Engineer Yousuf Al Naabi, 27, from Muscat, Oman, who is visiting Penang for the first time, said he was fortunate to ride on the train today. University undergraduate Mohd Nazrin Mohd Pauzi, 20, did not know that his ride up Penang Hill with his friends from Terengganu would be his first and last on the funicular train.

 ”I did not know work on replacing the train system would start tomorrow,” he said. The Penang Hill Funicular Railway was built in 1907 and is a cable train pulled by steel cable electrically driven with 500 volts power. Penang Public Works, Utilities and Transport Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng reportedly said recently that the new train system would take 10 minutes to ferry passengers from bottom station to top station, without needing to stop at the middle station, compared with the current 30-minute ride.

He added the new system would combine the two tracks into one and a new passing loop would be built about 100m above the present middle station. Lim said Penang Hill residents and hotel operators would operate a jeep service up the hill from the Botanical Gardens during the closure. The RM63 million project is undertaken by the Tourism Ministry and is expected to be ready by the end of the year.

Date: Now until 14th March 2010

In conjunction with the Maulidur Rasul Celebration this weekend to celebrate the history of Prophet Muhammad S.A.W’s teaching and in effort to further unite the Muslim Community, the Penang State Tourism Development & Culture will be organising a photo contest opened to all, to capture the uniqueness of the Malay living culture and customs in Penang.

Snap shots of anything from the Maulidur Rasul Celebration to the traditional and peaceful ‘kampung’ lifestyle, nightly ‘pasar malam’, the delicious food of curry, ‘ikan panggang’ and ‘kuih-muih’ delicacies and so much more, their religious daily devotion of prayers at the mosque, colourful and captivating costumes, enchanting cultural performances such as the gamelan and the kompang and just absolutely all things which represents the Malay culture as you view them through your lens.

Start submitting your best shots of all things representing the Malay culture in Penang now to http://www.visitpenang.gov.my/portal3/penangsocial.html   from now until 14th March 2010 to stand a chance at winning attractive prizes that we have in store for you!

Date: 27th and 28th Feb 2010
Time: 6pm to 11pm
Venue: 35 & 57, Armenian Street, Penang
Organizer: Poh Hock Seah
Tel: 012-4860211

Twa Peh Kong Hneoh Grand Float Procession in tune with tradition, the management of Poh Hock Seah has continued to organize and hold these Chneah Hoay ceremonies and processions annually. Total of 54 floats will be participate in this grand procession.

There are basically two types of procession. i.e. the normal yearly procession known as ‘Twa Peh Kong Chneah Hoay’ procession and the once in 12 years, held in the year of the Tiger, which is called ‘Twa Peh Kong Hneoh’ Grand Float procession.

The difference is that the former are held by Poh Hock Seah itself, whereas the latter is done on a much grandeur scale with other participating units joining in. Another human aspect of this Twa Peh Kong Hneoh Grand Float procession, since independence, is that all the past Chief Ministers of Penang have had the occasion to lead the procession in the course of their tenure.

The last Grand Float procession was held in 1998. Come February 28th, 2010 the committee will hold another Grand Float procession. ‘Chneah Hoay’ Ceremony – Saturday, 27th February 2010 (14th Day of Chinese 1st Moon) @ 11:00p.m.Twa Peh Kong Hneoh Grand Float Procession 2010 – Sunday, 28th February 2010 (15th Day of Chinese 1st Moon) @ 08:00p.m.

Date:28th February 2010 Sunday
Time: 5pm to 11pm
Location: Esplanade, George Town, Penang

This Chap Goh Meh full moon… get ready for a colossal event in the heart of Penang Heritage city…

This occasion signifies the first full moon of the New Year and during this celebration you will find fair maidens gathering to toss tangerines into the sea, in hope that their future spouse will pick it up.
Throw the traditional mandarin orange if you’re still single, ladies! Otherwise kick your heels back and enjoy the 80s Schooldays Party co-organised by REDfm’s DJs. Love songs dominate this Chinese Valentine’s day.

