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Tag: Malaysia

  • Petron to start $20B oil refinery in early 2018

    Petron to start $20B oil refinery in early 2018

    Petron, the country’s biggest oil refiner and retailer, has partnered with two foreign firms to start building a new oil refinery worth $15 million to $20 billion by early 2018.

    “This is the biggest investment in the Philippine history so far. Have you seen a plant that is worth that much?” Ramon Ang, president and chief executive officer of Petron, said in a media roundtable in Pasig City.

    Ang said the oil refinery will mainly produce petrochemicals, with a capacity of 250,000 barrels per day. “It will process petrochemical and by-products.”

    “Right now, we have a target location and we are in the process of acquiring or doing a lease or a joint venture agreement with the land owners. A new oil refinery project with this size requires at least 2,000 hectares and a deep sea port,” Ang told reporters.

    The chief of Petron said he cannot reveal yet the location and the names of his partners as the project has yet to secure government approvals.

    “We have to wait for ECC (environmental compliance certificate) and other government approvals. We may start early next year, once the partners agree on equity. Financing is huge, we have to process it in different countries,” Ang said in Filipino.

    He said the construction period for the greenfield project will take two to 3 years. Ang said his group is looking at 30% equity and 70% loan for the financing of the project.

    “World market potential for petrochemical is very very high, so we are gearing for that,” Ang said.

    Expansion in Malaysia, Philippines

    Other than its greenfield project, Ang said Petron plans to earmark a spending budget of another $2 billion to expand its plants in Bataan and Malaysia.

    He said Petron plans to spend at least $1.5 billion to expand the capacity of its oil refinery in Malaysia to 150,000 barrels a day from 88,000 barrels a day. Petron also plans to spend about $500 million to upgrade its refinery in Bataan.

    “Right now, Malaysian investment contributes about 25% of our revenue. It will only grow if we invest in the Malaysian refinery upgrade. Otherwise, it is just like buy and sell. So, the Malaysian refinery, we have to upgrade. At the moment, we are finalizing the study to do the upgrade,” Ang told reporters.

    He said the Malaysian market is promising, with about 25 million population, consuming around 600,000 barrels a day.

    Petron acquired in 2011 Esso Malaysia’s Port Dickson refinery and fuel retail network in Malaysia.

    Meanwhile, the Petron Bataan Refinery is the country’s largest integrated crude oil refinery and petrochemicals complex. Inaugurated in 1961 with a capacity of 25,000 barrels per day, it has grown to its current rated capacity of 180,000 barrels-per-day.

    “Bataan upgrade will start within the next two months. If you notice, during the time of the government, they already know how to do oil refinery upgrade… it is just that the investment is too big. For us, this is where we are strong at,” Ang said.

    Petron registered a net income of P5.6 billion in the first quarter of 2017, doubling the P2.8 billion it posted for the same period last year.

    Combined volumes from the Philippines and Malaysia were 3% higher at 26.2 million barrels. 

    Domestic retail segment volumes grew 6%, with LPG and lubricants growing 5% and 16%, respectively. 

    Petrochemical export volumes also more than doubled. Petron Malaysia’s commercial and lubcricants sectors also posted double-digit growth.

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  • Shop at Lazada, pay at 7-Eleven

    Shop at Lazada, pay at 7-Eleven

    Convenience store chain 7-Eleven Malaysia is now offering Lazada Malaysia offline payment services at its stores nationwide via its partnership with MOLPay.

    As the leading convenience store in the country, 7-Eleven is continuously making its way up by enhancing customers’ shopping experience and has added Lazada offline payment to its services.

    “It is clear that our main intention is to always remain number one and in order to do so, we are trying our best to give the best experience in true convenience to our customers,” said 7-Eleven Malaysia chief executive officer Gary Brown at the official launch of Lazada Offline Payment at Berjaya Times Square Hotel.

    With the new service, 7-Eleven Malaysia now allows customers to confirm orders from Lazada and proceed to checkout with 7-Eleven as the preferred payment option.

    Transactions can be completed by presenting a printed slip or SMS code of the online purchases to the cashier at any 7-Eleven stores nationwide.

    “The partnership is a strategic fit, benefiting both 7-Eleven and MOLPay’s individual strength.

