AirAsia taps SEA capital market

AirAsia plans to list on the Thai and Indonesian stock exchanges in a bid to tap the region's capital markets despite a turbulent year for airlines. -- PHOTO: AFP

KUALA LUMPUR - SOUTHEAST Asia's biggest budget carrier AirAsia plans to list on the Thai and Indonesian stock exchanges in a bid to tap the region's capital markets despite a turbulent year for airlines.

AirAsia has the most extensive network in Southeast Asia, with more than 70 destinations across 20 countries - and has grown dramatically from just two planes to its current fleet of 85 in just seven years. Now the company, currently listed only in Malaysia, wants to list itself and its Thai affiliate in Thailand. It also wants to list its Indonesian affiliate in Indonesia.

Group chief executive Tony Fernandes said the moves would give it more of a Southeast Asian identity. 'We are an Asean company. We want many Asean investors to buy our shares,' he told AFP over the weekend in Kuala Lumpur.

AirAsia is a big capital stock on the Malaysian bourse. 'By listing on the three stock exchanges, it will boost AirAsia's Asean identity,' he said.

Indonesia is Southeast Asia's most-populated nation while Thailand and Malaysia are key members of regional bloc the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Mr Fernandes said he was unable to say when the listings would take place as the plan was still in its infancy, but was confident there would be demand for the shares, despite the industry's problems during the global economic downturn. 'The timing is great in Asia. And Southeast Asia is a huge market,' he said of the region's 550 million people. -- AFP

One million free seats

PETALING JAYA - LOW-COST carrier AirAsia is giving away a million free seats from Wednesday to more than 70 destinations in China, India, Taiwan, Indonesia and Thailand.

Those interested in enjoying the free seats can book their tickets from Wednesday until Sunday, for flights between May 1 and Oct 30 next year.

AirAsia's regional commercial head Kathleen Tan said when the economy was tough, people looked for travelling options that offered them better value for money.

'With no fuel surcharge and administration fee, this deal offers fantastic value to our guests,' she said in a statement on Tuesday.

She said to complement the free flights, AirAsia's one-stop travel portal was also offering deals and packages including 'free rooms' in more than 180 Asia-Pacific hotels online at http://goholiday.airasia.com.

For more information on free seats and other promotional tickets, visit www.airasia.com or mobile.airasia.com. -- THE STAR

S'pore top choice of migrants

SINGAPORE is a top immigration hot spot, according to a global survey conducted by Gallup.

If it were to take in all adults who wish to settle in the country, its adult population of 3.6 million would jump to 13 million, said the survey released this week.

Gallup arrived at this figure by using what it called the Potential Net Migration Index (PNMI).

The index is the estimated number of adults who wish to leave a country permanently subtracted from the estimated number who wish to immigrate to the country, as a proportion of the total adult population.

The higher a positive PNMI value, the greater the potential of net population gain, proportional to the population size.

Singapore emerged tops with the highest PNMI value of 260 per cent, followed by Saudi Arabia (180 per cent), New Zealand (175 per cent), Canada (170 per cent) and Australia (145 per cent).

Actress Camilla Belle poses

BEVERLY HILLS, 23 October 2009: Actress Camilla Belle poses at the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style award reception in Beverly Hills, California October 22, 2009. Honorees were Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco (posthumous) and French jeweler Cartier. REUTERS



1- MANILA, 23 October 2009: A relative mourns over Filipino boy Aliman Muhamad who died of a flood-borne disease inside a flooded shanty in Pasig City, east of Manila, Philippines, 23 October 2009. The World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched a team of experts to help the Philippines deal with an outbreak of a flood-borne disease that has killed 148 people, a spokesman said on 22 October. The team was formed after the Philippines issued a global request for assistance in controlling leptospirosis, which has also infected nearly 2,000 people since the start of October. EPA


