MELAKA, June 8 — The Pekanbaru-Melaka-Pekanbaru flight route, which will begin operating at Batu Berendam International Airport on Wednesday (June 10), is expected to invigorate the state’s health tourism sector through the arrival of visitors from Indonesia seeking medical treatment in Melaka.

State Works, Infrastructure, Public Facilities and Transportation Committee chairman Datuk Hameed Mytheen Kunju Basheer said the flight service, operated by Wings Air, will operate three times a week, namely Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

“There is a high demand for health services in Melaka among Indonesians, and this route will make it easier for them to obtain treatment in the state.

“Previously, many used the ferry service, but now, with this flight route, they have an option to either travel by ferry or by air,” he told a media conference at the Batu Berendam International Airport here today.

Hameed said the state government, through the Tourism Promotion Division (BPP), will collaborate with private hospitals to intensify health tourism promotions to attract more visitors from Indonesia to Melaka.

He said the flight for the Pekanbaru-Melaka-Pekanbaru route is set to operate using the ATR 72 aircraft, which can carry 72 passengers.

The first flight is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, with more than 50 passengers expected to arrive from Pekanbaru at the Batu Berendam International Airport.

He said the flight is scheduled to arrive at 12.40pm, then return to Pekanbaru at 1.10pm.

Meanwhile, Hameed said another new route, namely Melaka to Penang, by Batik Air is expected to operate within the next two months.

He said the route has received approval from Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) and is currently undergoing the process related to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).

“However, the dates and frequency of flights have yet to be finalised by the airline company,” he said.

He said the addition of the flight route was among the state government’s efforts to strengthen Melaka’s air transportation system, thus increasing the presence of tourists and investors from both within and outside the country. — Bernama 

Manuel Gual posted a photo:

A Cinematic Journey Through the History of Aviation

Description:
A wide cinematic collection celebrating the evolution of aviation, from fragile early biplanes and daring pioneer pilots to flying boats, wartime fighters, classic airliners, supersonic icons, stealth aircraft, and futuristic aerospace designs. The series combines golden hour light, dramatic skies, ocean crossings, misty runways, military silhouettes, retro travel atmosphere, and science fiction concepts to create a visual timeline of flight as both engineering achievement and human dream.

These images have been generated by Artificial Intelligence.

Manuel Gual posted a photo:

A Cinematic Journey Through the History of Aviation

Description:
A wide cinematic collection celebrating the evolution of aviation, from fragile early biplanes and daring pioneer pilots to flying boats, wartime fighters, classic airliners, supersonic icons, stealth aircraft, and futuristic aerospace designs. The series combines golden hour light, dramatic skies, ocean crossings, misty runways, military silhouettes, retro travel atmosphere, and science fiction concepts to create a visual timeline of flight as both engineering achievement and human dream.

These images have been generated by Artificial Intelligence.

TOKYO, June 8 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived here tonight for a three-day official visit to Japan, aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties and participating in the 31st Nikkei Forum.

The aircraft carrying the Prime Minister touched down at Haneda International Airport at 8.20pm local time (7.20pm Malaysia time).

Upon arrival, Anwar was received by Malaysia’s Ambassador to Japan Datuk Shahril Effendi Abd Ghany, Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Tomoaki Shimada, Chief of Protocol Tadayuki Miyashita and Ambassador of Japan to Malaysia Noriyuki Shikata.

The visit is Anwar’s first official trip to Japan since assuming office as Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister in November 2022, although he previously made two working visits in 2023 and 2024.

The Prime Minister’s busy itinerary begins on Tuesday at the University of Tokyo, where he is scheduled to deliver a special lecture titled “Humanity in a Human-Machine Civilisation”.

Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, will later join a roundtable with 29 selected Japanese business leaders and hold meetings with several Japanese companies, including one-on-one sessions with representatives from six firms.

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister will attend the 31st Nikkei Forum, themed “Working Together for a More Resilient and Prosperous Asia”, where he is expected to deliver a keynote address titled “Navigating Strategic Uncertainty”.

Later that day, Anwar will be accorded an official welcoming ceremony at the Office of the Prime Minister of Japan, followed by a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Sanae Takaichi.

The visit is expected to yield outcomes including four Memoranda of Cooperation and two Letters of Intent covering defence and regional security, healthcare, energy transition, environmental cooperation and education, as well as a Joint Statement under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework.

Anwar is accompanied on the visit by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Steven Sim Chee Keong and senior government officials.

The Prime Minister and his delegation are scheduled to depart for Malaysia on Wednesday afternoon. — Bernama 

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Compton Abbas Airfield, EGHA, Dorset, UK. 2026/05/30.

GEORGE TOWN, June 6 — Construction of stations for the Mutiara Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) project is progressing steadily, with station designs currently awaiting approval from the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), which is expected soon.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said pier and viaduct works for the Penang International Airport (LTAPP) Station are underway, with five piers already completed.

