BENTONG, Pahang: Twenty-three people, including 16 Chinese tourists, suffered minor injuries when a bus collided with a car near Genting Highlands on Friday night (Apr 6).

The accident occurred at around 7.20pm as both vehicles were descending from the popular casino and resort area, according to Genting Highlands Fire and Rescue Department chief Yusri Abdullah Sani.

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Both vehicles were descending from Genting Highlands when the accident occurred. (Photo: Genting Highlands Fire and Rescue Department)

"The brakes of the bus failed, causing it to rear-end the Honda in front, before skidding and crashing into the road barrier.

"However, we are still investigating the cause of the accident," he said.

Fourteen female and two male Chinese tourists, a tour guide and bus driver were taken to Selayang Hospital for treatment.

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Twenty-three people were injured in the accident, including 16 Chinese tourists. (Photo: Genting Highlands Fire and Rescue Department)

The Honda car driver and his four female passengers were also taken to the same hospital, he said, adding that eight ambulances were deployed.</s>BENTONG: Twenty-three people including 16 Chinese tourists, suffered light injuries, when the bus they were travelling in crashed into a car at Km17.1 Jalan Genting Highlands-Kuala Lumpur here, last night.

Genting Highlands Fire and Rescue Department chief Yusri Abdullah Sani said the accident occurred at 7.24pm when both vehicles were descending from Genting Highlands.

"Upon arriving at the scene of the collision, the brakes of the bus failed, causing it to rear-end the Honda in front, before skidding and crashing into the road barrier.

"However we are still investigating the cause of the accident," he said when contacted by Bernama here last night.

He said the tourists comprising 14 women and two men, tourist guide and bus driver were rushed to the Selayang Hospital for treatment.

The Honda car driver and his four female passengers were also sent to the same hospital, he said adding that eight ambulances were deployed for the trips to the hospital. — Bernama</s>BENTONG, Pahang: Twenty-three people, including 16 Chinese tourists, suffered minor injuries when a bus collided with a car near Genting Highlands on Friday night (Apr 6).

The accident occurred at around 7.20pm as both vehicles were descending from the popular casino and resort area, according to Genting Highlands Fire and Rescue Department chief Yusri Abdullah Sani.

"The brakes of the bus failed, causing it to rear-end the Honda in front, before skidding and crashing into the road barrier.

"However, we are still investigating the cause of the accident," he said.

Fourteen female and two male Chinese tourists, a tour guide and bus driver were taken to Selayang Hospital for treatment.

The Honda car driver and his four female passengers were also taken to the same hospital, he said, adding that eight ambulances were deployed.</s>KUALA LUMPUR
• One person was killed and 13 others, mainly Singaporeans, were injured when their bus rammed into another vehicle near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, yesterday.

A spokesman for the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department said it received a distress call at about 3.30pm concerning an accident involving a bus and a lorry on the Karak-Kuala Lumpur Expressway, Bernama news agency reported.

The accident involved 11 Singaporeans - aged between 19 and 81 - and three Malaysians, including the driver and the bus conductor.

Most of the Singaporeans, including an 81-year-old woman, suffered light injuries, Malaysian police said. The lorry driver was also hurt.

All the injured were taken to Selayang Hospital in the Gombak district of Selangor state for treatment, the spokesman said.

Singaporean Yip Keng Yim, 19, one of the bus passengers, told Bernama news agency: "It happened so fast and everybody was thrown off their seats."

She was with her parents, a cousin and an aunt. They were on their way home from Genting Highlands.

"After boarding the bus, I was not able to sleep because it was being driven at high speed. Suddenly, I heard a loud crash, and then everybody fell off their seats," said Ms Yip at Selayang Hospital.

Ms Yip, who suffered injuries to her face, said her father sustained a serious leg injury.

Photographer Kong Chong Yew said he was driving to Genting Highlands when he saw a massive jam on the other side of the highway where the accident had occurred.

