Tourism minister says mosques shown in longer, more detailed video

Summary

• Attacked for the lack of mosques in the launch video for the “Visit Malaysia 2026” campaign, Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing says mosques are included in a longer and more detailed video that will be released soon.

• Tiong says the longer video also features silat and the Ngajat and Sumazau dances.

• The minister urges all to refrain from turning the video into a racial and religious issue.

The launch video for the “Visit Malaysia 2026” campaign did not include mosques as it was supposed to be short and simple, Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing said today.

However, mosques are included in a more detailed promotional video that will come later, he said in a statement.

Tiong said the longer video will also include silat and the Ngajat and Sumazau dances.

“Malaysia has all sorts of beauty and uniqueness in this country, including the stunning architecture of mosques.

“To that end, these elements have been included in a more detailed promotional video that will display each element more specifically.

“This video is in the final processing stages and will be released soon,” he said.

He added that the video is to promote Malaysia’s value as a tourist destination as a whole, not race and religion.

‘Irresponsible parties manipulating issue’

Earlier today, Perikatan Nasional leaders questioned the absence of mosques in the 41-second video uploaded on the Tourism Malaysia Facebook page.

Bersatu vice-president Radzi Jidin demanded an explanation from Tiong, while the party’s youth wing said the video disregarded Muslim sensitivities.

In his statement, Tiong addressed these criticisms by saying that irresponsible parties are aiming to manipulate the issue into a racial and religious matter.

“It is the attitude of extremists like these that is actually challenging our social harmony, not the promotional efforts carried out by the ministry,” he said.

He urged Malaysians to refrain from politicising the matter or turning it into a racial or religious issue.

The video montage featured several popular tourist destinations such as Petaling Street and Central Market, the Batu Caves Temple, the Christ Church in Malacca (constructed by the Dutch), the Mulu Cave in Sarawak, and Skywalk Langkawi.

It has since been removed from the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry’s YouTube channel.

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