Latest news with #Tey
The Star
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
SMEs urged to grab chance to grow
Mohd Jafni (second from left) speaking with Tey (centre, in white) and hawkers and petty traders who received tents from the state government during a ceremony at Johor Baru City Council. MICRO businesses as well as small and medium enterprises (SME) are urged to seize opportunities that come with the development of Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). State housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said JS-SEZ had the potential to contribute an additional US$28bil (about RM120bil) to Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030. He said the initiative spanning 11 key economic sectors was expected to see the start of about 50 projects in the first five years, with the number of projects going up to 100 in 10 years. 'This shows that JS-SEZ has many opportunities for SME and micro businesses to grab,' he said. The 11 key economic sectors under the JS-SEZ are manufacturing, logistics, food security, business services, tourism, energy, digital economy, green economy, financial services, education and health. During an interview, Mohd Jafni added that the state government, through its 16 local councils, had also been clamping down on the abuse of business licences to ensure that locals benefit from the economic activities. 'We have been running joint operations regularly to go after those abusing business licences, such as illegally renting them to foreigners,' he said. 'We want to ensure that the right people benefit from the state's development and this is the Johor government's priority.' Mohd Jafni highlighted that SMEs contributed 37% of the country's GDP and generated about 48% of the nation's workforce including in sectors such as services, manufacturing, agriculture and commerce. 'The state government recently distributed 6,000 units of tents worth RM3mil to petty traders and SME for the year.' He said the state government had also been collaborating with Bank Rakyat to assist businesses through the BR Johor Niaga financial scheme. As of March 31, 644 entrepreneurs had been accepted for the scheme, which had disbursed more than RM43.2mil since it was launched on March 22, 2023. The scheme allows eligible applicants to receive interest-free funding of between RM5,000 and RM50,000. The interest is fully borne by the state government. Johor Baru Small Business Association president Tey Tian Hwang urged eligible entrepreneurs to apply for the zero-interest scheme to upgrade and improve their businesses. 'SMEs, including hawkers and mobile traderswho are looking forward to the JS-SEZ implementation, should make plans to upgrade their businesses and uplift their services and image. 'With more developments, there will naturally be a higher demand for goods and services, which SMEs will stand to benefit from,' he said. Tey added that next year's Visit Johor Year promotion and completion of the Rapid Transit System Link, connecting Johor and Singapore by rail, would further boost the economy.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Piles of rubbish mar Seri Kembangan's image
Rubbish dumped by the side of Jalan Aman in Seri Kembangan. A long-term solution is needed to the persistent dumping of rubbish illegally in Seri Kembangan, Selangor. Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) Zone 22 councillor Tey Boon Kiat said several locations had become hotspots. 'These include Jalan SK 9, Jalan SK 2/3, Jalan Jinma 4, Jalan SK 7/3, Jalan 14/2B, Jalan SK 8/1, Jalan SK 3/5, Jalan SK 5/4, Jalan Pasar and Jalan Kuyuh. 'These piles of rubbish not only pollute the environment and become breeding grounds for pests, they also tarnish the image of the entire community. 'This has become a vicious cycle because if the rubbish is not cleared, it will pile up and the sites will continue to be dumping grounds,' he said. To address the issue, Tey suggested the city council consider installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the affected areas. 'However, there are concerns that the CCTV's blindspots could become new dumping sites,' he said, adding that those caught dumping rubbish would be issued a RM1,000 compound. Tey was speaking during a press conference after a clean-up operation with KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd at Jalan Aman in Kampung Baru Seri Kembangan. Seri Kembangan new village chief Eric Hong said the issue had persisted for years without a long-term solution. 'We have advised people repeatedly not to throw their rubbish everywhere, but nothing has changed. 'Each time KDEB clears the area, new piles of rubbish are there in just a few days or even overnight,' said Hong.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Older pension investors will take the hit as damaged Solar 21 plant to be sold on insolvent basis
