By The Beach VII - Lotus Desaru Beach Resort

Lotus Desaru Beach Resort - "The resort for all reason". Surrounded with water, this internationally known beach is the most popular beach along the east-coast in the district of Kota Tinggi, has a stretch of about 26km of pristine, sandy beach and fringed with palm trees. This 4-star resort in Bandar Penawar is centrally situated. It features a fitness center, a spa & fitness facility and a Turkish sauna bath. The Lotus Desaru Beach Resort caters for family members with kids offering a playground, a little ones swimming pool and a kids club. A web hookup is readily available for visitors intending to stay linked while when driving. Additionally available at the Lotus Desaru Seaside Hotel is a 24-hour front desk, which offers travel luggage storage space and an airport shuttle service.

 

 “Desaru” means “Village Of Casuarinas” or palms. A malay word "Desa" which means village and “Ru” is the local name for Casuarinas. While Desaru may not be as secluded as it used to be, or as unpopulated, there is still an unspoiled and unmistakable pristine nature about the place. It's white and scenery beach offer all the amenities or solitude anyone can expect, plus the added bonus of glistening waves on one side, and unspoiled jungle on the other.

 

Sample authentic local cuisine at the Lotus Desaru Beach Resort’s restaurant, adhered to by a drink at the on-site bar. The dining establishment caters to Chinese and Asian foods. It provides a range of alluring alternatives for breakfast. The Lotus Desaru Beach Resort provides free car parking for those passing by car. Water activities, kayaking and rambling can be taken pleasure in nearby.

 

Lotus Desaru Beach Resort invites guests to design the vacation of their choice in a tropical seaside setting - whether they fancy an activity-filled holiday, a relaxing retreat, or even a mix of a little business with pleasure on the side. It's not just a resort that you can relax and unwind, it's also a place where you can have fun with your kids and loved one. Try our ‘splashtacular’ Water Park specially designed for fun and excitement with your family and friends, don’t miss to enjoy our Water Park that features Giant Coconut Fall, Lazy River, Aqua Play, Stone Bridge, Tipping Coconut with Kiddy Slide, Poolside Grotto, and Relaxation Gazebos.

 

Aside from this, they have expanded their facilities to create more fun and activities for the guest. The 14 acres of Team Building Park, enjoy an all-out fun full of adventure and education. Their team specializes in organising team building activities such as water rafting, survivor experience, obstacle course, explorace, treasure hunt, paintball and more. Experience the nature of the forest with your friends with different activities such as bird watching, camping, jungle trekking and lake fishing.

 

Be relaxed and unwind with "Lotus Suria Ayurveda Spa", rejuvenate your body, mind and soul. The Spa offers a unique blend of various treatments for the preservation of health and cure of diseases in a natural way that Ayurveda proposes.

 

Of all those places you’ve been which attempted to blend nature with modern convenience, most could not live up to Desaru and the other remoteness along Malaysia’s eastern coast. Yes, nearly the entire length of the Malay Peninsula is pristine beach.

 

All sizable rooms at the Lotus Desaru Beach Resort are air conditioned and offer a kitchenette, a private restroom and tea and coffee making centers. They include a coffee maker, a hair clothes dryer and a refrigerator. There are additionally a number of rooms tailored towards family members.

 

All apartments are conveniently built with a living and dining areas respectively. There is also a kitchenette, making their guest feel right at home.

 

 

Lotus Desaru Beach Resort

 

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Speculation - World Crude Price and End Product (pumps) Price for Petrol / Diesel

Petroleum product pricing rise while the market price of crude is declining

 

While crude is often the most frequently used barometer of petroleum product pricing and certainly the one most quoted by the news media, the Commission utilizes actual refined product wholesale market pricing in the determination of its pricing adjustments. Adding to the confusion, crude pricing often tracks quite differently from refined product pricing due to seasonal or other market factor determinants.

 

World crude prices and end product (pumps) price for Petrol and Diesel

 

Referencing the price of gasoline to the last time crude was trading at a certain dollar value a barrel, for example, is to a large degree meaningless as so many other factors including tax rate differentials, changes in the U.S. exchange rates, seasonal market demand variables and other relevant market determinants would have to be taken into consideration in order to make the comparison accurate. The relationship between crude and refined product pricing does not always correspond intuitively.

 

Refined products such as gasoline, furnace oil, stove oil and diesel are made from the processing of crude oil. Crude oil is sourced from all over the world, including the Middle East, Africa, the North Sea, Russia, South America as well as the United States and Canada.

 

Price factors

 

There is an indirect relationship. The price of fuel at the pumps is a subject that attracts a lot of debate, particularly when prices rise.