The windscreen was already gone, and the left side of the bus was badly damaged. PHOTOGRAPHER KONG CHONG YEW, on the devastation he noticed. He had been driving on the other side of the highway where the accident occurred.

The front of the bus had slammed into the back of the lorry, said the 32-year-old, adding that there were many people gathered around the accident spot when he drove past.

"The windscreen was already gone, and the left side of the bus was badly damaged."

It is believed that the bus driver lost control of the vehicle, which then rammed into a gravel lorry, trapping the conductor near the front of the mangled bus, China Press reported, citing Gombak district police. The conductor, identified as Mr Carles Lagan, 26, died on the spot.

When contacted by The Sunday Times, Selayang Hospital staff said they could not provide updates on the status of the injured.

On Friday, 23 people, including 16 Chinese tourists, were injured when their bus crashed near Genting Highlands.

Last month, one Singaporean was killed and several others were injured in a bus accident in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, when they were carrying out their minor pilgrimage.</s>SINGAPORE: One Singaporean has died and 13 people were injured in a bus crash on the Karak Highway in Malaysia, reports said on Saturday (Apr 7).

The bus, which was travelling towards Johor Bahru, crashed into a large lorry at about 4pm, Channel 8 news reported, citing Malaysia's China Press.

The tour bus, which was on its way back to Singapore from Genting Highlands, was carrying 12 Singaporeans and two Malaysians, the report said.</s>KUANTAN: Part of the main road leading to an educational institution near Genting Highlands collapsed early on Friday morning (Apr 6).

A 30-metre-deep sunken surface was discovered by a security guard at Aminuddin Baki Institute at around 1.30am.

“Electricity in the area has been temporarily disconnected because power cables in the affected area were affected by the collapse,” said Bentong Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) officer Lieutenant Mohd Zulkhairi Adek,



He said no one was injured, adding that the road caved in during normal weather.

The Pahang Fire and Rescue Department is investigating if there were burst underground pipes in the area.

Meanwhile, the department's deputy director Mohd Sani Harul said the road along the affected stretch has been closed to traffic until further notice.

People in a building located about 10 metres from the scene were also ordered to vacate, he added.</s>At least 13 people, including 12 Singaporean nationals, were injured and one Malaysian died in a bus crash on the Karak-Kuala Lumpur Expressway in Malaysia on Saturday.

A Selangor Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson said it received a distress call at about 3.30 pm regarding an accident that involved a bus and a lorry. Following the call, an engine from the Selayang Fire and Rescue station was then sent to the scene.

"The accident involved 12 Singapore nationals and two locals. All the injured were sent to Selayang Hospital for treatment," the spokesperson told Bernama.

Malaysia media reported that the tour bus was on its way back to Singapore from Genting Highlands. At about 6.30 pm, Astro Radio Traffic said that the accident was "causing a bad jam in both directions".

The authorities are still investigating the cause of the accident.</s>Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz and Chairman of the Malaysian Tourism Datuk Siew Ka Wei launch Malaysia Smart Tourism 4.0 in Kuala Lumpur April 5, 2018. — Picture by Zuraneeza ZulkifliKUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — Tourism Malaysia and internet company Tencent Holdings launched today an initiative to create a digital tourism ecosystem in Malaysia to attract Chinese tourists.

In his opening speech at the launch of Malaysia Smart Tourism 4.0 Powered by Tencent, Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the initiative was a game changer which would carry the industry forward.

“The world is now undergoing the so-called fourth industrial revolution which will see growth being driven by huge amounts of data exchange, advancements in technology and the development of high-tech interfaces,” Nazri said.

“For the tourism industry, this will have a huge impact on how people travel and in this new demanding environment, tourism-related businesses must either transform the way they operate or lose out on opportunities.”

The Malaysian Smart Tourism 4.0 is an initiative that marks the first milestone in Malaysia’s 10-year tourism roadmap and is a collaborative effort between Tourism Malaysia and Tencent Holdings.

