Foreign students at universities here can work as certified part-time tour guides to serve the rising number of non-English speaking tourists. To do so, however, they must obtain work permits from the Home Affairs Ministry, register themselves with the Tourism Ministry and undergo a course.
This was decided by the Cabinet Committee on Tourism, which met today.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Malaysia needed tour guides fluent in Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. The Government felt that the best resources available would be speakers of these languages studying at universities here.
"The move will also attract more foreigners to study here," Najib said after chairing the meeting today. One of Malaysia’s goals is to be a global education hub.
The tour guides’ wages are to be determined by the Malaysian Tourism Association.
Tourism Minister Datuk Dr Leo Michael Toyad explained that on registering with the ministry, students would undergo a course on "how to behave, how to work in this industry, and learn about tourism products they will be promoting".
The student guides will not be confined to Kuala Lumpur, although most are studying here, but will be allowed to work wherever there is demand.
"This year we have seen a double-digit increase in the number of tourists from Europe and Russia, and we feel this trend is likely to continue.
"There should be no problem sourcing foreign language tour guides as we have many foreign students at universities here. For example, there are many Arabs studying at the International Islamic University."
The Cabinet committee today also decided citizens of India and China could apply for visas online from March 1.
The Government is also making it easier for foreigners to join the "Malaysia My Second Home" programme by relaxing conditions for money transferred to Malaysia.
From now, foreigners under this programme are only required to keep their fixed deposit of US$75,000 (about RM285,000) for a year instead of five years. After a year, they can withdraw the funds to buy assets here.
The year 2007 has been declared another "Visit Malaysia Year".
© Copyright 2005 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.
This was decided by the Cabinet Committee on Tourism, which met today.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Malaysia needed tour guides fluent in Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. The Government felt that the best resources available would be speakers of these languages studying at universities here.
"The move will also attract more foreigners to study here," Najib said after chairing the meeting today. One of Malaysia’s goals is to be a global education hub.
The tour guides’ wages are to be determined by the Malaysian Tourism Association.
Tourism Minister Datuk Dr Leo Michael Toyad explained that on registering with the ministry, students would undergo a course on "how to behave, how to work in this industry, and learn about tourism products they will be promoting".
The student guides will not be confined to Kuala Lumpur, although most are studying here, but will be allowed to work wherever there is demand.
"This year we have seen a double-digit increase in the number of tourists from Europe and Russia, and we feel this trend is likely to continue.
"There should be no problem sourcing foreign language tour guides as we have many foreign students at universities here. For example, there are many Arabs studying at the International Islamic University."
The Cabinet committee today also decided citizens of India and China could apply for visas online from March 1.
The Government is also making it easier for foreigners to join the "Malaysia My Second Home" programme by relaxing conditions for money transferred to Malaysia.
From now, foreigners under this programme are only required to keep their fixed deposit of US$75,000 (about RM285,000) for a year instead of five years. After a year, they can withdraw the funds to buy assets here.
The year 2007 has been declared another "Visit Malaysia Year".
© Copyright 2005 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.
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