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LONG TERM FALL OUT FROM MH370
If you thought the pronouncement, “MH370 is in the ocean, all lost with it”, would bring closure, you would be wrong.
It is merely the beginning of many unintended consequences..
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SINGAPORE ALSO SUFFERS FROM CHINESE CITIZENS’ REACTION TO MH370.
Chinese tourists used to come to either 2 destinations (Malaysia and Singapore) or 3 (adding Thailand to their itinerary). With MH370 and the Thai crisis, they have been reluctant to travel in this direction.
The Chinese were the biggest spenders among Singapore’s tourists.
Singapore will try to market itself as a standalone destination.
24 June 2014
YAHOO! NEWS SINGAPORE
Singapore tourism hit by MH370 mystery, Thai crisis
AFP News
Singapore is mounting a drive in China to market itself as a standalone tourism destination, officials said on Tuesday, after a drop in Chinese arrivals to neighbouring countries affected the city-state.
The Straits Times newspaper reported Tuesday that Singapore tourism was being hurt by Chinese travellers’ reluctance to visit Malaysia due to the ongoing Flight MH370 mystery, and Thailand because of its political crisis.
The five million yuan ($800,000) marketing campaign that will last until October will encourage Chinese travellers to visit Singapore alone.
It is jointly organised by Singapore airport operator Changi Airport Group (CAG), the Singapore Tourism Board and Chinese and Singaporean travel agencies.
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Michael Chiam, a senior lecturer in tourism at Singapore’s Ngee Ann Polytechnic, said “it makes sense for Singapore to dissociate itself” from its crisis-hit neighbours.
Most Chinese tourists currently visit Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand at the same time as part of large tour groups, he said.
Chinese tourists have grown wary of travelling to Malaysia after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished on March 8 with 239 people on board. Two-thirds of the passengers were from China.
Thailand has also seen a plunge in arrivals after the military seized power in a May 22 coup.
Edward Chew, regional director for the Greater China region at the Singapore Tourism Board, said the city-state is already “seeing more Chinese visitors travelling to Singapore as a mono-destination”.
“They also stay longer than those on multi-destination package tours so as to enjoy Singapore at a more in-depth level,” he told AFP.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-tourism-hit-mh370-mystery-thai-crisis-071001323–finance.html
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #5: TOURISM, VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) 2014 WILL SUFFER TERRIBLY!
China Southern Airlines, which had three flights connecting Kuala Lumpur and China daily, will reduce the frequency to one flight per day starting next month, joining Xiamen Airlines, which had also scrapped plans to increase flights connecting both countries.
Friday April 18, 2014 MYT 7:11:35 AM
Ng: 30% of Chinese tourists cancel bookings to Malaysia
PUTRAJAYA: Close to 30% of Chinese tourists have cancelled their bookings to visit Malaysia this year since the disappearance of Flight MH370, cutting down potential revenue for the local tourism industry.
This is according to data collected by the Malaysia Inbound Tourism Association which manages a majority of the Chinese tourist arrivals in the country through its network of some 70 companies.
Chinese tourists spent an average of RM2,800 each in Malaysia, and at least 10,000 of them had cancelled their trip, said Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.
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Apart from the MH370 incident on March 8, the abduction of a Chinese tourist by armed men at the Singamata Reef Resort off Semporna in Sabah on April 2 also contributed to a drop in tourist arrivals from Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Dr Ng said the biggest impact of potential revenue loss from Chinese tourists involved those originating from major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #16: PANDAS WILL NOT ARRIVE ON 15 APRIL!
The pandas were to arrive from Chengdu to Kuala Lumpur International Airport on the morning of April 15. Instead, they will arrive in the middle of May.
When contacted, its deputy minister James Dawos Mamit confirmed that the delay was due to the ongoing search for MH370.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/259693
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #5: TOURISM, VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) 2014 WILL SUFFER TERRIBLY!
Malaysian Insider
30,000 Chinese cancel holiday plans to Malaysia following MH370 disappearance, says Nazri
At least 30,000 tourists from China have cancelled their holiday packages to Malaysia until next year as the fallout from the disappearance of MH370 becomes evident, Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohammad Nazri Aziz (pic) said today.
He said the cancellations were due to the fallout from the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370.
“However, the 30,000 figure is not the overall figure as the complete report of tourist figures for March has yet to be received.
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NST
MH370 Tragedy: Drop in Chinese tourists to Malaysia following incident
Last year, tourists from China, with a record 1.6million people, made up the third largest group after Singapore and Indonesia.
Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said to date, many Chinese tourists had cancelled their visit to Malaysia.
In fact, no future flight booking had been recorded for the China-Malaysia flight, he said.
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LANGKAWI: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak hoped that the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 tragedy would not affect the government’s target to attract 28.8 million tourist arrival for Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014.
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #15: ISMA REVEALS (ONCE AGAIN) ITS IGNORANCE.
