A total of 204,927 visitors from Singapore enter Malaysia since April 1 - Nancy

PETALING JAYA: A total of 204,927 visitors from Singapore entered the country through the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) in Iskandar Puteri, Johor since the reopening of the country's border on April 1.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the gradual increase in the arrivals has given a ray of hope to the country's tourism sector, showing that the sector is on the path to a positive recovery.

"Singapore tourists are expected to increase with the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration. They want to visit relatives in Malaysia and it is good news for the Malaysian economy," she said in a press conference today.

Nancy said this after launching the MyMOTAC Community Ambassador programme, an initiative under the Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) Community Ambassador programme that was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on March 25.

Nancy said the MyMOTAC Community Ambassador programme is aimed at encouraging the public to adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs) as well as ensure the communities cultivate self-discipline in the country's transition to endemic phase such as wearing face masks, observing the physical distancing rule and checking in premises using the MySejahtera application.

She said the first phase of the programme will focus on high-risk tourism spots during festive holidays and school holidays such as zoos, shopping malls, theme parks, hotels, museums and so on, adding that the ministry will mobilise all its state offices as well as tourism, art and culture industry players to implement the programme from today until Sept 30.

According to Nancy the ambassadors will be wearing an armband as an identification to the public and will volunteer to be on duty at high-risk locations namely crowded and enclosed venues.

"The ministry is always ready to expand the Community Ambassador programme to other subsectors under the tourism, arts and culture sector according to suitability and needs from time to time," she added.

Nancy also presented the MyMOTAC Community Ambassador appointment certificates to representatives of shopping malls, theme parks, convention centres, hotels, the Taiping and Melaka zoos as well as museums and Istana Budaya.

-- BERNAMA