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As your all-in-one mobile e-wallet, having Dash on hand makes topping up your TNG eWallet more secure and seamless - with competitive rates to boot too! Within the short span of a few years, road trips up into Malaysia have taken on a more tech-centric guise. We're talking, of course, about the rise and the omnipresence of the all-powerful Touch 'n Go eWallet (TNG eWallet). With most merchants in Malaysia now accepting cashless payments via the TNG eWallet, you could effectively get around with just your smartphone. The days of sticking our hands out clumsily with fly-swatters at toll booths also seem to be disappearing into the rearview mirror. With the proliferation of RFID tags - especially with the strict enforcement (finally) of Vehicle Entry Permits (VEPs) for Singaporean vehicles entering Malaysia - we can now zip through gantries without the inconvenience of having to wind the windows down. Perhaps only one point of concern stands between local motorists and this contactless utopia across the border: Ensuring that our TNG eWallets don't run dry. From one e-wallet to another e-wallet To that end, here's how Singtel Dash, a homegrown all-in-one e-wallet, could serve as your best companion in making cross-border road trips more seamless. But in case you're still wondering what exactly the Dash app is, its status as a subsidiary of Singtel should already inspire a sense of quiet confidence and trust. As a 'super e-wallet', the Dash app doesn't just offer basic payment capabilities, which span the likes of paying for your bus and MRT rides, as well as enabling you to carry out international money transfers (when settling overseas bills, for example). The Dash Visa virtual card that is automatically provisioned to any user who signs up and registers for a Dash account also allows you to shop and pay easily both online and in-store, while enjoying specially-tailored discounts and deals with a multitude of local F&B and retail partners! What's more, Dash additionally offers comprehensive insurance plans, and investment opportunities via a robo-adviser - all with the financially-savvy Singaporean adult in mind. With a keener eye to the world beyond, however, its enhanced overseas remittance services also mean that converting your money from SGD to MYR via the TNG eWallet is now more fuss-free and enticing than ever. From now till the end of July, exciting promotions await new Dash app remittance users too! Convenient and secure: Immediate and safe transfers Considering how widespread TNG contactless payments have become in Malaysia - whether it's for dining, shopping, or even refuelling our cars - it's easy to find yourself suddenly confronted with a near-empty wallet on your TNG eWallet app. In many instances, the need for a quick top-up is even more pressing: Imagine driving on the North-South highway, and seeing a toll booth in the distance. If your preferred mode of topping up is via bank transfers, the potential lack of immediacy can add another layer of stress. Singtel Dash's seamless connectivity to the TNG eWallet promises to eliminate at least one aspect of this stress. Transfers from the former to the latter can be done in real-time - meaning top-ups are immediate, and you can continue with your expenditure across the border without any delays. With this service provided by Singcash Pte Ltd - licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore - users can also rest assured that their transfers are 100% secure. Those who need even more assurance can even refer to the Dash app for a full run-down of their transaction history! Competitive exchange rates, and a low flat flee Cross-border road trips are also best enjoyed when we're not forced to spend excessively. Here's how Dash comes into the picture once again. Logically, transferring larger sums of money at a go should make sense, since this negates the need for repeated top-ups. Yet those who prefer to refill their TNG eWallets with debit/credit cards may be deterred from doing so, since top-up fees can rise up to 2.6% for non-Malaysian cards. That's even before factoring in the fluctuating (and potentially exorbitant) foreign exchange rates across different banks! To mitigate this pain point, Dash's low flat fee of just S$2 serves as a powerful antidote, allowing you to transfer bigger amounts at a single time without having to suffer the financial pains of a hefty surcharge. Dash also promises competitive exchange rates for its transfers, ensuring that you maximise your dollar for every single SGD-to-MYR conversion. Enticing benefits to be enjoyed from now till end-July! From now till 31 July 2025, new Dash remittance users who transfer at least S$20 (excluding fees) overseas can enjoy an S$3 cashback. And yes - for all our drivers out there who cross the border regularly, this naturally includes top-ups for the TNG eWallet. Concurrently, those who transfer at least S$200 (excluding fees) to their TNG eWallets can also enjoy a 50% off transfer fee, awarded in the form of a S$1 cashback, and limited to two redemptions per user during the promotion period. To find out more, head on over to the Dash website over here for more details. If you're already keen to get started on your Dash journey, however, you can download the app directly here. Run (or should we say, dash), don't walk!

