The Ministry of Transport is facing mounting pressure to address the issue of express bus operators raising fares during the Chinese New Year holiday, with calls for stringent action against those found guilty of price gouging.
NV Subbarow, Senior Education Officer of the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP), has urged the ministry to take decisive measures, including suspending the licenses of express bus services, in response to reports of exorbitant fare hikes. One such incident involved a couple who were charged over RM800 for a round trip from Gopeng, Perak to Johor Bahru (JB).
Subbarow highlighted that the passengers had to bear fares inflated by 270 per cent to 344 per cent above the usual rate of RM70 per passenger for a one-way trip.
Expressing disappointment and concern, Subbarow emphasised that passengers had purchased tickets online a month before Chinese New Year, only to be faced with significantly higher prices during their journey.
The festive season brings many things to cheer for. Being Malaysian, we get a bounty of public holidays, scrumptious food everywhere, and great deals on new cars.
With the upcoming Chinese New Year that will be celebrated at the end of this month, Ingress Auto is offering plenty of reasons to trade in your car. Any car.
Red and orange are traditionally the colours used for Chinese New Year celebrations as they signify luck, prosperity and happiness. To welcome the new Year of the Water Tiger, Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) is offering two of its popular Nissan models in the colours.
The X-Trail 2.0L Mid version will come with Monarch Orange, while the Serena S-Hybrid will be available in a distinctive Radiant Red finish with a ‘floating‘ black roof.
Priced from RM139,643 (without insurance and sales tax) the X-Trail Mid version comes with an Aero kit with RM5,000. It is equipped with Nissan Intelligent Mobility (NIM) technologies for safer motoring. These active safety technologies include Intelligent Forward Collision Warning with Intelligent Forward Emergency Braking, Intelligent Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and High Beam Assist.
The 5+2-seater SUV is powered by a 2-litre 4-cylinder engine which develops 106 ps/200 Nm, delivered to the front wheels through a 7-speed X-TRONIC CVT. Fuel consumption is claimed to be 13.4 kms/litre so the 60-litre fuel tank should give a range of around 800 kms.
The version of the Serena S-Hybrid with the special Radiant Red colour is the Premium Highway Star, priced from RM140,226 (excluding insurance and sale tax). The 7-seater MPV’s proven 2-litre MR20DD powerplant is highly fuel efficient, with 14.2 kms per litre claimed for fuel consumption. Brisk performance is provided by the output of 150 ps/200 Nm and XTRONIC CVT with Adaptive Shift Control.
Safety and convenience features include a Hands-Free Dual Power Sliding Door, Dual Back Door, 7 USB-Powered Ports, Intelligent Around View Monitor with Intelligent Moving Object Detection, and smartphone connectivity with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Those who are planning on buying a new vehicle to celebrate Chinese New Year can enjoy a low 1.88% p.a. interest rate for financing of selected Nissan models. This offer period will be on until February 28, 2022, and customers who purchase and register a vehicle can participate and win Lazada Vouchers up to RM50,000.
Additionally, customers who test drive the latest Almera Turbo (shown below) during the campaign period are also eligible to win a RM500 Watsons voucher.
More information is available at any authorised Nissan showroom nationwide. To locate a showroom or find out more, visit www.nissan.com.my or call the Nissan Customer Care Centre hotline at 1800-88-3838.
Though representing a German brand, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) ‘acts locally’ and is already preparing for the coming Chinese New Year. For those wanting to start the new year of The Ox with a new car, VPCM is offering special money-saving deals.
Authorised Volkswagen dealers around the country will offer a RM1,000 ang pao rebate for the Passat and Arteon sedans and Tiguan Allspace SUV. There are also additional savings of up to RM4,500 if the purchase is booked through the Volkswagen eShowroom.
Those interested in the Passat range will also enjoy free additional 1-year insurance or RM5,500 savings. For selected Tiguan Allspace and Arteon models, there are additional savings of up to RM3,500. And of course, with the sales tax exemption extended until June 2021, there are also extra savings.
