Ipoh Welcomes the World: TUI BLUE Haven Resort Draws 186 Foreign Guests from 19 Countries

Ipoh, Malaysia – [7 July 2025]

In a remarkable boost to Ipoh’s growing reputation as a global travel destination, TUI BLUE Haven Resort has recorded 186 international guests from 19 different countries this weekend on 5th and 6th July alone. This significant milestone reflects a rising international interest in Ipoh and reaffirms the city’s potential as a premier tourism hub in Malaysia.

TUI BLUE Haven Resort, operated under the prestigious TUI Group – the world’s leading travel brand, offers a unique resort-style experience nestled in the tranquil natural beauty of Ipoh’s limestone hills and lush landscapes. It is currently the only TUI-affiliated resort in the city, strategically positioning it as the preferred choice for international travelers seeking both relaxation and cultural immersion.

“This surge in foreign guest arrivals highlights Ipoh’s transformation from a hidden gem to a must-visit destination,” said Peter Chan Toh Pew, the CEO of TUI BLUE Haven Resort. “Our guests come for the nature, heritage, and wellness, and they leave with unforgettable memories of Malaysian hospitality.”

Key Factors Behind the Rise

• TUI’s global network and exclusive travel packages promote Ipoh to travelers across Europe and Asia.

• The resort provides custom-tailored experiences including heritage tours, wellness treatments, and culinary delights.

• Its multilingual staff, international cuisine, and scenic surroundings cater perfectly to global travel expectations.

• The influx coincides with the European summer travel season, backed by strategic tour operator partnerships and chartered group travel

Ipoh: Malaysia’s Emerging Global Destination

Once known for its colonial charm and tin-mining history, Ipoh is now making headlines as an affordable, peaceful, and authentic travel alternative to major cities like Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Tourists are drawn to the city’s:

• Rich cultural heritage and architecture

• Natural wonders including hot springs, caves, and parks

• Vibrant food scene and traditional markets

• Relaxed, small-city atmosphere with high quality of life

A Boost for Local Economy and Tourism

This influx of foreign visitors is expected to benefit not only TUI BLUE Haven Resort, but also local businesses, restaurants, cultural attractions, and tour operators in Ipoh. It reinforces the need for continued investment in sustainable tourism, better infrastructure, and international marketing.

On behalf of Ipoh City Watch I wish to congratulate you Mr. Peter Chan for your far sighted vision in putting Ipoh on world map. The State Government and Ministry of Tourism as well as Perak Tourism and Ipoh City Council should be proud of this and provide more support to Haven All Suites Resort so that more can be done to lift up Ipoh as the destination for Tourists especially from oversea to come to Ipoh. The effect of this is tremendous in terms economy, social and environment.

Lions Club of Perak Silver State and Loyal Academy organised Chinese Calligraphy Contest at AEON Station 18

 8 February 2025:

Lions Club of Perak Silver State and Loyal Academy and several NGOs organised Chinese Calligraphy Contest at AEON Station 18. The event was organised in conjunction  with Chinese New Year to promote Chinese Calligraphy and Preserve Chinese Culture.

Congratulations to LCPSS President Lion Wong Tong cum CEO of Loyal Academy for the great job. Also present include Lions Clubs District 308B2 Zone 14 Chairperson, Lion Dr. Richard Ng. 

The event was graced by Ipoh Timor MP Howard Lee. Also present include AEON Northern Region Manager Encik Kamarul and AEON Manager Encik Badrul and Marketing Manager Mr. Eric Ng. 

More than 100 students participated in the competition which also saw the participation of non-Chinese students participation which is a good sign that Malaysia is truly unity in diversity.

LIONBS CLUB DISTRICT 308B2 KEY OFFICERS TRAINING

Lions Club District 308B2 - Region 5 & 6 will be organising the Key Officers Training (Training for Incoming Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers). on 15 June 2025 from 9.30am to 4.00pm at Hotel Excelsior Ipoh (Level 5). Training will be conducted in English and Mandarin. Fee is RM30 inclusive of Lunch, Refreshment and Training Materials. Certificate will be awarded upon completion of the training.

Training Objectives;

Upon completion  of this training, club officers shouldbe able to:

a. Understand their specific duties and how they support the club’s success.
b. Know how to collaborate as a leadership team.
c. Be aware of reporting tools and deadlines set by LCI.

Incoming Lions Club Presidents, Secretaries & Treasurers are encouraged to register using the following link 

to  Google Form: https://forms.gle/1aD2z3VHgKdyyeCG7

Lions Club of Perak Silver State and KOHIJAU Organise 3 in 1 Environment Project

 23 Feb 2025

Lions Club of Perak Silver State teamed up with KOHIJAU to organise the 3 in 1 Environment, Health Talk and Hunger Relief projects especially for Muslim Senior Citizens of Kinta Heights in conjunction with the upcoming Puasa and Hari Raya.

The projects initiated by Zone 14 Chairperson, Ln Dr. Richard Ng was participated by LCSPSS President, Ln Wong Tong Meng, VP Ln Tina Leong, BOD Members Ln Girlie Lim and Ln Shirley Foong as well as Ln Leong Cheok Lung from LC Ipoh Central, KOHIJAU Secretary Thinakaran and Mona from Plastic Recycling Factory.

25 senior citizens from Kinta Heights were given a talk on Climate Change and importance of taking climate Action to save our planet. They were also shown how to make eco-bricks.

The participants were also given a talk on health awareness especially High Blood Pressure, High Blood Sugar, Diabetes, Cholestetol and protecting their Liver.