There is a difference between the nation and the government, between Malaysia and the BN government. This NGO can’t understand that distinction.
Malaysiakini
5:36PM Apr 3, 2014
Isma: Revoke citizenship of MH370 critics
Muslim NGO Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) has called for the revocation of the citizenship of those who criticise the handling of the MH370 search, especially to foreigners.
Isma vice-president Abdul Rahman Mt Dali said that this included those who are “not in the same boat” with the ruling government and media who are “unfriendly” to the government, such as Malaysiakini.
“The latest news is that there are those among DAP and PKR who malign the government overseas until it causes anger of victims’ families towards our government.
“If this is true, then they are traitors whose citizenships should be revoked. I also advise that they move to a country which they prefer,” he said in a statement.
He was referring to allegations that DAP and PKR members are criticising the government via Weibo, a Shanghai-based Twitter-like microblogging service, and instant messaging appilication WeChat.
DAP and PKR have denied the allegations, first raised by MCA Wanita chief Heng Seai Kie, and lodged a police report against her.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/259027
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #14: MALAYSIAN PROPERTY IS AVOIDED BY ANGRY CHINA CHINESE
The shift in mood has started to worry some big Chinese property developers who have already made a substantial bet on selling homes in Malaysia to mainland Chinese investors.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Apr 1, 2014
China Real Time
How MH370 is Hurting Chinese Property Developers
Malaysia’s reputation has taken a big hit in China since a Malaysia Airlines flight disappeared earlier this month with over 150 Chinese passengers on board. A string of missteps by the airline and the Malaysian government in the aftermath of the tragedy has only made matters worse.
Now the hard feelings are starting to spill over to other areas, including that favorite sector for Chinese investors: property.
Malaysia was once seen as a promising market for Chinese real estate developers. Following the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, that has changed – at least temporarily.
“For now, marketing homes in Malaysia is going to be a bit awkward. It’s just like how we don’t market homes in Japan to Chinese customers,” said one Beijing-based real estate consultant, who declined to be named. She was referring to another political sore spot – China’s spat with Japan over islands in the East China Sea – which has dented interest in the Japanese market among Chinese investors.
“My family and I were considering a trip to Malaysia for a holiday, but now, I think we will look elsewhere, maybe Thailand,” Tang Xue, a banker who works in Shanghai, recently told China Real Time. Ms. Tang, who owns apartments in London, said buying a home in Malaysia was not something she would consider now.
“The Malaysian authorities were dishonest from day one, why should I contribute to the Malaysian economy?” she asked.
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #13: THE CONFUSION BETWEEN LOYALTY TO MALAYSIA (THE NATION) AND LOYALTY TO THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT.
No, the Malaysian government is NOT Malaysia. Indeed, the fact that the Malaysian government is a MINORITY government makes dubious any political party’s claim to “defend Malaysia” when it it the government that is under attack.
See: *MH370: No. They DON’T believe Najib!
*THE MCA, VERY MUCH A MINORITY PARTY, HAS NOW COME UP WITH A SIGNATURE DRIVE TO DEFEND MALAYSIA’S HANDLING OF THE MH370 CRISIS.
No, it is not Malaysia that is under attack! It is the BN government that is faced with the world’s scorn and China’s Chinese wrath.
Why are they asking us to defend Najib and the BN government?
Malaysiakini
7:49PM Mar 30, 2014
MCA Youth on new drive against ‘unfair’ criticism
MH370 Amid scathing criticism against Malaysia’s handling for the MH370 crisis, MCA Youth has launched a signature drive to rally Malaysians to “defend” their country.
The signature drive kicked off at Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur, where passers-by are seen signing a banner that says “Defend Malaysia”.
MCA youth chief Chong Sin Woon said Malaysian should unite and support their country that is facing what he considers to be unfair criticism.
“Since MH370 went missing, people all over the world especially netizens are putting the blame on Malaysia. This is wrong.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/258637
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #5: TOURISM, VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) 2014 (and beyond?) WILL SUFFER TERRIBLY!
FAT HOPE! SLIM CHANCE!
LANGKAWI: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak hoped that the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 tragedy would not affect the government’s target to attract 28.8 million tourist arrival for Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014.
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THE BASHING OF CNN is an example of *UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #10: BLAMING U.S. MEDIA AND OTHER FOREIGN MEDIA FOR UNFAVORABLE COVERAGE, DEMANDING THAT WE BOYCOTT THEM!
*Who is attacking CNN? It is The Centre for Political Awareness president, Datuk Huan Cheng Guan. This NGO states its aim as helping to help Educate Malaysians citizens to have sufficient political awareness to make national decisions. It means VOTE BN, of course, since it is a pro-BN NGO.
Its President, Datuk Huan Cheng Guan, former Vice President of National Gerakan Party, says he is Independent and Third Force. However, he turns out very much pro-BN.
