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| Malaysia sees homestay growth in Australia Posted: 08 Nov 2011 10:43 PM PST MELBOURNE: Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit says the Malaysian homestay market has not reached its potential among Australians and there is significant opportunity for growth with more promotion and product development. "Australians are showing increasing interest in immersive tourism experiences that allow for an authentic cultural interaction and our homestay products in Malaysia offer this," he said at the four-day 2011 Global EcoConference which began in Sydney on Monday. "We have also noticed that homestay products which are near a national park and include nature-based experiences are proving most popular, particularly with Australians," Dr Mamit said, adding: "We want to facilitate the developmentof these types of products to create a `community-based eco-tourism' offering."
Dr Mamit said to increase homestays' appeal, Tourism Malaysia plans to forge strategic alliances between homestay providers and reputable ecotourism operators so that more homestays include nature-based activities and ecotourism experiences. The Deputy Minister said Tourism Malayia is also developing stand-alone community-based eco-tourism destinations to help local communities createtourism products showcasing the local environment.
"Some mass tourism operators lay claim to the ecotourism label but do not necessarily ensure that the environment is protected. "By encouraging eco-tourism activities that are community run we can ensure that local communities directly benefit from the environment and are therefore stimulated to protect it," Dr Mamit said.
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| Four drug mules busted in KLIA Posted: 08 Nov 2011 10:28 PM PST 2011/11/09 SEPANG: Four drug mules were detained in 24 hours last weekend, after their attempts to smuggle RM2.3 million worth of drugs through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport here, were botched by the Customs Department. The men aged between 19 and 53, including a local youth and two Europeans, are being remanded for seven days to facilitate investigations. KLIA Customs Department director Datuk M Govinden said the youth, who just arrived from Hong Kong, was detained about 1.30pm on Saturday after checks using bags scanner machine showed suspicious items in his luggage.
"The drugs were estimated to be worth about RM102,600," he told reporters at the department's office in KLIA here. He said two Cyprus nationals, aged 42 and 53, were detained about 10.30pm on the same day after they tried to smuggle 8.5kg methampethamine in their luggages.
"However, their suspicious action gave them away. Our plainclothed officers saw them hanging around watching the movement of authorities, before one of them took one of the bags and headed to the exit point. "The officers put his bag in the scanner machine, but could not see anything suspicious. A 100 per cent check was then conducted before they found the special compartment. Hidden in it was about 4.25kg of crystal powder, believed to be methampethamine worth RM1.06 million," he said.
However, his tactics could not fool the authorities after checks on his flight ticket found that he came with a luggage. Checks on the bag also found the same amount of drugs hidden in the concealed compartment. "The third case involves a Nigerian national, who just arrived from Bangkok, Thailand. He was detained about 12.05am on Sunday after the scanner machine showed suspicious items concealed in his bag. "Checks found about 0.35kg of white crystal powder, believed to be methampethamine, worth RM87,500 in the bag," he said. He said the trend of drugs syndicate lately is worrying as mules were sent from different countries, unlike previous cases.
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