Malaysia Still Retains 50 Per Cent Land Area As Green Cover - Uggah

PUCHONG, May 14 (Bernama) - Malaysia still retains 50 per cent of its total land area as green cover, as affirmed at the Earth Summit Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, 19 years ago. Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas said, as forests across the globe slowly converted to other uses, Malaysia could consider itself fortunate as the government had taken severals steps to ensure conservation of forest ecosystems. "Malaysia pledged to maintain at least 50 per cent of land area as green cover at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, and with efforts from all stakeholders, Malaysia currently maintains more than 50 per cent of its land under forest covers.

"In fact, at the end of 2010, the total land area under forests in Malaysia was 18.48 million hectares or 56.4 per cent of its total land area," he said in his speech when opening the 2011 Exxonmobil-University Putra Malaysia (UPM) community project on forest restoration of riparian areas at the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve here Saturday. His speech was read by ministry deputy secretary-general (II) Dr Abdul Rahim Nik. Also present was UPM Deputy Vice-Chancellor Industry and Community Relations Prof Dr Tai Shzee Yew and Exxonmobil Subsidiaries (Malaysia) chairman Hugh Thompson.

On the event, Uggah said, the cooperation between UPM and Exxonmobil was an important endeavour towards greening the earth and the ministry was glad that an educational institution and multi-national corporate body were able to collaborate in helping the government and public to sustainably manage and conserve the country's natural resources. He also congratulate UPM on being ranked sixth among 95 universities in the world in green-metric world university ranking last year. The Exxonmobil-UPM Community Project which was started in 2007, is aimed at restoring the lowland-riparian landscape of the Ayer Hitam Forest reserve, among others.

-Bernama.

Firefly Takes Delivery Of Third Boeing 737-800 For Kota Kinabalu Operations

KOTA KINABALU, May 14 (Bernama) - Firefly, a community airline subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), took delivery of a third Boeing 737-800 aircraft to be stationed here, officially marking the start of Kota Kinabalu as its eastern hub. Firefly currently flies daily between Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu with its two 737-800s, but with the arrival of the latest aircraft, there will be three aircraft flying six times daily to service the route.

Managing Director Datuk Eddy Leong, in welcoming the new aircraft at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport, said the launch of Kota Kinabalu as its eastern hub was part of the company's plan to strengthen its domestic network. It also plans to soon launch Senai in Johor as its southern hub. "For the eastern hub, our ultimate aim is to have one flight departing every hour from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur.

"Eventually, we will have three hubs; Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang (KLIA), Senai International Aiport in Johor and the Kota Kinabalu International Airport. "By next week we will take delivery of our second Boeing 737-400, which will be based in Senai, and begin our Johor Bahru-Kuching route by May 19. By June 16, we will start the JB-Kota Kinabalu routes," he told reporters when met at the airport here Saturday.

Launched on April 3, 2007, Firefly initially started operating out of the Penang and Subang hubs before shifting its main operations to KLIA. It connects various points within Malaysia, Southern Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, aligning itself with the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) agenda. Todate, its fleet comprises 10 ATR 720-500, one B737-400 and three B737-800.

In line with the company's long term-plan to have a minimum of 30 B737-800s in five years, Leong said they would focus on increasing and developing the network of domestic destinations.

"We want to cover all major cities in Sabah and Sarawak, then move to Johor, Langkawi, Penang and Kota Bharu, before venturing international in the second-half of 2012," he added. In terms of investment, Leong said there was not much capital expenditure involved for the airline used leased aircraft and tapped on engineering and ground handling facilities of MAS. "Whatever money we save from all this is translated into lower fares, that's why we guarantee that we will be cheaper than any other competitor in Malaysia," he added.

-Bernama.

Travel Malaysia 2011 Offers Great Packages For Singapore Holiday Goers

SINGAPORE, May 14 (Bernama) - The two-day Travel Malaysia 2011 fair, now into its eight edition, promises comprehensive tourism packages for Singaporeans who welcome exploring everything that Malaysia has to offer. This includes exquisite million-year-old rainforests, home to amazing biodiversity of wildlife and plants species, magnificient caves and mountains, pristine beaches, idllic tropical islands and a wide choice of diving sites.

