I NEARLY FELL OFF MY SEAT LAUGHING AT THIS STATEMENT – MALAYSIA TO TARGET ONE MILLION INDONESIAN TOURISTS IN 2006!

Interestingly, Malaysian Tourism Minister, Datuk Dr Leo Michael Toyad, now in Indonesia to woo more tourists to Malaysia, believes that the target of one million tourist arrivals from this island republic this year is within reach.

He says that the target was based on a 44.8 per cent increase to more than 821,000 arrivals registered for the first 10 months of 2005 compared with the corresponding period in 2004.

Accordingly it is stated most of the arrivals or 60.6 per cent, were repeat visitors while their average length of stay was 9.7 days with average spending of RM1, 400 to RM2, 100 per person!

Promoting Malaysia here as a value-added-travel destination, he further stated that the Indonesian market had proven to be a strong and viable venture for Malaysia.

It was the third largest contributor in visitor arrivals, after Singapore and Thailand!

Dr Toyad stated that the Indonesians loved Malaysia for shopping, sightseeing, visiting friends and relatives, attending conferences, seeking health and medical treatment and education.

What he forgot was, we already have perhaps more than 2 million unwanted 'illegal tourist' making a living in this country and perhaps, many among them carrying Mykads as well!