Datuk Huan has gone through a long career journey with vast experience gained throughout his working career. He had served the Royal Malaysian Air Force before entering politics. He was the Member of Parliament for the Batu Kawan (P46) Constituency from 2004 to 2008 and also the Vice President of Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia from 2008 to 2009.
http://huan2u.com/biography/
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It is said that CNN’s current coverage of the missing MH370 was biased, out to deride Malaysia and to boost profits through higher ratings.
Free Malaysia Today
MH370: Why has CNN not aired its interview with Fariq?
A local NGO criticises CNN for being biased against Malaysia on its search and rescue efforts to locate flight MH370.
GEORGE TOWN: A local NGO has raised questions on why international broadcasting channel CNN has still not aired an interview with the ill-fated Beijing-bound MAS Flight MH370 co-pilot, Fariq Abdul Hamid.
The Centre for Political Awareness president Huan Cheng Guan said that CNN’s Richard Quest had interviewed Fariq for the CNN Business Traveler programme, on Feb 19, just weeks before the plane’s disappearance.
“A bizarre coincidence? Why has the episode not been aired yet? Is there more than what meets the eye, judging from CNN’s current reporting slant?” asked Huan, in a statement released here today.
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“For CNN, the pursuit for ratings and profits overrides the necessity to report facts,” charged Huan.
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #9: THERE MIGHT BE A BOYCOTT OF MALAYSIAN PRODUCTS BY CHINA
The boycott by China has started.
EXPORT OF CHILLED DURIAN TO CHINA FALLS BY 50%!
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #12: CERTAIN MINISTERS ARE SHOWN TO BE INCOMPETENT OR JUST ID**TS. They put their foot in their mouth.
WHICH MINISTER WILL GET THE FOOT IN MOUTH AWARD?
#3. Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein insists, “We would not have done it in any other way or differently. Malaysia has been very consistent and transparent in its efforts to find the missing aircraft.”
REALLY? AFTER SEARCHING IN THE WRONG PLACE FOR DAYS?
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#2. Malaysian Minister of Home Affairs Ahmad Zahid Hamidi doesn’t know anything about what he is talking about.
He told parliament in Kuala Lumpur that consulting the Interpol database was too time consuming for immigration officers and caused airport delays.
These two men are believed to be on Flight MH370.
They are illegal migrants from Iran seeking a better life in the West. Malaysian authorities were criticised for not using an Interpol database designed to identify stolen passports.
Our Home Minister complained that consulting Interpol’s stolen passport database would have caused too much delay to be useful.
Interpol shot back saying Malaysia’s decision to not consult the database before allowing travellers to enter the country or board planes “cannot be defended by falsely blaming technology or Interpol”.
“If there is any responsibility or blame for this failure, it rests solely with Malaysia’s Immigration Department,” the France-based organisation said.
Interpol said that it takes “just seconds to reveal whether a passport is listed, with recent tests providing results in 0.2 seconds”.
While some countries consult the database more than a hundred million times a year, “in 2014 prior to the tragic disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, Malaysia’s Immigration Department did not conduct a single check of passengers’ passports against Interpol’s databases,” the agency said.
“Had Malaysia consulted Interpol’s database, the fact that both passengers were using stolen passports would have been discovered almost instantaneously,” it added.
Malaysian Insider, Interpol hits back at Malaysia’s stolen passport database claims. (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/interpol-hits-back-at-malaysias-stolen-passport-database-claims)
#3. Deputy Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Bakri has foot-in-the-mouth disease.
Abdul Rahim claimed that the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) did not attempt to intercept MH370 when it was detected on military radar off the Straits of Malacca on March 8. He said that the RMAF had “assumed” that the plane was ordered to turn back by flight traffic controllers.
He has had to retract his statement. He admits that his remarks in the Dewan Rakyat on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370’s turn back had been proven erroneous.
“On my statement which claimed that the MH370 turn back possibly due to instructions from air traffic controllers.
“I wish to clarify that it was based on my assumptions only and that this among the possibilities.
“After checking (the facts), I wish to stress that my assumption was inaccurate,” said Abdul Rahim in a brief press release today, in which the word “assumption” was printed in bold.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/258407
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #11: CHINA’S NETIZENS CALL FOR BOYCOTT OF EVERYTHING MALAYSIAN!
The call to boycott Malaysian stars is extended to MAS flights and EVERYTHING MALAYSIAN. Not good at all.
Fortunately, other Chinese call for reason to prevail, to not blame Malaysians.
Star
Friday March 28, 2014 MYT 7:04:15 AM
MH370 crash: Netizens taking it out on Fish leong, Shila and everything Malaysian
MALACCA: Despite their popularity in China, Malaysian singers such as Fish Leong and Shila Amzah have been attacked on Chinese microblogging site Weibo following the disappearance of Flight MH370.
These netizens wanted them to be banned from performing in mainland China, calling for a boycott of “everything from Malaysia”.
