The government is offering free safety and induction training to 10,000 tourism workers nationwide, preparing them to meet health and safety standards as Malaysia manages rising visitor numbers under the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign.
The training programme, Safety Induction for Tourism Industry (SITI), is provided by the Human Resources Ministry in collaboration with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and will be delivered through the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. A budget of 2.65 million ringgit (US$652,725) has been allocated, and the programme is open to frontline tourism workers, including tour guides, hoteliers, drivers, and caterers.
A New Straits Times report quoted human resources minister Ramanan Ramakrishnan, as having said: “Safety and health cannot be compromised, especially in the service industry. Tourists may have varying expectations when it comes to service, but when it comes to safety, there must be no room for compromise.”
The one-day programme will comprise seven hours of training and serve as a basic induction on requirements under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 2022. Areas that will be covered in the programme includes occupational safety and health laws, hazard identification specific to the tourism sector and risk control.
Upon completion, participants will receive a digital safety passport in the form of an e-card, which includes 24-hour insurance coverage for two years.
Online registration will open on January 25 on the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health website.
Ramanan shared: “If the response is encouraging, we will review the programme and consider expanding it further.”
