14TH EAST ASIA REGIONAL CONFERENCE 2024 IN MALAYSIA .... may I have more info , pls! (Letters & Info Packs)
Dear ITP Eagles, Partners and Friends,
We are drawing near to our much awaited conference in Malaysia. We are so excited for this gathering and we look forward to walking the streets of Kuala Lumpur with you. Here are additional information to add to the first two info packs …
A. IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS for both PHILIPPINES & MALAYSIA
1. Please check regularly the announcements on our Facebook. We will have a pre-departure briefing for all registered conference participants to best prepare you on your immigration encounters – both in the Philippines and in MALAYSIA. The dates and time will be communicated to all via announcements on our Facebook page.
2. Most documents that may be asked from you by immigration officers will be provided by our office. Please show the documents only when asked by the immigration officer. It would be good to bring a Church Certificate that can validate your role in your church.
3. Familiarize yourself with our website in case the immigration officer asks for additional information about International Teams.
4.If you haven’t booked a return flight to Manila, please do it already. You won’t be allowed to leave for Malaysia without proof of a return ticket.
5.A Travel Clearance is required for government employees. This may take a long time to secure but this is a very important document to have if you want a worry free trip.
6. There is NO VISA requirement for Filipinos to enter MALAYSIA & SINGAPORE. All you need to show is your Philippine passport. You are allowed to stay for a maximum of thirty (30) days. A requirement for entry is that your Philippine Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of arrival. You may be barred from entering and will be sent back to Manila if the date falls below the specified period.
B. AIRPORT IN MALAYSIA
All arrivals must be in KUALA LUMPUR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KLIA) This airport is the largest airport in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is home to two major airports (KLIA1 & KLIA2) that operate in Sepang, located about 35km from KL city center. KLIA1 is Malaysia’s primary international airport that serves mostly major international flights while KLIA2 serves mainly budget airlines from across the region. (KLIA2 replaced the LCCT (Low Cost Carrier terminal) and services budget airlines like AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, Scoot, and JetStar Asia)
If you happen to travel to the wrong airport/terminal, no problem!. You can easily travel between the two airports via the KLIA Transit, a train system which runs on the same track as the KLIA Ekspres inside the airport. They’re just one stop away from each other and the journey costs only RM2/Pesos 25.
Even though the airports are located quite a distance away from the city, they’re still fairly accessible no matter the time of day.
Transportation from airport to the city center will be discussed in the section below.
C. AIRPORT DEPARTURE & ARRIVAL / CURRENT VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS
a. DEPARTURE/ARRIVAL in NAIA (Manila) Paper-based departure forms will no longer be supplied. All departure and arrival forms are now on digital format, meaning all travelers must fill the forms ONLINE. You must accomplish an eTravel online form by downloading the application from etravel.gov.ph and fill it up completely. Once completed , you will receive a QR code (take a screenshot right away). You will be asked to present it upon departure or arrival before you will be allowed to proceed to the immigration counter.
b. ARRIVAL in MALAYSIA… There are no quarantine requirements anymore in Malaysia. There are also no checks on vaccination certificates. Immigration officers will just ask the standard questions such as reasons for visit and how long do you plan to stay in Malaysia. Please be ready with the immigration documents supplied by our office and present the documents if, and only if it was asked. If not, then you may just keep those documents with you.
D. TRAVEL FROM KLIA AIRPORT TO KL SENTRAL STATION AT THE CITY CENTER
1. KL SENTRAL STATION: MAIN TRANSPORT HUB IN KUALA LUMPUR CITY CENTER
KUALA LUMPUR SENTRAL/ KL SENTRAL or STESEN SENTRAL KUALA LUMPUR is Malaysia’s largest integrated rail transportation that links train and bus services to all urban, residential, commercial and industrial areas. It is situated at the heart of KL SENTRAL CENTER BUSINESS DISTRICT (CBD).
2. PUBLIC TRANSPORT: You have several transport options to go to the city center (KL SENTRAL) : Airport Train, Bus, or Taxi Grab Car service . The cheapest travel option is by BUS
3. TRAVEL OPTIONS FROM AIRPORT (KLIA1 & KLIA2) to KL SENTRAL STATION
a. BY PUBLIC BUS
1.) BUS AT KLIA2 – At the klia2, you can take the AEROBUS, AIRPORT COACH, or SKYBUS at LEVEL1 of gateway@klia2 MALL to go to KL SENTRAL. The journey will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The bus ticket price is RM11 – RM12 (Pesos 130-140) per adult person and RM5 (Pesos 60) for children under 12 years old.