 

But there are numerous elements that make up the price of a litre of petrol or diesel, primarily:

 

The cost of petrol and diesel on the open market - cost of product  (the supply and demand for oil products);

 

Government duty and tax;

 

The costs and profit of the wholesaler and retailer;

 

Interruption of supply as a result of geopolitical occurrences such as civil unrest or war;

 

Natural disasters and weather patterns;

 

Speculative actions on the part of money managers;

 

Seasonal demands; and

 

The other factors affecting the price include exchange rates, competition, commercial objectives of the filling station owner or operator, as well as seasonal factors.

 

For an example, pump prices as established by the Commission are based on changes in refined gasoline product prices as traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). While over time, the trending of crude prices should correlate with refined product pricing, it is not uncommon, in the short term, for crude prices to be heading in one direction while refined product prices head in the other. Both are internationally traded commodities and as such can be subject to different market influences. Crude prices for instance may be falling due to global economic conditions while refined gasoline prices may be rising due to local and regional supply circumstances.

 

Retail / ex-refinery spread

 

The third element is represented by the cost and profit of the wholesaler / retailer, often referred to as the retail / ex-refinery spread. This covers:

 

Costs of transport to a storage terminal / depot, storage, and distribution to a filling station;

 

Marketing and promotion costs; and

 

Costs of operating the filling station and staff

 

The remaining spread has to provide a return to the supplier of the fuel and the retailer operating the filling station. The retail / ex-refinery spread is strongly influenced by market conditions. The retail/ex-refinery spread is not the final profit that the retailer makes, it is simply the difference between the cost of the wholesale price of fuel on the open market and the selling price on the forecourt, from which, as mentioned, a range of costs have to be deducted.

 

Of the approximately 4,500 major oil company branded sites, more than half are owned by independent retailers. The retailer usually has an exclusive supply contract with an oil company limited by law to a maximum of 5 years’ duration.

 

The retailer purchases fuel from the supplying company and decides the price to charge at the pump, based on a number of factors including wholesale prices, and competitive conditions.

 

Speculation

 

Photo : The Borneo Post

The margins that oil companies make depend largely on the actual price of oil and the open market. the difference between the cost of oil and the price of it largely comes down to supply and demand, and speculation by investors. when supply is constrained, such as Libya ceasing production of its high quality oil earlier, the price is forced up.

 

Equally, when demand falls away, for example during the recession that hit most developed economies in 2008, the price falls. More importantly, it is the expectation of future supply and demand that drives the price.

 

Finally there is the impact of speculators, which is almost impossible to quantify, but many organisations, the motoring group AA among them, believe investors play an increasingly significant role in driving the oil price.

 

But whether it's speculators, investors, governments or oil companies benefiting from high costs of petrol and oil, one thing is certain - consumers invariably end up losing out.

 

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UMNO - Angka Sebagai Ukuran?

Kelangsungan perjuangan UMNO

 

Perhimpunan Agung UMNO 2014 yang sedang berlangsung terus membahaskan isu-isu berkaitan agama, bangsa dan Negara. Samada usul yang dibawa adalah usul yang segar, relevan dan berkualiti…hanya perwakilan dan kepimpinan UMNO sahaja yang dapat menilai dengan tepat. Begitu juga usul dari Perhimpunan Agung UMNO tahun lalu, corat-coret sudah menjadi kenangan dan samada tindakan susulan, pembetulan, penambahbaikan, perubahan dan kajian sudah dibuat atau tidak, juga hanya perwakilan berkaitan dan kepimpinan UMNO sahaja yang tahu dengan lebih terperinci.

 

Satu yang menarik perhatian saya kali ini ialah dialog di bawah, dipetik dari MSTAR - PAU 2014 : War Room Nadi Pemuda UMNO

 

"Mulai tahun hadapan kita menggerakkan war room di setiap Pemuda Umno Bahagian. Tahun hadapan juga akan menjadi tahun untuk kita menambah keahlian. Bukan selama ini kita tak buat, tapi tahun hadapan kita ada satu program khusus untuk tambah ahli.

 

Kita juga sahut baik penambahbaikkan yang dibuat oleh pucuk pimpinan iaitu untuk tambah ahli melalui pendaftaran online. Pemuda Umno juga akan menggerakkan pendaftaran pengundi muda dengan lebih banyak dan aktif.”

 

– Datuk Seri Najib Bin Tun Razak, Presiden UMNO.

 

Masih kurangkah ahli UMNO untuk menjamin kelangsungan solidariti? Adakah ahli-ahli yang sedia ada tidak mampu lagi berjuang dalam UMNO? Atau idealisme yang ada sudah tidak relevan untuk survival parti?

