From: The Malaysian Reserve

THE state government of Perak signed a five-year strategic collaboration with Firefly yesterday to promote tourism and foreign investment in the state.

 The partnership is focused on achieving key objectives, one of which is to enable international air connection between Lapangan Terbang Sultan Azlan Shah (LTSAS) in Ipoh and Changi International Airport in Singapore.

 It also aimed to promote Perak as a destination for mass and premium tourism as well as encourage new investment and business developments which will spur economic development in the state.

At the signing ceremony in Ipoh, the state government of Perak was represented by State Secretary Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim while Firefly managing director Datuk Eddy Leong signed on behalf of the airline. The signing was witnessed by the Menteri Besar of Perak, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.

Meanwhile, Dr Abdul Rahman said the state government will spend RM2.4 million for Firefly to jointly market and promote tourism in the state for the first year while another RM1.8 million has been allocated for the second year.

Firefly has been marketing Perak state aggressively via the code-share arrangement with MAS in the international market, he added.