KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) has outlined three 100 Days Federal Cabinet Ministers’ Keluarga Malaysia Aspirations (AKM 100 Hari) that need to be achieved to ensure the aspirations for the tourism and culture sector meet the needs of the people and industry players.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, said the three aspirations need to be achieved within 100 days, starting from September 1.
Among the aspirations is the reopening of Langkawi in Kedah to restart the tourism industry in the country. This is to turn Langkawi into a domestic tourism bubble pilot project in the country, aside from reopening other tourism and cultural destinations that fulfil the National Security Council (MKN) criteria, and has obtained the state government’s permission.
The second aspiration is the use of incentives in the form of discounts, rebates, vouchers offered to consumers by airlines, the Malaysian Hotel Association (MAH) and the purchase of cultural products.
“The third and last aspiration of MOTAC AKM 100 Hari is to increase the registration of craft entrepreneurs on the MYCRAFTSHOPPE Digital Platform to intensify the promotion and marketing of craft products online,” she told The Borneo Post in a special interview recently.
Elaborating on the first aspiration, she said it aimed at reviving domestic tourism and cultural activities and to increase the income of tourism and culture industry.
It will be implemented by opening tourist and cultural destinations in all 14 states, which has hit 100 per cent when inter-district travel ban was lifted.
Nancy with buntings showing the three Motac Keluarga Malaysia Aspirations.
For the second aspiration, Nancy said it was carried out by giving out vouchers and rebates to consumers to encourage them to travel domestically, adding that the response was very encouraging with 59.42 per cent uptake as of Nov 8.
“The total value of the vouchers and rebates is from MOTAC allocation totalling RM5,865,000 and from that amount, RM3,485,070 has been redeemed as of Nov 8,” she said.
She is optimistic that it will hit 100 percent uptake within the set time frame.
“There are two vouchers provided by Tourism Malaysia, namely accommodation and flight vouchers. In terms of achievement, we also look at it from two angles, the vouchers that have been redeemed and the vouchers that have been claimed.
“The flight vouchers that have been claimed have actually reached 95.1 per cent, but those who have travelled using them are only 59.42 per cent,” she said.
Meanwhile, the second aspiration is also extended to include book voucher. For this, MOTAC in collaboration with the National Library has launched the Semarak Membaca Book Voucher Redemption Programme to encourage the reading culture amongst Malaysian families.
This programme also has the co-operation of the Malaysian Book Publishers Association (Mabopa), the Malaysian Booksellers Association (MBA) and the National Book Council.
“This programme involves 167 physical bookstores and one online bookstore with an allocation of RM885,000 in book vouchers to be redeemed,” she said.
“The public can get a RM10 voucher at selected bookstores for the purchase of books and local publications worth a minimum of RM20.
“The distribution of these book vouchers will also help the book industry as well as foster the reading culture of Keluarga Malaysia,” she explained.
For the arts and cultural activities sector, MOTAC through the National Art Gallery has also provided a discount voucher incentive for every purchase of Malaysian visual artwork worth RM500 to RM1,000.
The discount incentive also known as ‘Buy Art Malaysia (BUY)’ will end on November 20 and it involves 30 private and public galleries nationwide.
For the third aspiration, the increase in the registration of craft entrepreneurs on the digital platform has also achieved the set target. A total of 159 entrepreneurs have registered in MYCRAFTSHOPPE, which will intensify promotional activities and marketing of craft products online.
For the record, Sabah has the highest number of registered entrepreneurs, followed by Sarawak, Terengganu and Perak for the period of September 1 to November 8.
MOTAC has achieved two of the three aspirations in the AKM.
Nancy said MOTAC had achieved two of the three aspirations as of November 8, namely the opening of domestic tourism and cultural destinations and the registration of craft entrepreneurs under the MOTAC digital sales platform.
“This also contributes to the increase in income of tourism and culture industry players,” she added.
She also hoped that MOTAC can channel these information well to its divisions, agencies – state and overseas – as this will enable more effective and planned action or implementation of policies or programmes, especially involving the AKM.
“I have previously stressed that we need to work as a team because we are facing a ‘crisis within crisis’ situation,” she said.
“Alhamdulilah, we have gone through 17 months together, facing ‘crisis within crisis’ and how it has shaped us to be more synergistic,” she added.
Thus, she said, her office had created [email protected] as a platform to get feedback from the grassroots, and anyone can submit any suggestions and constructive criticism to this email address.
“I hope all MOTAC staff, regardless of whether they are at the headquarters, department or agency, will focus on the implementation of the KMA AKM.
“Co-operation from all levels is important, in any planning and implementation of their respective programmes and activities as a form of support for the Keluarga Malaysian Aspirations,” she said.
“Working as a team and a family will definitely yield better results, compared to working alone,” she added.
“The third and last aspiration of MOTAC AKM 100 Hari is to increase the registration of craft entrepreneurs on the MYCRAFTSHOPPE Digital Platform to intensify the promotion and marketing of craft products online.” — Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri
With the tagline ‘Coming Back Stronger’, Nancy said MOTAC aims for the industry in the tourism sector together with the arts and culture sector to recover and recover after being plagued by the Covid-19 pandemic for so long.
“God willing, achieving 100 per cent target of the AKM can be hit and improve the living standards of the people, whether in terms of economy, education, infrastructure, culture or religion,” she said.