10:56:00

<b><b>Hotel di kuching</b></b></b> - Come Sarawak - Come Sarawak


<b><b>Hotel di kuching</b></b></b> - Come Sarawak - Come Sarawak

Posted: 21 Feb 2014 07:38 PM PST

attractionI am going to take you to a country which is full of islands. Any guess? Yes, you are right. It's Malaysia. There are878 islands in Malaysia. This country is known for its stunning sights and attractions. We are going to explore its astounding natural beauty that magnetizes vacationers/ tourists or visitors attraction. It's a country of exclusive culture and tradition. It's one of the best places on the globe with delicious cuisine and hospitable people. Kuala Lumpur is its capital with charming iconic Petronas Twin Towers.  Malaysia has many offshore geographical places. There would be around 510 which include ridges, sandbank and rocks. It's a multicultural state with many festivals and celebrations. Tour to Malaysia, is really a unique and pleasant experience.

There're lots of choices to stay in Malaysia, so it's tough to decide where to stay?

Mid-range hotels and 5 stars hotels with Chinese, Indian or Malaysian traditional cuisine and cozy rooms are easily available for vacationers/visitors anywhere in cities. You can enjoy luxury hotels or resorts located on islands. Accommodation is so cheap in Malaysia, you can easily get a room for $ 3 to $ 9 USD/night. Private rooms are available for $ 11 to $ 20 USD/night. You can camp in Taman Negara and can save lodgings cost.

Anyways, here're some suggestions.

Lone Pine Hotel, located Batu Ferringhi, Penang Island, posses welcoming staff, stunning swimming pool, lip-smacking food, and calm atmosphere with beautiful sea views. You can get a huge variety of cocktails in bar corner.

Golden Sands Resort by Shangri-La, located on Batu Ferringhi beach, Penang Island, is a fantastic family resort, offers services such as water sports, tennis court, delicious food, pools, cozy rooms, hospitable staff and family entertainment center. Its cuisine includes Bar & Grill pizzas and seafood, tea/coffee, snacks, pastries.

where to stay

Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, in Kuala Lumpur City Centre, is a fantastic hotel with superb services. Welcoming staff, comfortable rooms, suspended pool and delicious Malaysian food make it more worthy staying.

Tanjong Jara Resort, located on Batu, Dungun, is one of the top 25 hotels in Malaysia, offers services such as Spa village, Pools, tennis court, delicious dining out, air-conditioned rooms, seafood and bar. You can spend a relaxing morning with coffee and newspaper on the beach.

Berjaya Tioman Resort, located in Pulau Tioman, is a traditional Malay style resort, offers services like pools, golf, tennis court, spa, coffee, snacks, global drinks, tasty food, air-conditioning cozy rooms and water sports including diving, fishing, snorkelling etc.

The Majestic Hotel, Majestic Malacca, Cameron Highlands Resort and Sama-Sama Hotel, in Kuala Lumpur, Holiday Villa Beach Resort & Spa and Four Seasons Resort in Langkawi, Miri Marriot Resort & Spa, Mega Hotel, Grand Palace Hotel and Imperial Palace Hotel in Miri, Seven Terraces, Yeng Keng Hotel, Museum Hotel and Hotel Panega are also wonderful places to stay in Malaysia. 

As far as meal is concerned, you can have it in restaurants, western hotels , cooking own when living in camping or as a street meal and just have to pay $1 to $3 USD /head for street meal, $4 to $6 USD/head in restaurants while western food is a bit expensive. Malaysia is a Muslim country that's why drinks are expensive here. Anyways, here are some suggestions of restaurants for you.

Dining in the Dark, located on Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, is an amazing restaurant deeply into darkness and offers delicious food including soups, desserts etc.

Malaysian-Food-2

Black Forest, located on Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, offers German cuisine.

Kebaya, located on Stewart Lane, Georgetown, Penang Island, offers good services and food.

Living Room Cafe Bar & Gallery, located on Batu Ferringhi, Penang Island, is a good place for families, lovebirds, special occasion or groups. You can enjoy Bar, Asian and Eclectic cuisine here until late night.

Top Spot Food Court, located Bukit Mata Kuching, Kuching is a family restaurant, offers best seafood and opens until late night.

