Racing against time

Racing against time

Racing against time

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 09:01 AM PDT

IT'S a race against time as search-and-recovery crews scramble to get the Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Ocean Shield to the search area to look for Malaysia Airlines' flight MH370's "pinger" on its flight data recorder before its battery runs out.

Once the battery is out of juice, any hope of finding the missing airliner is as good as gone.

Ocean Shield was scheduled to have been mated with the United States Navy's towed pinger locator (TPL-25) and the Bluefin-21 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) in here two days ago, but the ship's arrival from Sydney was delayed due to unforgiving weather conditions.

The battery on the flight data recorder normally lasts a month. However, while the pinger is certified for 30 days, it could last up to 15 days longer, say experts.

An Australian Maritime and Safety Authority (AMSA) spokesman told the New Straits Times that ADV Ocean Shield was scheduled to depart Perth yesterday and head to the search area "at flank speed", with the pinger locator and AUV on board.

The pinger locator will be towed behind the Ocean Shield and can detect the acoustic pulses from the locator beacons. The returns will be analysed and once there is evidence of a wreckage on the ocean floor, the unmanned AUV will be deployed to investigate.

Packed with cameras and video equipment, Bluefin-21 uses active sonar to locate underwater wreckage and will provide the initial confirmation of MH370's final resting place.

Yesterday, despite not having any respite from the foul weather, SAR planes continued to take off from Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base Pearce in their hunt for MH370.

Also taking part was a Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules of the Royal Malaysian Air Force's No. 20 Squadron.

Initially tasked with just flying a familiarisation hop, the crew, under the leadership of detachment commander Major Jafri Mohammad Suboh, received early clearance to take part in the mission.

Only one RMAF C-130 Hercules was sortied out yesterday, under the command of Major Mohd Anuar Ahmad. The aircraft launched at 11am to join the nine other airplanes from six other countries tasked with finding the Boeing 777-200ER.

The other RMAF Hercules was placed on routine stand down.

Today, the two aircraft are scheduled to conduct missions. One aircraft is scheduled to depart at 9am, and the other 30 minutes later.

AMSA yesterday tweeted: Weather forecast to be worse today with light showers and low clouds, though search operations are expected to continue.

Yesterday's search was concentrated around a search box about 1,850km west of Perth. It continues to focus on an area about 319,000 sq km -- about the size of Norway -- based on a more refined analysis by international air crash investigators.

In all, nine planes were involved in yesterday's search. They included three RAAF P-3 Orions, a Japanese P-3 Orion, a Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force Ilyushin Il-76, a Republic of Korea P-3 Orion, a USN P-8 Poseidon, one RMAF Hercules and one civilian jet acting as a communications relay.

The first aircraft, the Il-76, departed for the search area at 9am.

HMAS Success, the Chinese Maritime Safety Administration ship Haixun 01, China Rescue and Salvage Bureau ship Nan Hai Jiu, and the Chinese Navy vessel Jinggang Shan arrived in the search area on Saturday. A further six ships arrived in the area yesterday.

All ships in the search area are tasked to locate and identify the objects sighted by aircraft over the past three days.

"Until items are picked up by a ship and assessed by expert investigators, no conclusions as to their origin can be made," said New Zealand's Air Vice-Marshal Kevin Short.

As the hunt resumed, Australia said its former military chief, Angus Houston, would head a new unit to help in the search, which involves the militaries of seven nations -- Australia, Malaysia, China, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

However, aviation expert David Learmount, who was quoted on Australia's 60 Minutes yesterday, was blunt in his assessment.

"I don't think we'll ever see either the black boxes or anything else. We will only recover what floats."

Royal Malaysian Air Force officers team checking a C-130 Hercules aircraft before flying off from RAAF's Pearce Base in Perth.

New theme park in Perak

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 09:01 AM PDT

31 March 2014| last updated at 11:32PM
By AUDREY DERMAWAN | audreymd@nst.com.my

IPOH: PERAK is set to make its mark on the international tourism map with the completion of the Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS) in December next year.

Touted as the first true animation theme park in the world, the project, a partnership between Australia's Sanderson Group and Perak Corporation Bhd, will be built at a cost of RM450 million.

It marks the inaugural investment in Malaysia by Sanderson Group, Australia's first integrated thematic construction company, specialising in designing and constructing theme parks and entertainment destinations.