They poured scorn on Leong, who is expecting her first child, after she posted a photograph of three candles, mourning for the passengers of the ill-fated plane.
Her posting immediately led to a barrage of negative comments and obscenities.
Some even cursed her unborn child.
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Other Malaysian artistes being targetted were Datuk Michelle Yeoh, Ah Niu, Victor Wong, Lee Sin-jie and Gary Chaw.
Shila and Chaw won rave reviews in China recently for their performance in the “I Am a Singer II” reality TV show.
Yet, they were not spared the fury with some netizens calling Chaw a “beast”.
One posting said: “Both you and Shila are the enemies of our country now. Although you should not be held responsible, your country is ill-treating our countrymen. Don’t you feel ashamed to stay on?”
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However, there were other voices who defended the Malaysian celebrities, saying that the criticisms and anger were unreasonable.
They called for a rational judgement of the situation.
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Saturday March 29, 2014 MYT 7:09:23 AM
Chinese netizens: It’s wrong to slam Malaysians
PETALING JAYA: Chinese netizens have criticised their countrymen who are hitting out at Malaysians over the MH370 incident, pleading for maturity in the debate.
TaozixiaojieOnly said Malaysians, whom angry Chinese people were taking out on, were also human beings and unrelated to the missing plane or Malaysia Airlines.
“Don’t generalise. We need to say things based on facts. Don’t think that all Malaysians are bad people just because of the MH370 incident,” the netizen said on micro-blogging site Weibo.
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/03/29/Chinese-netizens-Its-wrong-to-slam-Malaysians/
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THIS IS ANOTHER CASE OF
*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #5: TOURISM, VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) 2014 (and beyond?) WILL SUFFER TERRIBLY!
TOP ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCIES BAN SALE OF MAS TICKETS!
Popular anger in China against Malaysia’s perceived mishandling of the MH370 crisis continues to boil, as several top online travel agencies announced boycotts against Malaysia Airlines until it “gets to the bottom of the truth on Flight MH370.”
Agencies including eLong, LY.com, Qunar, and Mango, which are among the largest online ticket and travel vendors, said they had banned sales of Malaysia Airlines’ tickets due to public anger against the carrier and the Malaysian government.
However, Ctrip.com, the country’s largest online travel agency, had not put a similar ban in place as of Friday “due to objections raised by the sales department,” one Ctrip employee told the South China Morning Post on the condition of anonymity.
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Ctrip, Qunar and LY.com ranked among the top three most influential online travel agencies in China, according to a 2013 research conducted by China IT Research Centre.
As of the third quarter of 2013, Ctrip represented 48.9 per cent of the total sales of China’s online travelling booking, while eLong and LY.com represented 9.5 per cent and 6.3 per cent of the market share respectively, according to a research released by iResearch, a market research firm in China.
NASDAQ-listed Ctrip leads the market with a revenue of 5.4 billion yuan in the 2013 fiscal year, according to its financial statement.
Amid growing calls on China’s social media to boycott Malaysian tourism and products this week, some bloggers and columnists have warned against stoking further tension between the two countries and urged for calm and help for the passengers’ families. -www.scmp.com
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #10: BLAMING U.S. MEDIA AND OTHER FOREIGN MEDIA FOR UNFAVORABLE COVERAGE, DEMANDING THAT WE BOYCOTT THEM!
Malaysiakini
Memorandum against US media
5.01pm: Bernama reports that three NGOs are planning to submit a memorandum of protest to the United States Embassy to object the coverage by three American media agencies on the MH370 crisis, which they say paints Malaysia in bad light.
The three – Islamic Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM), International Muslim Consumer Association (IMCA) and Malaysian Media Foundation (MMF) – say they will submit the memorandum on Tuesday against Cable News Network (CNN), Fox News and Washington Post.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/258423
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THIS IS A CASE OF
*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #5: TOURISM, VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) 2014 (and beyond?) WILL SUFFER TERRIBLY!
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YAHOO! NEWS SINGAPORE
China-Malaysia tourism hit by MH370
AFP News
A major Chinese tour operator is breaking ties and cancelling bookings with Malaysia Airlines while another is seeing country reservations drop as travellers grow wary after Flight MH370’s disappearance, state media reported Thursday.
China Youth Travel Service said it will suspend new bookings with the airline and change currently booked itineraries that include the carrier to alternative firms, the state-run China Daily newspaper said, quoting a statement by the agency which was founded by the Youth League of the ruling Communist Party.
“Considering the fact that a succession of accidents have involved Malaysia Airlines recently, and that Chinese tourists have concerns over the carrier’s safety record, we must fulfil our responsibility of ensuring the security of our fellow citizens,” the statement said.
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According to Chinese state media, Malaysia’s image as a tourist destination has suffered as well as that of its flag carrier.
State-owned China International Travel Service has seen a sharp decrease in people registering for tours to the country, the China Daily quoted a publicity officer as saying.
