TERENGGANU will soon release guidelines to all Malaysian travel consultants and tourism offices in neighbouring countries, including Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand, on the dress code preferred for visitors to the conservative Malaysian state, The Star Onlinereported on Sunday.
The same report cited the Terengganu government news portal Teganukita as stating that the guidelines were targeted especially at female tourists, with state tourism and cultural affairs chairman, Mohd Jidin Shafee saying that the Terengganu Islamic and Malay Heritage Council (Maidam) helped draft the dress code.
Mohd Jidin was also quoted as saying the new ruling would not deter tourists from visiting the state, and that legal action – which he did not specify – would only be taken against offenders after they had been served with a warning letter.
Interestingly, The Star Online yesterday reported that an article uploaded on Sunday on the state’s website introducing the new ruling has been taken down.
Maidam, which met with the state government to prepare the guidelines, is expected to hold a press conference soon to provide more details.
Terengganu attracts thousands of visitors yearly with its pristine beaches and world-famous islands like Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian.
Malaysian travel consultants had earlier expressed differing views on how tourism would be affected by a new ruling in Terengganu that stipulates all shopping malls in the state to close for two hours on Friday afternoons from this year onwards.
