November 30 Today, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, urged Malaysians to put more emphasis on factors that advance the nation's economy rather than inflaming ethnic or religious feelings.
The MP for Bintulu predicted that this would encourage foreign visitors to choose Malaysia as their travel destination, even before Chinese and Indian tourists are allowed entry without a visa.
"We have to make sure that the nation's infrastructure, particularly its tourist attractions, is safe, in good working order, and provides travelers with competitive and appealing travel options.
"It's also crucial to avoid turning every problem into a racial or religious one. To inspire confidence in tourists and draw in an increasing number of them, we should concentrate more on the factors that advance the nation's economy. During Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat, he stated, "Only then can we aid in the nation's economic development."
In response, Langkawi MP Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah stated that Muslims in the nation would pay attention to the call.
In response to a question from Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng, Tiong discussed the benefits of China and India's 30-day visa exemption for travelers to help the goal of reaching the target of 25 million arrivals of foreign tourists.
In response, Tiong stated that the announcement is a crucial step toward promoting the expansion and revival of the nation's tourism sector, particularly for these two heavily populated areas that are expected to see a sizable influx of visitors.
"The tourism industry will benefit from the implementation of the visa exemption policy, particularly since we anticipate a rise in the number of Indian and Chinese tourists. This will also indirectly boost the economy of tourism-related industries like hospitality, retail, transportation, and so forth," he stated.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said on Sunday that starting on December 1, travelers from China and India would be able to enter Malaysia without a visa for 30 days.
He promised yesterday that the issue of national security would not be overlooked in light of the government's recent declaration that many nations would no longer require visas.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail further declared that foreign students from 23 low-risk countries, including Singapore and Brunei, will be able to stay in Malaysia for up to a year following graduation through the provision of long-term social visit passes.
Before Visit Malaysia Year in 2026, when the nation hopes to welcome 26.1 million foreign visitors and generate an estimated RM97.6 billion in domestic spending, Malaysia has decided to liberalize its visa policies.