Melaka reaffirms commitment to water tourism
MELAKA: Melaka remains steadfast in its mission to position the state as a sustainable water tourism destination, while restoring the former glory of the Melaka River, once dubbed the 'Venice of the East'.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said this commitment was further strengthened following a recent high-impact working visit by the state government delegation to Venice, Italy - a legendary city renowned for its water-based transport and tourism industry.
'We had the opportunity to study Venice's successful boat system, including gondolas, water taxis, water buses and emergency boats, all designed with sustainability and international visitor experience in mind,' he said in a statement posted on his official Facebook page today.
Ab Rauf said the visit also provided opportunities for the Melaka River and Coastal Development Corporation, which operates the Melaka River Cruise, to gain insights into waterway management technologies and share best practices in tackling climate change.
'God willing, the knowledge gained will be translated into concrete action to ensure Melaka continues progressing as a world-class water tourism destination that brings pride to Malaysia.
'From the banks of the Melaka River to the canals of Venice, may this strong friendship continue to flow and grow,' he said.
Ab Rauf and the state delegation were accompanied throughout the visit by Venice deputy mayor Simone Venturini, senior officials of the Venice City Council and representatives from the Malaysian Embassy in Rome.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysia Sun
6 hours ago
- Malaysia Sun
Malaysian central bank launches digital asset innovation hub
Xinhua 17 Jun 2025, 17:45 GMT+10 KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Malaysian central bank on Tuesday launched the Digital Asset Innovation Hub to stimulate financial innovation in a controlled environment for applicants to test new ideas and provide input to fine-tune regulatory and security frameworks. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said that this is to support the development of digital assets and the application of leading financial technology in Malaysia. Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in his keynote speech that the hub is a testament to Malaysia's commitment to ensure policy evolves alongside innovation. "The hub will serve as a catalyst for progress, enabling innovators to test use cases such as programmable payments, ringgit-backed stable coins and supply chain financing; unlocking new efficiencies across the financial system and the broader economy," he said.
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Sales tax may pressure planters' competitiveness
PETALING JAYA: The competitiveness of the local palm oil industry will likely be eroded by the implementation of the expanded sales and service tax in July, analysts say. The tax will increase raw material costs, although some of the additional cost may be passed on to buyers, says CIMB Research. Major listed plantation companies with palm oil operations in Malaysia include SD Guthrie Bhd , FGV Holdings Bhd , Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd , IOI Corp Bhd and Wilmar International Ltd. 'Overall, we are slightly negative on the indicative 5% sales tax on crude palm kernel oil for Malaysian palm oil players, although the industry may seek a government waiver if the tax undermines local competitiveness against Indonesia,' said CIMB Research in a report yesterday. The research house said it understands from the Malaysian Palm Oil Association and planters that fresh fruit bunches (FFB) will be exempted from the 5% sales tax, despite being listed among taxable goods. 'This is because the sales tax applies only to the manufacturing sector, and FFB is classified as a locally harvested raw material intended for further processing rather than a manufactured product,' CIMB Research said. However, palm kernel oil, refined, bleached and deodorised palm kernel oil and palm kernel shell have been reclassified from tax-exempt goods to those subject to a 5% sales tax under the Sales Tax Order 2025. It remains unclear whether the industry will seek exemptions for these products, added the research house. Meanwhile, CIMB Research said the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposal for 5.61 billion gallons of biodiesel under a mandate for next year is supportive of demand for edible oil and crude palm oil (CPO) prices, as the mandate will help sustain US consumption of edible oils. 'We maintain our CPO price forecast of RM4,200 per tonne for this year and reiterate our sector top picks, IOI and Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Bhd ,' said the research house. For next year, the EPA has set a target of 7.12 billion biomass-based diesel renewable identification numbers (RINs), which is expected to translate into 5.61 billion gallons of actual biodiesel blended that year. 'This target is expressed in RINs, in line with the EPA's broader objective to limit the number of RINs generated from imported biofuels,' CIMB Research said. As a result, the EPA now projects that each gallon of biomass-based diesel will generate 1.27 RINs in 2026 and 1.28 RINs in 2027, down from the previous estimate of 1.6 RINs. In comparison, the 2025 biomass-based diesel volume mandate stood at just 3.35 billion gallons, a level widely criticised by the industry as inadequate. Notably, the 2026 blending target of 5.61 billion gallons for biomass-based diesel volume exceeds the 5.25 billion gallons requested by the industry. 'We are positive on the proposed 2026 mandate, as fulfilling the 5.61 billion gallons or 19.2 million tonnes of biodiesel would support the use of edible oils as feedstock to meet the US biodiesel requirement. For context, US biodiesel production last year stood at around 16 million tonnes.' The final rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) targets in the United States is expected to be published by the end of this year. Under the RFS, oil refiners are required to either blend substantial volumes of biofuels into the US fuel supply or purchase compliance credits known as RINs from others who exceed their blending obligations. Small refiners may apply for exemptions if they can demonstrate that complying with the mandate would cause undue economic hardship. The proposal reflects a significant shift in biomass-based diesel requirements, noted CIMB Research.
Barnama
8 hours ago
- Barnama
Melaka Reaffirms Commitment To Water Tourism, Draws Inspiration From Venice Visit
MELAKA, June 17 (Bernama) -- Melaka remains steadfast in its mission to position the state as a sustainable water tourism destination, while restoring the former glory of the Melaka River, once dubbed the 'Venice of the East'. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said this commitment was further strengthened following a recent high-impact working visit by the state government delegation to Venice, Italy - a legendary city renowned for its water-based transport and tourism industry. 'We had the opportunity to study Venice's successful boat system, including gondolas, water taxis, water buses and emergency boats, all designed with sustainability and international visitor experience in mind,' he said in a statement posted on his official Facebook page today.
