Man Commando says thank you to Najib

TOURISM DRAW: Moves are afoot to promote Langkawi as a paradise for anglers

Man Commando (left) and fishermen appreciate the help they are getting from the government.

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 MAN Commando, that's the nickname of this mover of a group of fishermen in Langka-wi. His full name is Asri Shaaban. He has been leading the charge to transform  fishermen along Sungei Chenang, one of Langkawi's most popular seaside spots.

 He has been leading the fishermen of Pantai Chenang for the last seven years  and seen the changes that's been made to turn the fishermen from an undisciplined lot to a community that's very aware of their responsibilities.

 I met Man Commando over breakfast as we gathered to plan ways to promote tourism on the legendary island, via sports fishing. Berita Harian, through its Joran and special projects unit, has been organising fishing competitions for   15 years.

 The response from anglers had been consistently strong. Now it's time to return to Langkawi, where the fishing is relatively good and the waters not as choppy as in other parts of the country.

 Man Commando is a fast talker, filling whoever who wants to listen with anecdotes and background information. He rattles them off with confidence and a sense of pride.

 He's a son of a fishermen, and had returned to Langkawi to bring back all the expertise and leadership he could muster to transform the fishermen.

 The Langkawi fishermen are located along the beaches. A river usually provides the perfect location for a jetty for their boats to be parked and for the fish  to be unloaded to buyers.

 Here him say: "Saya dok berleter dengan nelayan kat sini supaya mereka jaga kebersihan dan keselamatan. Jangan biarkan jeti ni kotor dan tak terurus." ( "I've never stopped reminding the fishermen to maintain their jetty clean and make it safe. Don't let the jetty be dirty ... ever!")

Pantai Cenang Jetty Will Benefit 300 Fishermen

LANGKAWI, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- The RM9 million Pantai Cenang fish landing jetty, here, when completed next year will benefit more than 300 fishermen, said Kedah Malaysian Fisheries Development Board (LKIM) director Mohamad Noor Had.

He said the allocation was approved by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when he visited the area last year.

The construction of the jetty began in October. It will have a fish landing site and wave breakers.

A seafood restaurant will also be built at the jetty.

-- BERNAMA

AL :-

Been waiting for the bridge construction starts.. Still in talking mode ke?

Leniency Can Help Avert Delay In Langkawi Development - Mahathir

LANGKAWI, Oct 30 (Bernama) -- Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today expressed the hope for leniency in the government's implementation of the Langkawi Five-Year Tourism Development Master Plan so as to avert any delay in the utilisation of the development allocation.

He said any development project often took a long time for implementation, especially when it came to acquisition of land.

"If there is leniency, we can achieve what we want to do. Acquiring land itself can take up to a year. So, the allocation remains unspent.

"I believe the Kedah government can approve land applications quickly but there are government procedures to follow. This takes time," he told Bernama.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, in tabling Budget 2012, announced that the RM420-million Langkawi Five-Year Tourism Development Master Plan would be launched to promote tourist arrivals and domestic tourism.

Among the initiatives are restructuring the Langkawi Development Authority, setting up a park rangers unit and upgrading museums, beaches and small businesses.

-- BERNAMA

AL :-

Agree with Tun. Don't be to haste to finish the 420million for Langkawi. Every project need careful planning & execution. Great & detailed project need time. The takeover of land alone can take a year if everything goes smooth. Just that please dont persue the stupid idea of building the bridge to Langkawi...

Jumlah bot meningkat ~ Mana Janji PM

KEDAWANG - Kira-kira 200 nelayan mendesak Lembaga Kemajuan Ikan Malaysia (LKIM) mempercepatkan projek pangkalan nelayan baru di Kuala Chenang.

Pengerusi Komuniti Pengurusan Sumber Perikanan (KPSP) Sungai Chenang, Asri Shaaban berkata, pembinaan pangkalan itu perlu dipercepatkan kerana sering kali berlaku kesesakan bot nelayan hampir setiap hari.

Menurutnya, jumlah bot kini semakin meningkat dari kira-kira 200 bot nelayan tertumpu ke kawasan pangkalan itu.

“Sejak Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak ke pangkalan ini Februari tahun lalu, hingga kini keadaannya masih sama.

“Ketika itu beliau berjanji meluluskan peruntukan sejumlah RM7 juta dan terdapat pertambahan RM2 juta lagi, namun hingga kini keadaan masih sama,” katanya.