Besides warranty coverage for the full 5 years after original registration, the owner will also not need to pay for scheduled maintenance for the first 3 years (terms and conditions apply). There will also be complimentary Roadside Assistance for the first 5 years, providing peace of mind on long journeys.
Existing owners not forgotten
VPCM doesn’t look at just selling a car but cares about making the entire ownership experience a good one. And during festive seasons like the coming Chinese New Year, Volkswagen owners can also enjoy special deals at authorised service centres. This year, the CNY Aftersales Service Campaign offers savings on replacement parts and genuine engine oil. The Aftersales offerings are listed below:
Additional offerings for owners include complimentary a 5-Star Service Check, up to 20% discount on batteries and tyres, and complimentary Volkswagen ang pao packets. Service appointments can be made online here.
Chinese New Year falls on February 12 this year, but the Volkswagen CNY Sales and Aftersales promotions will be on until February 28, 2021.
For more information or to locate a Volkswagen showroom in Malaysia, visit www.volkswagen.com.my .
Authorised Volkswagen dealers nationwide are having an Open House this Saturday (February 8) and they have offerings which follow the tradition of ‘wong’, Volkswagen’s Chinese New Year’s theme that focuses on the Chinese character “旺”. This means good luck and prosperity, which Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) is giving to new and existing owners through rebates and aftersales offerings. And not forgetting a CNY feast complete with ‘yee sang’ and other exciting activities for the whole family.
The newly launched Passat 2.0TSI Elegance, priced from RM187,990, will be a highlight of the event. Featuring a redesign of the exterior and interior, improved connectivity and updated lighting signatures, it also comes with the first year of insurance coverage paid by VPCM (limited time only).
Another offering which comes with one year of insurance paid by VPCM as well as a year’s supply of petrol is with the Tiguan variant (Highline, JOIN and Sound & Style).
Note: Savings applicable to all model variants. Monthly calculation based on 9-year H-P loan tenure with 10% downpayment and based on 2.5% interest rate. Subject to terms & conditions, while stocks last.
All new Volkswagen models come with 3 years of free scheduled maintenance, 5 years warranty with no mileage limit, and 5 years of complimentary roadside assistance.
Existing owners are not forgotten
Volkswagen owners are also invited to book a slot for complimentary 20-point vehicle inspection while they are at the showroom. They can also enjoy up to 20% discount on batteries and tyres.
Those with free maintenance vouchers who spend a minimum of RM388 will receive a free fluid top-up consisting of coolant, windscreen cleaner and engine oil, while those without a voucher will only need to spend a minimum amount of RM488 to take advantage of the offer.
VCP (Volkswagen Care Plus) customers can enjoy the same with a minimum spend of RM288. This offer is subject to terms and conditions and is valid till February 29, 2020.
Chinese New Year is a time when many homes have an Open House, welcoming visitors to celebrate the beginning of a new year together. This forms an important fabric of Malaysia’s multi-racial culture which is enjoyed by everyone.
At Lexus Malaysia too, there will be an Open House this weekend (February 1 & 2) with all Lexus Centres nationwide welcoming visitors to their showrooms from 10 am to 4 pm. Omotenashi (hospitality) is a dominant element in Lexus culture and visitors will experience it as they are invited to partake in the merriment, fun and festive activities prepared exclusively for them.
All visitors to Lexus CNY Open House celebrations will also receive an exclusive door gift and be treated to a Lion Dance performance.
While at the Lexus Centre, it would be a good opportunity to also find out more about the Lexus models available and even experience them on a test-drive. The Lexus range today offers premium sedans, SUVs and sports coupes, all engineered to the superlative standards that have defined the brand for 30 years.
Those who take test drives will receive a gift as a token of appreciation from Lexus Malaysia. Should they be convinced that they want to own a Lexus, there are exclusive deals throughout the duration of the event.
All the new models sold by Lexus Malaysia come with a comprehensive warranty 5 years with no limit on mileage travelled after registration. Complete aftersales support is available at authorised Lexus dealerships across Malaysia with professional technicians having received extensive training by Lexus at the service centres.
