Malaysia's tourist arrivals up 20% from Jan to May, ministry says
The South-east Asian country recorded just over 25 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, falling short of its 27.3 million target.
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia recorded 16.9 million international tourist arrivals from January to May of this year, a 20 per cent increase from the same period of 2024, the tourism ministry said.
About half of Malaysia's total international tourist arrivals during the first five months of the year were from neighbouring Singapore with 8.34 million visitors, followed by Indonesia at 1.82 million, China at 1.81 million, and Thailand at 1.06 million, the tourism ministry said in a written parliamentary reply on July 21.
Arrivals from 'long-haul markets' such as Australia and the United Kingdom also saw increases of 16.6 per cent and 8.7 per cent respectively, compared to the same period in 2024, the ministry added.
'This increase in foreign visitor numbers clearly reflects the effectiveness of various initiatives implemented by the government through strategic approaches, progressive policies such as the visa liberalisation plan, and support and incentives given to industry players,' the ministry said.
The South-east Asian country recorded just over 25 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, falling short of its 27.3 million target.
Malaysia is targeting 47 million international tourist arrivals in 2026, with a focus on key markets such as Central Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Oceania, the tourism ministry said. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Allianz Life says majority of customers' data stolen in hack
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The data breach, which Allianz Life described as a hack, occurred on July 16 and was discovered on July 17. NEW YORK - US insurance giant Allianz Life said on July 26 that hackers stole the personal information of the majority of its customers, financial professionals, and select Allianz Life employees. The insurance giant's filing with Maine's attorney general did not immediately provide the number of customers affected. As per the filing, the data breach, which the company described as a hack, occurred on July 16 and was discovered on July 17. The data breach was first reported by TechCrunch. 'On July 16, 2025, a malicious threat actor gained access to a third-party, cloud-based CRM system used by Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life). The threat actor was able to obtain personally identifiable data related to the majority of Allianz Life's customers, financial professionals, and select Allianz Life employees, using a social engineering technique,' a spokesperson for Allianz Life told Reuters in an emailed statement. The insurance giant said it notified the FBI and based on its ongoing investigation that there is no evidence the Allianz Life network or other company systems were accessed, including their policy administration system. This incident is related only to Allianz Life, which currently has 1.4 million customers, the company said. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Indian firm says it shipped non-military explosives to Russia
NEW DELHI - An Indian firm that shipped $1.4 million worth of an explosive compound with military uses to Russia in December said on Saturday it complies with Indian rules and the substance it had shipped was for civilian industrial purposes. Reuters reported on July 24 that Ideal Detonators Private Limited shipped the compound, known as HMX or octogen, to two Russian explosives manufacturers despite U.S. threats to impose sanctions on any entity supporting Russia's Ukraine war effort. One of the Russian companies listed in Indian customs data as receiving the compound is the explosives manufacturer Promsintez. An official at Ukraine's SBU security service has said the Russian company has ties to the military and that Ukraine launched a drone attack in April against a Promsintez-owned factory. Promsintez did not respond to a request for comment. Ideal Detonators said in an emailed response to Reuters that the material it shipped was not military grade. "The shipment ... is for industrial activity and it's a civil explosive," the company said. The U.S. government has identified HMX as "critical for Russia's war effort" and has warned financial institutions against facilitating any sales of the substance to Moscow. The U.S. Treasury Department has the authority to sanction those who sell HMX and similar substances to Russia, sanctions lawyers have said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar HMX is widely used in missile and torpedo warheads, rocket motors, exploding projectiles and plastic-bonded explosives for advanced military systems, according to the Pentagon's Defense Technical Information Center and related defense research programs. The compound also has some limited civilian applications in mining and other industrial activities. REUTERS
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Trump hits Scottish golf course as protesters set to rally
Find out what's new on ST website and app. US President Donald Trump (left) and his son Eric at Mr Trump's Turnberry golf resort in Scotland on July 26. Turnberry, Scotland - US President Donald Trump played golf on the first full day of his visit to Scotland on July 26, as protesters prepared to take to the streets across the country. Mr Trump emerged from his Turnberry resort with son Eric and waved to photographers following his arrival in Scotland on July 25 evening. His presence has turned the picturesque and normally quiet area of southwest Scotland into a virtual fortress, with roads closed and police checkpoints in place. Officers on quad bikes or horses, others on foot with sniffer dogs, patrolled the famous course – which has hosted four men's British Opens – and the sandy beaches and grass dunes that hug the course. The 79-year-old touched down July 25 at nearby Prestwick Airport , as hundreds of onlookers came out to see Air Force One and try to catch a glimpse of its famous passenger. The president has professed a love of Scotland, where his mother was born, but his controversial politics and business investments in the country have made for an uneasy relationship. Speaking to reporters on the tarmac, Mr Trump immediately waded into the debate surrounding high levels of irregular migration. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Johor faces healthcare worker shortage amid population boom, pull of higher Singapore salaries Asia Death toll climbs as Thai-Cambodia clashes continue despite calls for ceasefire Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar Asia Shunsaku Tamiya, who brought perfection to plastic race car models, dies at 90 'You better get your act together or you're not going to have Europe anymore,' he said, adding that it was 'killing' the continent. Mr Trump's five-day visit has divided the local community. 'A lot of people don't trust Trump and I'm one of them. I think the man is a megalomaniac,' retiree Graham Hodgson said. 'He's so full of himself. I think he's doing a lot of damage worldwide with his tariffs. And I think it's all for the sake of America, but at the moment I think America is paying the price as well for his policies.' But at Prestwick Airport a boy held a sign that read 'Welcome Trump' while a man waved a flag emblazoned with his most famous slogan – 'Make America Great Again'. 'I think the best thing about Trump is he's not actually a politician yet he's the most powerful man in the world and I think he's looking at the best interests of his own country,' said 46-year-old Lee McLean, who had travelled from nearby Kilmarnock. 'Most politicians should really be looking at the best interests of their own country first before looking overseas,' he said. As the police rolled out a massive security operation, the Stop Trump Coalition announced demonstrations on July 26 near the US consulate in Edinburgh and another in Aberdeen, where Trump owns another golf resort. Police are also monitoring any other protests that might spring up near Turnberry. Mr Trump has no public meetings in the diary for July 26, but he is due to discuss trade with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on July 27 and meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. AFP