    “This is also an alternative payment option for our online shoppers, enabling them to shop for over 12 million items that are available on our website and paying over the counter at any 7-Eleven stores nationwide,” said Lazada Malaysia chief executive officer Hans Peter Ressel.

    The aim of the new experience is to fulfil customer’s expectation and provide them with the best convenience possible.

    “As Malaysia still has a considerable number of people who do not have digital banking or have limited access to digital banking, this provides the flexibility in ensuring all households and businesses have access to Malaysia’s digital economy regardless of their income level,” said MOLPay chief executive officer Eng Sheng Guan.

    As the first free-standing convenience store chain in the country to provide such payment services, it aims to reach customers in the non-urban areas such as the east coast and Sabah and Sarawak.

    The newly introduced experience will also ease the process of online purchases as payment can be made offline, 24 hours and seven days a week.

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  • Malaysia Airlines Extends Cooperation With AFI KLM E&M

    Malaysia Airlines Extends Cooperation With AFI KLM E&M

    Malaysia Airlines has decided to extend its long-running component support contract with AFI KLM E&M covering its fleet of Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft. The initial agreement was intended to cover 35 aircraft. The support provided by AFI KLM E&M today covers 54 aircraft and will involve a wider range of Part Numbers (P/N). The Malaysian Carrier has also extended the contract duration for the coming years.

    The component support solutions supplied to Malaysia Airlines are implemented via the Component Services Program (CSP) operated jointly by AFI KLM E&M and Boeing. Services include component repair and access to the local and main AFI KLM E&M spares pools located respectively in Kuala Lumpur and Amsterdam.
    The high quality of CSP, which combines the complementary expertise of an Airline MRO and the Airframer, along with the component availability solutions deployed in close proximity to the Malaysia Airlines facilities, have hitherto given the airline complete satisfaction.

    Paul Kear, Technical Director Malaysia Airlines, said: “The support implemented by AFI KLM E&M for our fleet of 737-800s stands out both for its service quality and its responsiveness. The Group has deployed tailored solutions, guaranteeing our operational continuity, so it was a logical decision to extend our cooperation.”

    Ton Dortmans, Executive Vice President KLM E&M, added: “We are delighted to see that Malaysia Airlines has maintained and even extended its trust in AFI KLM E&M services. This testifies to the quality of our services and foregrounds our ability to provide services backed by a global logistics network built around local facilities on our clients’ doorsteps.”

  • Malaysia Airlines closes Kuala Lumpur lounges for upgrades

    Malaysia Airlines closes Kuala Lumpur lounges for upgrades

    Malaysia Airlines is temporarily closing two of its home hub lounges in Kuala Lumpur as it completes extensive refurbishment works to breathe new life into the spaces.

    MAS’ regional Golden Lounge in KLIA’s Main Terminal is up first – primarily used by passengers on shorter international flights such as to Singapore – closing its doors from May 12 until August 15 2017, with eligible passengers instead directed to the airport’s Satellite Terminal for lounge access.

    There, business class guests and Oneworld Sapphire/Emerald frequent flyers (including Qantas Gold and Platinum cardholders) can choose to visit either Malaysia Airlines’ international Golden Lounge (open 24 hours) or the Malaysia Airport CIP Lounge near gates 31-37 (open 6am-10am and then 6pm-10pm).

    Under Oneworld’s lounge access rules, a third option is also available in the Cathay Pacific First and Business Class Lounge: again found in the Satellite Terminal, which is accessible from the Main Terminal via Aerotrain.

    Malaysia Airlines’ domestic Golden Lounge will also be shuttered from June 2 until August 15 2017, but as these passengers cannot access the airport’s international departures area where the other lounges are located, a temporary lounge space will be created at gate B3.

    There, lounge-eligible travellers will find light refreshments available along with dedicated seating, wireless Internet, newspapers, magazines and flight information screens.

    Toilets, showers and prayer rooms won’t be offered within this temporary space, although the nearest restrooms can be found just outside the gate area, with the closest prayer room aside the Malaysia Airlines Gate A transfer desk.

    Refurbishments to these lounges were originally due for completion by “late 2016”, being approximately eight months behind schedule.