2- MANILA, 23 October 2009: Filipino Nenita Liberato wades into her flooded shanty brought by typhoons in Pasig City, east of Manila, Philippines, 23 October 2009. Strong winds and rain began to whip the extreme northern Philippines as Typhoon Lupit accelerated toward the country. Lupit is to hit as the Philippines struggle to recover from two back-to-back storms that killed 902 people and destroyed more than 616 million US dollars (410 million euros) worth of infrastructure and crops. EPA


3- MANILA, 23 October 2009: Filipino children are seen on a flooded shanty in Pasig City, east of Manila, Philippines, 23 October 2009. Strong winds and rain began to whip the extreme northern Philippines as Typhoon Lupit accelerated toward the country. Lupit is to hit as the Philippines struggle to recover from two back-to-back storms that killed 902 people and destroyed more than 616 million US dollars (410 million euros) worth of infrastructure and crops. EPA


4- KAMRA, 23 October 2009: Security forces survey the site of a suicide bomb attack at the entrance of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra, about 75 km (45 miles) northwest of the capital Islamabad October 23, 2009. A suspected Taliban suicide bomber killed six people outside Pakistan's main airforce maintenance facility on Friday as troops pressed ahead with an offensive against insurgents in the northwest, officials said. REUTERS


5- KAMRA, 23 October 2009: Policemen stand guard near the site of a suicide bomb attack at the entrance of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra, about 75 km (45 miles) northwest of the capital Islamabad October 23, 2009. A suspected Taliban suicide bomber killed six people outside Pakistan's main airforce maintenance facility on Friday as troops pressed ahead with an offensive against insurgents in the northwest, officials said. REUTERS


6- Sydney, 23 October 2009: Joshua Grant (R) and Brock Hayhoe (L), two members of the New York professional all-male dance company "Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo", known as "The Trocks", pose in front of a fountain in Sydney's Kings Cross on October 23, 2009. The Trocks combine the physical capabilities of male dancers with the grace and grandeur of ballerinas and begin an Australia wide tour in Melbourne on October 27. AFP


7- QUANZHOU, 23 October 2009: Shi Liliang, 33, a monk from Southern Shaolin Temple, performs a special Chinese martial art stunt, known in Chinese as Shuishangpiao or "running on water", at a reservoir on the outskirts of Quanzhou, Fujian province, October 22, 2009. Shi ran on the surface of a row of 1-centimetre-thick (0.39 inch) plywoods for 18 metres (59 feet), breaking his own record of 15 metres (49 feet) created several days ago, local media reported. Picture taken October 22, 2009. REUTERS



9- Los Angeles, 23 October 2009: Demonstrators march in the 14th annual National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation on October 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Various activist groups have rallied against police misconduct every October 22 since the mid-1990s. AFP

Why Nightclubs Fail

Nightclubs and Instability

Nightclubs may seem fun to own and run, but the club business is precarious at best. Because of quickly moving trends, a club can go from hot spot to passe within two years. There's little recourse except to close or revamp to fit the next hot gimmick. Because of the highly volatile nature of the industry, the nightclub business is best left to those that don't mind taking a gamble.

Simply owning a club is fraught with problems. Often, parties and entertainment acts are transient, with promoters ready to move to a new venue at a moment's notice. DJs and employees develop a following at one club, only to pack up and leave because of low pay or burn-out.

Club consultant Dave Hollingworth writes, "At times, [the club industry] almost seems to attract a lot of people that either appear to suffer from a profound sense of insecurity, or they view this industry as an easy way to obtain the attention or professional status they could not in conventional occupations."

Nightclubs and the Law

Many nightclubs fail not because of trendiness; they fail from legal problems. Keeping a liquor license can be tricky, with the penalties for infractions expensive and dear. In some states, a club owner who accidentally admits and serves a minor alcoholic beverages can be sent to jail. That's in addition to being liable for monetary penalties.

Clubs can also run afoul of the IRS for tax violations, or they can fail fire and safety inspections. If they do either of these things, it's enough to close a club for a week or two. In turn, the shut-down could lead to reduced turnout and possible closure.