A 20.8ha site in Meru, located off the North-South Expressway, has been earmarked for the project.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said MAPS was a testament to foreign investors' confidence in Perak and Malaysia.

"MAPS is set to be the next major icon and pave the way for more robust growth in the state and the country. We hope to welcome more tourists into the silver state," he said at the ground breaking of the project here yesterday.

Present were Sanderson Group chief executive officer and Animation Theme Park (ATP) director Steve A. Sanderson and Perak State Development Corporation chief executive officer and ATP chairman Datuk Aminuddin Md Desa.

Zambry said 1.4 million domestic and international tourists were expected to visit Perak during MAPS' first year of operation.

He said 2,000 jobs would be created with the completion of MAPS, benefiting the local community.

Sanderson said Perak was set to be the No. 1 domestic and international tourists destination upon the completion of MAPS.

MAPS will feature six different zones, forming an animation-based fantasy environment, which include Animation Square, Fantasy Forest, Live Action, Blast Off, DreamWorks and the Lakeside Zone. It will also bring to life famous DreamWorks animated features classic Mr Peabody and Sherman, Casper the Friendly Ghost, The Croods and Megamind.

MAPS will also be home to Asia's first car-stunt show and offer real-time broadcast of its live shows throughout the park and on the Internet. Later, it will have a hotel, serviced apartments, water parks and street mall.

Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir (left) visiting the Movie Animation Theme Parks Studio booth in Ipoh yesterday. Pic by L. Manimaran

RM4b project for Langkawi

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 09:01 AM PDT

31 March 2014| last updated at 11:56PM
By MARINA EMMANUEL AND ADIE SURI ZULKEFLI | news@nst.com.my

 LANGKAWI: LANGKAWI'S place on the world tourism map is set to strengthen, with an investment from Tradewinds Corporation Bhd (TCB).

The Perdana Quay project, which spans a period of 10 years, will see the emergence of tourism products, such as hotels and property development tagged at a whopping RM4 billion. It was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday.

The project encompasses six construction phases. It came on the heels of Indonesia-based Rajawali Group's plan to invest RM400 million to build the St Regis Langkawi and Langkawi International Convention Centre.

"I want to see three million tourists coming here each year. This will contribute RM3.8 billion to the economy and create 4,200 jobs for Malaysians," Najib said at the launch in Teluk Burau.

Present were his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, his son Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, who is also Kedah menteri besar, and TCB owner Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary.

Najib said the government hoped to welcome 36 million tourists to Malaysia and collect RM168 billion annually or more than RM3 billion per week, six years from now.

"It is an ambitious target but it can be achieved. This year alone, 28.8 million people are set to visit Malaysia, an increase of 12 per cent compared with last year. We are now the second most-visited destination in Southeast Asia."

Apart from TCB and Rajawali, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, which owns the luxury Datai Hotel chain, is planning to build a hotel here.

The tourism buzz will also be felt when other five-star hotels, like the Ritz-Carlton, open its doors here.

In his speech, Najib paid tribute to Dr Mahathir for his vision in identifying Langkawi's potential two decades ago and developing it into a tourism destination.

He said Perdana Quay would place Langkawi as one of the finest island resorts in the world, offering the ultimate in luxury, such as five-star hotels and a collection of ultra high-end shops.

The Perdana Quay project will be Langkawi's first integrated leisure, retail, residential and commercial development, targeted at luxury travellers seeking an ecological and nature-oriented option.

The project, located in Pantai Kok-Teluk Burau, which faces the Andaman Sea, is aimed at tourists from Asian countries like China and Singapore, as well as the Middle East.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak looking at a model of the Perdana Quay project at its launch in Teluk Burau, Langkawi, yesterday. With him are his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (second from right), Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir (third from right) and TCB owner Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary (left). Pic by Amran Hamid

Strong whirlwind rips off roofs of two houses

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 09:01 AM PDT

31 March 2014| last updated at 11:23PM

In the 2pm incident, the wind, which came together with a downpour, blew away the roofs of two single-storey wooden houses, located side by side, in an oil palm plantation. Mazna Mohamad, 67, said she was resting at the veranda of her home but went inside when it started drizzling.

"I was standing at the door when I heard a thunderous noise and then the wind blew in like a white cloudy figure. I was so frightened that I shut the door and rushed inside to hug my 5-year-old grandson, Muhammad Adam Kamarulzaman.

