PUTRAJAYA, December 13, 2024- “The government’s efforts to promote the tourism industry should not be entangled with political or racial issues,” stated Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture.
He claimed that although the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (Motac) is making every effort to draw tourists from all over the world, these efforts are being criticized, with some accusing the government of giving preference to Chinese visitors, according to reports in Bernama.
He voiced fear that the government’s attempts to boost economic growth will be slowed down by the political and ethnic issues raised by certain groups, particularly against Chinese tourists.
As he stated, Motac wants to avoid politics and religion and instead focus on fostering economic growth and opening up commercial opportunities for Malaysians.
“To attract, I implore everyone to cooperate. Malaysia is not the only country looking to attract Chinese tourists. Since China is one of the biggest markets with substantial purchasing power, Saudi Arabia is actively marketing itself there as well,” he said.
According to Tiong, the influx of Chinese tourists would greatly boost the country’s economy, helping traders, especially small companies in rural areas.
He suggested that rather than criticizing tourists, especially those from China, all parties should concentrate on making Malaysia a desirable destination to compete with neighbouring nations like Thailand, which are more alluring to tourists.
“Developing the economy is what matters to us. We will not succeed in achieving the objectives of ASEAN 2025 and Visit Malaysia Year 2026 if we permit everything to be connected to politics and bigotry,” he stated.
Tiong claims that between January and November of this year, Malaysia saw 34.2 million arrivals, including 22.5 million tourists and 11.7 million visitors, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
In a different development, he stated that encouraging multilinguals in company signage is perfectly acceptable.
He acknowledged that everyone should abide by the law, but he issued a warning that enforcement strategies shouldn’t give the wrong impression to both residents and visitors.
Instead of removing signs that are judged unsuitable, he said, the authorities should hold consultation sessions with company owners and send out letters to urge compliance with legislation – The Vibes