    Qantas partner Malaysia Airlines will reinvigorate its business class and first class airport lounges in Kuala Lumpur and at London’s Heathrow Airport over the coming year with an all-new design and premium amenities for business and high-end leisure travellers.

    Central to the Golden Lounge upgrades are new demonstration kitchens, where chefs will whip up Malaysian and international gourmet dishes while interacting with guests and customising meals to their personal tastes.

    Joining that is a “bistro service” in the business lounges and a revamped fine dining experience in the Kuala Lumpur first class lounge, with all locations also receiving faster wireless Internet and additional universal power sockets, allowing visitors to easily recharge their devices without an adaptor.

    Adopting a design created by internationally-renowned firm Duoz – the same company behind the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur and the Marriott Sydney Harbour at Circular Quay – guests will notice patches of greenery for a touch of colour throughout.

    “Delivering a holistic experience for our guests which starts from the lounge lies at the heart of the redesign,” said Malaysia Airlines’ CCO Paul Simmons.

    “We want the space to encapsulate the richness of travel with the airline, a luxurious contemporary Malaysian style that our guests will be able to experience when they enter any Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge around the world,” Simmons added.

    Malaysia Airlines’ regional and domestic lounges at Kuala Lumpur will be first with the new design and amenities by late 2016, followed by the international business and first class lounges in the KLIA Satellite terminal and also the airline’s London Heathrow lounge in mid-2017.

    The carrier’s ambitious lounge overhaul follows the debut of all-new business class seats on Malaysia Airlines’ Airbus A330 flights between Australia and Kuala Lumpur, with the fully-flat seats fitted to all MH A330s by late September this year.

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  • Sunway Reit Advocates For Clean Air

    Sunway Reit Advocates For Clean Air

    Sunway Real Estate Investment Trust (Sunway REIT or Trust), one of the largest retail-focused real estate investment trusts (REITs) in Malaysia, has embarked on a sustainability campaign, “Clean Air – A Smoke Free Environment Project” at Sunway REIT’s flagship asset, Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall.

    As part of the effort, three local artists who have been internationally-recognised for their murals and installations – Kenji Chai, Caryn Koh and Louise Low – came together to support the campaign and create public awareness on smoking hazards. Each of them had put their imagination to work and created wall murals which uniquely expressed their hopes and wishes for cleaner air on three exterior walls around Sunway Pyramid.

    CEO of Sunway REIT, Dato’ Jeffrey Ng Tiong Lip, said, “We would like to encourage the public to come join us in this journey to make Sunway City Malaysia the first sustainable and smoke-free city by 2018 where all Sunway-owned premises within the township will be declared smoke-free. We hope that the beauty of these masterpieces will discourage smoking in those areas and inspire our community to help us clear the air of cigarette-smoke for the 200,000 people, including 40,000 students, who reside within the city,” he said.

    Sunway City has transformed from a tin-mining wasteland into Malaysia’s first fully-integrated green township as accredited by Green Building Index, and the nation’s first low-carbon city as awarded by the Malaysian Institute of Planners. Sunway City is the first smart sustainable city in Malaysia driven by a private corporation.

    In 2013, Sunway Group’s Founder and Chairman, Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, roadmapped a five-year plan to culminate in 2018, where all Sunway-owned premises would be 100% smoke-free. Over the years, in the first and second phases of the roadmap, the Sunway Group have partnered up with various government agencies including the Ministry of Health and My Sihat as well as the World Health Organisation towards realising the vision of a smoke-free nation.

    To-date, Sunway City has gazetted six premises within the City, namely Monash University, Sunway University, Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa, Sunway Pyramid Hotel and Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall as smoke-free zones. Sunway City is working to gazette the Menara Sunway and The Pinnacle to be smoke-free as well.

    In support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 : Sustainable Cities and Communities, Sunway City is intensifying its efforts through various initiatives which will set the blueprint for future smart cities in Malaysia and the ASEAN region.

    Sunway Group is committed to the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and creates positive and long-term impact on its economy, environment and society through #sunwayforgood programmes. For more information, please follow Sunway Group’s Facebook page

    During the duration of the campaign, from 8 May 2017 to 30 June 2018, members of the public are also invited to sign up for the fully-sponsored Sunway REIT Smoking Cessation Programme which is supported by Sunway Medical Centre and Johnson and Johnson. Participants will receive free active behavioural counselling by Sunway Medical Centre’s professionals who are committed to bring participants through their smoking cessation journey. The pilot run of the project is open to 250 participants.

