Speech by YB Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri Bin Tan Sri Abdul Aziz, Minister of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia Launching Of 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival (1MMSC) 2015, 1Malaysia Unified Sale 2015 & #Beautifulmalaysia Online Contest
SPEECH BYYB DATO' SERI MOHAMED NAZRI BIN TAN SRI ABDUL AZIZ
Minister Of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia
Launching Of
1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival (1MMSC) 2015, 1Malaysia Unified Sale 2015 & #Beautifulmalaysia Online Contest
June 27, 2015 (Saturday)
Grand Ballroom, Marriot Putrajaya
SALUTATIONS:
Tan Sri, Puan Sri, Dato'-Dato', Datin-Datin,
Para peserta program Karnival Jualan Mega 1Malaysia,
Rakan industri,
Rakan media,
Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan yang dihormati sekalian,
Salam Sejahtera dan Salam 1Malaysia
1. Terlebih dahulu, saya ingin menyampaikan salam YB Menteri Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan Malaysia yang tidak dapat hadir pada majlis ini dan telah meminta saya mewakili beliau untuk menyampaikan ucapan beliau dan seterusnya merasmikan program ini.
2. Setinggi penghargaan kepada para tetamu sekalian kerana sudi hadir pada petang ini untuk menyaksikan pelancaran kempen jualan besar-besaran Karnival Jualan Mega 1Malaysia dan Karnival Jualan Bersepadu 1Malaysia yang akan bermula pada hari ini sehingga 31 Ogos 2015. Bersempena dengan Karnival Jualan Mega 1Malaysia, Tourism Malaysia juga melancarkan Peraduan #BeautifulMalaysia yang menawarkan pelbagai hadiah menarik untuk dimenangi.
3. Saya juga ingin mengucapkan ribuan terima kasih kepada Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan kerana turut serta memeriahkan lagi karnival jualan yang dilancarkan serentak dan memberi peluang besar bagi rakyat Malaysia dan pelancong asing untuk merebut tawaran mega serta mendapat pilihan barangan dan perkhidmatan yang lebih banyak di seluruh negara.
4. Sesungguhnya, kedua-dua karnival ini dapat memeriahkan lagi suasana membeli-belah dan menyumbang kepada prestasi sektor beli-belah yang merupakan penyumbang kedua tertinggi dalam jumlah keseluruhan perbelanjaan pelancong selepas sektor penginapan. Seterusnya izinkan saya untuk meneruskan ucapan saya dalam Bahasa Inggeris.
Ladies and gentlemen,
5. It is my pleasure to welcome you this evening to our Networking Iftar in conjunction with the launching of Malaysia's mammoth national-level sales, the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival and the 1Malaysia Unified Sale. Both carnivals start today and will last till Merdeka Day on 31st August 2015.
6. I would also like to welcome our Mega Fam participants, comprising 49 foreign journalists, TV crews and travel agents from 13 countries, namely Bahrain, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, New Zealand, Thailand, UAE, and Vietnam. They are here to help us promote the country as a premier shopping haven, as well as a top-of-mind tourist destination.
7. The carnivals are set to excite in the true colours of Malaysia as the entire nation comes alive with hundreds of Ramadhan bazaars enticing shoppers with numerous food delights. Not only do the bazaars attract Muslim shoppers in preparation for their daily iftar, they also beckon all other Malaysians and tourists as well to sample the wide variety of Malaysian culinary fare, especially traditional food that's specially prepared for the month of Ramadhan.
8. Food is very much part of the Experiential Shopping packages, which are promoted by Tourism Malaysia's Shopping Malaysia Secretariat, the organiser of the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival as well as the other two big shopping promotions, namely the 1Malaysia Grand Prix Sale in March and the 1Malaysia Year-end Sale from 14th November to 3rd January next year.
9. The Experiential Shopping theme is aimed at making the activity of shopping even more exciting by highlighting lifestyle elements that encompass culinary delights, entertainment, and rest and recreation for the entire family in integrated, contemporary shopping malls. In addition, places of significant interest surrounding the malls are also included in the total shopping experience packages.