2.) BUS AT KLIA1 – At the KLIA1, you can take the AIRPORT COACH at KLIA Bus Station to go to KL SENTRAL. Once you arrive at KLIA, please proceed to the KLIA Bus Station situated at Ground Floor Block C annex at Main Terminal Building which is just 3 minutes walking distance from arrival hall exit.
3.) TRAVEL TIME – the travel time from airport to the city center is about an hour but can take longer during peak hours when there is more traffic congestion on the road.
4) BUS TICKETS – bus tickets can be purchased at the bus ticketing counters. Upon arrival at KLIA2 on Level 2 (L2), look out for the “Bus Station klia2 Terminal/Other Destinations” signboard and follow accordingly. You will need to take the escalator down to the transportation hub on Level 1 where you will see all the platforms for the buses. There is a convenience store located here for you to buy some snacks while waiting for the arrival of your bus. Ticketing counters can also be found here at the KLIA2 bus ticket counter. At KLIA1 Bus tickets can be purchased at the bus ticketing counters near the boarding platform at KLIA1 bus station
b. BY TRAIN (KLIA EKSPRES):
1) TYPES OF TRAIN: There are 2 types of Airport Train – The KLIA Ekspres and the KLIA Transit. They are the same train using the same lines. The difference is the KLIA Express takes you straight to KL Sentral while the KLIA Transit stops at a few stations before reaching KL Sentral..
2) TRAVEL TIME: The journey for KL Ekspres takes only 28 minutes for a non-stop journey between KLIA and KL Sentral. It’s an extra 5 minutes to KLIA2. For KL Transit, it takes around 35 minutes to reach KL Sentral. Train service from KLIA2 starts at 4:55 am and last train service is at 12am.
3) TICKET PRICE: STANDARD ONE WAY TICKET RM55(P685)
There are a number of Online offers (Klook, Agoda, etc..) that provide a good fare discount ONE WAY (P587) ROUND TRIP TICKET (P1,050)
4) TRAIN SCHEDULE: Train service from KLIA2 starts at 4:30 am and last train service is at 12am.
c. BY AIRPORT TAXI: Since the airport is located about an hour from the city, the taxi fare can be quite expensive. It can cost anywhere from RM75 (Pesos 900) Premier – RM190 (Pesos 2,250) Luxury or well above the range if the weather and traffic conditions delay your journey time. Journey time takes around 45 minutes.
d. BY PRIVATE AIRPORT TRANSFER Vehicle options include standard van (7 pax) and luxury van (12 pax). Good option for those traveling as a big group or carrying heavy suitcases. Suitable for those who want to get picked up and dropped off from door-to-door.
e. BY GRAB CAR (RIDE HAILING APPS): You may use your Grab Car app in Malaysia. There is no Uber service available in Malaysia.. You won’t need to download another Grab app if you are already using one in your country. Your existing app will recognize your new location and will automatically transform to a local Grab app. Prices will be in local currency already.
E. GETTING AROUND KUALA LUMPUR (CITY CENTER)
The traffic condition in Kuala Lumpur, especially during weekdays and rush hour, is reminiscent of Metro Manila. But you can ease your way through the jam when you learn to travel smart in Kuala Lumpur. You may combine monorail-taxi mode of transportation instead of just taking the bus.
1. By Train
RapidKL Monorail & MRT(Mass Rapid Transit)/LRT(Light Rail Transit): This transportation service has 5 lines — Sri Petaling Line, Ampang line, the Kelana Jaya line, the Monorail line and the Sungai Buloh-Kajang line. Take this train if you plan to go to Bukit Bintang, KL Tower, Twin Towers, Chinatown, and Little India. Fare starts from RM1/PHP12. A detailed map of all LRT/MRT Lines and stations are available and would be helpfui as you navigate your way around the city.
KTM Komuter: If you’re going to Batu Caves and outside the city center, you may take this train service. It has 2 lines heading to the suburbs from the city center and vice versa.
ERL: As mentioned previously, the two lines (Ekspres and Transit) run between KL Sentral and KLIA.
