Chinese tourist and <b>hotel</b> worker kidnapped from resort in eastern <b>...</b> - Hotel in Malaysia Blog |
- Chinese tourist and <b>hotel</b> worker kidnapped from resort in eastern <b>...</b>
- Scuderia Ferrari displaces relatives of missing passengers - Autoblog
- Ferrari Displaces Families of <b>Malaysian</b> Airlines Flight 370 <b>...</b>
- ONYX TO LAUNCH FIRST AMARI <b>HOTEL IN MALAYSIA</b>
- Muslims target Chinese and abduct tourist and <b>hotel</b> worker from <b>...</b>
| Chinese tourist and <b>hotel</b> worker kidnapped from resort in eastern <b>...</b> Posted: 02 Apr 2014 08:41 PM PDT  Map showing the location of the Singamata Reef Resort. Google Maps/Global NewsKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Suspected Filipino insurgents seized a Chinese tourist and a hotel worker from a dive resort in eastern Malaysia and then fled by speed boat, Malaysian and Philippine officials said Thursday. The incident took place late Wednesday in the Semporna district of Sabah state, which is on the Malaysian side of Borneo island. The raid underlines persistent security threats in Sabah, a popular tourist destination and dive spot that is a short boat ride from the southern Philippines, where Muslim militants and kidnap gangs have long found safe haven. It will likely add to negative sentiment in China over the safety of its citizens in Malaysia, which is still hunting for a jetliner that went missing March 8 with 153 Chinese citizens on board. Six men armed with pistols raided the Singamata Reef Resort, a midrange resort popular with Chinese tourists, according to a police report sent to the Associated Press by a security official. It said the Chinese victim was a 28-year-old woman from Shanghai, while the hotel worker was a 40-year-old Philippines national. A receptionist at the hotel declined to comment, as did police in the district. A Philippines intelligence official said the attackers were believed to be from the Abu Sayaff group, a militant Muslim group that claims allegiance to al-Qaida and has been implicated in other kidnappings for ransom in the region before. Last November, suspected Abu Sayyaf militants shot and killed a Taiwanese tourist and kidnapped his wife from a resort in the Semporna area. The women was released a month later in the southern Philippines. Authorities didn't say whether a ransom was paid. Such deals are normally not immediately disclosed to the media, if at all In 2000, Abu Sayyaf gunmen crossed the porous maritime border with Malaysia in speedboats and snatched 21 European tourists and Malaysian and Filipino workers from Malaysia's Sipadan diving resort and brought them to the southern Philippines, where the captives were later released in exchange for ransom. Militants in the southern Philippines are holding more than a dozen captives, including two European bird watchers who were seized from Tawi-Tawi, the southernmost Philippines province closest to Sabah, in 2012. Gomez reported from Manila. Chris Brummitt in Kuala Lumpur also contributed to this report. © The Canadian Press, 2014  |
| Scuderia Ferrari displaces relatives of missing passengers - Autoblog Posted: 23 Mar 2014 10:59 AM PDT  The action and glamor of a Formula One race coming to town is usually more than enough to shine an international spotlight on a host country, but Malaysia has made headlines recently for another reason entirely. That, of course, would be the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight 370. But with the two events coming together, something's going to have to give, and unfortunately in this case, it's the grieving families of the flight's passengers. The clash came to a head when the Scuderia Ferrari came to town to set up for next weekend's race. Team members were booked to stay at the Cyberview Hotel in the capital of Kuala Lumpur, arrangements which F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone points out were likely to have been made long ago. The trouble is that over a dozen relatives of MH370 passengers who had come in from China were still staying at that hotel while awaiting word on their loved ones' fates, and with the hotel apparently filling up fast ahead of the grand prix weekend, those family members were forced to leave. Just where they've gone, we don't know, but while the development may not look good for Ferrari or for F1, it strikes us as one of those unfortunate situations where no one is really to blame. The race has been booked for months, the team likely made their reservations long before the flight went missing, the hotel is obliged to honor the reservations and the grieving families need somewhere to stay. The tendency to point fingers often prevails, but in this situation we're afraid no one is to blame but the circumstances. That, and the still as-yet unknown cause of the flight's mysterious disappearance. UPDATE: Ferrari North America director of communications Krista Florin has offered us this clarifying comment:
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| Ferrari Displaces Families of <b>Malaysian</b> Airlines Flight 370 <b>...</b> Posted: 25 Mar 2014 09:20 AM PDT March 25, 2014 at 12:20 pm by Alexander Stoklosa
 Ferrari's image is everything, but for a brand that famously measures who can buy its cars, who can license its logo, and strives to ensure it's seen as the best of the exotic-car set, a kerfuffle in Southeast Asia is threatening to upset those efforts. As NBC reports, the Malaysian Grand Prix is descending upon Kuala Lumpur this weekend, and in an unfortunate coincidence, Ferrari's F1 team booked up rooms in the same hotel housing the families of the missing Malaysian Airlines flight 370 passengers.