The company is now attempting to finalise a sale of its subsidiary GB-Bio, which controls the power station, on an insolvent basis via 'a pre-pack administration', it said. The investment firm had previously told the High Court that the station was valued at £96m and that it had an offer of £116m to buy it. A sales process for the Tansterne plant – which the company has been unable to repair following a fire – had confirmed that there was 'no interest from purchasers in acquiring GB-Bio on a solvent basis', according to an update to investors from consultants Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), the supervisor of Solar 21's High Court-approved scheme of arrangement. Most investors were older pension investors who will not be able to make up the loss 'Due to creditor pressure and the lack of solvent offers for GB-Bio, the board of GB-Bio filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators to GB-Bio,' said A&M. The 'current offer for the assets of GB-Bio is materially lower than the value presented' in its High Court scheme of arrangement, said the A&M update. The potential purchaser has lodged a deposit of £150,000 but the sale still 'remains uncertain'. A financial services industry source said the outcome marked 'the largest loss of retail investor funds in a single investment that I am aware of.' Tey continued: 'Most investors were older pension investors who will not be able to make up the loss.' The most recent set of accounts for GB-Bio, to the end of December 2023, show a deficit in shareholders' funds of almost €56m. Thousands of Irish investors put as much as €370m into Solar 21 projects.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Yahoo
Inside the elite world of helicopter commuting: 'It's like a bus to me'
On a sunny Wednesday afternoon in late February, Ernesto Tey walked from a meeting on the west side of Manhattan to the heliport at 30th Street on the Hudson River. He was early for his 3 p.m. Blade helicopter flight to Kennedy International Airport, so he ordered a drink at the lounge bar. A self-described "plane geek" who works for a software company and flies single-engine aircraft in his spare time, the Californian says he's taken about 30 Blades to and from Manhattan over the last few years. The nine-minute ride starts at $95 for those with a pass, and when an Uber in rush-hour traffic can take more than an hour and set you back more than $100, it doesn't sound so unreasonable. Plus, it's fun and the views are wild. "Where else can you fly in a helicopter for between $100 and $200?" he told me. A few minutes later, Tey and I and two other passengers climbed aboard a six-seat helicopter — just feet from Hudson River Park's busy waterfront walking and bike path — and soared 1,400 feet above the Hudson, around the southern tip of Manhattan, and across Brooklyn. Helicopter commuter and private charter services are steadily transforming the whirlybird from a plaything of the ultrawealthy to an on-demand rideshare for anyone with access to a company card or willing to blow a few hundred dollars on an Instagrammable experience. "Blading" has become a verb for the Hamptons set, as the industry has expanded its footprint in recent years, particularly in the New York City area. Less pleased with the rise of whirlybirds are those literally below them. Over the past few years, New Yorkers have taken to the city's nonemergency 311 complaint line to register their displeasure like never before. Helicopter noise complaints exploded by 678% in two years, from 3,332 in 2019 to 25,916 in 2021, based on 311 data compiled by Business Insider. Complaints more than doubled to 59,127 in 2023. Last year, they dropped to 28,686 — still far above the pre-COVID normal. The surge in complaints aligns with the rise of private charter and commuter services, on top of a loosely regulated sightseeing helicopter industry and a spike in law enforcement chopper flights. An analysis by the New York City Council of flights and complaints in May 2023 found that trips like the one I took from Manhattan to the airport and tour choppers from New Jersey generated the most complaints. But local, state, and federal leaders have done little to stop the chop in recent years. For all the hubbub about helicopters, they're only the harbinger of a future of much more crowded skies. The industry is on the verge of transformation by long-awaited electric choppers that the federal government, local policymakers, and helicopter services are already embracing as a way to vastly expand the air-taxi industry and make vertical urban travel mainstream. Helicopter commuting is nothing new in the Big Apple. Modern helicopters were invented at the start of World War II. In the 1950s, the aviation company New York Airways began offering relatively cheap chopper rides from the roof of a midtown Manhattan skyscraper to the city's airports. A deadly crash in 1977 tarnished the industry's glamorous image, but in the decades since, the city's skies have filled back up with choppers, including so-called "nonessential" charter flights and sightseeing services, as well as "essential" law enforcement, media, and medical flights. "It's like a bus to me. It's just transportation." Blade is on a mission to vastly expand rideshare in the skies. Its CEO, Rob Wiesenthal, told me the company's passenger business has grown from about $2 million in revenue in 2014 to more than $100 million last year. Earlier this year, it opened up its $95 airport shuttle service for Long Island and New Jersey commuters — marketing it as a way to skip New York City's new $9 congestion pricing toll on drivers below 60th Street. "If you think about $75 for parking and $9 for congestion pricing and $13 to $26 for whichever tunnel or bridge you take, you actually