Passengers at KLIA get a feel of 'GONG XI FA CHAI'

SEPANG, January 17th, 2005... Prosperity and good luck are in the air at the KL International Airport, where international passengers are getting a feel of the Chinese New Year, Malaysian style. The fragrance of mandarin oranges that are being given out to passengers, pervades the international atmosphere, whilst red ang pows filled with gold chocolate coins thrill the children who receive them.

From a month long celebration dedicated towards Hari Raya Aidilfitri, to a snow flaked white Christmas and now a Chinese New Year theme, the airport is now half way through its drive to push as a desirable transit destination to international travellers in the form of the KLIA Shopping campaign 'Discover Malaysia'.

Models dressed festively in cheongsam's walk about the airport, giving away the oranges and ang pow packets filled with the edible coins.

To add to the oriental festival, the making of the Chinese delicacy 'Dragon Beard Candy' is being demonstrated to passengers. Dragon Beard candy is a unique Chinese specialty now made by only a handful of candy masters worldwide. A ball of corn-syrup toffee is worked and stretched until it separates into filament-fine threads. The thread are rolled around a nut mixture and served as a melt-in-the-mouth sweet. While the demonstration itself holds foreign passengers in awe, they also get to sample the candy.

Tuan Syed Ahmad Syed Salim, Head of the KLIA Shopping Steering Committee said: "'Discover Malaysia' enhances the KLIA Shopping experience by showcasing and sharing Malaysia's rich multi-racial cultural spirit with passengers travelling through KLIA. All this is an effort to make KL International Airport the preferred airport to transit. It also brings a real and uniquely Malaysian experience to all visitors to KLIA."

Tuan Syed also extended his deepest sympathies and condolences on behalf of Malaysia Airports to the victims of the tsunami, "In an effort to help the thousands of orphaned, homeless or injured people across Asia, Malaysia Airports have donated RM30,000 to the Malaysian Tsunami Disaster Fund."

He said, "Let us pray donations like this can make a difference to the many lives destroyed and that the New Year can bring hope to those who were so very unfortunate."

The KLIA Shopping Campaign themed 'Discover Malaysia' is created to transform KLIA into a shopper's haven. Besides month long fun and entertaining activities devoted to the celebration of each festival, there are also three contests running to encourage passengers to shop at KLIA.