Timbermad :-

PM dah bagi kata putus. Berapa lama LKIM nak buat kajian.. Jgn ambik masa lama sgt.. Kesian kat nelayan situ. Kepada PM kita bertindaklah jgn sampai sembang tak jatuh..

Sinar Harian

Langkawi Needs New Impetus To Be Premier Tourist Destination - Najib

LANGKAWI, Dec 8 (Bernama) -- Langkawi needs to have new impetus as part of the plan to be a premier tourist destination in the world, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Wednesday.

He said that since a year ago he had discussed with several parties, especially Khazanah Nasional Berhad, about Langkawi's redevelopment process in order to fulfill former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's wish to develop Langkawi as top tourist destination.

"We want new development. Therefore, we need new impetus. The development concept must preserve the current situation and natural habitats around the island," he said in his keynote address at the official launch of Teluk Datai Resort's Development Plan at Teluk Datai, here.

Also present were Dr Mahathir and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop and Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional Berhad Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar.

Najib said the redevelopment process also should create value to the country, such as joint venture with local companies, as tourism was a major sector that the government wanted to push.

"The development is not only for Teluk Datai but for Langkawi as a whole. Many people said Langkawi is a loss after Tun Dr Mahathir's era as prime minister," he said.

He said today's event was to announce a four-in-one project, with the development of 14 units of villa as the main project.

"The second is to build a new 300-room hotel, the third an upmarket five-star to six-star hotel and the last the redevelopment of the Datai Golf Course to international standard," he said.

Najib said the development plan was a partnership between government-linked companies and private companies to create value to the project and the country.

The development projects would involve about RM1 billion to be invested in Teluk Datai via its investee, Teluk Datai Resorts Sdn Bhd, a joint venture between Khazanah Nasional and also the original founders, through Archipelago Hotels (East) Sdn Bhd.

As part of corporate social responsibility, Teluk Datai Resorts has adopted Sekolah Kebangsaan Ewa under the Pintar programme. It is one of the schools in Langkawi where the most number of employees of Teluk Datai Resort send their children.

-- BERNAMA

Anaklangkawi :-
Its about time Dato Seri Najib give attention to the re-development plan in order to create Langkawi as Premier Tourism destination. Its a pity if the good infrastructure not been use to the fullest. Just my hope that more local folks will get direct impact on the plan.

RM1b for Teluk Datai project

LANGKAWI: State investment arm Khazanah Nasional Bhd, through its investee company, Teluk Datai Resorts Sdn Bhd (TDR), and partners are investing RM1 billion in the Teluk Datai master development plan that will be completed by 2014.

The five-year plan, which will see the expansion and upgrading of TDR's hotel and golf course as well as the construction of new hotels, was launched yesterday by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Najib said: "Based on the development plan for Teluk Datai, more jobs will be created for residents.

"This will increase the value of their assets and their quality of life.

Present were former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Khazanah managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar.

Langkawi, with a population of about 99,000, was identified by Dr Mahathir as a tourist destination more than two decades ago.

Najib said the development of Teluk Datai, with its pristine surrounding and beaches, was ideal to boost Langkawi's position as a premier tourist destination.

Under the plan, The Datai Lang-kawi hotel will expand to include 13 one-bedroom pool villas and one two-bedroom pool villa, while The Golf Club, Datai Bay, will be re-developed into an international golf course to host tournaments.

Najib said the construction of the villas was expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2012, while the golf course would be completed in the third quarter of the same year.

Also in the plan are a 300-room five-star resort, which will be jointly developed with Shangri-La Hotels, a six-star hotel and villas for sale.

Najib said the plan would boost leisure and tourist attractions at Teluk Datai, located northwest of Langkawi and facing the Andaman Sea, to strengthen the bay's position as an international tourist destination.

TDR plans to develop only a fifth of 598ha at Teluk Datai, while the rest, comprising 100,000-year-old rainforests, will be untouched.

TDR engaged Camco South East Asia Ltd (Camco SEA), in which Khazanah has a 5.3 per cent stake, to conduct a sustainability scoping study for the project.

Camco SEA, a green energy expert listed on the AIM London stock exchange, will also design a long-term strategy on rainforest conservation as well as explore opportunities for tie-ups with local partners to conserve land.

Khazanah, in July, acquired a 70 per cent stake in TDR, which owns The Datai Langkawi, The Golf Club and the 598ha at Teluk Datai.

The remaining 30 per cent is held by its founder, Tan Sri Razali Rahman, and Datuk Hassan Abas, through Archipelago Hotels (East) Sdn Bhd.