Came across this on Kah Motor's page. Not a sponsored post btw. Looking at the cost I must say it is pretty steep for a 4D3N to Genting and Malacca. Tempted to ask "Price inclusive of petrol?" 😆 I did a quick check on Genting SkyWorlds Hotel for the 3rd of June (Friday) and it is in the range of SGD 250 onwards per room for one night. I usually book budget ones like First World Hotel. Nevertheless, I see the appeal of such planned road trips for families with young kids. Good initiative by Kah Motor. If you're not a Kah Motor customer, you can rent a car from them at these package rates. To register: https://bit.ly/3ruJKus

Our neighbour in the north is currently facing very serious "water ponding" problem. Planned to drive to MY next week to Yong Peng & Batu Pahat but seem like both places flooded. yahoo news: One dead, 19,000 evacuated in Malaysia floods Floods in Malaysia caused by heavy rains have left a teenager dead and forced authorities to evacuate thousands of people, officials said Wednesday. Some 19,000 people have been relocated to evacuation centres set up in schools in the east coast states of Pahang and Terengganu and Johor in the south, an official and news reports said. A 17-year-old boy who was fishing with his father in Terengganu drowned after being swept away in a swollen river, a state police official said. A Meteorological Department official said river levels continued to rise due to the high tide and water being released from dams, but the body expected rain to ease in the flood-hit areas. "It's still raining today, but we expect the rain to stop by tomorrow," he told AFP. "Then the situation will improve." The department issued an "orange" alert for Pahang and Terengganu on Monday, warning residents to be prepared for a possible evacuation. Floods caused by annual monsoon rains that begin around November are common in the Southeast Asian country. link: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/one-dead-19-000-evacuated-malaysia-floods-173416810.html

I have to admit, I have never actually been on a driving road trip up North before in my (admittedly short) life. So when BMW offered us the chance to drive its new baby, the 1-Series, up to Kuala Lumpur, I was understandably a bit excited. I mean, city driving in Singapore is one thing. But long distance driving on the highways are a different kettle of fish altogether. The day began at BMW's showroom at Alexandra Road. Us journalists, not quite used to early mornings, dragged ourselves to Performance Motors, where we were given a briefing and breakfast to prep us for the trip. After the run-through, we were finally introduced to the fleet of eight 1-Series cars, neatly split into four each of the 116i Urban Line (in blue) and 118i Sport Line (Red) And then we were off... We aimed towards the Tuas Second Link, and before long, we had cleared Immigration, and were now on Malaysian soil. The convoy made its way through Skudai and Pedas/Linggi, with the first part of the trip consisting of mostly highway driving. This enabled us to experience the true efficiency of the new 1-Series, in its Eco Pro mode, designed to maximise BMW's EfficientDynamics philosophy. After about three hours of driving, the group stopped over at Port Dickson for lunch, to fuel up the hungry human tanks. The cars though were barely at half tank, with more than enough to complete the second part of the trip. After lunch, the convoy continued on its way, but this time, the 'Dynamic' part of BMW's EfficientDynamics were put to the test. The route from Port Dickson to Kuala Lumpur was driven through those notorious single lane Malaysian back roads, and in those challenging narrow winding corners, the 1-Series acquited itself well, tackling nearly everything that was thrown its way (including the usual tropical torrential shower, and a rather rude dump truck). We arrived at our hotel in KL in the evening, ready for a nice rest and dinner, and to give both us and the cars the chance to recharge and top up before the journey back. The drive back was similar, with the route in reverse, and just like that, my first long distance driving trip in Malaysia was done. I must say, it was quite an experience. Driving for such a long time over mostly monotonous roads requires quite a lot of concentration. But at the same time, it allows you to really stretch your machines, something which you can't really do in tiny Singapore. Would I do it again? Most definitely. But one thing I learnt is that preparation is vital. It's almost like running a marathon. You can't just decide to go do it. You have to plan and prepare for it. As for the 1-Series, I came away impressed. Driving wise, it coped well with the conditions, and in the corners, it actually felt a bit fun. I guess that's the BMW Experience for you. Special thanks to BMW Asia for the trip and pictures.

