PROMOTION OF FOOD AND CULTURE

Tourism Malaysia will intensify programmes to promote Malaysian food and culture abroad to get more foreigners to visit Malaysia.

Datuk Azizan Noordin,Ag Director General said food and culture were Tourism Malaysia's promotion strategy since the 1970s and they had contributed a lot to the country's tourism industry. He said programmes were carried out almost every month by Tourism Malaysia to promote Malaysian food and culture overseas.

"Our markets are the Asean region, West Asia, Europe, Japan and Korea," he told Bernama here after opening the Malaysian Food and Culture Week at the Shangri-la Hotel here.

The programme, held from May 3 to 9, is organised by Tourism Malaysia and Shangri-la Hotel, with the cooperation of the Malaysia Airlines.

Among the Malaysian food being promoted there are nasi lemak, nasi goreng, rendang, laksa, mee rebus, roti canai and satay.

Azizan said that Malaysia was a food haven for foreign tourists because of the variety and uniqueness of the food found in the country. "We have Malay, Chinese and Indian dishes," he added.

On cultural promotion, Azizan said cultural troupes, like from Istana Budaya, would be specially brought to perform.

He said besides food and culture, handicraft products, like batik, weaving and pewter, where the masters in the respective fields were brought to demonstrate their skills and promote their products.

Last year, Malaysia attracted 24.6 million tourists. This year, Malaysia is hoping to get 25 million tourists.

Meanwhile, chefs Zalizam Mohamad Rasidi and Zaidi Rajimen are proud to have been selected to prepare the Malaysian food in Dubai. "The menu includes satay, rendang, laksa, mee goreng, nasi lemak, kerabu mangga and rojak buah," said Zalizam, 41. Another crowd-puller at the Malaysian booth is a demonstration on making teh tarik by Mior Sazali Ali.