At the launch, TDR signed an agreement with Shangri-La Malaysia to set up a joint venture to develop the five-star resort. TDR will hold a 51 per cent stake in the company while Shangri-La Malaysia will hold the balance. Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd will manage the hotel.

Khazanah executive director (investment) Mohd Nadziruddin Mohd Basri said the development would create about 3,000 jobs.

He said the arrival of more tourists would create more jobs and opportunities for residents.

"We are positive about the project. The returns must be attractive for us to attract the private sector."

He said Khazanah was considering funding options for its investment, including equity partnership and bank borrowings.

Read more: RM1b for Teluk Datai project http://nst.com.my/nst/articles/4elang/Article/#ixzz17htZZyzn

AL :-
Its a good news for Langkawi folks. But how do government ensure that the Hotel will create jobs for local folks? If we see randomly throughout the Hotel in Langkawi most of the torism worker come from mainland. It is really crucial to really look into this & I hope this resort expansion really creates job opportunity to Langkawi folks..

LKIM Pohon Peruntukan RM2 Bilion Untuk Projek RMK-10

LANGKAWI, 17 Feb (Bernama) -- Lembaga Kemajuan Ikan Malaysia (LKIM) memohon peruntukan RM2 bilion bagi pelaksanaan pelbagai projek untuk nelayan dalam Rancangan Malaysia ke-10 (2011-2015). Ketua Pengarah LKIM Datuk Mustafa Ahmad Rabu berkata, pelbagai projek kemudahan nelayan seperti pembangunan usahawan, pembinaan jeti, pembinaan unjam dan pemprosesan hasil sumber perikanan adalah antara yang akan dilaksanakan.

Bagaimanapun, katanya, peruntukan itu bergantung kepada kedudukan kewangan kerajaan.Mengenai cadangan pembinaan jeti perkampungan nelayan Sungai Cenang di sini, Mustafa berkata, jeti itu akan memberi kemudahan kepada 250 nelayan. Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yang melawat ke perkampungan itu semalam mengumumkan peruntukan sebanyak RM7 juta untuk membina jeti di situ bagi memenuhi keperluan nelayan di kawasan tersebut.-- BERNAMA

Anaklangkawi :-
Apa cerita projek LKIM utk buat golf course kat simpang kat Shrimp.

Kedah masih belum sejahtera ~Kuala Chenang,

PENDEKATAN 'lawatan mesra' Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak membuahkan hasil lagi. Selepas Puduraya, Jalan Masjid India, UiTM, UIAM, Flat Bukit Sentosa dan Kampung Baru, kini tampaknya ratusan 'nelayan marhaen' dan keluarga mereka di Kuala Chenang, Langkawi, Kedah mendapat nikmat.

Meskipun dalam rangka percutian peribadi bersama keluarga, namun lawatan ramah mesra tanpa protokol, membuktikan bahawa gagasan 'Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan' bukan sekadar retorik kosong.

Hasil maklumat yang disampaikan oleh Timbalan Menteri Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani, Datuk Johari Baharom mengenai keperluan komuniti nelayan di kampung itu, maka impaknya sebanyak RM7 juta diluluskan segera bagi pembinaan pangkalan nelayan baru termasuk jeti pendaratan ikan. Ia diharap akan membolehkan aktiviti perikanan dipertingkatkan sekali gus menambah pendapatan dan memperbaiki kualiti hidup.

Sebagai rakyat Kedah, penulis berasa cukup malu kerana perihal rakyat negeri yang sepatutnya diketahui terlebih dahulu oleh kerajaan negeri akhirnya ditangani oleh pemimpin 'besar' negara di peringkat pusat.

Utusan

Anaklangkawi :-
Kelakar tgk tulisan yg mengatakan hasil maklumat Timbalan Menteri Pertanian .. Hahah..
Sedangkan yg bawak ke atas adalah pemimpin tempatan.

p/s: Kalau nak ambik nama pun pada2 laaa..

Quiet Affairs For Armed Forces During LIMA 2009

LANGKAWI, Dec 6 (Bernama) -- The just-concluded Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition (Lima 2009) proved to be a quiet affair for the armed forces, especially for the navy and air force. Due to the crunching impact of the global financial crisis, the government had had to slash its defence spending, forcing it to defer several major arms procurements.

One of the major deals that was expected to be sealed during this year's edition of Lima, but failed to materialise, involved the government's contract for the purchase of the Eurocopter EC-725 Cougar Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) helicopter.The goverment, according to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also the Finance Minister, needed to work out its financial capabilitity and affordability.

Bernama