Other Possible Factors

High risk of violence, bankruptcy and instability are all factors behind nightclub closure. There is also the fact that most clubs base their whole financial models on making a profit on two to three nights of business per week. With so few hours to make income, it's very important that a club stay perpetually hot and happening, which is nearly impossible. The combination of all these factors show that nightclubs are risky for investors, employees and owners, with few that successfully beat the odds.

All In Pictures

Models present creation by British fashion designer Alexander McQueen for his Ready to Wear Spring Summer 2010 fashion collection, presented in Paris. -- PHOTO: AP



2 - This artist's rendering shows the biggest but never-before-seen ring around Saturn. The newly found ring is so huge it would take 1 billion Earths to fill it. -- PHOTO: AP



3 - Cambodian cyclo drivers transport Buddhist paraphenalia for sale at a market in Phnom Penh. The International Monetary Fund said late last month that Cambodia's economy will contract 2.75 per cent this year as the global economic crisis takes its toll on the country. -- PHOTO: AFP



4 - Supporters of the ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya march at night in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. -- PHOTO: AFP


5 - Thousands of evacuees remain housed in a gymnasium at Pasig city east of Manila, Philippines for close to two weeks now as their homes are still inundated by floodwaters. --PHOTO: AP


6 - Big Apple Circus performer Bello Nock performs his high-wire act over the fountain at Lincoln Center. -- PHOTO: AFP


7 - Members of the group "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals" (PETA) wear chicken costumes as they protests outside the NBC television studios in Los Angeles. -- PHOTO: AFP


8 - A couple poses with a flag printed with the portrait of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the modern Turkish Republic, under The Eiffel Tower lighted in the colours of Turkey as part of events marking the "Season of Turkey in France", in Paris. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

A golden farewell

Welcome Malaysia: Three cheerleaders posing in front of the AirAsia Airbus A-340 at the Oakland International Airport on Sept 14 where AirAsia made a historic day by landing for the first time on US soil.

NOW everybody can fly homegrown brands. Well, not quite. For Malaysians living in the US who want to fly Malaysia Airlines or AirAsia, it really depends on which seaboard you are on.

While news that AirAsia may start operating an Oakland-KL flight next year have caused some ripples among Malaysians on the West Coast, it has failed to stir the same kind of excitement for those on the Eastern or Atlantic side.

AirAsia X made its presence in Oakland, California, two weeks ago with the touchdown of Xcellence – its Oakland Raiders-emblazoned Airbus A340 jet. The Raiders sponsorship is intended to build the AirAsia brand here ahead of its Oakland-KL run.

For Malaysians living in California and the Pacific side, Xcellence offers a glimpse of what’s to come – a cheaper option to fly home.

But those in New York and New Jersey will not only not get to fly the no-frills airline, they will soon have to do without the national carrier as well.

On Thursday, Malaysia Airlines will operate its last flight out of New York to KL. The decision by MAS to suspend its thrice weekly flight via Stockholm was attributed to falling demand following the global economic crisis.

The many Malaysians on the East Coast who have loyally flown the national carrier since the NY flight was introduced 10 years ago received the news with dismay.

Although MAS will continue to operate out of Los Angeles, most do not think it worth the hassle to fly to LA to catch a MAS flight home.

Malaysian Students Representative (US East Coast) Mohd Farhan Hasan is most disappointed at not being able to fly with his favourite airline when he returns home this winter break.

Most students, he said, preferred MAS because of its competitive fares, the warm welcome and good service.

“MAS is really one of the best airlines here in terms of service and quality. On top of that, it offers authentic Malaysian, as well as halal, food,” said Mohd Farhan, who hoped that AirAsia would consider flying to New York to fill the void left by MAS.

Michael Bong, a Malaysian restaurateur who flies home three to four times a year, said he would miss the golden business class service.