save money with the pass," Wiesenthal said. (He doesn't mention New York City's vast network of commuter trains. The A train from the airport will set you back a grand total of $2.90). What struck me about my fellow Blade passengers was how casually they treated the experience. Stephanie Fuhrman, who works for a software company based out of Utah, was in New York for business and opted for a Blade to save time getting back to JFK. "It's like a bus to me," she said. "It's just transportation." Plus, her Uber from the airport to Manhattan in morning traffic had taken about an hour and a half and cost her nearly $200, she said. "I couldn't take the risk going to the airport." The fourth passenger on our flight, Donal Collins, falls into the other category of Blade customer: leisure travelers seeking a joyride. The 27-year-old, who works at a Brooklyn-based AI startup, loves to fly, but this was his first whirlybird ride. On his way from New York to California, he decided to use the Blade gift card his brother had given him for Christmas. Blade's clientele ranges from C-suite executives to executive assistants. They're Hamptons-goers, commuters, and thrill seekers — and they've gotten younger over the years as prices have come down. Blade's busiest days are Thursdays, Fridays, and Mondays when long-weekend travelers mix with the business crowd. While the cost of a chopper ride might be low for a well-compensated white-collar worker, the quality-of-life negatives for those they fly over are remarkably high. Looking down at the tiny skyscrapers from my seat next to the pilot, I was reminded of the similarly beautiful day in late September I'd spent picnicking on Governors Island off Lower Manhattan. What struck me then — and helped inspire my obsession with the helicopter industry — was how difficult it was to enjoy the idyllic car-free oasis with the near-constant chop-chop of helicopters overhead. Like many of the city's waterfront parks, the island has become what one anti-helicopter advocate told me is "ground zero" for chopper traffic. > Critics of the helicopter industry point to the safety hazards of congested skies and the environmental impact of the fuel-spewing machines. But the window-rattling racket they make tops the list of concerns. Loud, disruptive noise can have a range of physical and mental effects "from raising the biomarkers for stress to changing how people's hearts and metabolisms work, and reducing people's lifespan," Nick Shapiro, a professor of biology and society at UCLA who studies the health impacts of helicopter policing, told me. One 2017 study linked aviation noise to disrupted sleep, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and lower academic performance among kids. Aircraft noise is especially annoying because it's both loud and intermittent, Shapiro told me. Helicopters fly lower than planes and have the least regulated traffic patterns. Chopper noise doesn't affect everyone the same way. People who've lived in war-torn or hyper-policed areas might have a more acute mental or physical reaction. "Different populations might feel stalked or harassed by that noise in a way that is culturally and historically informed," Shapiro said. In the case of policing, the noise is often the point. Beginning during the 1965 Watts riots, the Los Angeles Police Department pioneered the use of helicopters to patrol neighborhoods. Flying low, sometimes using spotlights, most of the flights were used to deter crime rather than respond to emergencies. "The sonic impacts are intended and part of its hypothesized efficacy," Shapiro said. "It's about seeing the helicopter, rather than the helicopter seeing what's happening on the ground." A 2023 audit found the LAPD's helicopter program costs about $47 million a year — more than the budgets of 14 city agencies — and found "little evidence" that it reduced crime. New Yorkers have long made a stink about helicopters over their streets. Mayor Rudy Giuliani closed one of the city's heliports in 1997 under pressure from incensed residents. In 2016, the New York City Council came close to shutting down two of the city's heliports, but Mayor Bill de Blasio settled on a compromise that halved the number of tourist flights that originate in the city — from 60,000 flights a year to 30,000. Since then, New Jersey has seen a surge in helicopter tour operators, which fly an unknown number of choppers over the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and everywhere in between, unrestricted by the city's regulations. The New York City Council analysis of 2023 helicopter traffic found that the number of tourist choppers in city airspace that originated in New Jersey and Westchester County was about the same as the number launching from the city. Melissa Elstein began noticing an uptick in helicopters flying over her Upper West Side apartment and over Central Park in summer 2019. When she found out many were doors-off, shoe-selfie tourist choppers, she was incensed. "It's really insane that this is even allowed, especially given that we're also the most densely populated city and with some of the busiest skies," she told me. So Elstein decided to help revive Stop the Chop NY/NJ, a group pushing for much stricter regulation of nonessential choppers. The group has some high-profile supporters, including members of