PUTRAJAYA, 2 August 2017 – Concerned about the delays and congestion experienced by tourists at Malaysia’s airports and immigration counters, Tourism Malaysia is taking steps to address the situation.

YBhg. Dato’ Dr. Siew Ka Wei, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia said, “We are aware of this congestion at the airports from the various comments made directly to us as well as from postings made in blogs, and we would like to give assurance that we are working collectively with the immigration department and airport authority to address the delay in processing the entry of visitors to Malaysia.”

He continued, “We have been in touch with our board member, YBhg. Dato’ Sri Hj. Mustafar Hj. Ali, the Director General of Immigration Department of Malaysia, who is working with the airport authority to resolve the issue as soon as possible.”

“We look forward to a quick solution since the situation has become critical. The coming months are the peak holiday season for many markets. In addition, the 2017 SEA Games is just around the corner for which we are expecting to welcome some 15,000 athletes and officials to Malaysia along with their army of supporters,” he added.

He said, “Tourists usually get a first glimpse of a country at the airport. The first impression there counts and will affect the rest of their holiday and time spent in our country. Let’s work together to provide a smooth welcome at their arrival by ensuring a hassle-free entry at the airport and immigration counters.”

He was positive that the situation would be rectified with the collective cooperation of the Immigration Department of Malaysia and the airport authority.

ENDS

For more media releases, media info and media features on Malaysia’s tourism industry, kindly visit the Media Centre of Tourism Malaysia’s website at http://www.tourism.gov.my/

MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2016, Malaysia registered 26.8 million tourist arrivals and RM82.1 billion in receipts, placing it among the major tourism destinations of the world.

Press contact:

Media Relations Unit:

Edzuar Zar Ayob Azari, Senior Deputy Director, Corporate Communication Division
Tel: +603-8891 8767
Email: edzuar@tourism.gov.my

Editorial Unit:

Anis Rozalina Ramli (Ms), Senior Editor, Corporate Communication Division
Tel: +603-8891 8759
Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my