"Travel Malaysia is specially dedicated to promote Malaysia as a holiday destination and to give tourism industry players the opportunity to re-introduce their products and services, both old and new. "They are also to take advantage of the school holiday which is just round the corner in Malaysia and Singapore," said Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk Mohd Hussin Nayan at the launch of the travel fair here Saturday.

The highlight of the fair is the homestay programme which is increasingly popular among Singaporeans who make up 52.5 per cent of total foreign homestay participants. In Travel Malaysia 2011, participants from 16 different homestays are participating to provide keen travellers with a better understanding of Homestay experience. Other exhibitors include Desaru Fruit Farm, Malacca Tourism and Resorts World Genting, which would showcase a unique melange of attractions and holiday destinations.

-Bernama.

Sungai Pahang Rafting Expedition May Become Annual Event

BERA, May 13 (Bernama) - The Sungai Pahang International Rafting Expedition may be made an annual event in an effort to diversify the country's tourism products. Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Maglin Dennis D'cruz said his ministry will discuss with the Tourism Ministry so that the event can be held annually. "To make this happen, we plan to hold the rafting expedition over three consecutive years until 2013 to attract more participants especially foreigners," he said when closing Sungai Pahang International Rafting Expedition 2011 here Friday.

Some 300 participants from 38 teams representing government departments and agencies and institutions of higher learning joined the rafting expedition. D'Cruz said the five-day rafting expedition will spur culture-based tourism as it promotes culture and heritage. "Tourists are attracted to the arts, culture and heritage. Malaysia is rich in arts, culture and history," he added. Participants of the expedition had the opportunity to interact with the people and sample top spinning, silat, wayang pacak and cultural shows.

-Bernama.

'Bahtera Merdeka', A New Tourist Attraction In Melaka

MELAKA, May 13 (Bernama) - 'Bahtera Merdeka', an amphitheatre in the shape of a ship from yesteryear, is set to be a new tourist attraction in Melaka when it is open to the public by year-end. Mohd Nizar Mohd Najib, who heads Pekan Legasi Sdn Bhd, the company responsible for building the new attraction, said Bahtera Merdeka would have a 472-seat capacity and could be transformed to accommodate special functions.

"We began building Bahtera Merdeka in October, last year," he told a press conference after a signing ceremony between the company and SME Bank here Friday. The bank was represented by its managing director, Datuk Mohd Radzif Mohd Yunus. Mohd Nizar said the project was 70 per cent completed and cost RM25 million. SME Bank is giving a RM18.3 million loan to finance the project.

He said Bahtera Merdeka would offer visitors a 5-D show on a water screen to relate the birth of Melaka through the year of prosperity until the beginning of Malaysia. "We will run the show five times daily and expect to lure about 10,000 visitors a month," he said, adding that ticket prices would be between RM40 and RM60 per person.

The project, part of the first phase of the Melaka Alive project located in the World Heritage Site, also comprises a facelift to the History Museum, Maritime Museum and the Warisan Museum Complex. Mohd Nizar said, the second phase of Melaka Alive project which cost more than RM41.4 million, was expected to begin in the first quarter of next year and take two years to finish, focusing on the upgrading of the site and assets of existing museums. Meanwhile, Perbadanan Muzium Melaka general manager Khamis Abas said the Melaka Alive project, aimed at giving a facelift to the World Heritage Site, would revolutionise the way people viewed history.

-Bernama.

Tourism Ministry Urged To Maximise Use Of Sarawak River

KUCHING, May 13 (Bernama) -- The Tourism Ministry has been urged to maximise the use of the Sarawak River as an alternative transportation network in the city to help ease traffic congestion around the Kuching Waterfront, as well as enhance the appeal of the state's tourism industry. Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) chairman Datuk Seri Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah said the state government planned to introduce water taxis as a public transport system for locals and tourists.

Speaking at a reception for a group of media representatives after the launch of the new Sarawak River Cruise package, here yesterday, Muhammad Leo said the initiative would start with 10 to 20 water taxis to meet the needs of locals and tourists. "The concept is similar to what the Melaka government has introduced. The difference is that in Melaka, water taxis are geared for the tourism sector, whereas, here, we are trying to use them for public transportation as well," he added. Muhammad Leo also suggested an increase in the number of cruise ships for the Sarawak River Cruise to further develop tourism and business sectors in the state, which has been dubbed "The Land of Hornbills."