2. By Bus
RapidKL Bus: These buses are divided into three routes: Bandar (B) buses shuttle passengers within the city center; Utama (U) buses runs toward the suburbs; Tempatan (T) buses are train station services. Fare starts at RM1/PHP12.
KL Hop-on Hop-off: If you want hassle-free city tour, you may avail yourself of this double-decker bus service. Free ride for children below 5 years old. Ride-all-you can until ticket validity expires.
Go KL: This bus service is FOR FREE! It has four routes: Purple Line travels between Pasar Seni to Bukit Bintang; Green Line runs within KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Center) area and links with Purple Line at Bukit Bintang; Red Line connects KL Central to Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman; and the Blue Line shuttles between Medan Mara (where it also meets with Red Line) and Bukit Bintang.
3. By Taxi
If you must ride a taxi, it’s important to note that they have two types of taxis: the normal taxi and the executive taxi. Normal taxis have red and white colors and flag down rate is RM3/PHP37 (first 1km, then RM1 per succeeding kilometer). Executive taxis are the ones in bright blue and flag down rate is RM6/PHP75 (first 1km, then RM2/PHP25 per succeeding kilometer). Another option is to use a ride-sharing app like GrabTaxi.
F. PAYMENT OPTIONS FOR TRAIN AND BUS TRAVEL
1. MyRapid TOUCH & GO Card (Stored Value Card) – The card is available at the Token Vending Machines or Customer Service Office in any LRT, MRT, Monorail and BRT Station. The cost of the card is RM15/Pesos178 Pesos (RM5/Pesos 60 is card price and RM10/Pesos118 is the load value of the card). Reload facilities are available at all MRT/LRT and monorail customer service offices. You may also check your card’s current balance there. You need to make sure that you have a minimum balance of RM3/Pesos35 before boarding the bus or RM5/Pesos60 before riding the train.
2. Single Journey Token (Cash Fare) – This token is available at the Token Vending Machines or Customer Service Office in any LRT, MRT, Monorail and BRT. To purchase a token:
a. Choose the transit line
b. Choose the destination
c. Make the payment (cash in RM)
d. Collect token and change, if applicable
To use a single journey token, touch the token at the entry gate to enter a station. After traveling, insert the token at the exit gate to leave the station, unless you are travelling multiple stations, where you can continue tapping the token until you reach the final exit turnstile.
G. TRAVEL FROM KL SENTRAL TO THE CONFERENCE VENUE
1. VENUE: THE DREAM CENTRE
No. 2 Jalan 13/1, Seksyen 13, 46200
Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Our conference venue is in Petaling Jaya, originally serving as a satellite town for neighboring Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia’s capital city) which is just about 10 km away.
2. BY TRAIN (LRT)
a. Via LRT Kelana Jaya Line (KJL) : At KL Sentral take the KJL line from Gombak to Putra Heights. The ride will go through 6 stops (ave 15mins) . You go out of the train in Asia Jaya station. It is another 20 minutes’ walk to reach Dream Center (around 1.3 km) Total travel time is around 4o minutes.
b. Via LRT Kelana Jaya Line (KJL) : At KL Sentral take the KJL Line from Gombak to Putra Heights. The ride go through 5 stops (ave 13 mins). You go out the train in Taman Jaya station. Walk to transfer to PJ445 LRT TAMAN JAYA. Board the train PJ02 Line (PJ445LRT TAMAN JAYA) and go out on PJ278 Digital Mall Seksyen 14 Station. From there you will walk for another 8 minutes to reach the Dream Center. Total travel time is around 1 hour.
3. BY TAXI or GRAB CAR
This is the fastest option and can take you from KL Sentral to The Dream Center in around 15 minutes (est. 10 km distance).
H. CHANGE CURRENCY
Exchange your US$ or whatever currency to the local Malaysian Ringgit (RM) at any Currency Exchange Counter that you’ll see at the airport
The exchange rate as of March 7, 2024 is USD 1 = RM 4.70 = Phil Pesos 55.86.
Some Currency Exchange Counters accept Phil Pesos and the rates are normally posted on a board or screen. You will have to pay your bus or taxi in RM so please remember to have your money changed to the local currency before heading towards your preferred mode of travel.