Now, while NBC's report makes it easy to look at Ferrari as the cold, unfeeling company bent on getting its previously booked rooms at any cost, that might not necessarily be the case. As F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone pointed out to NBC, the hotel rooms Ferrari booked would have been reserved well before the Malaysian Airlines disappearance two weeks ago, and it isn't immediately clear whether the missing passengers' families were removed at Ferrari's behest, or whether the F1 team even knew that's where the families were staying. Also, the hotel itself could have handled the whole incident without Ferrari knowing. The families were stationed at the hotel to await news of their loved ones, who, if the latest reports are accurate, likely have perished. Malaysian Airlines is moving the displaced families to a different hotel in the area. Other Stories You Might Like |
| ONYX TO LAUNCH FIRST AMARI <b>HOTEL IN MALAYSIA</b> Posted: 03 Oct 2013 02:29 AM PDT Introducing Amari Johor Baru
Amari Johor Bahru is owned by Exquisite Mode Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of United Malayan Land Bhd) and will be managed by ONYX under their upscale Amari brand. The property will offer a selection of Amari's signature features including an Asian Food Gallery, Breeze Spa and Idea (meeting) Rooms. The property is scheduled to open in 2015 and is part of the Suasana Iskandar Malaysia development, which also offers serviced apartments for sale and a retail podium. The development is within a 5-minute walk of the upcoming JB Sentral Mass Rapid Transit System (MRT) which will link Johor Bahru and Singapore. Located in southern Malaysia, Johor Bahru is becoming a popular weekend escape for families and leisure travellers. Singapore is currently Johor's top source of international arrivals, followed by Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, Macau, the Philippines and India. Johor's Department of Tourism is aiming for 24.2 million arrivals in 2013, having recorded 12.6 million as of July. The state of Johor offers a number of popular attractions, including Johor Premium Outlets, Legoland Malaysia, Danga World theme park and the Angry Birds Activity Park.
