Latest news with #VisitMalaysiaYear2026
Barnama
an hour ago
- Barnama
Visit Malaysia 2026 Hits The Road On Johor's Tourist Buses
JOHOR BAHRU, July 23 (Bernama) -- Seventy tourist buses in Johor have been fitted with promotional wraps featuring the official branding of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026) and Visit Johor Year 2026 (VJ2026), as part of a national initiative to boost tourism. Tourism Malaysia Southern Region deputy director Awang Shawal Awang Sulaiman said the vehicle wraps are aimed at reinforcing Malaysia's image as a leading global destination and positioning Johor as a key gateway for Southeast Asian tourists. 'This effort is expected to attract more international visitors, particularly to Johor, and to stimulate domestic tourism by encouraging Malaysians to explore the state's many attractions,' he said.
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia to train 60 govt officers from Asian-African nations
LANGKAWI: Malaysia has been entrusted with training 60 government officers from member countries of the Asian-African Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) over three years starting this year. Rural and Regional Development Ministry secretary-general Datuk Muhd Khair Razman Mohd Annuar said the responsibility would be undertaken by the Institute for Rural Advancement (INFRA). "INFRA has been assigned to train 20 AARDO officers annually from 2025 to 2027 under the theme 'Inclusive Rural and Regional Development in Malaysia'. "This is an exclusive training programme that features modules that highlight Malaysia's rural development success stories," he told reporters after closing the AARDO International Training Programme at Park Royal Langkawi last night. Present was INFRA director Abd Jalil Ismail. The eight-day programme hosted 20 participants from 16 countries — Bangladesh, Egypt, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Liberia, South Korea, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Zambia and Jordan. Khair said this year's programme aligned with Malaysia's upcoming Asean chairmanship in 2025, which will see the rollout of several collective regional cooperation initiatives. "In response, INFRA has crafted a more dynamic and inclusive training module. "Next year's edition is expected to support the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 campaign directly. "That's why Langkawi was chosen (as the venue) this year. Participants stayed at rural homestays to experience firsthand the lifestyle and development of local communities," he said.
New Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia's foreign tourist arrivals up 20.4pct from from Jan to May this year
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia recorded a significant 20.4 per cent rise in foreign tourist arrivals from January to May this year, with a total of 16.94 million visitors, compared with 14.07 million during the same period last year. Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said Singapore remained the largest source market, contributing 8.34 million visitors, a 26.5 per cent increase from last year. Indonesia ranked second with 1.82 million visitors, up 10.3 per cent, followed by China with 1.81 million, representing the highest growth rate among all markets at 38.8 per cent. "Thailand contributed 1.06 million visitors, a 5.2 per cent increase, while arrivals from India grew by 32 per cent to 664,811 visitors," he said in a written parliamentary reply. Tiong was responding to Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh), who inquired about the breakdown of foreign tourists to Malaysia from January to June this year, compared to last year, and the projected breakdown of foreign tourists for the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 programme. He said long-haul markets also showed strong performance, with Australia and the United Kingdom posting arrivals of 198,968 and 185,197 respectively. Tiong said the numbers proved the effectiveness of government initiatives, including the Visa Liberalisation Plan, targeted support and incentives for industry players, and high-impact promotional campaigns. "These efforts include digital promotions and strategic collaborations with online platforms and airlines, which have helped position Malaysia as a top tourism destination in the region." Tiong said the ministry is now working towards the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign, with a target of 47 million foreign visitors. "To achieve this, we will focus on key high-potential markets such as Central Asia, the Middle East, Asean, Europe and Oceania."
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Law change to make litterbugs clean drains, roads and toilets
KUALA LUMPUR: Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming has called on all members of parliament to support amendments to three Acts that would make community service mandatory for those caught littering. They are the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007, and the Local Government Act 1976. Nga said the three amendment bills, which will be tabled tomorrow for the second reading, are part of efforts to ensure the success of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 and to strengthen the long-standing Look East Policy. He said if the proposed amendments are passed, offenders will be required to perform up to 12 hours of community service while wearing green uniforms provided by the authorities. "As such, we seek the cooperation of all MPs to unanimously support the amendments, as it has proven successful in developed countries such as Sweden, Japan and Singapore. "This is the time, and we must ensure that this law can be enforced this year," he told reporters after a city walkabout held in conjunction with the launch of Kuala Lumpur Architecture Week 2025 today. Nga said those convicted of such offences will carry out community service such as cleaning drains, sweeping roads and public toilets, working alongside cleaning staff. Anyone who fails to comply with a community service order will be committing an offence and, upon conviction, will face a fine of between RM2,000 and RM10,000. He said cleanliness is not only a civic duty but also a moral and religious obligation. "Cleanliness is half of faith. "We must ensure that when tourists visit Malaysia, they see a country that is clean and attractive, not dirty or unkempt," he said. Yesterday, Nga in a statement said that on Sept 28 last year, the ministry recorded the collection of 51.9kg of food waste, 64.3kg of paper waste, 127.6kg of plastic waste, and 541 cigarette butts within just 12 hours in the Pasar Seni area during the Malaysia Clean-Up Day programme. He said the figures showed that fines were no longer effective in deterring repeat offenders.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Govt pushes for civic responsibility with tougher anti-littering measures
PETALING JAYA: The Housing and Local Government Ministry will table three amendment bills in the upcoming Dewan Rakyat session beginning Monday to strengthen public cleanliness enforcement. Its minister Nga Kor Ming said in a statement today, the proposed amendments involve the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133), Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672), and Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171). 'This aims to address littering of small waste items such as cigarette butts, tissues, plastic wrappers, drink cans, and food packaging in public areas. 'This step is crucial to foster greater civic responsibility, raise public awareness, and promote a culture of cleanliness, all of which contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable Malaysia for the well-being and comfort of the people,' he said. Nga said that during the Malaysia Clean-Up Day programme on September last year, the ministry recorded a collection of 51.9kg of food waste, 64.3kg of paper waste, 127.6kg of plastic waste, and 541 cigarette butts — all within just 12 hours around the Pasar Seni area in Kuala Lumpur. He said the data indicates that fines imposed by local authorities are no longer effective in deterring littering behaviour. 'Therefore, community service orders should be imposed as a more educational punishment to instill a sense of environmental responsibility among offenders and reduce pollution.' The proposed amendments will empower the courts to order offenders to carry out community service for up to 12 hours. Failure to comply may result in a fine of not less than RM2,000 and up to RM10,000. As Visit Malaysia Year 2026 approaches, Nga stressed that every Malaysian has a crucial role to play in maintaining public cleanliness to ensure a positive first impression for international tourists.
