Malaysian Minister of Tourism Visits Philippines

“Your well-being is my priority.” These are the words of Hon. Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, Malaysian Minister of Tourism after the recent 1Malaysia Gala Dinner hosted by the Embassy ofMalaysia to promote tourism in Malaysia here in the Philippines.

How does the honorable minister plan to implement such a big promise?

The 1Malaysia Gala Dinner started at 5:30pm as stated in the invite and the guests welcomed Dr. Yen Yen to the Philippines since her last visit to the country in the ‘70’s.

Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines, Hon. Ibrahim Saad, introduced the distinguished Minister, Dr. Yen Yen for the 1Malaysia Gala Dinner on October 11, 2011 at the Rizal Ballroom A of the Makati Shangri-la.  A presentation delivered by the Minister herself followed featuring the theme 1Malaysia. To unify this thought, pins showing the number “1” where handed out to guests. The guests of the 1Malaysia Gala Dinner were asked to wear the pin on their right chest as well.

Dr. Yen Yen’s presentation started with her accomplishments as the Minister of Malaysia’s Tourism including her goals for the next 5 years. Her delivery of her presentation was confident and straightforward.

There were at least 9 highlights from her presentation to promote tourism in Malaysia in the Philippines which are enumerated below:

1. Malaysia offers diversity by being a progressive and modern city. They pride themselves for having the PETRONAS Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as one of the centers for their business districts. To give a little trivia, The PETRONAS Twin Towers were “designed by Argentine architect César Pelli and Filipino-Malaysian Engineer Deejay Cerico under the consultancy of J. C. Guinto, also known as the Golden Boy of Architecture, and Filipino Designer Dominic ‘Minick’ Saibo”.
2. Malaysia also embraces multiculturalism. Everyone is allowed to practice their religion and Malaysia has different festivals to celebrate special events for every religion. Dr. Yen Yen claims that there are no terrorists in Malaysia and this is because of Malaysia’s stable politics.
3. Due in part for the right of everyone to practice any religion in Malaysia, Malaysia offers to be a host to different wedding events and choice destination to honeymooners.
4. Malaysia would like to present its modern lifestyle to its guests by the many choices of shopping districts, golf courses, festivals, and hotels.

5. 

   For the naturalists-at-heart, there are world-renowned wonders in Malaysia. Malaysia houses one of the oldest forests in the world. Another natural wonder that should not be missed is the Gunung Mula National Park. This park is deemed as a heritage site by UNESCO for its vast caves and karst formations.

6. To those who want to immerse themselves in Malaysian culture, visitors can go to heritage sites in Melaka and Penang.
7. Malaysia is host to different festivals as well such as the International Shoe Festival, F1 PETRONAS Malaysia Grand Prix, Colors of Malaysia (A Street Party), and International Night Floral Parade.
8. According to statistics, tourists spend 7 Billion USD on shopping and Malaysia opens itself as an international shopping destination with its duty frees and shopping festivals such as the shoe and watch festivals.
9. Finally, Dr. Yen Yen talked about Malaysia’s program for foreign retirees and overseas workers. The program is called Malaysia 2nd Home where foreigners can apply for a ten-year extended work/study/stay in Malaysia. The visa is renewable and Dr. Yen Yen encourages everyone interested to apply as the population in Malaysia is only about 23 million.

There are also other things to look forward to in Malaysia such as a snow/winter theme park and programs for health and education.

Source: 1Malaysia Press Kit
https://www.facebook.com/CutiCuti1Malaysia?sk=app_222549331108394
Petronas Towers, Wikipedia

Contributed by Blogger Apprentice: Ia Adam-Lim ; Photos by Jonel Uy

Dr. Yen Yen made several promises that night that will ensure that guests and tourists in Malaysia will get the best hospitality they deserve. The honorable Minister also said that if there is any problem during any of Malaysia’s guests stay and as long as the guest is able to give the most specific details of his or her concern then the Ministry of Tourism can provide assistance.

Personally, for me it’s a big promise to keep and I hope to experience that in person when I go diving at Sipadan. Have you been to Malaysia? Please tell me about it. I am most interested about their diving packages but if you want to share more, feel free to comment.