Federal gov’t urged to boost tourism allocation for Visit Malaysia Year 2026

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Oct 28: The federal government has been urged to increase the allocation for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to ensure that the Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2026 campaign can be implemented more effectively and achieve its projected targets.

Stampin Member of Parliament Chong Chieng Jen made the call during the Budget 2026 debate in Parliament today.

He highlighted that while VMY 2026 is being promoted as a major national campaign expected to attract 47 million foreign visitors and generate RM329 billion in revenue, the budget allocation for the ministry shows only a modest increase.

“In 2025, the Ministry of Tourism received RM1.418 billion. For 2026, the allocation has been set at RM1.568 billion, an increase of only 10 percent.

“This is insufficient for a campaign of this scale,” Chong said in his speech text.

He stressed that without a more substantial allocation, the ministry may struggle to implement the campaign effectively and meet its ambitious targets.

Chong urged the government to review the allocation to ensure that VMY 2026 lives up to its expectations as a key driver of tourism growth in Malaysia. — DayakDaily

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