Azamara Quest Reaches Sandakan, Sabah, East Malaysia, 590 Guests Given Vacation Options

Dont worry, all the 590 passengers are safe and sound, including 201 Americans. Here there were seen cheking in at a hotel in Sandakan, Sabah, East Malaysia on the night of Sunday, 1st April 2012.


Azamara Quest docked at Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia, on Sunday, April 1, 2012, at approximately 9:23 p.m. local time, the line said Sunday in an official statement.

The ship had been crippled by an engine room fire on Friday 30th March 2012, while sailing about 200 miles from Borneo. The ship's crew were able to restore vital services and, eventually, some propulsion.

Azamara Quest was escorted through pirate-infested waters by Philippine, U.S. and Malaysian Coast Guard and military vessels as it headed for Sandakan.

No passengers were injured in the fire, which was contained to one engine room. But five crew members were injured with smoke inhalation, one of those seriously.

"The one crew member that was more severely injured will be immediately transferred to a local area hospital," the Azamara statement on Sunday reported.

Guests had the option of staying onboard the ship during the time it's docked in Sandakan, until a complimentary charter flight for guests that's arranged by Azamara departs Tuesday for Singapore.

Alternatively, buses were waiting at the pier, and many guests took the line up on its option to transfer to local area hotels. Both U.S. and Canadian consular officials met the ship upon arrival.

At press time, Travel Agent learned that Azamara had offered guests (1) a full refund for this cruise; (2) a full cruise credit for the value of the cruise for a future sailing; and (3) several sightseeing and vacation stay options.

In Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia

For those guests who would like to explore Sandakan on Monday, Azamara will be offering complimentary Land Discoveries shore excursions.

In addition, the line will also provide each guest with $150 to cover meals and any other incidental costs they will incur during their time in Sandakan.

Larry Pimentel, president and chief executive officer, is expected to arrive in Sandakan on Monday and meet with Azamara Quest guests and crew personally.

“I would like to commend the crew onboard, not just for their valiant and courageous efforts during the fire, but for the way they have worked tirelessly to make our guests as happy and comfortable as possible until the ship arrived in port,” said Pimentel in the latest statement by the line.

“The entire crew has been absolutely brilliant, and I couldn’t be prouder of the exemplary way each and every one of them responded to this incident,” he stressed.

Pimentel continued: “I would also like to sincerely thank our amazing Azamara Quest guests for their patience and understanding. We understand that this was a difficult journey, and we appreciate their upbeat and positive attitude. We look forward to welcoming them back soon.”

Singapore and Other Asian Options

After guests fly to Singapore on the Azamara-provided charter flight on Tuesday, the line will assist them in either continuing their vacation in Singapore or flying home.

Here are the four options being offered to guests, according to "intel" gathered Sunday by Travel Agent.

Option 1 – Vacation in Singapore until Thursday, April 12: For those guests who would like to continue their vacation in Singapore and return home as scheduled on April 12, the date the voyage was originally scheduled to conclude, Azamara will arrange for the guest's air travel to Singapore via the charter flight.

Then, a luxury hotel stay in Singapore will be arranged by the line free of charge to guests for their stay through April 12. A representative from Azamara Club Cruises will be available at a hospitality desk located in the hotel lobby should guests have any questions or require any assistance.

Azamara will also provide each guest with a $150 per diem for each night in Singapore to cover meals and any other incidental costs incurred.

Option 2 – Travel to Singapore but Return Home Prior to Thursday, April 12: For those guests who would like to travel to Singapore, but return home before April 12, Azamara will arrange the charter air travel to Singapore and a hotel stay in the city free of charge.

Once guests arrive in Singapore, the line will provide transportation to a luxury hotel until the guest's new departure date. Again, a representative from Azamara Club Cruises will be available at a hospitality desk in the hotel lobby.

Azamara will provide each guest with a $150 per diem for each night in Singapore to cover meals and any other incidental costs they may incur.

If clients purchased air transportation through Azamara Club Cruises, and select this early-return option, the line will rebook their flights for the new departure date selected. The line said new flight information will be communicated to the guest via the Azamara hotel representative as soon as it becomes available.

