A lawmaker has suggested that the recent terrorist attacks on the United States should be 'exploited' to Malaysia's favour by encouraging more Arabs to 'look east' and holiday here.

Mohd Sarit (BN-Temerloh) said tourists, especially the Arabs, may now shy away from the United States, United Kingdom and Europe for security reasons.

But, to attract Arabs to holiday in Malaysia, the country must be equipped with suitable infrastructure, he added.

However, he did not elaborate what he meant by "suitable infrastructure".

"We must encourage them to look east. I believe there is a change in the attitudes of the Arabs concerning matters such as education, tourism and business after the Sept 11 attacks in America," said Mohd Sarit, while debating the proposed budget for 2002.

"Malaysia, a highly credible Islamic state in the eyes of the Arab, would certainly benefit from this," he added.

Strategy required

According to the Eighth Malaysian Plan report, the biggest source countries for tourism are Asean countries including Singapore and Thailand, China, Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom, said Mohd Sarit.

To attract Arab tourists, a survey should be conducted in order to formulate and implement a strategy to encourage more of them to visit Malaysia, he added.

The tourism sector has projected an annual 6.9 percent rise in the number of in-bound tourists and this figure is expected to increase to 14.3 million people in year 2005, generating an income of RM29.5 billion.

This, said Mohd Sarit, has not taken into account the potential number of Arab tourists that Malaysia can attract as a result of the Sept 11 attacks and the subsequent US retaliatory strikes in Afghanistan.