Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing has called for caution on comments regarding the impending arrival of tourists from China - a major source of income for the industry.
This was amid concerns that the tourism boom would also lead to a Covid-19 resurgence, which China is reportedly currently struggling with.
In a Facebook post written in Chinese today, Tiong (above) said that tourists from China should not be made to feel unwelcome in Malaysia.
"I would like to take this opportunity to urge everyone to be discreet in your words and actions, don't make unfriendly comments before you know the full picture.
"Don't hurt the friendship between Malaysia and China, or create the impression that we don't welcome tourists from China," he said.
Tiong added that any questions or doubts should be raised through "proper channels" in pursuit of win-win solutions.
Early last month, China ended its "zero-Covid" policy which entails lockdowns in an effort to contain outbreaks.
However, the end of the policy also saw an almost abrupt halt on data on Covid-19 cases and deaths in China, which had been struggling with an outbreak caused by deadlier and more contagious sub-lineages of the Omicron subvariant, BA.5.
The lack of data has caused concern that Beijing is not being forthcoming about the current spread of Covid-19 in the country, where the daily number of new cases is believed by some experts to be in the millions.
Test travellers from China
Health Ministry has said that it would test all incoming travellers from China, as well as the wastewater from the planes they were on.
However, some like PAS have called for temporary restrictions on travellers from China, so that Malaysia can observe how other countries which are receiving Chinese tourists fare first.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry is also encouraging the public to get boosters in anticipation of the influx of Chinese tourists.
However, there is no clear timeline on when new bivalent vaccines - which are considerably more effective than previous vaccines against Omicron offshoots including BA.5 - would be administered.
Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that the bivalent vaccines, which Malaysia was supposed to receive in November, would likely only be rolled out in late January.
China's borders re-open on Jan 8. - Mkini
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