If clients did not purchase air transportation through Azamara Club Cruises, and select this option, they will be asked to contact their airline directly to make revised flight arrangements. The cruise line will assist in paying airline change fees of up to $500 per person.

Option 3 – Travel to Singapore but Vacation Elsewhere: For those guests who would like to travel to Singapore, but then enjoy a vacation in a different location through April 12, Azamara will arrange air travel to Singapore, free of charge.

However, guests will need to arrange and pay for an additional air travel within Asia on their own. Guests who choose this option are still able to use their originally scheduled return flights departing Singapore on April 12.

If clients purchased air transportation through Azamara Club Cruises and will be returning home from a location other than Singapore, the line will re-book return flights from that new locale and cover any additional costs up to $500.

If clients made their own air arrangements and choose to return from a location other than Singapore they should contact the airline directly to make revised flight arrangements. The line will assist by paying for any airline change fees, up to $500 per person.

In addition, Azamara will cover the hotel stays of all guests at this alternate vacation location, up to $300 per day, until Thursday, April 12.

Again, Azamara will provide each guest with a $150 per diem to cover meals and any other incidental costs they may incur while on vacation, until April 12.

Guests taking this option will need to provide the line with a copy of hotel receipts plus a note stating they sailed on the March 26 sailing of Azamara Quest.

Send receipts and the note to Royal Caribbean International, Customer Service – March 26 sailing, 1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, FL 33132-2096.

Option 4 – Depart from Sandakan to Vacation in a Different Location: Clients also may choose to depart from Sandakan and travel to an alternate location to continue their vacation, without taking the Azamara-provided charter flight to Singapore.

However, if so, they will need to arrange and pay for an additional air travel within Asia on their own. If they choose this option, they can still - if the schedule works for them - use the originally scheduled return flights departing Singapore on April 12.

If clients purchased air transportation through Azamara Club Cruises and will be returning home from a location other than Singapore, the line will rebook return flights and cover any additional costs up to $500.

If clients made their own air arrangements and choose to return from a location other than Singapore, they should contact the airline directly to make revised flight arrangements. Azamara will assist by paying for any airline change fee, up to $500 per person.

In addition, the cruise line will cover the hotel stays of all guests at an alternate location, up to $300 per day, until Thursday, April 12. For those guests, it will offer the $150 per diem to cover meals and any other incidental costs until April 12.

Again, to receive reimbursement, clients will need to send hotel receipts and a brief note about being on the March 26 sailing of Azamara Quest to the address listed above.

Additional Help for Guests

In addition to the full refund and future cruise certificate, plus the line's pledge to cover alternative hotel arrangements, up to $150 per diem in expenses and airline change fee expenses as described above, the line will provide all guests with a full refund of the airfare they paid for this voyage.

That's in addition to the air ticket change fee of up to $500. Again, clients should mail receipts to the address mentioned above. Any reimbursement or per diem guests will receive will be mailed to the address the line has on file.

Azamara Club Cruises has cancelled the remainder of the current voyage to assess damages to the ship. There is no word, as yet, on any potential changes to future itineraries.

Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for further updates on this developing story.

Mendapan Tanah di antara Telupid dan Ranau, jejaskan perhubungan darat Kota Kinabalu ke Sandakan, Lahad Datu dan Tawau

Perjalanan darat antara Kota Kinabalu ke Pantai Timur Sabah, terjejas akibat kejadian mendapan tanah di Kilometer 120 jalan Kota Kinabalu - Sandakan, pada malam Isnin 20 Februari 2012.

Kejadian berpunca hujan lebat.

Mendapan tanah sedalam kira kira 6 meter itu berlaku di kilometer 12, jalan Ranau-Telupid, menyebabkan puluhan kenderaan terjejas.

Kenderaan terpaksa melalui jalan alternatif di kampung berhampiran.

Namun Pengarah JKR Sabah, Datuk John Anthony berkata kerja membina laluan 1 lorong di jalan yang mendap dijangka siap malam ini.

Manakala kedua dua lorong jalanraya berkenaan dijangka siap esok.

Jalan berkenaan adalah laluan utama dari Kota Kinabalu ke bandar utama Pantai Timur Sabah seperti Sandakan, Lahad Datu dan Tawau.

Versi bahasa Inggeris pula :

A section of the Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan road collapsed during heavy rains late Monday, 20th February 2012.