“MAS, after one transit stop in Stockholm, flies straight to KL. With other airlines you sometimes have to waste several hours in a foreign country for a connecting flight to get home.”

Bong, whose Laut restaurant in Manhattan was recently featured in the New York Times, said his customers were always curious to find out more about Malaysia and its culture after sampling its cuisine.

“When they hear about our attractions, they want to know how to get there. I have always told them to fly MAS. It’s a shame that I would now have to recommend them some foreign airline.”

He hoped that MAS would resume flights to New York once the economy picked up as it was important for the Malaysian brand to maintain its presence in the world’s leading city.

On the West Coast, Malaysians welcomed AirAsia’s proposed Oakland-KL flight.

Calvin Lee, founder of Internet mall Dollarise.com, believes AirAsia made the right choice in wanting to expand to the region as many US airlines were paring flights in the wake of the recession.

“AirAsia will offer Malaysians and other travellers another carrier choice with competitive fares. Oakland Airport (OAK) is about 30 minutes (by land transport) from San Francisco (SFO), and 45 minutes from San Jose. For those on connecting flights, SFO is about 40 minutes from OAK,” he said.

“Besides driving to OAK, residents in nearby cities may also access the airport using the Bay Area Rapid Transit.

“I fly home once a year and my choice will be an airline that provides attractive fares and good service as well as a short travelling time to Malaysia.”

Internet marketing specialist Neng Bing Doh said she would definitely consider flying from Oakland if there was a KL route.

“Oakland aiprort is a lot less congested than San Franciso airport,” said Neng, who travels home twice a year.

IT consultant Justin Khoo, who lives in San Jose, said he would consider flying AirAsia only if the fare was much cheaper than flying from San Francisco airport, which was nearer for him.

Accountant Yvonne Tun, who has already flown home to Penang twice this year, said she would fly AirAsia if it offered a regular and reliable service, and added that Oakland airport was just a 20-minute drive from her home.

Malaysian Ambassador to the US Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said there were 5,428 Malaysian students studying in some 250 universities throughout the US.

“AirAsia’s foray into the US would definitely be welcomed by this group as well as other travellers, as it will provide them with an affordable means of travel.”

While many await news on Xcellence’s landing rights in California, there are others in New York who already feel nostalgic over the golden service of MAS.

To strip or not?

Getai show host Lan Tian getting the full attention of a performer during a getail show held on Aug 27 in Ang Mo Kio. -- PHOTO: TNP

HOW much flesh should a getai performer flash?

Singapore - Getais used to be just song and dance but now performers are doing all they can to entertain the audience, from pole dancing to stripping.

Last week, at least two getai organisers were warned by the Police to clean up their act or face a fine of up to $10,000.

While its important to keep up with the times, where do you draw the line between breaking tradition and going too far?

For getai organiser Aaron Tan, performances like these are just a way to attract more crowds.

But veteran getai organiser Peter Loh, thinks otherwise.

He believes performers should act responsibly and conduct themselves on stage.

Whether you prefer traditional performances or those with a modern twist, there's no denying that getais are a unique part of our local culture.

Hotels with extraordinary swimming pools

Ten hotels around the world with the most bizarre and beautiful swimming pools.

Intercontinental - Hong Kong



The Intercontinental Hotel's infinity pool - situated on the roof of the building - offers breathtaking views over Hong Kong. The five-star hotel also boasts five restaurants, a spa and a fitness centre.

Extreme hotels: highest, tallest, largest and most expensive

When – and if – the 72-storey Rose Rotana finally opens in Dubai later this year it will claim the title of World’s Tallest Hotel. But surprisingly perhaps, it won’t be the world’s largest hotel or even, technically, it’s highest. Here are six of the current record breakers:

Tallest Hotel

Burj Al Arab, Dubai (www.jumeirah.com; doubles from £518 per night).

The 1,053ft (321m) high Burj Al Arab is taller than the Eiffel Tower and only 197ft (60m) shorter than the Empire State Building.