    For the first week of the campaign, 8 May 2017 to 14 May 2017, Sunway REIT will also be conducting various activities for the public at the LG2 Orange Avenue, Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall. Shoppers can drop by for complimentary consultations for a smoking cessation programme and smokerlyzer tests. Consultation sessions will be held from 11.30 am – 2.30 pm from Monday to Friday and 11.30 am – 3.30 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

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  • AirAsia, Tourism Malaysia team up to promote tourism

    AirAsia, Tourism Malaysia team up to promote tourism

    AirAsia and Tourism Malaysia are teaming up to attract tourists to Malaysia under a two-year agreement.

    In a statement, the low-cost airline said they would focus on developing activities to promote the country to all 10 Asean countries, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Australia and New Zealand.

    The agreement will include efforts in terms of brand advertising, promotional activities and campaigns; familiarisation trip for consumer, trade, media, travel agencies to Malaysia; synergy in planning between tourism development and air transportation to provide better connectivity; market intelligence sharing and assistance for developing the tourism sector; and joint roadshows between both parties to market Malaysia to trade partners.

    In conjunction with this partnership, AirAsia is offering a 5% special discount on top of all existing promotions exclusively for UnionPay cardholders.

    This discount is available for booking starting now until July 4, 2017, with travel period from May 5, 2017, to June 5 2018.

    AirAsia and Tourism Malaysia signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the partnership on Wednesday in Shanghai.

    Tourism Malaysia was represented by its deputy director general (promotion) Datuk Seri Abdul Khani Daud and AirAsia Bhd by its head of commercial Spencer Lee.

    The signing ceremony was witnessed by Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, who was in Shanghai to lead Malaysia’s participation at the inaugural ITB China travel trade fair at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre.

    “Connectivity is the heart of tourism, and this partnership between Tourism Malaysia and AirAsia will combine our marketing efforts, resulting in a stronger awareness and branding for Malaysia as a tourist destination,” Abdul Khani said.

    “We look forward to stronger customer demand and confidence in Malaysia as an ideal holiday destination.”

    Lee said AirAsia looked forward to work closely with Tourism Malaysia to provide travellers with better connectivity into and within Malaysia while allowing them to travel from one destination to another seamlessly.

    “Through this partnership, we aim to generate wide awareness and publicity on Malaysia as a preferred leisure and business destination, and boost the country’s tourist arrivals and receipts. This effort is in line with the national objectives, as seen through the newly implemented e-visa entry for China and India, making tourist entry into Malaysia easier and convenient,” he said.

    It has been reported that the Tourism and Culture Ministry faced financial constraints, with its advertising and promotion budget being slashed year after year over the last few years. The budget last year was RM167mil, down about 40% from 2012.

    In April, Parliament passed a bill to introduce a tourism tax, which is expected to provide a sustainable fund every year to develop the tourism industry.

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  • Geox opens fourth store in Kuala Lumpur

    Geox opens fourth store in Kuala Lumpur

    Geox is expanding its international footprint with the opening of a new store in Kuala Lumpur. The 110 sq mt space launched at Pavilion shopping centre, which attracts more than 30 million visitors a year.

    The new location joins seven further shops across Malaysia. The Italian footwear brand has three stores in Kuala Lumpur and 19 concessions in the country’s leading department stores.

    The brand’s full shoe collections, known for their patented systems, will be available in the new Pavilion store including children’s shoes. The store will also showcase Geox’ men’s and women’s clothing lines.

    Geox has made innovation a key part of its brand identity and boasts of over 60 different patents registered in Italy and extended internationally.

    Geox has currently a retail presence in 110 countries and is stocked in more than 1,161 standalone stores and 10,000 multi-brand retailers.

    The group has recently appointed Gregorio Borgo as its new CEO. The company’s consolidated net sales for 2016 increased by 3% to 900.8 million euros.

  • McDonald’s Malaysia to double store presence

    McDonald’s Malaysia to double store presence

    McDonald’s Malaysia will expand its store stable over the next nine years, taking its current store total to 450 by 2025.