I. WEATHER SITUATION & DRESS CODE
Malaysia's average temperature on March - April hovers between 22°C and 32°C, making it warm and pleasant. You may experience some rain showers during your stay, but March and April are generally dry months. Due to the constant heat, Malaysia's dress code is very casual. Wearing short pants, sandals, flip-flops and t-shirts is the accepted norm everywhere but is considered rude when visiting public offices, where long slacks, close-toed shoes and collared shirts are expected.
J. ACCOMODATIONS
Conference participants are responsible for their own lodging. For this conference we could choose our own accommodation based on our budget and preference. We have also requested our Malaysia team to look around for possible free hosting accommodations to help those who are financially challenged. As soon as we get confirmation from them, we will inform all of you right away. Those who have church networks here in Malaysia are requested to help others with their accommodation needs. Our office staff will be coordinating with your GMC leaders as soon as they receive news or accommodation status updates .
Option 1: Hotels in the City Center: If you prefer to stay in private rooms, there are hundreds of hotels available to choose from in booking sites like Agoda.com or Booking.com with a wide range of prices depending on the category of the hotel.
Option 2: Backpackers, dormitory type or capsule type accommodation. These types of accommodations are widely available in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya areas. The City Center has hundreds of low budget accommodations catering mainly to backpackers and tourists on a tight budget. When using booking sites like Agoda or Booking.com, use Petaling Jaya as the specific location choice. The site will show you all the available hotels and their rates for the day.
Option 3: Residential or Church Facilities . We are still on the lookout for churches who would be willing to offer their doors to accommodate our missionaries. In our past conferences, churches graciously allowed us the use of their guest rooms and even their sanctuary for free to our financially challenged missionaries. We will announce right away if we find a church who will respond positively. We also requested our missionaries based in Kuala Lumpur to help us in this search.
You may want to check first in the map the proximity of the hotel to our actual conference venue. We advise that you evaluate each hotel at their respective websites before you make your decision. Go to Google and simply type the name of the hotel and you will be directed to their sites. Room bookings can be done online directly at their websites or at hotel booking sites like Booking.Com, Agoda.Com, TripAdvisor.com, Hostelworld.com, etc …
If you’ll still have a difficult time locating a place to stay in during the conference, you may join your GMC group that will be assisted by our office team.
We will provide a more detailed accommodation info options which include costs of rooms etc... in our next Conference Info pack.
K. MALAYSIA POST-CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES
We will be discussing at the next Info Pack the Pre and Post Conference activities – optional tours to special sites. Missionaries in Training who signed up for ACCESS 2 will follow an itinerary set by our ACCESS 2 Evaluators Team.. The rest will have their options open to any trips or activities in and out of the city or even to bordering nation of Singapore. We will be presenting suggestions on good places to go to and activities to do while in Malaysia on our next posting.
L. REMINDERS:
1. SMARTPHONE … everyone must bring their own smartphones. We would like everyone to be accessible in case of emergencies. Most airports, including our own NAIA airport, don’t issue paper departure and arrival cards anymore. They require that you fill up the forms online and show the QR codes to the airport officials who will request for it.
2. ROAMING SERVICE: Please ask your service provider (Globe, Smart etc...) if they could activate your phone for International Roaming. When you are on roaming, your friends and loved ones can call you or send text messages to you wherever you are. Warning… the cost of roaming services is high. When activated your mobile phone will be able to receive text messages and calls from the Philippines, for free. However, once you start to answer the call or send a reply text, the cost to you is extremely high. Better purchase a local SIM card that you can use to respond to text messages.
3.INTERNET SERVICE: You may avail of the Pocket Wifi rental or simply purchase a SIM card. The Pocket Wifi would be good for group (around 10 individuals) use. For SIM card, you could use your phone as a Personal Hotspot where you could share your internet signal to a maximum of 4 individuals. Both would offer you outright connectivity and capability to call or chat using FB messenger, Viber etc… Both services can be purchased at the airport upon arrival. Your local phone provider (Globe, Smart …) will send a message upon your arrival of their various offers that you could access right away. They could activate your phone for international internet service at a price that ranges from around P599 per day.
M. PRAYERS and INTERCESSION :
Please always include the conference and the organizing staffs in your prayers. Pray also for GOD’s provision for all those who will be attending the conference.
We’ll this is it for now! I’m excited and looking forward to another great East Asia Regional conference. More conference info and updates in our next INFO PACK
See you soon in the beautiful city of Kuala Lumpur … much blessings!
Ptr. Gani Sison
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