By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 12: Malaysia is seeking to draw inspiration from Japan and South Korea by creating integrated lifestyle zones that combine healthcare, fitness, tourism, and long-term living, facilitating multiple short-term stays per year and operating under a hotel-style serviced apartment rental model.
Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Dato Ser Tiong King Sing, said this in a Facebook post following a lunch with representatives from the Australia Malaysia Business Council (AMBC) during a recent visit to Sydney, Australia.
Attendees included AMBC chairman and Low Yat Group’s regional director for Australia, Philip Low; AMBC vice-chairman Ernest Chew; Low Yat Group’s managing director (property division), Low Su Ming; and Lucca Property founder, Mr Eric Wong.
During the lunch, he said that Wong shared that many Chinese Australians are seeking warmer countries for retirement, especially those offering wellness and long-stay programmes.
“Low Yat Group is currently exploring the development of wellness resorts, confinement centres, and assisted living solutions, and has established academic collaboration with a university in Sapporo (Japan). There is potential for further exploration in this area,” said Tiong.
The promotion of Malaysian culinary culture was also discussed, with the Bintulu MP noting that Low Yat Group is spearheading the Malayan Aromas project, which features Malaysia-inspired products such as local-style coffee and instant beverages.
“In the past, the council had also collaborated with Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to organise a Halal Food Expo in Sydney. There are now plans to expand this into a regular event, potentially under a broader ‘Malaysia Month’ umbrella that integrates culture, education, gastronomy, and tourism,” he said.
Tiong, who is also the assemblyman for Dudong, expressed his full support and has instructed Tourism Malaysia to work with relevant agencies on a long-term implementation mechanism, while also encouraging the council to submit proposals and specific concepts for consideration.
“In addition, we discussed the growth potential and promotional efforts for Malaysia’s dive tourism and Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, as well as the need to regulate Airbnb operations to strike a balance between residents’ rights and tourist satisfaction, thereby reducing community complaints,” he said. — DayakDaily