"Within seconds, the zinc roof and the wooden frame were blown away. The rain came in and flooded the house."

The grandmother immediately alerted her son, Kamarulzaman Othman, 37, and daughter-in-law, Kamariah Ahmad, 38, who were sleeping together with their two children aged 13 and 18 months, at the bedroom.

"We did not have time to save our other belongings, like the television, radio and fridge," said Mazna, who has been renting the house for four years.

Also affected was Mazna's neighbour, Aziz Md Nor, 51, who was not at home at the time of the incident. Aziz, a lorry driver, lives alone and had sought temporary shelter at his sister's house in Krubong Permai.

The roof of Mazna Mohamad's house lies on the ground after being blown off by a whirlwind on Saturday. Pic by Muhammad Hatim Ab Manan

British tourist hurt in fall at Penang National Park

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 09:01 AM PDT

31 March 2014| last updated at 11:27PM
By PRIYA PUBALAN | nishaline@nst.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: A FEMALE foreign tourist suffered a fractured leg and head injuries after falling into a 7.6m  ravine here yesterday.

Valeria Trinton, 64, from London, was believed to be on a stroll with her husband, Thomas David, 68, on a footpath at the Penang National Park in Teluk Bahang near here when the incident occurred around noon.

The location was about 3km from Universiti Sains Malaysia's Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies at Muka Head.

Teluk Bahang Fire and Rescue Department operations chief Mohd Yusof Mat said a team was dispatched after receiving a distress call at 12.31pm.

He added that the rescue team arrived at the scene in 15 minutes by boat from the Penang National Park pier.

"The victim was in a semi-conscious state and we took 20 minutes to remove one foot wedged between rocks."

Yusof said several passers-by assisted firemen in the rescue operation.

"The victim suffered internal bleeding but remained conscious."

Trinton was rushed to Penang Hospital for treatment and was reported to be in stable condition.

The Penang National Park covers 1,213ha of highlands, mangrove and rocky coasts.

It has hiking tracks linking some popular tourist destinations, including Kerachut Beach, Teluk Tukun, Tanjung Aling, Muka Head, Monkey Beach and Mas Beach.

It is popular among scientists, researchers and nature lovers.

Previously known as Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve, it is home to 417 flora and 143 fauna species. It was declared the Penang National Park in 2003.

Valeria Trinton, 64, being ferried to Penang Hospital after she fell into a ravine at the Penang National Park in Teluk Bahang yesterday. Pic by Muhammad Mikail Ong

New bridge toll from tomorrow

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 09:01 AM PDT

31 March 2014| last updated at 11:30PM

Its director-general Datuk Ismail Md Salleh said in a press statement that the toll rates would be made effective beginning 6am tomorrow (April 1).

"Motorists plying the new link have to pay RM8.50 for private vehicles and RM1.70 for motorcycles," he said.

Ismail said toll rates for taxis and buses had been fixed at RM8.50 and RM26.20, respectively while other heavy commercial vehicles would be charged either RM30.50 or RM70.10 depending on their sizes.

Meanwhile, a separate toll rate for vehicles entering and exiting the North-South Expressway via the new bridge's toll booths at Bandar Cassia, Batu Kawan on the mainland has been fixed at RM0.60 (private vehicles).

The Bandar Cassia PLUS Toll Plaza is the biggest toll complex in the nation with 26 lanes. Ismail said two toll plazas -- the Bandar Cassia booth to collect toll from NSE users and the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah booth -- would handle motorists from the Batu Kawan area.

He also urged the bridge users to adhere to the traffic signages at all times.

The 24km new bridge which connects Batu Maung on the island to Batu Kawan on the mainland, served as a second crossing after the first Penang Bridge was opened in 1985.

It is one of the largest civil projects undertaken in Malaysia in the last two decades.

The RM4.5 billion bridge was the longest in Southeast Asia, at 16.9km over water, and also the longest bridge in the world that incorporates natural rubber seismic bearings.

It was awarded to two main contractors - UEM Builders Bhd and China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd (CHEC).

CHEC's part involves laying the foundation of the dual-pylon, cable-stayed bridge that includes the main navigation span, the deck as well as navigation and decorative lights.

The bridge is designed to withstand earthquakes measuring up to 7.5 on the Richter scale.

The new toll fees for the second Penang bridge start tomorrow. Pic by Danial Saad