SHAH ALAM, Oct 14 – Malaysia will soon establish a dedicated agency to promote Islamic tourism for faith-based travel and halal hospitality, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said the agency will help promote Malaysia as a hub for Islamic finance and the halal economy, while explaining that several Muslim-majority nations have expressed support for Malaysia to take the lead in integrating Islamic economic instruments with tourism.
“Six Islamic countries have proposed that Malaysia spearhead efforts to expand Islamic financial instruments and economic programmes, alongside tourism,” Anwar said during Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat.
He added that the proposed agency will focus on developing tourism products and facilities that cater to Muslim travellers, including family-oriented and halal-compliant services.
“Islamic-friendly tourism differs from conventional packages. Travellers prefer environments and programmes that are family friendly, culturally suitable, and free from activities considered haram or syubhah (doubtful),” he said, citing examples from Turkey and Qatar, where similar initiatives have drawn growing international interest.
Anwar said the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac) has been instructed to include Islamic tourism programmes in its future plans.
He said a formal decision on the agency’s establishment will be made “in the next one or two days”.
The announcement comes as the government prepares for Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026), which targets 47 million international visitors.