 

Kuatkah UMNO?



Photo by UMNO Online

Dengan bilangan keahlian parti yang kini telah melebihi angka 3 juta orang, UMNO tidak seharusnya mengatakan yang parti itu adalah satu parti yang benar-benar kuat. Dari jumlah yang tercatat, sebahagiannya adalah ahli lelap, ahli yang sudah berpaling tadah, ahli yang sudah kecewa, ahli yang memburu kepentingan diri, ahli yang tamakkan kuasa, harta dan pangkat, ahli yang menjadi duri dalam daging, ahli yang tiada apa-apa tujuan (hanya mengikut atau kerana terpaksa) dan yang selebihnya….barulah ahli-ahli yang benar-benar berjuang atas nama parti, berjuang kerana bangsa, agama dan Negara.

 

Peratusan dalam pecahan kelompok yang dinyatakan di atas sukar untuk diangkakan. Agak baik jika kelompok terakhir itu mempunyai angka pecahan yang tinggi sehingga 75%. Dan agak malang jika angka peratusan itu diwakili oleh kelompok terdahulu selain dari kelompok yang akhir. Sekiranya benar, hanya 25% ahli UMNO yang benar-benar setia, berjuang untuk parti, untuk bangsa, untuk agama dan Negara…maka wajarkah UMNO dilabel sebagai sebuah parti yang kuat?

 

Sudah banyak kita lihat, satu kelompok masyarakat atau keluarga yang rata-rata adalah ahli UMNO tetapi mereka tidak mengundi untuk parti. Juga satu kelompok yang lain, tidak langsung peduli tentang parti, tidak menjadi ahli dan tidak terlibat dalam aktiviti parti, tetapi mereka mengundi UMNO atas keyakinan kepada kerajaan sedia ada yang diterajui UMNO.

 

Angka lebih 3 juta keahlian, yang sebahagian besar angka itu datangnya dari Sabah sepatutnya menyedarkan kepimpinan UMNO bahawa kekuatan parti itu terletak kepada rakyat yang masih mahukan pembangunan, yang masih mahukan bantuan kerajaan, yang masih mahukan pembelaan, dan yang amat sayangkan bumi yang dipijak serta langit yang dijunjung. Rakyat di Sabah masih yakin UMNO yang menerajui kerajaan yang ada mampu mempertahankan bangsa mereka, mampu menyelamatkan tanah mereka dan mampu membela generasi mereka yang akan datang.

 

Golongan profesional Bandar, rakyat yang sudah banyak menerima bantuan dan subsidi, golongan yang sudah puas mengaut kekayaan dan pihak yang kecewa kerana keperluan tidak dipenuhi parti dilihat sebagai ancaman besar kepada UMNO. UMNO perlu menangani isu ini secara berbeza agar setiap permasalahan dapat diatasi, difahamai, diperhalusi dengan lebih efisien dan relevan.

 

Kuantiti tidak menjamin kekuatan

 

Kempen besar-besaran dari pucuk pimpinan UMNO terutama kepada kedua-dua sayap parti yang menjadi tunjang masa depan UMNO, Pemuda dan Puteri agar mendekati golongan muda dan belia dilihat sebagai satu usaha untuk menguatkan jentera dan survival parti. Anak-anak muda di seluruh pelusuk tanahair terutama anak-anak Melayu diharapkan agar terus bersama UMNO dalam menerajui tampuk kepimpinan Negara. Anak-anak muda diseru agar menyertai UMNO agar dapat sama-sama berjuang mendaulatkan bangsa, memartabatkan bangsa Melayu dan menjadi perintis kepada kemajuan Negara.

 

Sungguhpun begitu, dalam buruan menambah keahlian…timbul pula satu persoalan. “Andai kata keahlian ramai, tetapi sokongan masih samar. Kesetiaan dan keteguhan jatidiri sebagai ahli UMNO rapuh…adakah UMNO akan terus kuat? Atau lebih tajam lagi, adakah UMNO akan terus relevan?” Persoalan pokok, adakah dengan mempunyai ahli yang ramai, menguasai sebahagian besar majoriti penduduk Negara…belum tentu kesinambungan pemerintahan Negara pada UMNO akan berkekalan atau berterusan. Seringkali kita dengar…”bukan kuantiti yang kita mahu, tetapi kualiti”. Keahlian yang ramai belum tentu menjamin sokongan yang kuat, dan penentu kejayaan pada pilihanraya yang akan datang. Ya! memang tidak dinafikan, dengan keahlian yang ramai, peluang dan ruang untuk terus memartabatkan bangsa, menerajui Negara, kekal relevan dan yang paling penting…kekal berdiri dilihat lebih mudah berbanding tiadanya sokongan keahlian dari dalam.

