SPEECH

YB DATO’ SERI MOHAMED NAZRI TAN SRI ABDUL AZIZ

MINISTER OF TOURISM & CULTURE MALAYSIA

AT THE 8TH EDISON AWARDS 2015 & LAUNCHING OF MYFEST 2015

SIR MUTHA VENKATASUBBA RAO CONCERT HALL

CHENNAI, INDIA

15 FEB 2015, SUNDAY, 05:00 PM

SALUTATIONS:

Distinguished Delegates and Guests,

Ladies and gentlemen

PLEASANTRIES

1. Good evening and Namaste. On behalf of the Ministry of Tourism & Culture Malaysia and Malaysian delegation, I would like to thank the Chief Executive Officer of Edison Awards Mr. Selvakumar for inviting us to this prestigious event. I am delighted and honoured to be given the opportunity to speak, presentawards and be part of the eighth edition of the annual Edison Awards.

2. I would also like to congratulate all the nominees. Each and every one of you has a right to be proud of your achievements, whether you win an award or not. I am looking forward to present the Best Actor and Best Actress awards tonight.

3. It is a particular honour to be among the crème de la crème of the Tamil movie industry. Hailing from a multiracial society like Malaysia, we are no stranger to Tamil movies. In Malaysia, your legendary actors, Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan are as famous as the Bollywood and Hollywood stars.

4. However, my presence here tonight is not just simply to honour the best among the best but also to strengthen the bilateral ties between our countries, as well as showcase Malaysia’s tourism and entertainment potentials in India.

5. I believe that there is similarity between films and tourism as both of them appeal to our emotion, stimulate our imagination and indulge our fantasies. Therefore, Malaysia is increasing its efforts to promote the country as a preferred destination for location filming. One of the ways is by giving the Film in Malaysia Incentive (FIMI) which offers a 30% cash rebate to foreign film productions if they use Malaysia for location filming and post production.

Ladies and gentlemen,

6. Malaysia has always enjoyed a high tourist influx from India. Over 643,000 Indian tourists visited Malaysia from January to October last year, representing a growth of 20.7% compared to the same period in the previous year.

7. The expansion of direct air links between our two countries creates wider options for travelling. Presently, Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, Air Asia, and Air India Express operate a total of 159 direct flights with 29,584 seats per week to various destinations in India.

8. This year, we intend to achieve the arrival target of 800,000 from the Indian Market, a number that is ambitious but possible with the right marketing strategy and approach.

9. Let’s not forget that this year is also the Malaysia Year of Festivals (MyFest) 2015.

Ladies and gentlemen,

10. Allow me to elaborate more about the MyFest 2015 campaign. The campaign is designed to give tourists an amazing holiday experience, with an emphasis on the cultural aspect of the many different festivals celebrated by Malaysia’s multi-cultural society.

11. Themed “Endless Celebrations”, a total of 50 cultural events have been identified as the hallmark of our nation’s cultural celebrations and festivals, and we look forward to welcoming you and the rest of the world to join in on the festivities this year.

Ladies and gentlemen,

12. To keep Malaysia special in the eyes of the Indian tourists, we continue to encourage our agents to create tailor-made tourism products and packages according to the preferences of their Indian customers.

13. For example, we have developed and promoted tourism products that embrace the concept of luxury such as spa vacations, golfing holidays, Malaysia as a wedding and honeymoon destination, helicopter tours, and parks and gardens.

14. There are many award-winning international hotels and resorts throughout Malaysia that offer spa treatments and exceptional service. We are also set to witness the opening of many more world-class luxury hotels in the coming months such as the St. Regis, Harrods, Four Seasons Place KL, W Hotel, and The Regent.

15. Wedding and honeymoon is another growing segment that has captured the hearts of many Indian couples who have chosen various exotic destinations in Malaysia to celebrate the sacred union of marriage.

16. As for shopping, Kuala Lumpur was listed as the 4th Best Shopping City in the World by CNN for two consecutive years, while Globe Shopper Index ranked it the second best in Asia Pacific in 2012. Among our award-winning retail establishments are Pavilion, Suria KLCC, Starhill Gallery and Johor Premium Outlet which is also Southeast Asia’s first premium outlet.

17. As one of the leading family destinations in the Southeast Asia region, I also suggest you visit two of our major theme parks, Legoland and Puteri Harbour Family Theme Parks, to experience world class family bonding activities. Other theme parks and children entertainment centres you can visit include Kidzania, i-City, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park, Lost World of Tambun, A’ Famosa Resort and of course Genting Higlands Theme Park.

18. For sun, sand and beach, choices are aplenty too. If you don’t have enough time to explore, why not just follow CNN’s recommendations? Its 100 Best Beaches in the World has listed three from Malaysia. Ranked 13 was Perhentian Kecil Island in Terengganu; Juara Beach in Tioman Island was No. 21, while Tanjung Rhu in Langkawi was No. 49.

19. As business travel remains the main reason for Indians to travel overseas, Malaysia is offering its MICE services to business travellers too. For your information, Malaysia is becoming a popular destination for business tourism due to the availability of excellent venues, infrastructure, facilities and services.

Ladies and gentlemen,

CLOSING

20. I came to Chennai to meet our Indian trade partners to demonstrate the importance Malaysia attaches to its relations with India. And to my delight, I get more than I bargained for, which is the strong support not just from the tourism industry players but also from the movie industry. And I must express my heartfelt appreciation for your kind support.

21. Let us join hands and chart the way forward for both our countries.

22. Before I conclude, I wish to remind all of the nominees of the Edison Awards that this evening, there are no losers. You are all winners.

Thank you.

ends