Congress and local elected officials. While the city controls what happens at its heliports, only the federal government, specifically the Federal Aviation Administration, controls New York City's airspace. New York Reps. Jerry Nadler, Carolyn Maloney, and Nydia Velázquez have introduced federal legislation to ban nonessential choppers over the city. Some local lawmakers support the federal ban and want to see the city government end tourist and commuter flights from city-owned and operated heliports. "There's just no reason that we should have city-owned helipads to fly the Uber elite out to JFK or the Hamptons at the expense of the quality of life and well-being of our communities," Lincoln Restler, a Brooklyn City council member, told me. There's precedent for regulating or banning helicopter traffic. There are no-fly zones above some of the country's most prized monuments — the White House and the US Capitol and, naturally, Disney World and Disney Land. Some major cities around the world, including Paris, have also basically banned nonessential chopper flights. And several European countries have ended short-haul plane flights to help curb carbon emissions. It's clear we're hurtling toward a future of highways in the sky. But it's not clear this future appeals to the average city dweller. New York City's Economic Development Corporation, which runs two of the three public heliports, has resisted efforts to further crack down on tourist flights in the city, citing the tourism dollars it brings in. Restler told me he doubts EDC's defense of helicopter tourism, calling it "kind of farcical" and instead motivated by a desire to keep the wealthiest New Yorkers happy. For all the headache, the city-owned heliports only bring in about $3 million a year in revenue, Anton Fredriksson, EDC's director of aviation, told me. "Essential flights" are also a growing part of the noise problem. Under Mayor Eric Adams, the New York police department's use of law enforcement choppers has risen dramatically. A 2024 Bloomberg investigation found that the force's helicopters spent 60% more time in the air in 2023 than in the previous four years. The NYPD's spending on the helicopter program more than doubled between fiscal year 2021 and 2023 to $12.3 million. The helicopter industry is on the verge of a major transformation. In 2023, the FAA published a report outlining its path to approving the first so-called electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft for commercial flight by 2025 — and widespread use by 2028. These machines are basically electric versions of helicopters — and have been hyped by the Silicon Valley set for years. Some chopper services, including Blade, want them to replace their use of combustion-engine helicopters. "This is the first phase of a really exciting new age where instead of moving around on the ground, we're able to move around in the air," Eric Allison, the chief product officer of one California-based eVTOL company, Joby Aviation, told me. Joby has partnered with Uber, Delta, Toyota, and the US government, and aims to launch its air taxi services at Uber Black prices and eventually hopes to bring them closer to UberX prices. It's not clear when they'll get final certification from the FAA to start ferrying people around the US, but they're undergoing approval in Dubai. After resisting the regulation of traditional helicopters for decades, New York leaders are embracing the electric rotor industry with open arms as the solution to noise and air pollution. Some support lifting caps on flights if they're electric. The mayor and EDC invited Joby and a German company to show off their machines in a test flight in downtown Manhattan in late 2023. Adams predicted at the event that "within our lifetime, many of you are going to own your own personal electric helicopter." There are some clear upsides to the technology — eVTOLs are much quieter than combustion-engine helicopters, and they don't spew jet fuel. Even some city lawmakers who've led the charge against the helicopter industry are welcoming their electric counterparts. "The future of electric air taxi travel represents innovation, sustainability, and expanded transportation options for our city," Amanda Farías, the New York City Council majority leader, said in a statement. Restler is more cautious. "Until we actually experience how they work in practice and what impacts they have, we don't know kind of what regulatory structure we need to protect the health, well-being, and safety of our communities," he said. Earlier this month, Blade announced it's expanding its JFK flight offerings to the downtown Manhattan heliport in an effort to help the heliport's new operator "gather data on consumer demand, flier experience, and logistics" and transition to eVTOLs. It's clear we're hurtling toward a future of highways in the sky — and we're already there in NYC. But it's not clear it's one that appeals to the average city dweller. It might warrant asking the question: Do we want the 1% taking over the skies? Eliza Relman is a policy correspondent focused on housing, transportation, and infrastructure on Insider's economy team. Read the original article on Business Insider
New York Times
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘The White Lotus' Is Coming to Thailand. So Are the Tourists.
