RIAU: total of 134 tourism industry players from Riau, Riau Islands, Melaka, and Johor have united under Platform Jiran Istimewa (JIWA).
This initiative aims to strengthen cross-border tourism promotion between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Johor Bahru Indonesian consul general Sigit S. Widiyanto shared that 49 participants are from Riau Islands, 41 from Riau, 35 from Johor, and nine from Melaka.
Residents from these regions can enjoy exclusive benefits by presenting their local identity cards.
Discounts are offered by participating tourism operators under the JIWA programme.
Sigit stated that the initiative encourages complementary tourism sectors like health, shopping, and culinary experiences.
He highlighted the potential for tourism cooperation between regions with close geographical and cultural ties.
The Melaka-Riau JIWA platform was launched at Pekan Budaya Melayu Serumpun 2025 in Pekanbaru.
Malaysia’s consul general in Pekanbaru, Mohammed Hosnie Shahiran Ismail, and Riau’s acting regional secretary, M Job Kurniawan, attended the event.
The platform builds on the earlier Johor-Riau Islands initiative launched in May.
Participating tourism operators can be viewed on the official website at https://www.jiran-istimewa.com.
Sigit revealed that Grab has joined JIWA, offering discounted rides in Riau and Riau Islands for visitors from Melaka and Johor.
The Riau launch completes JIWA’s rollout across the two Indonesian provinces.
Official launches in Johor and Melaka are expected soon.
Sigit emphasised the goal of formalising JIWA across all four regions to showcase cross-border benefits.
He noted that JIWA aligns with recent Malaysia-Indonesia discussions on tourism cooperation.
Mohammed Hosnie hopes more industry players will join to strengthen bilateral ties.
Riau residents visit Malaysia frequently, presenting a key opportunity for Melaka businesses.
Job Kurniawan stated that JIWA emerged from Malaysia-Indonesia Socio-Economic Meeting discussions.
The platform aims to unlock cooperation in tourism, education, and employment.
Job highlighted the economic potential if Riau residents spend in Johor and Melaka. - Bernama