At least about 150m of the road at KM120 was completely washed away, cutting off links between Sabah's west and east coasts.

Sabah Public Works Department director Datuk John Anthony said that by early Tuesday, 21st February 2012, they had managed to build an alternative gravel bypass for vehicles to pass through.

However, the by-pass is only passable for smaller vehicles, he said, adding that lorries and buses could not pass through.

"We are working on the bypass to enable larger vehicles to pass through. We hope to complete it by today," he added.

6 maut kebakaran rumah di Sandakan, Sabah, 9 Julai 2011

Api bila kecil menjadi kawan, sudah besar menjadi lawan. Beginilah keadaan rumah 2 tingkat yang musnah dalam kebakaran awal pagi 9 Julai 2011 yang menyebabkan 6 penghuninya maut.



Penghuni rumah ini dilaporkan gagal menyelamatkan diri kerana pintu dan tingkapnya berjeriji.






Bagaimana kita perlu mengelak tragedi ini berulang?

Sudah banyak kes mangsa kebakaran maut di rumah kerana tidak dapat menyelamatkan diri kerana pintu dan tingkap berjeriji, malahan jiran juga sukar menyelamatkan mangsa yang terperangkap di dalam rumah.

Antara kes terbaru kebakaran ngeri yang mengorbankan 6 mangsa berlaku di Sandakan, Sabah pada 9 Julai 2011 sebagaimana dilaporkan media.

Dalam kejadian itu, 5 sekeluarga dan seorang pembantu rumah terkorban selepas rumah mereka musnah dalam kebakaran di Kampung Jawa Dua, Batu 12, Sandakan pada awal pagi 9 Julai 2011 bersamaan hari Jumaat.

Mangsa dikenali Osir Kamis, 81; isterinya, Leong Siew Kit @ Kasnih Abdullah, 80; Zuliana Osir, 38; (anak perempuan), Rahim Hassan, 47; (menantu) dan Yulia Ezora Rahim, 3, (cucu), manakala identiti pembantu rumah mereka belum dikenal pasti.

Penguasa Bomba Dan Penyelamat Zon Sandakan, Alias Abu berkata, pihaknya menerima panggilan kecemasan pada pukul 1.15 pagi mengenai kebakaran itu.

Menurutnya, dua buah jentera bersama 18 anggota bergegas ke lokasi kejadian yang terletak kira-kira 25.7 kilometer dari Balai Bomba dan Penyelamat Sandakan.

Katanya, pasukan bomba tiba setengah jam kemudian dan mendapati rumah tersebut telah terbakar hampir 100 peratus dan api hanya dapat dikawal sepenuhnya pada pukul 2.41 pagi.

Selepas api dipadamkan, pasukan bomba menemui enam mayat rentung dalam timbunan kayu yang terbakar di rumah dua tingkat berkenaan. Mangsa terdiri daripada lima orang dewasa dan seorang kanak-kanak.

Pihak bomba difahamkan bahawa empat daripada mangsa berada di tingkat dua rumah tersebut dan dua lagi yang terdiri daripada warga emas tidur di tingkat bawah.

Empat mangsa yang ditemui di atas ialah anak perempuan pasangan warga emas tersebut berumur 38 tahun dan suaminya berumur 47 tahun serta anak perempuan mereka berusia tiga tahun.

Seorang lagi mangsa adalah pembantu rumah yang baru sahaja bekerja dan mangsa berumur lingkungan 20-an.

Semua mayat mangsa kebakaran itu dihantar ke Hospital Duchess Of Kent untuk tindakan lanjut.

Sementara itu, tukang kebun keluarga mangsa, Gunawan Abu Bakar, 36, yang tinggal berhampiran rumah majikannya melahirkan rasa kesal kerana tidak sempat menyelamatkan majikannya.

“Saya terdengar jeritan meminta tolong dan bergegas ke rumah itu, pada masa itu api sedang marak dan majikan saya sempat mengarahkan untuk mengambil tangga.

“Tangga diambil dan diletakkan di tingkap tetapi pagar besi tingkap itu tidak dapat dibuka,” katanya sedih dengan kejadian itu.

Semoga Roh kesemua mangsa bersemadi dengan aman dan dicucuri rahmat.

