MOTAC Empowers Homestay Community, Provides Capacity Building Assistance

KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 (Bernama) -- The government remains committed to strengthening the homestay community by enhancing the skills of operators through capacity-building assistance, particularly under the Malaysia Homestay Experience Programme (PPHM).

Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan said this initiative was being implemented through the Refresher Homestay course, which began in February.

“The success of this course is expected to raise the service standards of the homestay industry to ensure its competitiveness on the international stage.

“It also aims to enhance tourism industry standards through training and support for tourism industry players, tour operators, and tour guides,” he said during the winding-up session of the motion of thanks on the King’s address in the Dewan Negara today.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii, in his winding-up speech for the ministry, said that 202 deforestation activities covering 8,000 hectares had been detected in Peninsular Malaysia so far.

He emphasised the importance of Federal-State cooperation in monitoring logging and forest encroachment activities, including through special committees and monitoring operations led by the director-general of the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia.

In another development, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick, in his ministry's winding-up session, announced that 27 entrepreneurship promotion programmes would be implemented this year as part of the ministry’s 2025 strategic plan.

These include the Targeted Entrepreneurship Outreach Programme (JKEB), entrepreneurship programmes and seminars for graduates under PROTÉGÉ, and the Tunas Usahawan Belia Bumiputera (TUBE) programme by SME Corp.

Other initiatives listed are the Entrepreneurial Culture and Empowerment Seminar for Hawkers and Small Traders, the Bank Rakyat Entrepreneur Empowerment Tour, and the INSKEN Business Outreach, he added.

The Dewan Negara sitting resumes tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA