KUALA LUMPUR: Hotels in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau experienced a 35% drop in business following the terrorist attacks in Lahad Datu, says Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.
She said some 800 tourists cancelled their tour packages to Sabah during the period, when a group of foreign gunmen invaded Lahad Datu on Feb 9 and attempted to lay claim to Sabah.
“I visited Semporna and Tawau last week and can give an assurance that Sabah is safe to visit.
“A task force has been formed to encourage Sabah tourism activities. The ministry and state government will organise a water regatta event in the last week of April,” she said after launching the Malaysia International Shoe Festival at the Putra World Trade Centre here yesterday.
Dr Ng said the tourism industry is the third largest revenue earner for Malaysia and contributes RM60bil annually and provides 1.8 million people with job opportunities.
At another event, Dr Ng urged employers to provide parental care facilities for elderly parents of their workers.
“It is time that employers have amenities for elderly parents, aside from having childcare centres at the workplace.
“My mother is 96 years old. She is lonely whenever I’m at work. I thought how nice it would be if she could come to my workplace and that we have a parental care centre for her,” she said at the Women In Leadership (WIL) Forum Asia in a hotel here.
WIL Forums founder Sophie Le Ray said Malaysia was advanced in terms of women representation in leadership roles.
“Malaysia has set the trend in creating a quota for women to be part of a company’s board of directors. You also see quite a number of powerful female leaders in the public and private sectors,” she added.
Le Ray said only 6% of the board of directors in companies worldwide were women and more must be done to increase the number.
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