SPEECH BY

Y.BHG. DATO’ MIRZA MOHAMMAD TAIYAB

DIRECTOR GENERAL, TOURISM MALAYSIA

WELCOME DINNER

IN CONJUNCTION WITH

WAITGC 2015 QUALIFYING ROUND 2

23 APRIL 2015, THURSDAY

KIMANIS BALLROOM, HYATT REGENCY

KOTA KINABALU, SABAH

Distinguished participants,

Members of the media,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

1. Good evening and welcome to the second Qualifying Round of the World Amateur Inter Team Golf Championship, better known as WAITGC.

2. For this second round, we are pleased to bring you to Sabah, on the island of Borneo. Also known as the Land Below the Wind, Sabah is one of the most beautiful states in Malaysia. With lush rainforests, subaquatic splendour, magnificent mountains, and colourful cultures, Sabah is indeed the adventure capital of Malaysia.

3. With the celebration of the Malaysia Year of Festivals or MyFest this year, various exciting events are taking place throughout the country including Sabah. For instance, this month, there will be the Pesta Regatta Lepa at Semporna from 24 to 26 April, and the International Fishing Tournament from 22 to 26 April in Kota Kinabalu.

4. A visit to Sabah is not complete without climbing Mount Kinabalu, diving in the beautiful islands of Sipadan and Mabul, or visiting the Mari Mari Cultural Village. These are only a few of the many attractions that you can find here. Therefore, I strongly encourage all of you to come back after the tournament to explore Sabah and other parts of the country properly.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

5. As most of you know, WAITGC is an important annual homegrown event for Malaysia. I am proud to say that we have been organising it for TWENTY TWO years now!

6. This time, it’s even more meaningful for us, as Malaysia has been crowned Asia’s Best Golf Destination at the inaugural World Golf Awards in November last year. It shows that we’ve done something right and it serves as a great motivation for us to work harder to develop and promote this sector further.

7. WAITGC offers an excellent platform for us to show that Malaysia is not only a great golfing destination, but also offers value-for-money. This is further enhanced through the participation of international media, where WAITGC has received extensive coverage and publicity, highlighting our award-winning golf courses and world-class golfing facilities.

8. We are also lucky to have the Government’s support in promoting golf tourism. In fact, golf tourism has been identified as one of the key priority projects that will increase tourism’s contribution to Malaysia’s economy under its Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).

9. Every year, Malaysia plays host to four major world-class golf tournaments, namely the Iskandar Johor Open, Maybank Malaysia Open, Sime Darby, LPGA Malaysia and CIMB Classic. With all these tournaments in place and your continuous support, I’m confident that we can establish Malaysia as a premier luxury and golfing destination within the region.

Ladies and gentlemen,

10. In conjunction with MyFest this year, a total of 50 events have been identified as cultural hallmarks of Malaysia. Visitors will be able to experience not only great golfing, but also a host of fascinating cultural, entertainment and lifestyle events and activities throughout the year.

11. Therefore, I look forward to seeing all of you again in Malaysia for a holiday with your family and friends. I can assure you there is so much more to be explored and experienced here.

12. In conclusion, I would like to thank all of you once again for your participation in WAITGC. Without your support, WAITGC would not be able to stand the test of time. My appreciation also goes to all the sponsors. Your contribution has definitely made WAITGC much more interesting this year.

13. Last but not least, congratulations to all the winners of this round. For those who have not been lucky this time, don’t give up; there’s always the next round.

Thank you.