Malaysia City 2012 Views

To all Malaysia City readers,

The original contents of Malaysia City will stay as it is, so readers can still leave comments and share info with other visitors, but I will temporarily stop updating this site.

The new website will continue to cover topics related to urban developments and socio-economic developments in Malaysia and around the world, as well as personal topics such as my friends, travels, lifestyle and other fun stuffs.

Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my readers here and I look forward to your return to the new website:

LONDON, 25 NOV: Malaysia’s long-haul budget carrier, AirAsia X, has announced that its London Stansted-Kuala Lumpur service will take off on March 11, 2009, with fares starting from as low as £99 or RM499 each way, with no fuel surcharge!

“Connecting London – Kuala Lumpur for £99″ : AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes and AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani reveals the London – Kuala Lumpur fare in a ceremony held at London’s County Hall.

AirAsia X cabin crew posing against the London Eye. The low-cost long-haul carrier affiliate of AirAsia announces its latest route connecting London and Kuala Lumpur in London on 25 Nov 2008.

AirAsia X cabin crew on top of a London double-decker bus that is wrapped with AirAsia and AirAsia X branding. AirAsia X, the low-cost long-haul carrier affiliate of AirAsia announces its latest route connecting London and Kuala Lumpur in London on 25 November 2008.

AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes (7th from left) and AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani with the airline’s cabin crew posing next to the London double-decker bus.

AirAsia Group CEO Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes has pledged to knock down the price to as low as £49 (RM271) once they increase the flight frequency to twice daily.

He said AirAsia X’s London-KL route was the realisation of a long-held ambition to open up affordable access between Malaysia and Europe for both Asean and European communities.

AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes (left) and AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani in London for the announcement of AirAsia X’s latest route connecting London and Kuala Lumpur. The launch was held London’s County Hall on 25 Nov 2008.

For the London sector, AirAsia X will use Airbus A340 for the five times weekly direct flights. All flights will use AirAsia’s X’s newly-purchased-and-delivered Airbus A340 planes which will have 286 economy and 30 premium seats.

AirAsia X cabin crew posing against the London Eye. The low-cost long-haul carrier affiliate of AirAsia announces its latest route connecting London and Kuala Lumpur in London.

Fernandes said bookings would start at midday London time today until November 30 for the travel period of March 11, 2009 to Oct 24, 2009.

AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani (left) and AirAsia Group CEO Dato’ Sri Tony Fernandes addressing the media in a press conference at London’s County Hall, after announcing the London – Kuala Lumpur route.

London would be AirAsia X’s 5th international destination after Gold Coast, Perth and Melbourne in Australia as well as Hangzhou in China. It’s affiliate AirAsia Group, which flies short-haul routes in Asia is the region’s first, largest and most profitable low-cost carrier.

The Palm Jumeirah is a Palm-shaped artificial island situated off the Jumeirah coast of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. It was entirely created using land reclaimation which will artificially create a total of 520km of beachline. It is also currently the world’s largest man-made island.

The Palm Jumeirah development started in 2001, and since then the concept has been duplicated with another two larger Palm Islands currently under development nearby – The Palm Jebel Ali and The Palm Deira.

The Palm Jumeirah land reclaimation was started in 2001.

The Palm Jumeirah consists of a trunk, a crown with 17 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island that forms an 11 kilometre long breakwater. The palm island’s total area is larger than 800 football pitches.

The crown is connected to the mainland by a 300-metre bridge and the crescent is connected to the top of the palm by a sub-sea tunnel.

The Palm Jumeirah in 2007.

Over the next few years, as the tourism phases develop, The Palm Jumeirah itself is touted to be one of the world’s premier holiday destination. It has also self-declared as the ’8th Wonder of the World’.

Besides Atlantis, The Trump and Palm Mall are iconic landmarks on Palm Jumeirah.

The Palm Jumeirah will feature themed boutique hotels, villa homes, resort-themed apartments, beaches, marinas, restaurants, cafés and a variety of retail outlets. Over 30 beachfront hotels will be opened as early as the end of 2009, including:

• The Trump International Hotel & Tower – 62-storey iconic tower [www.trumpdubai.com];
• Tiara Resort & Residence (to be known as Essque Hotel);
• The Taj Exotica Resort & Taj Grandeur Residences;
• Rixos’ Ottoman Palace Resort;
• Oceana Hotel & Luxury Apartments;
• Kempinski Emerald Palace & Residences;
• Radisson SAS Palm Jumeirah;
• The Kingdom of Sheba & The Fairmont Palm Residence;
• The Royal Amwaj & Movenpick Palm Jumeirah Resort;
• Dusit Thani Devarana Resort & Spa –> 7-star resort!;
• W Hotel Palm Jumeirah; etc.

The Atlantis on Palm Jumeirah under construction in 2006.

The Atlantis on Palm Jumeirah in August 2007.