He said the cruise service was "unique" and had potential for continued progress in the future, particularly as a venue for the government and corporate sectors to organise meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions. "Sometimes, people want a change, a break from the normal pattern. During those times, they can hold these events onboard the Sarawak River Cruise for a change, and be treated to a spectacular sunset in the process," he added. Meanwhile, Sarawak River Cruise managing director Fiona Marus Rasa said the company had only one cruise ship for the service so far, which sets sail from Kuching Waterfront at 5.30pm.

She said the company spent RM1 million to refurbish the vessel, including constructing seminar and meeting rooms. "Apart from conducting meetings, our clients can also hold wedding receptions, social get-togethers and have dinner onboard the ship, which can accommodate 80 people at a time," she pointed out. The cruise offers three packages, namely a Silver Package costing RM148 per person, a Gold Package for RM158 and a Platinum Package for RM198. Bookings can be made through hotels or directly through the Sarawak River Cruise.

-Bernama.

Tune Hotels being fine-tuned

Tune Hotels’ CEO, Mark Lankester, told TTG Asia e-Daily on the sidelines of last week's Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) UPDATE that a "rethink" was happening at the group, following three years of having launched and operated Tune Hotels from scratch. However, there is no change in Tune Hotels’ model. Asia's first real low-cost hotel concept, which prototypes a 13-14m2 room, charges for towels, electricity and airconditioning, and gets revenue from other sources like advertisements on walls.

"We're coming up with a V2.0 of Tune, if you like. The rethink is from a design perspective," Lankester said, brushing aside any notion that the model was not working. "Think of us as a laptop. A Dell computer works fine and the price is great. Apple probably in reality costs the same as Dell, yet it is perceived cooler, better, funkier. “That's what we are aiming for with this rethink," he said, adding all areas, from further cutting down on check-in procedure, to putting in a user-pay TV in-room, are being rethought.

A UK-based interior designer with an office in downtown Kuala Lumpur has been engaged to do the design-led revamp. Asked what his brief to the company was like, Lankester only had one word: "Wow!" The Tune Hotel in downtown Kuala Lumpur will be the first to be renovated following the new design, with more rooms to be added. It will be ready in 2012.

There are 12 Tune Hotels in operation, with Lankester saying he was on track with expansion and that "each Tune Hotel we throw out thus far has a positive operating profit by month three".
-TTG Asia.

AirAsia helps Japan get back on track

AirAsia yesterday introduced a year-long inter-regional initiative to help Japan get back on its feet following the disasters that hit the country. The To Japan with Love campaign includes a fundraising drive across the airline’s entire network, and sponsored flights for a group of participants of the ASEAN Youth Caravan of Goodwill programme to Northeast Japan in June.

“As a neighbour of Japan, it is only right that we, the ASEAN community, help. And the magnitude of the disasters dictates that we work together to help Japan recover,” said AirAsia founder and CEO, Tony Fernandes. In a bid to to raise US$1.0 million for the campaign, donation boxes and 5,000 limited-edition wristbands will be made available on all AirAsia, AirAsiaX, AirAsia Indonesia and AirAsia Thailand flights.

The carrier will also hold a special charity evening of Magical Musicals, a West End Production at Sunway Lagoon in mid-June, while AirAsiaX will offer tour packages, via AirAsiaGo, incorporating the Mount Fuji segment of the AirAsia-sponsored Altitude X climbing expedition with Singaporean adventurer Khoo Swee Chiow. All proceeds collected from the campaign, wristband sales, tickets and tour packages will be channelled to Japan Platform, a consortium of 32 Japanese NGOs at the forefront of recovery efforts in Northeast Japan.

In conjunction with the campaign, AirAsiaX is offering promotional all-in fares to Tokyo from as low as RM199 (US$67) one-way for economy seats, and from RM1,569 one-way for premium seats. The promotional fares are available for booking from May 10 to 22, for travel from June 1, 2011 to February 29, 2012.
-TTG Asia.