And, an Internet survey by Sina.com, a leading Chinese news portal, found that 77.7 percent of 59,582 respondents said the missing plane incident would “affect their going to Malaysia for tourism”.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/china-malaysia-tourism-hit-mh370-191130478.html
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #9: THERE MIGHT BE A BOYCOTT OF MALAYSIAN PRODUCTS BY CHINA & A BOYCOTT OF CHINA’S PRODUCTS BY MALAYSIA.
Malaysia would lose terribly! Ants don’t fight with elephants…
Selebriti China pun naik angin…siap suruh boikot brangan buatan malaysia lagi..dulu malaysia boikot brg china,skrg? pic.twitter.com/aZtq7Rny1O
Selebriti China pun naik angin…siap suruh boikot brangan buatan malaysia lagi..dulu malaysia boikot brg china,skrg? pic.twitter.com/aZtq7Rny1O
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LOL…. STUPID BRAINLESS PEOPLE… “@mezut6: #MH370 #BoycottMalaysia pic.twitter.com/jaMuiGz0ux“
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#BoycottChina #BoycottChina #BoycottChina #BoycottChina Aku aku kesah China boycott Malaysia? Malaysia boleh bangun sendiri la 😏 RT
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Chinese celebrities openly called on China to boycott the services of Malaysia Airlines and Malaysia-made products. :”( I’m really sad
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ChinaTravelBlog.com Chinese tourists boycott Malaysia as anger mounts over MH370 investigation – Shanghaiist – http://www.chinatravelblog.com/2014/03/27/chinese-tourists-boycott-malaysia-as-anger-mounts-over-mh370-investigation-shanghaiist/ … #China #travel
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Chinese tourists boycott Malaysia in wake of MH370 disappearance – South China Morning Post http://ift.tt/1gDUFcj
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Dear China ,Malaysia has d world’s best durians, beaches, zero cost tours, chinese street food you like. Boycott, boycott laaaa
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #8: China’s celebrities slam Malaysia after the Chinese had slammed Malaysia’s celebrities!
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Zhang Ziyi, Chen Kun Criticize Malaysian Government Over Flight 370 Tragedy http://goo.gl/fb/fXtYg #JayneStars
Director Wong Kar Wai (王家衛) expressed his sadness over the disappearance of The Grandmaster’s <一代宗師> stunt coordinator, Ju Kun (鞠坤), who was one of the passengers on board flight MH370. Wong said, “A very sad piece of news. The announcement was so sudden. Don’t even know if there would be more news today. But I will remain hopeful as long as the Malaysian government and the airlines have not found any evidence. I hope Ju Kun’s family will be strong. Hope there’s a miracle.”
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Chinadaily.com.cn
Celebrities chime in on MH370 drama
(chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2014-03-26 16:42
From singer-actor Chen Kun to well-known writer Yu Zheng, Chinese stars of all stripes are lashing out at Malaysia for its alleged mishandling of missing airliner.
A number of big-name Chinese entertainment stars have taken to social media to voice their anger and frustration towards the Malaysian government over its alleged mishandling of the lost Malaysia Airlines flight 370 and its 239 passengers and crew.
Chen Kun, famous Chinese actor and singer, lashed out on Sina Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, saying he would boycott all commodities and tourism related to Malaysia unless the government came forward. Chen’s post had reportedly been reposted more than 70,000 times
Zhang Ziyi, well-known Chinese actress, condemned the Malaysian government for hurting the feelings of the whole world.
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Other celebrities called on the public to help the relatives of the victims. Yu Zheng, a well-known screenwriter, said the Chinese people need to stand together to confront the tragedy and help those in need.
Some foreign stars also chimed in on the incident. Gary Tsao, a Malaysian singer, posted on his Weibo that, together with Chinese people, he would ask the Malaysian government to provide some answer and speak the truth.
Still, not everyone on the Internet was convinced. One Sina Weibo commentator lashed out at Chen for his remarks, reminding him that an entertainment star should be cautious of his words.
Chen replied to the netizen by emphasizing that besides his status as a star, he was also a Chinese citizen. Hao Lei, the Chinese actress, forwarded Chen’s comment to show her support.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2014planemissing/2014-03/26/content_17380820.htm
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Yahoo Malaysia “The Malaysian govt has offended the world!”, says Zhang Ziyi. Other Chinese celebs also lashed out against Msia: http://bit.ly/1pb8Q9T
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Malaysiakini
4:00PM Mar 27, 2014
Chinese celebs lash out at M’sia over MH370
A number of big-name celebrities in China, including award-winning actress Zhang Ziyi, have hit out at Malaysia’s handling of the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
Several celebrities took to Weibo – a Shanghai-based Twitter-like microblogging service – to condemn Malaysia and urge a boycott of Malaysian products.
“The Malaysian government has offended the world! We are looking for the airplane but you are more concerned about timing.
