MELAKA: The state government will foster cooperation with Pekanbaru and Dumai in Indonesia to fill vacancies in Melaka’s hospitality and health tourism sectors.

       State tourism, heritage and culture committee chairman Datuk Muhammad Jailani Khamis said these two sectors were experiencing a workforce shortage, especially among locals.

       “We have four private hospitals and Melaka is known for health tourism and many hotels.

       “However, we face problems as the local workforce shun the minimum wage.

       “So, one solution is to provide opportunities for Indonesians to undergo their internship in Melaka, maybe for six months in both sectors,” he told Bernama after officiating the Melaka Coffee Festival 2022 here today.

       He said the cooperation would be discussed with representatives of relevant agencies in Indonesia during his week-long working visit to Jakarta starting tomorrow.

       He said the discussion would also involve post-Covid-19 measures to revive the tourism industries in Melaka and Indonesia, especially in the health tourism sector.

       In another development, Muhammad Jailani said tourism industry players in the state were reminded to consistently implement the standard operating procedure (SOP) to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

       “Ttourist arrivals to Melaka have increased, especially in the first month of this year, but we also need to ensure that the SOP is complied with as the daily number of Covid-19 cases is increasing,” he added.