Sunway Lagoon set for brand makeover

Malaysia's Sunway Lagoon is rebranding itself from a theme park into an events venue for local and global markets. A slew of new attractions is set to enhance its Asia's Best Attraction status, awarded from the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions. Sunway Lagoon CEO, Aaron Soo, explained to TTG Asia e-Daily that they were removing the word “theme park” from its name as it “gives the perception of a small, one-park attraction”.

“We have evolved greatly over the past five years. The term “theme park” does not do us justice. We are now far bigger than that,” he said. “From having just the Water Park and Amusement Park, we are now a multi-park destination including a Wildlife Park, Extreme Park and Scream Park, offering a total of 80 different attractions with many fabulous ideas as an events venue." “We are also looking into promoting international performing arts,” he added.

Following the successful staging of Peter Pan The Musical at its Amphitheatre last December, the RM2 million (US$670.6 million) Magical Musicals, produced by award-winning British West End veterans Chris Colby and David Kort, will be staged in June. A 5D theatre will also be introduced at the Amusement Park, while a giant water slide, The Tornado, is currently making its debut at the Water Park.
-TTG Asia.

Middle East visitors prefer Malaysia's green offerings

Tourism Malaysia's survey of the high-spending Middle East market has revealed that tourists from the region prefer nature over other attractions. Malaysia Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen said at the recently concluded Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai that 57 per cent of survey respondents picked ecotourism as their activity-of-choice, above shopping, spa and wellness programmes, diving and golfing.

“Ecotourism is high on their list, as people in the Middle East enjoy the greenery they do not have, which can be found in abundance in Malaysia,” she explained. “It makes sense that they want to indulge in activities associated with nature when they go on vacation.” Beyond well-loved destinations like Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi, Ng said that Arab travellers were becoming increasingly keen on exploring Malaysia's resort islands such as Redang, Perhentian and Tioman. She added that Arab tourists would also like to experience Malaysian culture, as well as areas combining adventure with nature, like Sabah and Sarawak.

Meanwhile, family-oriented theme parks such as Genting Highlands, Sunway Lagoon and A'Famosa Resort are expected to continue generating interest among Middle East tourists. “This is because the Arabs are more likely to go on vacation with their families than go on a group tour,” Ng said. With Arab tourists spending an average of RM7,500 (US$2,505) per stay compared to RM2,300 for tourists from other markets, Ng said visitors from the Middle East were integral to Tourism Malaysia’s targets, as the country aims to encourage more long-stay high-yield visitors.
-TTG Asia.

No Firefly fuel surcharge for now

KUALA LUMPUR: Firefly will not impose any fuel surcharge on its passengers but will continue to absorb the increase in fuel prices, managing director Eddy Leong said Monday. "Being a community airline, it is our commitment to offer the lowest fares and provide value to the customers,” he said in a statement.

Other local airlines have announced the implementation of the fuel surcharge. Leong said Firefly was not spared from the impact of increasing fuel prices but decided against the surcharge in the near future to keep to the promise of guaranteed low fares. "Our fare structure and pricing strategies have already taken into account the off peak and high peak cycles, and both early-bird buyers and last-minute shoppers," he said.

He said passengers can expect guaranteed lower fares with discounts of up to 80% or in some instances, even zero fares. Leong said Firefly would still be offering attractive and value-for-money packages, even during the high peak period such as festive seasons, school and year end holidays.
-thestar online.

Malacca government takes over 26 tourism sites

MALACCA: Malacca state government agencies have taken over maintenance of 26 tourism sites from the National Heritage Department effective May 1. "We took over maintenance of the sites to ensure better hygiene and to repair the infrastructure," State Tourism, Culture and Heritage Committee Chairman Datuk Latiff Tamby Chik told reporters after visiting Hang Li Po Well in Bukit China, here Monday.

He said Malacca Museums Corporation took over 14 sites, including Tun Teja Tomb in Merlimau, Hang Tuah Well in Duyong and Kota Bukit Supai in Kuala Linggi. Malacca Historic City Council took over 12 sites including Hang Kasturi Tomb in Jalan Hang Jebat, St John Fortress in Bukit St John and A Famosa Fortress in Jalan Kota. Latiff said the Malacca government had allocated RM1mil to maintain the 26 tourism sites for five years. Malacca, which received 10.35mil tourist arrivals last year, is targeting 11mil tourists this year.
- Bernama/thestar online.

