Tour Guides Required To Attend Course To Improve Service Quality - MOTAC

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 (Bernama) -- Every tour guide in the country will be required to undergo special training offered by Tourism Malaysia in an effort to improve the quality of services to tourists, said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.

He said the training and courses would be implemented in collaboration with language centres and tourism training centres to improve the ability of tour guides to master several languages.

"This programme will be implemented nationwide, including Sabah and Sarawak, to ensure that tourists receive the best service," he said when winding up the debate on the policy-level Supply (Budget) Bill 2026 for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) in Dewan Rakyat today.

In addition, Tiong said MOTAC is discussing with the Ministry of Finance regarding the implementation of a special tax relief of up to RM1,000 to be extended to sectors involved in tourism and business services.

Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, while wrapping up the Budget 2026 policy debate for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, said the welfare and social security of the country's athletes would be strengthened through the expansion of protection contributions and post-retirement career transition plans, in line with the MADANI Malaysia agenda.

Hannah said that starting in 2024, the government had restructured the athlete training contracts under the Podium Programme by focusing on the monthly contributions of Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Social Security Organisation (Socso).

"For the year 2025, a total of RM1,677,603 (i.e. employer contributions of 12 or 13 per cent based on salary rates) had been contributed to the EPF and Socso for 370 athletes under the Podium Programme," she said.

She said the move strengthens social security for athletes in addition to the national athlete welfare scheme that has been in place since 1998, which includes medical treatment assistance, death benefits and group accident insurance coverage.

In an effort to ensure career continuity after retirement, Hannah said the National Sports Council (MSN) through the Malaysian Athlete Career and Education (MACE) secretariat is implementing career guidance and athlete transition programmes with government-linked companies (GLCs) and higher learning institutions that provide flexible pathways for athletes to further their education.

Meanwhile, during the winding up session of the 2026 Budget policy debate for the Ministry of Defence, its Deputy Minister Adly Zahari said the procurement of four Ground Master 400 Alpha (GM400α) long-range radars and three Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) ANKA Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) aircraft was carried out through an international open tender to ensure transparency and technology transfer to the country.

As for the receiving of the GM400 radar, he said, each is expected to be obtained in July 2026 in Sarawak, May 2027 (Kelantan and Johor) and April 2028 (Sabah), while the three MALE ANKA UAS are expected to be received in early February 2026.

On the issue of the well-being of Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) veterans, Adly stressed the ministry's commitment to empowering the group through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) training programmes as well as career placements with industry collaboration, including placing 10 veterans in China for the operation of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project.

As for the welfare of personnel, ongoing studies on allowance and incentive schemes are being conducted, especially involving high-risk personnel such as special forces, pilots, bomb operators and sailors of Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), he said.

The conference continues on Monday.

-- BERNAMA