“Malaysian government, today you have done wrong. You are wrong failing to take responsibility. You are wrong for prioritising political manoeuvres instead of respecting life.
“You are wrong for failing to respect the universal.. quest for truth,” wrote Zhang on March 25, 17 days MH370 went missing and a day after Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak revealed that the plane went down in the Indian Ocean.
Among the 239 people on board MH370…was Jo Kun, who was once Zhang’s fight choreographer.
Actor Chen Kun, another famous Chinese celebritry, accused the Malaysian government and MAS of “clownish prevarication and lies”, also on March 25.
He added that he would boycott all Malaysian products and avoid coming to Malaysia indefinitely.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/258383
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #7:THE CHINESE TAKE NO PRISONERS! EVEN MALAYSIA’S CELEBRITIES ARE NOT IMMUNE FROM THEIR WRATH.
Good news! Shila was warmly welcomed at the airport.
Under attack: Shila Hamzah, Fish Leong, Gary Chaw, Lee Sinje and Ah Niu.
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网友迁怒大马歌手 梁静茹曹格被轰“滚出中国”
http://www.kwongwah.com.my/news/2014/03/26/48.html
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Fish Leong Dimaki Rakyat China, Zhang Ziyi Persoal Ketelusan Malaysia http://goo.gl/fb/XCFgx
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Malaysiakini
8:48AM Mar 27, 2014
China netizens direct anger at M’sian celeb
China netizens attack Malaysian celebs
12.30pm: The Chinese continue to express anger at Malaysia over the MH370 disappearance, attacking several Malaysian celebrities in Weibo – China’s version of Twitter – with some even calling them “beasts” and “rubbish”.
The netizens list stars like Fish Leong, Gary Chaw, Lee Sinje and Ah Niu – famous in mainland China for their pop songs and movies – and call for a boycott of all their performances in China.
Leong, who is expecting a child, is attacked after uploading a photograph of three candles to mourn for the MH370 victims, her gesture causing numerous Weibo users to curse her baby.
She has since removed the photo. Meanwhile Chaw has been called a “beast”.
Malay diva Shila Hamzah, whose name is well known in China after joining the ‘I am Singer’ competition, tries to calm the backlash by uploading a photo in Instagram saying, “MH370 is not my fault…I’m very sorry, please.”
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/258309
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #6: MAS STAFF IN BEIJING FACES HOSTILE CHINESE!
The staff in Beijing have tried their best to explain to, and appease, the Chinese. However, being at the frontline, faced with a hostile crowd that views MAS as their enemy, it may have got too dangerous to even go to work!
The CEO of mas promised many things for the poor families，but did nothing！ Now the family even cannot find any staff of malaysia in Beijing！
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RT @STForeignDesk #MH370 Chinese relatives accuse @MAS of not manning caregiver hotline, cutting back staff numbers at Lido Hotel in Beijing
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #5: TOURISM, VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) 2014 (and beyond?) WILL SUFFER TERRIBLY!
MalaysianInsider
Malaysia to face losses of up to RM4 billion in tourism revenue due to MH370, say analysts
Malaysia is set to lose RM4.2 billion in tourism revenue as tourists from China look elsewhere following the MH370 incident, the South China Morning Post said today. – The Malaysian Insider pic, March 27, 2014.
Malaysia is facing a potential loss of up to RM4.2 billion in tourism revenue, as tourists from China look to travel elsewhere following the MH370 saga, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported today.
Luo Juan, a senior analyst with market research company Forward Information, told SCMP that she predicted Chinese arrivals in Malaysia this year would drop by 20% to 40%.
“This would represent 400,000 to 800,000 tourists,” said Luo.
“If each tourist spent an average of 10,000 yuan (RM5,300) during their stay, the total loss could rise to between 4 billion (RM2.1 billion) and 8 billion yuan (RM4.2 billion).
“A recovery might only be seen after a year,” she said, adding it remained to be seen what effect the call for a boycott would have on the tourism industry in Malaysia.
The controversy surrounding missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has prompted many Chinese tourists to shun Malaysia.
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #4: A REAL LEGAL MESS WITH REGARDS TO DEATH CERTIFICATES AND WILLS.
How will anyone, whose closest kin were pronounced “Lost with MH370”, get any legal closure?
Compared to the case of the man who died under the lightning arrestor that fell from Menara UMNO in Penang, the complexities arising from MH370 are mind boggling!
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INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF LIM CHIN AIK
The coroner’s court has ruled that Lim Chin Aik died of misadventure, and directed that a death certificate for Lim Chin Aik be issued to the family.
Malaysiakini
The Coroner’s Court today ruled that hawker Lim Chin Aik, who was believed to have died after his car was impaled by Menara Umno’s lightning arrestor along Jalan Macalister, had died of a “misadventure”.
When delivering his decision, Coroner Khairul Anuar Abdul Halim said the deceased, identified as Chin Aik, had died between 6.45 and 6.50pm on June 13 from a misadventure as a result from the falling structure.
