PETALING JAYA, Aug 1 — Malaysians and tourists with a particular interest in food can now refer to a newly published guide that lists a range of restaurants they can try around the country.
As the name suggests, the Chinese-language 100 Restaurants Yearbook 2017-2018 lists 100 restaurants located around Peninsular Malaysia.
Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Siew Ka Wei said with Malaysians now exempted from the proposed tourism tax, the book was one way to encourage Malaysians to travel the country in search of the best food.
“Getting to know Malaysia by going on a food trail is a very interesting and rewarding experience. What better way to get to know the lifestyle and traditions of various communities than by going on a food trail,” he said at the presentation of certificates of appreciation to representatives of the restaurants featured in the guide.
Siew said more than 22.5 million tourists visited Malaysia last year, a considerable number of them from China, Indonesia and the Middle East.
“It would be advantageous if the book could be published in other languages too, including English, to give a greater number of tourists the chance to discover the country through its food,” he said.
“The Tourism and Culture Ministry aims to attract 31.8 million foreign tourists this year. The book will be a valuable guide for tourists to sample the different cultures we have through food,” he said.
Siew also suggested that Sabah and Sarawak be included in future editions of the guide given the impressive number of tourists who holiday in the two states.
The guide is edited by Oriental Cuisine magazine and published by Life Magazine.
Yesterday’s event was attended by Life Magazine’s chief executive officer Seow Swee Yean, chief editor of Oriental Cuisine and Feminine magazines Lim Hooi Hia, and Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board’s Asian and African International Promotion division director, Datuk Musa Yusof.
