222
Netherlands	04-2616471
Russia	04-2622944
Sri Lanka	04-2824686
Sweden	04-2625333
Thailand	04-2268029
Turkey	04-2615933

CAR RENTAL

Avis-Rent-A-Car	604-646 2410
Hertz-Rent-A-Car	604-263 5914
Mayflower Car Rental	604-262 8196
Kasina Baru	604-228 2641
National Car Rental	604-262 9204
New Bob	604-226 6111
Orix Car Rental	1 800 88 1555
Syarikat Ruhanmas	604-881 1071

TELEKOM MALAYSIA

Telephone Faults	100
Domestic Asisted Service	101
Information & General Enquiries	102
Directory Services	103
Phonogram Service	104
International Assisted Service	108
Multi Lingual International Service	198
Time Announcement	1051
Weather Forecast (K.L.& P.J.)	1052
Data & Telex Faults	1061
For Telecard Holders Only	1092

HOSPITALS

General Hospital	04-2293333
Gleneagles Medical Centre	04-2276111
Hospital Pantai Mutiara	04-6433888
Penang Adventist Hospital	04-2261133
Tanjung Medical Centre	04-2262323
Mount Miriam Hospital	04-6433888
Loh Guan Lye Specialist Centre	04-2288501
Hospital Seberang Jaya	04-3983333
Lam Wah Ee Hospital	04-6571888

AIRLINES

Malaysia Airlines System Komtar	04-2620011
Penang International Airport	04-6430811
Air Asia	04-2629882
Cathay Pacific Airways	04-2260411
Emirates	04-2631100
EVA Air	04-2291484
Singapore Airlines	04-2263201
South African Airways	04-2293318
Thai Airways International	04-2266000
Northwest Airlines	04-2275299
Pelangi Air	04-2277311
United Airlines	04-2636020

TAXIS SERVICES

Penang	604-261 7098 604-890 9918 604-642 5961 604-643 0161
Butterworth	604-333 7364 604-323 2045

Based on original compilation/publication at PenangWeb.

Dinner and Romance...

It was a festive nite in the normally-quiet fishing village of Teluk Tempoyak for over a hundred delegates including dozens from neighboring countries of Indonesia and Thailand -- all are in Penang for a two-day gathering in conjunction with the 26th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Joint Business Council (JBC) Meeting.

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

Guests, many of whom were brought to the venue in four police-escorted buses from their respective hotels in George Town (Tanjung), were treated with Malay traditional delicacies including fresh grilled fish, prawns and other seafood served with hot and sour sauce, chicken sate (grilled meat) with nut sauce, roti jala with curry, rice etc. and fruity juices.

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

Among the distinguished guests include YB Tuan Abdul Malik Kassim (Penang State Executive Councillor chairing Domestic Trade Consumer Affairs, and also the local State Assemblyman for Batu Maung) representing the YAB Chief Minister of Penang, Tuan Rizal Faris Mohideen Abdul Kader (President of the Penang Malay Chamber of Commerce - DPMMPP) and representatives from other chamber of commerces, Federation of Malaysian Manufactureds (FMM), PERDASAMA, Penang Association of ICT Entrepreneurs (ICT Penang), Penang Bumiputera Petty Traders Association, head of various government agencies, and head of delegates from Indonesia and Thailand.

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

Joint Business Council for the IMT-GT initiative is chaired by YBhg Dato' Haji Faudzi Naim Haji Noh, who is also presently the Vice President of the Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM). The two-day annual meeting for JBC is currently held at the Gurney Resort Hotel & Residences from today until tomorrow, 4-5 DEC 2008, and is to be closed by a another dinner event for delegates and invited guests at Medusa Restaurant, Gurney Drive.

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

And what would a dining experience be at Restoran Seri Idaman, one of the popular eating spots in southern Penang island for those opting for seafood, without good live performance and music? Troupes from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Sumatera and Southern Thailand entertained the audience with lively dance and traditional music, closed with a modern Puteri Gunung Ledang rendition, the "Asmaradana" (literally, casual romance).

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

Besides for relaxing and re-filling of everyone's daily nutritional needs, business events like this are good networking platforms for entrepreneurs and businessmen, and this wall of name cards situated next to the cashier's counter of Restoran Seri Idaman is a soft testament to its hosting of so many connections and deals made at the venue.

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

From Dinner & Romance @ Teluk Tempoyak (4dec08)

The dinner event was hosted by the State Government of Penang.

More IMT-GT JBC event to follow tomorrow (5th December 2008) including working group meetings, a plenary session and "trail by trishaw to UNESCO Heritage Site" activity. For more information contact the Event Secretariat: Mazniza/Sueinan @+604 250-3015 or visit 12th Floor, Bangunan Dewan Perniagaan Melayu Malaysia, 1 Lebuh Pantai, 10300 Pulau Pinang.

More updates will be posted online at http://facebook.com/event.php?eid=42455960835, http://ictpenang.com and http://dpmmpp.com

Leverage the Media

Running an event, seen a not-to-be missed happenings or have causes to promote? Although the new media (online) is getting more and more popular nowadays, no more than 25% of Malaysian population are likely to rely on the Internet as a main source of news and information. Reach the other 20-40% of the population via the following mainstream print media (with local contacts, almost all of which also publish online -- the other 35-55% of Malaysian population or so perhaps could care less about anything but their immediate local news via mouth-to-mouth distribution):-

English Press

• The Star - Tel. 604-6473370 Fax.6473371
• New Straits/Sunday Times (emedia) & The Malay Mail / Media Prima Group - Tel. 604-2270639 Fax. 2291863
• The Sun - Tel. 604-2277598 Fax. 2277570
• Aliran - Tel. 604-6585251 Fax. 6585197

News Agencies

• Bernama Tel. - 604-2299689 Fax. 2299866
• Reuters Tel. - 604-2260645 Fax. 2269554

Chinese Press

• Oriental Daily Tel. 604-2266639 Fax.2281399 chanyl@orientaldaily.com.my
• Nanyang Tel. 604-2631652 Fax. 2612157 penang@nanyang.com.my
• Sinchew Tel. 604-2226666 Fax. 2226678 penang@mail.sinchew.com.my
• Guang Ming Tel. 604-2226726 Fax. 2226788 editorial-pg@guangming.com.my
• Kwong Wah Tel. 604-2612312 Fax. 2611432/ 2637277 reporter@kwongwah.com.my
• China Press Tel. 604-2627395 Fax. 2625591 penang@chinapress.com.my

Malay Press

• Utusan/Mingguan Malaysia & Kosmo Tel. 604-2631366
• Berita Harian/Minggu & Harian Metro/Metro Ahad (refer NST above)
• Sinar Harian - Mobile: 019-474-7376 Phone: +6042278675 Fax: +6042278734 (cakna.utara@sinarharian.com.my)
  

Tamil Press

• Tamil Nesan Tel. 604-261 2453

BONUS: Popular Online Media accepting PR/newsfeeds

• Malaysiakini Tel. 03-2283 5567 Fax. 03-2289 2579 email : editor@malaysiakini.com
• Penang Watch Tel. /Fax. 2617585 Email: penangwatch@gmail.com
• Merdeka Review Tel.03-7981 2831 Fax.03-7980 2916 editorial@merdekareview.com

Based on the original phone number compilation by Penang Watch. For a longer list of newspapers in Malaysia, refer WikiPedia or MyCen.