When the third season of the hit HBO series 'The White Lotus' debuts on Sunday, viewers will be transported to the tropical island of Koh Samui, Thailand. And if previous seasons are any indication, many of them will soon be booking vacations there, too. The show, which takes place at a different fictional White Lotus luxury resort each season, centers on a group of wealthy tourists, their interpersonal dramas and the inevitable tension with staff and locals, all against a backdrop of paradise skewed. The travel industry has been anticipating the new season almost as much as fans have. Partly thanks to the so-called 'White Lotus' effect, Koh Samui and Thailand have already emerged as top destinations. Koh Samui was one of the New York Times 52 Places to Go in 2025, and Thailand was Travel+Leisure's 2025 destination of the year. With a wave of tourists set to wash ashore, the roughly 68,000 residents of Koh Samui are about to get a lot more familiar with the 'White Lotus' effect. On the pristine white sand of Chaweng Beach one recent evening, Tey, 46, a local carpenter who declined to give his last name, said he didn't really know much about the series. But then came a flash of recognition. 'Yes, yes. Lisa's show was filmed here,' he said. Lisa, or Lalisa Manobal, is a Thai member of the K-pop band Blackpink who makes her acting debut in this season of 'The White Lotus.' Had he heard anything else about it? Tey shook his head. Selling a taste of luxury Koh Samui, an 88-square-mile gem in the Gulf of Thailand about 470 miles south of Bangkok, has long charmed visitors with its miles of beaches, tranquil waters, jungle-covered hills, restaurants and nightlife. Bookings at the $2,000-a-night Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, where a large part of Season 3 was shot, have already jumped 40 percent. And once the new season begins streaming, Marc Speichert, the executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, said he expected demand to increase 'exponentially.' 'We saw a 10x increase in the properties in Maui and Taormina,' Mr. Speichert said, referring to the Four Seasons resorts in Hawaii and Sicily where much of Seasons 1 and 2 were shot. The high-end travel network Virtuoso said its data showed a 424 percent spike in sales to Sicily after Season 2. For visitors to Koh Samui who want a taste of the sweet 'White Lotus' life but don't have the bank balances to match, the Four Seasons offers day passes allowing use of the beach and access to restaurants and bars if you spend at least 5,000 baht, or about $150, said Jasjit Assi, the resort's general manager. Other businesses, local as well as global, are also banking on a boom. American Express is offering a White Lotus Thailand Experience package to certain card members. It includes three days at the Four Seasons resort and a full-moon party. Even about 200 miles west on the popular island of Phuket, where some parts of the Season 3 were shot, hotels are trying to cash in on 'The White Lotus.' The Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas, for example, boasts that it offers a level of luxury similar to that of the Four Seasons, and unlike Koh Samui, Phuket is home to a Michelin-starred restaurant, Pru. Phuket, Bangkok and Koh Samui are all stops on the seven-night White Lotus Thailand trip offered by Unforgettable Travel Company, a luxury tour operator, for just under $8,000 per person. It includes private tours of Bangkok and sunset cruises in Bangkok and Koh Samui. 'I think it is going to be huge for Samui,' said Michael Brasier, the owner-manager of Nahm, a casual, airy fusion restaurant perched over the water near Koh Samui's airport. Mr. Brasier already benefited from a 'White Lotus' boon of his own: A group of actors including Walton Goggins, who plays one of the resort guests, visited Nahm several times a week while filming, he said, and he had the photos to prove it. 'Gorgeous, layered, complex' The idea of 'set-jetting,' or visiting the filming sites of favorite shows and movies, stretches back at least as far as the early 2000s, when the 'Lord of the Rings' franchise flooded New Zealand with Tolkien-obsessed visitors. But the trend has taken off in recent years, with events like 'Bridgerton'-style balls and 'Emily in Paris'-inspired girls' trips to the French Riviera. In 2023, the high-end travel provider Black Tomato began offering experiences like James Bond-themed private tours, including a speedboat race on the River Thames, for $18,500 and up. But in the past, set-jetters mostly visited places they had already seen in their favorite movies or shows. With Season 3 of 'The White Lotus,' they're not waiting. The British actor Jason Isaacs, one of the stars of the new season, said he was surprised to hear that set-jetters were already traveling to Koh Samui. 'I didn't realize that was a thing already,' he said. Mr. Isaacs, who spoke by phone as he was en route to the season premiere in Los Angeles, said he managed to do a little exploration of his own during the more than two months he was on Koh Samui for filming. He cited temple visits, waterfall hikes, massages and training in Thai boxing as some of the highlights. 'Samui is a gorgeous, layered, complex place, full of incredible beauty,' he said. But he cautioned that the expected influx of visitors and the accompanying development will have downsides, too, echoing the haves-and-have-nots theme woven into the show. Despite the beautiful setting, there is 'poverty and deprivation,' he said. 'Visitors will see a lot if they are curious and keep their eyes open.' Tey, the carpenter from Chaweng Beach, knows all too well what change has brought to the island. He remembers when he was a child, the sight of a foreigner was a big event. Back then the hills weren't covered with expat-owned villas and the roads weren't lined with shops selling marijuana, which was decriminalized in Thailand in 2022. But at the same time, Tey, who learned English working for a British developer building those same villas, was pragmatic about the changes. Those tourists and expats bring money to the island, he said, expressing a sentiment that wouldn't be out of place in a 'White Lotus' episode: 'They can do what they want.' Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2025.
