Tourism Groups Back Tiong Urge End To Misleading Remarks On Gala Dinner

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Three tourism associations have jointly called for an end to statements criticising Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing and Tourism Malaysia over the serving of alcohol at a recent Oct 1 dinner hosted by industry players.
In a joint statement today, the Malaysian Indian Travel & Tours Association (Mitta), Malaysian Inbound Chinese Association (Mica) and Malaysia My Second Home Consultants Association (MM2HCA) said their clarification follows “misleading statements” on the Global Travel Meet gala dinner.
"Mitta, Mica and MM2HCA fully understand the controversy arising from the gala dinner and sincerely express our regrets to the Tourism, Culture and Arts Ministry and Tourism Malaysia and in particular to Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing.
"This statement is issued by Mitta, Mica and MM2HCA to stop all forms of irresponsible and misleading statements being disseminated regarding this matter," said the groups.
Earlier today, critics from both sides of the political divide described the minister’s defence that the event had been taken over and funded by industry players as simply dodging accountability.
Photos from the event showed Tiong and other guests with wine and beer glasses in their hands, which has been met with widespread backlash, including calls for Tiong’s resignation.
The three associations, however, maintained that the event was undertaken and paid for by the tourism industry players and not by the ministry or Tourism Malaysia.
The Global Travel Meet, held for the first time in Malaysia, drew more than 600 international buyers and 100 media representatives, generating over RM420 million in economic impact.
The associations also highlighted Malaysia’s strong tourism performance, noting over 38 million tourist arrivals in 2024 and more than 20 million recorded in the first half of 2025.
“We will continue to cooperate and collaborate with the ministry and Tourism Malaysia to ensure Malaysia remains a preferred tourist destination,” they added. - Mkini

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