    The fast-food operator will invest 1.4 billion ringgit (US$317 million) to facilitate an almost doubling of store numbers in Malaysia.

    According to a press release, some 363 million ringgit will be used to open 33 new restaurants and refurbish 86 existing outlets by 2019, in an “aggressive three-year accelerated growth plan.”

    In addition, more than sixty per cent of outlets will have a drive-thru service, increasing consumer “convenience, anytime anywhere,” Azmir Jaafar, McDonald’s Malaysia managing director, told reporters.

    McDonald’s Malaysia also plans to open more McCafes, and launch mobile app-enabled delivery and 24-hour stores — slated for urban areas and on busy roadsides.

    The retail shakeup comes just 100 days after Lionhorn, part of Saudi Arabia’s Reza Investment Company, acquired the American restaurant’s franchise license to operate 400 McDonald’s outlets in Malaysia and Singapore.

    At the time, McDonald’s hailed the venture as positive with more flexibility for accessing capital, and more streamline decision making for business growth.

    As part of McDonald’s turnaround plan announced in May 2015, it was committed to refranchising 4,000 restaurants by end-2018 with the long-term goal of becoming 95% franchised. McDonald’s has now refranchised about 1,300 restaurants.

    U.S.-based McDonald’s shift to Developmental Licensee ownership in Malaysia has further allowed local market stores to create products for local consumption.

    Product customisation, coupled with McDonald’s burger icons, resulted in double-digit growth for McDonald’s Malaysia last year. Same-store sales surged 16% year on year in 2016, driven the Big Mac and the “Great Value” hamburger products.

    Looking forward, the fast-food operator projects double-digit growth for 2017 in Malaysia. It currently boasts a network of 262 restaurants and 12,000 employees and served 13.5 million customers monthly.

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  • AirAsia to fly directly from Kuching to Pontianak

    AirAsia to fly directly from Kuching to Pontianak

    AirAsia will now fly to Pontianak, Indonesia, from Kuching with direct daily flights starting June 5.

    This marks AirAsia’s 10 route from Kuching and the airline’s second route from Malaysia into Pontianak.

    “We are excited to launch our second international flight from Kuching, which will further grow our connectivity between Malaysia and Indonesia for all our guests.

    “Pontianak offers a unique experience for travellers with it being one of the 12 cities that straddle the Equator,” said its head of commercial Spencer Lee in a statement.

    “We are confident this new route will contribute to the five million tourists target for Sarawak this year aside from boosting the local economy and trade sector,” he added.

    In celebration of the new route, travellers can look forward to all-in-fares from RM89 one-way, which are available from now until April 2, 2017 for the travel period from June 5 to Sept 30 this year.

    AirAsia BIG members who book during the promotion period can also earn two times AirAsia BIG points on the base fare.

    As the capital city of West Kalimantan, Indonesia, Pontianak is also known as Kota Khatulistiwa (Equator City) for being the only city in the world situated right on the Equator that divides the northern and southern hemispheres.

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  • Singapore establishes data science consortium

    Singapore establishes data science consortium

    Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF) will set up the Singapore Data Science Consortium, a national partnership that aims to improve strengths in data science and analytics.

    The consortium includes the National University Singapore (NUS), the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the Singapore Management University (SMU) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

    The consortium will strengthen collaborative research between institutes of higher learning, research institutes and industry in data science R&D, with the aim of facilitating industry adoption of the latest data science and analytics technologies to address real-world challenges. It will also train Singapore’s pipeline of talents with data science capabilities.

    The consortium will help the industry to identify and shape their data science problem statements, match companies to potential R&D partners, and conduct industry engagement events and workshops, in order to facilitate adoption and commercialization of data science technologies.

    Companies in six sectors will be engaged – finance, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, logistics and transport. Through the consortium, companies will be able access the latest data science technologies and expertise from academia, access publicly-funded intellectual property to develop new products and services, or create solutions to existing market challenges.

    Data has been identified as a significant growth multiplier for Singapore. Regionally, more than 50% of Southeast Asia’s data centers are located in Singapore. The ability to analyze complex data and predict relationships will build on Singapore’s existing strengths, creating data-driven solutions that can improve the lives of citizens or build products and services for regional or global markets.

