Malaysians discover shopping haven in Bali
Malaysians discover shopping haven in Bali
Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Kuta
Do not forget your closest neighbors, especially when you get through a difficult time, a top diplomat said.
YBhg. Dato' Zaenal Abidin Mahamad Zain, Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia said during the opening of the Honorary Consulate office here in Kuta, Bali recently, marking the closer relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia.
"This event will bring about a significant milestone in the countries' tourism industries with the heavier flows of Malaysian visitors and students coming to Bali," he said.
He met the press just a few days after the killing of terrorist suspect and Malaysian citizen Azahari bin Husin, believed to be the one of the masterminds of several bomb attacks, including Kuta, Jimbaran and other places in Indonesia.
"This (terrorism) will not prevent Malaysians from coming to Bali, both for leisure and shopping as well as for educative purposes," the envoy said.
Presently, around 73 Malaysian students are registered at the University of Udayana in Denpasar and other higher institutions.
"The number of students and tourists will likely grow fast in the coming years and it is important for us to open this consulate office to arrange any necessary documents and to monitor their activities," said the ambassador.
The Malaysian government will also open other consular offices in Makassar, South Sulawesi in addition to the one in Medan and the embassy in Jakarta.
With Bali currently trapped in a desperate situation following the Oct. 1, 2005 bomb blast, which drastically cut the number of tourist arrivals -- by half, probably more -- the arrival of our neighbors could bring new hope for local tourist-related businesses.
"We encourage Malaysians to travel to Bali and other places in Indonesia like Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta," explained Roslan Othman, director of the Jakarta-based Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board.
Roslan added that most Malaysians were not afraid of going to Bali despite the bombing tragedy, as they did not feel they could be targeted. "They don't usually go to nightclubs or other crowded places. Many of them prefer to go shopping for handicrafts, textiles, furniture, fashion accessories," he explained.
"Anything with Balinese touches from handicrafts, accessories to interior and architectural elements are now in vogue among Malaysians," he added.
Malaysians, he noted, also flooded factory outlets, wholesale textile and fashion markets in Bandung and Jakarta.
Through August 2005, the number of Malaysians visiting Bali reached 47,458 persons, the seventh most after Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Korea, Britain and Germany.
An aggressive campaign by Malaysian-based AirAsia with its budget airfares has succeeded in luring more people to the island. Soon after the Oct. 1 bombing, the airline company launched its "To Bali with Love" campaign providing 12,000 free tickets for the Kuala Lumpur-Denpasar flights.
Dato' Tony Fernandes, Air Asia's Group CEO said, "Malaysians and Indonesians have come together to show the world that we will not let terrorism cripple Bali and our unique spirit of ASEAN."
Dato' Kalimullah Hassan, Group editor-in-Chief of the NSTP Group, representing the Malaysian Press said," Tourism is vital for Bali's economy.
"Malaysians can show their support for the people of Bali by not turning their backs on the island, Hassan said while adding that by continuing their visits to the island, they send the message that they will not give in to terror.
Garuda Indonesia and Malaysian Airlines have also established joint programs, including code share and seat arrangement cooperation, especially after Garuda Indonesia stopped flying to European destinations.
This effort was aimed at maintaining Garuda Indonesia's market in Europe. Under the code share arrangement, Garuda can sell a number of seats of Malaysian Airlines on Kuala Lumpur-London route and the Kuala Lumpur-Frankfurt route.
On the other hand, Malaysian Airlines is able to sell seats for Garuda's Kuala Lumpur-Denpasar route.
Feisol Hasyim, who was appointed Honorary Consul of Malaysia in Bali, commented that it was high time for Bali to start focusing on the regional market.
The Asian market has great potential because some countries are now emerging economically like Thailand, Malaysia and, of course, Singapore," said Feisol, who is also owner of Alam Kul Kul Resort and chairman of the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Tourism Society.
What is more important, he added, was that this market was not as vulnerable to the fast-changing world situation. "Europe has always been our strong market with a lot of spending and longer lengths of stay, but it is very susceptible to any current political, social or natural upheaval," he said.
The consulate office will also help Balinese businesspeople penetrate the Malaysian market.
Hera, a hotel and boutique owner, said she already exports exquisite Kebaya (traditional long-sleeve embroidery blouses) and Muslim dresses to meet the increasing demand of Malaysian women for Indonesian garments and textiles.
A number of Balinese textile, garment and handicraft producers will also take part in the upcoming Bali Expo held in Kuala Lumpur in the middle of January 2006.