Various cultural show and concert from RedFM DJ will be on stage to entertain you, your family and your love one. Program such as Dondang Sayang, Kompang, Gamelan and Caklempang music from Sek Tunku Abdul Rahman Nibong Tebal, State Malay cultural dance, and Indian dance from Kuala Lumpur and India, and Lion dance on stilts. A display of fireworks will end the evening with a bang.

Date:27th February 2010 Saturday
Time: 5pm to 1am
Location: Esplanade, George Town, Penang

MYPENANG REUNION celebration & full moon street party will be the playground for friends, relatives and visitors. Experience a truly Malaysian Chinese New Year with an exciting line-up of artistes from Taiwan, and Malaysia! There’s something for EVERYONE.

It begins with vendor stalls kick starting at 5pm followed by a 45-minute MYPENANG Variety Show featuring for the first time, Nyonya PohChu and Bahku Hokkien Rapper, KO-AI. Soon after, catch Astro’s young & energetic MYFM radio DJs on centrestage and welcome celebrity entertainers from Taiwan and hot Malaysian stars: popular rock duo from Taiwan Y2J, Cindy Yen, Genie, Thomas Jack, Danell Lee, Chen Keat Yoke, Alvin, Juztin Lan Kah Fai, Astro battleground as well as the entire MYFM radio DJ troupe! It’s going to be fun fun fun!

The celebration is free of charge but for those who want to get close to the main stage, get a RM12 Ang Pow Voucher which also entitle for a Free drink and a lucky draw. There are many sponsors for the lucky draws e.g. handphone, camera, cruise voucher, Genting holiday voucher, gaming gear etc. All together 20 thousand worth of prizes to be won.

Then, at the stroke of midnight, adjourn to G Hotel for a full moon party unlike any other in Penang featuring Lap Sap’s BLINK and XU as well as DJ Goldfish for a FIRST collaboration between the three – GBX. It’s gonna be crazy!

However, our latest trip during the recent school holidays proved to be a bitter and a thoroughly forgettable experience. Much to our shock and sadness, we found Penang to have deteriorated so much that it made us to swear not to visit the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ ever again.

The first unpleasant surprise greeted us when we stepped off the aerobridge and into the Penang International Airport. An overwhelming presence of the new Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng greeted the visitors. Images of Guan Eng were everywhere; on welcoming boards, huge billboards, tourism promotional videos and brochures, posters, etc.

This made one wonder what the chief minster is trying to accomplish as this can be easily misconstrued as an attempt to build a cult of personality. Which what one of our fellow visitors, a Caucasian, was heard remarking rather sarcastically by comparing him to North Korean dictator Kim Il Sung and Tamil Nadu politicians.

Further ordeals awaited us. The trip from the airport to our hotel took us two hours instead of the usual 30 minutes as we were caught in a massive traffic jam. We later found that this snarl was caused by the closure of several key roads. There was no notification or any instructions on alternative roads to use.

Only when we finally checked in at our hotel that did we realise that the cause – a motor GP that was being held on several busy public roads. It was really irresponsible for the state authorities to conduct such events during the busy holiday season and on a Saturday morning at that. More irresponsibly, the authorities failed to provide the necessary traffic diversion arrangements thus creating massive traffic congestion and chaos.

Further unpleasant surprises awaited us. Our rental car was issued a ticket for not paying parking fees even though it was Saturday evening. Upon checking, we were told by the hotel staff that the state had quietly extended hours for traffic fees collection since the beginning of the year, from morning right up till midnight even during weekends.

All along the Batu Ferringhi area, we discovered monstrously ugly structures being built seemingly at a breakneck pace and with scant regard to Mother Nature or public safety. The famed beaches were dirty and badly maintained with the cleaners, who used to be efficient during our previous visits, nowhere to be found.

Downtown, we were dismayed to find frenzied construction work going on at various historical and heritage buildings. Some of the most valuable buildings were being turned into pubs, individual homes, show rooms, galleries, restaurants or for other business purposes.