Other attractions include:

• Two F-100 Sabre fighter jets have been stripped and sunk within The Palm Jumeirah to create an artificial reef, intended to encourage marine life.
• The world’s famous cruise liner Queen Elizabeth II will be rested here and transformed into a floating hotel beginning 2009. The cruise liner is due to arrive at The Palm Jumeirah on 26 November 2008.

The Palm Jumeirah on 1 November 2008_1.

The Palm Jumeirah on 1 November 2008_2.

The Palm Jumeirah Monorail is a 5.45km public transportation system currently being built to connect the Palm Jumeirah to the mainland, with a planned connection to Dubai Metro in the future. When open next year, it will be the first monorail in the region.

The Palm Jumeirah villas and signature homes_1.

The Palm Jumeirah villas and signature homes_2.

The No.1 landmark on The Palm Jumeirah is Atlantis, The Palm. The resort is managed by world renowned Kerzner International and modelled after its flagship resort – Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The resort consists of two towers linked by a bridge, with a total of approximately 1,540 rooms. The 630-acre land taken up by this resort alone is equivalent to 64 Wembley football pitches.

And the cost of one night in the Bridge Suite was reported to be USD$35,000.

The Atlantis on Palm Jumeirah also includes a large water theme park called “Aquaventure”, a dolphin bay and one of the world’s largest aquarium with 65,000 marine creatures (the world’s largest aquarium tank is in the recently opened The Dubai Mall). The water theme park major attraction is a waterslide called Leap of Faith that spits you out from the top of a faux-Mesopotamian temple called the Ziggurat!

The Palm Jumeirah sub-sea tunnel and The Atlantis, which is still under construction in June 2008.

The Atlantis was finally completed in September 2008.

There was no evidence of the global financial crisis as tycoons and celebrities streamed into Dubai on the night of 20 November for the world’s most expensive private party of 2,500 invited guests.

Having spent £1 billion, the owners of the Atlantis hotel, which they hope will become the new symbol of excess in a region already replete with towering statements of wealth, splashed out £13.5 million on its debut.

One of the most spectacular party in 2008, but least known by common people.

The opening party was incredibly spectacular. It has been said to have been the world’s biggest firework display, a milion rocket firework display with 100 computer-guided rockets makes it 7 times bigger than the opening of Beijing Olympics, which is the largest firework display till last night.

See it for yourself below:

It was also celebrated in the grandest fashion with the presence of Western celebrities, including:

Kylie Minogue, Lindsay Lohan, Michael Jordan, Bob Geldof, Robert De Niro, Janet Jackson, Charlize Theron, Denzil Washington, Chris Tucker, Mary Kate Olsen, Wesley Snipes, Quincy Jones, Natalie Imbruglia, Gerald Butler, Stuart Townsend, Agyness Deyn, Petra Nemcova, Yasmin Le Bon, Lilly Allen, Mischa Barton, Shirley Bassey, Samantha Ronson, Jermaine Dupri, Daisy Lowe, Jade Jagger amongst others.

The lit up Atlantis on Palm Jumeirah Dubai.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was the luckiest person at the party when he bagged the most exclusive suite stay, while Bollywood girl and former Miss World Priyanka Chopra was named the “Goddess of Atlantis”.

Also present at the party was HRH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum and the royal family of Dubai, Sarah Ferguson – the Duchess of York, local politicians, local celebrities, billion-dollar tycoons Sol Kerzner and Richard Branson, celebrity chefs and fashion designers.

The Atlantis is Rising! Source: spiegel.de

The greatest fireworks ever was reported to be visible from space. How cool is that?

The Palm Jumeirah spectacular fireworks launch on 20 November 2008.

Lego theme park for Johor

The Straits Times/The Malaysian Insider

JOHOR BARU, Nov 21 – Lego, the Danish manufacturer of toy building blocks, is close to concluding a deal to build a theme park in Johor.

State authorities familiar with the project said a breakthrough in negotiations were proceeding well and preliminary works on “Legoland Malaysia” could start as early as June next year.

The project, to be sited on some 400 acres of land off Danga Bay, is expected to entail an initial investment of under RM1 billion.

Lego now operates theme parks in Denmark, Britain, the United States, Germany and Dubai. The theme parks, built entirely from building blocks, are targeted at young families and include the whole gamut of exciting roller coaster rides and a variety of other attractions.

Iskandar Investment Bhd (IIB), the investment arm of Iskandar Malaysia, is expected to be the local partner in the project. Speaking in Dubai last month, IIB managing director Arlida Ariff said that as many as three theme parks were being considered in Iskandar Malaysia.

It is learnt besides Lego, IIB is also pursing talks with Universal Studios and Disney Tokyo.

The plan is to have a core theme park covering 600 to 800 acres, and a few smaller theme parks of 50 to 100 acres each. Some 3,000 acres have been set aside for theme parks, including supporting commercial developments, in Iskandar Malaysia.

Discussions are for park operators to take up a stake in the theme parks so that they can have a long-term interest in these ventures.