New Zealanders view Malaysia as ‘very safe’
KUCHING: New Zealanders continue to regard Malaysia as a “very safe” tourist destination, its Parliament Speaker Jonathan Hunt said yesterday.
The only security problem faced by tourists in the South-East Asian region so far was the bombing in Bali, he said, adding that New Zealanders were aware that Bali was quite far away from Malaysia.
“We’re also aware that travelling to Malaysia is much safer than travelling to certain other parts of the world,” he said at a round-table discussion with the Sarawak government backbenchers’ club, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) and Sarawak Development Institute here.
Hunt was leading a seven-member delegation, which included New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia Geoff Randal on a visit to Sarawak.
Responding to queries on Sarawak’s potential as a tourist destination for New Zealanders, he said the Malaysian state was seen as a place for travellers in search of adventure.
“The ordinary New Zealander sees Sarawak as an adventure tourism destination and it should be promoted as such,” he said.
He added that efforts could be made to get New Zealand tourists to stop for a visit in Sarawak en route to Europe, China or Japan.
Hunt, the first New Zealand Parliament speaker to visit Sarawak, also said the Pacific nation was keen to maintain its good relations with Malaysia.
Social Development and Urbanisation Minister Datuk Dr James Masing said that educational ties between Sarawak and New Zealand dating back to the days of the Colombo Plan should be strengthened.
He said that education was the best linkage to be fostered as it would lead to co-operation in areas such as trade.
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