Traffic order to seems to have broken down with illegal double and triple parking seeming to be the norm rather than an exception. In popular commercial areas such as Pulau Tikus, Weld Quay, Little India and many others, irresponsible parking and illegal businesses have made the traffic come to a standstill and driving hazardous.

At Little India, our initial joy in seeing road signs in Tamil turned to disappointment with the poor translation of the road names. The twin phenomenon of unchecked development and poor enforcement was again evident at Little India too.

What is so surprising and sad is the rapid rate of decline of Penang within the short space of two years since our last visit in December 2007. We are unsure what really caused such alarming deterioration but the Penangites we spoke to pointed their anger and fingers squarely at the new state government.

We are not familiar with the state politics to make an assessment or judgment but if the state government does not act quickly to arrest this decline, Penang and Penangites will be the biggest losers. Tourists like us will give the state a wide berth if nothing is done

Pensonic Holdings Bhd managing director Dixon Chew told StarBiz that the group’s domestic sales grew about 5% in the second half of 2009 versus a year earlier.

“Sales of consumer electrical and electronics products did well during the festive holidays because of the year-end bonuses. Consumers were more willing to spend due to their perception of an improving economic environment,” he said.

Pensonic’s domestic sales division was expected to perform better in the first quarter of 2010 compared with the year-ago period, he said.

However, due to the prevailing uncertainties in the global economy, the company was cautious on the second quarter, he said.

“In the US, unemployment still stands at double digit, which means the consumption power is still weak, and our manufacturing sector will be affected eventually,” Chew said. “We are cautious about undertaking expansion plans in the second half.”

On the implementation of the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) Plus China on Jan 1, Chew said the group could now increase imports of China-made finished and semi-finished raw materials without duties for the group to do manufacturing and assembly work in Penang.

Ban Hin Bee Sdn Bhd general manager Wilson Yeoh said the company had been enjoying double-digit growth for the past two months.

“Manufacturers of our brand-name products all over Asia did not anticipate such high volume of orders during the Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year holidays.

“The manufacturers in the Asia-Pacific were cautious when they forecast the demand for consumer household items in Malaysia for the last quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010, as they were sceptical about domestic spending power.

“For the first quarter, we expect strong growth over the previous year’s corresponding quarter.

“The second quarter is expected to be slower than the first, and we anticipate sales to pick up again in the third quarter,” he said.

Ban Hin Bee is setting up two more outlets in the northern region in the second half of 2010. The leading retailer in the north has nine outlets in the country – eight in Penang and one in Kuala Lumpur.

Penang-based Star Electronics Sales & Services expects about 10% growth in sales year-on-year in the first quarter of 2010, while viewing the second quarter with caution.

“For the last two consecutive quarters of 2009, our sales had been growing at about 10% per quarter, compared with the respective quarters of 2008,” said managing director Joseph Hon. “However, there is little visibility for the second quarter.”

“We do have plans to establish seven more outlets in the Klang Valley and Selangor, as part of our strategy to tap the market in the central region.

“But this expansion exercise will be implemented only if the domestic economy continued to remain stable,” he said.

The company currently has 18 outlets in Penang and Kedah.

Meanwhile, Courts country director Chris Yong told StarBiz that the company was planning store expansion at eight locations nationwide this year after it increased its market share of consumer and digital electronics by about 8% in 2009, even as the market shrunk by 4%, due to the weak consumer sentiment during the recession.

“We have also identified 10 stores for major refurbishment, while three other stores are being planned for relocation,” he said.

Yong said that based on Courts steady market share, the company was optimistic retail consumer confidence would continue to recover.

Meanwhile, OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd retail commercial banking head Wong Chee Seng said that compared with the sluggish January 2009, loan applications were higher last month.

“As the economic strength gathers momentum, we foresee greater demand for loans in the first quarter of this year.

“Aligned to the gradual improvement in domestic demand, we are also seeing improvements in loan drawdowns, by as much as 50% due to higher approval volume and larger deal sizes,” he said.