More M’sians in Singapore car-pooling home for CNY

MORE Malaysians working in Singapore have made car-pooling arrangements for the Chinese New Year exodus back to their hometowns because of the eye-popping bus and air ticket prices.

Guang Ming Daily reported that as there would be a long weekend this coming Chinese New Year, tickets from Singapore to Malaysian towns and cities were priced too high.

A bus ticket from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, between Feb 13 and Feb 15 next year, is being sold for S$50 (RM151) to S$20 (RM60) higher than in normal times.

To Ipoh, a ticket costs S$130 (RM394), which is S$40 (RM121) more.

A return flight ticket from Singapore to Penang and Ipoh was now priced at about S$1,600 (RM4,850), the report said.

A 27-year-old man from Melaka, known as Liu, said he was making car-pooling plans with his friends, which they calculated to be cheaper and expected to be more comfortable.

“We’ll be able to carry more stuff home,” he said.

The first two days of Chinese New Year fall on Feb 16 and Feb 17.

> Hawkers in Penang are ready to capture the China tourist market. Many are using Alipay – a cashless payment platform based on smartphone app and QR codes.

Kwong Wah Yit Poh reported that Alipay or Zhifubao in Chinese was gaining popularity in China. It reported that one of the first Alipay-enabled hawkers in Penang was a chee cheong fan stall in New Lane, a famed hawker street on Penang island.

Its owner, Li Yan, said she came from Henan, China, and married a Malaysian more than 10 years ago.

“Chinese tourists don’t always have small notes or loose change to enjoy hawker food.

“With Alipay, they won’t have to worry about having cash,” she said, pointing out that Alipay could only be used by Chinese nationals for now.