Tencent Holdings is the fourth most valuable internet company in the world and will provide a digital ecosystem for Malaysia to reach out to the 1.4 billion-strong Chinese population using precision marketing methods like market segmentation and targeted advertising.

A digital ecosystem refers to an interdependent group of enterprises, people and/or things that share standardised digital platforms.

Nazri said that with global outbound tourism numbers expected to reach 1.8 billion people by 2030, now was the time for the country to leverage on the changing environment.

“A huge portion of that number will be tourists from China. In fact, the Chinese made 130.5 million trips overseas last year, a 7 per cent jump from 2016, and spent an estimated US$115.3 billion (RM445.67 billion).

“They account for more than a fifth of the money spent by outbound tourists and twice as much as the next biggest spender, the Americans,” he said, adding that 200 million tourists from China would be making outbound trips by 2020.

“The question is how many of them will be coming to Malaysia and how will you make them your customers,” Nazri told the audience, which included representatives from various tourist associations.

Tourism Malaysia Chairman Datuk Siew Ka Wei said the initial phase of the initiative would include the joint production of 40 five-minute videos on Malaysia’s tourist offerings and make them available to the Chinese market.

“This will include hotels, food and other experiences that will be documented and made available to potential customers who will be able to see for themselves what is available here.

“Together with the participation of key opinion leaders or influencers, who form a key component in generating interest in our offerings, we expect to reach a wide audience effectively,” Siew said.

Siew said this was a major project for the industry as millions of jobs will be created, whether “running a coffeeshop to being the general manager of a hotel”, with the establishment of the ecosystem.

“The RM425 billion tourist receipts in 2030 will have a tremendous effect on our economy because every ringgit spent will have a multiplier effect of 10 times. The tourism industry will bring in trillions of ringgit.

“We will become the main engine of growth for the country. This is a project for the whole country,” he said.

Siew added that as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had made it clear the industry would be a national priority, he encouraged young people to come forward with ideas and take their place in the new environment.

“If the numbers do not change, tourism will become the biggest global industry and Malaysia has all the right assets from attractions to the best people,” he said.

“Young people need to come forward and participate. These changes will affect them and it is up to these individuals to come up with ideas that will help Malaysia capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead,” Siew added.

The initiative is expected to increase the country’s tourism revenue from RM96.60 billion to RM425.04 billion by 2030, a four-fold increase.

China is an especially important market for Malaysia with 2.2 million Chinese visiting the country, spending an estimated RM9.05 billion last year alone. Malaysia is among the top 10 Asia-Pacific destinations preferred by Chinese tourists.</s>KUALA LUMPUR: One Singaporean has died and 13 people were injured in a bus crash on the Karak-Kuala Lumpur Expressway in Malaysia on Saturday (Apr 7).

A spokesman at the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department said it received a distress call at about 3.30 pm on an accident involving a bus and a lorry.

He said an engine from the Selayang Fire and Rescue station was then sent to the scene.

“The accident involved 12 Singapore nationals and two locals. All the injured were sent to Selayang Hospital for treatment,” he told Bernama.

The tour bus was on its way back to Singapore from Genting Highlands, Malaysia media reported. 



Astro Radio Traffic said at about 6.30pm that the accident was "causing a bad jam in both directions".



The cause of the accident is being investigated.</s>A country’s economic development depends on the its stability, its reliability, & openness to business/investment/entrepreneurship; & small due to natural resources/geography. In this, Malaysia scores better than Thailand in almost all points here.

Thailand was never colonised by a Western power.

While the Thais are proud of being the only Southeast Asian country to have not been colonised, this is a double-edged sword for it. Thailand had to build its pillars of the state such as the Rule of Law, political stability (covered in another point), a sound legal system, good infrastructure, a decent civil service, from scratch. The patronage in Thailand exists till today.

Meanwhile, Malaysia inherited all (or most) of this from the British upon a bloodless independence. Sure, past kings of Thailand such as Mongkut & Chulalongkorn did a great deal in consulting multiple Western powers in different fields to modernise Siam, but never to the point of a decent former British colony like Malaysia. The British also abolished a great deal of patronage when they took over.