"We are very excited to be in a position to announce our second hotel development in Malaysia, so soon after the first. As a Thai company, having a presence in one of our closest neighbouring countries has always been a priority for us. We are excited to be joining forces with Exquisite Mode Sdn Bhd. and bringing the first Amari to Malaysia with Amari Johor Bahru. Amari has become a household name in Thailand and we look forward to building that level of brand recognition in Malaysia." UMLand GCEO, Mr. Charlie Chia Lui Meng said: "We are honoured to have ONYX Hospitality Group on board to manage and operate Amari Johor Bahru. With its solid reputation and global marketing network, we strongly believe that the collaboration with ONYX will be a win-win for all parties. The development's prime location in the heart of the city, combined with the retail component, is hoped to rejuvenate and revitalise Johor Bahru, preparing the city for economic growth, whilst also offering an attractive and conducive living environment for locals and expatriates." ONYX announced their first property in Malaysia earlier this year for select service brand OZO. OZO Penang is scheduled to welcome its first guests in 2016. There are currently six OZO properties under development in Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka. ### About ONYX For more information about this release or to request high-resolution photography, please contact: |
| Muslims target Chinese and abduct tourist and <b>hotel</b> worker from <b>...</b> Posted: 03 Apr 2014 11:16 AM PDT Terror: Tourists take cover next to an overturned table as the gang stormed the hotel in Sabah and abducted a Chinese tourist and a Philippine hotel worker.  Shock: Around 60 tourists, mostly from China and Europe, were in the mid-range hotel at the time, and one holidaymaker, a Chinese journalist, said he heard the sound of someone running as well as a woman screaming. Some local reports suggested that the tourist was taking a bath in her hotel room when she was abducted. Around 60 tourists, mostly from China and Europe, were in the mid-range hotel at the time, and one holidaymaker, a Chinese journalist, said he heard the sound of someone running as well as a woman screaming. Another witness said they say the alleged kidnappers climb into a boat, and said the two women were both calling out for help. Tourists were seen hiding under tables as armed men stormed the hotel. Malaysia PM says will 'try best' to rescue two abducted. Destination: The picturesque resort is just a short boat ride from the southern Philippines, where Muslim militants and kidnap gangs have long found safe haven. The missing receptionist is reportedly also from the Philippines, and Malaysian security services are patrolling the waters between the two countries. Eastern Sabah Security Command Director Mohammad Mentek said: 'We have handed this to the police to quickly investigate and come up with full report.' The raid underlines persistent security threats in Sabah, a popular tourist destination and dive spot which is famed for its cottages on stilts over the water. The resort is just a short boat ride from the southern Philippines, where Muslim militants and kidnap gangs have long found safe haven. It will likely add to negative sentiment in China over the safety of its citizens in Malaysia, which is still hunting for a jetliner that went missing March 8 with 153 Chinese people on board. Chinese embassy officials in Malaysia have met Sabah's chief of police and the state's tourism minister, urging them to confirm and investigate the incident quickly. The raid is likely to add to negative sentiment in China over the safety of its citizens in Malaysia, which is still hunting for a jetliner that went missing March 8 with 153 Chinese people on board.
Insurgents in the nearby islands of the southern Philippines have carried out similar kidnappings for ransom against tourists in the region before. The missing tourist has been confirmed as coming from Shanghai, and the Chinese consulate have issued an emergency telephone number for concerned families. A receptionist at the hotel declined to comment, as did police in the district. A Philippines intelligence official said the attackers were believed to be from the Abu Sayaff group, a militant Muslim group that claims allegiance to al-Qaida and has been implicated in other kidnappings for ransom in the region before. The raid underlines persistent security threats in Sabah, a popular tourist destination and dive spot which is famed for its cottages on stilts over the water. A Malaysian naval ship patrols the waters off Semporna in 2000 when 21 European tourists and Malaysian and Filipino workers were abducted from Malaysia's Sipadan diving resort. Last November, suspected Abu Sayyaf militants shot and killed a Taiwanese tourist and kidnapped his wife from a resort in the Semporna area. The women was released a month later in the southern Philippines. Authorities have not disclosed whether a ransom was paid. The Abu Sayyaf had tenuous historical links to international militant networks, including al-Qaida, but a U.S.-assisted Philippine military crackdown on the group's heartland in Sulu province in the southern Philippines has weakened it considerably in recent years. The group has around 300 fighters and is more focused on ransom kidnappings than the global jihadi cause. In 2000, Abu Sayyaf gunmen crossed the porous maritime border with Malaysia in speedboats and snatched 21 European tourists and Malaysian and Filipino workers from Malaysia's Sipadan diving resort and brought them to the southern Philippines, where the captives were later released in exchange for ransom. Militants in the southern Philippines are holding more than a dozen captives, including two European bird watchers who were seized from Tawi-Tawi, the southernmost Philippines province closest to Sabah, in 2012. |
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