GOASIAPLUS May 2019

EDITOR’S NOTE It is usual that as we get busy on a routine basis, we tend to overlook the blessings in our surroundings. Always looking afar for vacation places, getting tempted with foods on social media and socialising through phones than bonding with people around us. Because sometimes we don’t have to look far to seek for the finer things in life. If we pay close attention, we will notice that the good things are always nearer at hand. From awesome places to go, amazing food, and of course, people. For a change of scenery, Kenyir Lake by Malaysia’s east coast has been long set out of sight as a travel destination. It is by good chance that Tourism Malaysia engaged with <strong>GOASIAPLUS</strong> in the ‘Ekspresi Media’ programme to uncover this hidden gem. Check out page 12 on how simple activities like living on a houseboat, trekking and swimming with fishes make Kenyir Lake a great relaxing travel destination without breaking the bank. Local food as never been a disappointment to Malaysians. Most of our first love is nasi lemak and it also never fail to amaze tourists who first try the icon of all Malaysian food. But, how many of us actually know how to make this iconic dish? Professional cook and author of four Malaysian cookbooks, Sara Khong, opens her kitchen for travellers to join “New Malaysian Kitchen”, a cooking class of local cuisine right at her home (page 22) for you to try your hand in making all of our delicious offerings. For every person’s best folk, we have our ever reliable and supportive mothers to take care of everything. It is a great day to celebrate all that they have done for us on <strong>May</strong> 12 so if you need a gift guide, see page 20. Lastly, to all great mothers, Happy Mother’s Day! John So Publisher MOUNTAINS MADE OF PLASTIC Photo ADOBE STOCK I have been making the news headlines lately. Here I am in a small country in Southeast Asia, an absolutely beautiful place called Malaysia, (not very surprisingly) made into the world’s rubbish dump of plastic wastes. Malaysia is already one of the world’s biggest single-use plastic consumers before the country became the plastic waste capital of the world. There are landfills filled with endless trash as the country import wastes at large from United States, Japan and Britain. With no proper faculties of disposing the plastics, these wastes are burnt in the open air releasing toxic chemicals. My surroundings parts from air, soil and waterways are polluted and when I’m sick, my ecosystem will cause health issues to people and other living species. Come on, it is not only our problem. It is a global problem. Enough of prostituting me for profit. Save the earth and stop single-use plastic. There is only so little of the plastic wastes are clean plastic that are recyclable. Stop purchasing drinks that comes in a plastic packaging on a whim. Doesn’t it make you feel better if knowing that the end product of the take-out food or drink you buy only goes down your stomach and nowhere else? Forever forsaken, The environment PICK-UP POINTS Read our magazine exclusively in Aerobus airport shuttles or bring home a copy of <strong>GOASIAPLUS</strong> with you at these pick-up points below: GATEWAY@KLIA2 AIRPORT SHOPPING MALL KLIA EKSPRES KL SENTRAL KLIA INFORMATION COUNTER AT DEPARTURE MAIN TERMINAL & SATELLITE BUILDING KLIA2 INFORMATION COUNTER, SATELLITE BUILDING & INTERNATIONAL ARRIVAL 2 · WWW.<strong>GOASIAPLUS</strong>.COM