Minister Tiong King Sing calls for a sincere and professional service culture to protect Malaysia’s image and boost tourism, targeting 47 million visitors in 2026.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has issued a nationwide call to strengthen the ‘Mesra Malaysia’ culture.
Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said all parties, including the public and private sectors, must play their part in preserving the country’s image through more sincere and professional service.
He stressed that isolated instances of staff being rude to foreign tourists must be addressed immediately and cannot be compromised.
“We do not want Malaysia to be seen as an unfriendly country,” Tiong said at the launch of the Mesra Malaysia Campaign.
“Such behaviour needs to change immediately,” he added, commenting on efforts to improve service quality among tourism frontline staff.
The minister revealed that as of January 2026, a total of 9,498 tourist assistants have been registered under Motac.
From 2024 to 2025, the ministry conducted 158 training courses involving 4,932 frontline workers.
Tiong stated that this number is still insufficient to meet national needs.
“We want Malaysians to emulate countries such as Japan, where every question is answered with respect and courtesy,” he said.
This courtesy, he emphasised, should extend not only to foreign tourists but also to fellow locals.
Tiong also urged enforcement agencies like the Immigration Department and police to continue close collaboration with Motac.
This cooperation is vital to ensure Malaysia’s tourism ecosystem remains safe and welcoming for all visitors.
In a related move, the ministry plans to meet with shopping mall and commercial premise operators.
The goal is to ensure tourists are treated respectfully and without any form of discrimination.
On efforts to boost tourist arrivals, Tiong said Motac is engaging with international airlines.
The discussions aim to increase flight frequencies to Malaysia, with detailed schedules expected to be announced soon.
The campaign launch event included the presentation of Mesra Malaysia badges to frontline worker representatives.
These badges symbolise a commitment to practising friendly service at the operational level.
Malaysia recorded 42.2 million visitor arrivals in 2025.
This strong performance provides a foundation to achieve the target of 47 million visitors under the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.
