The Tourism Ministry aims to make Malaysia the Islamic fashion centre of the world. Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said the industry could go far. "Besides shopping, we also want to focus on introducing uniquely Malaysian fashion events," she said after attending the Islamic Fashion Festival 2011 (IFF) high-tea and fashion showcase at a hotel here yesterday.
She said the number of visitors from the Middle East had increased from about 20,000 in the 1990s to 320,000 last year. "They come here to enjoy our natural environment, shopping and also fashion, which is why we want to hold more Islamic fashion events," she said, adding that the ministry was targeting 500,000 tourists from the region by 2020.
"Since Islamic fashion events are quite new here, we have no statistics, but we are collecting data," Dr Ng said. Guests were treated to a showcase of local and foreign designers featuring the IFF theme, Oriental Charm. Tengku Puan Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Sultan Iskandar and IFF founder and chairman Datuk Raja Rezza Shah were among the guests.