By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, April 25: Exploring collaborative opportunities between Malaysia and Indonesia in the growing halal industry and Muslim-friendly tourism were among the key areas of discussion during a recent courtesy call by Prof Dr Pratikno, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, to Malaysia Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Dato Seri Tiong King Sing.
In a Facebook post on Thursday (April 24), Tiong said the courtesy call took place at the recent 33rd ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting in Kuching.
The Bintulu MP said the meeting also served as a platform to deepen bilateral ties and explore collaborative opportunities in cultural exchange and tourism development.
“Among the key areas of discussion was the enhancement of cooperation in the halal product and services industry, including Muslim-friendly tourism. We both acknowledged the significant potential of positioning Southeast Asia as a global Muslim-friendly travel hub.
“In this context, I shared Malaysia’s initiatives through the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC), which plays a pivotal role in developing Malaysia’s Muslim-friendly tourism ecosystem.
“I also highlighted the importance of establishing Muslim-friendly accommodation and service models, referencing Hotel Seri Malaysia as a case study to align accommodation services to Islamic tourism principles to meet the needs of Muslim travellers,” he said.
Tiong, who is also Dudong assemblyman, said the meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to formalise cooperation, focusing on developing offerings in both countries’ respective Islamic tourism and halal industries.
He also said that MOTAC will proceed with further technical engagements with counterparts in Indonesia and their respective agencies in the coming months.
Meanwhile, in another Facebook post on the same day, Tiong received another courtesy call from ASEAN secretary-general, Dr Kao Kim Hourn, focusing on discussions on several strategic initiatives under Malaysia’s current leadership of the ASCC Pillar.
Among the topics discussed was the finalisation of the results framework and strengthening the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of the strategic plan during the ASCC Council Meeting, ahead of its official adoption at the 46th ASEAN Summit.
“We now look ahead to the next phase—finalising the Results Framework and strengthening the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms,” he said.
At the same time, he also reaffirmed Malaysia’s strong support for Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN.
“With six out of seven criteria already fulfilled, the remaining focus is on aligning with ASEAN’s legal instruments. Malaysia remains committed to assisting Timor-Leste through technical support and capacity-building initiatives under the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (#MTCP),” he said.
On the ASEAN Tourism Ministerial Summit 2025, Tiong said in conjunction with World Tourism Day and World Tourism Conference, they aim to host it as a high-level platform bringing ASEAN tourism ministers and dialogue partners for in-depth discussions on tourism policies, strategic challenges, and forward-looking directions for the region’s tourism landscape.
“The summit will serve as a platform for shaping the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP) Post-2025, with the support of the ASEAN Secretariat and the Asian Development Bank,” he said. — DayakDaily