 

Justeru itu, apa yang paling penting dilaksanakan ialah, memajukan ekonomi orang Melayu, memantapkan ikatan perpaduan orang-orang Melayu, menjadikan Melayu bangsa terbilang, mempertahankan Bahasa Melayu sabagai Bahasa utama dan terus menjunjung Islam sebagai agama rasmi serta turut diamalkan menjadi cabaran yang besar bagi setiap pemimpin UMNO khususnya dan ahli-ahli UMNO yang lain secara amnya.

 

Angka sebagai ukuran?

 

Cabaran dari Presiden agar keahlian UMNO ditambah bukan satu matlamat tunggal semua Ketua-ketua Bahagian dan Ketua-ketua sayap parti di peringkat Bahagian. Seringkali gerak kerja tidak disudahkan dengan sempurna atau dilaksanakan tanpa plan kerja yang baik. Sewaktu saya bersama UMNO di salah satu Bahagian di Selatan tanahair lebih 10 tahun yang lalu, sebagai Setiausaha dalam pergerakan Pemuda, saya melihat beberapa kali pertelingkahan berlaku sesame pemimpin Bahagian dalam menentukan kerangka kerja parti di peringkat Bahagian. Jika pertikaian ini tidak ditangani dengan baik, sudah pasti segala gerak kerja tidak mampu disudahkan bagi memenuhi matlamat.

 

Kepimpinan UMNO di akar umbi perlu faham, sasaran menambah bilangan ahli tidak seharusnya diukur hanya dengan angka semata-mata. Program berterusan dalam membentuk generasi muda (atau Gen Y) ini amat penting dan seharusnya menjadi agenda utama dalam plan jangka pendek dan jangka panjang Cawangan, Bahagian, Negeri dan Pusat. Pada saya, biar angka nya kecil, kurang 10 keahlian baharu tetapi berjaya melahirkan barisan pemimpin masa hadapan yang berkualiti…itu jauh lebih baik dari mampu mendaftarkan 100 ahli baru tetapi hanya berterusan ditinggalkan sebagai ‘Ahli Berdaftar’ sahaja.

 

Jika hanya mendapatkan keahlian baharu sahaja yang menjadi KPI untuk semua pemimpin akar umbi, maka jelas sudah bahawa UMNO hanya ingin menjadi juara ‘Siapa Dulu’ atau ‘Siapa Besar’ kerana mentaliti begitu hanya ada pada mereka yang menganggap bahawa Angka Sebagai Ukuran.

 

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Harian Metro - MAHB dampingi pengguna medium sosial

Oleh : Oleh Nurul Huda Kosnon

 

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) kini dalam perancangan strategik meningkatkan hubungan mesra pelanggan menerusi medium sosial termasuk Twitter.

 

Pengurus Besar Komunikasi Korporat Malaysia Airports Holding Bhd (MAHB), Nik Anis Nik Zakaria, berkata MAHB menerusi laman Twitter misalnya kerap menghantar ucapan selamat kepada penumpang sebagai sebahagian usaha menjadi lebih mesra terhadap mereka.

 

"Misalnya ucapan 'Good evening! Have a safe journey to those travelling tonight'," katanya ketika dihubungi Harian Metro.

Menurutnya, menerusi medium itu juga MAHB dapat menyebarkan maklumat dan menerima maklum balas pelanggan dengan setiap perkhidmatan yang ditawarkan.

 

SATU daripada tweet yang dihantar MAHB.

 

 

 

 

 

"Setiap maklumbalas itu adalah panduan untuk pihak kami memperbaiki perkhidmatan dan memastikan pelanggan menikmati sepenuhnya penerbangan.

"Sesebuah lapangan terbang itu mesti mesra pengguna, selamat untuk penumpang dan mesti mempunyai keselamatan yang baik bagi memastikan keselamatan dan mengelak daripada insiden tidak diingini.

 

"Menerusi laman sosial ini, informasi terkini dapat disebarkan selain dapat berkongsi sebarang maklumbalas daripada mereka," katanya.

Ketika ditanya adakah ucapan selamat yang dihantar kepada pelanggan ada kaitan dengan insiden membabitkan pesawat MH370 dan MH17, Nik Anis memaklumkan ia sekadar ucapan bertujuan mewujudkan hubungan lebih mesra selain pelanggan diharap dapat menikmati penerbangan yang disediakan pihaknya.

