KOTA BARU, Jan 30 — It is too early to determine the effects of the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak on the country’s tourism industry, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi said.

He stressed that Malaysia was not the only country affected by the disease.

"It (outbreak) has only happened for a month and a half, and if we are to ask whether it is affecting tourist arrivals or not, it is still too early to say.

"The ministry will study data from Immigration Department to determine the actual number of tourist arrivals,” he told reporters after meeting craft entrepreneurs at the East Coast Textile Craft Fest 2020 at Dataran Muhammadi here today. 

Also present were his deputy Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik and Kraftangan Malaysia director-general Ibrahim Ismail.

Mohamaddin said the ministry for now is maintaining its target of 30 million tourist arrivals for Visit Malaysia 2020 (VM2020) and expressed confidence that effects of the virus that originated in Wuhan, China would not affect its projections.

He said the country was not dependent on Chinese tourists alone and pointed out that Singaporeans made the highest number who visited the country last year.

Commenting on a special committee that would be formed at ministry level to monitor the issue, Mohamaddin, when asked, denied that it was set up a tad too late, and said that the ministry considers all factors before making decisions.

In his speech earlier, Mohamaddin said Kraftangan Negara had successfully sold RM519.7 million worth of craft products last year. — Bernama