Khairul Anuar added that Lim’s death certificate will be issued by the relevant body to his family.
“It is an unprecedented case, as there is no body to refer to, and there were no precedence (previous case).
“However, the court is satisfied with the evidence presented that the identity of the driver of the wreckage that was pulled out (from the debris), is Chin Aik,” he added.
“It is in all probability that it is Chin Aik, as evidence showed that he drove the same car and took the same route to pick up his daughter from school on Gottlieb road on other days,” he stressed.
Coroner: Menara Umno victim died of misadventure
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #3: DIVIDING MALAYSIA FURTHER.
MH370 HAS REVEALED THE DEEP DIVISIONS WITHIN MALAYSIA. These divisions will deepen. It doesn’t help when a senior minister sees the whole issue with rosy glasses. He is DATUK SERI HISHAMMUDDIN HUSSEIN, ACTING TRANSPORT MINISTER.
Minister: Malaysia did ‘tremendous job’ with MH370
Despite the difficult situation, however, the minister said there is also a silver lining for all Malaysians.
“We see Malaysians are now more united, regardless of their background or their political ideology. In Parliament, those in the government and the opposition their undivided support for the prime minister’s motion,” he said, referring to a special motion tabled yesterday by Datuk Seri Najib Razak to mourn the fate of flight MH370.
“Also, all have offered their prayers, regardless of their religion, for the plane… there is a silver lining in this trial,” he said.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/minister-malaysia-did-tremendous-job-mh370-105600647.html
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YAHOO! NEWS SINGAPORE
In MH370 crisis, a glimpse of a Malaysia divided
The Malay Mail Online
KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 —The unrelenting scrutiny on Malaysia over the case of the missing airliner is exposing divisions among Malaysians.
On one side stand pro government groups and mainstream local media, rooting for the establishment, while on the other, a mostly silent group has been rapt by the sight of local politicians looking wretched under the blaze of global media.
The man in the middle is Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, the one politician singled out for the bulk of criticism by overseas media over Malaysia’s handling of the disaster.
Hishammuddin, the well-connected son of a political family, has stood up nearly every day since March 8 when MH370 went missing, taking questions, explaining, putting on a brave face.
His pedigree didn’t show some of the time.
“It was sometimes painful to watch him. There were rabbit-in-the-headlights moments,” one reporter who declined to be named told The Malay Mail Online.
Through the twists and turns of the story, from the initial search south of Vietnam, to the men with the stolen identities, to the theories about the pilots and false alarm after false alarm, Hishammuddin was Malaysia’s face to the world.
“That is not how I want Malaysia to be remembered, stumbling and uncertain,” said Jin Lee, as he sipped beer at a Bangsar South watering hole.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/mh370-crisis-glimpse-malaysia-divided-221800344.html
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‘Gov’t must apologise over MH370 tragedy’
PAS lawmaker Khalid Samad today pressured the government to issue a formal apology to the families and relatives of the Chinese passengers aboard the missing flight MH370.
(http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2014/03/26/govt-must-apologise-over-mh370-tragedy/)
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*UNINTENDED COPNSEQUENCES #2
“He’ll have to go!”
AHMAD JAUHARI YAHYA, MAS CEO
HE WAS BROUGHT IN TO TURN MAS AROUND. HE HADN’T QUITE SUCCEEDED, MANAGING TO INCREASE BOTH FLIGHT TICKETS SOLD AND FINANCIAL LOSS.
THE LOSS OF FLIGHT MH370 WILL PROBABLY MEAN THE END OF HIS JOB AS MAS CEO
Malaysiakini
1:34PM Mar 26, 2014
MAS CEO’s head must roll, says union
The National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) has called for the resignation of Malaysia Airlines chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya following the prolonged MH370 disaster.
“(Nufam) believes it is the right thing to do now as this even has brought tremendous impact on the aviation industry in this country…
“Since the Flight 370 tragedy (happened) under his watch, it is rightful for him to step aside and allow someone else to take over his position,” Nufam said in a statement.
It said that Ahmad Jauhari must also step down following two other incidents involving MAS flights – the incident in Kathmandu, where a flight was hit by flying ducks and in Hong Kong, where a flight en route Seoul had to divert to due to generator failure.
It added that airline staff has also “lost confidence” in the way Ahmad Jauhari has handled the crisis which entered its 19th day today.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/258240
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International Business Times
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370: Ahmad Jauhari Yahya Admits ‘Shameless’ Text Could Cost His Job
Ahmad Jauhari Yahya could lose his job over tastless texts sent to anxious relations of MH370 passengers
The boss of Malaysia Airlines could lose his job over the text message which informed relatives of passengers on board missing flight MH370 that their loved ones are almost certainly dead.
Chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya faced accusations of gross insensitivity after families were sent a brief message to their mobile phones, informing them their relatives were dead “beyond any reasonable doubt.”