10. I am pleased to note that shopping malls throughout the country have come up with big bargains, special deals and discounts as well as exciting activities to turn this year's 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival into one huge, nationwide fiesta. My heartfelt appreciation to all participating malls for making this possible.
11. In addition, the 1Malaysia Unified Sale organised by the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism is undertaken to enlarge the shopping basket of consumers so that they can enjoy the best offers that encompass many retail goods and other types of products and services spanning a broad spectrum of industrial sectors.
12. We have earmarked Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman as Kuala Lumpur's heritage shopping zone with the aim of attracting both domestic and foreign tourists to discover its unique character. Shopping here allows tourists to see 19th and 20th century shop houses that have been well preserved and make a great live showcase of a splendid blend of Malay, Straits Chinese, Mughal and colonial European influences, including Grecian-Spanish architectural style. The area has long become a shopping haven with an old-world charm.
13. Other Extended Shopping Zones include Bandar Utama, Bandar Sunway and Subang Jaya in Selangor as well as George Town in Pulau Pinang, Johor Bahru in Johor, Melaka, Sabah and Sarawak.
14. These Extended Shopping Zones will be promoted along with the major shopping districts in premier areas in Kuala Lumpur, such as Bukit Bintang, KLCC and Central Market, which offer some of the best shopping experiences in the city.
15. As part of our efforts to promote the various shopping districts, Tourism Malaysia will produce Shopping Malaysia Fun Maps that will make it easy for shoppers to track numerous shopping attractions in different locations. We will start by producing the shopping maps of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Johor, Penang, Sabah, and Sarawak. These maps will come in handy for both locals and tourists to experience the best of shopping in Malaysia.
16. Yet another one of Tourism Malaysia's promotional efforts is the online contest, the #beautifulMalaysia Photo Contest, with weekly prizes to be won over 12 weeks from 15th June to 20th September 2015. One grand prize and three consolations prizes are up for grabs every week. Grand prizes include a GoPro Hero 4, iPad Air 2, Canon EOS 100D and OPPO Find 5.
17. Besides featuring the beauty of Malaysia, the postcards will also be used to further promote 2015 as Malaysia Year of Festivals, or in short, MyFest. Various festivals and events happening in the country will be highlighted on the postcards which can easily be picked up by tourists visiting the country.
Ladies and gentlemen,
18. The coming months promise even more excitement in the line-up of events and festivals as we continue to celebrate MyFest. I would like to call upon all shopping mall owners and managers to help make MyFest a roaring success. Together, let us create truly "Endless Celebrations", which is the theme of MyFest that promises a year packed with festivities, events and happenings all over the country.
19. Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia supports all such fine efforts to bring the best of shopping experiences in Malaysia, particularly in Kuala Lumpur. It is such efforts that have helped our capital city to clinch the title of the 2nd Best Shopping Destination in Asia Pacific, as ranked in the Global Shoppers Index 2012. Kuala Lumpur is listed ahead of other major cities like Singapore, Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo and Sydney.
20. We should take advantage of the recognitions that the country received and double our efforts to develop and stimulate the shopping and tourism sector further. Shopping-driven extravaganzas will remain as one of the central platforms to drive tourism expenditures.
21. Shopping is becoming an increasingly relevant component of the tourism value chain. The shopping sector's contribution to the country's tourist receipts amounted to RM21.6 billion or 30% of the total receipts of RM72 billion in 2014. In addition, the shopping sector also continues to hold the second biggest share of tourist expenditure after the accommodation sector.
22. With more and more young Malaysian entrepreneurs striving to innovate and think out of the box, our brands have now crossed over internationally and have started making a name for them abroad. The shopping industry's pivotal contributions do not go unnoticed.
23. There is definitely room for growth for the shopping sector. We have yet to fully tap the potential to develop more premium and high-quality shopping malls particularly in the highly populated urban and suburban areas outside the more established shopping zones.
24. With that, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to urge all players in the retail sector to help boost tourist expenditure further so that it will benefit the tourism industry in particular and the nation's economy as a whole.
25. Without further ado, let us look forward to a fruitful Networking Iftar ahead of the much awaited sales extravaganza.
Thank you.
END.
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