    “The Singapore Data Science Consortium will build stronger public-private R&D collaboration by bringing together the key stakeholders – public agencies, data scientists and companies – in the data science ecosystem to realize innovation from the knowledge generated by our research efforts,” NRF CEO professor Low Teck Seng said.

    “It is through this synergy that we create solutions that have direct relevance to meeting industry needs or in addressing our national challenges.”

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  • Axiata to lease capacity on IPSTAR-1 for Indonesia

    Axiata to lease capacity on IPSTAR-1 for Indonesia

    Malaysia’s Axiata Group has signed a four-year agreement to lease capacity over Thaicom’s IPSTAR-1 satellite for the provision of broadband services in Indonesia.

    Subsidiary Axiata Business Services will purchase the remaining capacity on the broadband satellite, located at 119.5° east.

    Thaicom’s IPSTAR unit will provide multi-transponder 1Gbps high throughput satellite (HTS) capacity under the contract.

    As well as direct home and enterprise broadband access, Axiata plans to use the capacity for mobile backhaul.

    “We are leveraging on Thaicom’s capabilities in Asia to grow our enterprise business quickly and flexibly while providing reliable broadband services to all potential customers regardless of location,” said Axiata group chief business operations officer Asri Hassan Sabri said.

    “Where terrestrial-based connectivity is limited or unavailable, HTS connectivity serves as an enabler to unlock the digital ecosystem for new market opportunities… Thaicom’s IPSTAR helps us to connect users in remote and underserved areas of Indonesia cost-effectively. We are confident that the partnership will enable us to continue to grow our business faster without infrastructure limitations.”

    IPSTAR-1, also known as THAICOM-4, was the first HTS satellite launched worldwide in 2005, with a capacity of 45Gbps. It includes 87 Ku-band transponders and 10 Ka-band transponders.

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  • Chopard Malaysia reopens Suria KLCC store

    Chopard Malaysia reopens Suria KLCC store

    Chopard Malaysia has reopened its store in Kuala Lumpur, showcasing a refurbished space in Suria KLCC.

    Located on the ground floor of the shopping mall, the boutique is one of three Malaysian stores for the high-end Swiss jeweller, with the other two located in the Starhill Gallery and Pavilion KL.

    Upon entry, a display island sits in the centre of the boutique, crowned by a chandelier, hanging over the cabinet. The new store, which features mid-century wooden colours and diamond-y white lights, is sectioned by both men’s and women’s corners of the store.

    The updated store returns with Chopard’s classic pieces such as Happy Diamonds and Happy Sport, featured alongside the newest Chopard collections, Happy Dreams. The latter is a classy interpretation of cloud shapes, accentuated with diamonds and mother-of-pearl.

    His Excellency the Ambassador of Switzerland Michael Winzap attended the store reopening, alongside Francis Tan, COO of Suria KLCC, and Chopard Malaysia’s general manager Karen Teh.

    Suria KLCC is Malaysia’s premier shopping destination located at Kuala Lumpur prestigious commercial address, the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC). Set over six levels, it offers an array of goods and services including fashion, food and entertainment.

    Chopard was founded some 160 years ago and remains as one of the last jewellery and watchmakers to be family owned. It is currently helmed by siblings and co-presidents Karl-Friedrich and Caroline Scheufele.

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  • DHL launches e-commerce services in Malaysia

    DHL launches e-commerce services in Malaysia

    DHL e-Commerce has launched its domestic delivery operations in Malaysia, as online shopping gets set to grow rapidly in the Asian nation.

    The investment, from the German-based division of global logistics company Deutsche Post DHL Group, includes a 48,000-square foot distribution centre in Puchong, depots in other critical urban areas such as Penang, Johor Bahru, Cheras and Puchong, and a fleet of 2-wheel and 4-wheel vehicles.

    According to a press release, DHL’s end-to-end domestic delivery solutions will offer pick-up services, track and trace, reverse logistics, cash on delivery with daily remittance and call centre capabilities for deliveries within Malaysia. DHL aims to provide timely delivery and predictive, secure delivery, it said in a statement.

    “E-commerce has become a way of life for Malaysians, with 47% already using their smartphones to shop online,” said Malcolm Monteiro, CEO, Asia Pacific, DHL e-Commerce.

