Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) has urged all parties, including the public and private sectors, to play their part in preserving the country's image by embracing a more sincere and professional 'Mesra Malaysia' culture. Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said that a few instances of staff being rude to foreign tourists must be addressed immediately and could not be compromised.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Tiong highlighted the ministry's efforts to strengthen the quality of services provided by tourism frontline staff. He noted that as of January 2026, a total of 9,498 tourist assistants had been registered under MOTAC, with 158 courses conducted from 2024 to 2025 involving 4,932 frontline workers. Despite the training of almost 5,000 individuals, Tiong emphasized that this number is still insufficient and called for Malaysians to emulate countries like Japan in offering respectful and courteous service to both foreign tourists and locals.
Tiong also urged enforcement agencies, including the Immigration Department and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), to continue working closely with the ministry to ensure Malaysia's tourism ecosystem remains safe and welcoming to all visitors. Additionally, he mentioned MOTAC's plans to hold meetings with operators of shopping malls and commercial premises to ensure that tourists are treated respectfully and without discrimination.
On efforts to attract more foreign tourists, Tiong stated that the ministry is engaging with international airlines to increase the frequency of flights to Malaysia, with detailed information on additional flight schedules expected to be announced soon. The event also featured the presentation of Mesra Malaysia badges to representatives of frontline workers from various sectors as a symbol of their commitment to practising friendly service at the operational level.
Malaysia recorded 42.2 million visitor arrivals in 2025, providing a strong foundation to achieve the target of 47 million visitors under Visit Malaysia 2026.