Jambu Restaurant and Lounge, located on Crookshank Road, Kuching is a restaurant offers best pasta in town. It also deals with Bistro, Bar for cocktails and Tapas etc.

Black bean, The Heritage, Tribal Stove and Bella Italia are also superb restaurants in Kuching with the fantastic setting near river.

La Casa Kuantan, Crocodile Rock Pizza & Grill Restaurant, Satay Zul, and Dallah Restaurant in Kuantan offer great services with superb cuisine.

Malaysia is a country with many attractions or points of interests and more exciting thing is those are quite cheap. Here're some suggestions, and you must visit those places once you are in Malaysia.

Birch Memorial Clock Tower, located in one of the biggest cities of Malaysia named "Ipoh". Here're plenty of attention-grabbing sights such as museums, temples and historical buildings.

attraction

Galeria Perdana, Rice Museum, and  Padi Langkawi, in Langkawi, are amazing places with precious stuff and collection, to visit. Langkawi is a beautiful island with lovely beaches and plenty of interesting sights. Ave Stella Maris Catholic Chapel is a beautiful church. Langkawi Wildlife Park and Underwater World are educational and exciting places with lots of fun.

The Islamic city "Kota Bharu" is a great city with royal places, museums, and plenty of other eye-catching sights.

Taman Negara National Park is a beautiful park in oldest rainforest Taman Negara. It's a place with lots of activities like trekking, safaris, and canopy walks.

activities

Islamic Art Museum, Petronas Twin Towers, Putrajaya Bridge, Petrosains Science Discovery Centre, Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, Thean Hou Temple, and Lake Garden Parks are some suggested amazing places to visit in Kuala Lumpur.

Mount Kinabalu National Park, is the best choice for hiking, this Park is full of fun and will never disappoint you on your visit.

Malaysia is a land of festivals and celebrations as multicultural people exist here. Tourists or vacationers can enjoy these festivals almost every month of the year. Here are some suggestions for our visitors.

Tamil Community celebrates festival named "Thaipusam". It's a unique festival that is worth seeing. It can be best observed at Batu Caves in Selangor or Penang, in Januanry.

Chinese New Year is celebrated in February and last for 15 days. You can enjoy lion dances, fireworks, and delicious Chinese meal.

In April, Good Friday and Malaysia Water Festival are celebrated.

Wesak Day, and Harvest Festival are celebrated in May.

June is a month with amazing festivals like Hari Gawai and Dragon Boat Festivals.

July and August are the months with festivals such as the Rainforest World Music Festival, Independence day, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Hungry Ghost Festival.

September becomes more colorful with Malaysia Day and Mid-Autumn Festival.

Hari Raya Haji, Deepavali Festivals of Lights, and Christmas are celebrated in October, November and December.

Malaysia is not less than a heaven for shopaholics. Super international brands have covered Malaysian market and have luxury stores here. Sales at shopping mall attract many tourists every year. Mega Sales held on Christmas and Independence Day and last up to two months.

Utama, BB Plaza, Fahrenheit88, Lot10, Plaza Low Yat, Suria KLCC and Sogo are some remarkable shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur.

shopping3

ICT@Komtar, Island Plaza, Midlands One Stop, Plaza Gurney, Prangin Mall, Queensbay Mall and Straits Quay are some suggested shopping centers in Penang.

Langkawi Fair is a beautiful place for a shop in Langkawi.

Malaysia is a country with beaches. Therefore, beach holidays can be enjoyed all around the year. Summer season is mild, and usually climate is pleasant in Malaysia so you can visit it in all seasons. Anyhow, December and January are two peak tourists' seasons.  From June until August is also a good time to enjoy beaches activities.

when to fly

I assure you, your vacations to this country holding natural beauty, would be a treasured and unforgettable experience.

<b>Makan <b>di kuching</b></b> - Come Sarawak - Come Sarawak <b>...</b>

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 07:38 PM PST

How Taib Family Built Huge Housing Wealth In The Name Of Kuching's Poor

This post is also available in: Iban, Malay

1/2 million ringgit price tags on CMS built homes in Bandar Samariang

1/2 million ringgit price tags on CMS built homes in Bandar Samariang

The Taib family company CMS proudly boasts of its "vast land bank" in its annual reports and has started selling off chunks for tens of millions in Kuching.