At Bandar Sri Pinang Station, foundation works and station columns have been completed, with the project set to enter its main construction phase soon.

“Crosshead components are expected to arrive on site soon. These are large concrete structures installed on top of columns and serve as the main support for the station,” he said in a statement following a visit to both project sites today.

Chow said Bandar Sri Pinang Station is strategically located within a densely developed coastal urban area and near Persiaran Karpal Singh, a hub for lifestyle, commercial, food and beverage activities, making it a key station on the Mutiara Line.

The station will feature access points on both sides of the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, linking nearby residential areas and economic centres.

Meanwhile, the LTAPP Station will be connected to the airport’s new terminal via a pedestrian bridge and is expected to serve as an important international gateway to Penang. It will provide direct links to key destinations, including the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone (FIZ), Komtar and Penang Sentral in Butterworth.

Chow said pier construction is also underway at 14 locations along the alignment, including Permatang Damar Laut, Gelugor, the SPICE Convention Centre area, East Jelutong, Macallum and an area adjacent to Cecil Residensi.

“We expect construction activity to intensify. The implementation of traffic management plans (TMPs) in the Bayan Lepas FIZ and phased lane closures along the 23.7km alignment from Komtar to Pulau Silikon are clear signs that the project has entered its active construction phase,” he said.

Of the three critical areas identified, the first TMP was implemented at the Jalan Tengah–Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah junction in early May, while TMPs for the remaining two areas are scheduled for implementation in the second half of this year.

“As such, the public should be prepared for some traffic inconvenience as the project enters a more active construction phase in the second half of the year,” he said.

The Mutiara Line LRT project, which began construction in 2025 and is expected to commence operations in December 2031, will span about 29.67km and comprise 20 stations and two provisional stations. — Bernama

Manuel Gual posted a photo:

A Cinematic Journey Through the History of Aviation

Description:
A wide cinematic collection celebrating the evolution of aviation, from fragile early biplanes and daring pioneer pilots to flying boats, wartime fighters, classic airliners, supersonic icons, stealth aircraft, and futuristic aerospace designs. The series combines golden hour light, dramatic skies, ocean crossings, misty runways, military silhouettes, retro travel atmosphere, and science fiction concepts to create a visual timeline of flight as both engineering achievement and human dream.

These images have been generated by Artificial Intelligence.

Eudaemonius posted a photo:

KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — No Malaysians were affected after a Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 aircraft suffered a nose landing gear failure while preparing for departure at Frankfurt Airport on June 4, the Embassy of Malaysia in Germany confirmed.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the embassy said that, according to information provided by the relevant German authorities and Lufthansa, the aircraft experienced a nose landing gear failure while parked at a gate in preparation for its scheduled departure to Los Angeles.

“The incident occurred prior to passenger boarding.

“At the time of the incident, only Lufthansa crew members and ground personnel were on board the aircraft,” the statement read.

Several airline staff members were injured and are receiving medical treatment, it added. The embassy conveyed its sincere hope for their swift and full recovery.

German Press Agency (dpa) reported that several employees were injured when a Lufthansa aircraft collapsed while parked at the gate at Frankfurt Airport, for reasons yet unknown. — Bernama

SINGAPORE, June 4 — A 20‑year‑old Singaporean admitted in court that he posted a fake bomb threat on Instagram, triggering enhanced security checks that delayed three Scoot flights by more than an hour each.

Rykes Tan Zhi Kai, who was 19 at the time of the offence, pleaded guilty today to one count of communicating false information of a harmful thing, according to CNA.

He uploaded a photo of himself with a Scoot Boeing Dreamliner at Changi Airport in June 2025 and captioned it “Im [sic] about to bomb this plane,” a message he later described as a joke.

He also replied to a friend with the line “This is automated message. Tan Zhi Kai, Rykes have successfully bombed the plane and is unable to contact you from now onwards,” which he said was another joke meant to imply he had died.

Police received an anonymous tip about the Instagram Story at around 1am on June 8, 2025.

Security teams identified all Scoot Dreamliner flights scheduled to depart between 12.10am and 1.50am for screening.

Three flights — TR138 to Tianjin, TR186 to Qingdao and TR720 to Athens — underwent enhanced checks and eventually departed at about 3am.

Scoot incurred operational losses of about S$1,946 (RM6,903) as a result of the delays.

Tan had already boarded flight TR876 to Taipei with three companions around the time the police received the information.

He was arrested on June 11, 2025, when he returned to Singapore.

Tan later made full restitution to the airline.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Xu Sijia told the court that deterrence was necessary because Changi Airport was “a critical public infrastructure utilised by vast numbers of local and foreign commuters daily.”

The prosecution asked the court to call for both a probation suitability report and a reformative training suitability report.

Tan’s lawyer argued against calling for the reformative training report at this stage.

The judge decided to call for both reports before sentencing.

Tan will return to court for mitigation and sentencing at a later date.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ jail, a fine of up to S$50,000, or both.