- See more at: Harian Metro - MAHB dampingi pengguna medium social

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By The Beach VI - Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa Langkawi

Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa (formerly Pelangi Beach Resort) is the right 5 star hotel in Langkawi if you are looking for luxury on the beach. Guestrooms offer quite a range, but even the standard Garden Terrace room is both breezy and elegant at the same time. Spice Market Restaurant and two onsite lounges take care of dining if you don't want to venture off the grounds. There are also great business facilities onsite and any time you want to visit the beach, Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa is steps away from the sand on southwest Langkawi.

 

Designed in the style of a traditional Malay village, Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa, Langkawi sits along the white sandy beaches of the famous Cenang Beach in Langkawi, Malaysia.

 

The 35-acre beach resort and spa offers a relaxing atmosphere amidst a lush tropical environment. 352 guestrooms and suites are housed in clusters of single- and double-storey wooden chalets built on stilts, and each with spacious verandahs overlooking stunning views of the ocean or the surrounding landscaped gardens.

 

Having just completed an extensive, multi-million dollar refurbishment programme, the 5 star hotel in Langkawi boasts a host of exciting new features starting with plush rooms and suites outfitted with stylish furnishings and modern conveniences.

 

Food and beverage outlets include Spice Market, an all-day dining restaurant; the newly launched Cba, a beachside restaurant and bar; Pelangi Lounge located at the main lobby; and Cascade Pool Bar, a poolside refreshment bar.

 

In addition to a versatile line-up of water sports and outdoor activities, the Malaysian beach resort also offers a new wellness and rejuvenation facility that includes a spacious, state-of-the-art Fitness Centre equipped with the latest range of techno-gym equipment and Precor machines; and the re-branded Pelangi Spa with its signature offerings of holistic, oriental massage therapies in a Zen-inspired setting.

 

The resort continues to be a widely popular destination with MICE organisers because of its distinctively refreshing and inspiring indoor and outdoor venues for meetings and incentive gatherings.

 

The 5 star hotel in Langkawi recently made the 2012 list of the Top 25 Relaxation & Spa Hotels in Malaysia at the TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice Hotel Awards. Its new interior design was given a distinction at the Malaysian Interior Design Awards 2012. Dubbed ‘The Jewel of Langkawi,’ be ushered into a world of ethnic charm and tropical tranquility at this award-winning resort!

 

Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa, Langkawi offers complimentary Wi-Fi throught out the resort.

 

Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa

 

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By The Beach V - Pulai Desaru Beach Resort & Spa Kota Tinggi

A Sanctuary of Peace and Tranquility in the Heart of Desaru

 

Life’s a beach at Pulai Desaru Beach Resort & Spa!

 

Pulai Desaru Beach Resort & Spa lies in the heart of Desaru, Johor, one of the most beautiful unspoiled beaches in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. With a 22km stretch of uninterrupted beach, Desaru combines the captivating panoramic views of the South China Sea with the lush tropical rainforests, where guests can have a choice of fun and adventure or simply rest and relax.

 

This newly refurbished resort features 200 lavishly-decorated and spacious guestrooms facing the stunning Desaru beach, swimming pool or garden blending contemporary design, comfortable elegance, accented with modern artistic touches, with the grand lobby set against the backdrop of South China Sea that exudes a feeling of tranquillity.

 

With comprehensive social, recreational, dining and sports facilities, Pulai Desaru Beach Resort & Spa is a family unit’s sanctuary designed to cater to the family as a whole.

 

While you are here, be sure to join in on exciting tours and excursions to explore the charming Desaru. Tours and excursions include Kampung Tour, Fruit Farm Tour, River Cruise and Fireflies Tour.

 

Back at the resort, you will look forward to dine at Palm Brasserie Restaurant or explore Japanese cuisine at Teppan! Japanese Restaurant. Not long after, you wind down at the Beach Bar. Lounging atop one of the beach-dining platforms, over cocktails and a delectable snacks, you continue to enjoy the sound of overlapping waves on the shores of Desaru Beach. 

 

Children will be well entertained at the Kid's Club at Pulai Desaru Beach Resort & Spa with an endless array of activities, and well equipped play areas indoors and outdoors. There are supervised activities by the poolside and at the beach to keep the children busy.

 

In need of respite after a long day, return to the resort with a spa treatment in mind. Indulge in The Pulai Spa’s extensive list of treatments for total spa rejuvenation.

 

For every experience here, you are surrounded by natural beauty. And it all begins at Pulai Desaru Beach Resort & Spa, Desaru.

 

http://pulaidesaru.com/

 

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AirAsia - BIG Loyalty Programme

The best things in life are BIG

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It gets BIGGER!

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AirAsia - BIG Loyalty Programme

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