After the talk they were presented Groceries and other food items to ease their burden on high cost of living in view of the upcoming Fasting month.

Mentoring Session on Ipoh Doughnut Economy

 20 Feb 2025: 

Mentoring Session on Ipoh Doughnut Economy organised by Sunway Planetary Health Centre in collaboration with Ipoh City Council.

I am honoured to be invited to share my years of community service experience to 60 participants from NGOs and Civil Servants.

The Doughnut Economy is an economic model proposed by British economist Kate Raworth in her 2017 book Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist. It presents a framework for achieving sustainable development by balancing human needs and planetary boundaries.

Concept of the Doughnut Model

The model is visually represented as a doughnut with two rings:

1. The Inner Ring (Social Foundation): Represents the minimum standards for human well-being, such as food, water, healthcare, education, and political participation. Falling below this leads to poverty and deprivation.

2. The Outer Ring (Ecological Ceiling): Represents the environmental limits we must not exceed, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Exceeding this causes ecological damage.

The safe and just space for humanity lies between these two rings, where human needs are met without over-exploiting the planet.

Key Principles of Doughnut Economics

1. Rethinking Growth – Moving beyond GDP as the main measure of success.

2. Regenerative Economy – Creating a circular economy that reduces waste and regenerates resources.

3. Redistributive Economy – Ensuring fair distribution of wealth and resources.

4. Embedded Economy – Recognizing that the economy exists within society and nature, not separate from them.

5. Systems Thinking – Understanding interconnectedness rather than linear economic models.

Practical Applications

Cities like Amsterdam, Brussels, and Copenhagen have adopted the Doughnut framework to guide policies on housing, energy, and sustainability.

Mooted by the Ipoh City Council (MBI), a total 21 area of focus or dimensions have been identified as follows:

 SOCIAL FOUNDATION (12 Dimensions)

- Food

- Health 

- Education 

- Income and Work

- Housing

- Networks (transport, digital, community)

- Energy 

- Water and Sanitation

- Peace and Justice 

- Political Voice

- Social equity

- Gender equality 

ECOLOGICAL CEILING (9 Dimensions)

- Climate change

- Ocean acidification 

- Chemical pollution 

- Excessive fertiliser use

- Freshwater withdrawal

- Land conversion 

- Biodiversity loss

- Air pollution 

- Ozone layer depletion

I shared my experience on Environment, Food Security, Hunger Relief and Being a Good Ancestor.

Green Our Earth, Save Our Future Generations at SK Methodist Tg Rambutan

Lions Cub of Perak Silver State in collaboration with SK Methodist Tg Rambutan will be planting trees at the school in conjunction with the school's month long STEM programme on 17 May 2024.

The trees chosen to be planted are of the Ficus Elastica species which can sequestrate CO2 and release Oxygen besides beautifying the school with its ornamental nature.

The trees planted will be given a tag number from No. 135 to 137 which means these are the 135t to 137th trees being planted, an initiative of Lions Club of Perak Silver State under its President, Dr. Richard Ng.

Dr. Richard Ng, was awarded the JCIM 2018 and 2022 "Best in Climate Change" national awards. recently he was awarded the Top President 2023-2024 award by Lions Club District 308B2 Governor, Lion Dr. Alan Thoo.

A Health Carnival will also be held on the same day with the support from Pantai Hospital Ipoh, SL Chan Optometrist, Pure Sound Tech Enterprise, JINHO Wellness and Eye Mission. Teachers and students will be given FREE Health Screening which include; Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, BMI, Eye and Ear Check. There is a free demonstration of the use of Meridien Physio Machine.

Programme Report:

This morning, Lions Club of Perak Silver State held a successful Health Carnival and Tree Planting at SK Methodist  Tg. Rambutan, in conjunction with the school's month long STEM programme. Together with Pantai Hospital Ipoh, which helps to do the BP, glucose, and BMI screening, the programme was also supported by SL Chan Optometrist,  Pure Sound Tech Enterprise for eye and ear test as well JINHO Wellness for Meridian Physio and Eye Mission for eye test. 

Presents this morning include; Puan Fauziah Binti Zun, Headmaster of SK Methodist and Ms. Yow Huai Mim. Acting CEO of Pantai Hospital Ipoh .

An MOU was signed between SK Methodist and LCPSS as well as PHI for future collaboration to help uplift the education quality of the students.

Three Ficus Elastica trees were planted at the school compound with QR code tag containing info about the trees planted. LCPSS with 7 members led by President Dr. Richard Ng and participated by 300 students and 20 volunteers.

About Ficus Elastica:

According to Wikipedia, Ficus elastica, the rubber fig, rubber bush, rubber tree, rubber plant, or Indian rubber bush, Indian rubber tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to eastern parts of South and Southeast Asia. It has become naturalized in Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and the US state of Florida. Despite its common names, it is not used in the commercial production of natural rubber.

It is a large tree in the banyan group of figs, growing to 30–40 m (100–130 ft) – rarely up to 60 m or 195 ft – tall, with a stout trunk up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in diameter. The trunk develops aerial and buttressing roots to anchor it in the soil and help support heavy branches.

It has broad shiny oval leaves 10–35 cm (4–14 in) long and 5–15 cm (2–6 in) broad; leaf size is largest on young plants (occasionally to 45 cm or 17+1⁄2 in long), much smaller on old trees (typically 10 cm or 4 in long). The leaves develop inside a sheath at the apical meristem, which grows larger as the new leaf develops. When it is mature, it unfurls and the sheath drops off the plant. Inside the new leaf, another immature leaf is waiting to develop.