Malaysia is also extremely lucky that the British actually made sure we had the right institutions & people to run a newly independent country. They did not pack their bags & leave us in a mess like what happened in India & Pakistan. Heck, they even helped fight a Communist insurgency & military aggression from Soekarno’s Indonesia. Of course, the British helped us because they wanted to fight off the domino effect of Communism in the Cold War & to preserve their investments which were still substantial at that time, but in return we were placed with a system that has more of less been the same since independence.

Thailand is politically less stable than Malaysia.

Since the start of its constitutional monarchy in 1932, Thailand’s incredible political divisions & it’s military’s unique role in politics had resulted in 20 coups d’état, the most recent in 2014. Multiple civilian parties & military factions have struggled for political power. Even when the government reverts to civilian rule, it can be very fragile. Violence can also descend quickly- such as the 2010 Thai political protests.

Conversely, Malaysia, with the help of a historically fragmented opposition & rigged elections only had one ruling coalition since its independence 61 years ago- the National Front (Barisan Nasional, BN), headed by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). That’s not to say things in Malaysia were easier to run- the BN has withstood multiple events & scandals such as the Communist insurgency, Indonesia’s Konfrontasi, expulsion of Singapore, the May 13th racial riots, the 1988 Constitutional crisis, the Reformasimovement, & most recently the 1MDB scandal; all by iron fisted moves. Even then, protests & scandals don’t usually end up in violence, unlike Thailand.

However, of late, Thailand’s junta has ironically provided the much needed political stability for a sound business environment. Since 2014 (the year the current military junta came to power) economic growth has beaten expectations & tourist arrivals are at a record-breaking high.

Malaysia had & currently have many cash-cow commodities. Historically there was tin, rubber, timber, & gold. Nowadays, its mostly palm oil, & oil (petroleum). Commodities have very high profit margins especially when prices are high. However they are also susceptible to price swings. Hence the Malaysian Ringgit is a much more volatile currency.

While Thailand’s primary sector is big on agriculture such as rice & fruits, they do not yield as much profits as commodities. It does, however, make Thailand a self-sufficient country for food.

Also, Malaysia’s secondary sectors (like high-value manufacturing) & tertiary sector (such as banking) is also bigger. However Thailand’s tourism industry is a much bigger.

Geographically, Thailand is in a less advantageous position than Malaysia.

Peninsular Malaysia is flanked by the Strait of Malacca, the world’s busiest natural strait. Hence Malaysia (& Singapore) catches most of port traffic in Southeast Asia. Port Klang, near Kuala Lumpur and Port of Tanjung Pelepas in the border of Singapore are busy ports.

Thailand, while occupying a central position in Indochina & the only land bridge connecting the Peninsular Malaysia & Singapore, is certainly impressive. However, 90% of the world’s freight is by sea, making ground freight less relevant. This is so important to the point that the southern provinces of Thailand export their goods via Penang Port & Port Klang in Malaysia instead of Laem Chabang port near Bangkok due to proximity & ease of movement.

Widespread use of English in Malaysia.

While detractors say that English isn’t important by using examples of countries like Japan, Germany, South Korea, China, Taiwan, etc. Malaysia’s widespread use of English certainly makes business done by foreigners easier. Also, STEM resources & materials are mostly found in English, thus making the teaching of STEM subjects much easier.

While Thailand has the largest population of overseas Chinese in the world, Malaysia has the highest percentage of overseas Chinese as a minority, at 25%, versus Thailand’s 12%. Their entrepreneurship has spearheaded the economic growth of their respective countries. Malaysia also has a significant overseas Indian minority, who occupy many professional positions such as doctors, lawyer, engineers, accountants, etc.
A bus crashes near Genting Highlands in Bentong, Pahang, Malaysia, hitting a car and a barrier. Twenty-three people are injured, including sixteen Chinese tourists.