For more information and to locate a Lexus Centre in Malaysia, visit www.lexus.com.my.
In conjunction with the Chinese New Year festive season, BHPetrol had a celebration today to welcome the Year of the Rat. The celebration, attended by customers, business partners and staff of Boustead Petroleum Marketing Sdn Bhd which distributes and markets BHPetrol, was held at the BHPetrol station in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.
As in previous years, the company took the opportunity to use the occasion to also send safety messages, particularly important during this period when Malaysians will be driving long distances on highways. In this connection, BHPetrol invited Wong Yau Duenn, Deputy Director-General of the Road Safety Department (JKJR), to offer advice on road safety.
Wong Yau Duenn, Deputy Director-General of the Road Safety Department (JKJR), checking on a childseat to ensure it is properly installed. Since January 1, the law requiring compulsory use of childseats has come into effect.
“To all our customers, especially those who are celebrating, we wish you a prosperous Chinese New Year. Be safe in whatever you do and enjoy the festive season with your loved ones. Remember to stop at any BHPetrol station to refuel your vehicle with Infiniti petrol or diesel for extra mileage or pick up snacks and refreshments at the BHPetromart during your journey,” said Ir. Azizul Azily Ahmad, Acting CEO of Boustead Petroleum Marketing.
Ir. Azizul Azily Ahmad, Acting CEO of Boustead Petroleum Marketing, invites motorists to drop by at BHPetrol stations.
Also following past tradition, Ir. Azizul and his colleagues handed out complimentary goodie bags of snacks, drinks and mandarin oranges to customers visiting the petrol station. The customers also received angpow packets with BHPetrol vouchers inside. Food and beverage suppliers to the BHPetromarts also joined in with free offerings as well.
The BHPetrol brand has been continuously strengthened since being established in February 2006. Its fuels are available through a retail network of around 400 stations located throughout Peninsular Malaysia. Besides the high quality Infiniti fuels, BHPetrol also offers LPG (BHPetrogas) for household and commercial purposes as well as Syngard automotive lubricants.
Many BHPetrol stations also have BHPetromart stores which provide food, drinks and snacks as well as other services for the convenience of motorists. These services include reloading of Touch ‘n Go tollcards, cash dispensation from ATMs and even recharging stations for electric vehicles at certain stations.
To know more about BHPetrol products and services or to locate a station, visit www.bhpetrol.com.my.
Another long weekend is coming with the Chinese New Year festival and PLUS Malaysia expects traffic volumes on the highways, especially the North-South Expressway (NSE) to start increasing from Monday, January 20. At least 2 million vehicles are expected to be on the highways daily, and make the return journey on February 2.
With data collected over the years, PLUS has been able to formulate a Travel Time Advisory (TTA) for highway travellers which can help to reduce traffic congestion during this period. Basically, if you are departing from the Klang Valley and going north or south on the NSE, make your start before 9 am.
For travellers who are going to other places in Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka, it would be better to start your journey afternoon. This should make the journey less stressful without delays to endure.
For the return trip to the Klang Valley, PLUS suggests starting on the NSE before 9 am. Obviously, there will be traffic joining from various entry points along the 748-km long highway. The 9 am time will help to ensure the traffic flows in stages from all locations towards the Klang Valley.
If your journey is a long one, do take a break along the way. Facilities at the R&R are plentiful with a wide range of food and drink. Or you can also drop by at the petrol stations to pick up snacks and drinks. BHPetrol stations, for example, have hot food available and for the festive period, special offers on many items.
The BHPetromart convenience stores at BHPetrol stations have a wide variety of items to pick up for a long journey.
Be sure the balance in your TnG card is sufficient to cover toll charges. Don’t cause inconvenience to other motorists by getting stuck at the toll plaza because your card has insufficient balance.
Needless to say, you should ensure that your tollcard has sufficient balance to cover the toll charges for the entire journey. If you need to reload, there are numerous places along the highway (self-service kiosks at R&R locations and petrol stations) as well as many convenience stores in towns. Don’t create problems for other motorists by not having enough balance and being stuck in the toll plaza.