    “Approximately 7 million are already shopping online every month, and with the industry expected to grow to €1bn by 2020 in Malaysia and globally to $1trn in the same year, businesses need high-quality logistics solutions to leverage this immense growth and meet the rapidly changing needs of online shoppers. This makes the need for a tailored e-commerce delivery service greater than ever before.”

    The Malaysian government has more recently been driving e-commerce growth through schemes such as the National E-commerce Strategic Roadmap and the new Digital Free Trade Zone, added Monteiro.
    “Logistics is a key component of this ecosystem, and e-commerce is a vital component of the growth agenda, so we will continue to invest in e-commerce here and worldwide,” he said.

    The Malaysia debut comes as DHL continues to expand its reach in Asia. In March, the company opened a new Fulfillment Centre in Hong Kong, adding to its global fulfillment network in U.S, Mexico, India, Europe and Australia.

    Elsewhere, in December 2016, the firm launched DHL Express Thailand, in a bid to capitalise on the nation’s growing e-commerce business.

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  • More AirAsia flights take off from secondary hub

    More AirAsia flights take off from secondary hub

    AirAsia has unveiled more domestic routes from its secondary hubs in Malaysia as well as several new connections to China and India launching this year.

    The Malaysian LCC commenced a Kuala Lumpur-Bhubaneswar (India) flight on April 26, the first international airline to fly into the east Indian city and capital of Odisha, which Malaysian agents expect to spur FIT demand.

    “Prior to the opening of this route, travellers from Bhubaneswar and surrounding areas would have to take flights from Chennai, Mumbai or Kolkata to travel to Malaysia,” A Aruldas, managing director of Tourland Travel, said. “The new flights are also timely with Malaysia’s relaxation of the visa facility for Indian tourists.”

    Come August 9, AirAsia will begin a thrice-weekly service connecting Langkawi to Shenzhen for the first time and four-times weekly flights between Langkawi and Kuching that same day.

    Other new domestic routes include the inaugural Johor Bahru-Langkawi service launched since April 28, in addition to the upcoming Johor Bahru-Kuala Terengganu flights commencing June 22.

  • AirAsia to launch daily flights between Bhubaneswar and Kuala Lumpur soon

    After the successful launch of first direct international flight operation between Bhubaneswar and Kuala Lumpur, AirAsia on Thursday announced to start daily flights between the two destinations soon. The Malaysia-based low-cost airlines will also start flights to enhance domestic connectivity between Bhubaneswar and other Indian cities, said CEO of the airlines, Aireen Omar.

    “We are really overwhelmed with the response we got for launching operations in this latest exclusive direct route between Bhubaneswar and Kuala Lumpur. If the response will continue then we may soon enhance the frequency from four times in a week to daily,” Omar said media persons here. The direct flight will facilitate business and leisure trips not only to Malaysia, but seamlessly connect Odisha with 21 destinations in Asia and over 120 destinations in 24 countries across South East Asia.

    “As a group, India is an important market for us and with the launch of this new route, we show our commitment towards enhancing our connectivity in the country. AirAsia India will soon start domestic flights to increase connectivity between Bhubaneswar with other Indian cities,” she said.

    The airline has also plans to start operation between Bhubaneswar and Bangkok soon, official sources said. “Since we started booking passengers have booked tickets from countries including Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand. In view of the trend we may start direct flights to more destinations from Bhubaneswar,” she said. Describing the tie-up with Odisha government as the beginning of a strategic partnership, she said “Odisha has so much to offer as a tourist destination.

    Our aim is to showcase the unique state to the world and we are committed to build Odisha as a top holiday destination. With AirAsia group’s everyday low fares will be the catalyst in realizing the local market here further enhancing socio-economic developments in the region.”

     Earlier in the day a team of delegates including Malaysia High Commissioner in Malaysia Dato’ Hidayat Abdul Hamid, senior director Tourism Malaysia Datuk Zainuddin had visited the chief minister Naveen Patnaik. “The flight service will certainly enhance the ties between the two countries. We have a long history of cultural and trade ties and th ese relations will go stronger by the day,” said Dato’ Hidayat Abdul Hamid. her tourism minister Ashok Chandra Panda, tourism secretary Arti Ahuja, tourism director Nitin Jawale and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
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