AirAsia X posts strong Q1 results

AIRASIA X, the longhaul affiliate of Malaysia-based low-cost carrier (LCC) AirAsia, recorded stellar results for the first quarter of the year. The airline carried 640,000 passengers in the first quarter of 2011, a year-on-year increase of 56.5 per cent. It added six new routes during the same period, to Mumbai, Delhi, Tehran, Seoul, Tokyo, and Paris, while its aircraft fleet size increased from eight to 11.

AirAsia X CEO, Azran Osman-Rani, said: “Our continued rapid growth trajectory is testament to the breakthrough longhaul model that we have pioneered, which unlocks significant latent demand that exists between South-east Asia and the major markets in North Asia, Australia, India, Middle East and Europe, which are unserved by traditional low-cost carriers.”

AirAsia X’s first quarter passenger traffic grew by 59.8 per cent year-on-year to 3.6 billion Revenue-Passenger-Kms (RPKs), making it the second largest LCC in South-east Asia, after AirAsia Malaysia. Its capacity grew by 48 per cent during the same period to 4.5 billion Available-Seat-Kms (ASKs), resulting in a load factor of 81 per cent, an increase of six percentage points over the same quarter last year.
-TTG Asia.

Malaysia-Iran Special Panel Set Up To Tap Tourism Potential

TEHRAN, May 9 (Bernama) - A Malaysia-Iran special committee will be formed to discuss and tap the tourism potential of both countries. Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said the Iranian government and tourism industry players are interested to know more about Malaysian tourism. "The establishment of the special joint committee was agreed by Iranian Vice-President Hamid Baghaei," she said after calling on Hamid here yesterday.

Dr Ng is leading a delegation of tourism industry players to promote Malaysia in Iran from May 7-9. Some 116,252 Iranians visited Malaysia last year, up 14.3 per cent from 101,664 in 2009. Some 117,000 Iranian tourists are targeted this year. She said a consortium of travel companies from Malaysia and Iran will be formed to promote both countries.

Malaysia will promote products like flower gardens, shopping, the international shoe festival and sun and beaches. The ministry is discussing with the Iranian government to increase flights from Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashhad to Kuala Lumpur. Iran Air operates four Tehran-Kuala Lumpur weekly flights, AirAsia X has 3 flights from Tehran and Mahan Air with two flights from Shiraz.

Dr Ng proposed that a luxury package for retired Iranians be created so that they spend their time visiting Malaysia. She warned that firm action will be taken against travel companies that take advantage of Iranian tourists by taking them to shops selling expensive items.
-Bernama.

Welcome Increase In Sabah's Japanese Tourist Arrivals

PENAMPANG, May 8 (Bernama) - Japanese tourist arrivals in Sabah recorded a surprising 32.3 per cent increase in the first three months of this year as compared to the same period last year. This came despite an anticipated decline, following the tsunami and earthquake disasters in the Land of the Rising Sun. Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said Japan tourist arrivals went up from the previous 6,502 arrivals to 8,601.

In general, he said, short and medium haul tourist arrivals had shown positive growth in the first quarter results. "Long haul markets like Europe, indicated a slight drop due to the increase in fuel price and most airlines surcharges that have somehow affected the long haul travellers. "Also, probably coupled with a severe winter, the Europeans decided to stay home instead of travelling. "But suprisingly, the first quarter results for regional and domestic arrivals have shown very good results," Masidi told reporters after closing the Traditional Food Festival here Sunday. He said domestic arrivals had increased by 11.5 per cent from 400,622 to 447,188 arrivals.

China and Hong Kong tourist arrivals meanwhile, have increased by 41.1 per cent from 21,728 to 30,666, while South Korean tourist arrivals increased by 41.9 per cent, to 17,697. Masidi said the state government expected a big influx of tourists, especially next month, when a new Taiwanese airline, Mandarin Airlines, is scheduled to begin flying into Kota Kinabalu.

-Bernama.

