Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Africa a Long-term Airline Business Partner

Home Archived Africa a Long-term Airline Business Partner

By Mervin Syafunko

KUALA LUMPUR

Malaysian immigration officers looking down on tourists not well dressed recently came under fire from Tourism Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

The minister told journalists that one’s physical appearance should not be used to determine a person’s intention or personality.

“Immigration officers form the frontline of the country. This is why they must be educated to refrain from adopting such perceptions,” he told reporters.

He was referring to a recent case where several people wanting to enter Malaysia were denied entry because they were shabbily clothed and unable to converse properly. He said his ministry would be having talks with the Immigration Department on the matter.

Tengku Adnan said 1.3 million tourists from Medan visited Malaysia last year and the ministry was aiming to surpass the two million mark this year. He also said that only Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Malacca and Genting Highlands were popular with North Sumatran tourists while other states were neglected.

As such, he said, talks were being held with tourist agencies to promote all states in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, to boost trade between Southern African and his country, Malaysian Airlines (MAS) and South African Airways (SAA) have signed a code-share agreement. From June 1 SAA customers have access to the three direct weekly MAS flights between Johannesburg and Kuala Lumpur.

Travellers are now able to connect to MAS flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Langkawi and to cities in Asia, including Jakarta, Denpasar, Manila, Bangkok and Phuket.

MAS customers can connect from Johannesburg to other South African airports such as Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London in SAA aircraft and to regional African destinations including Victoria Falls and Harare in Zimbabwe, Maputo in Mozambique, Maseru in Lesotho, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, Windhoek and Botswana.

MAS managing director Idris Jala said the partnership with SAA was a strategy to strengthen its presence in the African market. This is in line with the Malaysian government’s policy of increasing trade ties between southern Africa and that country. The Malaysian government says Africa will be its long trading and tourism partner for many years to come. Tengku Adnan further said: “Africa and southern Africa in particular cannot be ignored.”

“In east Africa we have already started working with Kenya while in southern Africa we have business interests in Namibia and we are still expanding,” said the minister.