Hamzah (PN-Larut) said the government should not merely wait until 2026 for the Visit Malaysia campaign to commence.
“Perikatan Nasional proposes that spending related to Visit Malaysia 2026 be expedited to enhance promotion, and strengthen infrastructure and facilities,” he said when debating the 2024 budget proposals in the Dewan Rakyat today.
In tabling the budget last Friday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the next Visit Malaysia Year has been set for 2026 after a few years’ hiatus.
Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said about 26.1 million foreign tourists are expected to visit the country in 2026, contributing to domestic spending amounting to RM97.6 million.
Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran) said the decision to delay Malaysia’s tourism promotion by two-and-a-half years does not align with many other nations that are actively promoting tourism to revive their economies.
“We have been gauging this sector for a long time based on the number of visitors, rather than considering other factors such as investments, economic space, economic exchange, and the overall economic growth it brings,” he said.
He also claimed that tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing has concentrated efforts on attracting tourists from a particular nation, while attributing hindrances in tourism promotion to the policies of PN-led state governments.
However, he did not specify the country that seemed to be favoured over others.
“When it comes to promoting tourism, it should be approached from a broader context, encompassing all of Malaysia, rather than segmenting it into opposition states and government states,” he said.
Tiong is known to have frequently raised concerns about foreign tourists being deterred by stringent regulations in certain states.
On Sept 22, he was quoted in a report as saying several non-Muslim tourists had complained to his ministry about being harassed by officials in Langkawi over their attire and alcohol consumption.
Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor denied Tiong’s claims, saying they were unfounded and that the Kedah government would not investigate the matter.
Tiong had also garnered public attention when he sought to intervene in a case where a Chinese national was allegedly denied entry into Malaysia.