Organise Food Festival In Conjunction With Other Events, Says Masidi

PENAMPANG, May 8 (Bernama) - The Traditional Food Festival should be organised in tandem with other tourism-related events in Sabah with a view to attracting more visitors, said state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun. More needed to be done to promote Sabah's traditional cuisine as a tourism product, he said when closing the inaugural festival at the Sabah Cultural Centre here Sunday. "Maybe the event could be packaged together with other tourism festivals, like Sabah Fest or Sabah International Folklore Festival next year to attract more foreign visitors," he said.

During the two-day food festival organised by the Sabah Cultural Board, visitors got to sample traditional offerings such as "hinata" (buffalo meat eaten raw with lemon), "tutumakon" (marine worms) and "butod" (sago worms). Masidi said the festival allowed Sabah's numerous ethnic groups to feel proud of their culture and tradition. He also urged restaurant operators to look into the possibility of introducing ethnic food items on their menus.

-Bernama.

Terengganu Told To Promote Biotourism

HULU TERENGGANU, May 7 (Bernama) - Endowed with a complete tourism package, Terengganu should further promote its biodiversity to bring in more foreign tourists to the state. Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit said Terengganu was blessed with beautiful islands and was home to the well-known Tasik Kenyir, with its unique flora and fauna. "If we continue to focus on this biotourism product, Terengganu may well be able to pull in more foreign visitors," he told reporters after opening the RM3.8 million Kenyir Information Centre in Pangkalan Gawi, here Saturday.

He noted that in certain countries like the United States, Mexico and Canada, the term "biotourism" was being favoured over "ecotourism" in efforts to promote biological diversity and preservation to attract tourists. "We also need to promote our biotourism products to woo more foreign tourists into the country," he said, adding that Malaysia recorded 24.6 million international arrivals and tourism receipts of RM56.5 billion in 2010.

-Bernama.

Malaysia's Tourism Minister Leads Sales Mission To Iran

The Honourable Dato` Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, Minister of Tourism, Malaysia, will lead a delegation to Iran from 7 to 9 May to strengthen Malaysia’s presence in the market. This three-day post Arabian Travel Market 2011 Sales Mission will showcase a business session and a dinner at the Homa Hotel, in Tehran, Iran. The mission will then be led by Dato’ Haji Azizan Noordin, Tourism Malaysia’s Acting Director General, to Isfahan and Shiraz from 9 to 12 May 2011.  

The sales mission serves as a platform for the travel trade members from Iran and Malaysia to interact and identify mutually beneficial areas for cooperation with the objective of promoting Malaysia as a preferred holiday and business tourism destination to the Iranian travellers. Among the niche products to be introduced are education tourism, medical & health tourism and Malaysia My Second Home.

Other members from the Malaysian delegation include 30 representatives from eleven hotels, seven travel and tour operators and three state governments. A media conference on the tourism development in Malaysia will be held on 9 May 2011 at the Homa Hotel, Tehran, Mirror Hall at 1900hrs. Last year 116,252 tourists from Iran visited Malaysia, an increase of 14.3% over 2009. The target for 2011 is 120,000.

 BACKGROUNDER

1.    Malaysia recorded 24.5 million tourists last year with a 3.9 per cent growth compared to the previous year (2009). 

2.    Last year, the West Asian market registered 320,373 tourists with a growth of 12.5 percent compared to 2009.  From this, 116,252 tourists were from Iran (14.3 percent  increase).

3.    The promotion  in West Asia focuses  on travel packages coupled with the high standard of services and products. Key segments promoted include leisure holidays such as beaches and islands, shopping, dining, eco-tourism and MICE.  The special interest products are education tourism, medical and health tourism, honeymoon, spa and Malaysia My Second Home. 

4.    In the context of medical and health tourism, Malaysia is among the popular destinations for health tourists from West Asia.  It is fast emerging as a value-for-money destination with world-class health and state-of-the-art medical facilities as Malaysia has over 200 international standard hospital and clinics. 

  5.    In addition, the favourable exchange rate has contributed to the growth in education tourism, thus making Malaysia a centre of research and educational excellence. Twinning programs with foreign universities have made it affordable for students from West Asia to pursue their tertiary education in Malaysia.

  6.    Malaysia received Lonely Planet’s awards for World's Top Ten Countries 2010, Best Value Destinations 2010 and Top Spots for Medical Adventures.

-Tourism Malaysia.