It was sent 30 minutes before a press conference on 24 March, during which the prime minister of Malaysia extinquished any lingering hopes that the missing 239 passengers might still be alive.
The text read: “Malaysia Airlines deeply regret that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and none on board survived.”
There were scenes of huge distress as stretchers rushed to aid relatives who collapsed in anguish after getting the message. They later condemned it as “shameless” and “misguided” of Malaysia Airlines.
Speaking at a news conference, Yahya admitted the message placed his job in doubt, saying: “Will I resign? It’s a personal decision that we will take later.”
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Free Malaysia Today
‘We wanted families to know first’
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has defended its move to inform family members of the ill-fated MH370 flight via text messages.
SEPANG: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya today said family members and relatives of passengers of MH370 were informed of the fate of the jet via text messages because the airline wanted them to know the situation first before the rest of the world.
Ahmad Jauhari said MAS did its level best to ensure the family members were informed of the fate that had befallen on their loved ones.
“Our sole and only motivation last night was to ensure that the families heard the tragic news before the world did in the short time available to us,” he told a crowded media conference in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) today.
“Wherever possible we did so in person or by telephone, using SMS only as an additional means of ensuring that nearly 1,000 family members heard the news from us and not from the media,” he added.
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2014/03/25/we-wanted-families-to-know-first/
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Matt Young ICYMI: Here’s the text message #MH370 relatives received to confirm the bad news. More: http://bit.ly/1lhFffD pic.twitter.com/l31bebwpH
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Malaysiakini
10:00AM Mar 25, 2014
Backlash over MAS text message to next-of-kin
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has come under fire over its decision to break the bad news on the missing Flight MH370 via text message to family-members of passengers.
The airline said the text message, in both Chinese and English, was sent as “additional” means of contact, after most family-members in Beijing had been contacted by telephone or in person.
However, an image of the text message published by the American and Australian media show very poor translation of the English version into Chinese.
A note at the bottom in the Chinese version states that it is a computer-generated translation.
‘Malaysia Airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived,” reads the English version.
‘As you will hear in the next hour from Malaysia’s Prime Minister, we must now accept all evidence suggests the plane went down in the Southern Indian Ocean.’
It is unclear why MAS could not get in contact with families in Beijing to break the news in person, as it had been reported those who received the text message were all at the Lido Hotel where they have been staying since the plane was reported missing on March 8.
In Malaysia, families told reporters that they were informed to watch the ‘live’ telecast of Najib’s announcement, which was in English.
It is learnt that a mother of one of the Malaysian passengers was forced to contact a reporter to ask what Najib had announced, as she does not understand English.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/258100
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*UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES #1
He meant well, and he was sincere, but his boss didn’t think it appropriate.
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PILOT AIR ASIA HINA TRAGEDI #MH370 @tonyfernandes
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Watch a video by Krish Jejendira:
a look behind the scenes, as a dream was realised .. all the way from those first steps in flying school all the way to the hotseat of an airliner …
…
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SUSPENDED: AirAsia X pilot, unnamed as yet, is a senior first officer at AirAsia!
On his Facebook post, he criticised the government for declaring that MH370 fell into the Indian Ocean.
“For f**k’s sake lah… Is there any concrete proof that MH370 has indeed crashed?! It’s not right to simply assume when you have no evidence to back up your claims!
“(The) supposed debris… isn’t even confirmed to be from the plane yet! Show us the proof then tell us MH370 has crashed.
“Till then, stop hiding facts! It’s obvious to even a blind man that there (are) tons of info the government definitely knows and isn’t sharing yet!” the posting reads.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/258235
Malaysiakini
1:00PM Mar 26, 2014
AirAsia X suspends pilot over MH370 remarks
MH370 AirAsia X, the long-haul arm of budget carrier AirAsia, has suspended a pilot for comments he made online on the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, pending a domestic inquiry.
“AirAsia X senior first officer has been suspended pending investigation as company policies were broken in Facebook posting,” group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes said in a tweet last night.
Air Asia X chief executive officer Azran Rani Osman added that the first officer contravened a “specific directive” not to publicly comment on the ongoing search.
“(There is a) specific directive to our crew on public comments on MH370. (There is a) duty of care not to be hurtful,” he wrote in response to Fernandes’ tweet.
When contacted, Air Asia X said that it would not be releasing any further details on the matter.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/258235
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Tweets
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Airasia X senior first officer has been suspended pending investigation as company policies were broken in Facebook posting.
@azranosmanrani
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@tonyfernandes@azranosmanrani Respect yr company policies but don’t punish someone who spoke the truth.
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R Sri Sanjeevan @tonyfernandes @azranosmanrani end of the day, disciplinary action regarding social media shouldn’t be advertised on social media.
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weehingthong 
We often refuse to accept an idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been expressed is unsympathetic to us.
– Nietzsche
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