KUALA LUMPUR: The latest statistics from the Immigration Department show that out of the 26 million tourist arrivals to Malaysia from Jan 1 to Nov 15, 2023, Singaporeans topped the list.
Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, expressed hope for a continued increase in tourist arrivals after the implementation of the 30-day visa exemption for travellers from China and India from Dec 1.
“So, we hope for the best and that we can increase the number of tourists, especially after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced visa exemptions for China and India for 30 days beginning Dec 1,” he told the media after the Malaysia Batik Day Celebration walkabout session at the Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex on Dec 3.
The statistics released showed that the most number of tourists were from Singapore at 12,645,364 tourists, followed by Indonesia (3,166,295), Thailand (2,073,162), China (1,407,471), Brunei (904,841), and India (780,532) with the rest from other countries.
Meanwhile, Ainu Sham Ramli, the director-general of Kraftangan Malaysia, expressed hope that the Rahmah Batik Sales, launched in conjunction with the Malaysian Batik Day Celebration, can provide the public with an opportunity to buy batik at a price of less than RM100.
“We will hold special offers, in collaboration with batik entrepreneurs so that customers can buy more affordable batik items,” she said.
She added that this year’s celebration is being held for five days from Nov 30 until Sunday (Dec 4), with a targeted sales of RM1mil.
The Malaysian Batik Day Celebration, being held for the third time, also sees an increase in participation, namely 820 entrepreneurs compared to 797 last year. – Bernama
