Malaysia’s tourism minister urges warmer welcomes after ‘less than friendly’ complaints

Malaysia’s tourism minister has urged the public to be more friendly to visitors and take cleanliness seriously as the country ramps up preparations for Visit Malaysia 2026, after several government agencies flagged complaints from tourists about rude treatment when they sought help.\nSpeaking on New Year’s Day at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing said he had asked for explanations after receiving the feedback.\n“I have received complaints and have sought explanations from the relevant agencies. They informed me that when tourists ask for help, some members of the public have been less than friendly and even appeared irritated,” he told reporters, as quoted by The Edge Malaysia.\nSuch encounters, Tiong warned, could affect the perceptions of Malaysia by international travellers at a time when the government was intensifying efforts to promote the country.\n“I urge everyone to work together to prove that our country is a very welcoming nation and that our culture must reflect a warm attitude towards tourists from all over the world,” he added.\nThe comments were made as Tiong greeted and handed out souvenirs to international passengers during Visit Malaysia 2026 promotional activities at the airport.\nHis appeal comes as Malaysia seeks to build on a tourism rebound that made it Southeast Asia’s most visited country in the first quarter of 2025, when it recorded 10.1 million visitor arrivals, overtaking long-time regional leader Thailand.\n\nOfficial figures later showed Malaysia logged 28.24 million international tourist arrivals in January to August, a 14.5 per cent increase from the same period a year earlier.\nVisit Malaysia 2026, a year-long campaign led by the tourism ministry, aims to attract 47 million international visitors and generate US$80 billion in tourism receipts.\nTiong’s call for warmer welcomes also lands against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny over public hygiene, an issue that has repeatedly surfaced and threatened to hurt Malaysia’s tourism branding.\nIn October, a viral video by a British travel vlogger labelled Semporna as “Asia’s dirtiest town” after showing rubbish-choked waters near jetties serving some of the country’s best-known island resorts, triggering public outrage and a political row over responsibility for waste management.\nThe backlash prompted federal ministers to publicly urge local leaders to clean up tourist areas ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026, underscoring concerns that viral images of neglect could damage the country’s reputation abroad.\nIn December, cleanliness concerns were echoed at the highest levels in Selangor, when Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said he was “fed up” after receiving a flood of complaints about dirty streets, overflowing rubbish bins and clogged drains across the state.\n\nTiong also addressed concerns that cleanliness and waste management could undermine Visit Malaysia 2026, saying authorities had been reminded to tighten standards and treat the issue as a shared responsibility.\nHe said local communities would need to play a bigger role in caring for public spaces to safeguard Malaysia’s image, while officials would focus on guidance rather than heavy-handed enforcement in response to poor behaviour involving visitors.\n“While we cannot place excessive pressure on tourists, we will do our best to educate and gently remind them. Cooperation from all parties is essential,” he said, adding that awareness efforts would start early, including through programmes targeting children.\nAuthorities in Kuala Lumpur and other major cities have also stepped up enforcement against littering, including tougher penalties and community service orders, as the country prepares for an expected surge in visitors due to Visit Malaysia 2026.\n