Batu Sapi Byelection - All the Best to Datin Linda Tsen Thau Lin

Datin Linda Tsen (above) being greeted by a Barisan Nasional, BN supporter at the Sanbay Hotel, Sandakan, Sunday 24th October 2010, moments before she was formally announced as the BN candidate for the P 185 Batu Sapi by election.

Datin Linda Tsen Thau Lin, 54 was born on 29th July 1956.

She is the Parti Bersatu Sabah, PBS Elopura Wanita Deputy Chief and PBS Wanita Vice Chief.

Datin Linda attended primary school at the Chi Hwa primary school, Sandakan and later at the Tiong Hwa Secondary School, Sandakan.

She furthered her studies at St. Brandon School, Clevedon, United Kingdom and at the Trinity College of Music in London.

She is a fellow of London College of music as well as Past President of Kota Kinabalu Music Society and past examination representative of Trinity College of Music, London.

She is the mother of 4 children - three daughters, aged between 18 and 23 and a son, 13.

Datin Linda Tsen said she felt honoured for being chosen as the BN candidate.

“It is an opportunity for me to carry on with the legacy of good work of my late husband Datuk Edmund Chong,” she said.



Result of the 2008 general election for P185 Batu Sapi. The late Datuk Edmund Chong Ket Wah won by 3,708 majority.





Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Sabah BN component leaders had agreed to Tsen’s candidacy.

“Batu Sapi is not foreign to her and so is politics because she is a Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Wanita vice-chief. This will be her service to the people, an opportunity to carry on the struggle of her late husband, and her own,” he told a news conference at the Sanbay Hotel, Sandakan on Sunday, 24th October 2010, moments after announcing the BN selection of Datin Linda Tsen as Batu Sapi candidate.

He said it had been proven that there were many capable women who should be given the opportunity show their leadership qualities.

“They work equally as hard, just like their male counterparts. That is why we unanimously agree to field Datin Linda because she wants to continue serving the people who had given their full support to her late husband. She has promised to give the best to the people of Batu Sapi,” Musa said.

To a question whether sympathy played a part in the decision to field Tsen, Musa said it was up to the people to judge, saying what was important was that she had been serving the people as a politician.

On the BN’s preparations for the by-election, Musa said the state BN had met and worked out the assignment of duties among them.

The Chief Minister said Linda was ready to continue the work and struggle of her late husband and that she has assured to work diligently to provide the best services to the Batu Sapi constituents.

“The Batu Sapi constituency is not foreign to Linda and so is politics as she is PBS wanita vice chief and Elopura divisional deputy wanita chief.

“This will be her service to the people, an opportunity to carry on with the work of her late husband, and her own,” Musa said.

He added that in Malaysia, there were many qualified and capable women who should be given the opportunity to show their leadership qualities.

“They work equally as hard just like their male counterparts and deserved to be given the opportunity. And that is why we unanimously agree to field Datin Linda because she wants to continue serving the people who had given their full support to her late husband,” Musa said.

Musa also said the state BN would work very hard to ensure victory for Linda on November 4, 2010.

“With the support and cooperation of all BN component parties in Sandakan which would be working night and day, we will be victorious,” he said.

On BN’s preparations, Musa said the state BN had met and worked out the division of duties among them.

“I have assigned responsibilities to all division chiefs and elected representatives,” he added.

The Batu Sapi by-election was called following Edmund’s death in a road crash on October 9, 2010.

The by-election is a three-cornered fight between Linda, SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee and Sabah PKR leader Ansari Abdullah.

The late Edmund first became Batu Sapi MP in the 2004 general election.

In 2008, he retained the seat after defeating independent candidate Chung Kwong Wing.

Edmund obtained 9,479 votes while Chung had 5,771 for a majority of 3,708 votes.

Datin Linda as expected won the Batu Sapi Parliamentary by-election polling on November 4th, 2010.

She received 9,773 votes, beating SAPP's President, Datuk Yong Teck Lee who only managed 2,031 votes and PKR's Ansaari Abdullah who pooled 3,414 votes.

Her majority votes of 6,359 votes are much bigger that her late husband's majority in the 2008 election.





Source - Bernama & The New Sabah Times