Now if you're an avid motorist and love different sorts of motoring experiences then taking your car on a ferry ride is something you should do. On a recent trip to Penang I did just that. This is a motoring experience that allows you to drive on a large boat, step out of the car, take in that salty sea breeze with a slight tinge of diesel from the ferry's engine. You can do this as soon as the ferry is on the move and you get to admire the scenery around you from a slightly different perspective and then you drive off when you reach the other side. The Penang Ferry Service is the oldest operating ferry service in Malaysia. The ferry services first began operation in 1920, under the management of a Chinese company. The chap who owned the company must have been one of those who could afford those beautifully designed bungalows on Gurney Drive. But today it is jointly operated by the Penang Port Commission (PPC) and Penang Port Sdn Bhd. The ferry service connects Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal in Butterworth to Raja Tun Uda ferry terminal at Weld Quay in George Town on Penang Island. Now taking the also scenic Penang Bridge would actually save you 0.70sen as the toll charges for the bridge comes up to RM7.00 only. You pay the toll on the mainland side of Seberang Prai and you do not have to pay if you leave the island. This is the same with ferry service. It is only when you head towards Georgetown when you have to fork out RM7.70. Or course, what is 0.70sen when you get to experience something slightly different? On the ferry you get to take a short breather and just observe the people who took the ferry with you as well as exploring the ferry itself, looking at the structure of the ferry with its steel framework, bolts and bars that make up its construction. You get to look closely at another type of engineering other than looking at cars and other forms of motoring. You also get to see the waves breaking as the ferry travels on the water and admiring the surrounding. Taking the Penang bridge would be like taking the second link between Malaysia and Singapore, albeit slightly longer and with a suspension bridge elevated section in the middle of the Penang bridge. To say that it is faster than the ferry is subjective as it depends on the time of day and where you wish to go. The bridge enters the island at Gelugor whereas the ferry takes you right into Georgetown and the ferry services are pretty efficient as it takes on average slightly less than half an hour between the two points per trip during peak traffic times. The ferries at those times just embark and disembark passengers and cars doing many round trips per day with clockwork precision. At peak hours where the bridge is pretty choked with traffic it may take a good half an hour to reach Georgetown proper. The experience was good one as it has been years since I took the ferry in Penang and it only took slightly more than thirty minutes of waiting, driving on the ferry, the ferry trip itself and then driving off at Butterworth. This, on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It is of my opinion that the ferry ride in Penang is one motoring experience that any motoring enthusiast living in this region should experience for themselves. If you intend on driving to Penang and if you have not taken the ferry before you should do so. A Ferry ride is a motoring experience that a motorhead should experience.

I made a short trip with the family up north to Penang quite recently as we had a wedding to attend in Butterworth. The fun thing about Penang is that it is a nice mix of old and new. There are old buildings located almost everywhere in the island city of Georgetown and it has that slightly colonial feeling if you spend some time driving through its streets. The hotel where we stayed was a typical highrise building but right in front it was a Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food restaurant that was housed in a colonial style mansion that had been well preserved. I presumed that the mansion would have been built sometime in the 1930s or the 1940s and it still looks majestic, if you ignored that large Colonel Sanders KFC logo upfront. Even the buildings from the 1950s to the 1960s have a certain flair to it. Being another island city, there could be some similarities between Georgetown and Singapore city, but with less modern development like highways and wider roads of course. Everything is narrower and there are many small streets for an out of towner to explore, with a car, bike or by.... walking (the horror!). -Gurney Drive - a mansion on Gurney Drive For another example of old meets new one should go over the Gurney Drive or the roads around the area. We have bungalows, built by the Towkays of days gone by, situated right beside a highrise condominium or two. Somehow development has slowly transformed a quiet residential road into a bustling F&B outlet, hotel and condominium filled street. But I somehow have great respect to those individuals or families who are still holding out their family homes around this area instead of succumbing to the obscene amount of money that the sale of the land would bring them. -the night market at Batu Feringgi Of course, I was there on a weekend and the traffic on a Sunday morning was free from any sort of jams . This meant that I had time to soak in the overall experience even more. Oh yeah, the food was good and there are other things to do like frequent the night market located at Batu Feringgi. This is where you find all those tee-shirts, bags, shoes, DVDs and watches like in most large night markets in the region. Of course if you want original branded stuff, this isn't the place to go. This place is for everything else. Another good thing about Penang is the food. I don't have to tell you readers out there about Penang food as you can see, read or hear about Penang Nasi Kandar, Penang Char Koay Teow, Pasembor and a few other specific food. You could try the stalls at Gurney Drive from the evenings or the thousands of seafood restaurants that litter the island and those Nasi Kandar shops and stalls around the Chowrasta Bazaar market and Chulia Street. Amazing food, but it is still sold at a reasonable price. Unless you really pig out that is. Penang is a good seven to eight hours drive from the Causeway, or faster if you have the proper car and aren't bothered about those pesky speed traps. A trip from Johor right up to Penang is a fabulous experience. The North-South Highway is a little dull and tedious from Johor to Seremban, busy from Seremban to Kuala Lumpur. It gets better from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh, where it passes the limestone hills which is nice to look at and when you pass Ipoh the highway becomes challenging. Uphill through the Menora Tunnel and down part of the Titiwangsa mountain range. This stretch is a fabulous drive with high speed sweeping corners coupled with a majestic view of the surrounding. Pass Taiping the highway gets bumpy due to the soft ground. This also makes a good test on your car's suspension and before you know it, you're in Penang. But good road trips are seldom short. Of course to some it may not be as long as a trip to Hatyai or Phuket in Thailand (especially to some bikers I happen to know). The thing is that while people say that it is the experience during the trip that is important in motoring, there is sometimes equal satisfaction if the destination you arrived at is all that it's worked up to be. And Penang is such a place.