Commercial centres and grand housing estates are also being developed in two key areas, Bandar Samariang, where CMS has 5,200 acres, valued around half a billion ringgit, and of course on the Kuching Isthmus, where land is even more expensive.

But, how did CMS acquire all this property and who has benefitted?

Sarawak Report has acquired shocking information about the way Taib and his family members have profited from this land, which was forcibly taken (official term is 'alienated') from local people and state ownership.

We did it to help the poor

The story that the Chief Minister told from the start was that this was land that difficult and expensive to develop, but that his family company was kindly determined to provide housing for poor people.

Back in 2001, he even made out that CMS was doing this supposed favour in Bandar Samariang entirely "for the people's benefit" for "not much profit", because other developers didn't want to get involved in such a loss-making venture!

Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud denied yesterday that the development projects implemented in the state had benefited him personally as alleged by some quarters. Stressing that the projects were for the people's benefit, he urged them to think rationally all allegations of nepotism and cronyism which were levelled at him before making any conclusion….he cited as an example the low-cost housing project in Rampangi, Semariang of which he was accused of benefiting personally. Taib.. said the project did not bring much profit to the developer Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd due to the peat soil condition. Not many companies wanted to invest in the project because of the high cost involved to prepare the site for the project, he said. But in the interest of the people, the project had to be carried out to provide housing to the low income group, he said. "We do not want them to remain without houses and live far away from the city. That's why we continued with the project," he said.[Bernama Sunday, April 08, 2001]

Such a kind old fellow!

Chief Executive and key shareholder at the time, Taib brother Onn Mahmud

Chief Executive and key shareholder at the time, Taib brother Onn Mahmud

Interestingly no mention has ever been made again of these poor soil conditions by CMS.  This is probably, not least, because in every other country in the world, developing tropical peat soil has been banned, because of the severe environmental consequences.

To gain a sense of the value of this land handed to CMS in the guise of helping the poor, consider the recent news that the company has decided to sell on a parcel of 500 acres for over RM45million to Sentoria Group to build a theme park.

Suddenly, another developer has been found willing not only to take on the job of developing the land, but to pay big money for the plot.

However, this time of course the money has gone to CMS, not the government or the people from whom the area was 'alienated'.

At the time CMS got this land for free it was largely owned and run by Taib's brother Onn Mahmud, who shortly after passed on his shares to Taib's wife, with the remainder being largely in the hands of the Chief Minister's four children.

No nepotism at all then!

Sucking money out of pensions too

Robert Geneid, the Head of CMS Property Development and husband of Taib's sister Raziah Mahmud.

Robert Geneid, the Head of CMS Property Development and husband of Taib's sister Raziah Mahmud.

But, of course, the Taibs didn't really want to invest their own money in this mission to assist the poor with 'quality low cost housing'.

Far better to use their influence to encourage the government controlled Employee Provident Fund (EPF) to put in the money instead.

After all, this fat milk cow has been used to pour vast sums of money into endless pet projects to benefit BN politicians, meaning public employees can look forward to far lower pensions, despite being forced to pay a quarter of their salaries into the obligatory savings fund controlled by the government.

EPF therefore was dragged into a joint venture with CMS and the investment in the "low cost housing" in Bandar Samariang began.

But, in fact, low cost housing was only ever planned to form a small part of the project from the very start.  The original terms of agreement, as explained in CMS's own annual reports, made clear just 1/3 of the area was to be housing for the less well-off.

Housing for the poor?

Housing for the poor?

The rest of the huge site was to be developed as an ambitious commercial enterprise.

CMS's 1997 Annual Report was certainly not bashful about the profit-driven nature of CMS's latest housing project or the ambitions of its new Property Development Division, headed by the new husband of Taib's sister Raziah, the Lebanese Australian, Robert Geneid.

It also reveals that, thanks to Taib's ability to pull the strings, that the State Housing & Development Commission had already been tasked with buying whatever 'quality low cost housing' CMS Property produced on the site, ensuring a guaranteed profit.

1997 Annual Report

Property Development

"This is a new growth area for the Group, and CMS Properties Sdn Bhd has been set up to develop and manage the Group's vast land bank, with the long-term objective of becoming Sarawak's principal property developer and a major player throughout Malaysia and the ASEAN region. The Group's strategy is based on using the natural synergy between the infrastructure, finance and property divisions….

Bandar Baru Samariang is a joint venture with the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and will be the largest low-cost housing project ever undertaken in Sarawak, and the first housing development project undertaken by the Group. 

The 13,500 low cost houses (approximately 36 percent of the project) will be sold to the Housing & Development Commission……The remaining 64 percent of the project will comprise medium-cost homes, commercial centres and ancillary buildings, providing a total of 42,200 housing units on the vast 5,200 acre site just 15 km from Kuching. Phase 1 of the township is currently being implemented, to provide over 4,000 units of low-cost housing, as well as hundreds of other residential and commercial properties."[Ann Rpt 1997]

So, in fact, a mere 4,000 units of the token low cost housing have been included in the first phase of the project, all promoted in the beginning in a blaze of positive publicity, before CMS moved speedily to the much more lucrative "medium cost" housing, where units are currently being sold for the very fancy prices of anything up to half a million ringgit!

Bandar Samariang Phase I Plan

Phase 1 - including 4,000 low cost housing units guaranteed to be purchased by the Housing Committee

Phase 1 – including 4,000 low cost housing units guaranteed to be purchased by the Housing Committee

Of course, the fact that the state has ploughed in major infrastructure, in terms of roads and amenities into the area, has made the development potential of this project ever more lucrative.  Yet, the Chief Minister is still justifying his handing of it all to his family in the name of charity for Kuching's poor!

Presiding over his family's vast profitable land venture.

Presiding over his family's vast profitable land venture.

However, this mother of all land grabs from the Sarawak people is just the start of the story of how the Taib family set about enriching themselves from this project.

In 'Phase 2′ of our investigation we will be looking at how individual members of the Taib inner family circle, set about using the massive housing project to develop profitable businesses for themselves, with disastrous consequences for the very poor people in whose name the Bandar Samariang land grab was executed.

"The new township boasts a myriad of vibrant features such as improved road connectivity between central and South Kuching" Borneo Post

"The new township boasts a myriad of vibrant features such as improved road connectivity between central and South Kuching" Borneo Post

Malaysia The Best Country,,: "<b>HOTEL</b> MEWAH <b>DI KUCHING</b>"

Posted: 28 Jul 2013 09:52 PM PDT


RIVERSIDE MAJESTIC

Riverside Majestic Hotel, where we treat you with majesty, is strategically located in the heart of Kuching's business, entertainment, dining and shopping district just 20 minutes drive from the Kuching International Airport. With a designated 18th floor for meeting suites, it is the ideal place for business meetings and leisure.

Overlooking the Sarawak River, the hotel commands a panoramic view of the city and the Kuching Waterfront across, where fitness enthusiasts enjoy their morning jogs and evening strolls along the 1.7km scenic stretch


HILTON KUCHING

Welcome to the Hilton Kuching hotel, the perfect base for exploring this charming Malaysian city in Borneo. Situated on the waterfront of the striking Sarawak River, this central Kuching hotel boasts captivating views over the city. Conveniently situated just a 25 minute drive from Kuching International Airport and within walking distance to many popular attractions, the central location of this hotel puts you close to the action in this exciting and vibrant city.

Retire to a spacious guest room, suite or executive room at the hotel, with spectacular views of the city or Sarawak River. All rooms feature contemporary décor and high-speed internet access. Upgrade to an executive room for extra space and exclusive access to the Executive Lounge. Host a special event in the hotel's outdoor private terrace and dance under the stars for a memorable occasion.

Pullman Kuching is the newest addition to the 5-stars international brand in the city. Located in the heart of Kuching on top of the hill at Jalan Mathies, Pullman Kuching offers astonishing panoramic view of the city and the Sarawak River. The hotel is adjacent to a two storey city life-style shopping centre "Hills Shopping Mall" and within walking distance to commercial centre and city attractions